《Choice, Chance, and Consequence [Reverse Isekai/Team LitRPG]》


 Chapter 1

    The whirring fridge, humming lights, and rumbling dishwasher reminded Derek Perez of how loud electricity could be when no one was at his house. Not only had his parents and siblings left, but it was game night with his friends. The pizza guy came half an hour ago, and Derek waited ten more minutes before flipping the box open and devouring a slice. Chips and salsa, fun size candies, pretzels, sodas, cups, and two boxes of pizza gave a tasty cushion around everyone¡¯s character sheets. Derek had sharpened the pencils so much he could use them as weapons.


    With a loud sigh to match the whirring fridge, he pulled out his phone and glanced at the time. Twenty minutes after six. Everyone was almost an hour late. True, his friends were often late to game night, but it was rare that not even Tyler Clarke, their game master, was here. Something was happening, and he despised being out of the loop.


    He scrolled through his previous messages and saw his passive aggressive note that latecomers had better enjoy cold pizza. The only person who¡¯d seen it was Rafael, which was odd. He hadn¡¯t shown up for a game in almost three years. They¡¯d debated about making a new group chat without Rafael in it, but Derek clung to the hope that their old friend would come back. Since this would be their last session with these characters, hope drifted away.


    This was the game. The game they had scheduled and re-scheduled since mid-May. Their final session before the start of his and Nick¡¯s senior year of high school. They wanted to send their characters off right, destroy the bad guys, and finish their six-year campaign.


    Derek hung his head, his thick, dark brown hair falling across his forehead. He admitted defeat as he grabbed a bag of tortilla chips. It crinkled in his hands as he pried it open. The chips tumbled into the bowl, filling it to the top. Hunger gnawed at him, and he had an entire table of snacks at his disposal. It was the perfect day, too. His older sister Izzy was finishing up a summer semester across the country. His three younger siblings were gone for the rest of the night to be with their cousins, and his parents left for a party. He and his friends had the entire night to play Choice, Chance, and Consequence. If anyone showed up.


    Derek¡¯s brown eyes scanned his character sheet for the umpteenth time. Milo, the mana fusionist, was a character he created to give his twelve-year-old self a challenge. Tyler encouraged him to go for it, as they were both enthusiastic about CCNC and wanted to understand mana more. Sometimes he cursed Izzy for breaking up with Tyler four years ago. Both he and Izzy moved on and started dating other people. Yet despite their break-up, Tyler showed up to be the game master for his ex-girlfriend¡¯s younger brother and his group of friends every time they scheduled a game.


    Except tonight. Where the hell was he?


    His left hand rested in his hair as his right thumb hovered over the keyboard on his phone. His cousin sent him a fast text in Spanish, and Derek didn¡¯t have the heart to answer it as he remained in the CCNC group chat. He thought about skipping passive aggression and going straight to interrogation when the doorbell rang. He leapt out of the chair, stuffing the chip in his mouth before the salsa slid off and hit the floor. Not that his mother would mind, but the cleaners wouldn¡¯t arrive for another few days.


    The summer heat hit Derek like he¡¯d opened an oven instead of the front door. He smiled, relieved, as Nick Larsen stood on his front porch. ¡°You¡¯re here!¡±


    Nick tore his gaze from the hanging plants on the porch and smiled. ¡°Hey, sorry I¡¯m late.¡± As was always the case, Derek noticed Nick¡¯s scar right off. It wasn¡¯t big, but it made itself known by cutting across Nick¡¯s eyebrow. The thin, vertical scar alienated a third of his left eyebrow from the rest. He was lucky to escape the car crash from three years ago with that scar being his only physical injury, considering how close it was to his eye. No doubt Nick thought the same.


    Derek craned his neck to see Nick¡¯s car. ¡°Where¡¯s Evelyn?¡±


    His friend sighed. ¡°It¡¯s why I¡¯m so late. Some friends took her, saying they needed to surprise the incoming cheerleaders.¡±


    ¡°She chose her cheerleading squad over game night?¡± Derek¡¯s chin lowered to his chest, sighing. ¡°I mean, I¡¯d make the same choice, but I doubt my motivations are the same as your little sister¡¯s.¡±


    Derek stepped aside, letting Nick walk into the cooler house. Nick snorted as he did so. ¡°If it makes you feel better, she looked devastated, and told me to apologize for her.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the thought.¡± Derek closed the door, the coolness combating the warmth. Arizona heat was oppressive, especially in August. It didn¡¯t matter what time of night it was.


    ¡°Again, sorry I¡¯m late.¡± Nick¡¯s blue eyes glanced at his watch. ¡°I needed to re-convince my dad I could come.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well, I¡¯m glad he listened to you.¡±


    The scarred eyebrow pulled as Nick¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Derek didn¡¯t know what else to say. The relationship between Nick and his father, Walt, was a deteriorating mess everyone expected would implode before April, when Nick turned eighteen.


    They walked to the dining room table. Nick scanned the room, confused. The unnatural quiet was back. He ran his hand over the table before picking up his character¡¯s sheet on the table. Years ago, after Evelyn¡¯s fifth time forgetting her sheet, everyone agreed to let Derek keep and distribute them.


    ¡°Where is everyone?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°They went to play with cousins on the other side of town and my parents are at a party.¡±


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


    ¡°Oh. Yeah. I also meant¡­ where is Tyler? Alejandra?¡± Nick opened his ancient flip phone, no doubt just getting the texts Derek sent. ¡°Have you been alone this whole time?¡±


    Derek waved a hand in the air, like it would make the embarrassment leave with it. ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so pathetic. I figured someone had a good story about why they weren¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Nick glanced at the head of the table. ¡°Not even Tyler?¡±


    Derek stared at Tyler¡¯s spot as though it could give him the answers he needed. ¡°Yeah. Him I¡¯m worried about, because he¡¯s usually early setting up the minis.¡±


    With a twitch of Nick¡¯s fingers, the flip phone snapped shut, and he slipped it in his pocket. ¡°Sorry for being late. I thought I¡¯d be the last to arrive.¡±


    ¡°No, man, you¡¯re good.¡± Derek eased into his spot at the table. ¡°Heard anything from Alejandra?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got the more reliable phone.¡± Nick sat across from Derek, glancing at his character sheet. There was an old timey chirp from Nick¡¯s pocket, and he pulled his phone back out. Derek hoped it was someone from the group, but deducing how Nick¡¯s eyes hardened, it could only be two people. Either Walt, or their old friend, Rafael. Since Rafael hadn¡¯t talked to anyone in years, and Nick¡¯s dad was in constant contact, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess.


    Nick¡¯s fingers tapped against the old keypad as his hard eyes turned dark. ¡°Speaking of reliable phones, can you take a picture of us and send it to my dad?¡±


    ¡°Will do!¡± Derek knew better than to dig into it.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Nick moved out of his seat to sit next to Derek. ¡°Evelyn would¡¯ve done this, but she¡¯s not here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble. Let¡¯s pose with our characters!¡± Derek picked up the snake-like rogue figurine, complete with hood, as well as the human cleric, and dropped them into Nick¡¯s hands. Grizzizzik the rogue was his original character, and a humanoid snake. Derek¡¯s 3D printer only had snakes with the option of doing the lower half of the body as a serpent instead of the legs Nick envisioned. Derek ended up 3D printing a humanoid lizard, and Tyler cut off the tail from the figurine. The small figurine still had the shifty look of a rogue with his hood up. The human cleric, Ezekiel, was a lot easier to print since he was a regular human with a book in hand. It used to be Rafael¡¯s character, but Nick took over once their old friend bowed out.


    Derek picked up his mana fusor figurine. Even though his character Milo was human, it was hard to find a 3D printing option that made a nerdier character. Derek always imagined his mana fusor as one constantly wearing suspenders and rolled-up sleeves. When he researched figurines for a CCNC character, all the suggestions depicted people with jacked bodies and gigantic swords. Milo was a nerd, and Derek loved his character for it. Which is why he was thrilled when Tyler emailed him a figurine that had ¡°nerd¡± as the title. A nerd without glasses, even. It was perfect.


    With a bit of fiddling on his phone, Derek made sure they could see themselves on the camera before he held his smiling figurine thumbing his suspenders. ¡°Say CCNC!¡±


    ¡°CCNC.¡± Nick glared at the camera, holding his hooded rogue and happy cleric. Derek snapped the pic. Nick dropped the figurines, moving back to his seat, the glare prevalent on his face. He stuffed his hand in the bowl of tortilla chips and shoved them in his mouth.


    Derek searched his contact list, finding Walt Larsen¡¯s name, and pulled up previous chats. Most of them had pictures of a glaring Nick with their CCNC group. It gave the impression Nick hated CCNC, but he loved it almost as much as Derek and Tyler.


    With a click, Derek posted the recently taken picture with Nick¡¯s usual glaring face. Nick¡¯s light brown hair was cropped short, a demand from Walt. His blue eyes were stormy with hate. Nick held his two figurines in such a way that suggested an obscene gesture pointed right at the camera. Derek glanced up, failing to hide his smile. ¡°Subtle. I like it.¡±


    His moody friend didn¡¯t answer as he glowered at his old flip phone. The scar cutting his eyebrow seemed more pronounced whenever he glared. Derek started texting.


    Hey Mr. Larsen! Nick¡¯s here, and we¡¯re about to destroy the lair of the MED.


    He sent the text. ¡°It¡¯s stuff like this that makes you the best rogue in the group. Every rogue needs some daddy issues to get them up in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­.¡± Nick trailed off. He grabbed a tortilla chip and dipped it in salsa before stuffing it in his mouth. He sputtered, the glare softening. ¡°How many peppers did your mom stick in this?¡±


    ¡°Enough to make it delicious.¡± Derek leaned over, taking a chip with some salsa for himself. With a twist and a hiss, the soda opened under Nick¡¯s fingers and he downed half of it in one gulp. Derek shook his head. ¡°Milk¡¯s better if it¡¯s too hot for you.¡±


    The storm eased out of Nick¡¯s eyes, but he still shot Derek a glare. ¡°It¡¯s not too hot.¡°


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We ran out of my abuela¡¯s salsa yesterday.¡±


    Nick grumbled, but said nothing intelligent.


    Derek¡¯s phone made a soft musical cord as Mr. Larsen replied.


    What does MED mean?


    Derek¡¯s fingers flew over his phone. Mega Evil Dude. Acronym for the main bad guy in a campaign. We¡¯ve been waiting years to destroy this guy.


    Derek¡¯s phone announced another text from the main group chat. He glanced at it. ¡°Oh, Alejandra can¡¯t make it. Someone called in sick at McDonalds, and she has to fill in.¡±


    The disappointment in Nick¡¯s eyes was so apparent it was almost comical. ¡°Oh.¡± Derek shook his head, a slight smile on his face as he saw Mr. Larsen¡¯s three dots appearing.


    Thank you. Let me know once he leaves.


    Derek sent a thumbs up emoji. He never knew what to text Walt. Derek didn¡¯t want to mention to Walt that Grizzizzik, Nick¡¯s character with major daddy issues, was about to break into Torraq¡¯s lair because they needed to find more information about his father, Akshi. The evil snake man, the king of crime and a master of mana, on a mission to hunt down and kill Grizzizzik. Nick¡¯s character had no reservations about slitting his own father¡¯s throat. Clearly not a projection at all.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Nick. School will start soon, and you¡¯ll see Alejandra again. Word of advice, you¡¯ve got to ask her out before you turn eighteen. Things get messy once that happens.¡±


    It took a great effort for Nick to lose the lost puppy look. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Alejandra. You obviously like her. If you don¡¯t ask her out now, you might have to wait until she turns eighteen.¡±


    Nick¡¯s glare was back, but not as moody as the one he gave the picture. ¡°Shut up, Derek.¡± That was enough to bring him back to the present. ¡°Seriously, where is Tyler? He¡¯s usually here by now.¡±


    ¡°Do I detect annoyance in your voice?¡± Derek asked. Nick¡¯s nose wrinkled, his head cocking to the side. ¡°Is it because you hate acknowledging your feelings for Alejandra?¡± Rafael¡¯s younger sister? It was the unspoken phrase hanging between them.


    Nick¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°Seriously, man?¡±


    This situation was ripe for teasing, but when Derek opened his mouth again, his special ringtone went off. ¡°Make a choice! Take a chance! Receive! Your! Consequence!¡± It was a popular line from multiple CCNC tie-in novels. It was a cheesy catch phrase only the eighties could produce, which was why he adored it.


    Derek flipped his phone over to see Tyler Clarke.


    ¡°Finally!¡± Derek swiped it, placing the phone to his ear. ¡°Hello, dealer of consequences! Where are you?¡±


    He heard a brief sigh. ¡°Alright, so¡­ this might be bad news for game night.¡±

 Chapter 2

    Nick dipped his chip into the salsa, prepared for the heat this time, when Derek gasped. ¡°The hospital? They¡¯re taking you to the hospital?¡±


    The news caused Nick¡¯s eyebrows to jump upward as he ate his chip. That didn¡¯t sound good. Derek¡¯s jaw fell open, then he clamped his jaw shut, his lips pressed into a line as Tyler kept talking.


    ¡°But¡­ but a fender bender isn¡¯t bad, right?¡± Derek said.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I said!¡± Tyler Clarke¡¯s voice came through the phone. ¡°But they¡¯re worried about a possible concussion. Maybe I sprained my wrist, but it doesn¡¯t feel sprained. I¡¯d feel if something was off, right?¡±


    ¡°Dude, you¡¯ll be stuck there forever! Get out of it! We need to attack the MED!¡± Derek said.


    The smallest sigh escaped Nick before he gestured for Derek to hand him the phone. He placed it against his ear, trying to smile. ¡°Tyler, listen to me. Go. To. The. Hospital. It¡¯s a CCNC game, not the end of the world. A concussion might be the end of your world, though, so please get it checked out. You¡¯re too good of a GM for us to lose.¡±


    Bringing reality to these games always fell on Nick¡¯s shoulders. Tyler would crawl into the house with a broken leg to be their game master if no one stopped him. Derek would, too. When both of them got together, they went to insane lengths for the game.


    ¡°It¡¯s really not that bad. I don¡¯t feel that bad. I¡¯ll get out of it. You guys are facing Torraq and possibly Akshi! No spoilers from me, though, whether Akshi¡¯s there.¡±


    ¡°We appreciate what you put into this campaign, but you got in a car crash. Get yourself checked out.¡± Nick never thought he¡¯d have to remind someone to go to the hospital after a car crash. Maybe to a child, but not Tyler, who turned twenty years old last month.


    Tyler groaned in pain. Nick couldn¡¯t tell if it was related to the car crash or from missing a session of CCNC. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll make it up to you guys. I promise.¡±


    Their game master couldn¡¯t see Nick, which was why he wore a wry smile. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine, Tyler.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine!¡± Derek added in a way that made it sound like he was not fine at all. Nick pinched his lips together and shot Derek a glare. He didn¡¯t want to return the phone in case Derek tried to change Tyler¡¯s mind. It wouldn¡¯t take much.


    ¡°Keep us updated,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Bye.¡± Tyler sounded far more dejected. Nick ended the call, handing the phone back to Derek. His friend gripped it like it was single-handedly responsible for Tyler¡¯s crash.


    ¡°So¡­ reschedule?¡± Derek asked.


    It was a mistake to place another chip in his mouth. He¡¯d eaten way too many in a row. ¡°Derek, I know you love this game,¡± Nick started. Derek rubbed his lower lip and whimpered, bracing himself to talk about a death in the family. ¡°We¡¯ve been rescheduling this game for months. Our senior year starts Monday. If we couldn¡¯t find time this summer, how could we during school?¡±


    To Nick¡¯s horror, his friend¡¯s eyes swam with tears. ¡°No, no. Yeah. It¡­ makes sense.¡±


    Nick dropped his gaze, not wanting to witness Derek¡¯s misery. It wasn¡¯t like Nick did anything. Their last session was almost six months ago. And two months before that one. He picked up his character sheets. He¡¯d taken over Rafael¡¯s cleric character when their old friend used his mediocre talents for football and dropped their friend group. After the ¡®incident¡¯, Rafael found any excuse not to hang around Nick, which was fine. Rafael not being at CCNC sessions crushed Derek more than he let on.


    ¡°I guess¡­ I guess we¡¯ll¡­¡± Derek hesitated, then gathered the other character sheets on the table into a pile. He went to take Nick¡¯s two character sheets, but he kept a firm grip, glancing at his friend.


    ¡°Nah, if it doesn¡¯t happen tonight, it probably won¡¯t happen at all. So it has to happen tonight.¡±


    ¡°Tonight?¡± He let go of Nick¡¯s character sheets and glanced around the empty table meant to seat five people. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Come on. We¡¯re playing a game called Choice, Chance, and Consequence. A choice is before us. We¡¯ll improv. Roll with the punches. You have everyone¡¯s character sheets here.¡± Derek¡¯s sniff was quiet as he glanced at the table. Nick drained the rest of his soda before setting it down. ¡°I¡¯m already used to playing two characters. What¡¯s one more? That leaves you with your character and another.¡± He opened the pizza box and took out a cold slice. ¡°What do you say?¡±


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    A smile finally grew on Derek¡¯s face as he slid Evelyn¡¯s elf princess character sheet over to him. The paper was relatively newer than the others. Where Nick¡¯s had various erase marks and pencil linings, hers was crisp and organized. Despite forgetting it a lot, she had kept hers in top condition. About three years ago, she wanted to update her character sheet with a new one since her handwriting changed. The only difference was she no longer dotted her ¡®i¡¯s and ¡®j¡¯s with hearts. It took her a surprisingly long time to give up that writing quirk.


    ¡°We could even call Tyler to have him guide us!¡± Derek said.


    Nick¡¯s smile faltered. ¡°No, we shouldn¡¯t do that. He¡¯s getting his head checked. Don¡¯t you have a CCNC subscription? Didn¡¯t they release the AI game master?¡±


    The hope dancing in Derek¡¯s eyes vanished. ¡°If Tyler found out we replaced him with AI, he¡¯ll stuff our character sheets into our mouths and bury us alive.¡±


    Nick steepled his fingers, bouncing them against his chin. ¡°Here¡¯s the deal the two of us will make. We¡¯ll try to reschedule another session, but I think all of us know it won¡¯t¡­¡± A wetness formed in the corner of Derek¡¯s eyes, and Nick changed his phrase, ¡°¡­it¡¯ll be a while before it happens. We¡¯ll do a session to give ourselves closure. If another one does happen, we¡¯ll consider this session a practice run.¡±


    The suggestion caused Derek¡¯s lips to purse as he hummed some broadway song Nick didn¡¯t know. Despite Derek¡¯s mind mulling this over, he stood up and got his laptop. ¡°You must be suggesting this because you don¡¯t want to go home.¡±


    ¡°I would do anything not to go home,¡± Nick mumbled. Not quietly enough, judging by the knowing yet sad smile crossing Derek¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I love this game.¡±


    Hope returned to Derek¡¯s face, and his smile grew. Yes, Nick wasn¡¯t as passionate about CCNC as Tyler or Derek, but it was still a fun game.


    Derek returned to his seat and opened his laptop. Tapping keys was the only sound for a bit. ¡°I chose a one-shot with Torraq and Ashki in a dungeon, but we¡¯ll see what happens. Ugh, it¡¯s got to load.¡± He placed the laptop near Tyler¡¯s spot. A loading bar blinked and crept forward, and Derek tapped his fingers against the table. ¡°Oh! I forgot! Now that you¡¯re here, I need to prep my dice!¡± He rushed into his room.


    Nick watched him go before he pulled out his cylinder container of CCNC dice and unscrewed the lid. The seven CCNC dice poured out and clattered on the table. The most popular die was the twenty-sided one, but there was also a twelve, ten, eight, six, and four-sided ones as well. There was a second ten-sided dice used for percentages, but he rarely used that one. His dice were a solid black with flecks of gold sprinkled over them. He had picked it out at the store because they reminded him of Grizzizzik¡¯s scales.


    He straightened all three character sheets in front of him. Maybe he bit off more than he could chew. Could he role-play a druid elf princess created by his little sister? He wasn¡¯t sure he could do it justice.


    With a grunt, Derek returned. There was a 3D-printed dice tower resembling a tower from a castle, and it teetered on his huge container of dice. ¡°Do you love it? I made it especially for the end of this campaign!¡±


    Nick scooped up his d20. ¡°May I?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead!¡±


    He dropped the d20 down the top. The die clinked down the tower before exiting the bottom. Curious, Nick leaned over to see it had landed on a twelve.


    Derek shrugged. ¡°I mean¡­ it¡¯s not bad. Wanna do some pre-rolling with me?¡±


    The smile Nick wore didn¡¯t have any sincerity behind it. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± He retrieved his d20 and watched Derek settling into his seat. His friend opened the clear container, showing off his seven different dice sets. And these were Derek¡¯s favorite. No doubt there were hundreds of dice in his room. The dice sat in a hexagon shape and, one by one, Derek pulled them out and began his pre-game rolling. He muttered to himself as he rolled, either by hand or dropping them down the dice tower. Whatever Derek did, Nick left him to it.


    Evelyn once resisted the lingo of CCNC until she grew into it. One of the first things she caved to was ¡°d20¡±, since it was easier to say than ¡°twenty-sided dice.¡± Derek¡¯s superstition with dice was something neither she nor Nick would ever understand. But they respected his rituals, since it made him happy.


    Derek pulled out a small cage with ¡®dice jail¡¯ inscribed on top. A plain white d20 lived in there. Derek randomly gave it sharp glares throughout sessions. Nick didn¡¯t know what that dice did to deserve an eternity in dice jail. It must have happened when Derek was younger. Once, when Derek had rolled two natural twenties in a row, he grabbed the cage and pointed it at the twenty. ¡°See! That¡¯s how you behave!¡±


    At this point, Nick was too afraid to ask what happened. It was one of those mythical stories he¡¯d never understand.


    ¡°Do you think Grizzizzik is finally going to slit Akshi¡¯s throat tonight?¡± Derek asked as he dropped a d8 and a d6 down the tower.


    Nick pinned a d8 with his right thumb and pointer finger, using his left thumb to spin it. ¡°There¡¯s no closure until it happens.¡±


    ¡°Many people call this game cheap man¡¯s therapy, you know.¡± Derek tossed more dice down the tower. He made faces at the numbers he saw, scooped them up, and tried again.


    With a forced smile, he met Derek¡¯s gaze. ¡°In case you need verbal confirmation, I never want to slit my own father¡¯s throat.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that out loud.¡±


    The laptop chirped, the AI loaded and ready. Derek let out a nervous breath as he picked up Alejandra¡¯s half-orc fighter sheet. Despite standing at six and a half feet tall, Hraktar the half-orc was a gentle giant. It was sweet to watch. Unless the half-orc fighter and his snake rogue ever interacted. Those two hated each other.


    Derek placed the character sheet next to his mana fusor¡¯s. ¡°Also, seriously, Tyler can never know about this.¡±


    Nick popped a pretzel in his mouth. ¡°Oh, come on. What¡¯s the worst that can happen?¡±


    With a shout of alarm, Derek pounced to cover his exposed dice. ¡°Don¡¯t say that in front of them. You know how sensitive they are to that kind of language!¡±


    Nick ignored him, taking a huge bite of pizza. ¡°Let¡¯s find Grizzizzik¡¯s dad!¡±

 Chapter 3

    Two hours in, Nick regretted having an AI game master. The technology was still in development, and later versions would get better, but this AI was not Tyler. Tyler had a way of softening blows, knowing the lore they created, and giving the game a human touch.


    ¡°You are in a dim corridor. You have three goblins ahead of you. They do not spot you. How would you like to proceed?¡± the AI woman asked.


    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s like one of those games we used to play in elementary school. What were they called? The ones where you filled in the noun, verb, and adjective first and they end up hilarious?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Mad libs?¡± Nick¡¯s forehead wrinkled. ¡°I think?¡±


    Derek snapped his fingers. ¡°Mad lib! Every time this AI woman hesitates before speaking, it feels like she¡¯s filtering words from a generated list.¡±


    Nick massaged his scalp, staring at the computer. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what AI does. It makes more sense than mad libs, but still the same process.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to sound like it is.¡± Derek pressed the spacebar down. He held up Alejandra¡¯s character sheet. ¡°Hraktar pulls out his great sword in anticipation.¡±


    The AI took this in, calculating it. Nick waited until it finished before pressing down the spacebar. ¡°Grizzizzik does not wait. He throws three rat daggers in rapid succession at their heads.¡±


    Derek took over, holding down the spacebar. ¡°Milo smacks his crossbow with his magic wrench and fills it with fire mana.¡±


    Nick waited for the AI to calculate this before continuing. ¡°Ezekiel clutches his symbol of the Great Lady and readies himself.¡±


    The AI hadn¡¯t finished loading it when Derek leaned over. ¡°And Princess Clarissa readies her bow with enough time to watch Ezekiel¡ª¡±


    Nick cut Derek¡¯s speech off by slapping his hand away from the spacebar. ¡°No! No romance.¡±


    ¡°Come on. The sexual tension between Princess Clarissa and Ezekiel is off the charts.¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. They are simply fantastic friends who hug a lot,¡± Nick said. Laughter burst from Derek. ¡°I¡¯m serious. Princess Clarissa is my sister¡¯s character, and we¡¯re not romancing each other.¡±


    ¡°Ezekiel isn¡¯t your character. He¡¯s Rafael¡¯s, so there shouldn¡¯t be any weirdness,¡± Derek said.


    The dark glare returned to Nick¡¯s eyes at the mention of Rafael. ¡°I¡¯ve played Ezekiel longer, so he¡¯s more my character than his.¡±


    The dryness in Derek¡¯s gaze could have evaporated the Amazon River. ¡°Fine. No romance. Missed opportunity, I say.¡±


    The AI began speaking. ¡°Grizzizzik, roll to check if first dagger hits.¡± A number pad showed up on the screen. To see if the dagger pierced through armor, Nick had to roll the d20. If he rolled higher than the goblin¡¯s armor class, or AC, it would hit. Only the game master knew the AC of the bad guys, but goblins usually had a low one. Nick grabbed his dice. He rolled for the first hit. ¡°Ouch, natural one.¡± There was an attack bonus per weapon, whether adding a +1 or higher to the number on the dice. It was always a blessing, but a one was a fail no matter what. He put the number in.


    Derek held up his dice jail and gave it a shake. ¡°Does it need a time out?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good.¡±


    ¡°Grizzizzik, roll to check if second dagger hits,¡± the AI said.


    Nick rolled his d20 again and beamed at the next number. ¡°Seventeen, plus attack damage¡­¡± He did the math in his head and typed in the numbers. If the goblin didn¡¯t get hit with this number, he¡¯d be surprised. And worried.


    The AI took a moment to calculate. ¡°Roll for damage on second goblin.¡±


    Nice. That meant the roll was high enough to pierce through the armor and he could inflict damage. He checked his character sheet, then at the miniatures in front of them.


    ¡°This is a sneak attack since I¡¯m next to Hraktar.¡± Nick picked up a d6 and his d4.


    Derek¡¯s grunt was low and pained. ¡°You abuse that so much.¡±


    ¡°Read the handbook. It¡¯s perfectly allowed.¡± He shook the two dice. It wouldn¡¯t be a lot of damage since it was a dagger, but goblins didn¡¯t have many hit points, anyway. After playing this long, he knew goblins weren¡¯t much of a threat.


    Derek lifted his chin to check Nick¡¯s character sheet. ¡°How many rat daggers does Grizzizzik have left?¡±


    ¡°Another dozen or so. That rat infestation was bad in Tillymount, and he collected a lot of sharp bones and teeth.¡± The d4 and the d6 clattered to the ground. One and three. Four, all together. Nick groaned. ¡°I¡¯m not rolling well tonight.¡±


    ¡°You cursed us all with your flippant attitude about wanting to see how bad things get.¡± A fizz announced Derek had successfully opened his soda. ¡°You have only yourself to blame.¡±


    Nick flashed an obscene gesture at Derek as he tapped the numbers in the AI device.


    The computer loaded a response. ¡°Grizzizzik gets three points piercing damage from fallen rat dagger to the foot.¡±


    Derek snickered as Nick wrote that down in his hit point box. He hated rolling natural ones. Three seemed like a lot for accidentally dropping a dagger, especially considering they were all level six. Damage from nat ones were annoying, and Tyler rarely did them past level three.


    Stolen story; please report.


    The AI continued. ¡°Center goblin gets hit. Other goblins notice you.¡±


    ¡°Gets hit is such a boring way to say it. At least Tyler will take comfort knowing we¡¯re not replacing him soon,¡± Derek said.


    They had a short skirmish between the characters and the three goblins. Even though Grizzizzik failed to hit on his turn, Hraktar wiped two goblins out with his great sword, and Milo finished the last one with a crossbow bolt infused with fire. According to the AI, that goblin simply died, but Derek described how in Milo¡¯s bolt obliterated the goblin in great detail.


    Nick stared at Derek, eyebrows raised, as his friend finished describing the pile of ash at their feet. ¡°What was this about CCNC being cheap man¡¯s therapy?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what you mean.¡± Derek ate another tortilla chip with salsa. ¡°Milo straightens his suspenders, proud of his crossbow.¡±


    ¡°Princess Clarissa lifts her hand for a high five,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Milo enthusiastically gives one.¡±


    ¡°See! Those two are friends.¡± Nick pointed at the figurines of Milo and Clarissa. ¡°Why are those two friends, but Ezekiel and Princess Clarissa need something more?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t ask why romance comes to you, Nick. You accept it,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Nick¡¯s eyes bounced over Derek¡¯s face, taking in any facial tics. His friend could hide emotions pretty well. ¡°Sorry about your breakup with¡­.¡± Nick realized too late that he didn¡¯t remember Derek¡¯s summer girlfriend. That was Nick¡¯s bad, trying to give comfort and ending up ruining it.


    Derek grabbed a fistful of pretzels. ¡°Oh, yeah. She moved. Totally fine, we broke it off as friends. We¡¯re in high school. Relationships aren¡¯t supposed to be serious, right?¡±


    Often his friend had no filter with his emotions until moments like this when he seemed more hurt than he let on. He blamed Derek joining drama in middle school. Nick didn¡¯t know what to do, so instead, he smiled. ¡°Yeah. Sure.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should wait until Alejandra¡¯s eighteen to¡ª¡±


    Nick slammed his finger against the spacebar. ¡°Grizzizzik loots the bodies.¡±


    Derek cleared his throat to do an impression of Princess Clarissa. ¡°That¡¯s disgusting, Grizzly Bear!¡± It wasn¡¯t quite how Evelyn did it, but a way closer impersonation than if Nick tried.


    ¡°I ignore her since I¡¯m supposed to role-play as Princess Clarissa.¡± Nick tapped the paper next to Ezekiel¡¯s.


    ¡°Yeah, I know. And we¡¯ve had little banter between Grizzizzik and Princess Clarissa because of it. Those two are always fighting each other.¡± Derek sipped his soda, smiling. ¡°Almost like siblings.¡±


    ¡°Some of us aren¡¯t capable of having conversations with ourselves. My acting can only go so far,¡± Nick said.


    The AI woman interrupted them. ¡°Grizzizzik finds twelve copper pieces and a map of the catacombs.¡±


    ¡°Ha! See, Clarissa! Sometimes it¡¯s great to loot the bodies of the dead,¡± Nick said.


    Derek let out a high-pitch shriek, placing his hand on his heart. ¡°Did you just call me Clarissa?¡±


    ¡°I sure did,¡± Nick said as Grizzizzik.


    Derek looked like he was about to say something, but closed one eye instead. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not sure what the Princess would say to something like that.¡±


    ¡°A lot of hemming and hawing sounds about right. I¡¯ll ask her when I see her again.¡±


    Derek lifted a finger at him. ¡°No, you won¡¯t. Because no one is supposed to know we¡¯re doing this.¡± He leaned over and hit the spacebar. ¡°Milo is curious about the map Grizzizzik found.¡±


    The AI calculated before revealing a map on the screen. ¡°Oooooh,¡± Nick and Derek said, leaning in to see it better.


    Derek snorted. ¡°This idiot AI gave us a map with the monsters, too.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re right.¡± Nick traced with his finger. ¡°Torraq is right there in the center of the lair.¡±


    ¡°Ha! It comforts me to know our AI overlords aren¡¯t smart enough to take over yet. Oooh, there are even dinosaurs in this lair. Pretty sure some of those are at a higher level than we are. Tyler wouldn¡¯t let us run into them, but the AI might.¡±


    Nick squinted at the screen. ¡°Personally, I¡¯d love to avoid all the monsters if we can. We don¡¯t have a lot of healing potions left, and I¡¯d rather not spend a mana slot healing everyone before we fight Torraq.¡±


    Derek lowered his soda, a light in his eyes. ¡°Stealth and deception, here we come.¡±


    They maneuvered their team through the dungeon. It was almost too easy. It was better, because he wanted to face Torraq soon. They started this game late and were creeping closer to his father¡¯s strict curfew.


    The universe seemed to think was hilarious, because it took them a good ten minutes to pick the lock to the main chamber. Once they did, the chamber was before them.


    ¡°Grizzizzik checks for traps,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Grizzizzik, roll for perception on traps,¡± the AI said.


    He grunted as his dice clattered to the table, then winced. ¡°Five, total. That was a bust.¡±


    ¡°There do not appear to be any traps,¡± the AI female said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that for a second.¡± Derek hit the spacebar. ¡°Milo finds a rock in his void bag and tosses it, trying to set off traps.¡±


    ¡°Milo must roll for perception on traps.¡±


    Derek dropped his die down the dice tower. ¡°Woo-hoo! Seventeen plus three is a dirty twenty! Where was that while we were picking the lock?¡±


    ¡°You know with absolute certainty that there are no traps,¡± the AI female said.


    Derek seemed to deflate. ¡°Seriously? But that was a dirty twenty. At least Tyler would make me feel like I accomplished something with my roll.¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean, it was only dirty, not a natural.¡±


    Derek took another bite of stone cold pizza. ¡°Alright, then you give me something. That was wasted.¡±


    ¡°Not wasted. We now know there aren¡¯t any traps in this main corridor. Let¡¯s get to the lair.¡±


    ¡°I need a human to give me something. The AI can only go so far,¡± Derek said.


    The smile struggled for control on Nick¡¯s face. ¡°Did you intend for that to come out how it sounded?¡±


    Derek lifted his eyes to the ceiling as he thought about what he said before snorting. Nick took another swig from his soda.


    ¡°Pretend you¡¯re a GM, Nick. What else does Milo find?¡±


    He placed his soda back down, licking his lips. ¡°Milo glances up, realizing these walls seem far more fake than he remembers. Why, yes, look at that. In one of his rare flashes of genius¡ª¡±


    Derek¡¯s spine stiffened as he placed his hands against his cheeks, his face contorting in over-the-top hurt. ¡°Rare flashes?¡±


    Nick ignored him. ¡°¡ªHe realizes he¡¯s nothing more than a miniature. That there are two giants above him, happily munching on snacks large enough that could have cured hunger everywhere. They are guiding his very movements. He raises his little miniature hand, wondering if it was his own choice to move it or from some design of the gods above him. Gods not mentioned in the pantheon he knew.¡±


    The hurt on Derek¡¯s face changed to mild annoyance, but he let Nick continue.


    ¡°Then it all snapped back, and he found himself in the corridor again with renewed energy to vanquish Torraq from the city of Osvoroth.¡±


    Derek rolled his eyes. ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°I mean, hey, if you want, I can give him a few points of psychological damage.¡± Nick struggled to pick up his d4. The pyramid shape of the die always gave him a struggle.


    Derek slapped Nick¡¯s hand away. ¡°Milo is good, thanks. You¡¯ve given him enough of an existential crisis. Let the AI keep going.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m good at. Making sure no one else can trust me with things.¡± Nick took another sip of soda. The overt hurt and annoyance dropped from Derek¡¯s face, and his friend grew still. Derek opened his mouth to say something, but Nick pushed the spacebar. ¡°Everyone moves forward slowly through the chamber to the door at the end.¡±


    Derek ran his tongue over his teeth, but dropped whatever he was about to say. Nick meant it as a joke, but sometimes his dark humor got him in trouble.


    There were no traps, but it seemed like there should be. Perhaps that was all part of the plan. The group rushed through the short corridor.


    ¡°¡®We take this slow, like we planned. Something is going on. I¡¯ve read too many books to think this isn¡¯t a trap in itself,¡¯¡± Nick said as Ezekiel.


    ¡°And what does Grizzizzik do?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Ignores it all.¡± Nick pushed down the spacebar. ¡°Grizzizzik grabs all the rat daggers he can carry, bursts through the door and throws every single one as fast as he can.¡±

 Chapter 4

    The AI loaded a response. ¡°The daggers freeze in midair, then clatter to the ground.¡±


    Nick tapped his fingers against his chin. ¡°Interesting.¡±


    ¡°What brings you to my lair?¡± A real, gravely dark voice emanated from the speakers, bringing goosebumps to Nick¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Dude!¡± A light filled Derek¡¯s eyes, the same light that often came when discussing CCNC lore. ¡°Does the AI have voices for Torraq and Akshi?¡±


    ¡°Of course they would go all out for Torraq. I mean, he¡¯s the sex symbol of CCNC.¡±


    Derek¡¯s shoulders sagged. ¡°Not enough of a sex symbol if it doesn¡¯t get more girls playing the game, though.¡± He drowned his sorrows by opening a fun sized Snickers bar and stuffed it in his mouth.


    Nick pressed the space bar and put on his slithery Grizzizzik voice. ¡°You know exactly why I¡¯m here. Where is Akshi?¡±


    Torraq¡¯s voice returned, leaning too far into the sexy vibe. ¡°You will never find him. His magical manipulation is too valuable to me.¡±


    ¡°Magic is stupid, and only idiots rely on it,¡± Nick as Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°Princess Clarissa rolls her eyes at Grizzizzik¡¯s words,¡± Derek said. ¡°She is ready to lecture him about all the times she¡¯s saved his ass with magic, but will wait until later.¡±


    ¡°Ezekiel lets the insult roll off him, as he always does. What does Milo do?¡± Nick asked.


    Derek scoffed. ¡°Oh, Milo firmly believes what he does isn¡¯t magic. It¡¯s science. So the insult doesn¡¯t hurt him either.¡±


    The AI Torraq appeared again. ¡°Only idiots attempt to kill me. So the question is, who¡¯s the real idiot?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the first time Nick missed Tyler. Sure, Tyler didn¡¯t have this kind of voice for Torraq, but at least he knew the entire sordid history between Grizzizzik and Akshi. Mainly that Grizzizzik was on a revenge mission to kill his father. Torraq¡¯s right-hand man. There would be some mention of him and their relationship.


    Not that it mattered. Grizzizzik wasn¡¯t one to chat about feelings. ¡°Takes one to know one!¡±


    Derek smirked. ¡°Your eight-year-old self fighting on the playground would be so proud right now.¡±


    Nick worked his jaw to suppress a smile. ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°The temperature drops fifteen degrees. Torraq levitates in the air, his shirt whipping in the wind, showing his rippling muscles underneath,¡± the AI woman said.


    With a groan, Derek covered his eyes. ¡°Save it for the smut authors.¡± They tried too hard with Torraq. It didn¡¯t bring the female demographic into the game itself, but it certainly caused an explosion of free smutty fanfiction online. Apparently sexy, evil, humanoid ice elementals were many people¡¯s guilty pleasure.


    ¡°Frost creeps across Torraq¡¯s muscular, blue tinged body as his icy eyes sharpen. He is levitating, every candle burning a sapphire flame.¡± Her voice didn¡¯t sound as mad lib-like. They must be to prepared bits of software.


    ¡°Come try it,¡± Torraq said.


    ¡°Please roll for initiative.¡±


    Derek kept his face covered, shaking his head. ¡°This AI woman tries to create an environment, then asks us to roll like she¡¯s announcing the next train stop.¡± He scooped up his d20 and dropped it down his tower.


    Nick rolled for the three characters to see when they¡¯d take their turns to attack. Ezekiel, the guy with a lot of radiant spells, got a natural one. Odds were not good with this. An eight for Grizzizzik was slightly better. A ten for Clarissa was at least doable. Hopefully, he¡¯d rolled the last of the bad numbers for the night.


    Nick and Derek typed in their numbers corresponding with the different characters, waiting for the AI to calculate them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the chances, with our tank rolling a one,¡± Derek said.


    Nick felt his heartbeat in his stomach. ¡°Hraktar rolled a one as well?¡±


    Derek¡¯s panicked gaze met Nick¡¯s. ¡°I have a feeling Torraq might freeze everyone on the first go.¡±


    ¡°Milo goes first,¡± the AI woman said.


    The panic in his gaze dissolved. ¡°Well damn, we might survive if Torraq rolled awful, too.¡± He pressed down on the space bar. ¡°For my first action, I use my crossbow, which already has mana fused to it, and shoot a fire arrow at Torraq¡¯s chest.¡± Derek dropped his die down the tower, winced at the number, then did a quick count on his fingers. ¡°Sixteen. Does sixteen hit?¡± Derek typed in the number.


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    The AI calculated. ¡°Torraq dodges the arrow.¡±


    Air escaped between Nick¡¯s teeth as the words stumbled out. ¡°He¡¯s got a high AC.¡±


    Derek grabbed his green and black swirled dice, growling at it. ¡°You¡¯re rolling terrible right now. You need to not, or you¡¯re going to dice jail.¡± He hit the spacebar. ¡°For my bonus action, I start fusing my metal container with fire mana.¡±


    A smile attempted to form on Nick¡¯s face, but a cringe appeared instead. ¡°You¡¯re starting your bomb with the roll streak we¡¯re having?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be ready in two more turns.¡± Derek placed his palms flat on the table, glaring at his d20. ¡°Which gives you time to shape up. You understand?¡±


    Nick rubbed his scarred eyebrow.


    ¡°Torraq¡¯s turn,¡± the AI said.


    He braced himself for whatever ice spell the MED would cast.


    ¡°The room, which is already cold, drops even further. Any water in this room turns to ice. The ceilings, the floor, they turn hazardous. The frost on Torraq¡¯s body hardens to a transparent crystal. Everyone in the room must make a constitution saving throw.¡±


    With a steadying breath, Nick scooped up his d20. When using weapons, the wielder rolled the dice to pierce the AC. With certain magic spells, everyone else needed to roll a high enough number to avoid the attack. Only the game master knew the number they needed to reach.


    Nick grunted at the first number the die showed him, recoiled at the second, and let out an uneasy breath at the third. ¡°I think only the princess survived that one.¡±


    Derek rolled his first one. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± He rolled the second, and he let out a shriek. His fingers fumbled over the dice. ¡°You! You¡¯re going to jail. Understand? I¡¯m not even taking a chance with you.¡± He slammed his die in the cage with the white d20 before digging out another one, grumbling. ¡°I¡¯m going with red. Red for good luck, because Milo¡¯s dealing with red mana.¡±


    ¡°That is fifteen hit points cold damage to Grizzizzik, Ezekiel, Milo, and Hraktar, and eight points cold damage to Princess Clarissa.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t as bad as he thought. Not ideal, but this seemed more a spell to defend Torraq that also hurt other people. With that thought, taking fifteen points of damage from a defense spell didn¡¯t bode well. Nick hurried to write the damage on his character sheets.


    ¡°Princess Clarissa¡¯s turn.¡±


    Despite playing Ezekiel and Grizzizzik for years, he didn¡¯t know many druidic moves. ¡°I, um¡­ change into a bear? That seems like a smart idea.¡±


    Derek shook his head. ¡°Princess Clarissa is level five and can¡¯t change into a bear yet.¡±


    Nick resisted the urge to throw his hands in the air. ¡°We are so dead. Um¡­ dire wolf. Evelyn does that one a lot.¡±


    Clarissa¡¯s roll was high enough to make the first hit against Torraq, giving him twelve points of damage from the bite alone. It felt fine when Grizzizzik missed, but hurt worse when their half-orc tank missed, too. Ezekiel cast a spell to melt some ice, which ended up failing and lengthening the dangerous terrain.


    ¡°Fine!¡± Nick shuffled pages of the spell list. ¡°For my bonus action, I cast spiritual weapon! The warmth of light fills the chamber. An image of a thick book rises, pushed forward by the light of the Great Lady. It forms in front of Ezekiel. He lifts his hands, pushing the book straight for Torraq¡¯s head and¡ª¡± Nick rolled the d20, then smacked his head against the table. ¡°Dude. We need to run. These rolls suck. Torraq will kill us all.¡±


    ¡°Torraq dodges the spell. He makes a move of advantage,¡± the AI said.


    The muscles in Nick¡¯s shoulders stiffened. ¡°What! I wasn¡¯t anywhere near the spiritual weapon!¡±


    There was a loading sign on the screen, with CC&C appearing with the ampersand doing somersaults. Nick assumed it meant the AI was considering his idea, but the image disappeared as she spoke again. ¡°Torraq throws an ice dagger at Ezekiel, giving him six points of cold damage.¡±


    ¡°Six! The guy rolled a six on a dagger!¡± Derek clawed at his cheeks. ¡°This has to be rigged!¡±


    Nick clenched his pencil as he noted it on his sheet. Ezekiel didn¡¯t have many hit points left.


    ¡°Top of the round. Milo¡¯s turn.¡±


    Derek dropped his d20 down the tower, watching for the number. ¡°Sixteen for my fire arrow? Does sixteen hit?¡±


    The AI calculated again. ¡°Torraq dodges the fire arrow.¡±


    ¡°Goddammit!¡± Derek slammed the table, causing all the dice to shiver. ¡°For my bonus action, I keep infusing the bomb with fire mana.¡±


    The AI loaded again, and the cackle coming from the device made Nick flinch. ¡°I shall murder you all!¡±


    ¡°Creepy, but typical,¡± Derek mumbled as he dug around for yet another d20 in his collection. ¡°Red and gold it is.¡±


    ¡°Torraq throws his hands in front of him, and a sheet of ice explodes from his palms. Everyone make a constitution saving throw.¡±


    Nick rolled, sighing. ¡°Oh, thank you. Grizzizzik finally rolled high.¡±


    ¡°Boom! That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!¡± Derek petted his new dice. ¡°You¡¯re such a good little dice.¡±


    Not only was Milo saved, but Hraktar, too. Clarissa and Ezekiel weren¡¯t as lucky.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Nick braced himself. ¡°What¡¯s the damage?¡±


    The AI calculated. ¡°Nineteen points cold damage for Clarissa and Ezekiel. Ten points cold damage for Hraktar, Milo, and Grizzizzik.¡±


    Clarissa the wolf managed another eleven points of damage. Grizzizzik missed again, which made Nick groan. His rogue character was eager to discover more information about his father.


    When Hraktar finally hit with almost twenty points of damage using his great sword, it felt like their luck turned around. It would¡¯ve been nice if Ezekiel hit, too, but he missed.


    ¡°He¡¯s in his natural territory, and his AC is super high,¡± Derek said, shaking his d20.


    ¡°Meaning we need a few more nat twenties to destroy him.¡± Nick popped another pretzel in his mouth.


    ¡°If the dice would cooperate, that¡¯d be nice, too.¡± Derek rolled his shoulders. ¡°Alright! Third round. Milo finishes fusing the bomb with all the red mana in his void bag. He is ready to demolish this guy! Got to get higher than a ten. That¡¯s all. You¡¯ve been rolling good tonight, little die. Do not fail me now.¡± Derek dropped the die down the tower. It tumbled out, and every muscle in his body stiffened. The smile disappeared, and his eyes widened.


    With Derek¡¯s stiff posture and horrified eyes, it wasn¡¯t difficult to deduce what happened. ¡°You got a nat one, didn¡¯t you.¡±

 Chapter 5

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I¡­¡± Derek stared at the sheet. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±


    If Nick let Derek continue to stutter, his friend would cobble together a justification for a re-roll.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Derek¡¯s fingers shook as he picked up the dice. ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± The cage lid snapped open as he shoved the dice in. ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡±


    It was poetic, in a way. Their final campaign, a culmination of their years of friendship and memories, blew up in everyone¡¯s faces.


    Nick punched in the number. The AI calculated.


    ¡°Because of the red mana placed in an unstable containment, the metal explodes. Fire multiplies until everything within a five-hundred-mile radius is nothing more than ash.¡±


    Silence descended on the two of them. Nick grabbed the player¡¯s handbook and flipped open the page to the map. ¡°Dude. You not only nuked the MED¡¯s evil lair, but half the city of Osvoroth.¡±


    The lid over the dice jail snapped shut. The red and gold one glimmered next to the white one. Nick tried to think of something comforting, but popped a chip into his mouth instead.


    ¡°You killed Torraq, yourselves, and everyone within a five-hundred-mile radius.¡± The AI female said it like they arrived at a train station¡¯s last stop for the night. ¡°Thank you for playing Choice, Chance, and Consequence. Leave feedback for a better AI ex¡ª¡±


    Derek slammed the lid of his laptop so hard Nick jumped. When Derek treated his latest model laptop like trash, Nick wondered how much more financially stable his friend was.


    The empty soda can in front of Nick became an excellent distraction for his gaze. ¡°Alright, well. That sucked. But at least you didn¡¯t TPK everyone.¡±


    ¡°I literally did the Total Party Kill.¡± Derek jerked his finger at the dice hanging out in jail.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t happen, remember? If anyone asks, we did a side quest with Milo, Grizzizzik, and Ezekiel. Next session will go a lot better.¡±


    ¡®Next session¡¯ meaning ¡®never¡¯, because school was Monday; but Derek needed comfort, not reality.


    A whimper escaped Derek as he folded his arms on the table and buried his head inside. Nick patted his arm. ¡°We had some bad dice rolls and Torraq had a ridiculous AC. Also, the rest of our team wasn¡¯t here and threw off our energy. It¡¯s alright.¡± It¡¯s a game, Nick thought in his head, refusing to say it out loud. ¡°We¡¯ll try again sometime.¡±


    Though they cycled through many other friend groups through the years, Nick and Derek remained the same since they were eleven. Joining drama in middle school did wonder¡¯s to Derek¡¯s popularity, and became president of the CCNC club in high school. Despite being a nerd, Derek was popular.


    The opposite of Nick. If Derek stopped being his friend, he¡¯d have no one. It didn¡¯t help that Walt grounded him until he turned eighteen. He thought Walt was joking, but no laptop, no smart phone, and no socialization except for CCNC night for three years. These nights were Nick¡¯s only escape, and he clung to them. Having so many months between sessions hurt him as much as it did Derek. He and Derek always hounded the others for more sessions. Derek, out of a passion for the game, and Nick because he craved other social interaction besides his almost sixteen-year-old sister to keep from going insane.


    This game was over, which meant he had to go home now. Nick sighed, gathering up the snacks. ¡°Will you be okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Derek¡¯s fingers were in his hair as his face remained covered. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The chair scooted back as Nick stood to get the chip clips Derek¡¯s mother, Amanda, insisted they use. He put the margarine lid back on the homemade salsa and put it in the fridge before coming back with the chip clips. He wanted to stay on the good side of his only friend¡¯s parents.


    Toward the end of his straightening, Derek¡¯s phone vibrated. His head popped up as he picked it up. ¡°Got an update from Tyler. Sprained wrist, no concussion. His parents are driving him back to Tucson now.¡± It wasn¡¯t bad, but he was glad Tyler got checked out at the hospital. ¡°Good call forcing him to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t all have magical healers that fix things with a touch,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°That¡¯d be nice.¡±


    Nick checked his watch. It was almost ten-thirty, giving him a half hour until his weekend curfew. If he was late, there would be hell to pay.


    Something must have crossed Nick¡¯s face, because Derek spoke up again. ¡°I¡¯ll shoot your dad a text when you pull out of the driveway.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Nick was both touched and annoyed at Derek¡¯s gesture. He wished Derek didn¡¯t have to, but it kept his father in an amicable enough spirit.


    Nick climbed into his car and pulled out of Derek¡¯s driveway, waving at his friend, who waved back. He listened to the radio as the weight of returning home put knots in his shoulders. Fear of getting pulled over kept him going the speed limit and no higher. He¡¯d get back before curfew, but his eyes kept shooting toward the car clock to make sure it didn¡¯t jump ten minutes.


    Once his house came into view, he eased his used car into the driveway. He turned it off, putting up heat visors before rubbing the scar that cut across his eyebrow. If he was ten minutes earlier, he would¡¯ve enjoyed the peace before entering home, but it was five minutes before eleven, cutting it too close.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Arizona heat smacked his face as he opened the door. The garage was for his parents¡¯ cars. His car was for outside. Even with the heat, he took his time walking to the garage door. He punched in the code before slipping in. The loud door announced his presence, so it was no surprise when Walt was waiting for him at the door, palm out.


    His father had Nick¡¯s same light brown hair, though his blue eyes were paler. Nick inherited Walt¡¯s towering height, too, though it pleased him when he realized last year he¡¯d grown an inch taller than Walt¡¯s six-foot frame.


    Nick approached Walt, handing over the car keys, and digging into his pocket to pull out the flip phone. He smacked it in Walt¡¯s hand and moved into the kitchen, hungry even after all the snacks. His mother was on a business trip. Nick was jealous, simply because Lydia had an excuse to be gone.


    The fridge was full, but Nick didn¡¯t know what to eat. If he lingered in the kitchen, it¡¯d be another few minutes near Walt, which neither wanted. He put together a fast sandwich and slipped out of the kitchen as his father searched through the text messages Nick sent. Not that he¡¯d find many. Nick hadn¡¯t texted anyone for months.


    You have eight months, old man.


    Nick entered his room with his sandwich already half eaten. His room had the bare essentials, like a bed, desk, dresser, closet, and bookshelf half filled with books. He had no electronics, per ¡°you¡¯re grounded until you¡¯re eighteen¡± threat Walt did an excellent job fulfilling. Honestly, April tenth couldn¡¯t come soon enough. Being grounded meant he didn¡¯t go anywhere, and therefore didn¡¯t spend any money. Perhaps he was romanticizing the whole thing. Rent could be more expensive than the listings said, and he also had groceries to take care of. Leaving his prison of a home was worth all the money in the world.


    With no electronics to distract him, Nick finished his sandwich, slipped into the bathroom to brush his teeth, before returning to dress in his baggy pajama bottoms and shirt. He read a book because part of him refused to go to sleep.


    The front door opened, and Evelyn announced herself home from the party. Her cheerful voice sounded odd in the tense silence of the house. Walt¡¯s deep voice rumbled through, asking her about her party, and a conversation started. It was clear why his little sister chose a princess as her CCNC character all those years ago. This family certainly treated her as such.


    A knock came to his door. ¡°Nick? You still up?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Nick assumed that was the extent of their conversation, but Evelyn opened the door, anyway. ¡°Seriously?¡± He didn¡¯t bother looking up from his book.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°¡®Yeah¡¯ never translates to ¡®please waltz into my room like you own the place.¡¯¡±


    Evelyn rolled her blue eyes, taking off her hat and running her hands through her blonde hair. ¡°Ugh. I need a shower. We walked through downtown, and I am dripping with sweat!¡± She then waltzed in like she owned the place as she examined her face in her camera phone. He shot her a glare, which she ignored. ¡°I need a facial, too. I cannot break out on the first day of school.¡±


    Despite the general annoyance Nick felt toward his little sister, mostly stemming from how Walt treated her better, he couldn¡¯t shut her off completely. He was that desperate for social interaction, though he had limits. He dropped his book on his leg. ¡°Again, seriously, Evie? I know dad isn¡¯t the best role model for this, but I require some privacy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fully dressed, bro. Besides, you need to tell me how CCNC went.¡± She leaned against his desk, smiling expectantly. ¡°It¡¯s getting harder to do a sesh with cheer, and I¡¯m invested in the story. Did we win?¡±


    Nick picked up his book again, focusing on the pages. ¡°Grizzizzik, Milo, and Ezekiel went on a one-shot side quest. Ended in disaster. If you talk to Derek about it, he might start crying, so it¡¯s better if we ignored it ever happened.¡± Nick fell back on a habit of lying, which meant mostly telling the truth.


    She scrolled through her messages. ¡°We¡¯ll have to do another sesh somehow. How was Tyler, Derek, and Alejandra?¡±


    ¡°Alejandra couldn¡¯t make it. Derek¡¯s trying to get over the session. Tyler was at the hospital,¡± Nick said, trying to get back into his book.


    ¡°What?¡± Evelyn asked, far louder than he wanted. He kicked himself for saying that, because now she¡¯d want to know details, and he didn¡¯t have many.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine. Already back in Tucson, no doubt.¡±


    Evelyn kept tapping on her phone screen, her lips drawn together in a line. She¡¯d know more details before tomorrow morning, anyway. Nick gave her smart phone a jealous glare before returning to his book.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Her nose was glued to her phone as she left the room.


    Silence trickled in again. Nick straightened the pages of his book when Evelyn¡¯s voice appeared in the kitchen. ¡°Hey, Dad. Have you given my suggestion any more thought?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m not giving your brother a smart phone.¡±


    Nick glanced up from his book, curious.


    ¡°You¡¯re not giving him a smart phone. It¡¯s an opportunity for him to buy a phone while staying on the family plan,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°After what that boy did, he doesn¡¯t deserve access to the internet. I am doing everyone a favor,¡± Walt said.


    Evelyn scoffed. ¡°I know he made a stupid choice, but it¡¯s been three years. If we ignore the incident, his record is more squeaky clean than mine. We all know he won¡¯t do it again except you. Stop torturing him for a mistake he made when he was fourteen years old.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a mistake, Evie.¡± Walt¡¯s voice took on a more authoritarian, unable-to-listen tone that made Nick cover his face with his book. ¡°It was a criminal offense. He needs to shape up if he¡¯s to avoid prison.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, Dad. Stop being dramatic.¡±


    ¡°Go take your shower, Evie. It¡¯s getting late,¡± Walt said.


    She scoffed again. Knowing his sister, it¡¯d be another half hour before the shower turned on. Nick closed his book, setting it to one side. Yes, his sister got the princess treatment in their house. She got everything, while Nick got nothing. But when push came to shove, Evelyn remained in Nick¡¯s corner. She even let him borrow her laptop to research rental listings.


    It was late when the shower turned on, and the rush of water made Nick¡¯s eyes heavy. At least he didn¡¯t have a shift tomorrow at the bookstore. An unfortunate job he landed because Walt knew the owner, but it was work, and he needed money.


    Nick pulled his covers over him. It was close to midnight, and the shower was putting him to sleep. His lids felt heavy when a thump from inside his room shook the weight away. He sat up, turning his lamp back on. He saw a strange blur near his bed, becoming clearer.


    ¡°Would you get off my foot?¡± a male voice sneered.


    ¡°I was never on your foot,¡± another male voice said.


    With a blink, the blur became a face. The rest of the black and gold body appeared, and he didn¡¯t know how to react. There was no way he took any sort of drugs, because Walt would¡¯ve grounded him another eighteen years. At the end of his bed, a man with legs and arms appeared. His head was a mesh of human and snake. He had yellow slits for eyes, with a bump of a snake nose. He wore a pair of cream-colored shorts. Black and yellow scales covered his entire body. The humanoid snake had the jacked physique he remembered describing years ago, but that was impossible. He was having a lucid dream about his CCNC character. The longer he stared, the clearer this man became. The snake man tried to balance himself on the floor of his room before his yellow eyes met Nick¡¯s. Every bone in Nick¡¯s body shivered, and a realization shook his core.


    ¡°What¡­ the¡­ hell¡­¡± Nick said.

 Chapter 6

    ¡°Where¡¯s my rat daggers?¡± Grizzizzik patted his bare arms, trying to locate the daggers. ¡°I¡¯ll slit his throat and we¡¯ll be on our way.¡±


    A man grabbed his wrist. ¡°You will do no such thing.¡±


    Nick turned to see another figure appear in his room. Saw the curly blonde hair of someone who¡¯d lived his whole life in a temple and had spent the better part of a year adventuring. It wasn¡¯t as jarring to see this man because he didn¡¯t have a snake head or scales. It was easier to imagine he¡¯d snuck into the window instead of being a character from a game. This man also wore a pair of cream-colored shorts, revealing a body not nearly as buff, but still a threat.


    This was too much. Nick threw back his covers and got out of bed, pointing at the two beings in his room. ¡°What¡­ is this. Who are you? What are your names?¡±


    The man bowed. ¡°Forgive us, young sir. My name is Ezekiel Watson, Cleric of the Great Lady of Light.¡±


    The hinges of Nick¡¯s jaw loosened, and he gaped at Ezekiel. A humanoid snake was evidence enough that these two were members of his CCNC campaign, but the name. The lesser-known deity. What was happening?


    ¡°How are you here? How is this even possible?¡±


    ¡°All I know is we were trying to take down Torraq, then there was a lot of fire,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Grizzizzik folded his arms. ¡°My money is on Milo and his stupid inventions.¡±


    Ezekiel glanced around Nick¡¯s room. ¡°After the explosion, there was lots of fog and confusion, then a tunnel pulled the three of us inside, and we ended up here. There are two other members of our team. Milo and Hraktar. Have you seen them?¡±


    Listening to Ezekiel talk felt as easy as processing mud. He stared at his two characters, unable to do much else.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t miss Hraktar. Half-orc, huge, doesn¡¯t talk much,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°Much like you, Grizzly Bear.¡± This was a woman¡¯s voice, and she sounded annoyed.


    Nick had never done a triple take until that moment. The first look to the left of Grizzizzik was to notice another person in his room. The second to register she was a woman. And finally, to realize she, too, was only wearing cream-colored shorts and a loose-fitting tank top. His gaze hardly touched her outfit before shooting to her face. She was a gorgeous elf, with flowing, forest green hair. Her elf ears poked out from her hair, and her violet eyes regarded Nick with contempt.


    His sister¡¯s character was here, too. A visceral fear entered his gut. What if his father spotted Clarissa, dressed as she was, in his bedroom?


    As though the universe heard, a knock came to his door. ¡°Nick? Did you say something?¡± Walt asked.


    Nick¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Shit.¡± He grabbed Grizzizzik and Ezekiel¡¯s elbows, heading for his closet.


    A hand seized Nick¡¯s wrist, and Grizzizzik hissed. ¡°You will unhand me or find yourself without fingers.¡±


    His character¡¯s far too loud tone terrified him. ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t make a noise. If my father finds you, he¡¯ll murder me.¡±


    ¡°Ah, fathers.¡± It was all Grizzizzik said before Nick shoved him in the closet.


    ¡°Nick? Are you in there?¡± his father asked.


    ¡°Just a sec!¡± Nick gestured at Clarissa to get in the closet. The elf princess folded her arms, sniffing at the closet. How little space there was before shoving two people inside. ¡°Get in there, Princess. Now.¡±


    Hearing her title surprised her enough to jumpstart her feet and move toward his closet.


    ¡°Is someone in there with you?¡± A warning flickered in Walt¡¯s voice.


    ¡°No! No one¡¯s in here!¡±


    Once Clarissa was close enough, Nick shoved her in and closed the door. She gave a surprised shout before one of the men clamped his hand over her mouth. Walt¡¯s patience ran out, and Nick was a few feet from the door before Walt opened it. Nick¡¯s heart hammered in his chest. It didn¡¯t matter what he told his father. Walt would never believe him. Nick could hardly believe it himself.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, dad?¡± Nick forced a sense of nonchalantness into his voice.


    ¡°I heard you talking to someone in here.¡±


    ¡°Nope. I wasn¡¯t.¡± Whether he had a flustered look on his face, or the general distrust Walt always had, but his father moved past him and entered his room. ¡°It¡¯s late, Dad. I need some sleep.¡±


    ¡°And I need you to be honest with me. I heard you talking to someone. Do you have a phone in here?¡± Walt asked.


    Nick¡¯s jaw stiffened. ¡°You know I don¡¯t.¡±


    Walt threw open drawers in Nick¡¯s desk, rifling through them as Nick¡¯s blood boiled. He thought it would get easier, but it didn¡¯t. He had no privacy with Walt, and since he wasn¡¯t legally an adult, he had to let him do this. It didn¡¯t help his reputation with the police was already poor.


    Waiting it out until Walt finished searching was something he usually did, but this time, he had something to hide. The closet would be the next thing his dad checked once he finished searching the drawers.


    ¡°Seriously, Dad. Can we do this later? I want to sleep.¡±


    Walt thumbed through Nick¡¯s old CCNC notebook of all his notes about Grizzizzik. ¡°No. If you learn anything from your fantasy game, you ought to know about consequences to one¡¯s choices.¡±


    Instead of rolling his eyes, Nick clenched his fist and relaxed it rapidly. If he got caught rolling his eyes in front of Walt, they would be here for an hour. ¡°Come on, Dad. I was fourteen.¡±


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Yeah. Fourteen. Finding yourself in a gang. Delivering drugs. Causing vandalism.¡± Walt¡¯s tone got harsher with every word leaving his mouth. Nick kept his jaw tight. There was no point talking to Walt when he was this bullheaded. What Walt said was a slight exaggeration of his choice, but only slight, and that alone made it impossible to talk sense.


    Sure, he started hanging out with Anthony and his older brother, Eddy, and his friends when he was younger. He didn¡¯t see them as a gang, and they never asked Nick to deliver drugs. Anthony did that. Nick was too na?ve to realize it was happening during school, on school property, while they ate their lunch outside. He pleaded his ignorance of that to the police.


    The vandalism was true. It¡¯s what got him caught. And caused his father to ground him until he was eighteen.


    Nick absently rubbed his scarred eyebrow. He needed to get Walt out of his room. The thorough investigation of his desk was almost done, and he would move on soon. But he was at a loss, except to make his father angry. Angry enough to do a sloppy job of his search. Nick braced himself for the inevitable blowup. ¡°I wasn¡¯t delivering drugs, Dad. I didn¡¯t even know it was happening.¡±


    The glare Walt shot in his direction was one he matched and threw right back. As much as he hated it, he and Walt had a lot of similarities, including a stubborn, bullheaded approach when challenged. Walt slammed the drawer harder than the other drawers. ¡°Whatever rebellious teen stage you¡¯re in, I¡¯m sick of it. You need to grow up.¡±


    ¡°I already am grown up, but you refuse to see it.¡±


    Walt let out a laugh. ¡°The second you turn eighteen, I¡¯m charging rent.¡±


    This threat wasn¡¯t new. Nick went back to rubbing his forehead. He wanted to yell at Walt that he was finding somewhere else to pay rent, but he wasn¡¯t in the mood to hear a lecture about the harsh realities of life. How much Nick would crawl back home begging to be let in. He was never coming back here. Never. The only way he could prove it was to do it. It wouldn¡¯t happen until April.


    ¡°Tell me, what grownup idea inspired you to drive with those hooligans, breaking into cars to steal things?¡± Walt asked.


    Heat rush to his head, the anger a physical pain. Needing to get Walt out of his room didn¡¯t help ease the panic he felt. ¡°Probably the same grownup idea that made you ground me until I was eighteen.¡±


    ¡°This idea that theft and vandalism are in the same category as assuring you don¡¯t end up in trouble again is the reason I¡¯ll never drop your punishment.¡± Walt moved from the desk to the closet.


    Shit.


    Standing in front of the door was as subtle as a neon sign, so he scrambled to think of anything else. His father was fast. His spiked heart rate skyrocketed as Walt threw open the door to his closet.


    Nick waited a second, then a second more. He moved around, hoping it was a vivid shot of imagination. The three characters stood there, staring at Walt, prepared for the worst. Grizzizzik found a pair of fingernail clippers, holding them like a dagger. Ezekiel and Clarissa both held Grizzizzik¡¯s shoulders, preparing to pin him back if necessary. Nick blinked, then stared at the back of Walt¡¯s blonde, slightly balding head. His father started looting through the top of Nick¡¯s closet. They seemed as confused as Nick that Walt made no reaction to their presence.


    ¡°I know you¡¯ve been looking at apartments on Evelyn¡¯s laptop without her permission.¡± Everything else shocked Nick too much to let Walt¡¯s words register. ¡°You¡¯ve got a dangerous amount of reality about to hit you in April.¡±


    Did he have a psychological break? The stress of everything must have messed with his head. Did people his age have mental breakdowns? Maybe he was hallucinating. It explained this, but also brought a slew of problems he didn¡¯t want to face.


    Walt hunted through Nick¡¯s shirts hanging in the closet. Ezekiel tried to slide out of the way, but Walt¡¯s hand hit his chest. No, it went straight through. Nick blinked again, utterly confused. He wasn¡¯t the only one. Grizzizzik, Clarissa, and Ezekiel stared as Walt¡¯s hand went in and out of Ezekiel¡¯s body. Grizzizzik reached out, his arm brushing through Walt before wiggling his fingers. His character tried to steal Walt¡¯s watch, but he couldn¡¯t touch it. They couldn¡¯t touch anything. For whatever reason, these people were invisible. Which should have given him relief, but too many questions filled his mind. He needed to make sure his brain was psychologically sound.


    The closet door snapping shut brought Nick back to reality. Nick hadn¡¯t spoken a word since Walt opened it. Nick stood there in the middle of his room, trying not to panic. Walt, as he always did, finished his search, found nothing, and left. No apology, not even a ¡°Good night, son.¡± Once Walt¡¯s steps receded, he approached the closet door, tugging it open. He leaned against the door, staring at the CCNC characters stuffed in the closet.


    ¡°So, um, are¡­ you guys real? Or a figment of my imagination?¡±


    ¡°About as real as you,¡± Ezekiel said.


    To test it, he reached out to touch Grizzizzik¡¯s bump of a snake nose, but his character grabbed his wrist once it became clear what Nick would do.


    ¡°There are plenty of appendages a human body needs, but if you keep touching me, you¡¯ll learn how to live without them.¡±


    Nick couldn¡¯t deny the tangible feel of scaled fingers digging into his wrist. He swallowed. Ezekiel took Grizzizzik¡¯s wrist and shook it. Grizzizzik hissed like a snake, before loosening his grip. It took a quick jerk to release his wrist, and Nick rubbed it, keeping his eyes on his character.


    ¡°Grizzly Bear tries to sound tougher than he is when meeting new people,¡± Clarissa said.


    His character¡¯s yellow eyes darkened. ¡°And you put on airs you don¡¯t have, Clarissa.¡±


    Her nostrils flared, pointed ears twitching. ¡°That¡¯s Princess Clarissa to you.¡±


    Now he knew how she reacted to people who forgot her title.


    ¡°My father can¡¯t see or hear you, but you two can¡¯t start throwing things at each other, either.¡± Nick paused, then glanced around at the closet. ¡°Can you throw things?¡±


    He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. Nick knew exactly what Grizzizzik would do. He created that rogue. The snake already had a picture frame of a trip to Montana in his scaley hands and threw it with all his might, shattering against the wall.


    ¡°No!¡± Nick whispered far too loud. When Grizzizzik pulled stunts like this, it was a strange reminder that his rogue was almost thirty years old.


    The door flew open, and Walt marched in, pale blue eyes growing dark. ¡°Now what the hell was that?¡±


    The lie came to him too easily. ¡°I knocked over a picture frame after straightening things up from your last search and seizure.¡±


    Walt pointed toward the door. ¡°Go wait in the hall, Nick. I¡¯m not playing games.¡±


    Nick glanced in his closet. The three characters stared at him, waiting. Nick had no other choice but to move into the hall, and he hated it. He always hated it.


    He glanced behind him, seeing Ezekiel start to follow. Grizzizzik grabbed the cleric¡¯s arm, giving a firm shake of his head. Nick could almost see the non-verbal conversation happening between the two. The faith filled cleric would take a chance on a seventeen-year-old kid and follow him out of his room. The world hardened rogue wouldn¡¯t trust anyone and was already figuring a way to escape and go on his own. Clarissa was the tie braker, forcing Grizzizzik¡¯s hand off Ezekiel¡¯s shoulder as she walked with the cleric, following Nick. Grizzizzik grumbled to himself before joining them.


    Nick was in the hall, but there was nothing else to do but wait for Walt to finish. The three characters were studying the strange hallway, the modern light distracting Ezekiel.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear this man is your mortal enemy,¡± Grizzizzik said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you escape?¡±


    Nick folded his arms, leaned against the wall, and said nothing. Ezekiel glanced at Grizzizzik before he changed the subject. ¡°We need a plan. Milo and Hraktar got separated from us, and we need to find them before returning to the Shrouded Domain. Do you know where the Shrouded Domain is?¡±


    Nick rubbed his eyebrow, feeling the scar under his fingertips. Yes, he knew where the Shrouded Domain was. It was a place in everyone¡¯s collective imagination, not an actual planet in their solar system. He needed to talk to Derek. His friend knew everything about CCNC. Also, these were the three characters he played during the session. If everyone escaped the game, Derek might get his own nasty surprise with Milo and Hraktar. He really hoped Derek had them. He didn¡¯t want to lose his mind.

 Chapter 7

    Nick was near the bathroom, far enough from his room that Walt wouldn¡¯t hear him. He intended to talk with the three individuals no one else saw, though light bulbs distracted them. Grizzizzik kept knocking on the walls, curious about the craftsmanship.


    The shower had been off for a while now, so Nick hadn¡¯t thought about his sister until the bathroom door opened. Evelyn was in a bathrobe with her hair in a towel. She finished putting on whatever lotion was on her face, giving herself a final glance in the mirror when she noticed Nick and jumped.


    ¡°God, Nick, you can be so annoying.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. Be careful of pesky siblings that understand nothing about personal boundaries.¡± Nick lathered the sarcasm on real thick.


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°Whatever. You got back from playing the campaign. I¡¯m always¡ª¡± Clarissa caught Evelyn¡¯s eye. The druid cocked her head to the side, taking in Evelyn. ¡°¡ªcurious about¡­¡± Evelyn trailed off, giving her character a hard look, focusing on the green hair and the pointed elf ears. ¡°CCNC,¡± Evelyn finished like it was an afterthought.


    The muscles in his shoulders relaxed. His sister seeing Clarissa meant he didn¡¯t have a mental breakdown. Now there were problems in front of them he had no answers for.


    ¡°Why can the girl see us, but not the other one?¡± At Grizzizzik¡¯s words, Evelyn¡¯s eyes rested on him. She shrieked in disgust before slamming the door hard. Grizzizzik touched his nose. ¡°Is she afraid of snakes?¡±


    Nick studied the closed door. ¡°Spiders, actually.¡±


    The druid princess walked nearer to the door, hands behind her back. ¡°If spiders aren¡¯t the size of a horse, they¡¯re not bad.¡±


    Nick wasn¡¯t sure how to respond, and thankfully, didn¡¯t have to. Walt poked his head out the door of Nick¡¯s room. ¡°Evelyn? Is everything alright?¡±


    A solid three seconds of silence settled over everyone before the bathroom door squeaked open and Evelyn cleared her throat. ¡°Um, yes. Yes. Everything¡¯s fine.¡± She gave Grizzizzik a fleeting glance, holding in a grimace before focusing on Walt. ¡°Nick startled me. That¡¯s all. He told me he was sleeping, and I¡­ was startled¡­ that he wasn¡¯t. Sleeping.¡±


    Walt grunted before disappearing back into Nick¡¯s room. His little sister¡¯s eyes were wide as she met his gaze. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to figure out the same thing. They just appeared in my room.¡±


    Evelyn finally noticed Ezekiel and frowned before her eyes darted around. ¡°So, um¡­ Milo and Hraktar?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. If my suspicions are correct, they¡¯re with Derek.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, Nick. These¡­¡± Evelyn took another step toward Clarissa. ¡°These are our characters. They¡¯re actually here! What is going on?¡±


    ¡°Asking me the same question over and over won¡¯t help the answer fall into my lap.¡± Nick glanced at the door to make sure Walt couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°I need your phone to call Derek.¡±


    Evelyn looked excited as she pulled out her phone from her bathrobe pocket and scrolled through her contacts. Clarissa and Ezekiel watched the phone with curious gazes as Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes narrowed with distrust.


    ¡°Not here.¡± Nick stole the phone and moved into her room. Evelyn followed. The other three hesitated before stepping through.


    Nick found Derek in her contact list and called him. It was past midnight, but he didn¡¯t care, and he wasn¡¯t patient enough for texting. Clarissa watched the phone, noticing the glitter case Evelyn had on it. Grizzizzik was distracted, if a little disgusted, by Evelyn¡¯s room.


    Where Nick¡¯s room resembled a pitiful prison, hers bursted with stuff. Awards from gymnastics and cheerleading hung on the walls. Her laptop and other electronics lay cluttered on an enormous desk with an even bigger mirror. Stuffed in the crevices of the mirror were multiple pictures of all her friends. She had a flower bedspread and fake leaves and fairy lights hanging over her bed. It was a little much, and Evelyn adored it. She could have stayed upstairs, but when Walt forced Nick to move across the hall from Walt and Lydia, Evelyn came down with him. She said this room was bigger, anyway.


    Ezekiel studied the fairy lights above her bed, awed. Nick was scared Derek had fallen asleep, but the ringing stopped and his friend¡¯s voice appeared.¡°Evelyn?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s me. Nick.¡±


    ¡°Nick. Hey.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Silence stretched between them. ¡°So¡­ if you¡¯re desperate enough to call me after midnight on your sister¡¯s phone¡­¡±


    Nick let out an uneasy breath. ¡°You already sound like you know why I called¡­¡±


    ¡°This is insane. We¡­ need to meet up.¡±


    ¡°How? I can¡¯t leave unless¡ª¡±


    ¡°Unless you¡¯re playing CCNC,¡± Derek finished. ¡°I¡¯ll vouch for you. Wait, wait, stop, please.¡± At first, Nick was confused, until he realized Derek was talking to someone else. ¡°Would you put that away? I¡¯ll explain phones to you later. Thank you.¡± Nick raised an eyebrow. ¡°Like I was saying, the campaign didn¡¯t go well, and there¡¯s two days left of summer. Tomorrow, we spend a few hours figuring out if we can send them back. Though¡­ we should probably tell Tyler. And Alejandra, too.¡±


    Truthfully, Nick needed nothing more but Derek¡¯s promise to convince Walt to let him leave the house.


    ¡°What time should we meet?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°As early as possible. We¡¯ve got to figure this out.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Hopefully, by tomorrow night we can¡ª¡±


    On pure instinct alone, Nick shoved the phone into Evelyn¡¯s unsuspecting hands as Walt¡¯s footsteps thudded down the hall. Evelyn grabbed her phone before it tumbled to the ground.


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    ¡°Nick?¡± Walt called out.


    He cleared his throat. ¡°In here, dad.¡±


    Evelyn placed the phone against her ear. ¡°Yeah. Hi. It¡¯s me.¡±


    Walt appeared in the doorway. ¡°Finished the room. You¡¯re clear to go to bed.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, great. Hey dad?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    It took a bit to strain the anger out of his heart. If this was going to work, he needed to keep a glare off his face. ¡°So¡­ the CCNC campaign didn¡¯t go as planned. What with me not working tomorrow, and everyone else free, we¡¯re thinking of having another one in the morning.¡± Nick gestured toward his little sister with his thumb. ¡°Evelyn was devastated she couldn¡¯t do the session. We want to check with Alejandra, too.¡± Nick tried hard to resist the feeling that he was a six-year-old asking for permission. ¡°Can I go?¡±


    Despite Nick¡¯s explanation, Walt would need more, and not from him. His father glanced in Evelyn¡¯s direction as she gave vague, single syllable answers to Derek. Clarissa leaned in to examine the phone. Ezekiel stared at it from a distance. Grizzizzik watched Walt, his eyes narrow.


    Walt inclined his head toward Evelyn¡¯s phone. ¡°Is that Derek right now?¡±


    ¡°Um, yes,¡± Nick said.


    He grumbled about youth and their inability to go to bed early, but extended his hand toward Evelyn.


    ¡°Here¡¯s my dad.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes were slightly wide as she handed the phone over.


    ¡°Derek?¡± Walt asked.


    His friend leapt into a long, one-sided conversation with Walt about what would happen tomorrow, and Nick stood next to his sister to wait. What made it more awkward were the three other people in the room Walt couldn¡¯t see. He tried not to bring attention to them, but it was hard not to react when Grizzizzik reached out to touch the phone. Clarissa slapped his hand away. The rogue glared, reaching for his rapier that wasn¡¯t there. He hissed at her, and Clarissa stuck her nose in the air.


    Much of their relationship reminded Nick of rival siblings, which made sense considering they were his and Evelyn¡¯s characters. Watching it unfold in front of him was different, knowing they had no actual familial relationship. Clarissa might skewer him if he hinted they acted like siblings.


    ¡°Alright, well¡­ yes. That sounds fine,¡± Walt said.


    Derek didn¡¯t lie often to Walt, but also didn¡¯t mind doing it. Though since it was about CCNC, it wasn¡¯t a lie. Walt said goodbye before handing Evelyn her phone. The less Nick talked, the more likely Walt would agree to another session.


    ¡°Evelyn will be with you the whole time. I¡¯ll ask for updates randomly during the day. Both of you will return no later than three.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t enjoy getting babysat by your little sister, make better choices in your life.¡±


    It was insulting to be reduced to a choice he made at fourteen, but he got permission to attend another CCNC session, so he remained silent.


    Eight more months until April.


    Once Walt left Evelyn¡¯s room, Nick stopped clenching his jaw. He tried to rub the ache away. ¡°So¡­¡± Nick glanced at Grizzizzik and Ezekiel. ¡°I guess these two will sleep in my room and Princess Clarissa will sleep in yours?¡±


    Evelyn and Clarissa caught each other¡¯s eye.


    ¡°What¡¯s the stuff you put on your face?¡± Clarissa made the rubbing motion on her cheeks that Evelyn made when she came out of the shower.


    ¡°It¡¯s one of my lotions. I¡¯ve still got to put on a mask on.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes brightened with excitement. ¡°You want one?¡±


    The elf princess blinked a few times. ¡°What does it do?¡±


    ¡°Keeps my skin healthy.¡± Evelyn patted her cheeks for emphasis.


    Clarissa¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°You have my interest.¡±


    Nick rubbed his forehead. ¡°And you¡¯ve lost mine.¡± He dropped his hand and turned toward Grizzizzik and Ezekiel, hesitating before focusing on the rogue. ¡°I know we¡¯ve just met, but¡­¡± He let out a breath. ¡°Try not to slit my throat in my sleep, please.¡±


    Ezekiel patted Grizzizzik¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I assure you, he won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, Ezekiel, but if you¡¯re the cleric I think you are, you¡¯re also¡­ gullible.¡±


    Grizzizzik snorted. ¡°He¡¯s not wrong there.¡±


    The cleric looked unphased by the insult. Which was also true to his character.


    Adrenaline drained out of Nick and exhaustion trickled in. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to bed.¡±


    He left Clarissa and Evelyn chatting, with Evelyn squirting a clear liquid on her fingers. Grizzizzik walked behind him, studying the pictures on the wall. The rogue, a figment of his imagination, was walking down the hall of his house.


    The hunt to find blankets didn¡¯t take long, but it made him nervous Walt would discover him and ask more questions. Nick soon returned to his room and spread them onto the floor before collapsing into his own bed.


    If their campaign was full of humans, Nick would¡¯ve guessed these people were trespassers. But Grizzizzik was next to him on the ground, curling up like a snake in his blanket before closing his slit eyes. Ezekiel¡¯s soft but devoted voice rose as he said his evening prayer to the Great Lady of Light. Nick remembered the feel of scales on his wrist. It was like being touched by a snake, except the snake had fingers. There wasn¡¯t a believable enough snake body suit in Elmwood to recreate that. His mind drifted to when Walt¡¯s hand moved through Ezekiel¡¯s chest.


    The cleric finished his prayer and climbed into the blankets, wishing them both a good night. Grizzizzik said nothing. Nick mumbled something unintelligent. Exhaustion kept pulling at Nick¡¯s eyes, but he kept staring at the ceiling, hoping to find answers there.


    ***


    Nick always towered over Evelyn¡¯s five feet four frame. She didn¡¯t mind, because Nick had always been taller than her. With Clarissa, Evelyn became aware of her height as she pulled out some pajamas.


    ¡°Sorry, I have nothing that¡¯ll fit,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Clarissa studied the sleeping bag. ¡°I will be fine with this for tonight.¡±


    ¡°Some of my maxi dresses should fit you.¡± A mischievous smile crossed her face. ¡°We¡¯ll have to go shopping tomorrow. That¡¯d be fun!¡±


    The same mischievousness did not reach Clarissa¡¯s eyes. Instead, she sat on her sleeping bag with a frown on her face, pressing her legs to her chest as she glanced out the window. ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s what I need.¡±


    The light disappeared from Evelyn¡¯s face. The past hour was a whirlwind of emotion as she realized Clarissa was real. She always felt a sisterly bond with her imaginary character while playing. Evelyn sat down on her bed, looking at her druid. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you got here, but we¡¯ll get you back. You must miss your brother a lot.¡±


    A tiny laugh escaped Clarissa. ¡°I do. I miss him. If you would¡¯ve told me two years ago that I would miss Sylvar, I¡­¡± The mirth disappeared, and tears filled her eyes instead.


    Having roleplayed Clarissa so much, it was odd to discern her thought process so well. Clarissa missed her brother, and the reality of her situation hit hard. No doubt the druid would wait until Evelyn was asleep before having a good cry.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get you back, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She ran her fingers through her green hair, reaching up to her scalp where her tiara was missing. The frown deepened. ¡°I thought I died in the explosion. This is so much stranger.¡±


    Evelyn was rubbing her arm when she froze. ¡°Explosion? What?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We were trying to destroy Torraq¡¯s lair, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait.¡± Evelyn held up a hand. ¡°You were trying to do what?¡±


    Clarissa explained everything leading up to their deaths. Evelyn stared, a sinking realization that Nick lied to her. The feeling was unpleasant and brought up an uncertainty she hated to remember. She shook her head as Clarissa finished. Nick was uncomfortably good at lying sometimes. She would have to talk to him tomorrow about it to quell the uncertainty.


    ¡°Oh, I nearly forgot.¡± Clarissa reached behind her, near the small of her back. There was nothing there, but the druid¡¯s hand returned with a red velvet drawstring bag. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I feel compelled to give you this.¡±


    Evelyn took the bag, curious. She opened the drawstrings and dumped the context into her open palm. Dice. Seven CCNC dice, to be more specific. They were the blackish blue color of space, and something glittered in the middle. The weight of them in her palm made her uneasy.


    She dropped the dice back in the bag, closing the string. ¡°Um, thanks. I¡¯ll look at them more tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what they are. I hope they make sense to you.¡± Clarissa crawled into her sleeping bag.


    Evelyn didn¡¯t know how to answer. Instead, she flipped off the lights and climbed into bed, placing the red velvet bag on her nightstand. ¡°Yeah, um¡­ hopefully it will.¡± She settled in her bed and tried to get comfortable, her eyes on Clarissa as she tried to sort out this entire thing.


    She blinked, and something appeared in a dim green color hanging over Clarissa¡¯s head. Evelyn squinted, but it didn¡¯t help. After a few more blinks, green numbers and letters became clear.


    HP 10/10

 Chapter 8

    Derek abandoned thoughts of sleep. Tomorrow, he¡¯d chug some energy drinks, because too many mysteries had his attention. He had gone to bed at eleven, but woke up at midnight after hearing a thunk in his room. Seeing Milo surprised him, but Hraktar¡¯s face made him scream. Derek apologized profusely afterwards, because the fighter was touchy about his half-orc heritage. Hraktar tried to seem human by keeping black hair cropped, but it was impossible to hide his green skin and lower tusks, let alone his six foot five muscular body. It was Hraktar¡¯s mangled right ear that stood out to him, since Derek forgot he had that.


    If it was only Milo, Derek would have thought an intruder broke in who was the spiting image of his mana fusor. However, there weren¡¯t half-orcs on earth. Hraktar was the oldest of the CCNC group, at forty years old. Technically Clarissa was a hundred and fifty, but she acted like someone in their early twenties, same as Milo and Ezekiel.


    A soft snore emanated from Hraktar, lounged out on Derek¡¯s bed. Derek¡¯s spine ached, hunched over his desk, studying the dice Milo gave him. As a nerd himself, Milo turned Derek¡¯s phone over and over, studying it with his magnifying glass. It entertained him for a good half hour. Milo wore one of Derek¡¯s CCNC shirts and the shorts he came with. It was strange to look at Milo and not see suspenders and rolled-up sleeves.


    The house was quiet again. His mother checked on him after he screamed, but everyone went back to sleep for the night. Mark and Antonio were probably sneaking some video games before school started Monday, but Derek didn¡¯t bother them.


    Milo set Derek¡¯s phone on the floor and walked to the desk. He leaned against it and folded his arms, using his chin to gesture at the dice. ¡°What are they?¡±


    ¡°Dice. For CCNC.¡± Derek lifted the d20 to the lamp over his desk. The die was a midnight blue with gold numbers. It looked similar to his other dice sets, but different on one key thing. At the center of his new midnight blue dice was a soft, swirling portal of red, black, gold, green, and blue. The colors of mana in the Shrouded Domain.


    ¡°CCNC?¡± Milo touched the letters on his borrowed shirt.


    ¡°The game we played while controlling¡­ you.¡±


    Curious, Milo reached forward to pick up the d8, but his fingers moved past it. It didn¡¯t discourage him, and caused his science mind to churn. His fingers moved through the rest of the dice on the desk before bumping into the empty red velvet bag. ¡°You and your friend were the giants I saw while running through Torraq¡¯s lair.¡±


    Derek straightened his spine as he mulled over Milo¡¯s words. He had tried to understand how these characters appeared on earth, let alone existed. Nick¡¯s teasingly dirty twenty existential crisis he¡¯d given Milo momentarily slipped his mind. So far, Derek¡¯s theory was the AI caused this somehow, but Milo¡¯s stroke of genius was another clue.


    ¡°So¡­ you are Gods?¡±


    It was innocent enough, but it still made Derek snort. ¡°Not at all. No, we¡¯re a bunch of teenagers playing a tabletop RPG. And yet¡­¡±


    ¡°And yet we¡¯re real,¡± Milo finished.


    In the past three hours since Milo appeared, Derek caught himself occasionally staring at Milo in awe, and he found himself once again doing that. His character, the one he thought lived in his imagination, was here with his brown eyes and brown hair that, for now, was nice and combed. In the heat of the battle, it always gave off ¡°mad scientist¡± vibes. A green number appeared above Milo¡¯s head.


    HP 11/11.


    Eleven was low, which meant Milo was at level one. Somehow, they reset their levels when they traveled to earth. He returned to studying the dice, picking up the d6. Words materialized in front of him, almost like a HUD system filtered into his vison. They glowed a green color, the same green as Milo¡¯s HP.


    Roll for your character?


    Derek raised an eyebrow at that. His eyes darted around, but the words followed his gaze in the middle of his vision.


    ¡°What the hell,¡± Derek whispered.


    Seeing his agitation, Milo tried to follow Derek¡¯s gaze, but didn¡¯t see the words. ¡°What? What is it?¡±


    ¡°I think I need to roll for your character. Like when I first created you.¡±


    The mana fusor tilted his head to one side, taking in Derek again. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not a God?¡±


    ¡°One hundred percent positive.¡± Derek squinted, trying to get a better look at the d6. Milo handed him back the magnifying glass Derek let him borrow. ¡°Thanks.¡± Even with a magnified gaze, the die looked like a regular d6, except for the swirling portal in the middle.


    Since Milo and Ezekiel were best friend, Milo became semi-religious. The thought of a teenager being his creator didn¡¯t bother Milo. How Derek understood this was one of the many mysteries piling up.


    The words in his gaze melted from his vision, and a table popped into it instead. It had a dropdown menu, and he felt excited. It was like CCNC, except in real life and connected to his brain somehow. He wondered how to choose Milo¡¯s inventory when it popped up with nothing inside.


    Start from scratch, or auto build from previous character sheet?


    The words were there again in his vision, but nerves trickled in. He didn¡¯t want to ruin Milo, so he wanted to choose the previous character sheet, but how? Maybe he needed to think it?


    With a thought, the words melted away.


    ¡°Whoa.¡± Milo¡¯s quiet exclamation pulled Derek¡¯s focus to Milo, seeing him completely dressed. He wore long brown pants. Milo grabbed the shirt Derek gave him and eased it off to reveal the suspenders and the cream-colored shirt with rolled-up sleeves. Derek gasped. It was clothes, but his character finally looked like everything he imagined.


    Derek focused on the list of things in Milo¡¯s inventory. It was much fuller. ¡°You have your crossbow now?¡±


    His mana fusor¡¯s gaze bounced around, then he reached behind him near the small of his back. He pulled out a crossbow. With his other hand, he reached in the same place and pulled out a crossbow bolt. Excitement filled his eyes. ¡°Sweet! I wonder¡­¡± He reached behind him, placing the crossbow and the bolt back in the¡­ whatever place was clearly back there. He pulled out an empty vial and an empty beaker, the light filling his eyes far brighter. ¡°YES!¡± Of course the twenty-four-year-old would be far more excited about his ability to do some science than the crossbow. His weapon, too, had reverted to a smaller level crossbow, as Milo didn¡¯t have the skill or experience to buff it again.


    With a thought, Derek pulled up Milo¡¯s inventory and studied it. Milo got a basic starter kit for mana fusing, as well as his magical wrench. There were some basic rations and gear for surviving, not that he would need it in the modern world. Milo sat cross-legged on the ground, taking out everything from his inventory to inspect it. He pulled out a lot of things, and Derek wondered if there was a void near the small of his back holding all these things.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    While Milo looked through his gear, Derek sifted through Milo¡¯s character traits. He opened a drawer and pulled out Milo¡¯s physical character sheet and compared the traits. It was all there. Word for word. The loyalty to Ezekiel, the love of science and invention, the way he often got lost in unlocking the secrets of mana to fuse it with objects. Derek didn¡¯t know why he got so teary-eyed, but he did. His character was here, in his room, and not as a figurine. All the adventures they had gone on, they were real.


    Derek looked at Milo¡¯s list of feats. He was an investigator with a law enforcement background, which meant he could pull some weight around with the local law enforcement if needed. Derek didn¡¯t know how that would translate to earth. As far as he could tell, no one else saw them. His sixteen-year-old sister Camilla asked him why he screamed, and if she had seen Hraktar, she would have screamed, too. But no one had. The only people who might see Milo and Hraktar would be him, Nick, Alejandra, and Evelyn. Possibly Rafael.


    Either way, an investigator didn¡¯t end up being as helpful in adventuring as Derek thought. It was mostly to get Grizzizzik out of trouble, as long as they did it behind Ezekiel¡¯s back. Ezekiel only knew a fraction of Grizzizzik¡¯s crimes they¡¯d done while adventuring. It was a running joke for Milo to sneak Grizzizzik out of prison without Ezekiel knowing.


    When Derek had created Milo, he wanted his mana fusor to be a powerful addition to a party. And he would, as long as he survived past level three. Until then, mana fusors were squishy. He gave Milo the crossbow expert feat to make him deadly from a distance. With the feat, Milo didn¡¯t have to worry about taking time to load a crossbow and it didn¡¯t have disadvantage at close range. He could also attack with a weapon using an action, then use the crossbow as a bonus action, even at level one. True, Milo¡¯s only other weapon was a dagger, but in a tight spot, damage was damage.


    His second feat was the spell sniper, which meant his spells ignored the cover rule. Even if the person was hiding, Milo could disregard the rule of disadvantage and hit them without rolling twice and taking the smaller number. Also, the range of the spell doubled. He just needed a powerful cantrip.


    Spells.


    A bubbly excitement lightened Derek¡¯s chest, to where he would have giggled if it wasn¡¯t so late. Did they have spells and mana now that they¡¯ve traveled to earth? He mentally searched the main dropdown page to find spells. He tried selecting it when words sprang to his vision again.


    Roll for your character.


    Derek glanced at the dice on his desk. If he remembered right, he needed to roll four d6¡¯s, but he only had one. He picked up the d6 and shook it a bit before letting it drop. It landed on four, and a green four appeared in his vision. Derek raised an eyebrow, then shook the dice again, landing on a one. The one appeared in his vision with the four, and he kept going. He got a five, then a three.


    The one in his vision melted away, then the four, five, and three combined to twelve. The number became small and zoomed to the corner of his vision.


    Roll again.


    A smile flickered across his face, then he did the same thing again. He rolled the dice four more times, and this time got a sixteen. That number, too, zoomed in the corner to join the twelve. He kept rolling until he got six total numbers, the worst being eight. That was a poor set of rolls. Milo sat cross-legged on the floor, studying the contents of his pack.


    The numbers zoomed to the forefront of his vision again, and six boxes with words underneath joined the strange HUD system.


    Choose the numbers for your abilities. Suggestions will be highlighted.


    Derek had created so many characters in his life that this was second nature to him. His lowest number was an eight, which he didn¡¯t love, but sometimes the roll was bad. He had two sixteens, and when he mentally chose one of them, the box marked Intelligence became highlighted. That was the stat needed for spell casting for a mana fusor, so the best choice for the highest number. He slid that number in.


    Calculating¡­


    Derek waited, then saw a +3 appear in the bigger section of the box. It was the modifier, which meant every time he rolled the dice with an intelligence skill or a saving throw, he¡¯d get three more points to the roll.


    ¡°Sick,¡± Derek whispered. He rushed through the other numbers, feeling a sense of elation as he did so. The phone nabbed Milo¡¯s attention again, especially now that it was charging. Electricity fascinated him.


    In ten minutes, Derek leaned back to look at the stats.


    Strength: 8 (-1)


    Dexterity: 14 (+2)


    Constitution: 16 (+3)


    Intelligence: 16 (+3)


    Wisdom: 12 (+1)


    Charisma: 12 (+1)


    It didn¡¯t let him rest. Each main six abilities had multiple related skills. Skills like nature, medicine, intimidation, sleight of hand. They began to auto fill with the modifier numbers.


    With an investigator¡¯s background, choose INSIGHT or INVESTIGATION to be proficient in.


    Derek stared at the extensive list of skills, then chose insight for now. If Milo could help them figure out their situation about teleporting to earth, that¡¯d be helpful.


    Choose MEDICINE or NATURE to be proficient in.


    The sure smile was back as he chose nature. The strange words in his vision asked him a few more questions, and Derek made his choices. Overall, he had chosen Arcana, Insight, Investigation, Nature, and Perception to have a +2 bonus. True, it would do little if he had crappy rolls, but any bonus helped. He had done this so many times, he forgot these were Milo¡¯s stats. A man sitting next to him. What would he be rolling against?


    ¡°Is mana in this realm?¡± Milo asked.


    It was like Milo, too, could sense Derek¡¯s thoughts. Derek mentally chose the mana option on the character sheet and saw the list of cantrips and spells his mana fusor could learn.


    ¡°Um¡­ not really. No. Earth isn¡¯t a magical place.¡±


    Milo frowned, pulling out his wrench from his inventory. It was his magic tool, like Ezekiel¡¯s medallion from the Great Lady of Light. Milo touched the wrench against Derek¡¯s phone, but nothing happened.


    With a mental flick, Derek searched through the cantrips and level one spells. Milo had two mana slots for his level one spells, and didn¡¯t use slots for his cantrips. Derek made some decisions based on playing this character for a few years now. He didn¡¯t feel stress as he chose a spell, knowing they could change tomorrow, so he chose a fire bolt cantrip and shocking grip. He choose three level one spells, and decided on cure wounds, arcane weapon, and disguise self. After he decided, he wondered why Milo needed disguise self when no one could see him.


    He gave the stats one more glance. Hit points were on the character sheet, too, even though it was also above Milo¡¯s head. Everything was set.


    ¡°Alright, you can choose a spell if you¡¯d like,¡± Derek said.


    Milo nodded, then pulled out his crossbow. He whacked it with his wrench, a yellow light filling it and making it sizzle. Derek¡¯s eyes widened. Milo was in the mad scientist¡¯s portion of his focus now. Without even thinking about it, he loaded a bolt, raised it, and shot.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    The bolt slammed into the wall. Hraktar shot out of bed, reaching for a weapon himself. ¡°What? What happened?¡±


    Electricity sizzled over the wall before dying out. The bolt disappeared, as did the hole. There was a mark above level one, showing he¡¯d used a mana slot to cast his spell. Milo lowered the crossbow with a frown on his face. ¡°Something isn¡¯t right.¡±


    Derek¡¯s fingers ran over the perfect wall near his bed. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t quite know how to explain it¡­¡± Milo rubbed his head, then his hand froze. Derek blinked, but Milo didn¡¯t move. He glanced at Hraktar, but he, too, looked frozen in time. Derek looked down at his hands. Were his characters frozen somehow?


    Roll for insight.


    The words confused him. He tried to walk toward the desk, but his legs were stuck in whatever made the rest of his characters frozen. How could he get to the dice if he could only move his upper body?


    The dice on the desk dissolved into particles of light and dark. He tilted his head to one side, then grew in alarm as the particles rushed into his gut. He tried to jerk his legs out of the time freeze, but it was too late. Whatever they were hit. Before Derek had time to truly panic, the d20 popped in front of him, floating in midair. He stared at it, then reached out, grabbing the die. It was no longer a bunch of particles, but felt like any other dice.


    He shook the d20, then dropped it in front of him. Instead of it landing on the floor, it landed on some invisible table about chest high. The die skidded and tumbled before landing on a seventeen. A green +3 appeared. The +3 and the seventeen melted and a new number appeared.


    20


    Hraktar and Milo unfroze, and Derek jumped. The surprise of it all made him look down at his legs, happy he was unfrozen, too. Milo approached the wall, pulling out his magnifying glass. Hraktar got out of bed, his lids heavy but too curious to give them what they needed. Derek grabbed his lamp to give Milo some light as he inspected the perfectly fine wall. It was a few moments before Milo straightened, glancing at Derek.


    ¡°I have whatever mana I brought to this realm, but it can¡¯t regenerate while I rest. The mana reserve my friends and I enjoyed in the Shrouded Domain are cut off.¡±


    The words brought a tightness in Derek¡¯s chest. He studied the wall, then Milo¡¯s face. His mana fusor allowed himself to feel bad for thirty seconds before throwing his shoulders back. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m a mana fusor and love research. We will figure out how to create mana.¡±


    What could be more terrifying? Milo getting cut off from mana, or for him to science his way into magic coming to earth. The adrenaline left him at once, leaving him feeling very, very tired.

 Chapter 9

    Nick ate his cereal while Grizzizzik and Ezekiel explored the kitchen. He let them borrow some of his clothes, which fit Ezekiel easily. Grizzizzik had more of a struggle, the kind that stroked his ego. In fact, he was confident Grizzizzik made more of a show than necessary to emphasize his superior physique.


    ¡°Are you guys hungry or anything?¡± Walt was showering, but Nick still whispered because he didn¡¯t want to chance it.


    ¡°Ravenous.¡± Grizzizzik¡¯s fingers disappeared in the orange juice container. Ezekiel tried to grab the box of cereal on the counter, wiggling his fingers through the container. Nick lowered his bowl, worried.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it. You broke the picture frame last night. Why can¡¯t you lift a container of orange juice?¡± Nick asked.


    Evelyn walked in, her blonde hair curled, makeup on. A nervous smile flickered across her lips as she moved past Grizzizzik deeper into the kitchen. Searching the cupboards, she found and poured a bowl of bran flakes. Clarissa walked in soon after, wearing one of Evelyn¡¯s dresses that reached her knee. The difference in Ezekiel when Clarissa arrived was apparent. A smile came to life on his face. ¡°You look beautiful.¡±


    Clarissa¡¯s fingers ran through her green hair before flicking it to the side. ¡°I know.¡±


    Instinct screamed at Nick to stop their strange flirting right there. How would they handle these two living under the same roof?


    As the two characters were flirting, Evelyn searched through a drawer and pulled out a small box of raisins. Nick slowed down his chewing as he watched his little sister pull out a few raisins, sprinkling them on the bran flakes. She scrunched up her nose before sprinkling a few more.


    ¡°Raisin bran is a thing, sis. You can buy the bran flakes with the raisins already in them,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Sometimes I want more raisins than what the package gives, and sometimes I want less. It¡¯s easier to be in charge of what I want.¡± Evelyn poured a generous amount of milk before placing a spoon in the bowl, leaning against the kitchen cabinets.


    Nick dug his spoon in the last of his lucky charms. ¡°However way you make it, it¡¯s still old people¡¯s food.¡±


    ¡°Says the teenager eating marshmallows in his cereal.¡± She took a bite, staring him down.


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to make a dig, but you¡¯re still the one eating raisin bran.¡± He sipped the milk as Ezekiel, Grizzizzik, and Clarissa observed the entire thing.


    ¡°I never had siblings,¡± Ezekiel felt the need to say. Clarissa and Grizzizzik both glanced at him. He shrugged. ¡°Trying to make conversation.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so awkward,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Clarissa placed her hands on her hips. ¡°At least it¡¯s better than mentioning how much you hate Akshi. All the time.¡±


    ¡°I do hate Akshi. Don¡¯t know what that has to do with anything.¡±


    His little sister said nothing, digging her spoon into her bran flakes and Evelyn approved raisins. Nick finished his cereal before getting up. The movement caused Evelyn to shoot him a nasty glare. He was used to unsolicited glare from Walt, but Evelyn usually had a reason.


    ¡°Um¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°You lied last night,¡± Evelyn said.


    This caused Nick to blink. ¡°Sorry, are you suggesting we tell dad about¡­¡± He gestured toward Clarissa, Ezekiel, and Grizzizzik.


    ¡°Pretty sure dad might consider this a reason to keep you from CCNC, and I know what it means to you.¡± Her understanding was both surprising and uncomfortable. ¡°Once we understand better what¡¯s happening, we should tell someone.¡± Evelyn took a huge bite of cereal as Nick eased around her to put his dishes in the sink. ¡°But that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± She talked around her food before swallowing, using her spoon to gesture at his chest. ¡°You didn¡¯t do a one shot with Grizzizzik, Ezekiel, and Milo. You took everyone to Torraq¡¯s lair, and they all died.¡±


    At first he didn¡¯t get what she meant, but then remembered what he¡¯d said right before his characters showed up. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ we weren¡¯t¡­¡±


    She stuffed the spoon into the cereal. ¡°You need to stop lying.¡±


    With a flick, he turned on the water and rinsed off his bowl and spoon, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. ¡°It was a white lie.¡±


    ¡°That completely blew up in your face.¡±


    ¡°Literally,¡± Nick mumbled.


    She whacked him with her hand. ¡°I¡¯m being serious!¡±


    Nick glared at his dishes as he turned off the water, sticking them in the dishwasher for good measure. Not that it mattered to Walt. Grizzizzik¡¯s watchful gaze landed on him, making notes of any weaknesses or relationship strains. It¡¯s what his rogue did well.


    By the time Evelyn finished her cereal, Walt walked down the hall, finished with his shower. He placed the ancient flip phone and car keys in Nick¡¯s palm, and he pocketed them, their only morning greeting. Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes narrowed as he studied Walt. For everyone¡¯s safety, Nick spun around, heading for the front door. ¡°Coming, Evelyn?¡±


    ¡°Coming!¡±


    The heat forced itself inside as Nick opened the door and walked out. Evelyn and the characters followed. He reached into his pocket for the keys, distracted, when a rasping sound brought him back to the present. He turned in time to watch Clarissa collapsed to her knees, grasping her throat.


    Evelyn shut the door fast before kneeling next to her character. ¡°Princess?¡±


    Every breath shuddered as it left Clarissa¡¯s chest. ¡°So¡­ hot¡­ so¡­ dry¡­¡±


    Yes, it was August in Arizona, but it felt like an overreaction. It was monsoon season, and there was a hint of humidity in the air.


    ¡°Something¡¯s¡­ Nick, something¡¯s happening.¡± Evelyn touched the side of her face, looking at the top of Clarissa¡¯s head. ¡°I¡­ I think she¡¯s losing hit points.¡±


    That phrase was one Nick expected around the CCNC table, not in real life. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a wood elf. This much sun and heat will kill her. Come on, Princess. Get in the car, quick.¡± Evelyn tried to help her up, but Clarissa couldn¡¯t focus.


    Ezekiel scooped Clarissa into his arms, turning toward Evelyn. ¡°What¡¯s a car?¡±


    ¡°Follow me.¡± Evelyn lifted her hands toward Nick, ready to catch something. ¡°Give me the keys.¡±


    Nick tossed the keys to her as they rushed toward the car, his sister moving to the driver¡¯s seat to start the cool air. Ezekiel eased Clarissa in, as Nick remained outside the car, folding his arms. Grizzizzik walked over, twisting his hands around in the sunlight. ¡°I like this terrain.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, you are a snake,¡± Nick said.


    In the back of the car, Evelyn attempted to help Clarissa drink from a water bottle. The druid¡¯s fingers slid past the container.


    Grizzizzik turned his head toward the sun, soaking it in as he ignored Clarissa in the back. His character¡¯s disregard to Clarissa¡¯s situation made him uncomfortable. Ezekiel¡¯s hand waved back and forth through the water bottle, his brow crinkling with concern. How was this different from the picture frame?


    An idea struck him. ¡°Evelyn, see if you can¡­ command her to hold the bottle.¡±


    She tore her gaze from Clarissa to look at Nick. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a theory. Grizzizzik touched my picture frame when I offhandedly suggested it. Tell Clarissa to drink it.¡±


    All attention was back on Clarissa. ¡°Take the water bottle and drink it.¡±


    The fingers that were in the middle of the bottle snapped to around it. Nick let out a sigh as Clarissa tipped her head back and drank. ¡°Alright, well, there¡¯s one theory. What did you mean by hit points, though?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to explain.¡± Evelyn motioned toward the top of Clarissa¡¯s head. ¡°I just¡­ see it.¡±


    Nick allowed himself time to process this, but frowned. He studied Grizzizzik, forcing himself to notice something, but saw nothing except the growing annoyance wrinkling his rogue¡¯s bump of a nose.


    Evelyn eased out of the car, then moved to Nick. ¡°They need to eat. I¡¯ll go back into the house with Grizzizzik and Ezekiel and check if a different character responds to my suggestions. You can stay out here.¡±


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    As long as he stayed away from Walt, Nick was happy. ¡°Yeah, that sounds like a good thing to check.¡±


    ¡°This way, we¡¯ll know if we have to drop Ezekiel off with Rafael.¡± Her voice was calm, as though she didn¡¯t create a storm inside his stomach.


    ¡°Ezekiel¡¯s mine.¡± The words stumbled out of Nick. Grizzizzik folded his arms, working his jaw. ¡°I¡¯ve had him longer.¡±


    His little sister did nothing more than shrug before ushering Grizzizzik over. ¡°Come on. I know you¡¯re hungry. Let¡¯s get you something to eat.¡±


    Between his pride and stomach, Grizzizzik¡¯s stomach won. He walked inside with Evelyn as Ezekiel climbed out of the car. Nick walked over to him. ¡°Hey, you came to me, right? You know that I¡­¡±


    Ezekiel waited for Nick to say something else, but how could he talk to a cleric about being the one who controlled him? Though not really control. He rolled Ezekiel¡¯s dice and role played as him. How could he describe that?


    The cleric kept watching Nick struggle before placing a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You are not my creator.¡±


    The words startled Nick. ¡°Creator? Is that¡ª¡±


    ¡°What Grizzizzik feels with you, yes. As does Princess Clarissa with your sister. My creator is elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Nick!¡± He turned to see Evelyn poking her head out the front door. ¡°It worked! Grizzizzik¡¯s eating! Bring Ezekiel in! I¡¯ll whip up something fast for Princess Clarissa.¡± She shut the door again, and Nick¡¯s stiff shoulders relaxed.


    ¡°Good. You won¡¯t have to see Rafael.¡± He smiled at Ezekiel, but it froze on his face. Ezekiel didn¡¯t share in the excitement.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to meet this Rafael.¡± Ezekiel¡¯s response caused Nick to flinch. The cleric glanced up, then moved past Nick to enter the house.


    Nick closed his eyes, facing the sky as he kept the scream of frustration inside. Didn¡¯t matter. Ezekiel would change his mind once he actually met that idiot.


    ***


    The siblings took turns explaining how to get a seatbelt on. Ezekiel and Clarissa watched, then secured themselves in the back with no problem. Nick and Grizzizzik butted heads as the rogue kept questioning why he needed this. The conversation got more heated before Ezekiel placed a hand on the rogue¡¯s knee and told him to respect the culture of their new found hosts. Grizzizzik threw Ezekiel¡¯s hands off, grumbling about how socially inept the cleric was, but buckled himself.


    Satisfied, Nick put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway. The three characters threw their hands in front of themselves at the car¡¯s movement. Evelyn explained it was like a horseless carriage, and answered their multitude of questions as best she could. Nick stared ahead, rubbing his face. How was he to process this?


    Derek was on his way to Alejandra¡¯s house, since he needed to drop of Hraktar. Nick took a moment to brace himself before turning down a familiar road. He hadn¡¯t gone to Rafael and Alejandra¡¯s house in years.


    As though reading his thoughts, Evelyn started to talk. ¡°Rafael probably isn¡¯t there.¡±


    ¡°Alejandra once said he¡¯s a ghost in his own house.¡±


    Instead of responding, She pulled out her phone, scrolling through social media. Nick glanced at the rear-view mirror, observing the CCNC characters. Ezekiel stared wide-eyed out the window. Clarissa was getting over heat exhaustion, taking continual sips from the water bottle. Grizzizzik stared ahead, meeting no one¡¯s gaze, lost in thought. It startled Nick more than a couple of times to see a snake person in the back of his car.


    The car crunched against the uneven rocks in the Walker¡¯s driveway. Nick hadn¡¯t seen Alejandra and Rafael¡¯s house a lot, but he remembered it looking poor, being small yet sturdy. They had poured more care into it since he last saw it. Cracks had patches, windows washed, weeds under control. Potted plants were on the porch and a bird feeder hung to the side. Rafael was once too embarrassed to invite anyone to his house when they were friends. Nick and Derek picked up that Rafael was poor and assured him he didn¡¯t need to feel embarrassed, but he still refused.


    When Rafael¡¯s parents got divorced, rumors swirled about a physically abusive father. At that point, Rafael had thrown himself into schoolwork and popularity, abandoning the group. They left it to Derek to tactfully ask Alejandra about the rumors. All she said was the judge granted their mother Mariana full custody of the children with the proof they gathered, and Jack wouldn¡¯t bother them any more. Derek asked if they could do anything for her.


    ¡°Let me keep playing CCNC. Please,¡± was her answer. Her brother abandoned them. She did not.


    It left Nick with a guilt he struggled to understand. How long had Alejandra been hiding this horror from them?


    Nick eased the car behind Derek¡¯s and turned it off. ¡°Will Princess Clarissa be alright?¡±


    With a click, Evelyn unbuckled herself. ¡°I¡¯ll stay with her. You guys go ahead.¡±


    Nick shrugged and dropped the keys in her palm before getting out. Ezekiel remained with Clarissa, too. Derek opened his door, waving. ¡°Hey, guys!¡±


    The other doors opened, and Nick watched as the car shuddered as Hraktar got out of the vehicle. Nick mentally prepared himself to see Hraktar the whole way here, but reality hit him all over again. He craned his neck back to see the six and a half foot half-orc, the green skin, tusks, and bitten ear far more intimidating than on the miniature. The forty-five-year-old fighter was bursting with muscle, wearing what looked like Derek¡¯s bathrobe barely wrapped around him. Hraktar¡¯s resting face made it seem like the half orc wanted to pick up a goat and tear it in half for the fun of it. Nick forced himself to remember that Hraktar was a gentle giant, and would rather pet the goat than tear it in half.


    Gentle giant, as long as they didn¡¯t become his enemy.


    ¡°Hello.¡± Nick¡¯s voice came out squeakier than he wanted.


    Hraktar sniffed, and Nick wanted to run away. The fighter¡¯s brown eyes landed on Grizzizzik, and Nick remembered why he wanted to stay friends with the half-orc. ¡°Hello, Grizzizzik.¡±


    The rogue folded his arms, a sly smile on his face. ¡°Hello Hraktar. Glad you made it through whatever portal that was.¡±


    Hraktar sniffed again as Derek moved beside Nick. ¡°Grizzizzik looks sick.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather they were home,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°I agree. Let¡¯s get some help.¡± Derek checked his phone as he headed toward the front door. ¡°Alejandra didn¡¯t answer my calls. We¡¯ll check if she¡¯s home.¡±


    ¡°Wait, she doesn¡¯t know we¡¯re coming?¡± Nick asked, hurrying to catch up.


    ¡°Nope. It¡¯s why I wanted to drop by early to catch her in case she had work,¡± Derek said.


    Nick again glanced at Hraktar, who followed them to keep an eye on Grizzizzik. The surprise of Hraktar overshadowed Milo. Being human, Milo blended in well enough with Arizona. Once Nick took in the man¡¯s brown hair and brown eyes, he noticed something everyone else was missing.


    ¡°How is he wearing his CCNC clothes?¡± Nick asked.


    Derek glanced at Milo as they approached the door. ¡°Didn¡¯t Grizzizzik give you dice?¡±


    As Derek knocked, Nick¡¯s eyebrows shot up in surprise. ¡°Dice? Milo gave you dice?¡±


    He nodded, then patted his stomach. ¡°I¡¯d show you, but they dissolved last night into my gut. They only pop up when Milo asks a question or does something that needs a roll. Like in the game.¡±


    Despite everything else that had happened the past twenty-four hours, the calm way Derek explained this made Nick¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Just experiments.¡±


    Nick closed his eyes, trying to take steady breaths to keep himself calm. ¡°We need to get them back! We¡¯re not supposed to¡­ to do whatever you did!¡±


    Derek chuckled as he knocked again. ¡°I think you¡¯re a little too concerned about this.¡±


    ¡°No, I think you¡¯re not concerned enough.¡±


    ¡°It was like rolling for a character. He had most of his stuff already there, but I rolled for his stats.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d it feel?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    ¡°Like putting on a glove,¡± Milo said.


    Nick shot his character a glare. Derek seemed to read something no one else saw. It was the same look Evelyn got when she mentioned hit points.


    ¡°Rolled pretty high on everything except strength. That¡¯s an eight, which I¡¯m not excited about, but his intelligence is a sixteen. It gives him a plus three for his modifier, and bumps up his spell casting nicely.¡±


    The unease was enough that Nick had to rub his face again. ¡°We¡¯re trying to figure out how to get these¡­ these people back home. You can¡¯t¡­ this isn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on. Who says this isn¡¯t exactly what we need to do? He¡¯s a squishy level one, though, so he wears his seatbelt in the van.¡±


    The sigh leaving Nick was high pitched and strained. Derek smirked.


    Milo leaned over toward Derek. ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, I see Ezekiel and the princess in the back of the car. I¡¯d like to join them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, go ahead,¡± Derek said.


    Nick turned toward Grizzizzik. ¡°Do you have some dice for me?¡±


    The rogue ran his thumb over the fingernail of his pinky, watching it with great interest. ¡°No.¡±


    It was a lie. Nick played Grizzizzik for so long he knew that stupid rogue wouldn¡¯t hand it over unless money was involved.


    To change the subject, Derek knocked again. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s at work.¡±


    ¡°Possibly. The McDonald¡¯s she works at opens at five.¡± Nick craned his neck toward a window. The smirk on Derek was infuriating. ¡°Shut up, Derek.¡±


    His friend checked his phone again. ¡°So¡­ we might have to tell Rafael everything.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Nick said, aware Grizzizzik¡¯s ears perked up at that.


    ¡°Nick¡ª¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a jackass.¡± Nick pounded on the door harder than he intended.


    ¡°We might need everyone to get them back home.¡±


    They finally heard scuffling inside. Nick¡¯s heart quickened, scrambling to think of how to start the conversation if Mariana answered the door. She worked a graveyard shift at the hotel with an extra job on the weekend with a cleaning company. He didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be here, but felt guilty about pounding the door.


    The door squeaked opened and Alejandra stood there, her bathrobe over her pajamas. She unfolded her thin, circular glasses and placed them on her nose, her brown eyes blinking in the morning light as she registered Derek and Nick standing at her doorstep. Nick glanced to the side, flustered. After stressing about what to say to her mom, his tongue tripped over itself and he didn¡¯t dare open his mouth. Her long, thick brown fell to her elbows, and gave the impression that she just rolled out of bed. ¡°Um¡­ hi?¡±


    ¡°Do you turn your phone off at night?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Sorry. Can I help¡ª¡± Alejandra stopped, her eyes falling at the space between Nick and Derek where Hraktar¡¯s torso was, then lifted her head to meet his gaze. Her eyes widened as she stared. ¡°¡ªyou?¡± she asked, her voice quieter.


    Silence stretched between them. Hraktar stared at Alejandra, sorting something out in his mind. He then reached behind him, near the small of his back, pulled out a red velvet bag, and offered them to her. ¡°These belong to you.¡±


    Alejandra stared at the bag. Nick took the opportunity to glare at Grizzizzik, who distracted himself with the bird feeder. Alejandra reached out, taking the bag of dice. She opened it and pulled out a d20. Nick gasped. It was a dark blue die, with a strange, shifting portal in the center. Nick slid his glare from Grizzizzik to Derek. ¡°You seriously started experimenting with these dice?¡±


    His friend shrugged.


    Alejandra stared at the d20, her voice quiet. ¡°Can someone¡­ please¡­ explain what¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d love to,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Also, my sister is in the car with a dehydrated wood elf, a concerned cleric, and a mana fusor. Can we come inside?¡± Nick asked.


    Alejandra tore her gaze from the die to stare at Nick. Her nod was small, but it was all the permission Nick needed. He motioned for Evelyn to come inside when Derek grabbed his wrist. ¡°No, wait. We¡¯re not going inside.¡±


    Nick frowned. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening, and we need to tell Rafael,¡± Derek said.


    Rafael had treated Derek just as shitty, but Nick still felt attacked by the suggestion.


    ¡°Yeah, I agree.¡± Alejandra¡¯s gaze once again fell on Hraktar. ¡°Whatever this is, we need help.¡±


    Grizzizzik snorted, and Alejandra jumped before her eyes fell on the rogue next to Nick. She looked as though she swallowed an apple, but didn¡¯t want to bother anyone about her newfound inconvenience. She grabbed some of her bedridden hair and started combing it with her fingers. ¡°R-Rafael usually swims at the city pool before going to work, so he¡¯s probably still there. Let me get dressed, then we can find him.¡±


    Derek gave her a thumbs up. ¡°We can explain on the way.¡±

 Chapter 10

    Water splashed over Rafael as he pushed himself. A half hour into his workout, and he focused on being faster. Nothing else mattered. Pushing himself kept him in the present, and never in the past.


    His palm touched the pool¡¯s edge when he noticed two figures standing on the other side of the gate. It was an outside pool, so anyone could see, but it was early morning, so he didn¡¯t expect anyone. In fact, he asked the city pool to come in when no one else would be here because it helped clear his head. The only person who visited was his girlfriend Hazel, and he was fine with that.


    Rafael lifted his goggles from his brown eyes to make sure he didn¡¯t hallucinate Derek and Nick standing there. It was so odd he stared for a while, his heart hammering. Neither of them looked thrilled to be visiting. Rafael sighed, then climbed out of the pool. He had an idea why they were here, but he wouldn¡¯t volunteer that information unless someone else gave it. Nick glared at him with anger and annoyance instead of outright murder; so it might be about something else.


    While walking over to the gate, he wrapped his towel around his waist. He finished as he got to the gate and folded his arms to show he wouldn¡¯t open it. ¡°I have special permission to be here. If I let you in, I¡¯ll get in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Hello to you, too.¡± The anger and annoyance from Nick¡¯s eyes headed straight for his voice, too.


    After years of not seeing each other, it was strange to be reminded that he was still the shortest of the three. It hadn¡¯t bothered him before, but Nick towered over him. Derek had a few inches, but it was enough. It was easier to ignore Nick as he turned toward Derek, talking through the gate. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ going on?¡± It was then that he noticed Evelyn and Alejandra by the car. Alejandra waved at him, and Evelyn stared at her phone, not looking at him. His already pounding heart leapt to his throat.


    ¡°We need to talk,¡± Derek said.


    How long could a heart pound in his throat before nausea threated to vomit it out? Evelyn was here. This could be about what happened.


    ¡°Fine. Talk.¡± Keeping his cool, he turned and headed toward the bench with his other towels and grabbed the towel.


    There was more anger in Nick¡¯s glare than annoyance. ¡°You¡¯re seriously not going to let us in?¡±


    Rafael grabbed a smaller towel and tried to dry his hair. ¡°We might all get in trouble, and god knows you don¡¯t need another thing on your record.¡±


    The annoyance fled Nick¡¯s eyes, and pure anger burned as he strangled the gate bars that kept them out. Good. Let Nick storm off so he didn¡¯t have to talk. Let them all leave.


    Derek cleared his throat. ¡°So you don¡¯t see him?¡±


    There was an obvious tremor in Rafael¡¯s hand that he tried to hide as he dried his hair. He continued to ignore Nick¡¯s seething as he talked to Derek. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Nick glanced at Derek¡¯s knees, no doubt afraid the full blast of his glare would terrify Derek. ¡°I knew it wouldn¡¯t work. He hasn¡¯t played in years.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got to see him. The people who created the characters are the only ones who can control them. He hasn¡¯t given you dice.¡±


    ¡°Neither has Grizzizzik.¡±


    Were they talking about CCNC? What was wrong with them? Either way, it meant it wasn¡¯t about Evelyn, and he forced the nausea to disappear. He put the smaller towel he used to dry his hair around his neck. ¡°Are you guys okay?¡±


    Derek moved his arm inside the gate to point at the air next to him. ¡°Concentrate. Right here. Do you remember creating Ezekiel?¡±


    ¡°Why are we talking about this?¡±


    ¡°Concentrate. Please.¡±


    ¡°Look, guys, I just¡­¡± Rafael rubbed his towel into his hair again. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in playing. I¡¯m super busy with my job, school, and football. It was fun while we were children, but we¡¯ve got to grow up.¡± Those words would hurt, especially Derek, but Rafael crafted them to make sure his old friends hated him enough to stay away from him. It was easier.


    Nick¡¯s face hardened. ¡°As much as we¡¯d love to leave you alone, a bigger problem has portaled into our lives.¡±


    The nausea did not disappear like he thought. ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Our CCNC characters came out of the game, including yours.¡± Derek again pointed to the air next to him.


    Rafael stared at Derek, then at Nick. It was the most ludicrous thing he¡¯d ever heard of. ¡°You guys need to lay off the CCNC. You¡¯re starting to¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s clear he can¡¯t see you,¡± Nick said to the air next to Derek. ¡°If you want to survive long enough to get home, give me your dice.¡± Rafael stared at Nick, concerned for his sanity. Nick shook his head, his lips tight. ¡°Rafael doesn¡¯t care. He hasn¡¯t for years. Hand me the dice and we can leave.¡± There was a pause, one long enough for Rafael¡¯s face to morph to horror. Nick had lost it. His eyes hardened as he looked at the air next to him. ¡°Shut up, Grizzizzik.¡±


    Rafael¡¯s bare feet padded toward the pool¡¯s edge. ¡°Alright, um¡­ I¡¯m going to keep doing my laps. It was¡­ interesting to see you all. But¡­ but I can¡¯t¡­¡± Curly blonde hair popped next to Derek on the other side of the gate. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t¡­¡±


    The face formed soon after. Rafael froze, the nausea turning into horror. The man met his gaze and his eyes brightened. ¡°You do see me now!¡±


    The hinge keeping Rafael¡¯s jaw in place no longer worked. He did nothing more than stare, his eyes growing wider. Nick looked back at the man, then noticed Rafael¡¯s line of sight before rolling his eyes. A man appearing was enough of a shock. He wore modern jeans and a T-shirt, but everything else was instantly familiar. Rafael¡¯s bones quaked before righting themselves again, and Ezekiel¡¯s shoulders relaxed.


    Memories played before him. He remembered the time and energy he poured into making Ezekiel when he was twelve years old. Remembered why he had made him a blonde-haired Caucasian. At twelve, Rafael thought twenty-four was old, and he needed an older white male to be good. Almost pure. Because his Caucasian father certainly wasn¡¯t.


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    The tremble in his hands was impossible to miss now, so he shoved them into his short, dark brown hair. He did not need this.


    Ezekiel Watson smiled brighter and pulled something out of his¡­ back? It was so strange Rafael dropped his hands and scuttled further from the fence. The cleric held up a red bag to him, even though he was a few dozen feet away.


    ¡°You created me. As such, this is your burden to carry.¡±


    Rafael gave a passing glance at the dice bag. ¡°No, thanks.¡± He turned around, gathered his locker keys, and headed for the changing room.


    The gate clanged as Derek pressed against it. ¡°Rafael!¡±


    Nick attempted to snatch the bag from Ezekiel¡¯s hands. Somehow, his palm went through it.


    ¡°Whatever this is, whatever you did, it¡¯s not my responsibility to solve.¡± Rafael checked his key for the locker number. ¡°Senior year starts Monday. Football practice has already started. I have my double shift at the grocery store today, and college applications to prepare for.¡±


    After a few tries, Nick gave up stealing the bag and held his palm out instead. ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    Rafael rolled his eyes and almost entered the locker room.


    ¡°Wait!¡± There was a certain amount of desperation in Derek¡¯s voice that caused Rafael to pause. He kept his back to them to keep his facial expression private. ¡°Dude, believe us. We want to leave you alone. Nick bitched about it the whole way here. But Ezekiel is insistent. It can only be you. They want to get back home, and everyone needs to help.¡±


    Various amounts of phrases came to Rafael, all essentially telling them to take a hike, when Alejandra screamed. Every muscle in his body tightened as he spun around, seeing the girls by the vehicles.


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Are those¡­.¡± Nick trailed off, eyes wide.


    Snorting and shrieking were the first things he¡¯d heard. Then four zombies materialized like they had always been there, shuffling toward his sister and Evelyn. The stench of rotting flesh collided with his nostrils, and the morning heat did not help.


    ¡°Milo, go!¡± Derek said.


    Rafael wondered what Derek was talking about until he saw a lanky character with suspenders sprint toward the car. Rafael¡¯s jaw was hanging open, so he closed it. Spurred on by the need to protect his sister, he dropped everything but the gate key and darted toward the door. He rammed it into the lock, jiggling it enough to make it open before leaving it there, and sprinted toward Alejandra. His fingers curled into a fist as he approached the nearest zombie and punched its head. His fist sailed through the zombie¡¯s head like it was a hologram.


    ¡°What the hell is happening?¡± Rafael asked.


    Alejandra grabbed his arm. ¡°You can¡¯t touch them! Only they can!¡±


    The zombie lunged toward him, rotten jaw agape. If Rafael couldn¡¯t hurt it, then it couldn¡¯t hurt him back, but a primal instinct screamed at him to get the hell away. The stench was unbearable as rotten teeth slammed down on Rafael¡¯s neck. Nothing happened, except the rotten teeth cracked as they snapped together.


    ¡°Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit,¡± Rafael kept muttering, backing away.


    ¡°I just finished rolling for initiative!¡± Derek shouted at everyone. ¡°We¡¯re playing this game in real life! If you don¡¯t roll for your characters now, the zombies will eat them!¡±


    Ezekiel appeared next to him, holding the bag, worry clear in his eye. ¡°Please. I know you don¡¯t want to do this, but help me protect my friends now.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s characters materialized around them. Rafael stared, wide eyed, at the half-orc near Alejandra watching the zombies like a general on the verge of battle. The snake man Nick was screaming at to hand over the dice. The weakened but gorgeous wood elf in the back of a modern-day car. They all had various green numbers above their heads. Rafael glanced at Alejandra, who knelt on the ground, rolling her dice, reading something no one else could see. A zombie leapt onto Hraktar, biting his arm as the half-orc bellowed. Alejandra whimpered, dice tumbling out of her shaking palm. Despite being a figment of her imagination, Rafael knew how much Hraktar meant to her.


    Rafael snatched the bag from Ezekiel¡¯s hand. He didn¡¯t stop to think. He didn¡¯t have time to do that with his life, anyway. Words flickered into his vision that shouldn¡¯t be there.


    Start from scratch, or auto build from previous character sheet?


    ¡°Build from previous character sheet,¡± Rafael said out loud. The faster he could do this, the faster Ezekiel could protect the others.


    An entire character sheet filled his vision, causing him to back away. Ezekiel patted himself to find his armor and clothes beneath the modern ones.


    ¡°Boom! Eight damage points coming your way!¡± Derek said.


    A crossbow bolt slammed into the shoulder of the zombie biting Hraktar¡¯s arm. The zombie dislodged and spun, noticing Milo. More importantly, noticed the mana fusor was easy pickings and began lumbering toward him.


    ¡°Everyone hurry! Mana fusors are squishy at level one!¡± Derek said.


    Roll for character.


    Rafael¡¯s chest constricted. He forgot how to do this. What dice did he need to roll? He picked all seven dice up and dropped them. Only the d6¡¯s number floated to the top.


    Roll again.


    Things came back to him. He needed to roll this dice a lot. His vision swam as numbers combined themselves to form bigger numbers. It was dizzying.


    Another zombie lumbered toward Milo, his jaw unhinged, and reached out with a skeletal hand. He leapt onto Milo, teeth diving into the elbow. Milo grunted, trying to get the zombie off him.


    Rafael lost count of how many times he rolled, but he kept going, waiting for the weird words to tell him to stop.


    A zombie leapt onto the car as Rafael flinched at the sound. The creature snarled at the druid inside. Clarissa jumped before shrinking from the zombie. It was uncharacteristically Clarissa. From what he remembered, she never shrank from a fight.


    Six numbers filled Rafael¡¯s vision when boxes appeared. Hraktar stood up, dropping the robe he wore to show some chain mail armor. The half orc pulled out his great sword as the Zombies attacked Milo again. One of them missed, but the other was still latched onto Milo, scratching him across the chest. The mana fusor looked rough.


    Choose the numbers for your abilities. Suggestions will be highlighted.


    ¡°Ugh, come on!¡± Character sheets took forever to create.


    Rafael mentally shoved numbers into the highlighted box. He didn¡¯t wait to see the modifiers. With a sigh, he waited for the dice to roll for battle.


    Until questions popped up about choosing different proficiencies. He didn¡¯t remember making all these decisions.


    Milo attempted to stab the zombie attached to him, but he missed, groaning.


    ¡°Would you guys hurry!¡± Derek shouted.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡± Nick said. He wrestled the bag from Grizzizzik, giving his anger glare to his character. Rafael¡¯s heart rate skyrocketed as he chose History proficiency.


    Three of the four zombies surrounded the mana fusor. One of them tried to bite him, but Milo dodged it by shuffling back in pure exhaustion.


    ¡°Nobody use magic unless absolutely necessary! Save your mana for cure wounds!¡± Derek shouted. ¡°Milo cast a spell last night, and his mana hasn¡¯t returned!¡±


    Ezekiel gripped his bow, studying Rafael. He understood his character¡¯s concern. From the story he remembered, Milo was Ezekiel¡¯s longest friend and far more street smart.


    ¡°No!¡± Alejandra said. Her outburst became clear. Hraktar moved to chop off a zombie¡¯s head when he tripped, his great sword clattering a few feet away. ¡°Nat ones are the worst!¡±


    How many more questions could this thing possibly have?


    Ezekiel watched his best friend get pummeled by zombies, his face falling as his gaze bounced between him and Rafael.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to go as fast as possible. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Ezekiel pulled out an arrow, nocking it. ¡°I sense it. It¡¯s coming.¡±


    Rafael noticed a number above Ezekiel¡¯s head as he mentally chose the religion proficiency. It asked if he wanted to prepare his spells now, but he ignored it. He didn¡¯t have time for spells. Derek said they shouldn¡¯t use them, anyway. Maybe this would come back to haunt him, but Milo still had three zombies on him.


    An extra set of words floated in his vision as a d20 floated in front of him.


    Roll for initiative.

 Chapter 11

    Rafael swiped the d20 in front of him, giving it a good shake before dropping it. It clattered on some invisible table next to him.


    Nat twenty. That had to be good.


    The zombie lifted its rotten fist and slammed it into the car window. The zombie would have better luck smashing titanium, but Clarissa still scrambled away, screaming. It was enough for Ezekiel to turn toward her, concerned. Rafael wasn¡¯t the only one who noticed.


    Hraktar gripped his forearm, his eyes scanning the battle. ¡°You take care of her. I¡¯ll help Milo.¡±


    ¡°Are you alright, my friend?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    The fighter picked up his great sword, placing his injured hand underneath. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Go!¡±


    Ezekiel nodded before sprinting toward the zombie on the car.


    The fighter slowed before freezing, as did Ezekiel. Rafael frowned, climbing to his feet. Everything froze, not just Ezekiel or Hraktar. He wiggled his fingers.


    ¡°What the hell is happening?¡± Not that anyone could answer. His sister, too, stood frozen, a timid yet hopeful light in her eyes.


    Roll to hit.


    The words floated in the air, and he attempted to touch them. A list of Ezekiel¡¯s weapons appeared. Spells were there, too, but in red since he didn¡¯t prepare any. He picked the bow, taking in the strange sight as he grabbed the floating d20. Milo covered his face, bracing for an attack as three zombies surrounded him, all frozen. Nick¡¯s die froze mid-roll, his glare never lessened.


    The die clattered onto the invisible plate, landing on an eighteen. A plus three floated above the number, combining to twenty-one.


    Roll for damage.


    The d8 floated in front of him. Since the world was frozen, he had time to consider how little he liked this. He grabbed the dice, shook it, and let it fall. On an eight. He let out a breath and ignored the dopamine striking his brain. Another +1 floated above the dice, bumping it to a nine.


    The world resumed as Ezekiel lifted his bow. He took no time to aim before releasing it. The arrow flew true, burying deep into the zombie¡¯s side. It tumbled off the car with a screech.


    Derek gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Nice shot!¡±


    The dopamine was hard to ignore, though the chaos helped him remember this was no time to smile. Another zombie lunged toward Milo, taking a chunk out of his shoulder. With growing horror, Rafael watched the number above Milo¡¯s head drop to four. Were those his hit points?


    ¡°Shit.¡± Rafael knew he¡¯d regret not preparing spells. Ezekiel was a cleric, after all, and could heal people.


    Another zombie tried to bite Milo, but there were too many creatures latched to the mana fusor. In retaliation, Milo grabbed his dagger and dug it into the newest zombie¡¯s side. The creature howled, causing Milo to topple to the ground. His crossbow fell from his hands and clattered away.


    Clarissa stumbled out of the car, dressed in a silk green dress with white lace over it. Emerald gems from her tiara glittered in the sunlight. The tiara stood out on her green hair, made of glittering crystal instead of metal. She held herself like royalty, but couldn¡¯t hide a deep exhaustion. Despite that, Clarissa reached behind her and unsheathed a wicked-looking scimitar, moving toward the prone zombie. The scimitar shook in her palm, but she thrust it between the zombie¡¯s ribs. It shrieked in pain as he heard a crack.


    ¡°Princess Clarissa!¡± Ezekiel pointed at the car. ¡°Get back in there! You¡¯re exhausted!¡±


    The druid kept the zombie pinned with her scimitar. ¡°I¡¯ll rest when they¡¯re dead.¡±


    That sounded like the Clarissa he remembered. With a shout, Grizzizzik sprinted toward a zombie attacking Milo, his black cloak billowing behind him. He wore a fine cream-colored shirt, vest, and black pants underneath his cloak. They were expensive, if worn from adventure and years on the road. Grizzizzik dug his rapier into the creature¡¯s shoulder, knocking the zombie and himself to the ground.


    Dread leaked out of Derek¡¯s eyes, and a sliver of hope replaced it. ¡°Glad to have you join us, Nick and Grizzizzik.¡±


    Nick panted, anger evident on his face as he ran a hand through his hair. ¡°That stupid rogue. He¡¯d never give me the dice unless the prince was high enough.¡±


    Derek raised an eyebrow. ¡°What was the price?¡±


    ¡°His life.¡±


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    ¡°You threatened his life?¡± Derek asked.


    Nick gestured around. ¡°Zombies are attacking them. Of course his life is in danger.¡±


    The zombie Grizzizzik pinned tried to bite his fingers, but the rogue dodged the broken teeth, hissing in return as he climbed to his feet. Rafael watched, captivated, as Grizzizzik¡¯s human teeth turned sharper. His incisors lengthened, completing the snake look as the rogue snarled at the zombie. The creature shrieked in return.


    Hraktar marched over, grabbed a zombie trying to eat Milo, and tore the thing off him. The zombie had no time to react before Hraktar¡¯s knuckles crushed in part of its skull, black ichor gushing from the wound.


    Derek pumped his fists into the air. ¡°There¡¯s our fighter tank!¡±


    The compliment melted the insecurity from Alejandra¡¯s face as Hraktar dropped the zombie. It was, miraculously, still alive, but only just.


    Clarissa¡¯s zombie swiped at her face, the gray fingernails inches from her nose. The druid glared, taking time to straighten her tiara. ¡°I hate the undead.¡±


    Time stopped again. It must be Ezekiel¡¯s turn. With no spells, he chose the bow again, rolling the dice to get a thirteen. When the d8 appeared, it landed on a two. A plus three gave him five.


    It was hard for Ezekiel to aim, but he shot anyway. The arrow buried into the zombie¡¯s thigh. It grabbed the wound leaking black ichor, snarling at Ezekiel.


    Milo no longer had the strength to scream when the zombie near him clamped down again. He was still standing, but battered, his hit points dropping to two. That mana fusor wouldn¡¯t last much longer.


    Curious, Rafael stared at Derek to see if he could catch the time freeze. In a split second, Derek was a blur before reappearing in a different stance, looking relieved but worried.


    The mana fusor slammed his dagger against the zombie on its last breath. The creature shrieked, but whatever damage Derek rolled, it somehow still wasn¡¯t enough.


    Rafael pointed to the creature. ¡°He should be dead.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already dead.¡± Nick didn¡¯t look at him, but was clearly talking to him. ¡°It¡¯s damn difficult to kill an undead creature.¡±


    Clarissa gave another cry of exertion, slamming her scimitar into the zombie¡¯s head. The creature howled, then whatever undead light in its eyes expired.


    ¡°One down, three more!¡± Clarissa gestured toward Milo. ¡°Ezekiel, help the others!¡±


    The cleric nodded before spinning toward the main group. Clarissa tried to stand, but grabbed the car to keep her up. Evelyn was at her side, holding her elbow to keep her steady. Rafael dropped his gaze.


    With a squishy sound, Grizzizzik pulled his rapier from the zombie¡¯s body before attempting a deadly strike against the creature¡¯s neck. The zombie snarled, dodging the deadly blow, but still receiving a slice on his arm. In its anger, it struck for Grizzizzik, but the rogue blocked the hand with his sword painted with black ichor.


    Hraktar found his great sword and swiped at the zombie attacking Milo while trying not to hurt him. A large gash across the creature''s back appeared, and it stumbled, moaning. It frustrated Rafael that he couldn¡¯t see the enemy¡¯s hit points. Tyler always kept it private, though it would¡¯ve been helpful. Milo was almost unconscious and three undead creatures shuffled around, moaning.


    Time slowed down again for Rafael. If he rolled low enough, his arrow might hit another character. His hand to hand was pretty good, though. Rafael chose that one, knowing Ezekiel would choose the one attacking Milo. He rolled the d20 and got a three. Even with the +4 attack bonus, he doubted it was enough to hit the zombie.


    Rafael winced as the world resumed. No damage dice, which meant no hit. Ezekiel ran toward the zombie with his fist raised. The zombie dodged Ezekiel surprisingly fast for an undead creature. Ezekiel stumbled, then turned toward the zombie, hands outstretched. If Ezekiel couldn¡¯t hurt the zombie, he¡¯d become the target. Milo¡¯s blood covered body was on the ground, barely alive.


    But the zombie had enough intelligence to notice an easy target. He slammed into his body with a dull thump. Milo didn¡¯t even scream as something in his body crunched. His eyes fluttered and closed.


    ¡°No! Shit! He¡¯s down!¡± Derek pointed at Milo. ¡°Heal him, Rafael!¡±


    Ezekiel answered for him. ¡°I don¡¯t have any spells!¡±


    ¡°What!¡±


    Rafael shrugged, but the gesture did not make him any friends. ¡°It would¡¯ve taken too long!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got spells. I¡¯ll send her your way on my turn!¡± Evelyn shouted.


    ¡°At least someone¡¯s prepared,¡± Nick mumbled.


    ¡°Derek said to not use spells!¡± Rafael found himself shouting.


    Nick pointed at Derek. ¡°Except for healing! We all heard that.¡±


    With surprising strength from a creature that should¡¯ve died last round, the zombie pierced Hraktar¡¯s ankle with rotten teeth. The fighter was more surprised than hurt.


    Derek shoved his hands in his hair. ¡°Dammit! That¡¯s a fail.¡±


    In response, Clarissa stumbled over to Milo. Rafael¡¯s eyes widened as he saw how weak the druid was as she limped past. She had five hit points left.


    ¡°Did a zombie get her?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Evelyn had one arm around her waist, the other hand on her shoulder, watching Clarissa. ¡°The heat did.¡±


    Clarissa stumbled to the ground beside Milo, placing her hands near his ears. Her fingers glowed a forest green as she mumbled an incantation that sounded like the warbling of birds. She moved her fingers as she spoke, and thick vines of magic shot from her palm through the broken body on the ground.


    Milo gasped as a green five replaced the red zero above his head.


    ¡°Thank you, Evelyn!¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me! These people are real! Thank Princess Clarissa!¡±


    Derek beamed, his eyes falling on the druid. ¡°Thank you, Princess Clarissa.¡±


    She straightened her tiara. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I like him.¡± The sarcasm ended as she groaned, her five hit points dropping to four. She now had the lowest hit points of everyone.


    Ezekiel fell to his knees next to her. ¡°Get away from the heat, Princess. It¡¯s not safe for you out here.¡±


    She nodded as Ezekiel held out his hand, helping her to her feet. They got up, and he steadied her before reaching for Milo. He took it and stood up.


    With a swish of his rapier, Grizzizzik sliced the zombie¡¯s stomach, breaking a rib. The zombie rolled his head on his rotten neck, shrieking at the rogue. Rafael didn¡¯t like undead creatures one bit. The zombie tried to bite back, but Grizzizzik again dodged the attack with a sneer.


    Hraktar used his great sword to slam it into the zombie that tried to kill Milo. It seemed as though Hraktar missed until he flicked the zombie¡¯s head. The top of the zombie fell over as the legs crumpled to the ground. Yet with all that, the zombie moaned, barely alive.


    ¡°Damn, Alejandra,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°I started with a nat one, but hopefully I¡¯ve made up for it since.¡±


    ¡°More than triple,¡± Nick said.

 Chapter 12

    The world stopped again for Ezekiel¡¯s turn. Three zombies were left, two barely alive. Whatever magical thing kept them alive, they needed to figure it out to kill them permanently.


    Wait, couldn¡¯t he figure out? Wasn¡¯t that part of the game? They didn¡¯t just roll for combat, but questions, too.


    ¡°How do we kill zombies?¡± It was easy to say the question out loud, because no one could hear him.


    Roll for history or religion as bonus action.


    Considering those two were Ezekiel¡¯s only proficiency, he picked religion and rolled. He got an eleven, before the +4 made fifteen.


    Ezekiel unfroze from time, glancing around at the still scene before him. He tried to move, but his legs were frozen in place. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s how I roll for combat.¡± Rafael looked at his old group, a different exhaustion hitting him. ¡°How are you seeing this?¡±


    ¡°I had an inspiration I wanted to tell you. I¡¯ve read about the undead while at the temple. If they get hit by something not holy, they¡¯re hard to kill. It¡¯s like an extra measure of armor. But if a holy weapon pierces them, they¡¯ll die like any regular creature.¡±


    ¡°Holy weapon.¡± Rafael mentally searched through his inventory. ¡°Do you have a holy weapon?¡±


    Ezekiel wore a medallion with the holy symbol of the Great Lady of Light he worshiped, but it wasn¡¯t sharp. It was a silver circle about the size of his palm, with a book engraved in the center. Holy language around the side said, ¡°Knowledge will set you free.¡± It had no sharp edges. He¡¯d have to ponder this some more. Until then, Rafael picked the mace and rolled the d20. Fourteen plus four definitely hit. He then rolled his d6, and was more than pleased to get a six, plus two more. Since it wasn¡¯t holy, he didn¡¯t know if it would work.


    The world resumed, and the mace caved in the zombie¡¯s skull. A chunk of darkish matter sailed right through Rafael¡¯s chest, leaving no residue. The zombie collapsed, yet tried to get up again, moaning. Rafael was about to tell everyone what he found, but Ezekiel beat him to it. ¡°These zombies will drop like flies if we hit them with a holy weapon.¡±


    ¡°Does anyone have one?¡± Rafael asked.


    High levels of anger shot out of the glare Nick pointed at Rafael. ¡°That¡¯s literally all your spells.¡±


    The anger caused Rafael to throw up familiar walls. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I played this game! Some of us actually have responsibilities in their life.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a goddammed cleric! How do you forget your spells defeat undead?¡± Nick shouted.


    It was too easy riling Nick up. If they weren¡¯t fighting a few zombies, Nick would¡¯ve already disappeared. Instead, Alejandra raised a hand. ¡°Stop screaming at each other! It doesn¡¯t do anyone any good!¡±


    A zombie leapt up and bit a chunk out of Ezekiel¡¯s thigh. He let out a scream and stumbled back. Rafael hissed in sympathy. ¡°Ah, shit, that cut his hit points in half!¡±


    ¡°The only one I feel bad about is Ezekiel,¡± Nick mumbled to Derek, loud enough for Rafael to hear.


    ¡°I heard that.¡±


    Nick folded his arms, not looking at him. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Are they in danger of being infected?¡± Alejandra asked, her eyes getting wide.


    Derek shook his head. ¡°CCNC zombies don¡¯t infect. Thank god.¡±


    The other zombie tried to attack Milo, but with renewed energy, he dodged the rotten teeth. He grabbed Clarissa¡¯s arm to protect her before sticking his dagger in the zombie¡¯s face. The zombie¡¯s neck snapped back, and everyone held their breath until the zombie¡¯s neck crunched before jerking the head back into place. Black ooze sprinkled on Milo, who flinched at the wetness before touching it.


    Alejandra wrinkled her nose. ¡°Well, that¡¯s disgusting.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯ll collect it to research later,¡± Derek said.


    Sometimes Rafael didn¡¯t understand Derek. Or Milo.


    In her weakened state, Clarissa scratched the zombie¡¯s shoulder with her scimitar. She stumbled into Ezekiel¡¯s arms, and he kept her upright. A nausea entered his stomach again seeing those two interact. Did they still have a crush on each other?


    A groan escaped Clarissa as her hit points dropped to three, her knees threatening to give out. Derek¡¯s fingernails dug into his cheeks. ¡°We¡¯re going to die. That¡¯s our only healer.¡±


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°Get back in the vehicle where you¡¯re safe.¡± Ezekiel¡¯s voice turned serious as Rafael¡¯s nausea turned into revulsion. Ezekiel studied Clarissa, the deep feelings obvious in his gaze as he wrapped a protective arm around her. It took every ounce of strength not to look at Evelyn with horror.


    Grizzizzik swiped with his rapier. The blade grazed the zombie¡¯s neck and bled a black, oily goo. The zombie lunged, latching on to Grizzizzik who let out a cry of surprise more than pain, losing three points.


    Hraktar strode forward to the zombie attached to Grizzizzik. In a wild attempt, Hraktar grabbed it by the neck, threw it up like a baseball, then slammed it with his great sword. The zombie¡¯s spine severed. The upper body was in the air a few seconds before both halves crumpled to the ground. Undead light disappeared from its sockets.


    Despite the gruesome ending, Alejandra beamed. ¡°After that roll, I would¡¯ve been surprised if it survived.¡±


    Grizzizzik rubbed his shoulder. ¡°I helped.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did. Good job.¡± Hraktar patted the rogue on the head, bobbing with every pat. Grizzizzik poked Hraktar with his rapier.


    ¡°Stop it.¡±


    The world slowed down again. Rafael felt exhausted. There were two zombies left. Technically, one and a half, since Hraktar cut the other one. He scanned the spells he could have used.


    ¡°Can I prepare my spells now?¡± Rafael asked.


    Take one turn to study a spell to use on your next turn.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    The spells turned yellow, and he mentally scrolled through them. He read fast, sensing the world frozen for a short time. Already, the world started to unfreeze, things moving in slow motion.


    Rafael landed on a spell and nodded. ¡°Learn sacred flame.¡±


    The world righted itself again. Ezekiel stared at the two zombies barely holding on to life. He paused, then glanced at Milo. ¡°Hey, Milo?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you,¡± Milo said.


    The cleric stepped away from the zombies, taking out a book from¡­ somewhere behind his back. He then sat on a rock, flipped through the pages, then closed his eyes and prayed.


    ¡°Um, what is he doing?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Learning a spell. It¡¯s what you wanted, isn¡¯t it?¡± Rafael tried not to sound bitter.


    Nick¡¯s lips pursed together. Rafael refused to be afraid of his non-verbal tantrum.


    The first zombie Hraktar sliced was in a heap on the ground, moaning. The other one pounced on Milo, biting his neck as it sliced into an artery, blood shooting everywhere. Rafael watched with wide eyes as Milo collapsed again, his points dropping to zero.


    ¡°Seriously! Level one is the worst!¡± Derek scratched the back of his head, trying not to panic. ¡°At least I got a save that time.¡±


    Clarissa was already there, chanting in a language as old as trees. Forest green light glowed from her hands before vines of magic again shot into Milo.


    ¡°Sorry! Bad roll!¡± Evelyn called from the car.


    They watched Milo¡¯s hit points move to three. Derek shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing.¡±


    Clarissa was in danger of collapsing as her hit points dropped to two. Tears pricked her eyes as her hands trembled.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ gone. My mana.¡± Her wet eyes shot to Milo as he caught her gaze. ¡°It¡¯s not coming back, is it? My¡­ my cantrips. They¡¯re weakening.¡±


    Milo held his neck and coughed. The healing did enough that a small trickle of blood remained. ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out. I promise.¡±


    Grizzizzik moved to the mound of mush; yet was still alive. He slammed his rapier down, the undead light left the creature. Nick rubbed his scarred eyebrow. ¡°Finally.¡±


    Hraktar ran to the last zombie, holding his great sword and swiping at the zombie¡¯s neck. The head popped off, and it bounced around his feet, snarling at Hraktar¡¯s ankles. The fighter stepped back, his nostrils flaring. ¡°These things are pests.¡±


    Time stood still, and Rafael felt nothing but exhaustion. He didn¡¯t want to be here. Zombies were in Arizona, and he hated it. He just wanted to walk away. He mentally chose sacred flame and rolled for damage.


    The world resumed, and Ezekiel shut his book. He stood up and placed his book in his back. There was no pack there. Where was he holding that? The cleric strode forward, lifting a hand and chanting a rote prayer to the Great Lady. Flames of white light pooled into his hand before bursting from his palm. Light slammed into the last zombie. Rafael expected the stench of rotten, burning flesh, but when the light hit, the stench disappeared with it, leaving dust on the ground and the air easier to breathe.


    The zombies were all dead. It was a ride of adrenaline, and everyone sucked in air. Green words appeared again, and Rafael jerked around, terrified another monster would appear. Different numbers appeared, and he squinted to see 40/300XP.


    That number caused all the frustration to slam into him.


    Grizzizzik sheathed his rapier, glaring at the cleric. ¡°Glad you could finally learn a spell, Ezekiel.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Me too.¡± Ezekiel was unaware of the jab. He turned without being prompted and picked Clarissa up. She allowed him, too exhausted to protest. Evelyn was there, too, leading them to the car.


    Rafael gripped his knees, taking breaths he knew were to keep a panic attack at bay. ¡°Zombies. Why are zombies here? In Elmwood?¡±


    With a small clearing of his throat, Derek started to speak. ¡°Milo¡¯s bomb went off. The entire party died and came here. I¡­ I suppose that means everyone who died traveled here, too.¡±


    Whatever the answer was, Rafael knew he¡¯d never be prepared. But he had to ask. ¡°How many creatures died?¡±


    Those two idiots he used to hang out with exchanged terrified glances. Rafael waited, hands still on his knees, as anger drew his brows together.


    ¡°E-everyone within a five-hundred-mile radius,¡± Nick said.


    Rafael closed his eyes. ¡°Please tell me you were in the middle of nowhere when it happened.¡±


    ¡°We¡­ were in Torraq¡¯s evil lair,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Oh, shit.¡± Nick¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Torraq. He¡¯s¡­ here.¡±


    Rafael dropped his head in defeat as Derek let out a shuddering breath. Torraq. Even people who didn¡¯t know CCNC knew Torraq from the smut fanfiction.


    ¡°Torraq. And every creature in his lair,¡± Alejandra whispered.


    It was better to keep his head hung, or else he¡¯d pin Derek and Nick with an ugly glare. His hands still gave his knees the grip of death as he tried to calm down. Instead, every emotion shut down. He couldn¡¯t do this. A strange amount of calm came when he realized he didn¡¯t have to. None of this was his fault, and he hadn¡¯t seen these people in years. Their mess was not his responsibility. More importantly, he refused to be near Evelyn.


    Rafael still had a towel around his waist with the smaller towel around his neck. His hair was damp, but his skin had been dry for a while. He straightened, gathering every ounce of courage he had and snapped the smaller towel off his neck. ¡°I¡¯m getting dressed. Then we¡¯re going to talk.¡± Rafael marched past the two idiots toward the dressing room.

 Chapter 13

    Alejandra gnawed on her pinky nail. Nick, Derek, and Rafael were in an argument that was heating like the morning sun, even as they were trying to be quiet. Rafael getting dressed did not help his mood, and when he came out, he looked ready to rip into Derek and Nick. Derek and Nick had taken turns explaining the rest of the story to him, as they had with her. It did not help his mood.


    She stared at the CCNC characters that were living and breathing. Hraktar had been her first character she¡¯d ever created. She remembered that night well. She was eleven years old, and her mother Mariana got called in for a shift. It would have just been Alejandra and Jack at home. Rafael, always protective, didn¡¯t want her to stay by herself with him. Jack rarely hit her if she stayed in his room, but she was always scared around him. Rafael invited her along to their new CCNC game. Her older brother had always been her quiet protector, and some of that bled into Hraktar when Tyler suggested a fighter was a great first character for someone getting into the game.


    Hraktar knelt at the swimming pool, poking the water. The water didn¡¯t react to his finger. Grizzizzik snuck up from behind and tried to shove him in, but the rogue was having a hard time gaining the momentum to push a half orc into the water. Hraktar gave Grizzizzik an annoyed look.


    ¡°No, nonono,¡± the rogue said before Hraktar picked him up by his shirt and dangled him over the edge of the pool. Grizzizzik sighed. ¡°I hate you.¡±


    ¡°The feeling is mutual.¡± Hraktar plopped him back down, dry, on the side of the pool.


    Alejandra didn¡¯t know why she was smiling through the entire encounter. Grizzizzik and Hraktar hated each other, but they worked together for the betterment of the team. It was odd and exhilarating to see them interacting in real life. She and Nick weren¡¯t prompting them to do this at all. This was ingrained in them, and she enjoyed watching it.


    Milo was on his hands and knees, examining the dirt in front of him. He picked it up, sprinkling it between his fingers. He, Clarissa, and Ezekiel had talked beforehand about their mana. They all felt a difference. Milo was writing some calculations, and they figured in a couple more days, their cantrips would be useless. There was no mana here on earth, and it would be a tremendous blow to their casters. Now that they knew Torraq and his entire lair were here, the idea that they needed to fight without a spell like cure wounds felt impossible. True, that meant Torraq wouldn¡¯t have spells either, but he also had thousands of creatures for a meat shield.


    She didn¡¯t even want to think about the possibility of Akshi being here, too. She just hoped that Grizzizzik¡¯s father was far enough away from the blast that he was still in the Shrouded Domain.


    Milo was on his knees with three different vials in front of him. To his credit, Milo didn¡¯t look scared. He looked more focused than anything as he placed some sand in the vial before digging deeper. She never thought of mana being so essential before. And earth had none of it, of that she was certain. The only magical places she knew of were in imagination. Milo wanted to see if he could pull some black mana from the zombies, but Clarissa and Ezekiel both looked horrified by messing with the undead. If Milo wasn¡¯t such good friends with both of them, he would have done it. Milo was never cautious of the undead, but a druid and a cleric absolutely were.


    When Alejandra was young, it impressed her how much Derek knew about mana. Now that she was older, she was still impressed. CCNC had its own rules about mana. She had seen the chart in the back of the handbook and saw the many rules regarding which colors of mana could be combined to make what spells. He knew the terrain in the Shrouded Domain that produced the different colors of mana, with the rarer terrains being able to produce two at the same time.


    When she heard about the hours upon hours upon hours Tyler and Derek would spend making theories and homebrew ideas of what weapons Milo could fuse with mana, she was eternally grateful that Tyler suggested she go with a fighter for her first character. She would have been turned off from the game if she had to learn the magic system, too. All she knew was there was the white mana that every spell caster had initially. The kind that, in the game, regenerated inside themselves every time they took a short or long rest. White was the color combination of all the manas, so they could use it for whatever spell.


    It was the breaking down of the five mana colors that she always got confused about. Later she created another CCNC character who was a sorcerer, and she still gave up on figuring out the different colors. She had white mana that regenerated every time she rested, that was all that mattered.


    But now, here on earth, this was a blow. If they couldn¡¯t regenerate mana, they were only as good as their weapons. Unlike Hraktar and Grizzizzik, their spellcasters Ezekiel, Clarissa, and Milo relied on their mana. How was Ezekiel even going to be a cleric unless he had his spiritual weapon? He couldn¡¯t cast that if they didn¡¯t have mana.


    If the entirety of Torraq¡¯s lair wasn¡¯t out in the world right now, she wouldn¡¯t worry. But now she realized not having spells was going to hurt their chances of keeping their characters alive long enough to get them back home.


    Alejandra glanced at Clarissa and Ezekiel in the car with Evelyn. Poor Evelyn looked concerned as she kept feeding Clarissa bottles of water.


    It was getting hot. It was almost nine-thirty. They had fought mostly in the early morning, but the sun was on its way up, and it was only going to get hotter. Alejandra was tempted to slip into the car with them just to sit in the air-conditioned car.


    Rafael, Derek, and Nick still had their heated discussion as Alejandra fanned herself with her shirt collar. She had a feeling their conversation was going in circles, and they couldn¡¯t stay out here.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to get back. Evelyn might need to take another picture of Nick soon,¡± Alejandra said.


    The three boys looked at her, and Rafael frowned. ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Nick mumbled.


    Rafael didn¡¯t press it. Instead, he looked like he was fiddling with his hands, concentrating.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Derek asked.


    Rafael focused on his open palm. ¡°I¡¯m trying to get the dice back. I will gladly hand it over to Nick as soon as I get it.¡±


    Derek watched him for a bit. ¡°Yeah, I really don¡¯t think that¡¯s how this works.¡±


    Nick folded his arms. ¡°Just let him try. It¡¯s better this way.¡±


    Rafael kept focusing on his empty hand, but nothing happened.


    ¡°It¡¯s clearly a sign. We¡¯ve got to stick together,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°None of this is my problem.¡± Alejandra was surprised at the darkness she heard in Rafael¡¯s voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for any of this. I left this game years ago. I don¡¯t have time for this. I¡¯ve got to apply to colleges! Apply for more scholarships!¡±


    ¡°Think about it, Rafael.¡± Derek held up his hands, palms out. ¡°Torraq is here. You¡¯ve heard the stories about him. He could very much ruin the world. Our world.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t touch our world, and we can¡¯t touch theirs. That was made clear to me in this fight. You can do this on your own,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°But what if¡ª¡± Derek started to say.


    ¡°Rafael¡¯s right, we don¡¯t need him,¡± Nick said.


    Derek gave Nick an incredulous look. ¡°Are you insane? Go through this without our cleric?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like he¡¯s that good at playing the cleric, anyway. It¡¯d be better to not have him at all. We can do this on our own,¡± Nick said.


    Rafael glared at him, then turned around. He already started walking toward the beat-up car by the pool. ¡°Are you coming, Alejandra? Or are you staying with them to clean up the mess Derek and Nick started?¡±


    Nick shot the back of Rafael¡¯s head a dirty look. Alejandra fiddled with her fingers, looking between Nick and Rafael. ¡°I¡­ I do want to help you guys¡­¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Good. Because we can¡¯t lose our cleric and our fighter. No mana is already a big enough blow,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll start gathering more information. We¡¯ll text you if we find out anything,¡± Nick said, not looking at her. He closed his eyes as though holding back a wince. ¡°Derek will text you.¡±


    Alejandra¡¯s nod was small, then she jogged to catch up with Rafael. His knuckles were white as he held his swim bag. The dark glare was still on his face. He didn¡¯t even wave to Evelyn.


    ¡°Um, Hraktar? Ezekiel!¡± Alejandra called out. ¡°We¡¯re¡­ we¡¯re going.¡±


    Hraktar glanced at everyone before walking over to her. Ezekiel nodded before turning back to Clarissa and Evelyn to make sure they were settled before heading over to them.


    ¡°They¡¯re not coming,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°They have nowhere else to go,¡± Alejandra said.


    Rafael opened the trunk of the car, shoving his swim bag inside. ¡°I don¡¯t want them in our house.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t hurt anything.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t they stay at Derek¡¯s house?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Alejandra hated that she had to stand up to her brother. ¡°I want Hraktar with me.¡±


    Rafael slammed the trunk and turned around. Ezekiel was walking up to them. Rafael pointed to Nick. ¡°Go, Ezekiel. Go with Nick.¡±


    Ezekiel shook his head. ¡°He didn¡¯t create me.¡±


    ¡°Please, just go. I¡¯m not interested in playing this game,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a game. It¡¯s life. This new world we¡¯ve landed in is in grave danger. It¡¯s up to us to save it.¡±


    Rafael said nothing, though Alejandra noticed him grinding his jaw before he spun around and headed toward the front of the car. He got in, slamming the door. She jumped a little at the noise, glancing at Hraktar and Ezekiel. Hraktar caught her gaze.


    ¡°Do you feel safe with this man?¡± Hraktar asked her.


    Alejandra sighed. ¡°Of course. He¡¯s my brother. He¡¯s¡­ just angry. He¡¯ll get over it.¡± To be honest, the years after their parent¡¯s divorce, she¡¯d seen a shift in Rafael she couldn¡¯t quite place. But he had changed from being her silent protector to¡­ being gone. Distracted. After Jack left and Mariana filed for divorce two and a half years ago, Rafael threw himself into his studies, getting top grades in all his classes. Throwing himself into his job and schooling. Being the absolute best kind of a person on paper.


    But he never had time for her anymore. Never really a brother. Sure, Rafael didn¡¯t need to protect her from beatings anymore, but she couldn¡¯t deny that a part of her missed their late night chats. The way he¡¯d talk with her about anything to keep her from focusing on their parents screaming at each other. It was on those kinds of nights that Rafael helped her form a backstory for Hraktar. To give her something to focus on while their parents sorted out arguments in the only way they knew how.


    She watched Rafael¡¯s white knuckles on the steering wheel as he glared at the road, waiting while Alejandra talked Hraktar into the car. His shoulders were too broad, and he almost had to shimmy inside their little car. Ezekiel tried to help, but there was only so much he could do. He still tried, though, because Ezekiel never realized when to be defeated. Rafael did nothing but glare at the road, keeping the air blasting as the early morning turned into midmorning.


    Hraktar finally got inside, and it took another few minutes to figure out the seat belt situation. Hraktar got it on, settling into the seat and glancing at Rafael. ¡°I am aware this new world is perhaps unfamiliar with half-orcs like me.¡± Hraktar said this as though he, too, was painfully aware he had a -1 in charisma. ¡°Thank you for your patience.¡±


    Rafael slammed the blinker with more force than was necessary. Alejandra jumped. Rafael knew as much as she did that Hraktar was deeply unsettled that a part of him was half an orc. It was something Alejandra created for her fighter during a night where Rafael slipped out of the room to make sure Jack wasn¡¯t getting so angry that he would throw something at Mariana. Hraktar knew that there needed to be two people needed to create a person. Hraktar was often unsettled that half his heritage came from a race known for being violent and brutish.


    The silence was too much for her, and she inclined her head toward Rafael. ¡°I don¡¯t get why you¡¯re so angry.¡±


    ¡°Because this isn¡¯t my problem. It¡¯s my senior year. I don¡¯t need this,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°You used to love CCNC.¡±


    ¡°It was a fun little game when we were kids, but we¡¯ve got to grow up, eventually.¡± Alejandra shook her head, her brother still glaring at the road. ¡°This isn¡¯t your problem either, you know. You¡¯re about to start your junior year. You¡¯ve got to think about your future. Where you want to go to college. What you want to major in. You need to start applying for scholarships. Getting tests lined up.¡± Alejandra felt herself shut down. She folded her arms, looking out the window. Rafael noticed her change in attitude. ¡°So tell Derek and Nick they need to solve this problem on their own. I will not have them asking my little sister to put her life on hold to solve their problem.¡±


    Alejandra¡¯s lips formed into a thin line, finding herself glaring at the road as darkly as Rafael had. ¡°No. I¡¯m helping them. You can¡¯t tell me what to do.¡±


    ¡°Look at the facts, Allie,¡± he said, using a nickname she hated. ¡°There are way too many invisible monsters. You don¡¯t know where they all are. They can¡¯t hurt this world, so this world is in no actual danger.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like Derek and Nick knew that when playing CCNC, a portal was going to open and suck everyone into this world. It¡¯s not a problem they created, they¡¯re in trouble. Something is going on, and we¡¯ve got to help our friends. You know Nick would do the same to you if you were ever in this kind of trouble,¡± Alejandra said.


    That did not soften Rafael¡¯s glare one bit. ¡°Nick and Derek, you mean?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s what I mean.¡±


    ¡°You just said Nick.¡±


    Alejandra folded her arms, rolling her eyes. ¡°Rafael¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a delinquent, you know. I¡¯m trying to protect¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. This isn¡¯t protection, this is control,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°I¡¯m just pointing out the obvious fact that Nick¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªwould help you if you found yourself in this kind of situation. Police reports from three years ago be damned,¡± Alejandra said.


    Rafael tightened his fingers over the steering wheel. ¡°Pretty sure he¡¯d only help me to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°Then you don¡¯t really know him, do you?¡±


    ¡°Neither do you,¡± Rafael grumbled.


    ¡°We¡¯re done talking about this.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Rafael said.


    The siblings rode home in silence. Behind her, Hraktar and Ezekiel exchanged glances.

 Chapter 14

    Nick and Evelyn left Derek¡¯s house soon after noon. Nothing else happened, and there were no monsters that returned. Nick and Derek made a list of all the creatures they remembered were in the lair, hoping they could at least not be surprised. Derek then spent the rest of the evening researching every bit of lore about the monsters Torraq had hidden in his lair just to be prepared. When he saw it was canon that Torraq had a fire dragon, a lightning dragon, and an acid dragon, Derek felt like slamming his head on the desk.


    Milo was outside, doing experiments on the dirt. He accepted losing a couple of hit points every hour to be out there in that heat. He kept pulling out glass vials and filling the different piles of dirt and sand he had collected. Derek had done some experimenting of his own. They couldn¡¯t exactly bring their characters with them to school. So he dropped Milo off at his house and told him to stay in there while he went to visit Evelyn and Nick for a bit. When he returned, Milo was just fine, happy to keep doing his experiments. Derek texted the results to Evelyn, Alejandra, and Rafael so they didn¡¯t have to worry about taking their characters to school with them. Truthfully, Derek was a little disappointed. He kind of wanted to take Milo with him to school. It wasn¡¯t like anyone could see him. This whole situation was like a pendulum. It was the best thing that ever happened, and the worst thing.


    It was late when his mom, Amanda, came in to wish him good night. He mumbled some sort of excuse about prepping to be a game master of a one shot so he was stuck in mountains of research. His dad, Miguel, was often traveling. He knew Miguel would rather be at home more, but the moments he was home, he always made the best of it. Amanda simply ruffled his hair and told him not to get too addicted to the game.


    Derek had a huge list of creatures that were walking around the world right now. It didn¡¯t comfort him at all. He made a list of the different hit points and attacks. He checked his phone to see the usual messages from his other groups of friends about school starting in two days and requests to compare schedules. Derek went through his contacts before he pulled up Tyler¡¯s information. He sent a quick message.


    Visit tomorrow about CCNC?


    He waited for the response as he continued to write down hit points. He glanced at Milo out the window. Now that it was dark enough, the mana fusor wasn¡¯t taking the usual hit points, but he only had four left. At least he was about to get a long rest. Derek¡¯s eyes lingered on the mana bar. The one that was half gone, even after twenty-four hours. His mana fusor was squishy, and the only way he would ever get stronger would be if mana returned.


    His phone buzzed.


    Sure! Should I come to you?


    No. Derek made sure to send that first. I¡¯ll come to you. Sprained wrist, remember?


    Tyler¡¯s reply came soon after. I can hardly feel it.


    I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯re off meds before I believe that.


    Derek tucked his phone away as Milo walked in with four different vials. ¡°Do you have a lab here, by any chance?¡±


    Derek raised an eyebrow. ¡°A¡­ lab? Like¡­ a science lab?¡±


    Milo nodded, still holding the vials gingerly. Derek stared at the vials, then frowned as he tried to think. ¡°Um¡­ no. No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    The mana fusor¡¯s face fell. ¡°Well, this is going to prove more difficult than I thought.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, man. But I¡¯ll see if I can find you one.¡± Derek wasn¡¯t too certain about how well he could come through on that promise. He tried to think of anyone he knew with a lab, but he was drawing a blank. If Milo didn¡¯t have a lab, then how was he going to make things?


    Then again, he wasn¡¯t sure if his mana fusor could even find mana.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get some sleep. You need to replenish your hit points.¡±


    ¡°So do you,¡± Milo said.


    Derek gave him a strange look. ¡°You see hit points above me?¡±


    ¡°No. I just assumed it was a common custom in your land to say such things before going to bed,¡± Milo said.


    Derek smiled, forgetting that they probably didn¡¯t see the hit points on each other. Despite everything that happened, he still felt an excitement that this was happening.


    His mom was right. He was probably addicted to CCNC.


    ***


    Alejandra watched as Rafael walked into the room, followed by Ezekiel. ¡°Is he going to help you at work today?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Rafael tied his grocery store apron around his waist. ¡°What?¡±


    She gestured toward Ezekiel. Rafael frowned, then looked toward where Alejandra gestured. Her heart sank as she realized he couldn¡¯t see Ezekiel again. A dawning recognition hit his face as he met Ezekiel¡¯s gaze. ¡°Oh, hello. I guess you¡¯re still here.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± the cleric said, not at all alarmed.


    Rafael was checking his phone. ¡°Could you¡­ could you perhaps stay here? I¡¯ve got to go into work, and stocking shelves is going to be boring.¡±


    Ezekiel shrugged. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. In fact.¡­¡± Rafael walked back into the living room area, straight for the bookshelf. ¡°I know you love books.¡±


    A light entered Ezekiel¡¯s eyes. ¡°I do!¡±


    Rafael pulled out a thick book then walked over to him, placing it in his hands. ¡°You can read English, right?¡±


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Ezekiel squinted, bringing the book closer. ¡°The¡­ Lord¡­ of¡­ the¡­ Rings¡­¡±


    Alejandra rolled her eyes.


    ¡°That is all three books in one binding. Bet you anything it¡¯ll blow your mind. It¡¯s kind of ironic, if you think about it.¡± He slapped Ezekiel on the back. ¡°Knock yourself out, my friend. I¡¯ll introduce you to the movies sometime, but maybe we¡¯ll wait on that technology.¡±


    Ezekiel did not seem disappointed in this outcome in the slightest. He flipped open the book, finding the beginning. Alejandra rubbed her forehead. ¡°What¡¯s this story about?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    ¡°Daring adventure, good verses evil¡­¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Unbreakable friendships?¡± Alejandra offered.


    ¡°Corrupting artifacts,¡± Rafael said, clearly ignoring his little sister. ¡°Honestly, you read that, and I will be most curious to think about what you think. I mean, if you think about it, it¡¯s pretty funny. There was a huge lawsuit back in the day between CCNC and the Tolkien estate. There¡¯s a reason hobbits aren¡¯t in the game anymore.¡±


    ¡°Hobbits,¡± Ezekiel said, trying out the word.


    ¡°Hey, when you finish with that, I¡¯ll give you the Hobbit next.¡± Rafael was halfway out the door. ¡°See you later, Ezekiel!¡±


    Alejandra shook her head as Ezekiel turned a few pages and settled himself down on the couch. Knowing Ezekiel, he would stay on that couch all day. Rafael knew how to keep his character at a distance.


    ***


    Derek pulled into Tyler¡¯s apartment in Tuscan. It was a solid half an hour from their town of Elmwood, and since it was Sunday, the traffic wasn¡¯t too bad. He used the smaller car instead of the minivan to drive. Tyler opened the door before Derek made it down the stairs. His sister¡¯s ex-boyfriend had brown hair and blue eyes. He had a tattoo of a d20 on his wrist. He wore his Rollin¡¯ 20s t-shirt like some people wore their favorite metal band. Rollin¡¯ 20s was the CCNC podcast, with a bunch of complete nerds streaming their CCNC game for anyone to listen to. If Derek wasn¡¯t careful, they would just be talking about Rollin¡¯ 20s the whole time. He had more pressing matters to talk about.


    ¡°Hey, man, good to see you.¡± Tyler waved, and Derek noticed some sort of a medical brace on his wrist. Milo walked in first, moving right past Tyler without his friend seeing him.


    ¡°And it¡¯s great to see you.¡± Derek followed Milo in. ¡°Glad you survived the crash.¡±


    Tyler shrugged. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that bad of a crash. The aches and bruises are already lessening.¡±


    ¡°Well, good. Because I¡¯d like to pick your brain. Talking about CCNC shouldn¡¯t be too strenuous, right?¡±


    ¡°Not strenuous at all.¡±


    We¡¯ll see about that.


    ¡°I¡¯ll move my stuff. I¡¯m currently making lunch. Are you hungry?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°No, I just ate.¡± Learning from Izzy, there was no way he was going to eat anything from a college student. Tyler was currently enrolled in the summer semester at Arizona State University to speed through his electrical engineering major. Mostly to take a basic English class everyone needed. There was never enough room. He was super stoked that it meant he could take the alien class in the fall.


    Derek heard him talking about it and did not believe him that there was a science class about aliens. Tyler showed him the syllabus online, going through the history of scientific discoveries like the big bang and stellar evolution and discussing theories about whether intelligent life was there. The major project was to watch three movies about aliens and give a full-blown scientific breakdown of what might happen during a supposed first contact. It was an extremely sought after class, one that caused Derek to want to attend ASU. He, too, would have taken a summer semester of general classes for a chance to get into a class like that.


    Tyler moved his books off the table as Derek sat down. He tried to think about how to start this conversation and wondered if he could segue the alien class into the current situation with CCNC. Instead, Derek simply blurted out, ¡°How much do you know about Torraq and his lair?¡±


    ¡°Plenty. What do you want to know?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Everything.¡±


    Tyler laughed. He poured ramen into a bowl before sitting down with a fork. ¡°We could be here all day.¡±


    ¡°And you think I mind?¡±


    Tyler gave another chuckle. ¡°This is why we¡¯re such good friends.¡±


    ¡°Please get back with Izzy,¡± Derek mumbled. Not quietly enough, considering Tyler was back to laughing.


    ¡°Kind of hard, since Izzy¡¯s over on the east coast,¡± Tyler said. ¡°I¡¯m hoping I¡¯ll find a girl in my alien class. We¡¯ll probably have similar interests.¡±


    Derek shook his head. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you¡¯re taking that class.¡±


    ¡°Dude, the protests on campus were legendary when they threatened to cancel it. The class is legit, and once the dean actually attended a class, he realized it was quite educational. Science is all about wondering. It¡¯s why we, as a species, got curious enough to not just ask questions, but find the answers.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, I like him,¡± Milo said.


    Derek glanced at Milo, then back at Tyler to see if he noticed anything. Tyler swirled his fork around in his ramen before taking another bite. He gestured at Derek with it. ¡°Anyway, Torraq is an ice elemental, and likes to be known as the best. Frankly, he is. This new edition of Torraq¡¯s quest that you guys have been playing makes that incredibly clear. Since he¡¯s so good at ice, he will often surround himself with monsters that aren¡¯t as strong with ice. Not only to keep them in line, but if adventurers try to break into his lair loading up on all the anti-ice artifacts and other such spells, that they won¡¯t be prepared for the other monsters who have the different elementals.¡±


    ¡°Like the acid dragon?¡± Derek heard the strain in his voice.


    ¡°Precisely. He¡¯s also got a fire one and a lightning one, too,¡± Tyler said.


    Derek rubbed his forehead, looking at nothing. ¡°So I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    Milo sat there, looking worried at this development. The mana fusor seemed to understand other people couldn¡¯t see or hear him, so he was trying not to distract Derek. ¡°Do you know anyone with a lab?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Tyler looked confused at this sudden change of conversation. ¡°There are the labs at uni. Pretty sure you have to get special permission to use those.¡±


    Derek sighed. There was no easy way to ask this question, so he might as well ask it now. ¡°Have you¡­ have you ever heard about¡­ about characters coming out of CCNC?¡±


    To Derek¡¯s absolute surprise, Tyler smirked. ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Yep?¡± Derek dared exchange a glance with Milo. ¡°You¡¯ve¡­ you¡¯ve heard about that happening?¡±


    ¡°Obviously. I mean, it never actually happened in real life, but you¡¯ve heard of the demonic scare in the eighties about this game when it was getting popular.¡± Tyler took another bite of some ramen.


    Derek blinked at him. He¡¯d heard that too, but perhaps he hadn¡¯t heard the whole story. ¡°I thought it was just because people in the eighties feared fantasy games. Or that the devil would possess people who played the game.¡±


    Tyler shook his head as he chewed. ¡°Well, there was a lot with CCNC in the eighties. Mostly because it was so popular. But the rumor was that if five people sit around a lit table playing CCNC, it would open up some sort of demonic portal and bring the evil creatures into our world.¡± Tyler took another bite. ¡°The eighties must have been a crazy time to be alive, man.¡±


    Derek did nothing more than stare at Tyler. His friend was focused on his ramen, then glanced up, noticing his gaze. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Derek swallowed. ¡°Um¡­ how certain are you in these rumors?¡±


    Tyler frowned as he kept chewing. ¡°Dude. They¡¯re just rumors. Rumors to ruin a really fun and popular TTRPG. Honestly, the mindset of the eighties were if it wasn¡¯t the devil¡¯s fault, it was probably Russia¡¯s. If there were Russian devils out there, they were on top of the FBI¡¯s most wanted.¡± He swallowed, smiling.


    Derek didn¡¯t exactly know what to say. This was the closest anyone had come to guessing the truth.


    Tyler seemed to notice Derek not responding. Tyler took another bite, waiting curiously. Then, all at once, he stopped chewing. With a mental capacity Derek could almost sense, Tyler tore his gaze from Derek and stared at Milo. The mana fusor was tapping a finger against his arm, trying to figure out some mental problem in his head when he noticed Tyler¡¯s gaze. He gave a tiny wave, and in response, Tyler dropped his bowl of ramen on the ground.

 Chapter 15

    Tyler¡¯s gaze was still fixed on Milo, ignoring the split bowl. ¡°Please tell me you can see him too.¡±


    ¡°Yep. I can. It¡¯s not a symptom of a concussion you almost had,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Holy shit, what did you do?¡± Tyler asked, still staring at Milo.


    Derek threw his hands in the air. ¡°Nothing! Well¡­¡±


    Tyler shot a glance at Derek before returning his attention to Milo. Tyler¡¯s eyes were bulging out of his head as he took in the mana fusor. Derek sighed. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t kill us?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the capacity. I¡¯ll leave that up to Hraktar, if he got through, too,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, everyone¡¯s through. A lot of bad guys, too. We¡­ might have used the AI game master,¡± Derek said.


    It was that sentence alone that finally brought Tyler¡¯s full attention to Derek. His eyes, which he didn¡¯t think could get any wider, did. ¡°You used AI! You replaced me with a MACHINE?¡± There were so many emotions to unpack from Tyler¡¯s voice. ¡°While I was at the hospital!¡± Derek tried to smile, but it came out as a cringe. Tyler tenderly held his head in his hands. ¡°You know what? I can¡¯t be angry. Karma has come back to chomp you in half. You¡¯ve learned your lesson.¡±


    Derek made a whimpering noise in the back of his throat.


    Tyler finally noticed the bowl of ramen that had clattered to the ground. He stood to get some paper towels. ¡°Tell me the entire story. Don¡¯t leave out anything.¡±


    Derek did. He assumed this was what he¡¯d do when he drove here. He explained everything, not only the game, but what happened after. Milo excused himself part way through to study the dirt, and Tyler did little else but watch him leave.


    Derek described the fight with the zombies. Tyler just listened, his eyes never losing that bugged look. Derek described the combat, how close it resembled the game, with time slowing down, making choices, and rolling dice.


    Once the story was done, Tyler was still silent. The sun was high in the sky, and Derek had to keep an eye on Milo.


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Tyler opened his mouth to finish speaking, but his eyes glazed over and it turned into more of a slack jaw. ¡°Alright¡­¡± He closed his mouth, covering his head with his good hand.


    ¡°Does this have something to do with the AI we used?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°I have no idea. If there were rumors of things like this circulating around in the eighties¡­¡± Tyler trailed off, his eyes still wide. ¡°There was no AI in the eighties.¡± Through his fingers, his friend¡¯s face crumpled. ¡°That we know of, at least. This is literally flipping my entire world view around and I¡¯m going to be quite silent in my alien class.¡±


    Tyler rubbed his face as tenderly as possible. Derek used the time to knock on the window. Milo was down to two hit points, and it was too hot for him to be out there. Milo nodded, gathering his supplies and coming around the building.


    Tyler folded his arms on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll happily do some research on this, though. If they got here, that means there¡¯s a way to get them back. And they need to get back. Hraktar and Grizzizzik could create quite the stir.¡±


    ¡°Thankfully, no one has seen them yet. At least, not anyone who isn¡¯t involved in the game,¡± Derek said. ¡°My entire family ignored Hraktar at breakfast.¡±


    Tyler nodded. ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s no way Hraktar could hide without some divine intervention.¡±


    The door opened and Milo walked through with two different vials of dirt. He was covered in sweat and looked exhausted, but he gave Tyler a nod. ¡°Perhaps I could use this contraption to get something researched?¡± Milo motioned toward the stove.


    Tyler frowned, glancing at the stove. Derek leaned over. ¡°He¡¯s been trying to find a lab.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well¡­ sure. As long as you don¡¯t blow anything up.¡±


    Milo winced, and Tyler was confused. ¡°Too soon,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Right. Sorry.¡±


    Milo sighed before placing the vials on the countertop. ¡°I may have accidentally brought everyone here, but I am prepared to do everything I can to get them back. And that includes trying to figure out a way to use the materials you have. We must figure out how to get mana here.¡±


    Tyler shrugged. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not the weirdest thing my landlord has had to deal with. College towns, you know?¡±


    Derek didn¡¯t know, but he pretended he did. Tyler went to work doing some research, and Derek went to work helping Milo figure out how they could use a kitchen as a makeshift lab. It was going to be a long day, but the sooner they figured this out, the sooner his friends could return home. They couldn¡¯t make a portal if there was no mana.


    ***


    For being the first day of school, it was pretty uneventful for Evelyn. It meant a bit more to the seniors and the freshmen. The freshmen because it was their first time at Elmwood High. The seniors because it¡¯d be their last. Evelyn, being a sophomore, it simply wasn¡¯t that exciting. The first day was the same. Always a review of the syllabus, reviewing what was expected of the student for grades, and if there was any time left over, there were always the get-to-know-you games. She went to cheer practice after school, talking and laughing with the girls there. Even though there wasn¡¯t much to do on the first day, it was still important to officially have it. The year had begun. She remembered what it was like to be a freshman cheerleader, so she went out of her way to get to make sure they had a good day. Cheerleading was important to her, and even more so was making sure the girls felt comfortable enough to trust each other. They were, after all, doing many flips and carries.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Evelyn walked into the house. It was quiet. True, her mom was still on a business trip, and her dad was at work. It was almost five, and she knew Nick went from working full time in the summer to part time with school. She was probably the first one home, but Clarissa and Grizzizzik should still be here.


    She went searching, and found the rogue lying in the sun, slightly curled. Evelyn stayed in the house, knowing she didn¡¯t exactly want to greet the rogue. He happily soaked up the bright sun, his health bar all the way full.


    She entered her room to see Clarissa curled up in the chair. ¡°Princess Clarissa?¡± Evelyn asked.


    She didn¡¯t respond. Evelyn knew she was still alive, since her health bar, too, was all the way full. But when Clarissa uncurled from the chair, there was a haunted look about her. ¡°Hello, Evelyn.¡±


    She knew that look. She understood the heavy weight on the soul that came from a horrible event. The way the experienced sucked all the good out of her life. Evelyn glanced around her darkened room and had a feeling that Clarissa spent the entire day here.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Evelyn asked. Clarissa shook her head. ¡°Do you need some light in here?¡± Again, Clarissa shook her head. Evelyn wasn¡¯t sure what to do. Well, she did. The best thing she could do for the druid was to make sure she got home safely. Back to the forest-covered hills of the Shrouded Domain. Back to her family. Away from the harsh desert sun. Evelyn sighed. ¡°Look, I know you¡¯re not okay, but I¡¯ll respect your wishes. When you¡¯re ready to talk, I¡¯ll listen.¡±


    Evelyn walked out of her room, trying to think of something to help Clarissa. She wasn¡¯t good with this kind of thing.


    Grizzizzik was taking a nap on the rock, looking completely at ease. She was glad that rogue couldn¡¯t touch anything, or else all her stuff would have disappeared by now.


    She made herself a salad, slicing up some hard-boiled egg and sprinkling some croutons on there before going very liberal with the ranch dressing. It was to where it negated the health factor of the salad, but she didn¡¯t care. She was starving.


    She ate her dinner as Walt got home from work. He barely said hi before he was in his back room, his own bag of food he picked up from Burger King.


    She was scrolling on her phone when she got a text from Derek in the CCNC group text.


    Meet tomorrow morning by the drama stairs. Interesting update.


    Evelyn knew where that was. It was the stairway with all the rewards from past drama competitions. The one near the theater. Drama kids usually hung out there, which is why Derek picked it.


    Evelyn flipped her phone over and noticed Grizzizzik had woken up and was walking into the house. She felt herself tense up. Grizzizzik couldn¡¯t hurt her. Perhaps it was still just getting used to a man who looked like a snake. She didn¡¯t particularly like snakes, but it was never a phobia of hers. She could see why many people had that phobia, though. At least he didn¡¯t have the face of a spider. She shuddered at the thought.


    Grizzizzik opened the door and walked in. She wondered what would have happened if Walt saw that. Would he see the door opening and closing on its own? Would he have seen nothing at all?


    The rogue sat across from her, folding his arms. ¡°I rather like this weather.¡±


    ¡°I can see that.¡±


    He smirked, taking her in. ¡°You¡¯re uncomfortable around me.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question.


    ¡°Are you surprised?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°Nick¡¯ll be coming home soon.¡±


    ¡°I doubt Nick and I¡¯d have much to talk about,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°We¡¯re trying to get you back,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°I am looking forward to that. Despite the beautiful weather, it¡¯s rather hard to make a living when you can¡¯t touch anything.¡± Grizzizzik leaned forward, fingers heading for her ear. Evelyn jerked back, touching her ears. She had earrings in, dangling white gold hoops on the lobes with two smaller rings higher up her ears. Grizzizzik sniffed, unphased by her reaction. ¡°They¡¯re not worth much, are they?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a high schooler without a boyfriend,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Grizzizzik laughed. ¡°I see where the Princess gets it.¡±


    Evelyn gave him a soft glare, repeating in her mind how much Grizzizzik could not hurt her. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it bother you that a twelve-year-old boy created you? That he¡¯s the reason you are who you are?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Grizzizzik said. ¡°Never gave much thought to the pantheon of gods and goddesses.¡±


    ¡°But this isn¡¯t a pantheon in your world. Nick actually formed you from pencil and paper. You¡¯re nothing more than a game,¡± Evelyn said.


    Grizzizzik shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t know what to tell you, girl. It won¡¯t bother me. I doubt it¡¯ll bother anyone in the group. Ezekiel will believe almost anyone about anything. Milo is too focused on his little gizmos. The Princess would only care if it meant she suddenly wasn¡¯t treated like royalty anymore. And Hraktar has always been more of a follower than a leader.¡±


    ¡°And you? I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re going to shoe yourself in as the leader?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Grizzizzik shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s only one thing I¡¯ve ever cared about.¡±


    ¡°Being the one to slit your own father¡¯s throat?¡± Evelyn asked.


    This did get a reaction from him. Grizzizzik narrowed his snake eyes. ¡°It does feel unsettling that you know so much about me.¡±


    ¡°I know a lot, yes. Probably more than you. Did you know Nick was planning on not giving you legs? You were going to have a snake body, just like your father.¡± Evelyn noticed the way Grizzizzik winced. ¡°Except I remember being elated that it would make you look like a merman, so he changed his idea last minute and gave you legs instead.¡±


    Grizzizzik paused, then glanced down at his legs, going so far as to wiggle his toes. He leaned back in his chair a bit. ¡°Well, I see some benefit in getting to know this world. Judging by the children that are in charge of our well-being, I very much doubt we¡¯ll be leaving this desert soon.¡± Evelyn gave him a look. ¡°Calling it as I see it.¡±


    It was such a modern phrase, but Evelyn also knew Nick used it a bit while roleplaying as Grizzizzik.


    The door opened, and Nick walked in. He had a bag of fast food from McDonalds. It¡¯s like the universe let him know Walt ordered Burger King, so he purposefully went with a different option. Though Evelyn had a sense Nick went there to see if Alejandra was working. Nick glanced up and seemed to hesitate at the sight of Evelyn and Grizzizzik. ¡°Everything alright?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Evelyn said as Grizzizzik said nothing.


    Nick kept his eyes on his rogue, narrowing them ever so slightly. ¡°She¡¯s my sister.¡±


    Grizzizzik narrowed his eyes back. ¡°Many people say a variety of that same vagueness to me, and I find they all mean different things. Where I¡¯m from, claiming a blood relation to someone usually means you want them dead.¡±


    Nick kept his gaze. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. She¡¯s my sister, so respect her.¡±


    Grizzizzik turned his gaze toward Evelyn, the smallest of smiles on his lips. ¡°As much as I can.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Nick said. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m afraid of.¡±


    Grizzizzik stood. ¡°It¡¯s been a lovely chat, but I¡¯m going outside again. It¡¯s too cold in here.¡±


    He left, and despite everything that happened, Nick left soon after, flipping open his old phone to check nothing. She knew how friendless her older brother was, but no doubt he wanted something to do to not have to talk to Evelyn.


    She touched her earrings to make sure they were still there. She also checked her bracelet and rings and pockets. Grizzizzik may be level one, and it may be impossible for him to touch her, but she had seen Nick pull off insane sleight-of-hand rolls. Nick would warn her, though, if he ever tried one.


    Would Nick warn her? And would Nick even be prompted to make such a roll?


    Despite Grizzizzik¡¯s condescending nature, he was right. They were just children, and she didn¡¯t know if they could get these people back home.

 Chapter 16

    Derek didn¡¯t understand why it took until dinner time on the evening of the first day of school for the dots to connect. Probably because the day before he was tossing and turning in anticipation of his first day of senior year, and also because of the added stress of mythical CCNC characters being real and in his hometown. And that Milo was losing his ability to cast cantrips. And wondering how his family could ignore the loud boom coming from the kitchen when one of the vials of dirt blew up while Milo tried to shock it with electricity from his cantrips.


    Which was why he sat gathering his beans and rice on his spoon and almost brought it to his mouth, feeling awake enough to focus when it hit him.


    There was a lab at school.


    Derek felt his jaw slacken. He realized the dots didn¡¯t connect because his AP biology class was his first class of the morning, and his caffeine hadn¡¯t kicked in at that point.


    Not like Mr. Anderson helped much. It didn¡¯t matter that Derek was taking a college level course of biology. Mr. Anderson was, simply, Mr. Anderson. There were rumors that swirled around this guy. Fired from a Phoenix area High School and divorced the same year before moving to Elmwood, a town of ten thousand residents an hour and a half away from Phoenix. The man knew his stuff, but there was the edge of bitterness to him that the most socially inept could pick up on.


    ¡°Most of you are seniors, so I recognize some of your faces. But it goes without saying that many of you need to be reminded of this. I¡¯m not your friend, I¡¯m your teacher,¡± Mr. Anderson had said that morning. He was passing out syllabus when Derek was trying to get his caffeine intake to work in his system. ¡°And, since this is the first class of the day, no one should come in here early to waste time. You may, of course, ask questions on any homework assignments, but if you¡¯re asking a question before class, don¡¯t talk to me until my second cup of coffee.¡±


    Derek could relate to that sentiment, mostly because he was barely understanding Mr. Anderson as it once. Once the syllabus was out, Mr. Anderson pulled out a fresh white board marker. ¡°And congratulations, you¡¯re in an AP class. There¡¯s too much information to give you, so we have no time for fun ice breaker games.¡±


    Derek had taken notes nonstop during the first class period. He respected Mr. Anderson¡¯s somewhat prickly nature. The guy was in his fifties and had a constant look on his face, like he was waiting for bad news to drop any time someone approached him. But there was no denying Mr. Anderson knew about science. Sometimes Derek wondered if the man was actually a college professor.


    Which is when he remembered what was in the room right next to theirs. A lab. With high school equipment, but it was better than a stove and a microwave. And maybe the booms wouldn¡¯t be so loud.


    Derek thought about Mr. Anderson, worried. There was no way his teacher would let him use the lab whenever he wanted. And there was also the genuine fear that if he ever got caught breaking in, it could look terrible on his record. He needed to go to ASU and take that alien class. Milo had been busy with a lot of experiments, but nothing was producing mana. Derek doubted anything would. Their world simply wasn¡¯t magical, but if it wasn¡¯t magical, they couldn¡¯t get their mana replaced. His squishy mana fusor would turn into an even squishier target when there were actual creatures out there that could tear him apart.


    ¡°Derek?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help it and jumped. He was brought back to reality, to dinner time. Amanda was giving him a worried look. ¡°Did your first day of school go okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Derek said before shoving his spoon in his mouth. He smiled as he chewed. ¡°It went fantastic.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Derek got back to dinner, because he wanted the conversation to move on. Derek¡¯s head spun with thoughts. Milo needed access to a lab. How Milo, a man who was invisible to everyone else but their CCNC group, was going to get access to a school lab, was going to be an interesting conundrum of its own.


    If he wasn¡¯t so desperate for Milo to discover mana, they¡¯d stick with the stove and microwave. But time was ticking, and the cantrips weren¡¯t becoming powerful anymore.


    ***


    Evelyn wasn¡¯t sure what woke her up. It wasn¡¯t the buzz of her phone. It was almost instinct. Something was wrong.


    Considering all the things she experienced the past weekend, there was a long list of things that could be wrong.


    She sat up, looking around. It was one in the morning, and she needed her sleep, but something deep in her gut kept her awake. It was the same feeling. Something was wrong. The feeling went deeper. Evelyn needed to help, and she could solve what was wrong.


    She got out of bed, throwing a robe around herself. The house was silent, and that¡¯s when she discovered what was wrong. Clarissa was nowhere in sight. Being an elf, she just needed four hours of sleep. The druid was well rested, but also not here.


    Evelyn ran to the door, throwing it open as she shoved her arms through her bathrobe. They lived on a cul-de-sac that was near an open area of desert, and she saw a tall figure out there. She shut the door and ran. She didn¡¯t want to, and she had a feeling the dice would appear if there was any real danger, but Evelyn still wanted Clarissa back in the house.


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    ¡°Princess Clarissa,¡± Evelyn called as quietly as possible. No one else would see the druid, but they would see the teenager talking to nothing. ¡°Princess, stop!¡± To her surprise, the druid did. Evelyn ran up to her, seeing tears racing down her cheeks. Evelyn panted as she caught up with her.


    ¡°Hello, Evelyn,¡± Clarissa said.


    ¡°What are you doing out here? Alone?¡±


    Clarissa didn¡¯t look at her. She looked at the desert in the moonlight. ¡°It¡¯s so dead and barren. It¡¯s not like the forest at all.¡±


    Evelyn looked around, trying to understand Clarissa¡¯s point of view. ¡°It¡¯s nothing like the forest at all. You¡¯re right. But it¡¯s far from dead and barren.¡±


    Clarissa closed her eyes, the tears continuing to fall. ¡°Will I ever see my family again? My brother?¡±


    Evelyn held in a sigh. The bushes rustled next to them, and she tried not to think about what it could be. If it was a tarantula, she was going to scream. ¡°I promise to do everything to get you back. My older brother and I butt heads all the time, but I would be devastated if I could never see him again. I don¡¯t know why this happened, but I promise you we¡¯ll get you back.¡±


    Clarissa nodded as she let out a little shiver, rubbing her arms. She looked every bit the princess, even while crying. Nick sometimes teased her that princesses did nothing but get waited on hand and foot, but only sometimes. The other time, Clarissa was usually saving everyone¡¯s ass with her scimitar, her magic, and her unicorn. Evelyn didn¡¯t recognize that woman now, because Clarissa was scared. She was so far pulled from the familiar that she needed a moment to collect herself. Evelyn yearned for the part where she saved everyone, but Clarissa already had that moment. Despite the heat of the morning on Saturday, Clarissa smashed through zombies and healed Milo twice. She pushed herself, and Evelyn knew the power of having a moment alone to collect oneself.


    She also knew the power of a good friend, and Evelyn fully expected to be that for Clarissa.


    She walked over to the druid, who was trying to hide the tears in her eyes. ¡°I know the forest was your home. But¡­ but the desert is mine.¡±


    Clarissa quickly dried her eyes. ¡°What?¡±


    Evelyn gestured toward the desert. ¡°This place has a beauty on its own. It is far from dead and barren. Just look.¡±


    She finished drying her eyes as she looked. Evelyn wasn¡¯t sure what Clarissa saw, but the desert was an ecosystem full of life. The bush rattled again, and if there was a spider in there of any size, she was going to scream and ruin this moment. Instead, a little mouse ran out, rushing into the open desert. Even in the moonlight, they could see for miles. They heard a cry of a hawk, no doubt terrifying the mouse that just ran from its cover.


    Clarissa knelt down where she was. She touched the dirt below. It was hard, but she dug her fingers into it. She glanced around, curious, before she closed her eyes. There was a cry of a coyote that was far away, but she didn¡¯t want it to come any closer, either. Then there was another cry of a bobcat, and Evelyn felt nervous. Yes, the desert was her home, but she also respected it.


    ¡°Not dead¡­¡± Clarissa dug her fingers deeper into the dirt. ¡°Dead¡­ly.¡±


    Evelyn couldn¡¯t deny that. Wind blew from Clarissa¡¯s palm, the one stuck in the ground. She began chanting something in elvish.


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Evelyn asked, too afraid to speak much louder.


    Something was happening with her vision. Clarissa¡¯s character chart appeared, some words fading in and out. The chants made sense to her ears.


    ¡°This is Evelyn¡¯s home. She has created me, and therefore, I am her protector as much as she is mine.¡± Goosebumps rose on Evelyn¡¯s arm. ¡°I invoke the right I have as a druid to become one with the domain I dwell in for a season.¡±


    The wind picked up. Dirt and sand spiraled around Clarissa¡¯s hands. Evelyn stared, wide eyed.


    ¡°The wood elves have served me well. There are no desert elves to give me this title. Therefore, I claim it for Evelyn, and beseech Earth Mother to give me the power of the desert.¡±


    The sand picked up as the desert became alive with animal sounds. Evelyn backed away, terrified that she was going to get hit with a sandy wind, but it remained around Clarissa. Evelyn covered her face as a whirlwind of dirt swirled. Coyote and hawk, bats and bobcats, all cried out into the evening. Evelyn was seriously afraid of what was out here. What the druid had awakened in them. They were all screaming and screeching as Clarissa¡¯s entire body was hidden from sight. The character sheet in her mind¡¯s eye began erasing wood elf, and desert elf replaced it.


    Words floated in front of her. She mentally went through them.


    Plus one to constitution added.


    Advantage on perception in harsh sunlight.


    No longer takes heat damage while in harsh sunlight.


    Physical changes complete.


    Evelyn blinked them all away, then looked at the whirlwind before her. All at once, the sand and dirt dropped to the ground. The desert that was once screaming with life returned to its calm and quiet, but Evelyn knew what was out there. Clarissa¡¯s green hair was gone, as were her violet eyes. Instead, she had long, golden blonde hair with striking sky-blue eyes. Her skin somehow looked both soft yet hardy. More importantly, the assured smile that Evelyn always imagined on Clarissa¡¯s face was now there. She had a beautiful gown of the deepest blue with golden trim around the edges. It would not blend in with the desert at all, but Clarissa wasn¡¯t one to blend in. Her fingers brushed against her crystal tiara, now fitted with sapphires to make sure it was there, even though it would always be there. She didn¡¯t wear any shoes, but she never needed to. She was in the desert, in her domain.


    Evelyn¡¯s eyes rose to above Clarissa¡¯s tiara. She gasped as she watched the blue mana bar fill up to the top. ¡°Princess¡­¡±


    Clarissa smiled. ¡°I feel it too.¡± She lifted her hands, then shot them forth, saying a single word. A few yards away, a fire burst into existence, roaring like it had been burning for hours. ¡°I believe I just tapped into the mana of your world.¡±


    Evelyn stared at the fire, wide eyed, until it disappeared. Mana. Here. Clarissa found mana. She couldn¡¯t hide the smile on her face. Another couple of sentences appeared in front of her.


    Side quest complete. Princess Clarissa finds a way to not get hurt by the heat.


    Evelyn blinked as it went away. ¡°We have quests?¡±


    In response, a section of the character information she¡¯d never seen before popped up in her mind. The side quest was there before it dissolved. Instead, the experience point bar appeared, dropping twenty-five more points, bringing the grand total to sixty-five. Evelyn stared at it, surprised. ¡°Huh!¡±

 Chapter 17

    Milo sat up, gasping, which caused Derek to leap out of bed. ¡°What? What is it?¡±


    The mana fusor was already scrambling out of his sleeping bag. ¡°Shhh! Don¡¯t wake up your family.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question.¡±


    Milo walked out of the room. Derek was too curious not to follow.


    ¡°Something happened. Something changed.¡± Milo grabbed his suspenders that were dangling around his hips before slapping them back on his shoulder. The light of discovery was in his eyes. ¡°I sense it. I¡¯ve done enough research on this place that it can¡¯t change like that without me noticing.¡±


    Derek rubbed the sleep from his eyes, already prepared to have another large caffeine day tomorrow morning. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Milo threw open the front door and scrambled down the stairs. He dropped to his knees in the dirt, grabbing fistfuls of it and letting it run through his fingers. A wide smile was on his face. ¡°There you are. How did you show up?¡±


    Derek checked the time. It was almost one thirty in the morning. ¡°Milo, you gotta give me something, pal.¡±


    Milo smiled as he gathered more dirt into vials. ¡°Mana. Your earth is finally producing mana.¡±


    Derek frowned and was about to ask a question when something popped into his vision.


    Side quest complete: Find mana.


    New side quest: Distill mana to its different colors.


    Derek blinked as ten more experience points tumbled into Milo¡¯s bar. Derek couldn¡¯t help but keep staring, even as the bar disappeared. He mentally pulled up the quest bar that was there. ¡°We have quests?¡± He saw the old quest crossed out. As Milo kept filling the vials with dirt, Derek looked more at the quest bar.


    When he created a mana fusor, he wanted to push himself to understand the lore and the magic system of CCNC. It was so deep and rich. There were always options to buy different colors of mana in the store, and they were only helpful if you knew about it. Some characters, like druids and the occasional cleric, could meditate the mana out of a land in a tight pinch, but it was useless unless you knew about which spell was associated with what color. White was an ultra rare color to find in nature. In all his years of playing, the only time he heard of anyone stumbling upon white mana in the wild was in the heart of the fae forest. And even that was untrustworthy, because no one could trust the fae, and the character who talked about it had gone crazy.


    Honestly, even though things were pretty bad here, he was glad Milo hadn¡¯t blown up in any portion of the fae forest. Torraq was bad enough. They did not need any fae.


    Derek looked through the five different colors in his side quest bar. Black, red, green, blue, and gold. Each mana came from different terrain. It would be harder for Milo to pull the mana from a terrain compared to Clarissa, but that never stopped him. Clarissa meditated, Milo scienced. Not only that, but Milo could pull mana from dead bodies, too. Not that he would ever do that in front of Clarissa.


    From his studies, Derek knew deserts had gold mana. Gold was known most for healing spells, which was always helpful to have a nice stockpile of gold mana. That way, after a battle, if Ezekiel had run out of white mana from all his spell casting, he could down a couple bottles of gold mana and still cast cure wounds. There was a limit, even with that. Too many people would have kept void bags with hundreds of gold mana stockpiled for such an occasion. Instead, the rules were spell casting characters could only drink six color mana bottles a day before it took a blow to their hit points. Which, considering some of the higher level spells required three different color manas to work, sometimes it just wasn¡¯t worth it. Gold mana was always handy to have. And while adventuring, Milo could always sell his mana at a fair price, often helping the group financially.


    Not that he could do that here.


    Derek left Milo to his discovery and returned to bed. He had school tomorrow, after all. He settled in bed, once again calling up the quest tab. There were no experience points next to any of the colors, but he had a feeling they would each give him something once Milo created them. Gold would be easy. He wasn¡¯t sure about the others.


    It was then that he noticed another tab on the quest bar. One was labeled side quests, the other was labeled main quest. He wondered if everyone had the same quest, or if it was different for everyone. He mentally chose the main quest tab, just to see what it said.


    Figure out if you can get home.


    Derek didn¡¯t know why that sounded so foreboding. It wasn¡¯t figuring out how to get them home; it was figuring out if they could get home.


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    Derek tried not to dwell on it too much. He closed his eyes and tried to get back to sleep.


    ***


    Clarissa was happy to explore more of the desert at night, but promised to stay in the backyard. Evelyn sighed as she returned to her bed. She didn¡¯t want to know what time it was. What with Clarissa more on her feet, she was still worried about how Grizzizzik and Clarissa would feel about staying in the same house. Those two fought a lot, even though she could tell it was mostly out of a sibling-like love. Maybe. Honestly, sometimes the rogue got on her nerves, but Nick always seemed to notice when it got too much and would scale back. Evelyn did the same. Like with turning off the ability to shed flower pedals wherever Clarissa walked. It¡¯d been a while since she¡¯d done that.


    She smiled at the memory and wondered if Clarissa still had that ability. It was almost worth a try, but she wasn¡¯t sure what it would do now that she was a desert elf. Perhaps it was sand that fell off her instead of flower pedals.


    Evelyn noticed she had a message on her phone. It had been delivered at eleven at night. She must not have heard it while she was doing her nighttime skin routine. It was from Rafael. His name alone made her stomach roll.


    Her thumb hesitated before she tapped on it, her eyes scanning the brief message with a pounding heart.


    Do you need me to find an excuse to get out of the meeting tomorrow?


    Evelyn¡¯s arms filled with goosebumps. Derek must have asked Rafael to come to the early morning meeting. Bile crept up her throat. Her mind snapped her back two and a half years ago, smelling the alcohol on Rafael¡¯s breath, hearing him somehow laugh and cry at the same time. Mentioning how his parents were divorcing. How it was the best thing that could happen, but how much it hurt. How much he wanted the pain to go away. Evelyn was so uncomfortable, having never been alone with someone so drunk before. Let alone someone so young and so drunk. He must have gotten into his parents hard liquor.


    He was only fourteen.


    At first, she felt sorry for Rafael, one that had a touch of pity. Listened to him talking about how much pain he was in. How he¡¯d have to hide the bruises he got from his dad. How much it killed him inside to put makeup over the bruises Alejandra couldn¡¯t reach. Jack was smart enough not to hit their faces, and they were too terrified to be discovered. Afraid Jack would kill them all before authorities got to them in time.


    Rafael¡¯s drunken stories turned her from pity to unease fast. She didn¡¯t think her friend would tell her all this when he asked to meet with her alone. Everything was safe now. Rafael even said they were going to be alright. The police got involved. More importantly, Mariana¡¯s family found out and got involved. Jack would never touch them again. But Rafael was still hurting. He was sobbing. Then he laughed.


    Then he kissed her. Ignored her struggles, her pleas to stop. His hands disappearing under her shirt. He didn¡¯t stop until she screamed at him that he was assaulting her. It made him hesitate long enough for her to punch him hard in the teeth before she ran as fast as she could to the middle of nowhere and sobbed.


    She was only twelve.


    Evelyn¡¯s eyes filled with tears as she absently scrolled through the messages above. Ones spanning years of friendship. The jokes they made. The GIFs they sent. Looking forward to CCNC sessions where they would promise to outdo each other in life saving stunts. She thought she was talking to a friend. Rafael must have been thinking of her differently. For god¡¯s sake, she was only twelve.


    Nick assumed Rafael had stopped being friends with them because he found football. The truth was Evelyn swore if Rafael ever came to another game, she would tell Nick what he did to her. It was spoken in anger. Out of fear. She needed the time away from him to cope. She also knew she could never tell her brother. It happened a few months after his run in with the police. The one that started Nick being imprisoned in his own house until he turned eighteen. Evelyn was seriously afraid if she told Nick, he would soon be arrested for attempted murder. Or actual murder.


    For a year afterwards, when she¡¯d find herself in a depressive funk, she got angry. She told herself that it wasn¡¯t like he raped her. He was drunk. He was out of his mind. She had struggled so much that he hardly even touched her bra.


    And then she got angry at herself all over again. It was still wrong. Still dreadfully wrong. And every day she never had to see him was a good day. It was easier to have their friendship dissolve rather than face the truth. Easier for everyone else to believe Rafael left for football. Left for popularity. Evelyn knew how much Rafael loved CCNC, but Evelyn couldn¡¯t have him around anymore. Couldn¡¯t have that reminder that she had been so violated by someone she once considered a friend.


    The familiar anger returned, pumping through her blood. She was both angry at Rafael and at herself. But it had changed over the years. Most of her anger came from knowing she couldn¡¯t hide this anymore. She couldn¡¯t go on ignoring that it didn¡¯t happen. Part of her wanted to tell everyone everything that had happened because she wanted to see Rafael get hurt. But every time she thought of revenge, she remembered the stories he had told while completely wasted. Not of getting hurt, but of the fear of getting discovered with the bruises. Of how much it would hurt everyone else. Of how much it would kill Mariana. She needed Rafael to be a horrible person before she justified getting revenge.


    Once again, Evelyn¡¯s thumbs hesitated. She sniffed, wishing the memories could disappear.


    These people need to return home, and we are the only ones who can help them.


    She sent it, then felt herself panic. She didn¡¯t want to see Rafael again. It was hard enough to pretend he wasn¡¯t there on Saturday.


    But you will keep ignoring me like you did on Saturday, and you will never touch me again.


    She sent that too, not caring if it sounded harsh. She needed peace of mind and for him to know their friendship would never recover after he pulled something like that.


    To her surprise, despite it almost being two in the morning, she saw the three dots of him typing something out. He must not have gotten much sleep tonight, either.


    Understood


    Evelyn turned off her phone, having no interest in texting him anymore. There was a toxic hate she had inside, and the only way it could come out was to face what happened and talk about it.


    Losing a friend was easier.

 Chapter 18

    Nick walked with Evelyn through the halls. He wasn¡¯t nearly as familiar with the theater section of the school, so she led the way. Derek was already there, looking very excited.


    ¡°He¡¯s made mana!¡±


    Nick raised an eyebrow. ¡°Milo?¡±


    ¡°Who else would I be talking about? He got twenty-five experience points for it, too! Just for the one, though. The weird thing was, the kitchen was a mess this morning, but my mom acted like it was pristine. There is something at play here that makes it so they can¡¯t see them or any mess they create.¡± Derek shook his head, amused. ¡°My mana fusor sure gets a lot done with a stove and a microwave.¡±


    Nick was confused and also impressed. ¡°Nice.¡±


    ¡°Clarissa changed, too. Didn¡¯t you notice?¡± Evelyn asked, glancing at Nick.


    ¡°Oh. I thought you just died her hair to help her blend in better.¡±


    Evelyn blinked at him. ¡°Why would I bother dying the hair of a woman who is invisible to everyone else?¡±


    Nick opened his mouth to explain, but realized she was totally right, causing him to fumble for some words.


    His little sister faced Derek. ¡°Clarissa became a desert elf. She made claim to the terrain, and I think that brought mana to earth.¡±


    Curiosity filled Derek¡¯s face. ¡°What did she do?¡±


    Evelyn explained the story during the hustle and bustle of teenagers figuring out their second day of school and easing into their schedules.


    Derek nodded. ¡°Yeah, that must have done it. Milo can cast spells again. Can Clarissa?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It was one of the side quests,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting side quests for your character, too!¡± Derek looked beside himself with joy.


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m so glad someone else is getting them!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a main quest tab. Is yours the same as mine?¡± Derek asked.


    Nick looked at the two of them having a fast conversation. ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    Derek hardly looked at Nick. ¡°Mentally think about quests, and it should appear for you.¡±


    Nick gave it a shot and found a short list appearing in front of him. He tried to zoom in. The main quest was there.


    Figure out if you can get them home.


    He said it aloud, and Evelyn and Derek mentioned it was the same for them, too.


    There was a tab for side quests, which Nick mentally opened. There was one side quest for Grizzizzik.


    Find out if Akshi made it to Earth.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°¡®Nope¡¯ what?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Grizzizzik¡¯s side quest is to figure out if his father made it to Earth. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m giving him that sort of suggestion. It will consume him. I don¡¯t want to be around him when he¡¯s obsessed with his revenge,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn winced. ¡°Probably a smart move.¡±


    ¡°Hey, everyone!¡± Alejandra said.


    Nick turned, smiling, as Alejandra walked over to them. To Nick¡¯s surprise, Rafael was there, sulking behind her. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I invited him,¡± Derek said.


    Alejandra was still smiling. ¡°Ezekiel¡¯s blown through the Lord of the Rings and is halfway through the Hobbit.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ ironic,¡± Derek said. ¡°Did he love them?¡±


    Alejandra let out a chuckle. ¡°Adores them. He thinks they¡¯re our version of holy scripture.¡±


    Nick smirked, thinking of the cleric he¡¯d played much longer than Rafael, encountering the Lord of the Rings. ¡°Well¡­ he¡¯s sort of right. It kind of depends who you ask.¡±


    Alejandra shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s all good. I¡¯ll take him to the library tomorrow. Probably check out all the Narnia books next for him.¡±


    Derek chuckled at that. ¡°Also ironic.¡±


    Rafael glanced at his phone, looking annoyed. Derek must have noticed, too. He pointed to Alejandra. ¡°Well, keep us updated on that fascinating development. Perhaps a wardrobe will get these guys back.¡±


    Alejandra snorted. ¡°I¡¯ll check some cupboards while I¡¯m at it.¡±


    Derek faced everyone. ¡°I went to visit Tyler over the weekend, and he¡¯s been doing a ton of research for us. So far, nothing solid. Just rumors, but the rumors are promising.¡±


    ¡°Characters have come out of the game before?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°We think so. It¡ª¡±


    ¡°Rafael! There you are!¡±


    Everyone turned to see Hazel Jones walking over to them. Nick had seen Hazel from a distance, mainly because his sister was on the cheerleading squad. Hazel was the cheerleader captain, which meant she was so far out of everyone¡¯s league. It was almost laughable she was even talking to anyone in this group. And the thing was, she was so nice to everyone. She would talk to everyone, and they would all be deeply honored to just see her. So being popular, a cheerleader, and kind, it cemented her untouchable nature.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Every muscle in Rafael¡¯s body stiffened. ¡°Oh, um, hi Hazel.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering where you were off to.¡± She walked over to him, grabbing his face and kissing him like they¡¯d been dating for months. Nick again stared, far too surprised to figure it was rude. Derek¡¯s jaw became slack. Even though Hazel acted like they were dating for months, Rafael broke the kiss off early.


    ¡°Yes, well, here I am,¡± Rafael said.


    Hazel turned to the group, smiling. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Hazel Jones.¡± She said it as though no one knew her.


    ¡°Hello, Hazel Jones,¡± Derek said in a breathless voice. Derek, along with most of the school, had a crush on her. She was about Alejandra¡¯s height, with brown hair, blue eyes, and perfect teeth.


    Hazel¡¯s eyes landed on Evelyn, and she gasped. ¡°Evelyn! Hi!¡± She opened her arms wide, startling Evelyn a little.


    ¡°Oh, hey.¡± Evelyn hugged Hazel. ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t know you were...¡±


    The smile that was so prominent on Alejandra¡¯s face before disappeared. ¡°Rafael. Are you¡­ dating? Hazel?¡±


    Hazel turned toward Alejandra, surprised. ¡°Rafael didn¡¯t tell you?¡±


    Rafael looked as though he wanted the floor to swallow him whole. Alejandra didn¡¯t look at Hazel, and instead gave her brother a dead look. ¡°No. He didn¡¯t.¡±


    Rafael didn¡¯t lift his eyes to meet her gaze. Nick folded his arms. The guy wasn¡¯t just a jerk to his old friends, it seemed.


    ¡°Well, I hope I¡¯m not too forward. I just thought¡­ I thought he would have told you at least,¡± Hazel said. There was a beat of silence as Alejandra kept her eyes on her brother. Hazel took Rafael¡¯s hand. ¡°Well, I hope I didn¡¯t overstep my bounds by...¡±


    ¡°I doubt he would¡¯ve ever told me,¡± Alejandra said, clearly trying to keep the anger and hurt from her voice.


    ¡°Well, hello, Alejandra. My name¡¯s Hazel Jones. I am excited to get to know you a little better,¡± Hazel said.


    ¡°I¡­ am too,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Sorry, was I interrupting anything?¡± Hazel asked, her eyes traveling over the group.


    ¡°No,¡± Derek said, still in awe.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Rafael said at the same time. Rafael shot a glare at Derek, then back at Hazel. ¡°Sorry, Hazel, it¡¯ll just be two minutes, then I¡¯ll come join you and the others.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll see you later. Once you¡¯re done talking about¡­¡± Hazel hesitated, then glanced at the group.


    ¡°Uh, CCNC,¡± Derek said.


    Surprise entered her eyes. ¡°Oh, I know that game.¡± Derek gave a high-pitched gasp. Nick shoved an elbow into his ribs. ¡°My little brothers play it all the time.¡± She turned to Rafael, squeezing his hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you knew how to play it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. I mean, I do, but not anymore. I¡¯ll see you later, Hazel,¡± Rafael said, letting go of her hand.


    Hazel gave him a humorous look. ¡°Well, alright. My brothers might freak out if they know you know how to play.¡±


    Rafael did nothing more than give an embarrassed smile. Hazel reached over again, giving him a parting kiss on the lips before leaving. Rafael didn¡¯t even watch her go. He rubbed his chin, clearing his throat. ¡°Right. Um, where were we?¡±


    There was silence again among the group. Derek stared at Rafael like he was the one that was a snake person. ¡°Dude.¡± Rafael, who was mostly looking at the floor, tore his gaze from it to give Derek a confused look. Derek still just stared. ¡°Duuude.¡±


    Rafael gave Derek an annoyed look. ¡°I¡¯m not giving you any details about my dating life, Derek. It¡¯s personal.¡±


    ¡°I just want to help you out, you know? It seems like you¡¯re off to a rocky start,¡± Derek said.


    Rafael looked annoyed. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying that no man would receive a kiss from Hazel Jones and be the first to break away, let alone look embarrassed about it, unless they were questioning some things.¡±


    Rafael once again looked as though the floor needed to devour him, except he was angry it wasn¡¯t already happening. ¡°So¡­ getting these characters home?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Derek pulled out his phone. ¡°Here¡¯s the biggest thing Tyler found. CCNC has its annual con, and this year they¡¯re holding it in Phoenix.¡± Derek raised his phone to show the dark purple banner of the CCNC convention. ¡°Guess who¡¯s making an appearance?¡±


    Derek scrolled the phone down a bit. Nick couldn¡¯t help it and gasp. ¡°They¡¯re bringing Neal Richmond out here? He never leaves his mansion.¡±


    ¡°Except for con. And con just so happens to be in Phoenix this year!¡± Derek raised his hand, expecting someone to slap it. ¡°We just rolled a nat twenty in real life, baby!¡±


    Nick gave him a high five because his friend expected it, not because he felt it. Rafael took Derek¡¯s phone, scrolling through it. ¡°Con isn¡¯t until the end of September.¡± Rafael glanced up from the phone, staring at Derek. ¡°What do we do with these people until then?¡±


    Derek shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. We keep trying to get them home, but until then, we at least have the creator of Choice, Chance, and Consequence appearing in Phoenix to ask him questions.¡±


    ¡°And you think he¡¯ll actually give us the time of day? The guy is a multimillionaire. Possibly even a billionaire. He¡¯s going to have security all around him. And what exactly do we even say to him?¡±


    ¡°We say ¡®hey, you know those rumors in the eighties about demon portals that bring CCNC characters to our world? Well, that happened, and we need to get them back,¡¯¡± Derek said.


    Rafael gave Derek a look. ¡°And you think he¡¯ll actually listen to us?¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling this isn¡¯t the first time it¡¯s happened. Hence the rumors in the eighties.¡±


    There was no humor in Rafael¡¯s voice. ¡°And what am I supposed to do with Ezekiel for two months?¡±


    ¡°Well, there are a lot of creatures out there. We lie low, unless we need to slaughter bad guys.¡±


    There was a pause as Rafael stared at Derek, then he slapped the phone back into Derek¡¯s palm. ¡°Let me know what the millionaire thinks.¡± He turned, walking away.


    They all watched Rafael disappear into the crowd.


    ¡°I think that went well,¡± Derek said.


    Nick rolled his eyes. ¡°Despite his jerk behavior, he is right. A VIP ticket isn¡¯t exactly cheap, and we¡¯ve got to figure out what we¡¯re going to say to him.¡±


    ¡°I got my ticket months ago when they announced the Rollin¡¯ 20s are going to be there,¡± Derek said, searching on his phone. ¡°Tyler¡¯s already got his ticket, too. It¡¯s going to be sick.¡±


    Evelyn took the phone, glancing at the dates. ¡°That¡¯s getting into football season. I might be tied up with cheerleading.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fair. Nick? Alejandra?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Do you honestly think my father would let me drive all the way to Phoenix for a convention?¡± Nick asked.


    Derek shrugged. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t hurt to ask.¡±


    Alejandra took the phone, and Nick knew exactly what she was looking for. She checked the price before shaking her head. ¡°No, I can¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°Just that Saturday? Technically, it¡¯s the only day Neal can be there, too,¡± Derek asked.


    She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think all of us need to go, do we?¡±


    ¡°But do you want to?¡± Nick asked. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for your ticket if you want.¡±


    Alejandra looked surprised. ¡°No, Nick, really. I couldn¡¯t ask you to do that. It¡¯s too much.¡± She handed the phone back to Derek. ¡°You guys have fun, though.¡± She gave one of her smiles that was more embarrassed than anything before she slipped away. Nick watched her disappear into the crowd.


    ¡°So, are you going to ask her out before you turn eighteen? Because things get messy once you¡¯re considered an adult,¡± Evelyn said.


    Nick barely had time to glare at her before Derek reacted with a wide smile. ¡°That¡¯s what I said!¡±


    Nick shook his head. ¡°You two are ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Derek!¡± someone shouted.


    ¡°Hey, Noah!¡± He turned to the other two. ¡°I¡¯ll see you two later. Noah has that look on his face that says he¡¯s got some juicy gossip, and if he doesn¡¯t spill it now, he¡¯s going to burst during English class and tell Baily, who¡¯ll tell Eric, and depending on what it is this could end in disaster. Especially if it¡¯s about Emma.¡±


    Nick couldn¡¯t even come close to understanding what that meant.


    ¡°See you, Derek,¡± Evelyn said.


    He left to mingle with his other group of friends. Evelyn gave Nick one look before she turned and left, most likely heading to her group of friends that wouldn¡¯t be hanging out in the theater section of the school.


    Nick was on his own. He watched his fellow high schoolers talk and laugh, catching up with friends. Some were scrolling through phones, listening to ear buds. Nick felt his face falling into the usual bored expression he had. He sighed and mingled in with the crowds. He half wished that he had ear buds of his own, but since everyone else was distracted with their own lives, he felt ignored enough. There were a few people that noticed him, but it was difficult to be arrested before he was fifteen and not have some sort of reputation. One that could be quite lonely.

 Chapter 19

    Alejandra took Spanish from one of the most popular teachers in school, Se?ora Florez. She was short, blonde-haired and blue eyed, born in Phoenix, and deeply in love with her husband, Jos¨¦ Florez. They met while they were in college, and had been in love ever since. Alejandra could tell. She had first row seats to the complete deterioration of a marriage from two people of different cultures in her own house, and she could truthfully say the Florez¡¯s marriage was thriving. Jos¨¦ worked at his restaurant, and Se?ora Florez worked at the school teaching math, Spanish, and was the teacher in charge of the CCNC after-school club. She had rarely seen them together, but she knew they still loved each other, two little girls later.


    Alejandra took Spanish from her the semester after her parent¡¯s divorce. Even though Mariana¡¯s family was all Mexican, Jack refused to let her or Rafael learn Spanish. They didn¡¯t dare disobey. Once he was gone, Alejandra signed up for Spanish so she could learn more than the occasional cuss words Mariana would mutter under her breath.


    After two years of Spanish, she could understand more about what Mariana said on the phone. She could talk a bit, as long as the person listening was patient enough for her to form her grammar and conjugation in her mind. It was easier to listen than it was to talk, but she was getting better. But more than anything, Alejandra learned from Se?ora Florez that relationships from completely different cultures could actually work. Se?ora Florez¡¯s marriage was a thriving thing that Alejandra felt honored to watch from the sidelines. A reminder that not every interracial relationship ended in utter disaster.


    Alejandra was first introduced to Se?ora Florez when she was a freshman. She joined the CCNC after-school club at Derek¡¯s suggestion. It was strange. It was magical. Se?ora Florez was shorter than some of the high school students, but Alejandra loved that about her. Alejandra wasn¡¯t big into role play, which was why all her characters were the quiet, brooding type. Hraktar was her first quiet, thoughtful fighter, but she¡¯d also been playing a quiet, thoughtful sorcerer in the after-school club.


    When Se?ora Florez was hired almost seven years ago, she lobbied for a CCNC after-school club based purely on the math factor alone. Math was already a terrifying thing for most high schoolers, so they did anything they could to make it fun. And thus, the first CCNC club was born.


    Alejandra was sad Nick couldn¡¯t attend, but she heard about how strict Walt could be to him. Nick had work three times a week, anyway.


    But Derek was there with her. They were finishing up the shorter session. Se?ora Florez was a great game master, and she¡¯d often shake her head at Derek¡¯s dice superstition. She often talked about statistics. Yes, Alejandra attended an after-school club for the game, but she gained a whole new fascination with math. She spent an hour down a rabbit hole looking up the law of averages and the gambler¡¯s fallacy.


    Derek was talking to his friends after, so Alejandra used the opportunity to head toward the door, grabbing her backpack.


    ¡°See you tomorrow, Alejandra!¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    ¡°See you, Se?ora Florez.¡± Alejandra walked down the empty hallway, checking her phone. She heard the football team practicing, which meant Rafael wouldn¡¯t be home until late. He had always been avoiding her, but she had questions ever since the revelation this morning that he was dating Hazel.


    Rafael had sent a quick text that he had a ride so she could take the car home. Alejandra was tempted to ask if it was Hazel who was giving him a ride, but she didn¡¯t want to. She wanted talk to him about it, but not over text. Though talking in person was proving to be more difficult these days. How could her own brother keep his dating life from her? Hazel was such a sweet girl. And incredibly popular.


    Alejandra sighed, but was happy to have the car. Rafael was often finding rides with friends, so she had the car most of the time, anyway.


    She got her keys from her purse before she felt it. She couldn¡¯t explain it. All she knew was it felt wrong. It was deep in her gut, one that warned her to be careful. Alejandra glanced around, confused. There was no one here, yet the feeling persisted. Like she was being watched.


    No, wait. Hunted.


    Her eyes darted toward the parking lot before she found their old clunker of a car. She tried to take it slow and steady, but the feeling in her gut intensified. Her feet stumbled along when a thing appeared out of the bushes. She gasped, freezing in place. It had the look of a wolf, except it was walking on two legs. There were claw marks on it, making it look as though it was attacked recently, but it wasn¡¯t dripping blood. It was lava. The lips curled over teeth, and the fiery saliva trickled from its snout. This had to be some sort of hell hound. It was real, and it was looking straight at her. She saw intellect behind those black flame eyes.


    It snarled, and Alejandra jumped back into herself. She sprinted, trying not to scream. Trying not to be afraid. It couldn¡¯t hurt her, but that didn¡¯t stop her imagination from conjuring up what it would feel like if it could.


    Alejandra scrambled inside the car, feeling wet tears on her cheeks. She jammed her key into the car, and it sputtered to life.


    The hell hound landed on the hood of the car, and Alejandra screamed. The hound barked and snarled, beating the window with its claws.


    It couldn¡¯t crack it. She was safe. She was going to be just fine. It couldn¡¯t hurt her. She was fine. She needed to be fine.


    Fighting through the fear, she tried once again to get the car to start. It sputtered again, and she watched in horror as the hound¡¯s paw glowed with a reddish light before ramming it against the car. The sputtering engine died, and Alejandra felt a jolt of panic.


    ¡°No, no, no.¡± They couldn¡¯t touch the real world. They couldn¡¯t affect it in any way. There was no way this hell hound magicked her car to stop working. Because if they could touch the real world, then they could get at her. Not only that, she needed the air conditioning, or she would die. It was way too hot in here.


    The hell hound howled, and she covered her ears, the primal fear completely taking over her. She couldn¡¯t call the police. She wasn¡¯t even sure if they¡¯d see it.


    Her hands trembled as she grabbed her phone, hitting Rafael¡¯s name and waiting, terrified. He wouldn¡¯t answer. He was at practice and wouldn¡¯t have his phone on him. The hell hound continued to claw at the windshield. The fact that it wasn¡¯t splintering was the only thing that gave Alejandra the strength to wait until Rafael¡¯s voicemail appeared.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    She started calling Evelyn, but didn¡¯t even bother waiting for the voicemail. She¡¯d be at practice, too.


    Derek was next on her list of people to call. He was here at school. But what could he do? As she waited for him to pick up, her stomach pulled itself into knots. The actual help she needed was Hraktar and the other characters. She needed to get Rafael¡¯s attention so he could get Ezekiel and Hraktar.


    But this was a hell hound. A much stronger creature than anyone on level one. They needed everyone here if they had a hope of taking it down. Sweat formed on her face as the heat turned dangerous. She had to get out of the car.


    New Side Quest. Figure out how to teleport Hraktar to you.


    Alejandra let out a strangled gasped. That was possible?


    The hell hound, furious it couldn¡¯t break the glass, made another large bound and landed on the top of the car. Alejandra whimpered, relieved the vehicle was still holding. She tried once again to get the car started, but it refused to work.


    Out of desperation, she called Nick. Of everyone, Nick couldn¡¯t do anything at all. He was at work right now, and there was no way he could leave his job to get her.


    ¡°Alejandra?¡±


    ¡°Nick,¡± she said, knowing it was too late. There was obvious terror in her voice, and she was going to have to explain herself.


    ¡°Are you alright? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The hell hound leapt again, and the car held against the weight, but there was a dull thump that made her whimper. ¡°There¡¯s a hell hound.¡± She said it quietly, so quietly she doubted Nick could hear. ¡°On my car. I can¡¯t start my car. I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re alright. Okay? You¡¯re going to be alright. It can¡¯t hurt you.¡± Despite his words of comfort, Alejandra heard his instant unease.


    ¡°I¡­¡± She heard another dull thud, and she tried not to think about how it sounded louder this time. ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Where are you?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°You¡­ you can¡¯t leave work. Your dad-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a problem I¡¯ll figure out later. Where are you?¡±


    ¡°The parking lot across from the school.¡± She didn¡¯t want to tell him, because if he got in trouble because of her¡­


    ¡°Are you still in your car?¡± There was no denying the fear in his voice this time.


    The hell hound jumped off, running at an impossibly fast distance before sprinting back toward the car. Alejandra again tried to start it, but it was dead.


    ¡°Alejandra! Are you still in your car?¡± Nick asked again, louder.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t leave.¡±


    Through her phone, she heard Nick start his own car. At the same moment, the hell hound hit the side of hers. ¡°Get out of your car. Now. Do you understand? The hell hound can¡¯t get you, but the heat will.¡± Alejandra whimpered as the hound stumbled. It must have taken damage from such an endeavor, so it wasn¡¯t about to do that again. ¡°I¡¯m coming for you, but you¡¯ve got to get out.¡±


    ¡°No, no. Please, stay away.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t hurt you. It won¡¯t hurt me.¡±


    The car was getting so hot. ¡°It might. It stopped my car, it might¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s another problem we¡¯ll solve when I get there.¡±


    ¡°It could kill you!¡± Alejandra said, her voice rising in fear.


    ¡°I doubt it.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be doubting. You should be certain it won¡¯t kill you! Nick, do not come get me! I never should have called!¡±


    ¡°Listen to me, Alejandra.¡± Despite the panic she heard in his voice earlier, he had gotten calm. ¡°Do exactly what I say. Ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Close your eyes.¡± That wasn¡¯t hard to do. ¡°Open your car door.¡± Alejandra whimpered as she did so. The snarling became louder somehow. ¡°Get out of the car. Get on the sidewalk. Kneel and cover your ears. I¡¯ll be there in two minutes.¡±


    Alejandra slipped out of the car. Nick had hung up, and she did her best to follow his instructions. The heat of the afternoon wasn¡¯t nearly as oppressive as the heat in the car. Her body trembled as she covered her ears, curling into herself.


    ¡°You can¡¯t hurt me.¡± She tried to will the courage inside her, tried to say it with confidence, but even if she kept her eyes closed, the memory of what it looked like played dangerously in her eyes. Those black flame eyes, that fire saliva, the glowing lava dripping from inflamed, infected wounds. She didn¡¯t want to be around this thing, let alone having it look right at her with a deep, guttural growl.


    The hell hound barked all around her, but she kept her eyes shut. She felt nothing, but she heard everything. The snarling, the vicious screams. If there was a heat coming off the hell hound, she couldn¡¯t feel it. But she didn¡¯t dare open her eyes.


    Hraktar. She needed Hraktar. It said she could portal him to her. Why wasn¡¯t it working?


    A car sailed down the street, one she knew was Nick, and her heart plummeted. She never should have called. It was pointless. She just needed to stand up and pretend everything was fine as she got help for obvious car troubles. All the while pretending there wasn¡¯t a hell hound following her. Most likely attacking her. Just the thought of calmly calling someone for car trouble while the hound was snarling was laughable.


    Alejandra opened her eyes and regretted it immediately. The hell hound swiped at her, claws like black obsidian. She should be nothing more than a pulp. Nick pulled up at the spot close to her and threw himself out of his car. ¡°Hey! Over here, ugly!¡±


    ¡°Nick, don¡¯t!¡±


    With a snarl, the hell hound spun to face Nick. Her friend stood, completely frozen at the sight, and she understood the feeling all too well. It was one thing to listen to Tyler¡¯s description of a hell hound, but another thing all together to actually see one.


    With a hellish bark, the hound leapt away from her, sprinting toward Nick.


    ¡°No!¡± Alejandra knew Nick would be fine. But a small part¡ªthat was growing bigger every day¡ªthat said a demon dog would maul him. Nick had little time to react, and the only thing he did was to strengthen his stance before turning his face to the side, bracing himself. ¡°NICK!¡±


    She felt the pull as the millions of emotions flooded toward her. She didn¡¯t feel calm. A calm emotion tried to tell her that if she was fine, he would be too, but the primal fear kept her from feeling that comfort. Instead, her imagination sent her on a journey of what it would feel like to witness Nick being mauled in front of her.


    I need Hraktar!


    The hell hound leapt right through Nick, a surprised yelp erupted as he smacked the ground. Alejandra covered her mouth, tears in her eyes when something thumped on the other side of her. She turned and saw the green, muscled legs of her fighter.


    Side Quest complete.


    Ten experience points filled Hraktar¡¯s bar that she hardly gave notice to. Alejandra looked up, breathing deeply as she watched Hraktar looking around the parking lot in surprise before his eyes landed on the hell hound. Nick opened his eyes, giving a tiny exhale of relief before he noticed Hraktar. He didn¡¯t bother glancing over his shoulder. He just ran straight for Alejandra.


    She grabbed his hand as he yanked her to her feet. ¡°In my car. Hurry! It¡¯s too hot out here.¡± He kept his hand tightly over hers as they rushed past the hellhound and Hraktar before she made it into the back of Nick¡¯s car. The fresh relief of air conditioning made her aware of how drenched in sweat she was. He followed in after her, slamming the door closed.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Alejandra and Nick both said together.


    There wasn¡¯t time to answer. Hraktar stomped toward the hound, then pulled out his great sword. The hell hound snarled at Hraktar, and in response he roared back. Her heart sank. She and Nick couldn¡¯t get hurt. But Hraktar could. Time froze, and she felt Nick¡¯s hand frozen in hers. She realized, then, that he never let go of her hand.


    Roll for intimidation.


    Alejandra let out a breath as her dice appeared in front of her. She grabbed the d20 with her right hand, as she could still feel her fingers tightly over Nick¡¯s, and shook it. The dice landed on an invisible plate. It was weird how that worked. It was a seventeen. That had to be good, right? So many of her rolls for intimidations usually just sputtered out.


    Time resumed. The hound was obviously scared, stopping his snarling at once.


    Successfully intimidated. Enemy will roll at a disadvantage for next three turns.


    ¡°How is Hraktar here?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I summoned him somehow. Try to summon Grizzizzik. If I remember right, a hell hound is way more powerful than anyone at level one. It¡¯s too much for Hraktar right now.¡±


    Nick stared at her. ¡°You summoned him?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t explain it. A side quest appeared, and I tried it,¡± Alejandra said.


    The hell hound barred his teeth, ready to attack. Time once again stood still.


    Roll for initiative.

 Chapter 20

    Alejandra¡¯s trembling fingers curled around the d20 before she shook it and let it drop. Eleven total was okay, but not stellar. Though, according to how time was slowing down and Hraktar¡¯s weapon choices filled her vision, the hell hound must have rolled worse.


    Was someone rolling for the hell hound?


    She chose Hraktar¡¯s trusty great sword. Her hand trembled as she rolled, thankful for the modifiers to lift that lousy roll into something that hit, because two d6¡¯s appeared. The damage was even worse. She felt terrified and hoped it wasn¡¯t affecting her rolls.


    Time resumed as Nick let go of her hand to pass her a water bottle. ¡°You¡¯ve got to drink something.¡± She nodded, opening the water bottle and taking careful sips of the water. It must have been his water bottle from where he worked. It was cooler than the car.


    Hraktar charged at the hell hound, but the roaring already made the creature skittish. What could have been a powerful blow was dodged by the creature, but not enough. A minor cut appeared on its shoulder.


    Alejandra forgot that time slowed down a bit, so Nick continued the conversation as though there wasn¡¯t a thirty second delay for her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve now got that side quest, but I still don¡¯t know how to summon him. How did it work for you?¡± Nick asked.


    Alejandra¡¯s concentration was split, and admittedly she was more focused on what the hell hound would do to Hraktar. It readied itself before it leapt toward her fighter. He dodged the leap and the hell hound landed on the ground, growling. Nick winced, clearly focused on the fight, too.


    Once again, time stood still, and Alejandra tried to calm her trembling heart. Tried not to think that if the hell hound got a good smack at Hraktar, it could drop his hit points in half. She had to tell Nick the truth about what she suspected caused Hraktar to appear, no matter how awkward it was.


    She took a deep breath and rolled her dice high enough to hit the creature again. She tried to keep calm and rolled her damage dice. A two and a five. Technically, she could re-roll a low number die since Hraktar was using his two-handed sword. It was one of his feats. She re-rolled the two, but it ended up being another two. It didn¡¯t matter. With the bonus, it was still a better attack than her first one.


    Hraktar came down hard with his great sword. The hell hound was on its four paws, so it got a nasty chunk of its side taken out. It gave another yelp of pain as Alejandra turned to Nick.


    ¡°I was terrified the hell hound would eat you. Terrified you¡¯d be dead. I summoned Hraktar so he could protect you,¡± Alejandra said as quickly as possible. She didn¡¯t need to feel embarrassed, even though heat still crept up her cheeks. Nick had always been a great friend, even if she felt more about him than just as a friend. He¡¯d already asked her out once last year, and she pushed him away, afraid. Terrified, really.


    The hell hound leapt for a bite, and Alejandra gasped in anticipation. Hraktar easily stepped out of the way, and the hell hound was looking far more furious at its constant missed hits.


    Rules came into her mind. The disadvantage meant they had to roll twice and take the lowest of the two rolls. Which brought the strange question back to her mind. Who was the game master of this thing? Who rolled for the enemies?


    Time slowed down again, and she got another hit, this time rolling a six and a two. She tried re-rolling the two, but once again, got a two.


    Hraktar roared, bringing his great sword down on the hell hound. The creature yelped as the weapon sunk deep into his side. The creature looked bad, but also furious. Alejandra was terrified and in awe that perhaps Hraktar might take on the hell hound. She also knew that the only reason he could, was because he successfully intimidated the thing.


    The hell hound rose to its hind legs again, and Alejandra gripped Nick¡¯s shoulder. ¡°This isn¡¯t good,¡± she whispered.


    The hell hound snarled before breathing fire from its mouth, directly at Hraktar.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Nick mumbled, grabbing his phone. ¡°We¡¯re going to need a healer, fast.¡±


    Alejandra clutched her hair. ¡°I¡¯ve already tried calling everyone else. The hound must be almost dead. It¡¯s got to. We need more people to help finish it off! We need Grizzizzik!¡±


    The fire slammed against Hraktar, and time slowed down.


    Make a dexterity saving throw.


    Alejandra whimpered, her hands trembling. She had to roll high. She had to make the damage only go by half. This was a higher-level creature. If she failed, Hraktar would be unconscious. The damage could be high enough that he could instantly die.


    She rolled, closing her eyes, and opened as the dice clattered on the invisible table.


    Nat twenty.


    The rest of the air came out of her lungs. She didn¡¯t know what rules there were with a nat twenty on a saving throw, but at least it had to be high enough to cut the damage in half.


    The fire encompassed Hraktar, who backed away at the heat. Alejandra watched as his health points plummeted before stabilizing at seven.


    Nick closed his eyes, concentrating. Alejandra was terrified of what this meant. He couldn¡¯t take another attack like that.


    Alejandra rolled again, this time a seven. She cursed as no second dice appeared. Time resumed, and Hraktar went with a blow, but he was clearly weakened. The hell hound looked rejuvenated after finally hitting the fighter, giving a yip of enjoyment as Hraktar stumbled with his great sword. The hell dog, still on its hind legs, leapt onto the fighter, biting down on his shoulder.


    ¡°NO!¡± Alejandra screamed as Hraktar¡¯s hit points dropped to four. Hraktar collapsed to his knees, looking far worse after the bite as fire bubbled the skin where the teeth sank into his flesh.


    Time once again slowed down. Alejandra had tears in her eyes. She didn¡¯t know how many hit points that creature still had, but it was a lot more than what Hraktar had. She needed a miracle. Or an incredibly lucky roll.


    She got a seventeen, prompting two more dice to appear. She rolled, and with a five and three, plus the four for an added attack, she watched eagerly and hoped the hell hound would look worse.


    As time righted itself, Grizzizzik materialized like he was always there. The rogue had an annoyed expression. It changed to one of shock when he watched Hraktar grab his great sword and stab it right through the hell hound, releasing the biting dog and forcing it back. Grizzizzik stared, terrified.


    ¡°What¡­ the¡­ hell¡­¡± the rogue said as Nick gave a breath of relief.


    Hraktar straightened, holding his sword. ¡°An excellent description of the thing.¡±


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


    Grizzizzik thankfully jumped right in the action. Nick groaned. ¡°Nat twenty with a bad damage roll, even with a sneak attack. I hate those.¡±


    Grizzizzik ran to the hell hound with his rapier, giving a wide and quite impressive flourish before stabbing it in the other shoulder. The hell hound sneered before it leapt toward Grizzizzik, landing another deadly bite into the snake¡¯s flesh. Nick and Alejandra both winced as the rogue¡¯s hit points dropped to six.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming he had a bad damage roll too, but it still dropped him almost in half,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°We need to keep calling the other three. Someone¡¯s bound to pick up,¡± Alejandra said.


    Once she finished saying that, time again slowed down for her. She quickly rolled her dice, getting a seventeen with the modifier. She tried again, hoping against hope for two sixes, and instead got a four and a one. Even re-rolling, she got another one. She was sucking at this re-rolling business.


    Time resumed.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°About calling other people,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Time slowing down was difficult to adjust to while having a conversation. Alejandra picked up her phone. She watched as Hraktar sliced his great sword through the side of the hell hound at it gave a howl. It was enough for her to pause before hitting Derek¡¯s number. This might actually be enough. With the way the hell hound was staggering, there was a chance Grizzizzik could finish it.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± Nick hissed.


    Grizzizzik went for another fancy flourish, but the hell hound dodged it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It can¡¯t be much longer,¡± Alejandra said.


    The hell hound tried to snap back, but it was clear it was on its last leg. Time once again slowed down, and Alejandra tried not to whimper as she grabbed the dice again. She shook it and watched as a glorious nat twenty landed on the invisible table in front of her. She let out an excited gasp. This would be enough. This had to be enough!


    Three six-sided dice appeared, and she shook it an extra time, just to be certain. She closed her eyes too long. The dice disappeared and time resumed before she could see what it was. She looked up, terrified, as Hraktar marched up to the hell hound. He raised his great sword high above his head before slamming it down. There was a crunching sound as the skull gave in, and both Nick and Alejandra recoiled.


    The lava from the wounds, which had once been bright and pulsing, slowed before it dimmed. The black fires in the eye sockets went out. Alejandra took a few deep breaths, then realized just how deep her fingernails were digging into Nick¡¯s skin. She let go.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she mumbled.


    He absently rubbed them, still staring into the distance. ¡°Uh¡­ no problem.¡±


    Grizzizzik marched over to the car, tapping on the window next to Nick, looking angry. ¡°We need to talk.¡±


    Nick let out a sigh, almost annoyed, like he¡¯d heard that before, and opened the door to get out. Alejandra got out, too.


    ¡°How did you do that? How did you call me? Why didn¡¯t I have a choice?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    Nick leaned against the car. ¡°Hraktar was in danger. We needed you.¡±


    ¡°I hate this mystical portal, thrusting me into a battle. Hate not knowing what I¡¯m getting into. Hate that I transported here like¡­ like¡­¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Nick said.


    That seemed to annoy Grizzizzik even more. ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I created you. I have a better idea than you think. You don¡¯t enjoy committing yourself until you know you¡¯re going to get something out of this. You and Hraktar are a far cry from friends, and going out of your way to save him isn¡¯t your cup of tea. More importantly, I know how much having the bag of dice unsettles you. Something you think you ought to have control over, but the simple fact of the matter is not even I have control over it. It¡¯s completely up to chance. It¡¯s all part of the game.¡±


    Grizzizzik gave a hiss that made goosebumps rise on Alejandra¡¯s arms. She saw his teeth lengthen just enough to look threatening. ¡°This is not a game. This is my life.¡±


    Alejandra didn¡¯t want to stay and overhear. Besides, she had something more pressing to get to. She ran over to Hraktar, who sheathed his great sword. He was still on his hands and knees, trying to get his bearings.


    ¡°Hraktar?¡± she asked.


    He glanced up at her, then looked to the side. ¡°Hello.¡±


    Alejandra understood that look, coupled with that tone. It was like Nick said. She had created this character into being. She understood the hesitancy, understood how much he felt like a monster, especially after taking down a hell hound. She had never vocalized his thoughts in role playing, but she saw the haunting fears on his face as clearly as though he had spoken them out loud. He was thinking of only one thing: perhaps his friends were finally horrified enough at what he was capable of that they would run away.


    Alejandra didn¡¯t need to drop to her knees. Hraktar was still tall enough that she wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling the tears she had already shed as more spilled onto her cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re alive.¡± She felt a hand on her back as he attempted to return the hug. ¡°Thank you for saving my life.¡±


    ¡°It¡­ never would have hurt you,¡± Hraktar said.


    ¡°It terrified me enough, and you got rid of it. Thank you.¡±


    Something flashed in front of her eyes, and the experience bar lengthened.


    600/900 XP


    Reached level two!


    ¡°Congratulations, Hraktar. You¡¯ve gained a level,¡± Alejandra said as she backed away.


    Hraktar looked confused. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know what that means.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re getting stronger. We just need to figure out¡­ we might need to make some decisions shortly.¡± Alejandra knew there weren¡¯t a ton of options from level one to level two for a fighter, but more hit points would always be a welcome relief at this point. They always said that most characters who survived past five levels could make it pretty far. Another way to look at it was if people had enough sessions to get past level five, the character would go for a while. What with all their busy schedules, they barely made it to the fifth level when playing as kids, so there might have been some truth to that.


    Her phone went off, and she saw Derek calling. ¡°Oh, um, just a second.¡± She answered it, putting it to her ear. ¡°Hello?¡±


    Hraktar was still on his knees, resting.


    ¡°Alejandra? You called?¡± Derek said.


    Alejandra glanced at the remains of the hell hound. ¡°Um¡­ you could say that, yes.¡±


    ¡°Is it¡­ about something we¡¯re both a part of?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ car trouble,¡± Alejandra said, knowing it was partially true. ¡°But Nick is here, so I¡¯m fine. We¡¯ve taken care of the initial problem, we¡¯re just figuring out how to¡­ take care of the rest of it. Where are you?¡±


    ¡°On my way to where you are. Where are you?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Parking lot outside the school.¡±


    ¡°On it.¡±


    Derek hung up without saying goodbye. Grizzizzik broke away from the conversation with Nick to walk over to the body.


    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Alejandra asked, as Nick appeared at her side.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m trying to convince him that experience points are actually great and he needs no more monetary incentive to pop up and start fighting, but he¡¯s looting the body anyway.¡± They watched Grizzizzik poke the body with his rapier. ¡°I don¡¯t think he likes me much.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it personally. I have a feeling Grizzizzik doesn¡¯t like anyone.¡± Alejandra folded her arms, the heat of the day getting to her. She didn¡¯t know how Grizzizzik could approach a body that looked like it was made of fire and start prodding it. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m certain Grizzizzik saved Hraktar¡¯s life by taking some of the damage the hell hound was giving.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I doubt it. I¡¯ve seen Hraktar fight. Grizzizzik didn¡¯t get a single swing in,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Did you get experience points for that, too?¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Yeah, about a hundred and fifty, bringing the total to two hundred. Another hundred points and Grizzizzik will get to level two.¡±


    Alejandra nodded, then glanced at Hraktar as he stood on shaking legs, the four hit points showing on his physical being. Also, the fighter didn¡¯t want to be around the rogue who was still poking through the body.


    ¡°Hraktar got a lot of experience for that, but I¡¯m happy to share a bit with Grizzizzik.¡±


    ¡°Nice. It must have given him more for doing more,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Yeah, he did a lot.¡± Experience points were new to her. She was used to Tyler mentioning after a few sessions that everyone could level up. It was no doubt easier to keep track instead of dividing experience points.


    ¡°So, did he level up?¡± Nick asked.


    She watched her fighter stumble toward the line of trees. ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s now at level two.¡±


    ¡°Good. Sure, leveling up is always a great dopamine hit, but it¡¯s more than that now. The more these characters level up, the more likely they¡¯ll survive. It¡¯ll also buy us the time we need to figure out how to get them home.¡±


    Derek sprinted into the parking lot and looked around. His eyes fell on Grizzizzik, picking through the body.


    ¡°What¡¯s Grizzizzik doing, anyway?¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°He¡¯s got a feat that makes it so he can make weapons out of¡­¡± Nick trailed off. Memories came back of Nick requesting the different body parts to make weapons. Tyler simply agreeing to it versus watching Grizzizzik break the hell hound¡¯s jaw open were two completely different things. Grizzizzik grabbed the large canine tooth and, with a quick pull, the tooth popped out of the carcass. Alejandra recoiled as Nick shook his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s going to be a wicked awesome dagger, though. Not going to lie,¡± Nick said as Grizzizzik moved on to pulling out the other teeth and the claws.


    Derek slowed down, frowning. He turned his attention to Nick and Alejandra. ¡°How¡¯d these two get here so fast? What happened? Is¡­ that a hell hound?¡±


    Nick sighed, then motioned for everyone to follow. ¡°It¡¯s too damn hot out here. Everyone in my car, then we¡¯ll explain the story.¡±

 Chapter 21

    Nick explained the story to Derek while he drove his car closer to Alejandra¡¯s and hooked up jumper cables to the two cars. She seriously hoped that would work. She didn¡¯t want to call anyone to have them work on it. It was barely holding together as it was, and they simply couldn¡¯t afford it right now. She didn¡¯t want to go home to Mariana with a long list of all the things wrong with their old car with the price tags for how to fix it. She hardly saw her mom as it was. Mariana had a part time night shift and a cleaning job during the day.


    Once Nick finished the story, Derek was fascinated with the possibility of teleporting the characters. He tried it with Milo. After the fourth try, the mana fusor appeared. Alejandra was watching to see how it happened, like if there was some portal that opened up, but it was more like a fast materialization. Almost like in Star Trek, except not nearly as glittery, and with no noise to accompany it.


    Milo glanced around long enough to notice the hell hound before a light of excitement hit his eye. ¡°I could mine some red and black mana out of this thing!¡± Grizzizzik was almost finished as Milo joined him on the ground, pulling out vials and placing them around the cooled lava. As cool as it could be on a hot August day in Arizona.


    Alejandra was behind the wheel of her car, hoping this would work. She put the key in, the sputtering of the engine like music to her ears as it roared to life. Nick smiled, and about said something when his phone went off. He took it out, and Alejandra watched his face steel over as he got back in his car to take the call. It seemed like his boss. When he talked to Walt, a glare always accompanied his face, and he had no such glare. Alejandra distracted herself by looking at Hraktar¡¯s new stats.


    Hraktar, being at level two, got the new skill of action surge. He could hit something again on his turn, but he could only use it once. He would need a short or long rest to restore the ability. She didn¡¯t have the option to choose; it was just given to her. Also, she rolled some dice and watched his hit points rise to twenty-four, which felt amazing. With Hraktar¡¯s half-orc race, he already got some bonus hit points, which saved his life in this fight. He was just finishing his hour-long rest in the shade, and with two dice now, he was looking far better with nineteen hit points back. She was excited for the full twenty-four to come back.


    The call wasn¡¯t long, and Nick was already out unhooking the jumper cables.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll just finish up here and then get back to my work and talk to my boss,¡± Nick said.


    He was trying not to sound nervous, but Alejandra picked up on it. ¡°I¡¯m really¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize, Alejandra. I don¡¯t regret it. You were in trouble.¡± Nick said it to her, but he was keeping his eye on Grizzizzik. ¡°Is there a reverse portal? Or do I have to take him with me to work?¡±


    Alejandra watched as Grizzizzik was already setting up some sort of contraption to dry out the skin of the hell hound. She wasn¡¯t sure what was involved in making daggers, but it certainly looked disgusting. ¡°Well, on the bright side, at least he can¡¯t touch anything.¡±


    Nick chuckled as he checked the clock on his phone. The clock, calling, and messaging were about all it could do. ¡°Drive around town for about twenty minutes to get a good charge on that battery. And call if you see anything else.¡± Nick slipped his old phone back in his pocket.


    ¡°Well, hopefully with Derek being aware, I won¡¯t have to bother you at work,¡± Alejandra said.


    Nick gave her one of his half smiles. ¡°Nah, you can always bother me at work.¡±


    Alejandra let a smile creep across her face. ¡°Well, thank you. And¡­ I hope you don¡¯t get into too much trouble because of me.¡±


    ¡°You had car problems. That¡¯s the story we¡¯re going with,¡± Nick said, glancing at Derek, who nodded. ¡°Alright, well, see you later.¡±


    Alejandra didn¡¯t feel like that was a good enough parting, considering how much Nick risked for her. She walked over, wrapping her arms around his neck. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Nick hugged her back. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    She tried to make the hug short, trying really hard to make the hug more friendly than anything else. Nick liked her more than a friend, and she didn¡¯t want to lead him on. She was just scared. She turned him down because she was just discovering her Mexican side that her dictator-like father denied her. More than that, she didn¡¯t know what it would look like for her to date Nick. Rafael didn¡¯t approve. And if it was just Rafael, she would have ignored him, but Mariana didn¡¯t, either. Mariana was afraid of his bad boy persona. She didn¡¯t have to listen to Mariana, but she couldn¡¯t help it. She was her mom.


    Which meant she had to stop hugging Nick. She broke away, not looking at him. ¡°Let me know what your boss says. You can text me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Um¡­ I¡¯ll call you instead. After work,¡± Nick said.


    Alejandra was confused, then remembered Nick hated texting because Walt read them all. ¡°Right.¡±


    The hint of the glare returned to his face as his mind obviously went to Walt. He slammed the trunk of his car harder than usual. ¡°I get off work about eight. I¡¯ll call you later if that¡¯s okay.¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s fine,¡± Alejandra said.


    Nick still had the hint of a glare on his face he was trying to stifle. ¡°Great. I¡¯ll talk to you later, then. Grizzizzik! You¡¯re coming with me.¡±


    The rogue glanced up from checking the skin. ¡°I can¡¯t just move this.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t keep you here, either. Come on, bring it all in the car and you can keep doing this while I¡¯m at work.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes narrowed, the snakelike nostrils flaring as he gathered his things. Alejandra was nervous for Nick, but Nick had his own growing glare. Once they were in the car, Nick drove off, waving at Derek, who had brought his own car around. Milo didn¡¯t even notice, as he took a small knife and started scraping off some of the lava from the corpse. Alejandra didn¡¯t dare turn off her car, but she wanted to talk with Derek for a bit.


    ¡°Are you going to be okay here?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be fine. Milo is in the zone, and if he¡¯s right and he can create black and red mana, then that¡¯s a good bump in his experience points.¡±


    Alejandra smiled at Derek¡¯s enthusiasm. To her, this was a game, but to Derek and Tyler, it was life. Though it had now become her life. And perhaps she didn¡¯t know how she felt about it. Derek got out of the car to hand Milo a water bottle. Alejandra stayed in the shade of the trees near Hraktar as Derek joined her. He folded his arms, watching Milo prodding the corpse with his magical wrench.


    ¡°Hey, Derek, the hell hound figured out how to stop my engine. I don¡¯t know how, but I¡¯d feel a lot better if I did,¡± Alejandra said.


    Derek nodded, concern on his face. ¡°Yeah. Me too. They shouldn¡¯t be able to touch our world. I¡¯ll try to do¡­ research.¡±


    Alejandra understood the hesitancy. How were they supposed to research something like this?


    ¡°I know this is absolutely none of my business, but Nick is going to turn eighteen in April.¡±


    Alejandra was confused. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t see how you find it awkward that you know Nick¡¯s birthday.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying you two have been dancing around each other since our fourth session of CCNC. I figured he¡¯d asked you out by now.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Alejandra¡¯s cheeks reddened. ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­ um.¡± Her face screwed up in thought. ¡°Didn¡¯t he¡­ already tell you¡­¡± Derek waited, his eyebrow slowly raising the longer the silence lasted between them. ¡°He¡¯s already asked. I¡¯m just¡­ figuring some things out.¡±


    ¡°Oh. No, he didn¡¯t mention it. When was this? Last week?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Um¡­ last year.¡± Why was she saying this to Derek?


    Derek snorted, then tried to hide it. He mumbled something to himself that she thought was in Spanish, but then she thought she heard the word ¡°simp¡± in there.


    ¡°What?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Derek cleared his throat. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯ll just say again, April is coming.¡±


    Alejandra sighed. ¡°I know. It¡¯s just¡­¡± she trailed off. ¡°Come on, Hraktar. Let¡¯s go for a drive around town.¡±


    The fighter nodded and stood, getting into the back of the car. Alejandra waved to Derek, who was heading into his car. He waved back.


    Hraktar struggled again with the seatbelt, not looking at her when he finally clicked the seatbelt in. ¡°Forgive me. I¡¯m still getting used to it.¡±


    Alejandra let herself smile as she pulled out of the parking lot. ¡°We both seem to apologize a lot, don¡¯t we?¡±


    They pulled out of the parking lot, waving a final time to Derek and Milo as they drove away.


    ***


    Nick walked into the back of the bookstore. Grizzizzik had set up his pelt again to make sure it was drying before walking in. The rogue looked around, suppressing a smile at all the things in the back.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to remind you that you literally cannot touch anything,¡± Nick said.


    Grizzizzik shrugged. ¡°For now, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t like the way Grizzizzik said that. ¡°I¡¯m serious. Don¡¯t touch anything.¡±


    Grizzizzik said nothing.


    ¡°Nick,¡± his boss called from upstairs.


    He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck before walking up the stairs to his boss¡¯ office. ¡°Hey, Mr. Morgan.¡±


    ¡°Come sit, please,¡± Mr. Morgan said.


    Nick sat down in the chair across from an absolutely chaotic desk. Though it was a bookstore, Nick knew his boss got most of his money from selling random things online. When Walt set this job up for Nick, it wasn¡¯t for customer service; it was for manual labor of moving around shipping boxes and registering things onto the computer. He had been trained on the basics of how to ring someone up in case of emergencies, but he was happy to stay in the back.


    ¡°Tell me what happened again. From the beginning,¡± Mr. Morgan said.


    Nick did, though he left out the hell hound. He didn¡¯t notice Grizzizzik followed him until the rogue was there, leaning against the wall, pulling out a small knife to work on sharpening one of the hell hound¡¯s teeth. Nick did his best not to watch him, because he knew Grizzizzik was there to gain information. His rogue did not make friends. He gathered information about people to understand their weakness and use it like bargaining chips. The fact that he was invisible to Mr. Morgan made his rogue abilities far more powerful than they should be.


    Once the story of Alejandra¡¯s car troubles was done, Mr. Morgan leaned back in his chair. ¡°Thank you for telling me.¡±


    Nick nodded. ¡°I will understand if you doc my pay for the hour I was gone, sir. I¡¯m really sorry, but she said no one else was picking up her call.¡±


    Mr. Morgan nodded. ¡°It is dangerous having car troubles in August.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for understanding,¡± Nick couldn¡¯t help but say.


    Mr. Morgan studied him some more. Nick tried to look relaxed, but he wasn¡¯t. Mr. Morgan and Walt were excellent friends, and this would get back to him. ¡°Look, Nick, when I hired you two years ago, I was waiting for something like this to happen. I waited for the delinquent Walt described to me. Skipping work. Flippant attitude. Untrustworthy. I took an enormous risk hiring you, but you¡¯ve been an incredibly hard worker these past two years. The one time you have skipped work was to help a friend in need, and¡­ and I find that commendable. I¡¯m not punishing you. I won¡¯t tell your father. If something like this ever happens again, you¡¯ll at least let your head manager know.¡±


    Some of the tenseness ease from Nick¡¯s chest. Turns out two years of keeping his head down and working hard would at least help him gain the trust of his boss, but he was scared. He doubted this would be a onetime thing. His rogue watching Mr. Morgan while sharpening the tooth of a hell hound was obviously one of the bigger clues that things were getting more chaotic.


    ¡°I will, sir. Um, thank you for your trust. But I¡¯m certain my father will find out anyway,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Well, you did the right thing. I doubt Walt will punish you,¡± Mr. Morgan said.


    Then you don¡¯t really know him.


    He was already expecting the conversation. Ready to see Walt¡¯s face as he noticed the missed call from Alejandra, and the call he made to her during work hours. He was not ready for Walt to distrust him so deeply.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll get back to work, sir. Thank you again.¡± Nick got up, and Grizzizzik followed, still sharpening the tooth with a smile on his face.

 Chapter 22

    Derek watched, fascinated, as Milo got to work in the kitchen. From what he could tell, Milo had pulled out a lot of the vital essence from the hell hound and placed it in separate beakers or vials while out there in the scorching sun. But then he also placed the entire carcass in his inventory to bring home. The entire thing vanished when Milo placed it behind his back. It was the strangest thing. Derek doubted anyone else could smell it, because no one else commented on the sulfur smell drifting through the air of their home.


    Milo got to work on the stove, heating the magma back up. He fiddled with the stove, and something below it glowed. That was definitely not electricity.


    ¡°Do you¡­¡± Derek started to say before he wondered if he was breaking Milo¡¯s concentration. Derek glanced around and saw his little brother Antonio working on homework, completely oblivious to Milo. Derek got up and walked closer to the mana fusor. ¡°Do you remember what it was like in¡­ the Shrouded Domain?¡± Derek still kept an eye on Antonio, but he wasn¡¯t listening to Derek, focused completely on his assignments with his head phones in. Derek grabbed an apple just to look like he was here for a snack.


    ¡°Of course I remember home,¡± Milo said as the beaker glowed. Derek was now afraid of being so near Milo. He may only be in AP biology, but he knew enough not to stick a beaker straight onto a stovetop. At least they were Milo¡¯s, so perhaps they had some sort of magical protection.


    Until he thought about the reason Milo and the others traveled to earth in the first place.


    ¡°Could you tell a difference? Going from a level five and reverting to level one?¡±


    ¡°I figured it must have something to do with this new atmosphere. Makes some skills not coming to me as easily,¡± Milo said.


    ¡°It¡¯s just you¡¯re acting a lot like an alchemist, and I thought¡­ are you still interested in being an artillerist like before?¡±


    ¡°Every mana fusor at his core is an alchemist, but I have no intentions of making that a career.¡± Milo tapped the beaker with his magical wrench, and it glowed a dark red color. ¡°I know how weak I am compared to the others. I¡¯ve always been¡­ what¡¯s the word¡­¡±


    ¡°Squishy?¡± Derek ventured.


    Milo shrugged. ¡°Sure. Squishy. I don¡¯t like it. Especially since I can remember what it was like at home. The air thick with mana. Being able to channel it into my inventions. Being able to wipe out enemies more efficiently even than Hraktar with my cannon. I have no intention of staying behind in my lab, but I certainly appreciate it for the weapons it gives me.¡±


    Derek nodded, then was struck with an idea. ¡°Do you know why Alejandra had car trouble today?¡± Derek had a feeling that Antonio would hear if he said hell hound. He didn¡¯t get the full story from Alejandra, but cars were a thing of technology, and perhaps Milo had an idea how a magical being could touch technology. The world slowed down, and Derek glanced around, curious.


    Roll for insight.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Derek said as he took the d20. He rolled it and smiled when it landed on twenty. That had to be good.


    Time resumed. Milo kept his fingers hovered around the beaker. His brows furrowed in thought. ¡°That man that we went to go visit. The one who used to court your sister.¡±


    ¡°Tyler?¡± Derek said, feeling his heart hammering.


    ¡°Yes. Tyler. The only people who can see us are those who have a part to play in protecting your realm,¡± Milo said.


    ¡°Protecting¡­ my realm? What are you talking about?¡± Derek said.


    ¡°We are adventurers. We go where we need to be. Sure, we mess things up at times, but we do our best. We¡¯re almost guided to protect those who can¡¯t protect themselves. We¡¯re needed here. No one else wants to admit it, but something sinister is afoot,¡± Milo said.


    Derek resisted the urge to crack a joke. A lot of what Milo was saying was making sense, and he didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°This is beyond Grizzizzik¡¯s father. Even beyond Torraq. It¡¯s best to discover why we showed up in the first place before figuring out how to get back. There might be something we need to do to protect this realm before we return to ours, and your friend Tyler is the key.¡±


    Derek felt a chill creep through his body. With everything he¡¯d experienced, he almost wouldn¡¯t have believed it. But he rolled a nat twenty. Milo told him everything he knew about the subject, and he was deeply uncomfortable about the answer.


    His main quest tab pulled open by itself, and writing appeared in there.


    Figure out what Tyler knows.


    Derek pushed off from the counter, pulling out his phone and called Tyler. He didn¡¯t answer, his voicemail popping up.


    ¡°Hey Tyler. It¡¯s Derek.¡± There was an obvious tremor in his voice that he could not force to be calm. ¡°Um¡­ we need to do a CCNC sesh. As soon as possible. With everyone. Call me back, please.¡±


    ***


    ¡°You believed it?¡± Nick asked.


    He heard Alejandra¡¯s laughter on the other side of the phone. ¡°Of course I believed it! Billy isn¡¯t one to lie!¡±


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    Nick laughed again. ¡°That¡¯s all Billy does. He must have been worse in elementary school.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame nine-year-old me for wanting to see a flying iguana. Blame Billy for getting my hopes up.¡±


    Nick couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, but it quickly ended when he heard the knock at the door.


    ¡°Nick? It¡¯s ten o¡¯clock,¡± Walt said.


    All the mirth left his body. Ten o¡¯clock was his deadline for his phone. Nick¡¯s nostrils flared. ¡°Uh, Alejandra? I¡¯ve¡­ um, I¡¯ve got to go.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I guess it is getting late, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    He got off his bed. ¡°Yeah. It is. I¡¯m really glad your car¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Me too. Thank you again. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow at school,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±


    Nick opened the door as he ended the call. Walt was there, and Nick tried not to react as he also saw Grizzizzik leaning against the wall, still working on making a dagger out of the hell hound¡¯s tooth.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± Walt asked, taking the phone.


    ¡°Alejandra Walker,¡± Nick said, as Walt checked the phone to make sure he wasn¡¯t lying. Alejandra once told him that her name was a specific request from her mother. Since Mariana took Jack¡¯s last name, she wanted to give her children more Hispanic names. From what he heard, it was the only request Jack allowed.


    ¡°Walker? Is that Rafael Walker¡¯s little sister?¡± his father asked.


    ¡°Um, yeah. Yeah, it is.¡±


    Walt¡¯s face noticeably relaxed, which made Nick¡¯s stiffen. ¡°Rafael¡¯s a good kid. You should invite him around more often.¡±


    Nick was glad Walt was more focused on the phone, because he was sure his eye twitched. He resisted the urge to touch the scar across his eyebrow. It was never a good idea to remind Walt about how he got that. ¡°He¡¯s too busy nowadays.¡± And is as unforgiving as you when he learned about the car crash.


    ¡°No doubt. It¡¯s what makes him such a good kid. Though it looks like you¡¯re going to be having a CCNC session with him on Saturday.¡±


    Nick frowned. ¡°What?¡±


    Walt showed him the small screen of his phone, which didn¡¯t help. ¡°Derek texted about an hour ago.¡±


    Nick took the phone, noticing the group text.


    CCNC sesh with Tyler this Saturday! No one miss it! (I¡¯m looking at you, Rafael)


    Derek¡¯s reply had an emoji of gigantic eyes. He scrolled through his friends¡¯ replies. There was more to this. He was grateful Derek and everyone else pretended this was a session instead of the obvious that it was figuring out their current situation.


    ¡°So can I go?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Sure, sure. Say hello to Rafael for me.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Nick said through a clamped jaw as Walt took the phone back.


    ¡°So why were you talking to Alejandra so much today?¡± He paused, his fingers on the phone history. ¡°Missed call from her. Then you called her back. During work.¡±


    ¡°She had car trouble. I left to help her. I was calling her tonight to make sure she got home alright,¡± Nick said.


    Walt glanced up, eyes narrowing. ¡°What was wrong with her car?¡±


    ¡°Her battery was dead. I helped her jump it,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°How long did it take?¡±


    Nick shrugged. ¡°An hour, tops. There, jump the battery and chat for a bit, back to work.¡±


    ¡°And Ike knew about this?¡± his father asked.


    Nick knew Walt would call his boss, so he had to be as truthful as possible. ¡°When she called, she was stuck in the car. I left without saying anything because it was dangerous. But I explained the whole situation to Mr. Morgan, and he found nothing wrong with that.¡±


    Walt¡¯s suspicion was there, like he knew it would. ¡°I shall get back to you if I have questions,¡± he said before leaving the room with his phone. The glare settled over Nick¡¯s face. Grizzizzik watched the encounter with curiosity before glancing back at Nick, smiling.


    ¡°Lovely father you have.¡±


    Nick said nothing, heading into his room. Grizzizzik followed, closing the door behind him. ¡°No offense, man, but you¡¯re not exactly the best person to go to for father son relationship advice.¡±


    Grizzizzik settled against the wall. ¡°I could help you get rid of him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I mean.¡± Nick checked the door again to make sure Walt was far enough away. ¡°In this world, it¡¯s in fact frowned upon for kids to kill their parents.¡±


    ¡°Who said anything about killing?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    Nick gave him a look. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s my bad. I guess I can¡¯t imagine you suggesting anything different when you¡¯re sharpening the tooth of a hell hound you recently pulled from its corpse.¡±


    Grizzizzik smiled lovingly at the tooth. ¡°You got me there.¡±


    ¡°Once I turn eighteen, I¡¯m moving out. I just need to make it to April tenth,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°And then what?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    Nick glanced at Grizzizzik. The snake man was rubbing something on the tooth, looking focused, but the question hung in the air. He expected an answer.


    ¡°And then what¡­ what?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°You move out of this house, and then what?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    Nick blinked. ¡°Move into an apartment. Get my own place. Keep working so I can pay rent.¡±


    ¡°An apartment where?¡±


    ¡°Um, not sure. I probably won¡¯t have a car, so it¡¯ll have to be within a bikes ride to school and work,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Grizzizzik felt the tooth. ¡°And then what?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to finish school. It¡¯d be stupid to drop out a month before the year ends.¡±


    ¡°Okay. And then what?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    Annoyance crept through him. ¡°You don¡¯t really seem like the kind of person who actually cares.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± Grizzizzik blew something off the tooth. ¡°But I am interested. Interested to see what kind of person you are, partially for self-preservation.¡± He set the sharp tooth to one side before pulling out a femur bone. Inventories in CCNC were never logical. Grizzizzik just reached behind himself and pulled out an entire femur. He pulled out a bottle and opened it. ¡°Are you the dreamer? A man who always believes there¡¯s something better for him once he achieves the thing he thinks he wants? Waits patiently on someone else¡¯s deadline to escape a prison he doesn¡¯t deserve?¡± He pulled out a rag, placing it over the top of the bottle, turning the bottle to the side. ¡°Or are you the man who pulls a dream from sleep and grapples with it, demanding it work for him now?¡±


    Nick frowned, watching the rogue wipe down the bone. ¡°Again, Grizzizzik, I¡¯m not killing my father.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who created me, right?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    Nick didn¡¯t know why that thought made him so uncomfortable. Grizzizzik was literally just a person he thought of before placing pencil to paper. Somehow, Grizzizzik was brought to life. ¡°I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s my backstory?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    Nick understood why Grizzizzik was questioning him. The rogue rarely told his backstory. The only reason the others knew was because Hraktar forced the backstory out of him like¡­ well, like a rogue pulling teeth out of a hell hound carcass. Grizzizzik wouldn¡¯t volunteer this information. He was going to see how much Nick knew about it.


    Which was an interesting idea. Grizzizzik certainly looked like how Nick imagined. Definitely acted like it. But what if there was something in his backstory that didn¡¯t line up? What if Grizzizzik just looked like him, but wasn¡¯t him somehow? There had to be a way to check, but for now he was curious to know how the rogue would react to Nick knowing the entire backstory.


    Nick paused, then went over to his desk. He opened a drawer and riffled through it before finding his Grizzizzik notebook he used to keep when he was younger. Different drawings of his face, different drawings of weapons. He never planned on showing anyone this, and he hadn¡¯t opened it in years. But if Grizzizzik wanted proof, he would give it to him.

 Chapter 23

    ¡°Grizzizzik is a fallen prince of the crime king Akshi, Torraq¡¯s right-hand man. Akshi rules the crime of the city of Osvoroth, and Grizzizzik knew he was going to take over his father¡¯s business. He already had plans of how to expand it and make it better, with the belief that business would triple within the year.¡± Nick ventured a glance at Grizzizzik. He was still focused on wiping down the femur bone with a rag coated in whatever was in that bottle. Nick continued. ¡°But Akshi discovered his son¡¯s plans and considered it a threat, thinking Grizzizzik would kill him and take over as soon as possible. Akshi made a show of Grizzizzik¡¯s supposed betrayal, humiliating him in front of his co-workers and friends as an act to show him just how much power he has in the city. How much Akshi owns the criminal underground. Considering Grizzizzik will never be welcomed in pleasant company, it was a way for Akshi to show Grizzizzik his place. Once the humiliation was done, Akshi threw Grizzizzik in the dungeon.¡±


    Again, Nick glanced up, but the rogue remained focused on the bone. Though Nick could detect the slight hardening in his eyes.


    ¡°Grizzizzik, trying not to be threatened by the entire thing, used his brain to escape from imprisonment and the city, finding his father relying too much on magic and proud that he could logic his way out of his cell. For years Akshi hunted him, but he made sure his father stumbled on the corpses of those who tried to catch him to send his own message.¡± Nick cleared his throat again, thinking of this as an exaggerated story.


    When he thought of it as a twelve-year-old, he was annoyed at how controlling Walt got. He imagined a situation where it was ten times worse for his character, so Nick could at least feel lucky that he personally didn¡¯t have a father like his rogue character. ¡°Grizzizzik is angry at Akshi, but only when he thinks of him as a father. If he thinks of him as a mortal enemy, he is excited to bring the man down.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s slow, steady wiping down of a femur bone brought goosebumps to Nick¡¯s arms. He glanced down at the final two paragraphs of the backstory.


    ¡°Grizzizzik cared little for others before Akshi¡¯s betrayal. And now he has no interest in making friends. He is more interested in taking his place as the rightful king of crime. Before he was willing to wait for Akshi to die of either old age or crime related deaths, but now, if given the opportunity, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to slit his own father¡¯s throat.¡± Nick placed the page down, trying to smile as he recited the last paragraph. ¡°Grizzizzik does not attend parties, and if he does, he is no fun at them.¡±


    The rogue finally stopped wiping down the bone and gave Nick a dull look. He set down the bone and rag before standing, holding his hand out to Nick. Despite his better judgement, Nick handed the notebook over to him. Grizzizzik looked at it with curiosity. The curiosity was just a cover. Deep in Nick¡¯s gut, he could tell Grizzizzik felt unsettled that Nick knew the darkest moment of his life. The rogue flipped through the other pages, seeing the drawing of himself made by a twelve-year-old. Some with the gold and black, some with the attempt at more gold than black, before settling on the mostly black with gold. Turning a page, he saw the snake body with an X over it, then a drawing of a more humanoid snake man. There were different pages for facial expressions, and the diagram of how the teeth would elongate when he felt threatened or wanted to intimidate someone else. It had to be so incredibly unnerving to see a drawn picture of himself with colored pencils and smudges.


    ¡°How old were you?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    ¡°Twelve,¡± Nick said.


    He saw the curiosity melt away and the hardness of his eyes return. ¡°You¡­ imagined me into being? At twelve?¡±


    Nick wasn¡¯t sure how to answer that. Grizzizzik was already grumpy and closed off in stressful situations. He didn¡¯t know what an existential crisis would do to him. Nick felt the urge to say something, and with horror, realized his mouth was opening and words tumbled out. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ just as surprised as you are.¡±


    Nick remembered telling Tyler the entirety of Grizzizzik¡¯s background in a private conversation so his game master could weave it into the plot of the overarching story. He expected this older boy to roll his eyes at how dark it all was. Instead, Tyler had a huge smile on his face.


    ¡°Rogues, am I right?¡± Tyler asked before giving Nick a high five. Tyler specifically enjoyed how Nick took something like Akshi, a cannon feature of the game and given it more depth.


    It was two years after the creation of this character when he woke up in a hospital bed with policemen all around, asking him questions to determine whether he had parents or if he needed to be put in the system. Some of them wanted to play around the law to get him into a juvenile detention center there because of just how dangerous a gang Eddy was in. They concluded Nick was an unfortunate kid who didn¡¯t have his head on straight. A rebellious teen who wanted to prove himself and wound up in the wrong crowd. They failed to mention that the police really couldn¡¯t do anything anyway, because of how lenient the law was toward minors, but when Walt showed up, he assured every policeman in the room that Nick would never be in trouble with the law again as long as he was under his roof. Nick never wanted to slit his own father¡¯s throat, but he did feel trapped and humiliated in a prison he couldn¡¯t escape.


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    Grizzizzik stopped flipping through the notebook, almost shoving it back in Nick¡¯s hand. He was not smiling. Nick kept his eyes on the rogue.


    ¡°Who else knows about this?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    ¡°Everyone in the group,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°That little blonde, too?¡±


    Nick paused, frowning. ¡°You mean my sister?¡± Grizzizzik didn¡¯t answer, but it was clear that¡¯s who he meant. ¡°Yeah, she knows. When Hraktar hung you upside down and forced you to admit who your father was, everyone else around the table knew, too.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes narrowed. He then turned, sitting back down on the floor. He went back to sharpening the tooth. ¡°There¡¯s something on that paper you haven¡¯t written. Something I feel you already know but haven¡¯t realized it yet. Despite my history and the world I grew up in, killing isn¡¯t the first thing I turn to.¡± Grizzizzik kept his eyes focused on the tooth. ¡°If a creature is trying to kill me, of course I¡¯d rather kill him first. I¡¯d like to think I am merciful, but in truth I am the guy they send if something needs to happen that the other members of the group are too morally afraid to do. If a plan is effective and it doesn¡¯t need bodies littered around everywhere, then all the better. Despite what everyone else thinks, murder isn¡¯t what I like, but it is something I¡¯ll do in a pinch.¡± Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes flashed toward Nick. There was such an intensity to it that Nick took a step back as Grizzizzik¡¯s teeth lengthened. ¡°But I will. If I have to. When every other option won¡¯t do the job. If I am unsatisfied.¡±


    The yellow snake eyes were so intense. Nick could almost hear Tyler asking for an intimidation check, but that wouldn¡¯t work, because there was no way Nick was going to roll for an intimidation check on himself. It still caused a chill to go up his spine and for him to think that perhaps he didn¡¯t want Grizzizzik sleeping in the same room as him.


    ¡°You can¡¯t hurt me,¡± Nick said in a whisper.


    Grizzizzik smiled, and he realized too late what this was. Grizzizzik pulled a power play over Nick. From the beginning, the rogue was always uncomfortable that he was meeting his creator. Someone out there controlling part of his destiny made him sick. Nick being seventeen didn¡¯t help, and him being created when Nick was twelve made it even worse. Nick had a sneaky suspicion they would always get into a power struggle, because Grizzizzik was always the one to see how far he could push things.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I can¡¯t hurt you. But you might as well know I¡¯m trying to figure out how. Just in case.¡± Grizzizzik thumbed the sharpened hell hound tooth, taking half a hit point as the blade cut into his finger. The rogue smiled. ¡°I do believe the blade is ready.¡±


    Nick had his arms folded. He was trying to keep himself steady, but the urge to get somewhere safe was a difficult thing to ignore. Much like facing down a hell hound knowing it technically couldn¡¯t maul you. Though it was difficult to imagine that when it was running right at you.


    ¡°I¡¯m checking on my sister.¡±


    Grizzizzik said nothing as Nick left. He closed the door, his hands trembling. The rogue hated authority. Nick knew this about his character. It still didn¡¯t prepare him, though. Nick was going to have to figure out a way to get Grizzizzik¡¯s respect. That seemed almost as impossible as getting him back to the Shrouded Domain. A place he once thought was imaginary. He needed to get Grizzizzik home before he figured out how to touch this world.


    He found himself at Evelyn¡¯s door and knocked.


    ¡°Just a sec!¡± he heard Evelyn say from within.


    Nick had a vague idea of what he wanted to ask her, but he was still rattled after his conversation with Grizzizzik.


    The door opened as he heard Enya playing in the background. Nick recoiled. ¡°Oh, god.¡±


    Evelyn had a bathrobe wrapped around her pajamas with something green on her face. It had to be some sort of face mask. She was blowing on her newly painted aqua green fingernails, and her hair was in a towel. ¡°You¡¯re so hilarious.¡±


    ¡°I was just wondering if¡ª¡± he cut himself off when he saw Clarissa walking into view, with a nearly identical look. The bathrobe, the face mask, and the towel with the painted fingernails. Nick glanced between the two of them. ¡°Are you doing a mani-pedi?¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s face broke into a smile. ¡°Nick, I¡¯m so proud of you for knowing that word. Now we just need to work on your understanding of it. No. We¡¯re not having a mani-pedi. We¡¯re just having a manicure. The mani part of mani-pedi. See, a mani-pedi is if¡ª¡±


    ¡°Evie, I really don¡¯t care,¡± Nick said, putting all the deadpan he could in his voice.


    ¡°You cared enough to learn the word,¡± she said, still smiling. Evelyn turned behind her, gasping. ¡°Oh my god, we need to do a pedicure next! I¡¯ll see if I can borrow Amber¡¯s foot bath. It¡¯s not nearly as good as if we went to a spa, but I doubt anyone could work on your feet, since they can¡¯t see you.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s an elf, Evelyn. She doesn¡¯t need any of this. And you¡¯re not even sixteen yet. Your skin is fine,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°You shut that mouth right now, Nick. No one says you should only go to a dentist when your teeth hurt.¡± She touched the edges of the green goop. ¡°My sixty-year-old self will thank me for this later. I¡¯m going to have the best skin in the nursing home. Besides, manicures and face masks aren¡¯t just for excellent skin and nail health. They are for a time of relaxation from the busy world, and to promote self-confidence.¡±


    Clarissa placed a hand on her hip. ¡°If you look good, you feel good.¡±


    ¡°And you should never forget it!¡± Evelyn said before giving Clarissa a high five. ¡°Whenever you and Grizzizzik want to join, we¡¯ll have a mani-pedi night.¡± Evelyn¡¯s smile was as bright as ever.


    Nick stared at her. He knew his sister was kidding. She had to be. She did that thing where she assumed everyone was as passionate about skin health as she was. Just the image of him and Grizzizzik painting their toenails was enough to tighten his dead pan look at his sister. ¡°Did they figure out what time we¡¯re having a CCNC sesh on Saturday?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Evelyn walked deeper in her room, turning off the Enya music. She scrolled through the texts, being careful of her still drying fingernails. ¡°Still waiting on Rafael¡¯s schedule to line up. Alejandra¡¯s going to talk to him about it. Make sure he¡¯s there.¡±


    ¡°Did Derek give any other hints as to what this might entail?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°No. No idea.¡±


    Sometimes Derek gave Evelyn extra texts to relay to Nick in the off case that there was something just Nick needed to know, instead of Walt.


    ¡°Great. Thanks.¡± Nick left, hearing Evelyn turn up the Enya music.

 Chapter 24

    Alejandra turned off the clunker of a car. Her stomach was in knots, simply because Rafael wasn¡¯t here with her. After conversing with him for an hour about his schedule last night, Rafael shrugged her away, telling her she could update him when she returned.


    It wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t try. His Saturday was packed with things to do. And none of that involved meeting his old CCNC group. Even after he heard about the hell hound attack. He was relieved it hadn¡¯t hurt her, but he also stated he simply couldn¡¯t come.


    Alejandra walked into the Mexican restaurant owned by Jos¨¦ Florez, creatively called Jos¨¦¡¯s. While Se?ora Florez taught high school, her husband owned a restaurant that was known for its unapologetic bright pink stucco exterior. Some people in town jokingly called it the Pepto Bismol restaurant, but the food was amazing. At least it was whenever Alejandra could eat here, which wasn¡¯t often. Her family didn¡¯t eat out much. But the packed breakfast crowd must mean something.


    Hraktar eased himself inside, and Alejandra caught him looking at all the people ignoring him. It was a novel experience for him.


    ¡°Alejandra!¡±


    She turned to see Tyler waving at her. She waved back and walked over to him. ¡°Hey, Tyler.¡±


    He gave her a hug. ¡°How are you?¡±


    ¡°Good, good. Um, Rafael is extremely busy, so he couldn¡¯t make it,¡± Alejandra said.


    Tyler rubbed his chin. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll text him after to check in on him. A Saturday shouldn¡¯t be this busy for the kid. It can¡¯t be healthy.¡± Tyler¡¯s eyes wandered until they fell on Hraktar. The fighter was glancing around, not sure how he felt about people not reacting to his half-orc form. When he caught Tyler looking at him with a slight smile, he wasn¡¯t sure how to react. ¡°Hello, you,¡± Tyler said.


    Hraktar looked confused, then glanced at Alejandra. She had tried explaining it to him, but trying to explain the game master felt like an impossible thing to get across. ¡°Hello,¡± Hraktar said.


    ¡°Derek and Milo are in the back dining area. Jos¨¦ is giving us a more private place, even if he doesn¡¯t understand why,¡± Tyler said quietly, still smiling at Hraktar. ¡°You two go get settled. I¡¯ll wait for Nick and Evelyn.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Thank you,¡± Alejandra said, because she didn¡¯t know what else to say.


    Alejandra led Hraktar toward the back, where she remembered there was a covered patio for privacy. Jos¨¦ was already there, both he and Derek chatting in fast Spanish. She understood a bit. Mostly jabs at Derek¡¯s obvious Puerto Rican influences in his Spanish, as Jos¨¦ was laughing at his words. Something about orange juice.


    ¡°Ah, Alejandra!¡± Jos¨¦ said.


    ¡°Hola,¡± Alejandra said.


    Using far slower Spanish, he asked her how she was doing. In her two years of Spanish, she could at least respond that she was doing fine. Jos¨¦ beamed at her like she had defended a thesis in Spanish. ¡°My wife is teaching you so well, no?¡± he asked in Spanish.


    ¡°She is the best teacher,¡± Alejandra said with hesitant Spanish.


    Alejandra noticed Hraktar walking over to Milo, who was sitting at another table reading a textbook, from the looks of it. Milo beamed at Hraktar and stood up, hugging him tightly. Hraktar returned the hug.


    ¡°Come, my friend. What shall you have?¡± Jos¨¦ asked, reverting to English.


    It took a moment for Alejandra to realize he was talking to her. ¡°Oh, nothing for me, thank you. I already ate.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. You are young. You need nourishment.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m really full.¡± Even though she was certain Jos¨¦ and Derek both knew how poor her family was, she didn¡¯t enjoy mentioning it at all.


    ¡°It is on the house! And your brother. Rafael. Is he coming?¡± Jos¨¦ asked.


    ¡°No, Se?or. He¡¯s busy with schoolwork and football practice.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the boy works too hard. I shall make you something to give to him. He cannot be working that hard and not have something to eat,¡± Jos¨¦ said.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s really unnecessary, Se?or,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s necessary. Now I want you to sit here and tell your friend how to say orange juice the correct way. None of this jugo de china nonsense,¡± Jos¨¦ said.


    Derek shook his head, saying a string of words in Spanish that were far too quick. Jos¨¦ responded just as fast, both of them smiling wide even though she was certain they were defending slang words in each other¡¯s countries.


    Nick, Evelyn, and Tyler walked in. Behind them were Clarissa and Grizzizzik, who looked as though they had a fight of their own and weren¡¯t talking to each other.


    ¡°Alejandra!¡± Evelyn said, moving over to her.


    ¡°Oh, hey, Evelyn.¡±


    Despite Evelyn being leagues ahead of her in popularity and moving in completely separate social circles, Evelyn still greeted her warmly in the halls like it hadn¡¯t mattered to her. Alejandra was always touched when she did that.


    Jos¨¦ would not let Nick or Evelyn weasel their way out of ordering, either. They finally ordered and sat down in the more private area of the restaurant. The CCNC characters were greeting each other like old friends, too, though Clarissa looked around once she¡¯d seen everyone. ¡°Where¡¯s Ezekiel?¡±


    ¡°Not coming. Um¡­ Rafael is busy today,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Pity. Our group never feels complete without him,¡± Clarissa said, who was most likely talking about Ezekiel instead of her brother. The only time Alejandra missed Rafael¡¯s presence in their CCNC sessions was at the beginning, where she would have to make another excuse why her older brother skipped out again.


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    Jos¨¦ came out with their drinks. Alejandra didn¡¯t order orange juice, but Jos¨¦ still brought it out.


    ¡°Jugo de naranja,¡± Jos¨¦ said with a particular flourish as he set the orange juice in front of Derek.


    Derek simply sighed, getting his straw. ¡°Gracias, Se?or.¡±


    Alejandra smirked as she was given her orange juice. Evelyn had her phone out, tapping on something. ¡°Hey, my dad wants a picture with everyone in it.¡± Code for Walt needed to make sure Nick was telling the truth about a breakfast gathering before a CCNC session. Nick was already looking annoyed. ¡°Se?or Florez? Can you take a picture?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± He took the camera. ¡°Everyone smile!¡±


    Evelyn gave a peace sign and a wink. Nick rolled his eyes before giving his usual scowl. Everyone else just smiled.


    ¡°Gracias!¡± Evelyn said, taking her phone back from Jos¨¦.


    ¡°We should have taken a picture after. You would have been actually smiling,¡± Jos¨¦ said, patting Nick on the shoulder.


    ¡°Yeah. Sure,¡± Nick mumbled as Jos¨¦ returned to the kitchen.


    ¡°How are things between you and your father?¡± Tyler asked. Nick grumbled something incoherent before grabbing his apple juice in a death grip and sucking on the straw way too hard. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll drop that subject,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°So, what is this about?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Derek drank his orange juice as he glanced around. Milo was talking to the CCNC characters about something, but hesitated as Derek made eye contact.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a story.¡±


    Derek explained his conversation with Milo. About doing an insight check and rolling a nat twenty. Alejandra felt her stomach churn again as Derek whispered about how Milo believed their world was in danger. Their characters coming here couldn¡¯t mean anything good. Derek talked about Tyler being a part of this somehow. Alejandra glanced at Tyler. He looked as though Derek had already talked to him about this, but a troubled look lingered on his face.


    ¡°What do you think, Tyler?¡± Nick asked.


    Tyler just shook his head. ¡°No idea. And I hate not having any idea. Game masters usually feel helpless, but not like this.¡± He looked at the table across from them. Hraktar wasn¡¯t sitting either, keeping a steady eye on Grizzizzik. There was clear mistrust there. Clarissa and Milo were chatting about mana and Milo¡¯s discoveries. He was discussing how he could create red and black mana.


    ¡°You¡¯re all just kids,¡± Tyler said, his eye getting a far off look in them. ¡°Why did this happen to you?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re kids?¡± Nick asked. ¡°You can¡¯t even legally drink yet.¡±


    ¡°And yet still technically the adult,¡± Evelyn said.


    Tyler shuddered. ¡°Old enough to be the adult in this situation. Young enough to laugh at anyone who dares consider me the adult in this situation.¡± He meant it as a joke, but he still sighed like there was a weight there. ¡°Something happened when you used the AI system.¡± He shot Derek an annoyed look. ¡°So I might not even be considered as the Game Master. I honestly don¡¯t know what I could bring to the table. And even then, this is extremely dangerous. I don¡¯t like the idea of a real life CCNC battles going on in Elmwood. Or anywhere, for that matter.¡±


    ¡°They still can¡¯t touch anything,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°The hell hound stopped my car,¡± Alejandra said. ¡°Somehow.¡±


    Tyler went back to rubbing his chin. ¡°Because a hell hound grows in power if he senses fear. No doubt seeing a hell hound at Elmwood High caused a heightened sense of fear in you, enabling it to use his magic enough to cancel out the technology.¡±


    He said this so quickly that Alejandra almost didn¡¯t understand the implication. When she did, she stared right at Tyler, wide eyed. ¡°How do you know all that?¡±


    He seemed to realize what he said and looked equally surprised.


    Jos¨¦ returned with large plates. Alejandra was expecting a small plate of eggs or bacon, but he brought her the biggest breakfast burrito she¡¯d ever seen. ¡°Oh, wow. Thank you, Se?or. Oh. I mean gracias.¡±


    He gave her a wink. ¡°Don¡¯t leave without your bag to give to your brother. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay, Se?or.¡±


    Once he finished giving everyone their food, he again left, with Derek giving him some quip in Spanish. Alejandra stared at the burrito, now really doubting she could finish this all. She had specifically eaten a lot for breakfast so her stomach wouldn¡¯t growl the entire time the others were eating. She had an entire conversation about how she was going to dodge Nick¡¯s charity, but she came wholly unprepared for Jos¨¦ to give her food.


    Tyler had ordered two enormous platters. He added some beans and rice from his platter onto the bigger one and got up to place it at the table where the CCNC characters stood. ¡°They¡¯re breakfast quesadillas. You have your classic cheese, egg, and chorizo. I don¡¯t remember if you¡¯re vegan or vegetarian, Princess Clarissa, so I got a side of fruit, just in case.¡± Tyler grabbed two of the quesadillas, placing them in Hraktar¡¯s hand. ¡°You dig in, my good man. There is plenty for all.¡±


    Hraktar looked at the two quesadillas in his hands. Milo took a quesadilla and nibbled it, surprised. ¡°Delicious!¡±


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d like them,¡± Tyler said.


    Spurred on by Milo¡¯s example, the other three did their best to follow suit. Tyler¡¯s thoughtfulness strangely touched Alejandra. He watched them closely, frowning, as they ate. He eased next to Derek, looking a bit more antsy.


    ¡°Tyler?¡± Alejandra asked.


    It took effort for Tyler to turn his head to look at her. Even when he did, she could tell most of his focus was on the characters. The look on his face was not encouraging. Tyler changed the subject to something else, and they ended up talking about their first week of school instead. Alejandra ate only half of her burrito before she knew she couldn¡¯t finish. She listened to her friends talking, Rafael far from her mind.


    They finished up, Jos¨¦ getting everything in boxes and bags. Alejandra thanked him again when she received the bag for Rafael. It landed on top of her box with a hefty thump.


    ¡°That boy works too hard. Tell him he¡¯s got to slow down,¡± Jos¨¦ said.


    ¡°I can try. He stopped listening to me a while ago,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Stubborn kid like that needs constant reminders that he doesn¡¯t need to do everything before graduating high school.¡±


    Tyler chatted a bit with Jos¨¦ as everyone got organized. Hraktar walked over to Nick. ¡°He¡¯s not bothering you, is he?¡± the fighter said, motioning toward Grizzizzik.


    Nick paused, then glanced at Grizzizzik. ¡°No. He¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°That was a trick question. He bothers everyone. Which means he has been bothering you. A lot.¡±


    Nick¡¯s face relaxed as he tried to hide a smile. He had to look away. ¡°Thanks for looking out for me, but¡­ I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Hraktar studied Nick closely. ¡°I¡¯ll try to believe you. I¡¯ll have a talk with Grizzizzik, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Um, hopefully not one where you interrogate him while you hang him upside down,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Only if he needs some sense knocked into him, which is always,¡± Hraktar mumbled, again glancing at the rogue.


    Nick smiled, meeting Alejandra¡¯s gaze. She was already smiling. It was different seeing it played out when Nick and Alejandra were usually the ones doing the role play. Alejandra realized that so much of their role play might have been flirtatious, but seeing Hraktar giving Grizzizzik a look, and seeing Grizzizzik glaring back, she realized how little those two actually liked each other. Most of her interactions with Nick as Grizzizzik was talking about how much her character didn¡¯t trust him. Or how he could break his face.


    Tyler walked over, pulling his keys out of his pocket. ¡°Alright. Um¡­¡± He was rubbing the back of his neck, looking at the CCNC characters. ¡°This may be a slight inconvenience, but¡­ Derek, could we borrow your parent¡¯s minivan?¡±


    ¡°Uh, sure. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re using it,¡± Derek said.


    Evelyn frowned. ¡°It¡¯s a Saturday and they¡¯re not using their minivan?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve¡­ got two,¡± Derek said.


    Alejandra couldn¡¯t imagine two minivans, but Derek¡¯s family was always on the richer side.


    ¡°Let¡¯s all go to Derek¡¯s house and drop off the food in their fridge. I think we need some fresh air.¡± Tyler trailed off, glancing again at the CCNC characters. ¡°And somewhere we can talk more openly.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s go on a bit of a hike before it gets too hot.¡±

 Chapter 25

    Alejandra put Rafael¡¯s burrito in the fridge, since she offered the rest of hers to Hraktar as they drove to Derek¡¯s house. Hraktar happily complied, complimenting the food he¡¯d eaten so far.


    Derek then pulled out the older minivan, and they all piled in. It was a tight fit. Tyler and Derek were in the front. Alejandra, Evelyn, and Nick sat in the next row, and they tried to stuff all the other characters in the back. Grizzizzik ended up behind the seats without a seatbelt. Hraktar looked the most uncomfortable, squeezed into such a tiny seat with his legs touching his chin.


    ¡°There¡¯s got to be something I can make you, my friend,¡± Milo said. He was sitting in the middle between Hraktar and Clarissa.


    ¡°To do what, exactly?¡± Hraktar asked.


    ¡°Make it more comfortable in these horseless contraptions,¡± Milo said.


    Hraktar looked concerned as he tried to look at the mana fusor. ¡°Well, um¡­ that¡¯s kind of you but¡­¡±


    ¡°But Hraktar would rather strap himself to the outside of this contraption as it¡¯s plummeting down a cliff before he drinks anything you give him to make him ¡®comfortable¡¯,¡± Grizzizzik said from the back.


    Milo rolled his eyes. ¡°My inventions are perfectly safe.¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯re not,¡± everyone else said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go on this hike. It goes through some tall rocks, so it¡¯ll be shady enough,¡± Tyler said.


    They pulled into the dirt parking lot of the nature hike. Alejandra had her water bottle, but she was still nervous.


    Tyler was helping everyone get out of the car. ¡°I am both elated and terrified that this is my life right now.¡±


    ¡°Join the club,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°I mean, this is insane, right? How are we ever going to get them back home?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s that thing you always tell us? There¡¯s the overarching puzzle, then there are the pieces. We need to focus on putting a few pieces together at a time,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Yeah, well, that was when I understood what the entire picture would eventually be,¡± Tyler said. ¡°I don¡¯t like not knowing what¡¯s going to happen.¡±


    ¡°The forever GM finally becoming a player,¡± Derek said.


    Tyler gave a pained smile before holding his hand out for Clarissa, giving a bow. ¡°Princess.¡±


    Clarissa placed her hand in his as she got down, giving Tyler another look. ¡°I like you.¡±


    Tyler smiled at that. Derek went around to open the back of the minivan. Grizzizzik grumbled as he got out of the back. Hraktar was already there, watching him. Grizzizzik gave him a dry look. ¡°I¡¯m not going to run off, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    Hraktar shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything. Besides, there¡¯s only so far you can go before your helper feels a pull to where you are.¡±


    ¡°Is that seriously what you¡¯re calling them?¡± Grizzizzik asked, motioning toward Alejandra and the others.


    ¡°Can you think of any other way to describe them?¡± Hraktar asked.


    Grizzizzik¡¯s voice dropped, and Alejandra pretended not to listen. ¡°It doesn¡¯t disturb you that they created us when they were children?¡±


    Hraktar shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think they created us.¡±


    Grizzizzik turned his slit eyes toward Nick, who was talking to Derek and Tyler as they were getting ready. ¡°They know everything about us, Hraktar.¡± Grizzizzik¡¯s gaze fell on Alejandra. ¡°Ask her. I bet she knows everything about what you were asked to do during your time with the orcs.¡±


    Hraktar winced, then turned enough to see Alejandra standing there. She was quiet, not sure what to say. Hraktar turned his focus back toward Grizzizzik. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We have a world to save.¡±


    The rogue rolled his eyes in such a way that it reminded her of Nick.


    They began their journey. It naturally fell where Hraktar was in front of Alejandra. Nick was next to her, and Grizzizzik was a few paces to the side. Evelyn was up with Tyler and Derek, as Clarissa and Milo were talking about their plans of how to mine as much gold mana as possible.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing we landed in a desert,¡± Clarissa said, looking around. ¡°Gold mana is the most helpful in healing spells.¡±


    ¡°Spoken like a healer,¡± Milo said, already scooping up dirt to analyze it. He pulled out his magnifying glasses to give it a good look. ¡°I¡¯m partial to the red mana myself. Nothing like burning your enemy to a crisp.¡±


    Clarissa sighed, the slightest annoyance in her voice. ¡°I hope Ezekiel will be here soon, but if not, we¡¯re going to need all the help we can get with my healing.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short, Princess Clarissa,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°You saved Milo before, after all.¡±


    ¡°I can totally step up if I need to,¡± Clarissa said with the slightest flip of her hair. ¡°But Ezekiel is the better healer. I miss him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I miss him too,¡± Milo said.


    Hraktar said nothing, keeping his eyes on the horizon as though he sensed a threat. Grizzizzik gave Nick a look. ¡°What was that about with that other kid? Why was he trying to give you Ezekiel¡¯s dice?¡±


    Nick hesitated. ¡°Well¡­ because I was in charge of Ezekiel while Rafael was gone.¡±


    Grizzizzik seemed to take this in before looking toward the horizon where Hraktar was looking. ¡°Does everyone else see that?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Is it spiders?¡± Nick asked.


    Evelyn gasped, her steps stumbling as she backed away. ¡°Oh my god, Nick. Don¡¯t even joke about it. I¡¯ve read the monster list. I know what¡¯s on there.¡±


    Nick gave his sister a look. ¡°Just trying to narrow it down?¡±


    Evelyn whimpered, stumbling back so far that Tyler reached out to grab her to keep her in place.


    ¡°Not spiders. It¡¯s¡­¡± Grizzizzik paused, narrowing his eyes before a little scorpion burst out of the bushes. Grizzizzik snatched it out of the air, slamming it on the ground and smashing it with his foot. Alejandra gasped, backing away.


    Grizzizzik made an exaggerated motion of sliding his hand down his clothes, looking annoyed. ¡°Not much of a battle.¡±


    Clarissa gave him a look. ¡°Why would you tempt fate like that?¡±


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    As soon as Clarissa finished speaking, there was a deep rumble in the ground. Grizzizzik¡¯s face went blank as Clarissa gave him a dark look.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t my fault,¡± he said.


    Clarissa placed her hands on her hips. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you, because you need to grow your list of things that aren¡¯t your fault.¡±


    Despite the situation, Alejandra chuckled. She stopped short when a huge scorpion lifted out of the sand.


    ¡°Not a spider. Not a spider. Not a spider,¡± Evelyn said to herself.


    Nick backed up enough to glance at Alejandra. ¡°You¡¯re not afraid of scorpions, are you?¡±


    Alejandra shook her head. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve never seen one this big before, but¡­ but¡­¡±


    There was a good chance she would form a new fear of scorpions. The creature was eight feet long, its pincers slashing already against the air.


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± Tyler mumbled while Evelyn kept up her own chant of it not being a spider. Alejandra had a moment of disorientation that she and her friends had somehow shrunk in size.


    ¡°It can¡¯t hurt us,¡± Derek said, his voice steady. ¡°Remember, everyone. It cannot hurt us.¡±


    But they could hurt Hraktar. And Hraktar¡¯s friends. Alejandra glanced over to see her fighter already unsheathing his great sword.


    ¡°Are scorpions a relative to snakes?¡± Hraktar asked Grizzizzik. ¡°I¡¯d hate to ask you to kill a relative of yours.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha,¡± Grizzizzik said with noticeably absent mirth as he pulled out his rapier. Clarissa already had her bow out, and Milo kept a steady eye on the monster, magically loading his crossbow.


    ¡°Not a spider, not a spider, not a spider.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes were closed as she gripped Derek and Tyler¡¯s shoulders. Derek started wincing, and Tyler grabbed her hand to release her fingers.


    The scorpion turned toward them, arching its tail as poison dripped off it. The world slowed down enough for the message to come to Alejandra¡¯s mind.


    Roll for initiative.


    She let out an unsteady breath before grabbing the twenty-sided dice hanging in mid-air. As the dice rolled, she felt a knot of nerves. She didn¡¯t know how powerful this creature was, but the decision was made.


    Seventeen plus two, nineteen. She would be one of the first to go, which made sense. Hraktar was ready to go.


    Time stayed frozen and the d20 hung in front of her. She grabbed it, glancing around. All the other characters still only had ten or eleven hit points. Hraktar was the only one with twenty-four, which meant he was also the only one who leveled up. He would always have that physically stronger edge, but Alejandra felt a sense of obligation to protect her friends¡¯ characters.


    Which is when she rolled a six. When no six-sided dice showed up, the anxiety knots tugged even stronger.


    ¡°Not good,¡± Alejandra said, as time righted itself.


    Hraktar went in with a strike, and the scorpion dodged it easily. Alejandra felt herself gripping the side of her face. The scorpion went in with a fast strike, which her fighter thankfully dodged. However, Alejandra did not expect the second strike. Hraktar got hit square in the chest, his hit points dropping to sixteen as the second pincer grabbed him around the throat, holding him tight. On top of that, the poison spike went for a strike, but barely missed. It was close. Way too close.


    Nick¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Holy shit, it¡¯s got a triple strike.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s grappling our fighter. Shit just got real,¡± Derek said.


    Grizzizzik moved into action. He pulled out his rapier and made a dangerous swipe at the giant scorpion. It pierced through the armor with blood dripping from the cut, but it simply turned its attention to Grizzizzik and hissed.


    ¡°Nobody get hit by that stinger. Do you hear me? No one! You¡¯re not strong enough to survive even half its damage, except maybe Hraktar,¡± Tyler shouted.


    ¡°Quite the tall order, Tyler,¡± Derek shouted back.


    ¡°Just stay back. Especially you squishy types,¡± Tyler said.


    With the fluidity of an elf, Clarissa pulled an arrow back into the bow and released, hitting the scorpion. It pierced the armor, but the thing ignored the arrow. Hraktar struggled with the claw squeezing his neck, and Alejandra forgot how to breathe.


    Milo already had his crossbow, and he gave it a good whack with a wrench. The crossbow glowed with a mythical blue energy as Milo raised it, aimed, and fired. The bolt streaked across the desert, ice trailing off it as it smacked against the scorpion¡¯s face. Chittering filled the air, and the scorpion tightened its hold against Hraktar.


    ¡°Nice job,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Derek said as Milo took a large step back.


    Time slowed down, and the dice was again in front of Alejandra. She had to break out of the grapple. She wanted this to work so badly, but she also knew it was up to chance. It¡¯s what made her so nervous.


    She rolled and exhaled when she saw the eighteen. With the added two from her dexterity, she ordered Hraktar to back away from that deadly tail. And unfortunately, it was the only thing she could do.


    Time resumed, and Hraktar grabbed the pincer, giving it a jerk. The scorpion lost its grip and Hraktar stumbled away, coughing and hacking. He rubbed his neck as he continued to stumble. Angered, the scorpion turned on Grizzizzik.


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± Grizzizzik mumbled.


    The scorpion punched with his injured pincer, but Grizzizzik dodged it. The spiked tail came at him, and the rogue leapt out of the way. Next to her, Nick let out a withered breath of relief. But getting far too cocky, Grizzizzik stumbled right into the second pincer, and ended up in the exact situation that Hraktar was in.


    ¡°Oh shit indeed,¡± Nick mumbled.


    The rogue struggled briefly before breaking out of the grapple, backing away next to Hraktar. The scorpion righted itself, chittering at the group.


    Evelyn grabbed her water bottle and opened the lid, squeezing it in Clarissa¡¯s direction. Clarissa¡¯s hands glowed blue as she made a motion with her hand, turning the water into ice before shooting it toward the scorpion.


    The shard of ice buried into the scorpion. It gave a guttural growl as it broke off. It did little more than flinch.


    ¡°Shoot. I was hoping it would fail the save. That didn¡¯t hit him hard,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°But it hit, and Clarissa won¡¯t get hit by the tail. I consider that a win,¡± Tyler said.


    Milo already had another bolt in his crossbow that was still glowing a blue color.


    ¡°Boom! Seventeen damage points! I feel like Hraktar right now!¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Good. We need a heavy hitter right now,¡± Alejandra said.


    Once again, the bolt shot off, streaking ice and smacking into the scorpion in the face. It let out a shriek as ice trailed from the bolt and into its eyes. It stomped around as it tried to get the bolt out of its face, barely succeeding.


    The thing was looking bad, which was heartening. It looking angry was less so.


    Time slowed down, and Alejandra felt the nerves come back. ¡°Come on, chance. Please.¡± The dice rolled, landing on a three. Alejandra gasped in dismay as no extra dice showed up. ¡°No! Bonus action! I¡¯ll do my bonus action.¡±


    The only one she had was second wind, which would let her roll dice to give her fighter some hit points back. Considering he was running into the battle, Hraktar needed all the boost he could get.


    A ten-sided die appeared in front of her, and she grabbed it, refusing to give herself a pep talk. She¡¯d been rolling horribly in this fight, and she didn¡¯t want to curse it.


    Two. Of all the rolls, there was only one that was worse than that. Her heart sank. A +2 was added to it for his level as Hraktar¡¯s hit points moved up to twenty. She didn¡¯t feel good. Hraktar was supposed to be their tank, and she felt responsible for the rolls. ¡°It¡¯s all up to chance. That¡¯s all. It¡¯s up to chance.¡±


    Time resumed, and she watched as Hraktar gave a tiny shake of his head in acknowledgement of the four added hit points before he ran right into danger to protect his friends.


    ¡°Hraktar! This better work!¡± Grizzizzik called out.


    Alejandra gripped the side of her face again, tears in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s won¡¯t,¡± she whispered.


    The scorpion noticed Hraktar, and using its pincers, grabbed him right out of the air and slammed him into the ground. Air shot out of Hraktar¡¯s body as his great sword fell out of his hands. The scorpion tried again with the other pincer and the tail, but through chance alone, missed. Alejandra watched as Hraktar¡¯s hit points drained to fourteen and he was once again grappled.


    Grizzizzik pulled out his short bow, staying a suitable distance from the scorpion. Nick muttered a curse. Grizzizzik completely missed the scorpion and muttered the same curse under his breath.


    Clarissa held out an empty palm, and with her other hand, she began moving it around the space of her palm. A noxious green cloud appeared as she spoke an ancient incantation before she shot the cloud forward. It smacked against the scorpion, who was more focused on crushing Hraktar. The scorpion shook as the poison hit his face. It staggered, but still kept a grip on the fighter.


    While everyone else was fighting, Milo loaded his crossbow with another shot. He aimed and fired, the blue ice bolt smacking into the scorpion.


    ¡°I have never been this lucky in my life! These dice are excellent!¡± Derek said.


    The ice bolt smacked against the scorpion. It didn¡¯t even give a cry. The bolt broke into the skull, caving it in, the creature finally dead. It fell forward, landing on top of Hraktar. Alejandra rushed forward, terrified.


    The character information disappeared from her vision, causing her to panic. ¡°Hraktar?¡± she called.


    ¡°Ow,¡± her fighter said with a muffled voice. The experience bar filled up a bit more.


    700/900 XP


    She reached out, touching the scorpion¡¯s large body. She tried not to think of it as an enormous insect as she attempted to push it away. The CCNC characters joined, shoving it to one side as Hraktar freed himself.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Nerves strangled Alejandra¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯m fine,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Tears blurred her vision.


    Hraktar looked surprised. ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°The rolls were so bad. I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said.


    Hraktar brushed some blood from a nasty cut over his forehead. ¡°We¡¯re alive, Alejandra. And the creature is dead. That¡¯s all that matters.¡± Hraktar glanced over, his face dropping. ¡°Oh, no.¡±


    Alejandra turned to see Grizzizzik heading straight for Tyler, his rapier still out and his glare just as deadly.

 Chapter 26

    Tyler noticed the rogue coming toward him and backed away, clearly nervous. ¡°Um, what¡ª¡± He stopped talking as Grizzizzik grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him close to the rapier in his hand. Tyler lifted his hands as the blade pressed against his throat. Alejandra gasped, covering her mouth.


    ¡°Whoa, Grizzizzik. Back off,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Grizzizzik hissed at Tyler, ignoring Nick. ¡°You suggested we go on this hike. You seemed hesitant about it, like you knew something bad was going to happen. Did you know there was a giant scorpion waiting for us?¡± While he was talking, his teeth sharpened into distinct fangs. Tyler was staring at them with wide, terrified eyes as all the color fled his face. It didn¡¯t help that there was a deep cut across Grizzizzik¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t know. I swear I didn¡¯t know,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Grizzizzik, stop. He¡¯s a friend!¡± Nick shouted.


    It was pointless. Grizzizzik still ignored Nick, which did not bode well.


    ¡°You bought us food. You were way too liberal with your compliments. All to lead us into a trap. You want us dead,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°I swear I don¡¯t want any of you dead,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Let him go!¡± Evelyn shouted.


    Grizzizzik ignored her. ¡°What are you hiding from us!¡±


    Hraktar appeared, his great sword pressed against Grizzizzik¡¯s own throat. Alejandra thought the rogue was tense before, but every muscle in his body went tight once the sword touched him.


    ¡°Release the boy.¡± There was no room for argument in Hraktar¡¯s tone.


    Grizzizzik didn¡¯t release Tyler, but he turned ever so carefully to Hraktar. ¡°Get that sword away from my neck, or you will regret it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve all seen it. We can¡¯t hurt these people. There¡¯s a good chance your rapier will not hurt that boy, but I know my great sword can dislodge your snake head from your body. Let him go.¡±


    Milo approached, hands in the air. ¡°Come on, guys. Deep breath. Let¡¯s give Tyler a chance to explain himself.¡±


    Grizzizzik returned his glare to Tyler. ¡°The last time we followed this kid, he led us straight to a scorpion.¡±


    Alejandra felt tears in her eyes. They needed Ezekiel. He was the leader of the group, the one that held everyone together. The guy who was never intimidated by Grizzizzik, because Ezekiel was a bit of an idiot. But they needed him right now.


    ¡°Grizzizzik, I get it. I¡¯ve been around you long enough to pick up on how you react to things. You¡¯re scared. You¡¯re nervous,¡± Milo said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared,¡± he hissed, tightening his grip on Tyler¡¯s shirt, bringing him closer. Tyler¡¯s eyes went wide as he was an inch away from Grizzizzik¡¯s sharp and lengthened fangs. ¡°I just want answers, and I want to make sure this boy isn¡¯t trying to hide anything.¡± Grizzizzik winced as Hraktar pushed his sword into his neck.


    ¡°Drop. That. Boy. Now.¡±


    Grizzizzik glared at Hraktar, then slowly let go of Tyler. Once his grip was loosened, Tyler scrambled away, breathing deeply. He rubbed his completely fine neck. Grizzizzik backed away as Hraktar lowered his own great sword. Both of them were glaring at each other.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there would be a scorpion here. I just felt compelled to come for some reason.¡± Tyler gestured at his head. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on inside my head.¡±


    ¡°Are you the one rolling the dice for the scorpion?¡± Derek asked.


    Tyler shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯m not. I swear I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Just let him explain,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°What is going on in your head?¡±


    Tyler let out a breath, running a hand through his hair. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like game master stuff. More like I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m like a messenger for the actual game master. And whoever they are keeps urging me to make suggestions for quests for all your characters.¡±


    ¡°Who is this game master? Lead us to him and we¡¯ll kill him,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Hraktar lifted his great sword again to keep Grizzizzik from moving forward. ¡°Easy, snake. We can¡¯t just kill someone we don¡¯t even know.¡±


    ¡°This person uprooted us from our home world. They sent us to this strange land. They are controlling a scorpion to kill us. If that¡¯s not reason enough to kill them, then what is?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    ¡°A game master isn¡¯t supposed to be your enemy,¡± Tyler said. ¡°They are¡­ they¡¯re the ones that deal the consequences. You know, you make a choice, give yourself up to the chance roll of the dice, and then¡­ consequences. Whether they are good or bad. But they¡¯re not supposed to be your enemy.¡±


    ¡°This game master might have answers. It would be foolish to kill them before we figured out how to get home,¡± Clarissa said, glancing at Grizzizzik.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the game master is the one who brought you here. It¡¯s¡­¡± Tyler scratched his forehead as he thought. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I sense no ill intent from these thoughts. They¡¯re¡­ they¡¯re a piece of a larger puzzle we¡¯ve got to figure out.¡±


    ¡°So give us the pieces,¡± Derek said. ¡°If it gets them closer to home, we¡¯ve got to do this.¡±


    Tyler sighed again, looking at everyone. ¡°It¡¯s not that easy.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to get them back home,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°At what cost?¡± Tyler asked. ¡°I mean, come on, Nick. We¡¯ve been lying to your father this entire time. We¡¯re all lying to our friends and loved ones. This is going to haunt us. So far, none of you are in danger, but what if it shifts? What if another hell hound appears, and the fear is powerful enough to hurt us?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t ignore this situation either,¡± Alejandra said.


    Tyler looked distressed. ¡°Some ground rules first. No fighting monsters unless I¡¯m here. Only on the weekends. Please. I¡¯ll travel home as much as I can. I hate the idea that you guys are doing this on your own.¡±


    ¡°How can we possibly promise that? Alejandra got attacked by a hell hound at school. Are we just supposed to ignore it?¡± Nick asked.


    Tyler winced. ¡°Fine, only in emergencies.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s literally the reason people get in fights. Because there is no other option,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Though sometimes people fight because they''re stubborn idiots who can¡¯t control their emotions,¡± Clarissa said before shooting a look at Grizzizzik. The rogue did not appreciate that comment.


    ¡°You¡¯re both right,¡± Tyler said. ¡°Be careful, keep calm, and only strike if the monsters strike at you first. Other than that, only on weekends. Or when another adult is present.¡±


    ¡°How? No other adult can see them,¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting to that,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Get to it now,¡± Derek said.


    Tyler rubbed his head, looking as though he was being attacked by a migraine. ¡°What I say to you is something I feel compelled to say. Almost like a side quest. I trust that the reason this needs to happen is because it¡¯s a way to get you all home. But still¡­ be careful.¡± Tyler groaned, looking ragged. ¡°Sometimes I really hate being an adult.¡± Without looking, he pointed to Milo. ¡°Talk to Mr. Anderson and ask him to use his lab. Derek, you¡¯re going to have to help because he won¡¯t be able to see Milo.¡±


    Derek¡¯s face fell. ¡°Mr. Anderson? Are you serious? You think he¡¯ll help?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. I just know what I feel. Please be careful,¡± Tyler said. Derek and Milo exchanged glances. Tyler moved his finger to Clarissa. ¡°The spell you cast over the entire desert has made this a beacon for all the creatures who came here from the Shrouded Domain. You must keep it strong. Constant feeding and mediation. There¡¯s a second bubble surrounding Elmwood that is steering away higher-level monsters. Do not, under any circumstances, let that bubble drop. You cannot face¡­¡± Tyler winced. ¡°You cannot face a level fifteen dragon right now. Death would be horrible for anyone, but for you especially, Princess. Do you understand?¡± He looked at the other characters. ¡°If Princess Clarissa dies, the bubble drops, and higher-level monsters come running in. None of you will last much longer.¡±


    Nick raised an eyebrow. ¡°So¡­ so that means if high-level monsters can¡¯t come in, then Torraq and Akshi¡­¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t come in until you reach a certain level,¡± Tyler finished. ¡°As the group levels up, so does the bubble. The creatures coming in are still quite dangerous, though.¡± He gestured toward the scorpion. ¡°Just keep an eye out.¡±


    ¡°Princess Clarissa didn¡¯t make the bubble until a few days after she came,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°What if a higher-level monster is trapped in here with us?¡±


    Tyler seemed to study something out in his mind before he shook his head. ¡°Impossible. It would have thrown the higher-level monster out of Elmwood.¡±


    Alejandra felt some of the tension ease out of her, though she still thought of the hell hound. It was a higher level, though perhaps still low enough considering Hraktar and Grizzizzik could defeat it.


    ¡°Which brings me to my next point.¡± Tyler moved his finger at Hraktar, glancing up enough to meet the fighter¡¯s gaze. ¡°Be careful about the fights you initiate. Every monster will give you experience points, and if you go it alone, your level will increase, artificially making the bubble think everyone is higher than they are. You¡¯re almost at level three, while everyone else is level one. You all must level together, or you¡¯ll get in a tough spot soon.¡±


    ¡°What about Ezekiel?¡± Clarissa asked.


    Tyler gave another sigh, then looked at Alejandra. ¡°We need Ezekiel. He didn¡¯t fight in the group. He¡¯s still at a very low level one.¡±


    Alejandra nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. How was she ever going to convince Rafael about this?


    ¡°Any suggestions for me?¡± Grizzizzik asked. Tyler glanced up, focusing his attention on the rogue before giving Nick a look that almost seemed like a warning. Nick¡¯s face fell. Grizzizzik¡¯s look darkened. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°There are rules set in place,¡± Tyler said, dropping his gaze. ¡°Creatures of a higher level cannot be here in Elmwood. But¡­ they can send their lower-level minions to you. And¡­¡±


    ¡°Drag me out of the bubble?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    Tyler took another deep breath, letting it out. ¡°Yes. And I cannot stress this enough. The bubble keeps you safe. If you leave Elmwood, all bets are off. You will be facing against a level fifteen dragon on your own, and it will not be pretty.¡±


    Grizzizzik took another step toward Tyler, his face dark. ¡°I can leave to search for Akshi?¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Nick said under his breath.


    Tyler looked at Grizzizzik, straightening to his full height. ¡°You are never to engage him until you get strong enough. Understand?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not one to take advice from a child,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°Much to the agony of my imposter syndrome, I am the adult in the situation, and I¡¯m also trying to save your life. Your father did not drop to level one like you five did. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve learned about levels, but let me reiterate. You just barely hit level two. He¡¯s a level eight spell caster. At least he was when we were playing him. He has an enormous leap on you in terms of power, and his spell casting abilities are of manipulation and pain.¡±


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s why we need him dead,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°And you can¡¯t kill him until you¡¯ve powered up. Akshi would squash you without a second thought. Do not go looking for him. When you¡¯re ready to face him, he¡¯ll appear.¡±


    Nick covered his face, giving a shudder. Alejandra felt her heart pounding.


    ¡°I¡¯m with the adult in this situation,¡± Milo said, glancing between Tyler and Grizzizzik. ¡°Don¡¯t do it, Grizzizzik. We¡¯re having a hard enough time adjusting to not having Ezekiel. We cannot lose you.¡±


    Grizzizzik looked as though his mind was going a mile a minute while keeping his face stuck in a glare pointed at Tyler. ¡°Do you know where he is?¡± the rogue asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t. I¡¯m just saying what I¡ª¡± Tyler was cut off as Grizzizzik pulled out his rapier again. Hraktar was already there with his own great sword, keeping Grizzizzik from getting any closer to Tyler.


    ¡°Back away, orc, before you accidentally hurt someone,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Both Nick and Alejandra gasped. They knew what happened when Grizzizzik pushed that particular button, and the rogue had his pride hurt enough that he delved into that area of stupidity.

 Chapter 27

    ¡°Grizzly Bear, apologize right now,¡± Clarissa said as Hraktar began to growl. It wasn¡¯t just Nick and Alejandra that understood the implications.


    ¡°I doubt the orc would understand such a gesture of civility,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Hraktar took a threatening step forward. ¡°I am not an orc.¡±


    ¡°I know we¡¯re all scared right now,¡± Milo said, placing a hand on Hraktar¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Grizzizzik is talking in fear. We¡¯re all scared in a new land, but we can¡¯t let that fear overcome us. We¡¯ve got to work together to get home.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to do. I¡¯m trying to get answers, but this barbaric orc is getting in my way,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Time slowed down, and Alejandra winced. ¡°No, Hraktar. Don¡¯t.¡± It didn¡¯t matter. The choice was already made. She didn¡¯t have an option of weapons, because Hraktar had already decided for her by choosing his fist. Alejandra sighed as she grabbed the four-sided dice and rolled. It landed on a three. She winced again as she looked up, seeing Grizzizzik¡¯s current seven hit points.


    Time resumed, and Hraktar shattered Grizzizzik¡¯s cheek with his fist. The rogue landed on the ground, and Hraktar pinned him there, his fist covering the entirety of Grizzizzik¡¯s head. There was no doubt Hraktar could crush it if he wanted to. Nick gave a worried look in Alejandra¡¯s direction, who gave a defeated shrug.


    ¡°Hraktar! Stop!¡± Milo shouted as Grizzizzik¡¯s seven hit points dropped to four.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to kill him!¡± Clarissa said.


    ¡°I am not an orc!¡± Hraktar shouted. ¡°I will never be like those barbarians!¡±


    ¡°Hraktar, please don¡¯t,¡± Alejandra said.


    Grizzizzik managed a chuckle, even while he was grappled. ¡°You could have fooled me.¡± His voice was husky.


    ¡°Grizzizzik, if you want to live, shut up!¡± Milo shouted.


    Alejandra grabbed her hair, feeling helpless. They needed Ezekiel. With his calm demeanor and the way insults just rolled off him. The way he could talk these two down. Without Ezekiel here, these two were going to kill each other faster than any monster.


    Time slowed down, and a d20 was floating in midair for her.


    Make a wisdom saving throw at a disadvantage.


    She glanced around, confused, until her eyes fell on Evelyn, who looked like she was focused on a character sheet. Clarissa was probably trying to do something magical against Hraktar, and Alejandra only hoped that she could roll low enough for it to work.


    Hraktar was at a disadvantage. Alejandra didn¡¯t understand why, but it meant it would take the lowest of the two dice rolls, which is what everyone needed right now.


    She rolled the first time, and it landed on a twelve. She wasn¡¯t sure what was considered a pass, but there was a chance with a number like that. Alejandra tried again. ¡°Come on, low number.¡±


    The die landed on a one. Alejandra wasn¡¯t sure what that would do, but feeling slightly relieved at getting the lowest number.


    Time resumed. Clarissa walked forward, moving her hands in a circular motion as she chanted. Hraktar went limp. Grizzizzik gasped as he scrambled out of the fighter¡¯s limp hands.


    ¡°Whatever you do, don¡¯t smack him, or I¡¯m not saving your ass next time,¡± Clarissa muttered.


    Grizzizzik was panting as Clarissa kept the movement. Hraktar went completely limp, his eyelids fluttering. Evelyn gave Alejandra an apologetic look, and Alejandra tried to portray she was fine with this. Because she was. Those two were getting out of control.


    Milo and Nick grabbed Grizzizzik, backing him away from Hraktar and Clarissa as she moved forward toward the fighter.


    ¡°Stand up, Hraktar,¡± the druid said, her voice multiplied by bright voices. Hraktar did so with no argument. ¡°You will fight no one in this group for one hour. And you won¡¯t, as long as you don¡¯t get hurt by one of us in return.¡± Clarissa gave Grizzizzik a pointed stare. The rogue folded his arms, glaring back.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Hraktar said, his mind muddled.


    The druid dropped her hand, and a bright pink glow entered Hraktar¡¯s pupils. Alejandra took a hold of Hraktar and dragged him even further from Grizzizzik.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°We need to get back,¡± Tyler said. ¡°This¡­ is a lot. We just need some time to adjust to this whole thing.¡± Tyler saw the blood running down Grizzizzik¡¯s face. Those four hit points certainly showed themselves on his haggard body.


    Milo made a small step backwards. ¡°Let¡¯s all contemplate our life or death situation right here some more while I poke around the carcass for a bit.¡±


    Grizzizzik wiped the blood from his forehead. ¡°I¡¯m with the mana fusor.¡± The two of them walked over to the giant scorpion, talking about who had a claim on what pieces. Milo already pulled out some of his beakers.


    Alejandra reached inside her pocket and pulled out her phone as Derek, Tyler, and Nick talked more with Tyler. Hraktar stood there in a trance, doing nothing. She scrolled through her contacts before hitting Rafael¡¯s name. She couldn¡¯t text him, because she didn¡¯t want her question to go unanswered all day. In a strange way, she needed to know that he was as unavailable as he made himself seem.


    The phone rang. It kept ringing. Alejandra¡¯s eyes filled with tears the longer it went on. The voicemail came, prompting her to leave a message. She said nothing for a few seconds before hanging up. Her arm dropped in defeat.


    Someone approached her, and she turned to see Evelyn. ¡°Was that Rafael?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Alejandra said. ¡°Well, more like I tried to call him, but he didn¡¯t answer.¡±


    Evelyn glanced at the three boys, then back at her. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry.¡±


    Alejandra shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    Evelyn folded her arms, glancing at the pink around Hraktar¡¯s pupils. ¡°Charm person shouldn¡¯t be too harmful. He¡¯ll snap out of it soon.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡­ didn¡¯t know how to stop him.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Evelyn said, rubbing her shoulder. ¡°Everything that happened it¡¯s¡­¡± she let out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s a lot.¡±


    Alejandra sniffed, brushing tears away. When her parents divorced, it was only supposed to be her father that stayed away from them. She didn¡¯t miss Jack one bit. She missed her brother immensely.


    ***


    Nick kept his fingers tightly over the steering wheel. Grizzizzik¡¯s sheet kept popping into his view. He had enough experience points to hit level two now, but Nick was worried about talking to him. Ever since Tyler mentioned the possibility of finding Akshi, Grizzizzik had turned moody. Moody enough to anger a half-orc. Nick kept glancing at him through the rearview mirror. Clarissa kept an eye on him too as they traveled home.


    There was an unsettling feeling on the way home in Derek¡¯s minivan that was compounded when they all went their separate ways. Clarissa, who never enjoyed that she had to share a living space with Grizzizzik, looked more uncomfortable about it now. And she showed it by keeping her gaze sharp and making sure Grizzizzik understood she was not to be messed with. Evelyn was unnaturally quiet. Usually, she was quiet on her phone, scrolling through social media and giving the occasional chuckle. But this time, she hadn¡¯t even pulled out her phone. She sat with her leg crossed, her arms folded, staring out the window. Nick was trying not to glare, but the bombshell that they had their own sort of quests they needed to do was stressing him out. He somehow had to control his revenge crazed character from disappearing into the night to go after his father.


    ¡°Hey, Nick?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Nick asked. She glanced at him, which is when Nick realized how much he was strangling the steering wheel. Nick eased his grip over the steering wheel as they pulled into their familiar street. ¡°Yeah?¡± Nick tried again, attempting to sound like he hadn¡¯t been glaring the entire time.


    Evelyn still stared. He noticed out of the side of his vision that her mouth was trying to move. ¡°There¡¯s¡­ there¡¯s just this¡­¡± Evelyn trailed off, glancing at Clarissa and Grizzizzik in the back.


    ¡°Is something wrong, Evie?¡± Nick asked.


    Evelyn resumed her gaze out the window. ¡°How difficult will it be to get Rafael back into playing CCNC?¡±


    Nick let out a scoff. ¡°Nearly impossible. That son of a bitch won¡¯t change his ways any time soon. Too arrogant.¡±


    Evelyn was playing with her hands as she kept looking out the window. ¡°Yeah. Probably.¡±


    Nick turned on the blinker before easing into another street. ¡°We¡¯ll figure out another way. It¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    She tore her gaze from the window to look at him again. ¡°Will we? It¡¯s not just Rafael. We¡¯re talking about Ezekiel. Our characters desperately need him.¡±


    Nick had no answer to that. And he was acutely aware that Clarissa was listening, too. The druid who everyone suspected had deep feelings for the cleric. Nick pulled into the driveway, giving his forehead a rub. ¡°Let¡¯s just take this a day at a time.¡±


    Evelyn nodded before slipping out of the car. Clarissa followed.


    ¡°You¡¯ve leveled up,¡± Nick said as Grizzizzik unbuckled himself. ¡°You gain a skill. There¡¯s only one, so you get little choice. At level two, you can use a bonus action to disengage, dash, and hide, which is nice. You¡¯re¡­ getting better at fighting.¡± Grizzizzik stared at Nick, waiting patiently for him to finish. He understood the rogue¡¯s moodiness, but it still annoyed him. ¡°We¡¯ve clearly started off on the wrong foot. I know you don¡¯t trust me, but we¡¯ve got to work together on this to get everyone home safe.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? You think you understand how suffocating it feels to have all your decisions in life made by a kid?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    ¡°Well¡­ sorta. Except my dad makes all my decisions,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°But you can leave. You¡¯re counting down the months until you¡¯re free. I¡¯ll never be free. You¡¯re always going to be there, making my choices,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t make your choices. I just¡­ know you well enough that I can guess what you¡¯ll do,¡± Nick said.


    The rogue gave him a look, and Nick could already tell that his character wanted to become so unpredictable that Nick could no longer guess what he was going to do. Which was more than just dangerous. Nick felt his fingertips turn icy. Grizzizzik seemed to understand that Nick understood this, which was a bit of a headache.


    Grizzizzik shook his head and got out of the car. Nick sighed, turning the car off before following him inside.


    ¡°All that¡¯s left to do is roll for more hit points. That¡¯ll be nice to not be stuck at ten,¡± Nick said.


    Grizzizzik did little more than grunt before he moved through the house to the backyard. Nick sighed, sitting at the table and rolled the d8. Six. Plus two for his constitution modifier. Nick watched as the ten on top of Grizzizzik¡¯s head melted away to become an eighteen. It should have made him feel good, but he was still painfully aware of how small of a number that was. Especially with the news they heard today.

 Chapter 28

    Alejandra did not see Rafael on Saturday. She had an entire speech ready to give him, but he must have snuck in when she finally dropped to sleep. Instead, she tried hard to wake up before him, too, but he was already gone when she got up on Sunday. She left for work, then got back with enough time to finish homework. Rafael was still not back. The gusto she had when thinking about what she was going to say petered out.


    Ezekiel was on the couch, reading. This morning he was doing pushups with the book on the floor. It was pretty impressive, watching him turn the page with one hand while still keeping excellent form. Perhaps Ezekiel was a nerd, but he kept himself fit.


    The cleric was flying through the books she got from the library, and she could tell he was loving it. In the evening, he would practice sword fighting with Hraktar. She would find him praying in the evening and in the morning, clutching his medallion of the Great Lady of Light. Other than that, he always had a book in his hand, smiling. She didn¡¯t know what stats he had, but considering Hraktar and Grizzizzik were the only ones to reach level two, Ezekiel was trailing behind. Their cleric was behind. It didn¡¯t comfort her in the slightest.


    And Rafael still wasn¡¯t back. She had tried calling and texting, asking where he was. Leaving messages that they needed to talk.


    Mariana left for her night shift a while ago. It was past ten o¡¯clock when Rafael walked through the front door with sacks of groceries for the week. Whatever plans she had of a leader-like speech to inspire her brother, it had turned sour. Now she was just angry.


    ¡°Where were you?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Rafael glanced up, having the audacity to look shocked. ¡°I was at work. Where else would I be?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been returning my calls or my texts,¡± Alejandra said.


    Rafael¡¯s face turned hard as he set the groceries on the table. ¡°Come on, Alejandra. I told you I¡¯ve been busy. Our first football game is in two weeks, and I¡¯ve had a load of other things to do to keep on top of it all. I can¡¯t be bothered with CCNC.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know why his comment hurt so much, but the careful dam she created to keep the anger from her voice came crashing down. ¡°This isn¡¯t a game anymore!¡± She pointed to Ezekiel reading on the couch as Rafael put milk away in the fridge. ¡°These characters we created when we were kids somehow became living, sentient people! If you don¡¯t have Ezekiel battling, he¡¯ll never level up, and stronger monsters are coming! He¡¯ll be dead before we figure out how to get him back home!¡±


    Ezekiel pulled himself out of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader to glance at the siblings fighting. Hraktar was on the other couch, cleaning his blade, doing his best to keep attention away from himself. Rafael glanced at the air where Alejandra was pointing, but she was getting familiar with that look. The way people would just slide their eyes right past Ezekiel or Hraktar without noticing. Rafael wasn¡¯t putting in the effort, so he reverted to not seeing them.


    ¡°Alejandra¡­¡± Rafael started to say. He let out a sigh, scratching the back of his head, then resumed putting away cheese and yogurt in the fridge. ¡°It¡¯s been years since I played. Ezekiel doesn¡¯t even feel like my character anymore. I understand your frustration, but I¡¯m not the person to help. We¡¯ve got to work something out where Ezekiel goes with Nick. And I would love for that to happen. You need Ezekiel. Not me.¡±


    Alejandra felt tears prick her eyes, and she was annoyed at their betrayal. ¡°We haven¡¯t hung out in years.¡± She hated how pathetic it sounded.


    ¡°Senior year is busy. I¡¯ll make it up to you.¡± Rafael set the vegetables in the fridge.


    ¡°You said the same thing about junior year. And sophomore year. How is it going to be any different when you¡¯re off to college?¡± Alejandra said.


    Rafael said nothing as he closed the door, tossing the bags under the sink. It was that silence that felt like he¡¯d stabbed her in the side as silently as a rogue sneak attack. Rafael moved down the hall to his room and shut the door. Alejandra collapsed on the couch, trying to hide her tears. Ezekiel quietly shut his book and got up, following Rafael into his room. Hraktar¡¯s blade was almost shining with how clean it was, but he kept cleaning it, anyway. There was silence between the two of them before Hraktar glanced at her. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Alejandra kept drying her tears. ¡°Yeah. Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re lying, but I don¡¯t have the social know-how to help you feel better about the situation. So, I¡¯m going to pretend to believe you. If I tried to help you feel better, it might end up making things worse.¡± Alejandra found herself smiling. Hraktar¡¯s negative one in charisma was shining through right now. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry.¡± There was a sincerity in Hraktar¡¯s voice that touched her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t roll better during the fight yesterday,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°It¡¯s completely up to chance. Not your fault,¡± Hraktar said. It was similar to what she¡¯d been trying to tell herself all weekend to help her feel better.


    Alejandra¡¯s eyes grew warm again. ¡°You got hurt. You could have died. I¡­ I don¡¯t think you got a single hit in.¡±


    Hraktar finished cleaning his already spotless sword before sheathing it. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m part of a team. A team I trust.¡± Hraktar hesitated, and she could almost sense him thinking about Grizzizzik. ¡°Mostly.¡± Alejandra smiled again. ¡°There are times I won¡¯t hit as well as I do. Thankfully, I know my friends. They have a lot of the same goals as me. Like killing a huge scorpion before it kills us. It may be all up to chance, but there were four of us against one. Chance was on our side, anyway.¡±


    It had been a little over a week since Hraktar appeared in her life. A week since he was no longer a figment of her imagination fueled by pencil, dice, and a character sheet. She didn¡¯t think she¡¯d ever get used to a character she created coming into her life, but here he was. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡±


    Hraktar leaned against the couch. ¡°I went years without friends. Now that I have them, I see why people yearn for them.¡±


    Another traitorous tear fell down her cheek. She thought of Rafael. Yes, he was her brother, but he had also always been her friend. The title of brother would never leave. But it had been drastically altered because he didn¡¯t seem to want to be her friend anymore.


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    ¡°Would it be alright if I asked you a question?¡± Hraktar asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Grizzizzik said you¡­ that you created me,¡± Hraktar said.


    Alejandra looked up at his brown eyes. ¡°Um, yeah. Yeah, about six or so years ago.¡±


    Hraktar looked confused. ¡°How?¡±


    She felt transported back in time. Sitting in a room with Tyler as he helped her roll the dice, filling in the numbers on the sheet. Looking at the handbook to make sure they got the starting equipment right. Alejandra shrugged, looking at the person who had come alive. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Just a pencil, a character sheet, and a bit of imagination.¡±


    Hraktar took this in, then glanced at his hands. ¡°It¡¯s so odd. It makes sense, but¡­ but it still feels so odd.¡±


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know how it happened, either.¡±


    ¡°So you know about¡­¡± Hraktar trailed off, his hand reaching up to touch his mangled ear.


    Alejandra rubbed the goosebumps from her arm as she looked away. ¡°The chief of the orc tribe did that to you. He did it to remind you of your¡­ of your status as a runt. But it was your reminder that you needed to stop¡­¡± Alejandra didn¡¯t know how to finish.


    ¡°Stop trying to prove my worth to people who only wanted to use me,¡± Hraktar said.


    Alejandra nodded. She looked down at her hands. ¡°Rafael is a good kid.¡±


    ¡°No doubt. Perhaps it is him that needs the reminder. He can¡¯t spread himself so thin. It¡¯s not healthy. But he¡¯s got a good friend in Ezekiel.¡±


    ¡°He certainly isn¡¯t listening to me.¡± She turned to look at Hraktar. ¡°Are we friends?¡±


    He smiled. ¡°I¡¯d like to think we are.¡±


    Alejandra nodded. ¡°I¡¯d like to think we are, too.¡±


    ***


    Rafael paced the room, his phone tight in his fist. He had read all his texts from Alejandra, listened to her voicemails, and looked through the group texts from the fight on Saturday. There wasn¡¯t much, mostly for Nick¡¯s benefit. Rafael placed his phone on his desk, then cradled his head in his hands. He couldn¡¯t get involved. It was no lie about his ridiculously busy schedule over the weekend. He had no time whatsoever. A chunk of his to-do list was finished over the weekend, and it was still large enough to drown him. He could not take on another task. Not until football season was done in November. Or perhaps after he turned in his college applications. He still needed to check with his football coach, who was also his history teacher, to get a letter of recommendation.


    He also needed to check more scholarships. Miriana thought he had a lot more saved away for college than he actually did. He didn¡¯t have the heart to tell her he¡¯d paid for groceries the past year and a half. If she figured that out, she¡¯d take on a third job, and he couldn¡¯t let her do that. He¡¯d search for more scholarships tomorrow.


    Rafael looked at the phone again. Evelyn had mentioned the same sentiment. These people were alive and here. He, of course, felt a sense of obligation to get them home. But it came at the worst possible time. And with the worst possible group. He had been working way too hard to make sure no one figured out he¡¯d hurt Evelyn. Hurt her in one of the worst possible ways.


    ¡°Can I help?¡±


    Rafael jumped, spinning around. Ezekiel was there, leaning against the wall with his finger holding his place in one of the Narnia books, watching him closely. ¡°How long have you been there?¡± Rafael asked.


    Ezekiel shrugged. ¡°Sorry. I thought you saw me.¡±


    Rafael sighed, gripping the back of the chair of his desk. ¡°No. I haven¡¯t seen you for a while.¡±


    Ezekiel nodded. ¡°I was afraid of that.¡±


    There was silence. Rafael used the opportunity to quickly rub his eyes, make sure he wasn¡¯t crying. He figured Ezekiel had gone back to reading his book, but when he glanced over his shoulder, the cleric was still observing him. ¡°Your sister cares about you a lot, you know.¡±


    Rafael forced himself to look forward at his silent phone. ¡°Yeah. I know.¡± He kept gripping the chair. ¡°So¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t actually know you anymore. My friend Nick took over when I left. Don¡¯t you have some sort of pull toward him now?¡±


    Ezekiel shook his head. ¡°No. I don¡¯t. It¡¯s always been with you.¡±


    The more Ezekiel talked, the more his stats came into view. He saw the character sheet. Saw the stats he placed in there a week ago in a frenzy. Shoving numbers in the slots to get him to help destroy the zombies.


    Strength: 14 (+2)


    Dexterity: 12 (+1)


    Constitution: 14 (+2)


    Intelligence: 14 (+2)


    Wisdom: 15 (+2)


    Charisma: 10 (0)


    Somehow, despite his bumbling nature, Rafael never saw Ezekiel as someone with wisdom as his highest stat. Under each of the main six, he saw the tabs open in his mind of all the different checks he could make with their corresponding modifier. He saw a health bar with a glowing ten above Ezekiel¡¯s head. And he saw a measly fifty-three experience points in the very corner of his vision. It was a bit more than last week. Perhaps reading and training was giving him a small amount of experience points, but no doubt fighting a battle would do better.


    ¡°I suppose this is just how you started, isn¡¯t it?¡± Rafael said.


    Ezekiel gave him a curious look. ¡°Sorry?¡±


    Rafael eased himself into his desk chair. ¡°You started out engrossed in books. Not leaving the house. Or, rather, your temple. Training with other friars, but never really going on adventures.¡±


    Ezekiel nodded. ¡°Yeah. I suppose I did.¡± He shut the book, placing it tenderly next to him on the bed. ¡°They practically had to kick me out to go on a simple mission to retrieve a book. If they hadn¡¯t, I would have still been stuck in the temple.¡± Ezekiel chuckled. ¡°In my defense, it was a trauma response. I didn¡¯t want to leave. Books were all the adventure I needed.¡± Rafael knew that. He created Ezekiel, the hesitant hero. The socially inept hero. A happy hero. The guy who was more than happy to live out his own fantasy of adventure after reading about it in stories. ¡°It¡¯s been fun reading books from your culture. But my friends are in danger. They need us.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t need me,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Yes, they do.¡±


    ¡°They just need you, Ezekiel. They¡¯ve never needed me.¡±


    The cleric studied him closely. ¡°How can you possibly suggest Lord of the Rings to me and still believe this about yourself? Do you not read your histories and internalize them?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ it¡¯s not history¡­¡±


    ¡°It clearly means something deeply to you.¡±


    Rafael hung his head. ¡°Oh god, Ezekiel. I told you it was fiction. It isn¡¯t real.¡±


    ¡°Neither are many aspirations for civilization, but we still all hold to an ideal to live by.¡±


    Rafael glanced at Ezekiel, who shrugged. Listening to Ezekiel talk brought up happy memories of their CCNC group. He remembered the role play of his friends needing a pep talk, and Rafael would ramble a bit about how awesome Flannigan Jones was, the in-world swashbuckling adventure book Ezekiel was obsessed with. His speeches usually were ninety percent current book obsession with about ten percent actual good advice that his friends would sift through and cling to because no one else took on the leader role. And Rafael had always roleplayed them so well that Tyler would usually chuckle before giving him an advantage on the performance roll to inspire everyone. Even the memory made a small smile cross Rafael¡¯s face. Then he remembered what he did to Evelyn, and guilt crushed his chest.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t join them anymore, Ezekiel. We have to find another way to get you with your friends,¡± Rafael said.


    Ezekiel shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t see how, but I¡¯m always curious to see what unconventionally happens.¡±


    ¡°Much to Tyler¡¯s dismay,¡± Rafael muttered.


    The two were silent again, and Rafael kept staring at the phone. He needed to help. That much he knew. His essays and college applications were almost ready. He was sitting on a hard-earned 3.8 GPA. It would have been a 4.0, but his parents divorced two and a half years ago. Which meant he was only getting straight A¡¯s for two and a half years because of how much he threw himself into his schoolwork. He played football and loved it. Was the model citizen in every way. He had the time. He knew it. Last night, he spent four hours playing CCNC with Hazel¡¯s brothers. He had the time of his life.


    But he could not force himself to stand by Evelyn¡¯s side and keep pretending he hadn¡¯t pulverized their friendship in the worst possible way. Keep brushing away the guilt that stabbed him every time he caught glimpses of her.


    Rafael shook his head, stuffing his phone in his pocket. ¡°I need a minute alone, please.¡±


    Ezekiel nodded, picking up his book and leaving the room. Rafael had a feeling he wouldn¡¯t see the cleric for a while.

 Chapter 29

    Derek thought he was ready on Monday to ask Mr. Anderson about his lab. He gave himself a pep talk, and then found himself in his second hour, quietly sweating about how he didn¡¯t do it. He tried to muster his courage on Tuesday morning, but it was gone so quickly. Derek didn¡¯t know why this was so hard for him until he realized Mr. Anderson always seemed annoyed at theater kids. To be fair, he seemed annoyed at most kids, but Derek wasn¡¯t excited to talk to someone, knowing that it would probably be an uphill battle to get them to like him. And then to ask to use the lab? For a character who came out of Choice, Chance, and Consequence? This was going to end with him being carted away by a special branch of government that would eventually use alien technology to wipe everyone¡¯s memories of Derek ever existing.


    It was Wednesday morning when Derek had the bright idea of bringing Milo with him to school. It was the oddest feeling, stepping into the hall with his character behind him. The mana fusor tried dodging all the students, but they plowed past him, not even acknowledging him. They seemed to go out of their way to not touch him, even if they didn¡¯t know what they were doing. When the hall got too full, shoulders simply moved through his body, which Milo wasn¡¯t a fan of. He stayed scrunched up behind Derek as he glanced through the door to see Mr. Anderson there, sipping his coffee and going through notes. His room was completely empty, to no one¡¯s surprise.


    Derek checked his phone as Milo pressed himself against the wall. Ten more minutes until the first bell rang. He would have to do this now, considering he didn¡¯t know how long it would take to convince Mr. Anderson that Derek hadn¡¯t lost his mind.


    He motioned Milo forward as they slipped into the room. Derek half hoped that Mr. Anderson would notice the mana fusor straight off and that everything would fall into place, but somehow he knew it wouldn¡¯t be that easy.


    Mr. Anderson glanced at a note before setting it down. Derek approached the table he was working at, waiting. Mr. Anderson took another sip of coffee before looking up, meeting Derek¡¯s gaze. There was a full two seconds of silence as Derek almost willed Milo into existence.


    ¡°This is indeed my second cup of coffee, Derek. You may ask me a question,¡± Mr. Anderson said.


    Derek cleared his throat. If the side quest hadn¡¯t popped up in his vision, he would have never done this. ¡°Hey, Mr. Anderson. This may seem like a strange question, but it has a purpose to it, I swear. Have you ever played the tabletop role playing game Choice, Chance, and Consequence?¡±


    Mr. Anderson gave a tiny laugh before returning to his notes. ¡°Yes, Derek. I have. If Molly sent you to recruit me into being the second adult in the CCNC after-school club, tell her I¡¯m still not interested.¡± Derek was confused until he remembered Molly was Se?ora Florez¡¯ first name. Sometimes it was odd hearing teachers¡¯ first names. Mr. Anderson took another sip of coffee. ¡°Besides, my CCNC days are done. Left on a high note. You¡¯ll just have to believe me you haven¡¯t really played CCNC until you¡¯re sneaking out of your overly religious mother¡¯s basement in the mid-eighties to play a session with your jr. high buddies.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t much, but Derek clung to it. ¡°Yeah, yeah! Sneaking around. Trying not to get caught!¡±


    Mr. Anderson looked up from his coffee mug, confused. ¡°Um, just to be clear¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, Mr. Anderson. I know you¡¯re not trying to suggest I sneak around authority figures. I¡­ I¡¯m actually¡­¡± Derek placed a hand on Milo¡¯s shoulder, and he didn¡¯t know what Mr. Anderson saw. But it clearly wasn¡¯t Milo, so he dropped his hand. ¡°I need your advice.¡±


    Mr. Anderson gave him a blank stare. ¡°With CCNC?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in a pickle.¡±


    ¡°Molly¡¯s the better person to ask,¡± Mr. Anderson said, returning to his notes.


    ¡°This is by far more your area of expertise. Have you heard of the mana fusor class?¡± Derek said.


    Mr. Anderson was now fully back into his notes. ¡°Sure, sure. The alchemists, in a way.¡±


    ¡°The ones that always need a lab?¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Mmm.¡± Mr. Anderson took another sip of his coffee.


    Derek let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°So¡­ you really can¡¯t see him?¡±


    Mr. Anderson glanced up from his notes again, frowning. ¡°Derek, what are you trying to get at?¡±


    Derek sighed and took out his phone to check the time. ¡°Sir, all I ask is two minutes. And if you don¡¯t see him in two minutes, I will gladly walk out of the room and both of us can pretend I never stepped foot in here this morning.¡±


    Mr. Anderson¡¯s face was a combination of him clearly hearing weirder things, but there was no way his teacher had seen anything weirder than this. Mr. Anderson grabbed his mug and leaned back in his chair. ¡°I like a man with a plan. Two minutes. Show me.¡±


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    Derek and Milo exchanged glances. ¡°Uh, so I have a mana fusor character named Milo¡­¡±


    Milo waved at Mr. Anderson. ¡°Hello, sir. An honor to meet you.¡±


    Mr. Anderson kept his eyes on Derek, with no sign he even heard Milo. ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    ¡°And he¡¯s¡­¡± Derek gestured toward Milo, who was still waving. Mr. Anderson glanced at what to him was empty air before looking back at Derek. Derek sighed, then turned to look at Milo. ¡°Isn¡¯t there something you can do to look more like a mana fusor?¡±


    Milo glanced down at his obviously nerdy get up before giving Derek an annoyed look. Then a light entered his eyes. ¡°Right! I¡¯ve got it!¡± Milo pulled a wrench and a beaker out of his inventory and placed them on the table before mussing up his hair to make it look like a crazed scientist.


    ¡°Do you have goggles, by any chance?¡± Derek asked Mr. Anderson.


    His biology teacher shrugged, getting up and walking toward his lab. He slid his hand toward the wall and got some safety goggles before setting them on the table.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Derek said, picking them up and handing them to Milo. Derek kept a careful eye on Mr. Anderson and saw the moment of confusion where the goggles disappeared from Derek¡¯s hands and into Milo¡¯s. The surprise turned into a deeper frown as he leaned over to see if they fell on the floor.


    Milo slapped the goggles onto his head, finishing his mussed up look. He pulled out a vial of gold mana and poured it into a beaker. He shoved the empty vial into his inventory, then picked up the beaker and the wrench, smiling at Mr. Anderson like so many other pictures of mana fusors. Mr. Anderson was still trying to find the goggles on the ground.


    ¡°He¡¯s still not seeing me,¡± Milo whispered out the side of his mouth as he kept his smile.


    ¡°Do something else. He noticed the goggles are missing,¡± Derek whispered back. Which caused Mr. Anderson to glance at him.


    ¡°Derek, what¡ª¡±


    Milo plinked his wrench against the beaker. The golden mana glowed. Mr. Anderson heard it, because his eyes again darted around before they froze right on the glowing mana in Milo¡¯s hand. Derek¡¯s heart quickened as his biology teacher stared at the mana, then his gaze spread out to take in Milo¡¯s torso before settling on Milo¡¯s face. The mana fusor kept his grin that was a bit more manic scientist. It was frozen on his face as Milo and Mr. Anderson stared at each other.


    The two minutes were up. Derek didn¡¯t actually know how much time they had left in the two minutes, but there was an endless stretch of silence as Mr. Anderson just stared at Milo. There wasn¡¯t a single facial tick on his face. He was simply looking.


    Milo broke his gaze from Mr. Anderson to shoot Derek a concerned look before looking back at the biology teacher.


    It was getting close to the first bell, and Mr. Anderson was still frozen in place, staring at Milo with a mostly blank face. Mr. Anderson lifted a hand, then touched Milo¡¯s forehead. Milo stared up at it, almost cross-eyed.


    ¡°So¡­ my mana fusor needs a lab¡­¡± Derek said, because he wasn¡¯t sure what else to say.


    That seemed to jolt Mr. Anderson back to reality. He dropped his hand and tore his gaze from Milo to Derek. He gave Derek all of two seconds of attention before draining the last of his second cup of coffee. He set it on his desk. ¡°No.¡±


    Derek frowned, then shared a hasty glance with Milo. ¡°Wait¡­ no?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Mr. Anderson said.


    ¡°Look, Mr. Anderson, I know this may be¡ª¡±


    ¡°Whatever he is¡ª¡± Mr. Anderson gestured toward Milo, ¡°¡ªI want no part of it. I don¡¯t want to know how he came to be. I don¡¯t even want to hear whatever sob story I¡¯m assuming will accompany it.¡±


    ¡°Have you heard of this happening before?¡± Derek asked, sounding hopeful.


    ¡°Nope. And I don¡¯t intend on staying to figure it out, either. As far as I¡¯m concerned, you never came in here, and I never saw¡ª¡± Mr. Anderson again looked straight at Milo, his speech stuttering to a stop. Milo was still glancing between Derek and Mr. Anderson. ¡°No lab, Derek. None at all. I¡¯m not interested in losing my job again.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± Mr. Anderson gathered his notes. ¡°This is illegal on so many levels, and I don¡¯t even want to know what brought him here. I don¡¯t want to know anything. I¡¯m not interested.¡± He glanced at his watch. ¡°We¡¯ll both take the two minutes before the bell to pretend this entire conversation never happened. See you in a few minutes.¡±


    Mr. Anderson walked over to the corner of the room. There were two doors. One leading to the lab, one leading to a tiny office. Mr. Anderson opened the door to his office and slid inside. Derek sighed, covering his face. Milo glanced at Derek, then lightly tapped the mana. It stopped glowing, and he poured the mana back into the vial. ¡°No sense wasting it.¡±


    Derek glanced at the door again. ¡°At least Mr. Anderson seems to be the person who will keep his word.¡± He headed for the door to the hallway. ¡°Which means we¡¯re at least not getting our minds wiped by government officials.¡±


    ¡°Does your government even have that power?¡± Milo asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll believe it when I see it,¡± Derek said, opening the door and gesturing for Milo to get out.


    Milo took off the goggles and placed them on the table before following. ¡°But if they can alter your memories, you won¡¯t remember you saw it.¡±


    Derek shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m only semi joking. I don¡¯t think they actually have that power.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good.¡±


    Derek¡¯s smile was wry as they entered the hallway. He waited a bit by the door, since there was not that much time until class. He¡¯d just have to do what Mr. Anderson requested. The quest was still there, so it hadn¡¯t been completed yet. Perhaps he just needed time to adjust to the fact that people were walking around invisibly in town.


    Yeah. Derek would need some time if that were the case, too.


    Mr. Anderson did his best to ignore Milo once the bell rang. Milo was fascinated with AP Biology, though. Derek tore out a few pages from his notebook for Milo to take notes on. He was on his belly, his feet crossed in the aisle of the desks as he wrote notes from the lecture. Milo gave the occasional grunt or a ¡°Fascinating!¡± while Mr. Anderson was talking about different elements on the periodic table.


    The bell rang for the end of class, and Mr. Anderson excused them all, leaning against the table as he stared at Milo. Derek didn¡¯t know what else to do but give an unenthusiastic wave as he walked out of the classroom. The look Mr. Anderson gave him was nearly emotionless. But if Mr. Anderson had even been a bit like Derek, there was no doubt a huge war going on in his head.

 Chapter 30

    Alejandra was packing up from CCNC club on Thursday. She didn¡¯t have work, and it had been a good session, so she was feeling social. Which meant she was smiling at what other people were saying and imagining how she would respond if she was a bit braver.


    ¡°I just think people give the ranger class too much hate,¡± one of Derek¡¯s friend Oskar said.


    Derek scoffed. ¡°Because rangers deserve it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a class that gives a bit of everything!¡± Oskar said.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s a class that is an absolute badass in a rare scenario, and just mediocre all the other times.¡±


    Se?ora Florez gave a tiny scoff. ¡°Honestly, I wish a ranger existed in real life.¡±


    This slightly confused Alejandra, and she glanced at her favorite teacher. ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°The weirdest thing is happening at my husband¡¯s restaurant.¡±


    Derek, whose conversation was almost turning heated, held out a hand to stop Oskar and turned to Se?ora Florez. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Not wrong, per se. Just¡­ strange.¡±


    Oskar¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°The restaurant is okay, though, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    He let out a breath. ¡°Oh, god, the five stages of grief I just cycled through in that instant.¡± He leaned down, gripping his heart. ¡°Don¡¯t do that to me, Se?ora Florez.¡±


    She cracked a smile, shaking her head. ¡°The restaurant is fine. No, there¡¯s just something really weird going on next to the restaurant.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± As soon as Alejandra said that, she felt heat prick around her ears. The thought of hiding something from adults always made her anxious. She had been hiding Jack¡¯s toxic anger from adults for a long time, and it felt shameful to return to such a place.


    ¡°At first, I thought it was some sort of homeless person, because we¡¯d heard some shuffling around outside our restaurant. Only a few days ago have I seen a tent.¡±


    ¡°A tent? There¡¯s a tent?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Sort of a tent. It¡¯s hard to explain. Sometimes I catch it out of the corner of my eye, but when I try to find it again, it¡¯s gone. Jos¨¦ has never seen it.¡± She sighed. ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s stress from the job, but it¡¯s always been about the same amount of stress as usual.¡± She folded her arms, leaning against the desk.


    ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t need a ranger, but a therapist,¡± Oskar said.


    Se?ora Florez let out a large laugh. ¡°CCNC is therapy, Oskar. Or at least the cheap person¡¯s therapy.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Thank you! My thoughts exactly!¡± Derek said.


    Alejandra glanced at Derek, frowning. He caught her eye, too. Milo told him that the people who could see the characters had some part to play in helping them. Was Se?ora Florez going to help somehow?


    Derek¡¯s gaze unfocused. Alejandra recognized it as looking at the interface system. She followed suit and saw there was a new side quest.


    Find out who owns the tent.


    Looks like they had their Saturday planned out.


    ***


    Evelyn zipped up her gym bag and slung it over her shoulder before checking her phone. She had a few texts from friends giving party invites for tomorrow and Saturday. She saw the one from Derek.


    Development in the campaign! Mandatory session this Saturday! (Looking at you, Rafael)


    Evelyn felt her heart sinking a bit as she scrolled through everyone¡¯s available time. Was this going to be every weekend for her? She wasn¡¯t sure she could do this. The possibility of seeing Rafael every weekend was spoiling her enjoyment of CCNC. She craved CCNC simply because it was a different outlet than her school life. She kind of loved it, even if it seemed so contradictory.


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    She was so engrossed in trying to figure out if any of the times her friends mentioned would work for her when someone appeared in front of her.


    ¡°Oh. Sorry.¡± She recognized Hazel after a moment of disorientation, and she smiled. ¡°Hazel! Hi! Are you still okay with taking me home?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± The cheer captain was holding her own bag. ¡°Excited for the game next week?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! I think the routines are really coming together.¡±


    ¡°They really are.¡± They walked together toward the parking lot.


    ¡°Thanks again. I usually get Annie to give me a ride,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°No problem. Poor Annie. I hope she gets feeling better.¡±


    Once they were at Hazel¡¯s car, Evelyn noticed the uncomfortable look on the cheer captain¡¯s face. It was so odd and out of character for the most popular and the kindest girl in the entire school that Evelyn couldn¡¯t let it go. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Look, I¡¯m super low drama. But I also don¡¯t want to just text this, because it¡¯s also really important to me. I just¡­ is it okay? That I¡¯m dating Rafael?¡±


    Evelyn felt herself laugh, even if she didn¡¯t feel like it. She got into the car, with Hazel following soon after. ¡°Of course! Why wouldn¡¯t I feel okay about it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± Hazel let out a small laugh of her own. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you and Rafael really liked each other before. And I don¡¯t want to step on any toes. He doesn¡¯t talk about you much, but I¡¯ve noticed how he seems to react weird whenever you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hazel, you¡¯re far too sweet for your own good,¡± Evelyn said, slipping her phone into her pocket. Hazel started the car, and they headed out of the parking lot. ¡°Really. I am happy for you two. I guarantee there is nothing between Rafael and I.¡±


    Hazel seemed to relax at this, but only a little. ¡°I was¡­ I was afraid he was just sort of waiting until you got older, you know? You¡¯re only a sophomore, and¡ª¡±


    Evelyn lifted a hand, stopping Hazel, hoping the unease rolling her stomach would stop, too. ¡°Please. There really is nothing between us. I guarantee I will never date Rafael Walker.¡± That much was one hundred percent true. ¡°You¡¯re reading far too into this.¡± Hazel relaxed even further. ¡°Have you tried talking to him about it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve tried. He shuts down those conversations real fast.¡±


    Evelyn looked out the window. ¡°Strange.¡±


    Her heart was drowning, beating wildly even as it was suffocating. She didn¡¯t want to be here. For once she wished Hazel was the person who would only communicate over text. Evelyn had a feeling that¡¯s why Hazel was the most popular kid at school. She really was low drama, and she always confronted problems before they got out of hand.


    Which was another reason Evelyn felt so nauseous about this. Rafael had to know that Hazel was going to figure out what happened between them. Evelyn was proud of how steady her hand was when she pointed to which street she needed to go down when her phone vibrated again.


    Alejandra texted, saying she was going to get Rafael to come this weekend. ¡°I assure you. You two are great together, and I¡¯m thrilled. I¡¯m honored you want to ask permission, but it¡¯s also unnecessary. He was only ever a friend to me.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Thanks, Evelyn. Hey, are you going to Jennifer¡¯s party on Saturday night? I¡¯m trying to convince Rafael to come,¡± Hazel said.


    ¡°It sounds fun, but I¡¯ve got a CCNC session to go to,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Someday you¡¯ll have to teach me how to play.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Of course.¡± Evelyn gave a smile that didn¡¯t reflect at all the panic she felt inside. ¡°I¡¯d suggest the after-school club, but you have the same problem I have.¡±


    ¡°Cheer practice?¡± Hazel asked.


    Evelyn nodded. ¡°Cheer practice.¡±


    Hazel scoffed. ¡°Honestly, they keep telling us not to focus on specific groups or cliques, but then they make it impossible for cheerleaders to go to a CCNC game. That¡¯s why you¡¯re so cool to me.¡±


    ¡°Cool?¡± The surprise almost drowned out the panic. ¡°Me? You think I¡¯m cool?¡±


    ¡°Yeah? The way you balance fun games like CCNC on top of cheer. I¡¯m trying to get Rafael back into the game. He misses it. I can tell. He had so much fun playing with my brothers last weekend.¡±


    Evelyn again pointed to the street, taking far more mental energy to keep her fingers steady. ¡°Yeah. It really is a pity.¡± The urge to start up a game with Hazel was strong. If her CCNC session wasn¡¯t a cover for figuring out how to return some actual people back to a realm she didn¡¯t realize was real, she would have invited Hazel. She could tell, in the silence, that Hazel perhaps expected an invitation, so Evelyn had to switch gears. ¡°You know what? We should make a CCNC campaign with the cheerleaders. Sometimes those bus rides to other high schools can get long, and it¡¯d be fun. If¡­ anyone else was interested.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t know anyone else on the cheer team that would be interested. But perhaps they just needed an invitation.


    Hazel¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Oh my god, yes! You could be the game master!¡±


    Evelyn swallowed, because she wasn¡¯t sure if she understood the game well enough to be a game master. All she knew was that she couldn¡¯t invite Hazel to her CCNC game. Which meant she needed to find a few more people on the cheer team to do this. ¡°Me? God, that would push everyone out of their comfort zone. But it¡¯d be fun. It¡¯s what this game is about, anyway.¡±


    Hazel smiled as she pulled into the driveway. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m excited. I¡¯ll talk to the girls tomorrow! I¡¯ll keep you posted. Thank you, Evelyn. I¡¯m really glad I got to drive you home.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thanks Hazel.¡± She waved as she walked toward her front door. The nerves returned. Hazel was such a sweet girl. She was smart, beautiful, and kind. Evelyn was as stunned as anyone that Rafael was dating her. Then again, she felt as though she no longer knew Rafael.


    She felt nervous as she walked toward her house. At first, she was confused. It wasn¡¯t like she was against Hazel learning CCNC. It was more the unknown. She didn¡¯t want to hang around Rafael, and they still didn¡¯t know why their characters got into the real world. She didn¡¯t even know how they became real in the first place. Was it smart to create even more characters?

 Chapter 31

    Tyler was the first to appear in Derek¡¯s house, walking into the house with his sunglasses on, texting like mad.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve been doing a ton of research, and I think we now have a mostly completed list of all the monsters that¡ªaccording to canon¡ªare in Torraq¡¯s dungeon hide out.¡± Tyler placed his sunglasses on his head before handing four sheets of paper to Derek. ¡°It¡¯s according to level, and I already crossed out four zombies and a giant scorpion.¡±


    ¡°How many more monsters are left?¡± Milo asked from the kitchen. He was working on tempering the pile of goo that was supposed to turn into red mana.


    ¡°There are over two thousand monsters, but before anyone freaks out, that¡¯s including a lot of spiders and tarantulas. And rats,¡± Tyler said.


    Derek lifted his hand with the papers to point at the people in the room. ¡°No one tells Evelyn that.¡±


    ¡°Considering tarantulas are more likely to end up in the desert regions of this world, there¡¯s a good chance a lot of them are already here. She¡¯ll see them eventually,¡± Tyler mumbled.


    Derek groaned, looking through the list. ¡°So as long as Clarissa keeps doing¡­ whatever her druid princess self is doing, the creatures can only come in if we can kick their ass?¡±


    ¡°Or at least you won¡¯t have your ass handed to you,¡± Tyler finished his texting and slipped his phone in his pocket. ¡°Which means Clarissa really needs to be kept alive.¡± Tyler took off his sunglasses and looked around, the stress he¡¯d been hiding returned full force. ¡°All of you need to be kept alive. Which means I might visit Rafael if he doesn¡¯t show up again.¡±


    There was a knock on the door. Tyler went back to his phone as Derek kept looking over the list as he headed toward the door. Those dragons Torraq had around him were of various levels, but Derek really didn¡¯t want any of those dragons in Elmwood.


    Once Derek opened the door, Nick and Evelyn walked in, with Clarissa and Grizzizzik following close behind. Clarissa seemed annoyed at Grizzizzik, but to be fair, she was always annoyed with him.


    ¡°Princess! Do you have any more raw mana?¡± Milo asked.


    ¡°Of course.¡± She reached behind her and pulled out four beakers full of raw golden mana. ¡°It¡¯s the extra after my meditation.¡±


    ¡°I prepared a few healing spells this morning, just in case.¡±


    ¡°How much gold mana have you got?¡± Clarissa asked.


    ¡°Four vials. My heal wounds spell only costs one vial of gold mana, so that should keep us safe if Ezekiel won¡¯t show up.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t curse it.¡± Clarissa looked toward the door. ¡°He better show up! I miss him.¡±


    Grizzizzik rolled his eyes, and Derek realized that the obvious sexual tension was in fact just as obvious to the other characters. But considering Evelyn would more often than not summarize Clarissa¡¯s feelings with hardly two sentences and Nick completely ignored Ezekiel¡¯s feelings, there was a chance that Ezekiel and Clarissa¡¯s relationship was a bit more defined in the game than Derek realized.


    There was another knock, and Nick opened the door. ¡°Hey, Alejandra. It¡¯s great to see you,¡± he said.


    Derek snorted, going back to the notes.


    ¡°Sorry. Rafael couldn¡¯t make it.¡± She sounded deflated when she said that.


    ¡°Well, thank you for showing up. Hey Hraktar.¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    Alejandra and Hraktar walked in. Tyler seemed to glance at them, and Derek could already see the resolve his friend made about talking with Rafael personally. Tyler¡¯s fall semester was starting Monday. At least he had the time to compile the list.


    ¡°Alright. If everyone¡¯s ready, let¡¯s get in the minivan!¡± Derek said.


    There was some shuffling around. Milo had to clean up the mana essence and stick it in his inventory. Grizzizzik was practicing with his new hell hound dagger, which looked gnarly in its own right.


    They got outside and Hraktar was once again squeezed into the corner, with Milo and Clarissa next to him and Grizzizzik in the back. Derek finished buckling himself in when he started the car and had the weirdest moment of reflection.


    This was definitely not what he imagined his first month of senior high to be like.


    ¡°Alright, everyone, keep your eyes peeled,¡± Derek said as the minivan rumbled down the road. ¡°We¡¯re looking for a tent near Jos¨¦¡¯s restaurant. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s lurking in there, but according to the side quest, it¡¯ll probably start a battle.¡±


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    Tyler in the passenger seat turned himself around to hold up a finger. ¡°Remember, the best course of action right now is to hear the creature out first. But first¡­ yeah, we got to find the tent.¡±


    ¡°Are you asking us to roll for perception?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Tyler about said something, then paused. ¡°Can I ask that? I think that¡¯s just what¡ª¡±


    Time slowed down, cutting Tyler off. Derek frowned, looking down at the steering wheel. It wouldn¡¯t take his command as time came to a complete standstill. He glanced around, seeing the other cars frozen in place.


    Roll for perception.


    Derek raised an eyebrow as he looked at the d20 hanging in midair above him. ¡°Yep. The strangest month of my life. But I am not complaining.¡± He grabbed the dice and gave it a good roll before letting it go. It dropped, landing on an eleven. A +3 appeared as well, the number jumping up to fourteen. It wasn¡¯t bad. It could have been better, but Derek was glad it wasn¡¯t worse.


    ¡°¡ªI did as a GM.¡±


    Cars rushed by Derek again. He gasped, forgetting his hands weren¡¯t actually on the wheel. He grabbed it, causing it to lurch. Everyone shouted in surprise.


    ¡°Derek!¡± Nick shouted.


    ¡°Not my fault!¡± Derek tried to remain calm. ¡°I can honestly say I¡¯ve never had time freeze while driving before!¡±


    The passengers in the back all grumbled. Tyler glanced between Derek and the rest of the group behind them. ¡°Wait, did you really all roll for perception?¡±


    ¡°I think time will keep us trapped in there indefinitely if we don¡¯t make the roll,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Really?¡± Grizzizzik asked, perking up. ¡°Do you think so?¡±


    ¡°There is no way you¡¯re stealing my dice and trying to get me trapped, Grizzizzik,¡± Nick said. ¡°If I¡¯m trapped in time, you¡¯re not moving, either. No one is.¡±


    Hraktar shot Grizzizzik a glare, who grumbled about something none of them could hear. Derek glanced at Nick through the rearview window. Derek was always fascinated with Milo, and he got the impression Milo was equally fascinated by this new world he stumbled into. But he wondered what it would be like to have an edgy rogue hanging around his house all the time. It sounded like they just caught a glimpse of it from that conversation.


    ¡°Alright, well, tell me your numbers so we¡¯re prepared,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Twenty-one,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Dirty twenty,¡± Alejandra said. Evelyn lifted her hand, and the two girls gave each other a high five.


    ¡°Fourteen,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Six,¡± Nick mumbled, which caused Derek to wince.


    ¡°Six? Even with your modifier?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Glad I had it.¡±


    Clarissa leaned forward, frowning. ¡°What are these numbers you speak of?¡±


    Evelyn looked behind her. ¡°Remember that bag of dice you gave me that first night? They¡¯re what creates the chance in the game. You could roll high or low. And that¡¯s the outcome of what we¡¯re about to do.¡±


    Grizzizzik was on his knees, his snake head poking up from the side. ¡°Are you seriously telling me that a chance roll of the dice causes me, an experienced criminal, to somehow not notice a tent before a stuck-up princess and a bumbling half-orc?¡±


    Tyler shrugged. ¡°That is how the game is played, yes. It¡¯s odd, but whoever is really over this entire thing will probably think of some way to make it so that they¡¯d be the first to see it.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s nostrils flared. ¡°That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I grew up in crime, I¡¯ve lived it. Things don¡¯t just escape my notice because this one rolled a small number. What you¡¯re suggesting is utterly¡ª¡±


    ¡°There it is!¡± Both Hraktar and Clarissa said, pointing out the window as Derek drove past the restaurant.


    Milo, who had somehow stolen Derek¡¯s AP biology textbook and was reading it, glanced up and gave a grunt. ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re right!¡± His nose went right back into the book.


    Grizzizzik¡¯s head whipped around, frowning. Derek had seen the tent once Hraktar and Clarissa pointed it out, but he had driven past the restaurant and there were many houses that blocked the tent from view. Grizzizzik turned his head back around as everyone looked at him. His eyes seemed to harden. ¡°That was all coincidence. Nothing more.¡±


    ¡°Not coincidence. Just a choice, a chance, and a consequence,¡± Tyler said. Grizzizzik grumbled again as Derek drove past the restaurant. ¡°Well!¡± Tyler clapped his hands before rubbing them together. ¡°I guess the next thing we¡¯ve got to prepare for is¡ª¡±


    Time slowed to a halt again, and the d20 appeared.


    Roll for stealth.


    This time, Derek kept one hand on the steering wheel as he grabbed his dice with the other hand. It was just like CCNC, except in real life. It would take a bit to get used to, but he had never felt more excited in his life.


    Derek found a parking spot while everyone discussed their rolls. Grizzizzik was still perplexed about the numbers. He said he hadn¡¯t thought too much about it while fighting, because there was a reason he might have missed, but with something like stealth or perception, he was still annoyed.


    Clarissa was on board with the whole thing until Evelyn admitted she rolled a four for her stealth.


    ¡°It¡¯s superstition. Fortune telling. Hogwash,¡± Grizzizzik said, folding his arms. ¡°There is no correlation whatsoever, and you can¡¯t convince me otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Then you can keep ignoring the numbers I tell you and live your life.¡± Nick had the slightest hint of annoyance in his voice. ¡°Go on. Check it out.¡±


    Grizzizzik grumbled again before he disappeared into a bush. Derek frowned, specifically trying to look for Grizzizzik, but it was like he had dissolved into nothing. Nick must have seen the bewilderment on his face. ¡°I mean, I rolled a twenty-four.¡±


    ¡°It means nothing,¡± Grizzizzik said right next to Derek¡¯s ear, causing him to jump.


    ¡°Good lord, Grizzizzik. Really?¡± Derek rubbed the side of his face as though he could almost feel a forked tongue licking his face. He knew for a fact that Grizzizzik didn¡¯t have a forked tongue, but it still messed with his head. The snake man was standing right next to him, with Derek unable to figure out how that was possible.


    ¡°Go, Grizzizzik. Princess Clarissa might need your help,¡± Nick said.


    The rogue disappeared again. Milo and Hraktar were far more in the open, trying to tiptoe toward the tent. Clarissa was next to Milo, holding her skirts as she tried not to let them touch the dirt. Derek and the rest of his friends were by the minivan. Derek was trying to figure out what kind of alibi he would need if anyone randomly stumbled onto their group, waiting around in the scorching Arizona sun.


    Milo and Hraktar crept closer to the tent. The restaurant was at the end of a road, and the tent was closer to the start of it. It didn¡¯t take long to get there, so he wasn¡¯t sure exactly what Clarissa was going to do to mess up the stealth.


    Which is when she slipped on a rock and fell right into the tent opening.

 Chapter 32

    Concerned, Evelyn took a few steps forward as Milo and Hraktar glanced at each other. Clarissa scrambled inside the tent. Derek was waiting for some sort of battle cry, but there was nothing. Instead, the crystal tiara sparkled in the sunlight as she popped her head out of the tent, grinning. ¡°Come and see! You all as well!¡± She pointed to Evelyn, which was enough encouragement for Derek. He was curious about this whole thing.


    ¡°Are we sure it¡¯s safe?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Hraktar already had his great sword out. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure it is.¡±


    Clarissa was already retreating into the tent. ¡°Oh, stop worrying Hraktar. It¡¯s perfectly safe. I recognize this smell anywhere.¡±


    Derek walked in and was immediately struck by the fact that the tent was bigger on the inside. Above the tent door was a swirl of pink flower petals that shifted around like it was in a contained snow globe. He walked further in to see hundreds of trinkets and items. They had an organized chaos element to them. Bottles, potions, and vials were stacked on some shelves, books and parchments piled on another. Trinkets were strewn around the room and the air in the tent cycled through so many smells. It started as lavender before changing to a citrus, then somehow dropped to a pine smell, before changing to peppermint. The change was dizzying, and though all the smells were delightful, it messed with Derek¡¯s head.


    Tyler walked through the tent, then gasped. ¡°Is this¡­¡±


    ¡°YOU!¡±


    Everyone jumped as a gnome woman leapt onto the desk. Despite the spry leap, the gnome had to be two hundred years old. She had clumped white hair to her head, wrinkles, and an enormous nose that held tiny glasses. Her eyes were a deep purple color. Tyler clapped his hand over his mouth, his eyes wide.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡± Evelyn said. ¡°It¡¯s Calawit!¡±


    The gnome woman was staring at something just past Derek¡¯s shoulder. He glanced behind him to see Grizzizzik had appeared in the tent. He was in the tent opening, but the pink petals above him turned red and hissed. The rogue glanced up before looking again at the gnome woman half his size with an annoyed look. ¡°Hello, Calawit.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where I am. I don¡¯t know what this place is. But I know you, sir.¡± Calawit had a gravely voice like she smoked every day for a hundred and seventy of her two hundred years. ¡°My enchantments and charms are working well, so don¡¯t think this new world we¡¯re in gives you any leverage.¡±


    A few of the red flower petals dropped onto Grizzizzik¡¯s hands, sinking into his skin. He lifted them, glaring. ¡°Seriously? It was just once.¡±


    ¡°It was not just once. You never succeeded once. No one steals from Calawit, and no one ever will. Because I¡¯m cautious! I don¡¯t trust anyone!¡± The gravel in her voice somehow changed. It was still deep, but it turned far more friendly. ¡°Princess Clarissa? Is that you?¡±


    ¡°Calawit!¡± Clarissa said, holding her hands out. Standing on a desk, Calawit could embrace the six-foot-tall elf.


    ¡°It is good to see you, my friend. I was afraid I was the only one who¡¯d traveled to this new world with all these monsters. It¡¯s taken a bit for me to hold up my enchantments, but monsters will not harm me here.¡±


    Clarissa pulled away from the hug. ¡°I am so relieved.¡±


    The gnome woman picked up locks of Clarissa¡¯s hair, her eyes widening. ¡°What happened to your green hair?¡±


    The druid stroked her blonde hair. ¡°I¡¯m a steward of the desert now. I rather like it.¡±


    Calawit noticed the others. Not just Milo and Hraktar, but Derek and his friends. Her face shifted as she took them in. ¡°Welcome to my store. Understand that there is an enchantment over everything that keeps you from pick-pocketing anything without the proper exchange of gold. If you want to know what that¡¯s like, simply look at your friend over there.¡±


    Calawit gestured with her thumb to where Grizzizzik was trying to pick something up to read it. With the angry red petals glued to his hands, he couldn¡¯t even touch the item. His fingers slipped right through it as he grumbled about how much he hated magic. He stopped when he noticed everyone¡¯s attention on him.


    ¡°The bottle¡¯s turned around,¡± Grizzizzik said. ¡°I can¡¯t read what it says. I¡¯m not trying to steal it.¡±


    Calawit jumped off the table, crawling over the tops of bookshelves to get to Grizzizzik, making a show of turning it around so he could read it.


    Grizzizzik still glared at her. ¡°I¡¯m sure this would be easier for you if you¡¯d take the enchantment off.¡±


    ¡°On the contrary.¡± She sat down on the edge, tucking her legs under her as she grinned. ¡°I enjoy having a rogue look so uncomfortable in my shop.¡±


    There were tears in Tyler¡¯s eyes. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ she¡¯s everything. A figment of my imagination come to life. Breathing. Real. Here.¡± His face was a mixture of awe and joy. ¡°Is this how you guys feel?¡±


    ¡°Surreal, isn¡¯t it?¡± Derek asked.


    Calawit was Tyler¡¯s most beloved NPC character. Technically, she was a character he had played with his high school buddies before adding her to their campaign as a retired adventurer. The gnome sorcerer fit in with the group so well. If she wasn¡¯t running a shop, the group would have had her in their party a long time ago. That, and Calawit was quite stubborn about staying with her shop.


    Calawit stood up, jumping over the tops of a few bookshelves before sitting on Hraktar¡¯s shoulder. Hraktar winced, bracing himself. ¡°Relax, big guy.¡± She patted his cheek, making him wince. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before. Anything in the store can¡¯t be broken, either. Not until it¡¯s out of my enchanted tent.¡±


    ¡°You were never in a tent, you were in a building,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°Are you trying to find a loophole, rogue?¡± Calawit¡¯s gravely voice had a touch of humor.


    ¡°Finding loopholes is what I do,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°Try it, rogue. I¡¯d love to show you how much deeper those petals go,¡± Calawit said.


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    ¡°Hey, Cala!¡± Milo said.


    ¡°Milo! Here for more healing potion for your breakup?¡± Calawit asked.


    Milo waved a hand. ¡°That was ages ago.¡± Yes, it was ages ago, but there was still an obvious tremor in the mana fusor¡¯s voice.


    Calawit made a fortune off Milo, rebranding hard alcohol as a special heart healing potion after an NPC completely betrayed the group. After said NPC completely stole Milo¡¯s heart then crushed it to bits. He stuck with his science after that.


    Calawit leapt off Hraktar¡¯s shoulder and onto the top of the bookshelf, towering above Milo. ¡°I¡¯ve got more than enough gold if you wanted to set up a trading system again!¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s face seemed to contort, like he was in pain. ¡°Gold came with you?¡±


    ¡°An astoundingly gigantic pile.¡± Calawit placed her hands on her hips as she smirked in the rogue¡¯s direction. ¡°So much gold. In my office. In the back, there. The one covered in every enchantment I know.¡± Calawit glanced around. ¡°I doubt this new world has any use for gold.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Derek started to say. Calawit glanced at him curiously. ¡°I mean, they would, but I doubt they would see it.¡±


    ¡°And they wouldn¡¯t see you, either. Have you noticed that?¡± Tyler asked.


    Calawit nodded. ¡°Yeah, I have. At first, I thought these humans hated gnomes, but after giving a human a crude gesture with no reaction, I realized they couldn¡¯t see me.¡±


    Tyler was trying to hide a smile. ¡°I suppose not.¡±


    She frowned, studying Tyler. ¡°But¡­ why can any of you see me?¡± She stepped closer to him. ¡°I suppose you are of this world, are you not?¡±


    ¡°Um, yes. Yes we are,¡± Tyler said.


    Calawit went still, and the smile Tyler tried to hide disappeared from his face, replaced with a worried look.


    ¡°Tyler?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­¡± He trailed off, still looking at Calawit. Tyler understood Calawit so well he could almost predict what she¡¯d do. Derek had the same sort of predictability with Milo. Derek didn¡¯t even have to look, and he knew Milo was in the area with potions and mana. Whatever Calawit was thinking, Tyler understood her thoughts, and it put him on edge. Calawit was never a threatening personality unless it came to the trinkets in her store.


    Tyler glanced around, taking in that Derek was the only one near him. Everyone else was exploring the shop. Evelyn and Alejandra were looking at a strange bauble. Clarissa and Milo were discussing the mana, and Grizzizzik was still trying to pick something up, hissing every time his hands went through something. Nick was close, watching Grizzizzik with narrowed eyes. Tyler lowered his voice as he lifted his hands, showing her the back of his palms. ¡°I understand your concern. If you want to test it, test it on me.¡±


    Calawit narrowed her eyes. ¡°How do you know my thoughts, human? You are clearly no mana wielder.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I am your creator. In a way.¡±


    Calawit kept the distrust clear in her face, but she flicked her left wrist toward the door. Two petals turned an angry red and flew toward Tyler. They settled on the back of his hands, but tumbled away. Calawit¡¯s eyes went wide, then flicked her wrists again. Her brows furrowed as she concentrated. The petals remained on the back of Tyler¡¯s hands. Carefully, Tyler lifted a hand toward an enchanted spoon. His fingers circled around the stem, and he picked it up. Calawit¡¯s breath escaped through her teeth. ¡°Shit,¡± she mumbled.


    It was then that Derek realized what was going on. Tyler was helping Calawit figure out whether her enchantments would work on the people of this world. They just figured out that they didn¡¯t. Which meant Calawit loudly declared where a bunch of gold was to people who wouldn¡¯t be hit by whatever enchantment was over her door.


    Tyler looked at the shopkeeper. ¡°I know these people. None of them would steal your gold.¡±


    ¡°Your words bring little comfort.¡± Calawit¡¯s deep purple eyes turned toward Derek. ¡°I don¡¯t know any of you.¡±


    ¡°Then think about it this way,¡± Derek said, dropping his voice. ¡°No one else in our world can see you but us. No one in this world can see anything magical from this realm, therefore your gold would be of little use to us, because we couldn¡¯t use it.¡±


    Calawit followed this logic, causing her cautious glare to lighten, but only a little. ¡°I still hate it. We cannot let anyone else know until I put up better enchantments.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it would¡­¡± Derek stopped talking once Calawit made eye contact with him. He didn¡¯t want to finish his thought of whether trying a stronger enchantment would even work.


    ¡°Tell no one. If Grizzizzik ever figures this out¡­¡± It was Calawit¡¯s turn to trail off. Derek had played at the table long enough to know exactly what Grizzizzik would do. He would find some way to get that gold, and Derek had a bad feeling he would rope Nick into it somehow. Nick wouldn¡¯t do it unless threatened, and Grizzizzik wasn¡¯t above such an idea.


    Calawit straightened, then looked at the section of the shop with the books. She stopped whispering. ¡°Where¡¯s the other one? Ezekiel? Did he make it?¡±


    ¡°He did. He¡¯s safe. We¡¯ve been trying to convince his friend to join us, but so far, it¡¯s been unsuccessful,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Huh.¡± Calawit kept her eyes on Evelyn, Alejandra, and Nick. ¡°I liked him. He had a childlike excitement with everything.¡±


    And he kept Grizzizzik in check. It was the phrase she left unsaid. Hraktar kept Grizzizzik in check, too, but something always ended up broken when the fighter tried to get the rogue under control.


    Calawit¡¯s eyes lingered on Nick. Saw how quiet he was, how he watched Grizzizzik carefully. She turned her gaze back on Derek. ¡°We keep this between the three of us.¡±


    She left, once again employing her strategy of leaping to the top of the bookshelves and walking across it. She made her way over to Milo, and they struck up a conversation. Milo showed her the raw red material that he still needed to work out to make red mana.


    ¡°So surreal,¡± Tyler muttered as he watched Calawit and Milo talk.


    Derek nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ever going to get used to it.¡±


    Calawit promised all of them a fair exchange as long as they brought her something interesting. Considering she was going to be the only trader they knew from Shrouded Domain, Calawit no doubt had a monopoly right now, but at least she was a friend. A sort of friend.


    They didn¡¯t have long. Evelyn was sending Mr. Larsen a ton of pictures every time he asked from their stockpile of the ones they already took at Derek¡¯s house. They needed to get back to Derek¡¯s house and get their food before they returned home.


    ¡°Who is planning on coming to CCNC con?¡± Tyler asked once they got settled in the minivan.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already got tickets for that Friday and Saturday,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Evelyn said, her voice faltering. ¡°There¡¯s a football game Friday.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not even coming for Saturday?¡± Tyler asked, curious.


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    ¡°Do it. Neal won¡¯t be there until Saturday anyway,¡± Tyler said.


    Evelyn glanced at Nick. ¡°What about you? Do you think dad will let you go?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a better chance of going if you¡¯re there,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Well, as the resident college kid, I¡¯ll be there all three days to scope out the area,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Oh, right. Yeah. That¡¯s exactly what you¡¯re doing, isn¡¯t it,¡± Derek said, laying the sarcasm on thick. Tyler just grinned.


    ¡°Alejandra?¡± Nick asked.


    She just shook her head. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t. Not without Rafael.¡±


    ¡°A Saturday ticket is fifty dollars on their lowest. It¡¯ll get you into all the things you need.¡± Tyler checked his phone. ¡°The rest of us are more than happy to split the cost.¡±


    Alejandra glanced at her hands. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t. I can¡¯t possibly¡­¡±


    ¡°If money is a concern, then you have the rest of your life to pay us back,¡± Tyler said. ¡°We need our fighter with us.¡± Tyler hesitated. ¡°Does the shield stretch as far as Phoenix?¡±


    Evelyn glanced at Clarissa, who frowned. ¡°There¡¯s a Phoenix here?¡±


    Tyler closed his eyes for a moment. ¡°Sorry, no. That was my bad. Phoenix, Arizona. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s the capital of Arizona.¡± Clarissa again blinked at him. ¡°A city. It¡¯s the name of an enormous city. It¡¯s still in the desert. Does your shield reach that far?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Not at my current capabilities. Just around this town and a bit past it.¡±


    Which was another way to say her leveling wasn¡¯t high enough. Phoenix was an hour and a half away.


    Tyler rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Alright, well, con is the last three days of September. We still have time to level up. How many experience points does she have?¡±


    Evelyn looked at the air. ¡°Two hundred and fifty.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s far too dangerous to take them,¡± Alejandra said. ¡°They¡¯re not strong enough, and the shield around town is the only thing protecting them.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll be alright at home. It¡¯ll be like school, but longer,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Actually¡­¡± Alejandra glanced at Hraktar. ¡°Perhaps I better stay here. Someone¡¯s got to. Just in case.¡±


    Derek started the minivan as Tyler nodded. ¡°I think you¡¯re right. Our fighter better stay here to make sure everything is safe here at home.¡±

 Chapter 33

    Evelyn put on every charm she could as she walked in the house with Nick and Tyler. Clarissa and Grizzizzik followed behind them. If Nick was going to come to con, they would have to convince Walt. Evelyn wasn¡¯t sure if Walt would listen to her, which was the main reason they brought Tyler. Bringing an outside voice would hopefully help them.


    Which made Tyler sweat. There was a lot of lying going around. Evelyn watched as Tyler did his best to look like a responsible adult. She leaned over next to him, giving a smile. ¡°You can do this. I believe in you.¡±


    Tyler let out an unsteady breath. ¡°This is such a breach of trust with an adult. With your father, of all people.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Meaning you only need to cross him once, before all your freedoms are gone.¡± Nick was whispering, but the bitterness in his voice was clear for everyone.


    Tyler was rubbing the side of his face as Walt walked out of the hallway. ¡°Oh, hello Tyler.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Larsen, hi!¡± Tyler eased himself into a game master roll, his acting and mannerisms calm and in control. Evelyn was impressed, and did her best not to show it. ¡°There¡¯s something I wanted to talk with you about personally.¡±


    Walt nodded. ¡°I respect that. Kids these days are far too dependent on texting to have conversations.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on, dad. Tyler¡¯s not a kid anymore,¡± Evelyn said.


    Tyler gave her a glance that looked almost torturous, like he didn¡¯t like the reminder that he was the adult in the situation. She would have laughed if so much wasn¡¯t at stake.


    ¡°Anyway, Mr. Larsen.¡± Tyler hesitated, then cleared his throat. ¡°I understand our CCNC group has become the¡­ the only extra-curricular activity you trust Nick to do, and I¡ª¡± Tyler¡¯s calmness was interrupted again by a slight clearing of his throat. ¡°¡ªunderstand the immeasurable trust that puts on me and Nick¡¯s other friends.¡±


    Nick was doing what he always did when someone was speaking on his behalf in front of Walt. He folded his arms and tried to keep his glare as hidden as possible. Evelyn and Nick both knew that this would be far more successful if her brother said nothing. It would be the best if Nick wasn¡¯t glaring at all, but Evelyn couldn¡¯t expect a miracle.


    Tyler smiled, patting Nick on the back. ¡°There¡¯s a con coming up at the end of September that I¡¯ll be attending. It¡¯s all about CCNC. Derek¡¯s already planning on going, and Evelyn expressed interest in going Saturday. Could Nick come, too?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Walt¡¯s gaze remained on Nick. With a large amount of effort, Nick tried to smile back, but it didn¡¯t look great. Evelyn needed to save this.


    ¡°I¡¯ll document the entire thing,¡± Evelyn said with a flip of her hair. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m going to, anyway, but I¡¯ll send you every picture I take.¡±


    ¡°Oh, nice!¡± Tyler turned back to Mr. Larsen. ¡°And if you want, I¡¯ll post my pics to Instagram.¡±


    ¡°Um, okay,¡± Mr. Larsen said.


    ¡°In case¡­ you wanted to¡­¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the concern.¡± Mr. Larsen turned toward Nick, who was folding his arms so tightly his shoulders were slumping into themselves. ¡°So, here¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen.¡± Nick just stared, waiting for Walt to say what he needed to. ¡°You will go with your sister on Saturday at the end of September. I trust your sister¡¯s ability to take pictures every other hour, which I will expect. Evelyn will stick by you the entire time. If you need to be away from her, the only other person I will allow is Tyler. And you will not take the phone.¡±


    Nick¡¯s frown dropped. ¡°But¡­ but what if I get lost?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get lost. Evelyn will be by you the whole time.¡± Mr. Larsen turned his attention toward Evelyn and Tyler. ¡°And if he slips away from either of you, I expect you, Evelyn, to call me immediately, and I expect you, Tyler, to call security to find him. I assume this place would have measures in place to find missing children.¡±


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    A muscle in Nick¡¯s jaw twitched as the glare he was unsuccessfully hiding came out in full force.


    ¡°Um, yeah. I¡¯m sure they have something,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Good. This place might be full of game enthusiasts, but you also never know,¡± Walt said.


    Grizzizzik walked past them all, doing a horrible job of hiding a smile as he glanced at Nick. The rogue slipped out the back door. Walt made no indication that he even heard the door open and close.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Larsen. I understand Nick betrayed your trust two and a half years ago, but I¡¯m hoping his behavior at the conference can help you see Nick has changed,¡± Tyler said.


    Walt grunted before turning around and leaving them in the front entryway. The vase in the entryway might have caught fire if Nick¡¯s glare got any darker.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Nick said, keeping his arms folded as he moved deeper into the house, going into his own room.


    Tyler had his phone out, scrolling through something. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re on insta, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah. Yeah, I think you followed me back a couple of years ago. I post little there. It¡¯s more a mindless scroll for me,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± He must have found her Instagram, because he was looking through the pictures. Most of them were from cheer. ¡°I tell you what, cheerleading takes a certain amount of skill that I could only accomplish if I was a level 20 monk.¡±


    Evelyn felt a smile on her face that she needed after talking to her father. ¡°Oh, god, Tyler. Now you¡¯ve got that image in my mind, and I cannot rest until I actually see it.¡±


    Tyler let out a laugh. ¡°Well, then, I¡¯m sorry, but the very laws of nature have now disappointed you.¡±


    ¡°Well, the laws of nature also said CCNC characters wouldn¡¯t enter our world, so you never know.¡± Tyler chuckled, then turned off his phone and slipped it back into his pocket. Evelyn brushed her hand against her arm. ¡°Hey, thanks. For coming and talking to my dad.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Tyler¡¯s face changed to one of concern. ¡°It makes me sad, what happened between Nick and your dad. And I¡¯m honestly impressed that this hasn¡¯t turned Nick bitter.¡±


    Evelyn raised an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t think Nick¡¯s bitter?¡±


    ¡°Bitter toward your dad? Clearly. I was more talking about you and him. Little siblings have torn each other¡¯s hair out if someone got half an inch of a bigger cookie than the other one. Speaking from personal experience with my older brother,¡± Tyler said. ¡°I¡¯m impressed Nick doesn¡¯t resent you. Your father did just say he was placing you, his little sister, as a babysitter over him. I hated it when my older brother, who was just a year and a half older, was my babysitter for even an hour.¡±


    Evelyn glanced at her brother¡¯s room, feeling slightly guilty. Actually, very guilty. It was obvious to anyone who was in their lives for longer than three minutes to notice her parents treated her a lot better than they did her brother. Not only that, but she had a social life. She remembered rushing to the hospital with her parents after Nick was in a terrible crash. She had heard a strange story that didn¡¯t feel like her brother at all. Driving with his new friends to a different town. Breaking into cars to steal things. Having the police get called on them. Nick was in the back as his new friend was driving way too fast so they wouldn¡¯t get caught by the police, but they didn¡¯t know the town well. It was dark. The road made a sudden bend, and the chase was over almost as soon as it began.


    She understood why Walt wanted to punish Nick, and she could also understand why this was stifling her brother to the point of torture.


    ¡°I guess I never thought of it that way,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Well, keep not thinking of it that way. I think the only reason Nick doesn¡¯t resent you so much is because you¡¯re not being a brat about it.¡±


    Evelyn looked at Tyler. ¡°I guess I¡¯m just confused. I thought you loved your older brother.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I do. I don¡¯t know if other siblings have ever experienced this, but once we realized how close we could get to actually killing each other, we somehow mutually decided it was a stupid idea and instead became best friends,¡± Tyler said. Evelyn giggled as Tyler¡¯s phone vibrated. He checked it. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go. College starts Monday, and my roommate¡¯s girlfriend is stress cleaning our apartment and I¡¯ve got to make sure she doesn¡¯t throw away my dice. But I will see you next week.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And thanks, Tyler. For everything,¡± she said.


    Tyler, who had done a pretty good job of ignoring the problem, looked as though it all came crashing back down on him at Evelyn¡¯s words. His brows dropped, his shoulders sagged, and the half smile disappeared from his face as he glanced at the door. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    He slipped out of the front door, and Evelyn approached the window. Tyler got into his car before driving off. Evelyn waved at the car, knowing Tyler wasn¡¯t going to notice, but she waved anyway.


    Tyler was such a good friend. And part of why Evelyn loved hanging out with him was because Tyler never thought of her in any sort of sexual way at all, simply because he had only ever seen her as a little sister. Not only that, but the ex-girlfriend¡¯s little brother¡¯s best friend¡¯s little sister who was still very much a minor. Tyler was safe, and she liked hanging out with safe people.

 Chapter 34

    Nick was writing notes in his history class on Tuesday morning. Mrs. Billings all assumed they were faster writers than they really were. His hand was cramping up with how much he was writing.


    His pencil scribbled furiously across his paper, marking down all the different explorers and the important dates. Nick was trying not to feel overwhelmed with how many dates there were in history.


    He was almost done writing the notes when he realized Mrs. Billings was frozen. He frowned, then glanced ahead of him and saw a d20 hanging in front of him. He had been so focused on writing that he didn¡¯t realize time had slowed down. Nick blinked, looking around. All his classmates and his teacher, frozen in time. The words floated in front of his eyes.


    Roll for stealth.


    Dread filled him. He didn¡¯t think this would work this far away. It was somehow more worrisome that he didn¡¯t know what Grizzizzik was doing. His rogue wasn¡¯t supposed to be going anywhere.


    Nick grabbed the dice and gave it a shake as every worst-case scenario popped into his head. It would be lunch after this class. Derek had his same lunch. He needed to see if anyone else had experienced this, or if Grizzizzik was doing something alone. The dice tumbled from his hand, landing on a nat one. Nick winced.


    ¡°Sorry, Grizzizzik. I didn¡¯t mean it,¡± Nick mumbled as time resumed. He picked up his pencil as he continued to write the notes. Mrs. Billings kept lecturing, reviewing all the dates that they¡¯d been learning the past couple weeks.


    Time again slowed to a stop, and Nick hung his head, trying not to be frustrated. The primary source of his frustration was he¡¯d have a hard time figuring out what Grizzizzik was up to. Unless Clarissa also got involved. Perhaps he could run into Evelyn in the hallway.


    Roll for initiative.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Nick mumbled as he grabbed the die. It landed on a nat twenty, and Nick gave a sigh. ¡°Sorry that wasn¡¯t for your stealth.¡±


    Nick was interrupted again with the d20. He got eighteen total and wasn¡¯t surprised when a d8 showed up. He paused long enough to finish writing what was on the board before shaking it again. It landed on an eight, with a +2 hovering above it. Whatever Grizzizzik was doing, he gave the enemy a very nice ten points of damage.


    Nick tried to look past the words of the character sheet floating in front of his face as he kept up with Mrs. Billings¡¯ handwriting. It was harder to ignore as the green words became more solid. Nick¡¯s mind was split between trying to focus on the lecture and worrying about Grizzizzik.


    Time once again slowed down, and Nick touched the corner of his eye to see if he could figure out Grizzizzik¡¯s hit points even if he couldn¡¯t see his rogue. He mentally scrolled through all the information before he saw it.


    HP: 10/18


    ¡°What the hell, Grizzizzik. What are you doing?¡± Nick grumbled. He felt angry, but he was also worried. This couldn¡¯t be happening. He didn¡¯t want Grizzizzik hurt. Or worse, dragged to his father. He grabbed the d20 and his mind immediately went to Akshi. The snake man might be just outside the bubble. Tyler¡¯s warning about lower-level minions trying to kidnap him and drag him out of the bubble made him nauseous.


    He got fifteen, and he rolled another d8, giving Grizzizzik¡¯s enemy six points of damage. Nick shook his head as time resumed. He picked up his pencil, writing as fast as he could. His adrenaline was running as he watched Grizzizzik¡¯s hit points drop from ten to seven. Then from seven to three.


    Nick covered his face as time slowed down again. ¡°Shit, shit, shit, shit,¡± he repeated as he shook the dice again. There were at least two enemies. This wasn¡¯t good. ¡°Shit!¡± he swore a bit louder as he rolled a two.


    His breathing was uneven as he forgot the lecture and watched Grizzizzik¡¯s hit points. The seconds ticked on, and Nick could only hope that whoever it was didn¡¯t get another hit in.


    Grizzizzik¡¯s hit points dropped to zero, and Nick pursed his lips together to keep a groan inside. His hand shook as he wrote notes as he waited for a death save. Grizzizzik was going to die. There was no way he was going to survive this. And Nick was helplessly stuck in history for another ten minutes.


    Nick didn¡¯t dare check his phone, since Mrs. Billings was a stickler for phones. Instead, he raised his hand, and Mrs. Billings pointed to him.


    ¡°Bathroom?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± she said.


    Nick tried to look like he was calmly leaving to use the restroom, but his desk scrapped against the floor in his rush to head toward the door. Once he was out, he made his way to the bathroom because that¡¯s how he was taught to lie. If anyone stopped him, he was on the way. But he pulled out his phone, seeing if anyone else texted about anything odd.


    His heart hammered against his rib cage as he waited for the death saving throw, but it never came. No one was texting him. Would they? They all knew Walt searched his texts every night.


    Time stood still, and he stood rooted in the spot.


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    How long is Grizzizzik knocked out?


    It was a strange sentence to receive until he saw a d4 dice hovering in midair. Whoever was attacking him didn¡¯t want to kill him, they were knocking him out. Was a group of thugs trying to drag him to Akshi outside the bubble? He desperately needed to talk to someone.


    The dice landed on a two. Two hours. Nick checked his phone and did the calculations in his mind. Grizzizzik was going to wake up at about 12:55.


    Nick walked into the bathroom to splash water on his face. He hated everything about this. Hated that he was here at school and his character was getting into some sort of trouble. Hated how he had to potentially break some rules to make sure he was safe. That he would have to lie. He tried that all before, and the current hell of his life was enough to make him physically nauseous at the idea of breaking the law again.


    He had no one¡¯s schedule memorized, and he couldn¡¯t text anyone without Walt knowing he skipped out of class ten minutes early to talk to someone.


    Instead, he tried to summon Grizzizzik to him. He¡¯d done it before to attack the hell hound, he could do it again. He was worried about his character, and it would be easier to bring his rogue to school. Concentrating on his fear, on his need to have Grizzizzik with him, he tried to pull his character to him.


    He opened his eyes, words greeting him.


    Cannot pull Grizzizzik from battle.


    Nick covered his face with his wet hands and took a deep, steadying breath. Lunch was in less than five minutes. Derek had lunch with him. He needed to be patient, and then he could talk to Derek. Most importantly, his friend could communicate with everyone else because Derek¡¯s father didn¡¯t check his phone every night.


    It took every amount of self-control he had to walk calmly back to class and sit back down at the desk. He wrote furiously, trying to catch up.


    When the bell finally rang, Nick¡¯s wrist was cramping, but he kept writing. Once he was done, he stuffed his book and notebook in his bag as he headed straight for the door, his shoulder knocking into someone.


    ¡°Hey!¡± a girl shouted.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Nick called over his shoulder as he rushed toward the cafeteria. He stumbled in, looking everywhere.


    His eyes landed on Derek, who was near the front of the line. He was texting while also laughing with one of his theater friends. Nick rushed forward, doing his best not to run into anyone.


    ¡°Derek?¡± Nick said.


    He glanced up from his phone, smiling. ¡°Hey, Nick. How¡ª¡± Nick had been trying to hide his worry, but Derek picked up on it instantly. ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    Nick glanced at Derek¡¯s other friends, who gave him a strange look.


    ¡°You¡¯re not butting in line, are you?¡± one of them asked.


    ¡°No. No, just a quick question,¡± Nick said before looking back at Derek. ¡°Do you¡­ ever get random dice rolls during the day?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Derek¡¯s voice was quieter. ¡°Milo needs to spend hours working on his projects, and I get an occasional prompt for a die roll on whether it¡¯s successful.¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t know this. ¡°What about just barely? Anything prompting a battle?¡±


    Derek¡¯s small smile disappeared, his eyes darting over Nick¡¯s face. ¡°No. Never for a battle. Is¡­¡± He glanced again at his friends, and Nick dropped his voice.


    ¡°Text the others. See if they got anything about a half hour ago. From what I can gather, Grizzizzik is unconscious. Tell me if Evelyn says anything.¡±


    Derek¡¯s fingers were flying. ¡°I will. See you shortly. We¡¯ll figure something out. Is he stable?¡±


    ¡°Whoever attacked him must have only wanted to knock him out.¡±


    Derek nodded. ¡°Alright. See you soon.¡±


    Nick moved to the back of the line, once again searching through Grizzizzik¡¯s stats. His stomach dropped as he noticed his inventory was completely empty. Nick didn¡¯t see any of the packs, the thieves¡¯ tools, or the hell hound dagger. The rapier and short bow were gone, as well as the twenty arrows. The bag of coins he had was gone, too. Grizzizzik had to be in trouble, and he would still be unconscious until almost one in the afternoon.


    Nick got his lunch, his knees quivering as he walked over to where Derek was texting furiously on his phone. His drama friends had gone to sit somewhere else.


    ¡°Anything?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Alejandra said she hadn¡¯t gotten a roll. Evelyn isn¡¯t answering. Do you know what class she has right now?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Somewhere on the other side of school.¡± Nick somehow felt both ravenous from stress, but too anxious that the food would sit, churning in his stomach. He ate anyway, since he couldn¡¯t imagine going the rest of the school day without food.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get it figured out. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying really hard not to.¡± Nick grabbed the roll and stuffed it in his face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask. You two, you and Grizzizzik¡­¡± Derek struggled for the words to say. ¡°How is it being under one roof?¡±


    Nick gave a laugh that sounded more like a grunt. ¡°Ridiculous.¡±


    Derek kept glancing at his phone, but there was compassion written on his face. ¡°Anything I can do to help?¡±


    Nick used the excuse of the large amount of food he stuffed in his mouth to keep himself from answering right away. ¡°We don¡¯t get along. Grizzizzik has always been a lone wolf, and the fact that someone controls his actions in a way deeply unsettles him. All the while Evelyn and the princess are having mani-pedi¡¯s in the next room over.¡±


    Derek snorted, picking up his corn dog. ¡°Yeah, that makes sense.¡± He took a bite.


    Nick rubbed his face again before taking another large bite of mashed potatoes. As much as this sucked, his part of this was over. Derek knew, and he sent out the texts. But it still wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯ve got to set up some sort of code system for my texting. At least for today. I need to know if anyone else got a random dice roll. Despite how much Grizzizzik annoys me, it¡¯s for the best if we figure out what¡¯s happening to him,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°On it. I haven¡¯t heard from Evelyn, who is the most likely candidate for if she heard something.¡± Derek checked his phone again before setting it down. ¡°If she didn¡¯t get a roll, I¡¯ll text you something generic, like ¡®I love CCNC!¡¯ If she did, I¡¯ll say¡­¡± Derek scrunched up his face in thought. ¡°¡®Ugh, not ready for the test in AP Biology.¡¯¡±


    Nick nodded. ¡°Alright. Um¡­ if something urgent comes up¡­¡± Nick tried to think of something.


    Derek watched him closely. ¡°It¡¯s not worth it to skip school. Your father will find out, and there will be hell to pay.¡±


    Nick placed his elbows on the table, digging his fingertips into his forehead. ¡°Something¡¯s going on. Grizzizzik is trying to do his own thing. He¡¯s so smart and cunning, unless it has anything to do with his revenge plot against his father. A group of mercenaries could very well be dragging him out of the bubble to get slaughtered by Akshi.¡± Nick covered his face.


    Derek¡¯s phone buzzed. It was in his hand before the end of the vibration. Nick glanced through his fingers as Derek dejectedly replied to whoever texted him. ¡°It¡¯s not someone in the group.¡± He set the phone down, looking at him. ¡°I noticed you didn¡¯t assure me you won¡¯t skip school over this.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. I promise. It¡¯s not worth it.¡± Nick shoveled some more corn on his spoon. He wasn¡¯t sure what Grizzizzik could do to even tempt him to skip school, and he didn¡¯t want to think about it. But for now, this was not it.


    Then again, he might regret not rushing home right now.

 Chapter 35

    It was a perpetual wait until one o¡¯clock, and Nick did his best to focus on his classes. He¡¯d always been known as a loner, so it was easier to focus on taking notes and doing what he could. He got a text from Derek at around twelve, saying in their code that Evelyn didn¡¯t get a roll. The closer it got to one, the more sweat lined his forehead.


    Twenty minutes before one, while he was writing notes for practice problems in Se?ora Florez¡¯s math class, time slowed down again. Nick¡¯s heart spiked. He didn¡¯t know which was worse. That it was happening, or that it was happening sooner than he expected.


    Roll for sleight of hand.


    Nick stared at the d20 in front of him before scanning Grizzizzik¡¯s stats. None of his gear had been returned, and he had one HP point. Nick resigned himself to this fate and grabbed the die. In the small time when it left his hand to when it clattered on the invisible barrier, Nick was terrified it wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    It landed on a seven. The +3 was added, giving it a ten. Nick let out a wince as time resumed. He wasn¡¯t even sure what was happening.


    He took notes as best he could, knowing that this wasn¡¯t over. Nick glanced at the clock. He had less than an hour and a half of school, then he was driving straight home. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t have work today. He would have gone home anyway, even if he did have work.


    Time slowed down again, though his heart rate never did, and he braced himself, hoping Grizzizzik wasn¡¯t getting into another fight. The idiot only had one hit point.


    Roll for persuasion.


    Nick rolled and was surprised and scared to see it landed on another seven. The +4 pushed it to eleven, but he still felt unsettled.


    Nick picked up his pencil again, bracing himself for something. He didn¡¯t know if it helped, so it didn¡¯t calm his heart rate in the slightest. The longer time ticked on without slowing down, the more Nick¡¯s hand shook. He kept Grizzizzik¡¯s hit points to the side of his vision. It stayed at one.


    Rafael was in his same math class. Their assigned seats were alphabetical, so Rafael was on the other side of the class, having the last name Walker. Nick wondered if Rafael was getting any dice rolls. Had Derek asked Rafael? They all sort of acted like he was no longer a part of the group, even though Ezekiel¡¯s presence was often missed.


    Time came to a screeching halt. Nick glanced at the clock, frozen at 12:45.


    Roll for insight.


    Nick grabbed the d20, giving it a good shake before letting it drop. Sixteen. The best roll so far. With a +4, that gave him a dirty twenty.


    ¡°Use that how you will,¡± Nick mumbled.


    Time resumed, and Nick focused on finishing the last of the practice problems. He should have been working on them while time stood still. That was actually a nice glitch to get homework done at a lightning pace.


    Just as he thought of it, time slowed down once again.


    Roll for intimidation. With advantage.


    Nick sighed, using the paused time to give his face a good rub before doing a few more problems on the worksheet. The longer he went, the more he noticed time slowly beginning to unfreeze. Glad to know he wouldn¡¯t be stuck here forever.


    He grabbed the d20 and gave it a good roll. It landed on eleven, but he rolled again. Grizzizzik must have given one hell of a speech. This one landed on fourteen, and the +4 gave it a nice eighteen total.


    Time resumed, and Nick finished up his worksheet when the bell rang. His last hour of school was before him. He walked through the halls, waiting for the next time freeze.


    ¡°Nick!¡± It was Derek. He turned around, trying to find his friend through the crowd. He moved to the side to keep from getting swept away in the river of students as Derek rushed up to him, out of breath. ¡°Still no covert dice rolls from anyone. But I texted Tyler about it, to see if he had any ideas. He said to make sure Grizzizzik tells Princess Clarissa what happened, and then make sure it¡¯s enough to prompt Evelyn to do an insight check. That is, of course, if you find him. The guy does like to lie a lot.¡± Nick nodded as Derek checked his watch. ¡°He should be awake, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s been awake for about twenty minutes.¡± Nick gave a quick rundown of what happened, and Derek¡¯s eyes went wide.


    ¡°He¡¯s got to be captured somewhere. Call me as soon as you get home. I¡¯ll be in contact with Alejandra, too.¡±


    Nick nodded again, the nerves causing him to shut down. An hour left of school. He wasn¡¯t sure¡ª


    Time slowed down again. Nick¡¯s eyes shot toward Derek¡¯s, who was frozen. He looked at the surge of students, all frozen in time as green words filled his vision again.


    Roll for dexterity.


    Nick rolled, as he had no other choice. It landed on a seven, which Nick would have laughed at if he wasn¡¯t so uncertain about what was happening. He watched the plus two bump it to nine before the number disappeared.


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    Failed. Cannot roll for dexterity again until a short rest.


    Time resumed, and Nick checked his watch. According to the handbook, a short rest was one hour, which meant when school was done, Grizzizzik would try again.


    Whatever he was trying.


    ¡°Have you asked Rafael if he¡¯s gotten rolls?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s in the same group message. I¡¯ve gotten no reply. I¡¯m assuming he would have told us if he did,¡± Derek said.


    Nick nodded, the hall getting emptier. He needed to get to class. He had spent years building up his no-tardy record, and he couldn¡¯t afford to get it docked now.


    ¡°Alright. I will call you after school. Tell Evelyn to be aware I might pick her up early from cheer if this goes south,¡± Nick said, already heading toward his next class.


    ¡°Yep. On it,¡± Derek said, pulling out his phone.


    His last class was P.E., and he was more than happy to work out some adrenaline by doing the half-mile run. He was really glad he had something to eat at lunch.


    P.E. wasn¡¯t interrupted by any time stops, which he didn¡¯t know how to feel about that. Perhaps Grizzizzik was safe, perhaps he wasn¡¯t. He was getting changed back into his regular clothes before he was prompted again. He braced himself for whatever it was.


    Roll for hit points.


    Nick felt nauseous as he grabbed the two d8¡¯s. He gave an unsteady roll, listening to them clattering against each other. They landed, and Grizzizzik¡¯s health bar filled up to nine.


    The bell rang, and Nick charged out of P.E. He stuffed books from his locker into his bag before heading out of school.


    He barely made it down the stairs when time once again froze.


    Roll for dexterity.


    Nick didn¡¯t even know what number he should expect. The dice landed on an eleven. A plus two bumped it to thirteen.


    Success.


    Time resumed, and Nick monitored Grizzizzik¡¯s stats. He remained at nine hit points. As he ran across the parking lot, he watched Grizzizzik¡¯s clothes and cloak being returned to his inventory. Then the hell dagger, as Grizzizzik lovingly called it, appeared. Nothing else did. It must have hurt the rogue to lose those twenty-five gold coins.


    Nick slid into the car, throwing his backpack to one side. He started the car and pulled out while buckling himself. He was feeling antsy, which wasn¡¯t good. Time hadn¡¯t stood still, but he saw a bag of miscellaneous teeth drop into his inventory. What was going on?


    Nick focused too much on getting home. He was halfway there when flashing lights appeared behind him. His heart dropped into his stomach, the sweat on his forehead turned to ice. He gripped the steering wheel tighter. ¡°Shit.¡±


    He had no other choice. He had to pull over. Nick was strangling the wheel as he eased the car to the side. He saw the officer get out of the car. ¡°Goddammit.¡± If Nick didn¡¯t swear, he would have whacked his head against the steering wheel. Of all the policemen to pull him over, it had to be Officer Hendricks. Then again, he always figured Officer Hendricks would follow him, waiting for him to make a mistake. He didn¡¯t have proof, but it certainly seemed like it.


    Nick was rubbing his nose with his hands, keeping every single curse word inside him. He heard the rapping at his window, and he rolled it down. He tried to give his best smile. ¡°Hello, Officer.¡±


    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t Nick Larsen,¡± Officer Hendricks said.


    There was silence as Nick allowed Officer Hendricks his smile. Living in a small town sucked. Officer Hendricks was enjoying this a bit too much. Nick kept his hands on the steering wheel like he¡¯d been taught, though his knuckles were white.


    Officer Hendricks was smiling. ¡°Do you know how fast you were going?¡±


    ¡°No, sir.¡± Nick already had a strike against him as far as the police were concerned. And if he came home with a ticket, Walt would treat it like he had gotten arrested.


    ¡°This is a residential area, Nick. Bunch of kids are out from school now. Playing in the streets. Twenty-five is the limit. You were going thirty-one.¡±


    Nick said nothing, because he learned a long time ago it never mattered. More often than not, it made it worse. Pointing out that the kids were most likely indoors while it was a hundred degrees on a boiling August afternoon would annoy Officer Hendricks and make him more likely to give him a ticket.


    ¡°License and registration, please.¡±


    Nick¡¯s heart was pounding wildly as he forced his face to remain calm. ¡°My license is in my pocket, and my registration is in the glove box,¡± Nick said because he had to. The police man already saw him as a threat. Nick was losing the feeling in his fingertips as he pulled out his wallet and got his license. He grabbed the registration next and handed them over, refusing to think about what would happen if he came home with a ticket.


    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    Nick resisted the urge to smile, because Evelyn often told him it looked more like he was giving a sarcastic smirk, and he didn¡¯t need that right now.


    Once Officer Hendricks returned to his car, he rested his head against the top of the steering wheel and groaned. He never needed something like this, but now was the worst timing. If he stretched his neck, he could see his house. He was not ready to come home with a speeding ticket. Grizzizzik needed to be found.


    Officer Hendricks came back and Nick had straightened, rubbing his forehead, hoping there wasn¡¯t an obvious red mark from the steering wheel.


    ¡°Look, kid, I¡¯m going to be nice today.¡± Nick fought against the hope rushing into his system. ¡°You¡¯re lucky you weren¡¯t caught in the school zone going this fast, or else I would have given you a ticket. I¡¯m letting you go with a warning, but this is my last warning for you.¡± Like it hadn¡¯t mattered that Nick¡¯s record was squeaky clean for two and a half years. Like this one mistake was like he was one small step away from a life of crime.


    Nick nodded, forcing his jaw to relax. ¡°Thank you, sir. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°For your sake, let¡¯s hope so,¡± Officer Hendricks said, as though Nick was getting away with murder instead of going six over the speed limit.


    Nick took back his license and registration, stuffing them where they needed to go. He glanced out of his rearview mirror, making sure Officer Hendricks was far enough away before he pulled back onto the road. It did not look good when his tires pealed against the gravel. Officer Hendricks shot him a deadly look, which was all he saw before focusing on how fast he was going. He was well below twenty-five.


    ¡°They¡¯ll never respect us, so why bother respecting them?¡± That¡¯s what Eddy, Anthony¡¯s older brother, said when Nick first met him as an impressionable thirteen-year-old. ¡°All this authority. They think they know so much. But it¡¯s truly a pleasure to show them so many things they don¡¯t know.¡±


    Nick blinked, trying not to think about Eddy¡¯s recent arrest for drug possession. Nick refused to follow the trial. He was pretty sure Eddy was now locked away. He hadn¡¯t talked to him or Anthony in years when they moved to Scottsdale soon after the accident.


    His focus was half on the road, half on his speed limit, as he rubbed the scar over his eyebrow. He could not get pulled over again. Not so soon, not ever.


    Nick pulled into his driveway and got out of the car, punching in the code to the garage before rushing in. He flew up the few steps to the door before throwing it open, prepared for anything.


    Except for Grizzizzik at the table, surrounded by a few of the smaller hell hound teeth. Branches were scattered around the table, and the rogue acted as though he¡¯d been there the whole time.

 Chapter 36

    Nick stared at the rogue who was focused on whittling the bark from the branches with his hell dagger. Grizzizzik glanced up which helped Nick see his rogue sporting a very swollen eye and a nasty fat lip. ¡°Hey.¡±


    Nick stared at him, his hand gripped over the doorknob. ¡°What¡­ the hell, man.¡±


    Grizzizzik looked confused. ¡°What? What happened?¡±


    It frustrated Nick so much he slammed the door. ¡°No. You will not pretend that nothing happened. You can¡¯t seriously think I wouldn¡¯t figure out.¡±


    Grizzizzik blinked, or at least closed one eye since the other one was swollen shut. ¡°It doesn¡¯t concern you.¡±


    ¡°I just spent all day at school freaking out about you possibly getting kidnapped and dragged to your father to get slaughtered.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a father,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°I still have to roll the dice, remember?¡±


    ¡°Wait, really? Even though you were¡ª¡± Grizzizzik stopped short, then shook his head and went back to stripping the bark from the branches. ¡°Like I said before. Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s been taken care of.¡±


    ¡°Oh, has it?¡± Nick tried hard not to sound frustrated, but this guy was acting like a lone wolf, and Nick was still trying to get the feeling back in his fingertips. ¡°You wanna talk about how you got knocked out in a battle? Then brought back to consciousness two hours later? Then apparently tried to get out of something I¡¯m assuming were ropes judging by the marks on your wrists? Intimidating your way out of danger?¡± Grizzizzik just ignored him as he whittled the stick. ¡°And let me guess. You¡¯re making yourself some arrows because whoever it was stole everything except your hell dagger.¡±


    Grizzizzik barely glanced at him before focusing again on his arrow. Nick groaned, then pulled out his phone and saw that Derek had texted him about a question about math. Which was code for calling him. Nick called, waiting for Derek to answer. If they ever got out of this alive and decided to start a new campaign, he would never choose a brooding rogue again.


    ¡°Hey! How is everything?¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Um, great. Things are great. Turned out better than expected, and the package is definitely here in my house, which was completely unexpected.¡± Nick wasn¡¯t sure how he liked talking in code, but Tyler insisted on it until they found out more information.


    ¡°Oh? Oh, wow! That¡¯s fantastic!¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, it is¡­¡± Nick said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound like this is fantastic.¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t know how he was going to use code to explain how silent Grizzizzik was being, but he had an idea. ¡°You know cats?¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah?¡±


    ¡°Moody. Just wanting to do everything their own way. Have a tendency to go do their own things and come home with a swollen eye and fat lip and just pretend like it was nothing?¡±


    Grizzizzik gave Nick quite the glare, and he simply gave his rogue a glare in return.


    ¡°Did your cat leave a dead body on the front porch?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°No. Or, uh, not that I can see. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if I stumbled on one somewhere.¡±


    Derek chuckled. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad your package is safe.¡±


    Nick did nothing more than grunt before he hung up. He gave his face a hard scrub with his fingers before he headed for the hallway. ¡°Princess Clarissa?¡± Nick shouted to the empty house. At least he was pretty sure it was empty. Shouting for a princess while Walt had made the choice to come home early would make sense, considering his current streak of luck today.


    No one answered. Which at least meant none of his family members were home. But then he thought of an idea that would get the druid out. ¡°Clarissa?¡±


    He hardly finished the syllables when Evelyn¡¯s bedroom door flew open, and Clarissa walked through. ¡°I am to be addressed as Princess, or Princess Clarissa. Only using my given name is a deep insult for me, and I will not¡ª¡±


    Clarissa stopped short when she saw Grizzizzik at the table. More specifically, when she noticed the swollen eye and the fat lip. She narrowed her eyes. ¡°What have you been up to?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to figure that out,¡± Nick said as he folded his arms.


    She placed her hand on her hips, some sapphires in her tiara shimmering in the light. ¡°Where were you?¡± Clarissa asked.


    Grizzizzik went back to focusing on his handiwork. ¡°Here.¡±


    Clarissa narrowed her eyes. Nick watched the two of them, curious. So many times on the table Nick and Evelyn would bicker, just like siblings, with Grizzizzik hitting every single one of Clarissa¡¯s buttons.


    ¡°One of these days you might just outwit Grizzizzik,¡± Nick had once said to his sister.


    ¡°One of these days? I already have outwitted him! The dice rolls just weren¡¯t on my side today,¡± she had responded.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the truth, plain and simple,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°It is in everyone¡¯s best interest to know who you got hurt by. Since I doubt you took a trip to visit Hraktar, I¡¯m thinking it¡¯s not someone in the party for once. You didn¡¯t visit Calawit, did you? She¡¯s been known to pack a punch.¡±


    Grizzizzik grunted as he began coating the hell hound molar in some sort of cleaning liquid. ¡°I¡¯d ask you to be a little less condescending, but I¡¯m afraid you might puff out of existence if you did that.¡±


    ¡°I believe that¡¯s the closest I¡¯ll ever come to hearing you say that you care about my welfare,¡± Clarissa said.


    ¡°Well, you did ask about mine in a roundabout way,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°On the contrary. Clearly, someone stronger than you is on the loose, so I¡¯m far more concerned about keeping myself safe.¡±


    ¡°Stronger, right. You didn¡¯t even notice we were literally fighting out your window.¡±


    Clarissa raised an eyebrow, mostly in mock, some in triumph. ¡°So someone came here, then? You didn¡¯t sneak out?¡± Grizzizzik glared before returning his focus to breaking the molar into a sharp point. ¡°I will have you know I¡¯ve been meditating all day to keep the bubble strong.¡± Grizzizzik rolled his eyes. ¡°Come now, Grizzly Bear. You don¡¯t need to be embarrassed that someone else completely wiped the floor with your face. Just give us a name.¡±


    The rogue said nothing. He clamped up real tight, but it was at least good to know that he didn¡¯t get far from the house. Nick did his best to blend in with the background, since it was still odd to have a conversation with these two. He was too busy thinking about what Grizzizzik would say to step into the conversation.


    Clarissa cocked her head to one side. Her eyes narrowed, then she gave an overly exaggerated roll of her eyes. Nick felt his body tense. Evelyn must have rolled an insight check. Hopefully, it was high enough.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t take a genius to realize this is about your father, Grizzly Bear,¡± Clarissa said. Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes tightened, but he said nothing. ¡°This entire thing is stressing everyone out, not just you. But you are one of the few that seem to go out of your way to find trouble when things are spiraling out of your control.¡± Clarissa straightened, placing her hands to her side. ¡°But you must not have left the house. They must have come here, didn¡¯t they? The thieves? Your father¡¯s minions. You always used to brag about how you¡¯d leave their bodies for your father to stumble on, but they must have gotten the best of you this time. Where did they tie you up? In a closet? Outside?¡±


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    Grizzizzik slammed his partially made arrow down. ¡°Damn you, Clarissa. Sometimes you really get under my skin.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you should shed it, Grizzly Bear. It¡¯s so much healthier than holding on to it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not taking beauty advice from an elf,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Clarissa did a hair flip. ¡°You mean an elf princess? And clearly you should. Look at me, I¡¯m gorgeous.¡±


    Grizzizzik grumbled. ¡°Fine. It wasn¡¯t my father¡¯s goons. But it was another set of bandits looking for an opportunity to join his ranks. To prove themselves.¡±


    Nick frowned. ¡°They were here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Just outside Princess¡¯s window. I heard them,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Nick narrowed his eyes, thinking back on the day. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s teeth began to sharpen, and Nick realized he¡¯d have to play this carefully. Grizzizzik was just starting to open up to Clarissa. He couldn¡¯t have his rogue shutting down again.


    ¡°My roll went straight to stealth. No perception, nothing. Just stealth. You were sneaking out,¡± Nick said. Grizzizzik said nothing, and Nick was afraid he¡¯d shut his rogue up again, but he wasn¡¯t going to let Grizzizzik lie to Clarissa. ¡°But I rolled a natural one. I failed, miserably. You must have been right outside Princess Clarissa¡¯s window, trying to sneak out. A nat one would need a failure, but for some reason it didn¡¯t get one from the princess. You must have made a loud enough noise for two thieves to hear you. I¡¯m assuming there were two. Maybe more.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s teeth were lengthening as they sharpened. Nick knew something he refused to let anyone else know about that ability. It was supposed to be an intimidation factor, but Grizzizzik often intimidated when he himself was scared. Which the rogue felt a lot more than he wanted to let on.


    ¡°Where were you going?¡± Nick asked, trying not to feel like some sort of bad cop on an investigation.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Nick stared at his rogue, who was so stupidly edgy. Nick already knew what Grizzizzik was doing. ¡°You can¡¯t seriously be that idiotic to want to figure out where your father is.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s tongue came out, rubbing against the sharpened teeth, easing them back into place. ¡°He¡¯s dangerous. More dangerous than anyone could even know. It is in everyone¡¯s best interest to be prepared.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, in your attempt to prepare yourself, you literally stumbled on a group of thieves,¡± Nick said, running a hand through his hair, looking away. ¡°That¡¯s nat one¡¯s for you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Um¡­ about that¡­¡± Grizzizzik said. Nick glanced up, his heart faltering. Something had happened. Something really, really bad. Grizzizzik was known to never ask for help. Unless he was in a pickle that he couldn¡¯t solve himself. ¡°They stole my rapier. They are planning on giving it to Akshi. As a gift. For their loyalty.¡±


    Nick¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°And¡­ tell Akshi where you live. Because they stumbled upon where you live. He¡¯ll come find you the moment he steps into the bubble.¡± He grabbed a lock of his hair, his eyes widening. ¡°He¡¯ll know where I live. Where Evelyn lives.¡±


    Grizzizzik paused, then glanced at Nick. He looked annoyed. ¡°And this is why I prefer to work alone,¡± he grumbled, gathering his things.


    Stripping the annoyance and vexation from Grizzizzik¡¯s tone, he realized this was about as vulnerable as the rogue had ever been since coming to earth. He would never admit it, but he didn¡¯t want anyone to get hurt by Akshi like he did.


    Clarissa walked over to the table, grabbing Grizzizzik¡¯s hands and closing her eyes. He looked as though he wanted to pull away, but his sore wrists decided for him.


    ¡°We¡¯re not meant to work alone, Grizzly Bear.¡± She whispered something that sounded like the wind traveling through a sagebrush. Her hands glowed with a golden, sandy light. The marks around his wrist healed. His fat lip stitched together with magic before melting away. The swollen eye shrank, and though the bruising was still there, he could at least see out of his other eye now. Nick watched as seven more hit points were added, giving him sixteen total. He was looking far better, being two points away from full health.


    Grizzizzik sniffed. ¡°Alright, well, the two thieves threatened to tell Akshi, but I doubt they know where he is. There is a leader that refused to show himself. Which is a puzzle we must figure out sooner rather than later.¡±


    ¡°Do they know you¡¯ve got friends?¡± Clarissa asked.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Grizzizzik gave another grunt. ¡°I don¡¯t have friends.¡±


    She rolled her eyes in a way that reminded Nick so much of Evelyn that he had to suppress a smile. ¡°Do they know you¡¯ve used your powers of charisma to rope people into caring about you enough to keep you safe?¡±


    Grizzizzik nodded. ¡°That¡¯s better.¡±


    ¡°Friends is an easier way to say it,¡± Clarissa said.


    He ignored her. ¡°No, they don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t expect them to.¡± He tapped a few fingers against his chin as he thought. ¡°That might give us the element of surprise.¡±


    Clarissa turned to Nick. ¡°Your home and your family have been compromised. If Grizzizzik¡¯s father knows you live here, he will do whatever he can to make your existence torturous to get to his son.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not¡­¡± Grizzizzik let it drop, shaking his head as he folded his arms.


    Clarissa ignored him. ¡°Akshi is not a man to trifle with. He is brutal, cold-hearted, and if you don¡¯t believe me¡ª¡± Clarissa pointed to Grizzizzik. ¡°There¡¯s his offspring.¡±


    Nick glanced at her, feeling a pressure in the front of his head. ¡°Yeah. I, unfortunately, know Akshi well.¡±


    Grizzizzik stood, concerned. ¡°You know of my father?¡±


    ¡°Just through the game. Which, come to find out, is very real,¡± Nick said. ¡°But my parents can¡¯t see him. And he can¡¯t hurt us.¡±


    Grizzizzik shook his head. ¡°I guarantee he¡¯s already figuring out how to hurt everyone here in this new realm. It¡¯s only a matter of time. He is an incredibly powerful mana wielder and uses it for darker enchantments of manipulation and charm. Few can resist him. We must find him and end him.¡±


    Nick still could not feel the tips of his fingers. Every time he thought he got used to characters in the game being real, he was faced with a new aspect of it. Akshi and Torraq were here. Somewhere on earth. Possibly already in the United States or Mexico. And if Grizzizzik¡¯s little experience today was any indication, Akshi could figure out where he and his sister lived. It was like learning the Lord of the Rings had traveled here, and the eye of Sauron and the Witch King were narrowing down where he lived.


    Nick rubbed his face, trying not to feel nauseous. They couldn¡¯t hurt him. Not physically. But Grizzizzik was right. If anyone was going to work tirelessly figuring out how, it would be his snake father.


    His phone buzzed, and he pulled it out to see Evelyn calling. He flipped open his phone. ¡°Hey, sis.¡±


    ¡°Hey. Everything alright?¡± she asked.


    Nick didn¡¯t answer. He stared at the two characters, not sure how he could relay everything that had just happened.


    ¡°Okay, let me put it this way. Did my nat twenty help?¡±


    ¡°Immensely. Thank you. As did the cure wounds.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just on a water break now, but I wanted to make sure you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m fine. Things are¡ª¡± he was cut off when he felt his phone vibrating again. He checked it. ¡°Wait, it¡¯s¡­ ah, shit. Dad¡¯s calling. Hey, I¡¯ll call you back.¡±


    ¡°No worries. I¡¯ve still got a bit of time left in practice, but I should be home in another hour or so.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Alright.¡± Nick wasn¡¯t sure if he could sit on this information for another hour. But he couldn¡¯t talk about it over the phone, either. Everyone else needed to know this, too.


    He hung up and tried calling Walt back. It took a few rings before he heard the sharp tone. ¡°Why did my call drop?¡±


    ¡°Um, because Evelyn called, then you called, and my phone is old and couldn¡¯t handle it,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®what¡¯?¡±


    ¡°What was Evelyn calling you about?¡±


    Nick felt it in his gut. The annoyance that he had to tell the truth, because Walt would be checking. ¡°It was a question about CCNC.¡±


    ¡°During cheer practice?¡±


    Nick hated how much this sounded like an interrogation. He hated the double lives he had to live right now. One where he had to protect these mythical people from harm, but also had to pretend they didn¡¯t exist. Especially when the MED might figure out where he lived.


    ¡°She¡¯s the one who called me,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°You know I¡¯m going to check your phone. There¡¯s no point in lying to me.¡±


    Nick headed away from Grizzizzik and Clarissa, feeling his blood boil. ¡°Congratulations, dad. After so many years, you¡¯ve all but made me lose my ability to lie.¡±


    ¡°Good. Because you know how I feel about liars?¡±


    Nick¡¯s fingers twitched into a fist. ¡°Are we done?¡±


    ¡°No. This isn¡¯t even the reason I called. I just heard from your mother that someone saw you get pulled over.¡± Nick gripped the edge of the table, his fingernails biting into the wood. He hated this town.


    ¡°It was just speeding. I was going six over. I got a warning, no ticket. Call Officer Hendricks if you want to,¡± Nick said, his voice turning hard.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I need to know.¡±


    ¡°You believe me?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°I just want to know who pulled you over so I could check with him. I promised them you¡¯d never be a concern, Nick. It¡¯s important to keep your promises.¡±


    ¡°Bye, dad.¡± He didn¡¯t even bother waiting for Walt¡¯s goodbye. He slammed his phone shut, sometimes thinking it would be better to not have one. There was silence, and Nick glanced up to see Clarissa and Grizzizzik looking at him. Nick sniffed, brushing the back of his hand against his nose.


    ¡°So, you should all gather somewhere else to tell the others what happened. Today we learned I can still roll even when I¡¯m miles away.¡± He stuffed his phone in his pocket. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Evelyn when she gets home, but I doubt my dad will let me leave this house today. You can go, and I¡¯ll just wait until I¡¯m prompted to roll. We¡¯ve got to make sure we catch those thieves before they can find Akshi.¡±


    He picked up his backpack, slinging it over his shoulders, as he headed toward his room. The others needed to know what happened today, but he wouldn¡¯t bother asking Walt for permission to attend another CCNC session. Not when he¡¯d done something that made him less than perfect today.

 Chapter 37

    Evelyn was texting Derek, standing by the window. Walt would be home soon. She wanted to be out of the house before he returned, but she also wanted to stay. Lydia wasn¡¯t much of a calming influence on her husband, and Evelyn somehow knew this would end up with Nick and Walt having a screaming match. She told Walt she was having a movie night with friends, and he answered by reminding her of her eleven o¡¯clock curfew. With Nick not coming, she didn¡¯t actually have to tell the truth.


    Clarissa and Grizzizzik were waiting with her. The rogue was busy sharpening a tooth in his hand.


    ¡°Is that from the hell hound?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    She blinked, watching. ¡°I thought you were robbed of everything.¡±


    ¡°Apparently, a bag of teeth and skin weren¡¯t exactly worth it to these thieves. I learned how to make weapons from animal parts for that reason,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Evelyn wrinkled her nose, even though she tried not to. ¡°You still have the skin, too?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He grabbed the bag from behind his back, opening it. ¡°It¡¯s right¡ª¡±


    She lifted a hand. ¡°I don¡¯t want to actually see it. I believe you.¡±


    Grizzizzik didn¡¯t seem bothered that it made her uncomfortable. He just shrugged and kept sharpening the tooth against a stone.


    Derek pulled in with his minivan, and Evelyn waved. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. Bye Nick!¡±


    There was no answer, and she left through the front door. Nick was going to be in a sour mood for a while after this. In a day or two, she¡¯d let him use her laptop to look for places to rent. That usually brought him out of his moods.


    Evelyn climbed in the passenger seat as Clarissa and Grizzizzik got in through the sliding door. Milo was already there.


    ¡°Is Rafael going to be there?¡± Evelyn tried to sound hopeful that a long-lost friend was going to be there, instead of trying to mentally prepare herself.


    ¡°Alejandra told him. He should be there,¡± Derek said.


    Evelyn checked her phone to give her something to do. ¡°Oh, great!¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Derek checked the rearview mirror to make sure everyone was buckled before heading out.


    Evelyn was trying to make small talk, but she felt an urge to chew on her fingernails. This was going to be fine. They needed to do this. Whatever was happening, they needed to make sure their town was safe from Torraq and Akshi. Rafael needed to be there.


    Alejandra welcomed them, giving Evelyn a hug. They rarely hung out at the Walker house for CCNC sessions, but now it was a bit more of a necessity.


    ¡°Ezekiel!¡± Clarissa said.


    Ezekiel glanced up from his book, his face brightening as he saw her. ¡°Hello, Princess!¡±


    They hugged tightly, and Evelyn saw Rafael peeking out of his room. She busied herself with looking at her phone again, her heart hammering. Whenever she saw him, she could always smell the heavy alcohol in his breath. It was ridiculous, because Rafael wasn¡¯t drunk right now. Her mind was playing tricks on her again.


    Clarissa and Ezekiel took two long minutes catching up, both of them smiling wide at each other. It was only after they finished that Ezekiel glanced over, seeing Milo.


    ¡°And hello to you, too!¡± Ezekiel said, patting Milo¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Yeah, I know you missed her more than me.¡± Milo¡¯s arms were folded, but he still had a smile on his face.


    ¡°Speaking of people, where is that Grizzly Bear?¡± Ezekiel asked in a segue that made no sense.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t call me that either. I can barely stand the princess saying it,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°There he is!¡± Ezekiel said, hugging Grizzizzik. The fact that Grizzizzik did not hug back but also didn¡¯t stop him spoke much about their friendship.


    Evelyn, despite the awkward pounding in her heart, smiled at the sweet reunion of the CCNC team.


    Nick and Grizzizzik already told Evelyn the story. Nick had to make sure Grizzizzik told the truth, and he filled in details when necessary. Evelyn did her best to fill that role now. Once the party had said their hellos, Evelyn listened as Grizzizzik recounted what happened. Grizzizzik didn¡¯t linger on too many details, like how he was badly beaten and practically left for dead. Or that he couldn¡¯t even sneak out of the house successfully before stumbling into some bandits. He was going to ignore the part where all his stuff was stolen, too, but Evelyn figured that was important for other people to know. Especially how his rapier was in the hands of thieves as proof for Akshi that his son was alive and here in this realm.


    Once his initial story was done, Clarissa added their discoveries. The sad realization that the thieves might go looking for Akshi and tell them where Grizzizzik lived. And, in turn, where Evelyn, Clarissa, and Nick lived too.


    ¡°Well shit,¡± Derek mumbled.


    Evelyn should have felt scared. She¡¯d heard the stories, obviously. After playing the game for years, Akshi was almost as well known as Torraq. Where Torraq used icy brute force against his enemies, Akshi liked to play with his.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Alright, so¡­ what¡¯s the plan?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°We track the thieves down. Figure out if they communicated with Akshi. We go from there,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°Is there some sort of protection spell you can put on their house?¡± Hraktar asked Milo and Ezekiel.


    They both frowned in concentration. Ezekiel shrugged. ¡°I can use disguise self, but at this level, that¡¯s all I can do.¡±


    ¡°We need some sort of magic item to make that big of a protection,¡± Milo said.


    Grizzizzik pushed himself off from leaning against the table. ¡°We don¡¯t need magic, we need information. I¡¯ve told the story. Now we¡¯ve got to track down the thieves.¡±


    ¡°And then do what exactly?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    Grizzizzik shrugged. ¡°Get the information we need.¡±


    The cleric gave him another look. ¡°How?¡±


    The rogue moved his jaw around. ¡°I kind of liked these few weeks you weren¡¯t in the group.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Hraktar mumbled.


    Grizzizzik ignored Hraktar. ¡°We¡¯ve already wasted way too much time already. We find the thieves, then we can figure out how to interrogate them later.¡±


    Ezekiel walked over to Grizzizzik. ¡°You¡¯re right. And with the added danger to the people of this realm, we must make sure they¡¯re stopped.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait,¡± Rafael said, taking a few steps closer. ¡°We can¡¯t just¡­ go wandering around Elmwood. People are going to ask questions.¡±


    ¡°How small of a town do you think this is?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Just ask my brother,¡± Evelyn mumbled.


    ¡°We won¡¯t attack anyone,¡± Ezekiel said before giving a meaningful look at Grizzizzik. ¡°If the other young man, Nick, could still control Grizzizzik¡¯s actions while he was away, then we can all do the same.¡±


    ¡°Nick is not controlling my actions,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Derek pointed his finger, nodding. ¡°It¡¯s true. Nick was just able to roll the dice from where he was at school. Which means we can all stay here while they go exploring. No one can see them.¡±


    ¡°I told my dad I was watching a movie at a friend¡¯s house,¡± Evelyn said.


    Derek nodded. ¡°That sounds great. We¡¯ll do that while you five go exploring.¡±


    Grizzizzik didn¡¯t need another word of encouragement. He was already out the door. Clarissa gave Ezekiel a side long look before the two of them followed.


    ¡°Come on, big guy,¡± Milo said, giving Hraktar¡¯s shoulder a whack.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Hraktar tried to give Milo the same whack on the shoulder, but it was clear the mana fusor was far more hurt by Hraktar¡¯s gesture. The fighter winced. ¡°Uh¡­ sorry.¡±


    ¡°Nope. You¡¯re good. You¡¯re good.¡±


    Hraktar nodded before heading out the door. Milo rolled his shoulder as he followed them.


    The door closed, and there was a moment of silence. Evelyn scraped her fingernail under the other in an attempt to clean them. It gave her something to do, so she didn¡¯t have to look at Rafael.


    He was already heading for his room. ¡°Well, I have a ton of homework, but I wish you all the best.¡±


    ¡°Wish us the best? Ezekiel is your character too, you know,¡± Alejandra said.


    Rafael was already down the hall. ¡°And I¡¯ll roll if I get the prompt to. I don¡¯t have to be in the same room.¡±


    The door closed, leaving the three of them. Derek checked his watch. ¡°So, mystery? Horror? Scifi fantasy? What are we feeling tonight?¡±


    ¡°Not horror,¡± both Alejandra and Evelyn said.


    It didn¡¯t matter what movie they chose. Evelyn knew no one would concentrate on it too much. She could already feel the tension radiating from Derek. He wanted to be out there with Milo, but there was nothing anyone could do. They just had to wait and see. Which was a lot harder than Evelyn wanted to admit, but at least Rafael wasn¡¯t there.


    ***


    It was ridiculously late when Nick heard Evelyn walk through the door. True, it was eleven-thirty, but Nick would have been skinned alive if he was that late coming home on a school night. His parents were already in bed, totally confident Evelyn would come home. Nick cracked his door open as she walked down the hall with Clarissa and Grizzizzik following behind.


    ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± Nick asked as quietly as he dared.


    She shrugged. ¡°Nothing happened. Well, not nothing. All of us got a few investigation rolls in. Some were good, some not so good, but nothing came of it.¡±


    ¡°I only need four hours of sleep. Grizzizzik will take the first watch, then I will take the rest of the night,¡± Clarissa said.


    Nick raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh, yeah. Yeah, thanks. That¡¯s really kind.¡±


    ¡°It is necessary,¡± Clarissa said before walking into Evelyn¡¯s room.


    Grizzizzik stayed at the end of the hallway. He was quiet as he brought his hood up, slipping into the main room. Nick was prompted to make a perception check, which he did. He hoped eleven was good enough for his shift. Once time resumed, Nick glanced at Evelyn. ¡°Did you get a perception check?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Probably for Princess Clarissa¡¯s future watch. Glad we could do this now instead of waking me up in four hours.¡±


    Nick rubbed his chin. ¡°So, nothing happened at the meeting?¡±


    Evelyn shrugged. ¡°I wish something had. I don¡¯t like this uncertainty.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t hurt us,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Nick again tried to see if Grizzizzik appeared at the end of the hallway, but there was nothing. He somehow knew he wouldn¡¯t see his rogue until he wanted to be seen. He tried to take comfort in that.


    ¡°How was¡­¡± Evelyn trailed off, and Nick caught his little sister¡¯s gaze again. She didn¡¯t want to press it, but Nick could tell she was curious.


    ¡°I just let him scream at me,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn winced. ¡°It¡¯s not right, you know.¡±


    ¡°What else can I do? He won¡¯t listen to me, and the worst thing I can do when he¡¯s screaming is say anything that might hint he¡¯s in the wrong.¡±


    Evelyn shook her head, angry. ¡°It¡¯s still wrong, Nick. You don¡¯t deserve that. You were going six over. So what? The police here are so bored. Ugh, Officer Hendricks peaked in high school. That¡¯s all I¡¯m saying.¡±


    ¡°Evie¡­¡± he wasn¡¯t sure what he was going to say, but he didn¡¯t want to work his sister up too much. Instead, he smiled. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Evelyn let out a sigh. ¡°Please don¡¯t move too far away in April. I¡¯m going to miss you.¡±


    Nick was strangely touched by her moment of vulnerability. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you too. I mean, come December you¡¯ll get your driver¡¯s license. You can come visit me in April all you want.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Alright. Sleep well, Nick.¡±


    Nick straightened, heading into his room. ¡°Yeah. You too.¡± He closed the door, seeing movement outside his window and knowing it was Grizzizzik. Despite everything, he felt a bit at ease as he drifted off to sleep.


    ***


    Evelyn was glad the first football game of the season was a home game. Lydia was waiting for her in the parking lot and she was ready to get home and sleep. She absolutely loved cheer. Loved every aspect of the routines and the dances. It always made her sleep far more soundly than if she didn¡¯t.


    They had won, which was always a great feeling for the first game of the season. She was zipping up her bag when she heard Hazel¡¯s name.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t believe what Hazel suggested,¡± one girl said. It was Rebecka, one of the juniors. ¡°I seriously thought she was possessed or something.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡± It was impossible to miss Jennifer¡¯s voice, especially when someone else was speaking juicy gossip. She was always in the middle of it. ¡°Like, I appreciate how much Hazel pushes us as a team, but I¡¯m not playing some loser game.¡±


    Evelyn winced, knowing exactly what they were talking about.


    ¡°Ugh, can you imagine if that ever got out? The cheerleading squad playing CCNC? It¡¯s bad enough the nerds have socks with our names on it. Those losers don¡¯t need more encouragement.¡±


    Evelyn kept staring at her bag, trying not to feel hurt. She knew this was how it would go, but Hazel had filled her with such hope. Evelyn hated how she had to choose between cheer and CCNC. She wanted both. But the stupid hierarchy of high school deemed otherwise.


    That was before she realized how much trouble CCNC might get her in.

 Chapter 38

    Nick paced in Derek¡¯s living room, checking his phone every few seconds. It was Saturday morning, and they hadn¡¯t heard from Tyler. He was getting flashbacks to when this all started, when Tyler got into a car accident. Grizzizzik sat at the table to finish applying feathers to the last of his arrows. It was a few days, and despite Grizzizzik and Clarissa meeting up with the others every night to go exploring, they found nothing. Even though Nick got a few good dice rolls, there was nothing to discover.


    There was a knock on the door, and Derek opened it to let Tyler walk in. Nick let out a relieved breath, then the nerves came back full force. None of them had talked to Tyler about what happened this week, and the longer this went on, the more he felt like they were going behind Tyler¡¯s back.


    ¡°Hey, everyone! Sorry for being so late. First week of the semester, am I right?¡± he asked.


    Alejandra sat between Hraktar and Ezekiel on the couch, hugging her legs. Nick had stopped his pacing and glanced at Derek. Evelyn was scrolling, but it was clearly a way to distract her from the situation at hand. Tyler still had the smile on his face, but his eyes bounced around, taking in Grizzizzik making arrows. Clarissa and Milo discussing which kind of mana to bring, like they were ready for a battle. Hraktar sharpened his great sword. ¡°So, uh¡­ Rafael¡¯s not coming?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the day after the first game of the season. He said there¡¯s no way he could¡¯ve come,¡± Alejandra said.


    Tyler bobbed his head from side to side. ¡°Yeah, alright. But¡­ Ezekiel¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re trying something out,¡± Alejandra said. ¡°There might be a way for Rafael to roll for combat even when he¡¯s away at other things. Because¡­ we¡¯ve been doing things like that. The past few days.¡±


    There was silence again as Tyler took this in. They all agreed beforehand that Derek should be the one to inform Tyler, but he was hesitating. Tyler looked around, frowning. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Derek sighed, then began talking. As Tyler listened, he stood rooted to the spot, doing his best to keep the emotions off his face. Nick watched as Milo walked over to Grizzizzik, holding a strange liquid. Grizzizzik gave the liquid a suspicious glance, but Milo kept pointing at the arrows. The obvious distrust was still on his face, but he slowly pushed all his finished arrows toward Milo, who smiled brightly at the invitation.


    Tyler dug his fingers into his forehead. ¡°You were supposed to keep me updated on everything.¡±


    ¡°How exactly were we supposed to do that? You¡¯re the one who insists we talk in code over text and phone calls,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Something, Derek. You were supposed to give me something! I don¡¯t like how you¡¯re all treating me like an adult,¡± Tyler said.


    Nick couldn¡¯t help it and snorted. Tyler did not find it amusing. Instead, Nick cleared his throat. ¡°It¡¯s been a few days since this happened. We¡¯ve found no thieves, and more importantly, none have found us. We think whoever tried to threaten Grizzizzik was talking tough.¡±


    Tyler was still giving the front of his head a beating with his fingers. ¡°They still have his rapier, though.¡± Derek patted him on the shoulder, which made him drop his hands. He sighed, then collapsed onto the couch where Nick once sat, his face toward the ceiling. Except for the quiet muttering between Grizzizzik and Milo, there wasn¡¯t anyone else talking. ¡°Clarissa¡¯s got the shield up.¡± Tyler¡¯s voice dropped, almost like he was in a trance. ¡°Which means Akshi and Torraq can¡¯t enter Elmwood until the group is at the appropriate level. But those bandits could still come in and out of the bubble to give information.¡±


    ¡°We would have known by now if they got in contact with Akshi. There would be scouts surrounding Nick and Evelyn¡¯s house. Grizzizzik would have found something. My gut tells me Akshi doesn¡¯t know yet,¡± Nick said.


    Grizzizzik stood, walking over to the group. ¡°We don¡¯t know if they returned to Akshi. We won¡¯t know until we ask, and we can¡¯t trust anything they say unless they are sufficiently terrified of their mortality to give us a truthful answer.¡±


    Everyone else gave Grizzizzik¡¯s words time to settle.


    ¡°Grizzizzik, my friend,¡± Ezekiel said.


    ¡°We need to make sure they tell us everything,¡± Grizzizzik repeated. Nick blinked, then glanced at Tyler. The rogue rolled his eyes. ¡°So we need to find the thieves. You, the one they call the game master,¡ª¡± Tyler made a noise in the back of his throat that sounded like a muffled dying cat, ¡°¡ªyou¡¯ve led us to these situations before. Do you know where the thieves are?¡±


    Tyler sighed, his eyes trailing toward the table where Milo dipped the feathered arrows into the liquid. He looked again at Grizzizzik. ¡°Um¡­ I have no idea. But I do feel like we should go on a bit of a drive.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡± Grizzizzik was already back at the table, stuffing arrows into his inventory and grabbing his bow, much to Milo¡¯s dismay. His hell dagger was strapped to his side. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Nick felt uneasy. Hraktar was also watching Grizzizzik with a frown. Ezekiel got up, then walked over to the rogue. ¡°Just to lay some ground rules, you will not torture the thieves.¡±


    ¡°Torture is such a dirty word,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    The cleric narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. ¡°Then there is no forcing the thieves to fear their own mortality to get information out of them.¡±


    Grizzizzik snorted, unsheathing his hell dagger to inspect it. ¡°I will make no such promises. The only promise I can make is that Nick and his friends of this realm won¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    Nick sighed as his rogue brushed past Ezekiel to head toward the minivan.


    Tyler was tapping the edge of the couch before he stood up with a grunt. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if this¡¯ll be better than a college party, but it will for sure be more interesting.¡±


    They all headed for the door when Clarissa let out a gasp. Nick and Evelyn both turned to see the druid grabbing Ezekiel¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Ezekiel?¡± Clarissa asked.


    He was leaning against the wall. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know how to explain it. I¡¯m suddenly¡­ so tired¡­¡±


    Clarissa kept Ezekiel upright as his head bobbed.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°Take him to the couch,¡± Tyler said.


    Hraktar walked over and scooped Ezekiel up like he was a child. The cleric was snoring like he was in a deep sleep as Hraktar walked over to the couch and set him down gently.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Do I need to heal him?¡± Milo asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to heal,¡± Tyler said, glancing at his ten hit points.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Evelyn asked, her hands on her knees as she studied Ezekiel.


    Tyler shook his head. ¡°Rafael is too busy today. Long distant combat is something that takes energy and focus. He¡¯s not¡­ connected enough to Ezekiel, either. Does that make sense?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Alejandra sounded like her heart was breaking. ¡°Sometimes I don¡¯t even think Rafael can see him.¡±


    Tyler sighed. ¡°Alright. Well, let him know that distant combat won¡¯t work. We need Rafael here. He¡¯s got to work with us. Is there a place we can let him sleep until we come back?¡± Tyler asked this of Derek.


    ¡°Yeah. He can sleep in my bed. Come on, Hraktar,¡± Derek said.


    The fighter picked up the cleric again and followed Derek down the hall.


    ¡°So¡­ if Rafael can¡¯t do long distance combat¡­ does this mean we¡¯re about to head into a fight?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    Tyler winced, then met Grizzizzik¡¯s gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s get in the van and see what happens.¡±


    ***


    Nick¡¯s foot would not stay still. His knee bobbed up and down, and he tapped his finger against it. He ignored Alejandra¡¯s worried looks as Evelyn kept scrolling through Instagram. They¡¯d been driving for almost forty minutes, but there was still nothing. Tyler would make the occasional motion for which street Derek should turn down, but they¡¯d explored so much of Elmwood that Nick had found new streets even he had never seen before.


    Tyler pointed toward another street. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯ll help you pay for gas.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even worry about it. My parents pay for it anyway,¡± Derek said.


    Tyler winced. ¡°Yeah, I might leave a twenty in your parents¡¯ wallet.¡±


    Derek turned the steering wheel. ¡°Maybe we should go see Calawit. Perhaps she¡¯s heard of something.¡±


    ¡°We saw her yesterday,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°She had nothing. But if she hears of something, she¡¯ll let us know.¡±


    Tyler frowned, turning slightly in his chair. ¡°How? How will she let you know?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s Calawit.¡± Clarissa raised her hands, palm up. ¡°She¡¯ll figure something out.¡±


    Tyler blinked. ¡°Or she wants to give you the impression she¡¯s helping, but is more likely tidying her store.¡±


    Clarissa frowned. ¡°That seems rather harsh.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She never cleans her store,¡± Hraktar said.


    ¡°She has her way of organ¡ª¡±


    Tyler¡¯s words were cut off as time came to a halt. Nick glanced around, waiting for the words to appear.


    Roll for perception.


    With a shake of his wrist, the d20 landed on a nineteen. Nick raised an eyebrow as he saw the +4 give it a nice bump.


    ¡°¡ªizing her store.¡± Tyler was about to say something more, but Grizzizzik stood up from the back, crawling over the chairs.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Clarissa said as he bumped into her shoulder.


    Derek slowed the van down. ¡°Grizzizzik!¡± He gripped the steering wheel. ¡°People need to stay sitting while we¡¯re driv ¡ª hey!¡±


    The rogue grabbed the sliding door and shoved it open. Alejandra gasped, covering her face as a rush of wind hit them. Nick placed a hand around her shoulder, not sure what his rogue was doing.


    ¡°Grizzizzik!¡± Nick shouted.


    The snake man leapt out of the van. Since it was going slow enough, it didn¡¯t hurt his hit points, but it was still insane to watch. The minivan swerved a bit before Derek slammed on the brakes. Everyone rammed against their seat belts.


    ¡°Goddamn rogues,¡± Derek muttered before putting the van more properly on the side of the road.


    Nick unbuckled himself, following Alejandra out of the van. ¡°Grizzizzik!¡± he shouted as quietly as possible. They were still in a residential area. Derek had pulled off at a park. They watched Grizzizzik¡¯s form hopping over a fence before disappearing.


    ¡°There is no way I can follow him,¡± Nick said, turning to Tyler. ¡°My dad will murder me.¡±


    Derek appeared next to Nick, looking around before pointing. ¡°We go around this street. It will end, and I have a feeling¡­ yep. Grizzizzik is jumping the fence again.¡±


    Nick watched as the rogue leapt over the fence and head toward the mountains.


    ¡°It is way too hot for this,¡± Evelyn mumbled.


    Tyler pointed toward the house and looked at the remaining CCNC characters. ¡°You guys follow Grizzizzik. Jump the fence and follow him. We¡¯ll be right behind you.¡±


    Hraktar nodded, heading toward the house, offering his hand out to Clarissa and Milo to help them jump over. Nick followed Derek as they moved over one street. The residential area disappeared, and the desert was before them. Clarissa and Milo finished helping Hraktar over the last fence before they rushed after Grizzizzik. Nick ran, feeling the heat of the morning. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was ready for a battle in the desert. There wouldn¡¯t be much shade.


    Grizzizzik was running, then pulled himself to a stop. He paused for an instant before grabbing a man out from a bush and throwing him on the ground.


    ¡°Grizzizzik!¡± Hraktar shouted in warning.


    The rogue pulled out his hell dagger, placing it against the thief¡¯s throat. ¡°Where is my rapier?¡±


    The thief coughed, one that could almost be a laugh. ¡°Straight to the point.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound surprised,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°You have a reputation.¡±


    Grizzizzik dug the point of the dagger more into the thief¡¯s throat. ¡°Then you can assume the rest of my reputation is true.¡± He was smiling in such a way that his canine teeth lengthened into fangs. ¡°Tell me where my things are, and I¡¯ll make your death painless.¡±


    The thief coughed again, closing his eyes as the rest of them caught up. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you anything, snake. And you can¡¯t hurt me.¡±


    There was the sound of multiple bows being tightened, and Grizzizzik glanced up. Two more thieves popped out of the bushes with bows, pointing their arrows at Grizzizzik. Hraktar unsheathed his great sword.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Grizzizzik said as a final thief appeared, a scimitar in both hands. More importantly, Grizzizzik¡¯s rapier was belted at his waist.


    Tyler squinted. ¡°It¡¯s Phantom.¡±


    ¡°The guy who never had a name?¡± Nick asked.


    Phantom pointed his scimitar right at Nick. Despite the distance between them, Nick did not like that the bandit captain was pointing a scimitar right between his eyes. ¡°I have a name. How dare you speak of Akshi¡¯s right-hand man in such a way,¡± Phantom growled.


    ¡°Wait, Akshi has a right-hand man?¡± Alejandra said.


    Phantom glared at her, still pointing his scimitar at Nick. ¡°I am Akshi¡¯s right-hand man! Just as soon as I find him and give him his son¡¯s weapon.¡±


    Grizzizzik rolled his eyes. ¡°Seriously, Phantom?¡±


    Nick was backing away closer to Tyler.


    Phantom was notoriously touchy about how he had no name. It was a long running joke throughout many a session. Tyler was clearly struggling with naming this character, a lesser known captain of the Osvoroth guard who had stumbled into the thief world. Him not having a real name, nor actually being Akshi¡¯s right-hand man, made him rather dangerous in terms of instability. But he was also at a lower level, since they were still in the bubble. With three thieves and a captain, this would be a dangerous fight, if that¡¯s what it turned into.


    ¡°Release my associate,¡± Phantom said.


    Grizzizzik glared, but raised his dagger from the thief¡¯s throat. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You being here has told me everything I need to know.¡±


    Phantom glared back. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know where Akshi is, because if you knew, you¡¯d be too busy licking the dirt off his tail to be out here putting a team together and catching me off guard.¡±


    Grizzizzik was still on his knees, right by Phantom¡¯s foot. Grizzizzik wouldn¡¯t have provoked Phantom unless he was prepared, and when Phantom went for a kick, Grizzizzik easily dodged it. The rogue chuckled, almost relieved. ¡°Your reactions are everything I need. You don¡¯t know where Akshi is, and more importantly you have my rapier.¡± The mirth disappeared from Grizzizzik¡¯s face. ¡°Give it back.¡±


    ¡°So afraid to call him your father,¡± Phantom said.


    Grizzizzik got to his feet, gripping his hell dagger. ¡°Give. It. Back.¡±


    Phantom raised an eyebrow. ¡°No.¡±


    The rogue rolled his shoulders. ¡°I am going to slice your stomach open, Phantom. Then I¡¯m going to loot your corpse and use your teeth to make more arrows.¡±


    Phantom blinked, disgusted, before glancing at one of his men.


    Tyler took a few steps forward. ¡°Alright, so¡­ I know thieves aren¡¯t ones to fight unless they have to. I really don¡¯t think this is a situation where we need to fight. We can come to an agreement.¡±


    ¡°I am not siding with my master¡¯s criminal son,¡± Phantom said.


    Grizzizzik let out a laugh. ¡°Really? I¡¯m the criminal?¡±


    ¡°We just need information.¡± Tyler held his hands up between the two of them. ¡°We can pay you handsomely.¡±


    The other thieves looked interested in this, but Phantom kept a tight hold on his two scimitars. ¡°My loyalty to the great Akshi is never for sale!¡± Phantom shoved his scimitar into Tyler¡¯s shoulder. At least, he tried. His hand went straight through, and Tyler didn¡¯t even realize what had happened until he glanced down and saw his perfectly fine shoulder. Phantom gasped, then tried again, shoving his scimitar straight through Tyler¡¯s gut, which ended up with Phantom stumbling a little and tripping straight through Tyler¡¯s form. It was the strangest thing, watching a full grown man slide through Tyler like he was a hologram. When the Phantom landed on the ground, Tyler was somehow lifted to account for the man he was technically standing on top of, but it made him lose his balance. Tyler collapsed to the ground with a grunt.


    Phantom leapt to his feet. ¡°They have powerful illusionists among them! We must kill them all! For Akshi!¡±

 Chapter 39

    Time slowed down. Nick winced. It was so hot. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was ready for this battle. Phantom always weaseled his way out of fighting, anyway. It was as much of a joke as his name.


    Roll for initiative.


    Nick closed his eyes, letting out a tiny sigh. He rolled the d20, and it clattered on a thirteen. A +2 gave it a fifteen, and time resumed again.


    Roaring, Hraktar threw himself forward with his great sword, swinging it toward the thief closest to him. The thief had a gold pattern on his hood, and Hraktar caught his shoulder with his great sword, causing a deep cut. The thief let out a shout of both surprise and of pain, gripping his shoulder as he glared at the fighter.


    Time slowed down for Nick, and he chose his hell dagger.


    Roll for attack.


    Nick grabbed the d20, glancing around to see what the best way to attack would be. There was a thief right next to him, but if Grizzizzik helped Hraktar, then he¡¯d get the sneak attack bonus, and he was close enough to make it. Sneak attacks were essential, especially since he only had his hell dagger. It was better than a regular dagger, but he really wanted that rapier back.


    His dice landed on a sixteen. The +4 made it a dirty twenty. Two d6¡¯s appeared, and he grabbed them both, giving them a firm shake before letting them drop. They combined to a nine, plus an extra two, with eleven total damage. Sneak attack was amazing.


    Time resumed, and Grizzizzik ran next to Hraktar. The thief hardly had the time to notice before the hell dagger sliced his throat open. Blood sprayed everywhere, getting all over Hraktar and going straight through Tyler. Tyler covered his face, gasping as the blood never splattered on him. He uncovered his face once more to glance at his perfectly clean clothes and gave a shudder.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need so much therapy,¡± he muttered as Hraktar wiped his face with his arm.


    The thief dropped dead to the ground, and Hraktar nodded his approval. ¡°Nice one.¡±


    Grizzizzik twirled his hell dagger around. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Still your fault we¡¯re fighting this,¡± Hraktar said.


    The rogue shrugged.


    A bolt from a crossbow sliced right through Grizzizzik¡¯s arm, and he cried out in surprise as he gripped the wound. Hraktar and Grizzizzik both turned to see Milo holding a yellow, glowing crossbow. ¡°My bad!¡±


    ¡°Goddammit Milo! Aim your magic bolts somewhere else!¡± Grizzizzik shouted as he lost three hit points.


    Milo cupped a hand around his mouth so his voice could travel easier. ¡°In my defense, you were right next to Phantom!¡±


    Grizzizzik and Hraktar turned to see Phantom a few yards away from both of them. Nick gave Derek a look, who shrugged. ¡°I hate nat ones.¡±


    Phantom marched over to Clarissa, swiping with his left hand, then his right. They watched as Clarissa tried to dodge out of the way, but the scimitar sliced through her side. The other one thankfully missed. Clarissa¡¯s hit points dropped from a ten to a five, and Nick was reminded that Clarissa and Milo were still level one. The cut was deep, and the druid groaned as she gripped the wound.


    Milo lowered his crossbow, concerned. ¡°Heal yourself, Princess. That looks bad.¡±


    Clarissa stumbled back, looking pale. In one blow, Phantom had cut her health in half. Nick realized he wasn¡¯t focusing on the right things in this combat. If Clarissa died, Akshi and Torraq could get into Elmwood.


    The thief Grizzizzik had been threatening popped up and sprinted toward Milo. While the mana fusor was talking to Clarissa, he didn¡¯t notice the thief until he made a blow. Milo got a cut on his shoulder, and he grunted, gripping the wound.


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    ¡°Milo?¡± Clarissa asked.


    ¡°Fine!¡± It came out more like a croak than anything as his hit points dropped to seven. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve got this.¡±


    The final thief, the one with a red hood, sprinted straight for Grizzizzik. This thief as well went for a stab, slicing through Grizzizzik¡¯s arm. The rogue snarled. ¡°I will slice your body to ribbons if you don¡¯t return my gold.¡±


    ¡°Try and find it if you really are the son of Akshi,¡± the thief said.


    The rogue growled at that.


    Clarissa began her chanting as gold mana weaved into the deep cut on her side. Four hit points were added, giving her nine total. She backed away from Phantom, pulling out her own scimitar, preparing.


    ¡°You are far weaker than I remember, pretty girl. And what happened to your green hair?¡± Phantom said.


    Clarissa¡¯s blue eyes darkened.


    Hraktar gave a wide swipe at the thief in front of him, but being nimble on his feet, he easily dodged out of the way.


    On Nick¡¯s turn, he grabbed the d20 and gave it a quick shake. His only option was a dagger, because his bow and arrow would be at a disadvantage this close during battle. The dice landed on a six. Even with the plus four, it wasn¡¯t enough. Instead, Nick mentally chose bite for his bonus action. He could use this once per rest, and he didn¡¯t like the idea of not hurting a thief when Clarissa was in danger.


    The d20 landed on a thirteen. +2 was added, and a d6 appeared.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nick said, grabbing it and giving it a good shake. It landed on a five. A -1 appeared, dropping it to a four.


    Time resumed. Grizzizzik went for a stab, but again, the red-hooded thief was nimble, easily leaping out of the way. Grizzizzik lunged forward, his canines lengthening, biting down on the thief¡¯s shoulder. Nick and Hraktar watched on in horror as the snake tore a chunk of flesh out of the thief¡¯s shoulder. He threw his head back and swallowed, then smiled as blood dribbled down his chin. His health bar returned to full. It was hard to tell who was more horrified. Hraktar or the thief.


    ¡°I hate it when you do that,¡± Hraktar said.


    Grizzizzik shrugged. The fighter leaned over, dry heaving as the thief backed away. It was so much worse seeing it in real life than having Tyler describe it.


    Milo struck the thief next to him with a dagger, cutting into his chest. He grunted, backing away as Milo then raised his crossbow, pointing it at the thief. Electric energy sizzled off the bolt as it struck right in the neck. The thief stumbled back, jaw clenched. He collapsed on the ground, alive, but smoke rising from his body.


    ¡°Woo!¡± Derek threw his hands in the air. ¡°Level one is still a threat!¡±


    Phantom went again with two strikes at Clarissa. The first sliced way too deeply into her stomach. She gasped, backing away enough that the second swipe missed. Clarissa¡¯s hit points plummeted to one. She stumbled, falling to the ground.


    ¡°The Princess is down!¡± Milo shouted.


    ¡°I¡¯m still awake.¡± They could hardly hear the druid¡¯s words.


    The thief raised a dagger to stab Milo, but the mana fusor easily stepped out of the way. Clarissa coughed, raising her scimitar, and stabbed Phantom¡¯s foot. He chuckled as it easily bounced off his boot. Clarissa moaned again as she clutched her stomach, groaning.


    Hraktar took the opportunity to run straight for Phantom. The red-hooded thief tried to make a swipe at the fighter, but missed. With a shout, Hraktar made himself the bigger threat and slashed his great sword toward Phantom. With a grunt, Phantom backed away from the deep cut in his shoulder. Hraktar used the opportunity to place himself between Phantom and Clarissa. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her.¡±


    As time stopped, Nick again chose the dagger, then rolled. He needed to fight this thief. Milo had the other one distracted, and Hraktar would fend off Phantom.


    He rolled the d20 and saw it land on a five. He winced as the numbers fizzled out and time resumed again. Grizzizzik shot forward with the dagger, but the thief blocked it with his own. Grizzizzik growled again, and time froze.


    Roll for perception.


    Confused, Nick did what was asked. The dice landed on fourteen, and with an added four, that gave Grizzizzik an eighteen.


    Time resumed, and Grizzizzik smiled. Nick waited for the understanding to hit, but it never happened. Despite the heat of the day, goosebumps rose up Nick¡¯s arm as his rogue turned his smile toward him.


    Milo tried again to shoot the thief with his crossbow, but the thief knocked it to one side, sending the electric bolt into the ground. At the same time, Phantom swiped at Hraktar twice. The first one missed, but the second one pierced Hraktar¡¯s collarbone, and he shouted in pain. Hraktar¡¯s hit points dropped to sixteen. Still a lot better than Clarissa¡¯s one. Hraktar shook off the pain.


    The thief fighting Milo tried to stab him, but it missed as the two of them wrestled with the crossbow.


    Clarissa once again gripped her stomach as golden mana flowed through her, the mana keeping her from bleeding out. It raised her hit points to four.


    Hraktar went for another swipe at Phantom, who dodged out of the way. Hraktar grunted, then gave his head a good shake. His hit points filled back up to twenty-four, and he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before preparing himself.


    It was Grizzizzik¡¯s turn, and Nick was ready. He mentally clicked the dagger and went to grab the die, when his hand froze. He frowned, then glanced down at it. His hand was stuck, like it was frozen in time, too. He tried reaching for the die, but his hand refused to respond.


    Despite time being frozen, Grizzizzik¡¯s head slowly turned. Nick glanced up, right as the rogue made eye contact. Nick wanted to gasp but was too afraid to. His rogue shouldn¡¯t be doing this. How was this possible?

 Chapter 40

    The weapon option came back, and without Nick doing anything, the arrow option popped up.


    Panic forced words out of him. ¡°Grizzizzik? Grizzizzik, no. Don¡¯t, this isn¡¯t¡ª¡± Nick¡¯s hand unfroze, brushing against the d20. ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°Experimenting,¡± was all Grizzizzik said.


    Choosing for himself. His rogue was figuring out if he could alter Nick¡¯s decisions. ¡°Put it back! Make it the dagger again! The arrow will do too little damage! This isn¡¯t the time¡ª¡±


    Grizzizzik lifted a hand to match Nick¡¯s, cutting him off. Nick¡¯s heart, which had previously stopped, began rocketing again as his fingers became nothing more than a puppet, wiggling when Grizzizzik made his own wiggle. ¡°No. No, don¡¯t!¡± Grizzizzik reached out with his hand, and Nick¡¯s hand reached toward the dice. Nick grabbed his wrist, trying to pull it back. ¡°Grizzizzik! STOP!¡±


    Nick watched in horror as his palm circled around the d20. Grizzizzik¡¯s smile widened as he pantomimed himself shaking the dice. Nick¡¯s hand was forced to follow suit. ¡°Please! Don¡¯t do this! The arrow won¡¯t do as much damage! Hraktar¡¯s not there, so you won¡¯t have the added damage of a sneak attack! We¡¯ve got to take them out fast!¡± The dice tumbled out of his palm, landing on a fourteen. An arrow by itself didn¡¯t have any bonus, but it was enough to pierce through the thief¡¯s armor. ¡°Idiot!¡±


    Grizzizzik said nothing as a d4 appeared. Nick didn¡¯t grab it, still staring wide eyed at Grizzizzik. The rogue lifted his hand, and Nick was forced to grab the die, giving it a roll. It landed on a one. Another +1 appeared, no doubt from whatever liquid Milo soaked them in. Nick¡¯s wide-eyed shock turned into a smoldering glare.


    Time resumed. Stupidly, Grizzizzik sheathed his dagger before pulling out a single arrow and dove it into the thief¡¯s arm. He grunted, but there was no way that hurt him badly.


    ¡°You empty-headed idiot!¡± Nick shouted.


    Evelyn glanced at Nick, frowning. Grizzizzik smiled as triumphantly as if he had destroyed the thief. Nick¡¯s chest was heaving, mostly in anger. What was that stupid rogue thinking? They didn¡¯t have time for this.


    Milo swiped his dagger at the thief, slicing him across the face. The thief sputtered, already quite weakened. It collapsed to the ground, dead. Milo straightened, trying to hit Phantom with his crossbow, but the bolt missed him completely. Milo grunted, grabbing his wounded shoulder. The battle resumed around them, but Nick kept his glare right at Grizzizzik.


    Phantom tried again to swipe at Hraktar, but he missed both times. On the second swipe, Hraktar grabbed Phantom¡¯s wrist before giving a low snarl. Phantom glared back.


    The thief Grizzizzik was fighting plucked the arrow out of his arm, then tried to swipe at Grizzizzik with his dagger. The snake man was far too happy about his victory and easily dodged the dagger. Clarissa got to her feet, trying to stab Phantom with her own scimitar. It easily bounced off his armor.


    Hraktar tried to swipe at Phantom, but seeing Clarissa there made him stumble just enough that Phantom easily dodged out of the way.


    Time slowed down, and Nick was still trying to calm his anger.


    ¡°Idiot. You absolute idiot,¡± Nick grumbled as he mentally clicked the dagger. He snatched the die before Grizzizzik could stop him. He shook it sloppily, and it landed on a two. Even with a +4, it wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡°Would have been a lot better if we had the roll from before!¡±


    Grizzizzik unsheathed his dagger and tried to stab the thief, but was distracted by Nick¡¯s shouts and missed completely. He growled. ¡°I¡¯m quite certain that was your fault!¡±


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t! That was the roll, idiot! I got a two! You lost your focus because of the roll! Not because of me!¡±


    Tyler glanced over, frowning. ¡°What is going on, you two?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± Nick and Grizzizzik shouted at Tyler, prompting him to give them a disbelieving look.


    Milo tried once again to shoot Phantom, but the bolt again missed. Milo raised a finger. ¡°I¡¯d like to point out that I didn¡¯t hit anyone this time!¡±


    Phantom steeled himself, then went with two strikes at Hraktar. Both hit him on either shoulder, and he grunted as blood bloomed on his shirt. He dropped to seventeen hit points. Before anyone had time to react, the thief thrust his dagger into Grizzizzik¡¯s arm. He grunted in pain as his hit points dropped to thirteen.


    ¡°Wow, would you look at that! A dagger did far more damage than a stupid arrow!¡± Nick knew he was being petty, but he was furious with his character. ¡°It would certainly be an idiot that would try using an arrow instead of a perfectly suitable weapon!¡±


    Grizzizzik sneered, glaring right at Nick. ¡°You better be glad I can¡¯t hurt you.¡± His voice was low, but the threat was there. Nick did nothing but glare right back at him.


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    Clarissa shot her hand forward, her brows furrowed in concentration. ¡°Could you two possibly not do this right now!¡± A puff of faint green gas left her hand, hitting Phantom¡¯s face. He coughed and sputtered, his face matching the same green color. Hraktar caught Phantom in the side with his great sword, slicing it. Phantom groaned, backing away as he clutched his stomach. It wasn¡¯t a severe cut, but Phantom was certainly looking haggard enough.


    Nick rolled fast to make sure there wasn¡¯t a repeat of Grizzizzik trying to make different choices. It landed on a sixteen, with a plus four. It was enough. He snatched the d6 and rolled it just as fast. It landed on a six, thankfully. +2 made it eight total. He watched as Grizzizzik stabbed the thief in the gut. The thief grunted, fear filling his eyes. With two of his friends dead, there was no way he wanted to stay. He broke away and ran toward the mountains, gripping his stomach. Grizzizzik let him go, pointing his blood covered hell dagger at Phantom.


    Phantom, despite not looking nearly as haggard as the thieves, still wasn¡¯t a huge fan of pain. He held up his hands, backing away. ¡°I don¡¯t like this any more than you do¡­¡± Phantom said.


    Grizzizzik crept forward, siding next to Hraktar, who already had his great sword pointed at the bandit captain. Grizzizzik narrowed his eyes. ¡°You didn¡¯t want money. The only other card left on the table is your life. Give me my rapier, and you will leave with it intact.¡±


    Phantom glared at Grizzizzik. ¡°You honestly think you¡¯ll be able to hide from your father?¡±


    ¡°Stop calling him that.¡±


    Phantom smiled, but slowly sheathed his scimitars before unbuckling the rapier around his waist.


    Clarissa came next to Hraktar. ¡°Work for us, Phantom. Be our scout. If you find Akshi, let us know what you find, and we can pay you handsomely.¡±


    Phantom snorted. ¡°You have no money. This one hardly had twenty-five gold pieces on him.¡± The bandit captain gestured toward Grizzizzik. ¡°He usually has a lot more on him.¡±


    The rapier dropped to the ground. The rogue glared as he moved forward to retrieve it. Phantom backed up, more than happy to get away from the group.


    ¡°You get us information, and we¡¯ll stop hurting you. And killing your associates,¡± Hraktar said. ¡°The safety of our new friends is our top concern right now.¡±


    Phantom narrowed his eyes, then glanced at Alejandra and Derek, who were standing together. Hraktar probably meant Evelyn and Nick since they were in the same house as Grizzizzik, but he was personally happy Hraktar didn¡¯t say their names.


    Grizzizzik unsheathed his rapier. ¡°Do you surrender?¡±


    Phantom¡¯s shoulders drooped. Milo walked over, joining the other three.


    ¡°I cannot promise anything,¡± Phantom said.


    ¡°And neither can we. But it¡¯s clear you have no idea where Akshi is. We can work together as people who are definitely not friends, but will help each other out for the time being,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°That¡¯s the only way I know how to do it,¡± Phantom said.


    Clarissa and Milo exchanged glances.


    ¡°Lovely weather in this new world, isn¡¯t it?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    Nick shot Tyler a glance. Grizzizzik was speaking in thieves¡¯ cant. He could almost hear the translation in his mind. ¡°The restaurant in town painted a bright pink. Seen it?¡±


    ¡°The weather is far too distasteful for me,¡± Phantom said, brushing off something from his clothes. ¡°I have. From a distance.¡±


    ¡°I rather like it. I figured someone like you might like it as well.¡± ¡°Calawit¡¯s tent is near there. Give her information, and she¡¯ll pass the message along.¡±


    Phantom grunted before turning around and leaving. Clarissa was leaning against Milo, gripping her stomach. Hraktar watched Phantom through narrowed eyes. ¡°So, we¡¯re going to let him leave?¡±


    Grizzizzik sheathed his rapier again. ¡°It¡¯s better this way. The guy¡¯s not too big of a threat.¡±


    Clarissa¡¯s fingers brushed against the drying blood on her abdomen. ¡°Say that to my stomach.¡±


    Milo kept a hold of her as golden mana rose from his hand, sinking into Clarissa¡¯s body and traveling through to her stomach. Clarissa closed her eyes as her hit points filled back up to ten. ¡°Thank you, Milo.¡±


    ¡°My mild-mannered and trusting best friend Ezekiel would have chopped my hand off if I didn¡¯t,¡± Milo said.


    Clarissa chuckled. ¡°And I would have skinned you alive if you wasted any of your mana during combat for me.¡±


    The mana fusor shook his head. ¡°And this is why it¡¯s more dangerous to be friends with you two than be an adventurer.¡±


    Nick had his arms folded as he saw twenty-five experience points drop into Grizzizzik¡¯s bar, bringing the total to four hundred.


    ¡°Oh, good. Clarissa¡¯s finally going to level up,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Good. It¡¯s odd having a low-level druid,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Milo¡¯s going to, too. Hopefully you won¡¯t be so squishy,¡± Derek said.


    Alejandra turned toward Nick and Grizzizzik. ¡°What was up with you two?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Nick and Grizzizzik both said. Almost perfectly, with the same inflection. It was enough that everyone stopped their talk and looked at them. Nick glanced over at the rogue and saw him folding his arms, too. They both looked too similar, like a reminder that Grizzizzik was created by Nick. Which, judging by the annoyed, almost dark glare, the rogue did not appreciate the reminder.


    ¡°We might have to iron that out before you shove it much further into your moodiness,¡± Evelyn said.


    Nick shot his glare in her direction, which caused her to shrug. He had glared so much in his life that his little sister had built up an immunity to it.


    ¡°Grizzizzik figured out how to not listen to me,¡± Nick said.


    The rogue shook his head. ¡°I figured out that I can choose what to do in battle, just in case Nick does something stupid.¡±


    ¡°And instead, you were the one to do something stupid. We could have had that thief if you didn¡¯t choose to ram an arrow into his arm,¡± Nick said.


    Grizzizzik unfolded his arm, still smiling. ¡°It¡¯s the principle of the thing.¡±


    ¡°So great. You¡¯ve figured it out. Congratulations, Grizzizzik. Can we go back to how it was?¡± Nick said.


    Grizzizzik took a step closer. ¡°I¡¯ll let you pretend things go back to normal. I¡¯ll let you cling to the hope that nothing has changed. But every time you go to roll that die, every time you make a choice, you¡¯ll be reminded of this battle. You¡¯ll look at me and remember I can change my own mind. And if push comes to shove, I can force you to roll the die on a choice I¡¯ve made. But sure. Keep pretending nothing has changed. It makes it easier to circle you deeper into my power.¡±


    Grizzizzik walked away, heading for a body to loot. Nick closed his eyes, giving a small shake of his head. ¡°Goddamn rogues.¡±


    Time froze, and the words appeared.


    Roll sleight of hand.


    Nick muttered curses as he snatched the d20 out of the air, giving it a hard shake before letting it drop.


    Nineteen plus four.


    Time resumed, and Grizzizzik hardly dropped to the ground before pocketing a coin purse from the dead thief that no one else noticed because he rolled too high. Nick rolled his eyes as he saw thirty-five gold drop into the inventory.


    ¡°Well, um¡­¡± Tyler rubbed the back of his head before glancing up at the sky. ¡°Let¡¯s get back in the van. It¡¯s getting way too hot.¡±

 Chapter 41

    Ezekiel woke up once everyone returned. Alejandra took him and Hraktar back home, with her fighter explaining what happened to the cleric as they drove. Ezekiel was asking plenty of questions as they pulled into the house, and they kept talking as they moved their conversation inside.


    Alejandra walked through the door after Hraktar and Ezekiel. Rafael was there, to her surprise, doing homework at the table. She stared at her older brother, feeling herself crumble. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t have time to come.¡±


    Rafael gestured toward his homework. ¡°What does this look like, Alejandra?¡±


    She shot him a glare, but he went back to studying his textbooks. ¡°Besides, nothing must have happened. I never got a prompt to roll.¡±


    ¡°Because your cleric fell asleep when we were ready to go. Tyler thinks combat from a distance doesn¡¯t work. You¡¯re not connected enough with Ezekiel.¡±


    Rafael finally glanced up. ¡°You fought today?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Phantom agrees to be an informant of sorts,¡± Alejandra said.


    Rafael tilted his head to one side. ¡°What¡¯s Phantom?¡±


    Alejandra stared at her brother again, trying not to cry. Phantom must have been a later addition to the campaign, even though it felt like he was always there. ¡°He¡¯s a bandit captain. We fought him today.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Rafael tapped his pencil, his eyes returning to the textbook.


    There was a knock on the door. They didn¡¯t have many visitors. Alejandra opened it to see Tyler standing there. He smiled. ¡°Hey, Alejandra. I was almost headed for the freeway when I turned around. Is Rafael home?¡±


    ¡°He is, yes.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Tyler walked in, waving at Hraktar and Ezekiel. Tyler sat down across from Rafael, who finished writing out a problem before glancing up. ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± Tyler said. ¡°We missed you today.¡±


    Rafael sighed, setting his pencil down. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been giving this a lot of thought. A lot of things aren¡¯t adding up. Not that long ago, I was in high school. I¡¯ve seen you there as a sophomore. Not only that, but I have friends on the football team. Even friends with younger siblings who look up to you. Everyone you come in contact with says the same. You¡¯re a good kid. Your head¡¯s on straight. You have your future planned out.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Rafael scrunched his eyebrows together before looking at Tyler. ¡°Thanks?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. Compliments like that are earned. Which is why things don¡¯t make sense. You know the dire situation these characters are in. Life or death, in a way. The Rafael I know would be among the first to figure out how to get them back.¡±


    Rafael stared at Tyler. ¡°I think you have way too high of an opinion of me.¡±


    ¡°Nah. I just think something is stopping you.¡± Tyler straightened, then pointed his thumb at Ezekiel. ¡°We¡¯ve figured out combat at a distance doesn¡¯t work. The group needs you, Rafael. They¡¯ve never been the same when you left years ago. None of them will admit it out loud, but they all feel it.¡±


    ¡°They just miss Ezekiel. They don¡¯t miss me,¡± Rafael said.


    Tyler narrowed his eyes at that. ¡°Bullshit.¡± Rafael looked at him, surprised. ¡°You, Derek, and Nick were inseparable back in the day. I thought nothing would come between your friendship. You were like brothers. Did Nick¡¯s arrest really rattle you that much?¡±


    Rafael said nothing. Alejandra felt like she was encroaching on something private. Something not for her. But she didn¡¯t know how to step away from the conversation, either.


    ¡°Just come. Sooner rather than later. Everyone else has gotten to level two, and we don¡¯t want Ezekiel to fall behind. If he comes for a fight when he¡¯s at a low level, he might¡­ he might die,¡± Tyler said.


    Rafael glanced at Ezekiel, who was still talking with Hraktar, chuckling at something he said. Rafael sighed, then picked up his phone, scrolling.


    ¡°I¡­ I do want to try, but¡­¡± Rafael scrolled again. ¡°I have all day on the sixteenth free.¡±


    Tyler raised an eyebrow, then took out his phone. ¡°Of September?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Rafael scratched his head with his pencil. ¡°Yeah, I can get work off.¡±


    Tyler¡¯s smile grew. ¡°That¡¯s fantastic. Yeah, I¡¯ll put that in the notes. See if you can do any grinding with Ezekiel until the sixteenth.¡±


    Rafael barely smiled before dropping again. He looked at his textbook without seeing it.


    Tyler patted his arm. ¡°Thank you for this. I¡¯ll let the others know. They¡¯ll be really excited.¡± Rafael grunted, but Tyler either didn¡¯t hear or pretended not to. ¡°I¡¯ll let you get back to homework. I have plenty myself waiting for me.¡±


    Rafael again kept quiet as Tyler waved to Alejandra, Hraktar, and Ezekiel. Rafael glanced at Alejandra. She found herself smiling, hoping for the same thing Tyler hoped for. A time when her brother had been so inseparable with Nick and Derek. So inseparable that not even bringing a little sister to a CCNC session could have changed anything. But Rafael¡¯s hesitancy, and then the quiet way he returned to his homework, made Alejandra think that there would be a longer climb to that ideal.


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    ***


    It was getting late on a Monday night. Evelyn and Clarissa were talking about her leveling up. They¡¯d already added the extra hit points, but they had to make a decision about Clarissa¡¯s druid circle. There were so many options for druids in what subclass they could take. Considering druids were one of the classes that got a subclass at level two, Evelyn and Clarissa wanted to make sure they got it right.


    ¡°Circle of the moon was a good choice in the Shrouded Domain,¡± Clarissa said, as Evelyn kept glancing through all the options that hovered in front of her. ¡°But this Earth is completely different.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s shoulders sagged. ¡°Yeah. I know. We don¡¯t even know what to expect, and it¡¯s not like we have a Tyler equivalent to give us gentle nudges as to what might be useful for future encounters.¡±


    Clarissa had her shoes off, hugging her legs. She looked out the window, looking regal with her tiara. Evelyn created this character when she was eleven years old, and now at almost sixteen, she still thought Clarissa was the coolest ever. Not that she would ever admit it out loud.


    ¡°I¡¯m torn between Circle of the Moon and Circle of the Shepherd,¡± Evelyn said, looking at the long explanations of both. ¡°Either would be an excellent fit for you.¡±


    ¡°I would like to try Circle of the Shepherd. It feels¡­ right. For what I need to do.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s pulse quickened. ¡°You feel you need to do something right now?¡±


    Clarissa said nothing, still looking out the window. Evelyn mentally chose Circle of the Shepherd. For the most part, Circle of the Shepherd gave the entire team certain buffs, which were necessary at such a low level.


    The druid gave a gentle sniff, then stood up, her brows furrowing. ¡°Evelyn.¡± She even said her name with regality. ¡°Could I trouble you to go on a walk with me?¡±


    Evelyn scrambled to her feet. ¡°Of course!¡± She slipped on her shoes, but Clarissa kept hers off. Evelyn didn¡¯t press it as they slipped out the front door. It was getting close to ten-thirty. No one stopped her from leaving. The druid fell silent as soon as her feet touched the rocks, turning toward the open desert.


    ¡°Can you drive a car?¡± Clarissa asked.


    ¡°No, not yet. I¡¯m studying for it, but I won¡¯t be able to until I¡¯m sixteen in December.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. It might spook her, anyway. Just follow me.¡±


    Clarissa began walking, and Evelyn frowned, jogging a bit to catch up. ¡°Wait. Spook her? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I think a companion of mine is lost somewhere close. Scared. I¡¯ve been sensing her ever since our fight with the thieves. Ever since I ¡®leveled up¡¯, as you call it.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s heart skittered before it stopped. Her head whipped around to study Clarissa further, searching out any sort of clue. ¡°Princess¡­ is it¡­¡±


    Clarissa shrugged. ¡°I am most curious to find out.¡±


    Evelyn slapped her mouth shut as her heart sputtered back to life. There was no way¡­ not here. Not in Arizona. Not in real life. But a druid elf princess wasn¡¯t supposed to be here either. And she realized the other component of Circle of the Shepherd. The ability to communicate with all beasts and many fae creatures without a spell or needing to be in wild shape form.


    Evelyn kept up with her six-foot-tall companion, too nervous and excited to say anything. They followed the road until they got to a park about a half mile away from her house. She remembered this park for the swings. She would always go on them as a kid. It was the best way to pretend she could fly.


    Clarissa held up a hand, and Evelyn stopped short. She didn¡¯t want to mess this up for anything. The druid moved forward with careful steps, her bare feet touching the concrete.


    ¡°You are a far ways from home, aren¡¯t you?¡± Clarissa called out to the silence. She walked forward, and Evelyn remained rooted at the spot. ¡°Are you there, Moonsparkle? It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s me. It¡¯s your Princess Clarissa.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s jaw dropped as she saw a golden tail swish from beyond the covered slide. Her knees went weak as she saw a pure white horse peek over the edge and give a nicker. Evelyn¡¯s gasp was tiny. ¡°Oh. My. God.¡±


    Clarissa held out a careful hand, smiling. ¡°Hello, Moonsparkle. I missed you, my friend.¡±


    Golden hooves seemed to glow, even in the lamplight. The golden mane and tail seemed to always be picture perfect. That beautiful unicorn inched her head forward, showing the golden horn. She remembered squealing so loud when Tyler told her that unicorns existed in the Shrouded Domain. Not only that, but with a little liberal interpretation of the rules, he could make it so that it could become Clarissa¡¯s best friend and ride into combat with her.


    ¡°This is the best game ever!¡± she screamed at eleven years old. It was the moment she was hooked on CCNC. And she called the unicorn Moonsparkle just to hear Nick groan and cover his face.


    And here, now, she saw the creature, standing there. ¡°She¡¯s real. She¡¯s real. Oh my god she¡¯s real,¡± Evelyn whispered.


    Clarissa placed a gentle hand on the unicorn¡¯s muzzle. It gave a snort, then leaned into it. ¡°You¡¯re scared, aren¡¯t you? I know. It¡¯s a new place.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s jaw had dropped, leaving her incapable of further speech. Not that she had anything to say.


    The unicorn nuzzled against Clarissa¡¯s shoulder, and the druid hugged her. ¡°It¡¯ll be alright. You can take as much time as you need to get used to it.¡± Moonsparkle nickered, and Clarissa laughed. ¡°The horseless carriages are noisy, aren¡¯t they? And they smell horribly.¡± That got a small whinny. Evelyn stood as though the entanglement spell was cast on her feet. This was happening. She was seeing a unicorn in her actual real life.


    Moonsparkle noticed Evelyn for the first time and gave a whinny before backing away.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s alright, Moonsparkle. She¡¯s my friend. She¡¯s a good person.¡±


    The unicorn calmed at that, but there was still a worried look in her dark eyes. Clarissa motioned Evelyn forward. ¡°Come. Let her smell your hand.¡±


    Evelyn bit back the desire to scream in absolute delight as she crept forward. The closer she got, the more aware of how deadly this creature was. The horn was razor sharp, despite its healing properties. Gold hooves, too, could trample her. She was both awed and terrified of this unicorn, and it all boiled into the feeling of absolute ecstasy as she reached out with a hand. She touched the creature, petting her nose. The unicorn closed her eyes, still standoffish, but letting Evelyn do this.


    There were tears streaming down her cheeks. ¡°I used to be obsessed with unicorns when I was younger.¡±


    Clarissa raised an eyebrow. ¡°Used to be?¡±


    Evelyn let out a tiny laugh as she brushed her hand over the golden mane. ¡°Still am. Completely obsessed.¡± There was another thought that entered her mind. All mythology pointed to the fact that unicorns only enjoyed being around females of a pure heart. She knew the female part, but she allowed herself to realize that maybe a part of her was pure.


    Moonsparkle¡¯s eyes snapped open as she spied something in the distance. It was a car driving by. Moonsparkle let out a whinny before bolting away. The unicorn was fast.


    Evelyn reached out a hand. ¡°No, wait.¡±


    Clarissa caught her hand. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Moonsparkle will never be tamed. We both understand this. She knows I¡¯m here, and I do too. It will take time, but eventually she will be comfortable enough for me to ride her in battle like before. This is not the last time we see Moonsparkle, I assure you.¡±


    Evelyn was drying her eyes, trying not to be embarrassed. She met a real-life unicorn. Here, in Elmwood, Arizona. And she¡¯d be seeing her again.

 Chapter 42

    Nick was at his locker, putting in his combination before opening it. He switched out his math textbook for his literature one and gave the door a good slam.


    ¡°Cathartic, isn¡¯t it?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Nick didn¡¯t realize how tight his muscles were until he heard her voice. Then he felt himself relax as he smiled. ¡°Hey, Alejandra. Where are you off to?¡±


    ¡°P.E. I hate having P.E. so early in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Ah. My condolences. I have it for the last hour of the day,¡± Nick said.


    She smiled. ¡°See, that¡¯s when I want it. Either the first hour of the day to help me wake up, or the last hour.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind you having it the last hour. Then I could finally have a class with you again,¡± Nick said.


    Alejandra¡¯s face turned semi-serious. ¡°You should have taken choir, then.¡±


    Nick laughed, shaking his head. ¡°No, no. No choir is that desperate to have me sing in it.¡±


    Alejandra smiled, readjusting the strap of her backpack. ¡°I don¡¯t think you quite understand how desperate we need men in the school choir.¡±


    Nick almost said something when he realized someone was standing close to them. Glancing up, he noticed Rafael standing there, and he wasn¡¯t looking happy. Alejandra¡¯s smile faltered. ¡°Hey, Rafael.¡±


    ¡°You should probably head to your next class, Alejandra. The bell will ring soon.¡±


    Nick felt his eyes narrowing. The bell wasn¡¯t anywhere close to ringing. Alejandra frowned, glancing at Nick before returning her gaze. ¡°Rafael¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just go,¡± Rafael said.


    Her frown turned into a soft glare. She pushed past Rafael to get to her class. Nick watched her leave, not sure what was happening, but the silence between the two old friends was prickly.


    ¡°I need you to stay away from my sister,¡± Rafael said.


    Nick felt a smile cross his face. ¡°Seriously, Rafael?¡±


    ¡°Seriously.¡±


    Nick shuffled his feet, gripping his textbook. ¡°Might make it difficult, considering we¡¯re in the same CCNC group.¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°No, actually, Rafael I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say she doesn¡¯t need another man with a criminal record in her life.¡±


    The words caused his previously relaxed muscles to tighten right back up again. ¡°Considering I don¡¯t have a criminal record, that makes me in the clear, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Rafael glared. ¡°Just stay away from her, Nick.¡± He turned around and melted into the river of students. It was getting thinner. Nick closed his eyes, trying not to be angry. Two and a half years, Rafael ignored Nick¡¯s presence at school until now. Just to tell him to stay away from Alejandra. It made him furious. Tyler told them all that Rafael was planning on coming for a session on the sixteenth. He hoped it wouldn¡¯t be a disaster.


    ***


    Derek was in his literature class. He kept checking the clock as delicately as possible. It wasn¡¯t that he hated literature, but he was excited about drama, his last class of the day. They were going to practice their one act, and he couldn¡¯t wait. He loved performing the act, but there was always the work that went into it. It started out super rough, then slowly, with time and practice from everyone, it would come together. That feeling was always so euphoric to him. The part where it wasn¡¯t quite done, but the end goal was in sight. How everyone worked together to make it the best it could be. Honestly, it was the only school group projects he loved.


    The intercom crackled to life. Derek rarely heard it during class. It was usually during the changing of the classes.


    ¡°We have an emergency pep rally in the gym! I repeat, an emergency pep rally! Let¡¯s get down there in an orderly fashion and get ready to cheer!¡± It was Mr. Stower, the vice principal of the school.


    Mrs. Hernandez blinked a few times. ¡°What on earth? No one mentioned this!¡±


    Derek glanced around, confused. It wasn¡¯t homecoming week. That was next week. It wasn¡¯t even the first football game of the season. That was last week. It was a random Thursday on the last day of August. They didn¡¯t have a football game planned this weekend.


    Mrs. Hernandez stuck her head out the door, trying to see what was going on. She was in conversation with Mrs. Billings, both quite surprised at this.


    All hope of conversation was done. That much Derek knew. Already his classmates were talking amongst each other, some even pulling out their phones despite Mrs. Hernandez¡¯s stern policy.


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    ¡°Come on down to the gym!¡± the overhead crackled again. Mr. Stower sounded unusually chipper. ¡°Yes, teachers have questions! I do not want you to worry! We will make this up! Down to the gym as fast as your legs can take you!¡±


    Derek didn¡¯t like this. Mrs. Hernandez came back with a distinct frown on her face. ¡°Aren¡¯t senior pranks at the end of the year? If this turns out to be a senior prank, we will find out and there will be consequences.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Mrs. Hernandez! My friend in PE is already there and says it¡¯s legit. The principal was having them pull out the bleachers and everything!¡± Penny said, holding up her phone.


    Mrs. Hernandez sighed, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. ¡°Fine. But I don¡¯t like any of this. And don¡¯t go fast. We go in a proper line.¡±


    Derek left his stuff except for his phone. They walked in an orderly but not quiet line. Everyone was talking about what could be going on.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Derek turned to see Nick falling in line with him. ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Any idea?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Do you feel you should suddenly bolt for the front doors and run home?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Oddly specific, but I definitely don¡¯t like this turn of events.¡±


    They made it to the gym. The bell already rang to go to the next hour, but no one was paying attention to it. They were far more curious why Mr. Stower was calling for a pep rally on a Thursday. The teachers, too, whenever they passed each other, would give the other teachers questioning looks.


    Derek settled in his seat on the bleachers. They were not comfortable. The noise was far above a normal pep rally. He could even see Evelyn talking with the other cheerleaders and the cheer instructor. If the cheerleaders didn¡¯t even know about this pep rally, then what was this about? Nick was sitting next to him, folding his arms and checking his watch.


    ¡°Alright, I need everyone to sit down,¡± Mr. Stower said, talking into a microphone at the front. ¡°Yes, yes, sit down. Everything will become perfectly clear. I assure you.¡±


    Derek was texting like crazy, glancing around at the adults. ¡°This is so weird.¡± Many of his other friends were all asking in group chats if they had any idea what was going on. The noise was lessened a little now Mr. Stower was standing before them.


    ¡°I wanted to thank you all for such a great month so far. The football team has done spectacularly.¡± Mr. Stower clapped, which started a scattering of applause. ¡°Now, this year, I wanted to do something real special. I¡¯m planning on getting a lot more hands on in many more of the after-school clubs.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the wrong use of words for a vice principal to say,¡± Nick mumbled.


    Derek chuckled. The door opened, and Nick and Derek glanced at it. They both saw a black and red scaled arm holding it open. Derek stiffened, his grip over his phone tightening.


    ¡°Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit,¡± Nick whispered next to him.


    There was a scraping noise as a naga entered the room. The snake was covered in black and red scales, with the upper torso of a man. He was jacked, with only a black vest covering his torso, his human like arms full of muscle. Two long swords were strapped to his body as he slithered inside the gym. He was standing about five feet tall, but there was another ten feet of snake''s body slithering beneath him. His human head was surrounded with a scaly hood, like a cobra.


    ¡°Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit,¡± Nick was still saying.


    ¡°Stop looking at him,¡± Derek said.


    Both of them stared at Mr. Stower, neither one of them calm.


    Every muscle in Derek¡¯s body went taut. He felt it, the desire to pull Milo into the fray right at that moment, but he stopped himself. This wasn¡¯t a battle. Not one they could win. Not against Akshi.


    Out of the corner of his eyes, he watched as Akshi¡¯s yellow eyes scanned the crowd. Looking for anyone who saw him. Derek forgot how to breathe.


    ¡°He can read thoughts,¡± Derek whispered.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way he can use that on us,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way he should be inside the bubble, either.¡± Derek already felt a bead of sweat gather on his hairline.


    ¡°I know many of you hear after-school clubs and automatically assume cheerleading or football,¡± Mr. Stower continued. ¡°But I¡¯ll be attending all of them. Every single one.¡±


    Akshi slithered quickly up to Mr. Stower, moving his hand around, and the principal¡¯s pupils glowed a sickly green color.


    ¡°Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit,¡± Derek said as Nick covered his mouth. Charm person. Akshi was casting charm person on the vice principal of Elmwood High.


    ¡°We are not your enemies.¡± Mr. Stower¡¯s voice sounded distorted and almost dull. ¡°We are your friends.¡±


    Derek somehow found Alejandra¡¯s gaze in the bleachers not that far from her. She looked terrified, which couldn¡¯t have been any different from his own. He turned back to see Akshi making some sort of hissing noise as the sickly green pupils brightened. ¡°We will begin tomorrow. We are excited to learn more about you.¡±


    Derek¡¯s phone vibrated. He glanced down at the phone he had tight in his grasp.


    I can¡¯t explain it. I¡¯ve got the absolute worst feeling. Are you guys alright?


    It was from Tyler, which somehow made it worse. There was no way Derek could explain this in code. He didn¡¯t even want to try. Instead, he lifted his phone as secretly as he could and took a picture. He wasn¡¯t sure if it would translate, but he saw Akshi in the picture. Right next to Mr. Stower, with his eyes still glowing green. He sent it to Tyler.


    ¡°Alright, thank you!¡± The green deepened in Mr. Stower¡¯s eyes as he put on a fake chipper voice. ¡°You may now go back to class!¡±


    Akshi¡¯s head moved from side to side, looking at teenagers that were all focused on Mr. Stower. Derek¡¯s chest heaved. Somehow, Akshi figured out how to charm a person of this world. For whatever reason, he was here, at Elmwood High. Inside the bubble.


    They would have to be careful about telling this to Grizzizzik.


    Akshi dropped his hand, moving around to study each and every student¡¯s face with an almost laid back expression, even though his eyes were intense. He was waiting for someone to look at him, for some sort of recognition to flicker through their faces. Derek did not want to know what would happen if Akshi saw recognition on anyone¡¯s face.


    Derek shoved his hands deep in his pocket as he stood up with the rest of the student body.


    ¡°Head down, look bored,¡± Nick mumbled.


    Derek focused on the door, even though he felt goosebumps rising on his arms the nearer they got to Akshi. He kept his eyes toward the door, following the surge. He didn¡¯t dare breathe again until they were out of the gym.


    Alejandra appeared next to them, looking terrified. Nick said nothing, simply put his arm around her shoulder, searching the halls until Evelyn appeared next to them.


    ¡°We pretend like nothing happened,¡± Nick whispered. ¡°He¡¯d notice if a group of kids stopped showing up at school. Derek, try to see if Tyler can meet us tomorrow instead of Saturday.¡±


    Derek nodded, then checked his phone. Tyler had already replied.


    Forget the code.


    Call me.


    ASAP.


    End of Volume One

 Chapter 43

    It was the most terrifying thing Derek had ever done, stepping into school the very next day. Thankfully, it was Friday, which meant he had the long weekend with no school Monday. Then it was homecoming week. He¡¯d be staying longer at school, being president of the CCNC club and being in drama. They had so many after-school activities planned for homecoming. All of which Mr. Stower would attend. With Akshi.


    Derek tried not to panic. Tyler was already on his way to Elmwood with the story that he would spend the long weekend helping his empty nester parents with some projects. Tyler had Monday off, too. And yes, Derek had no doubt Tyler¡¯s parents would take advantage of him being home. At least Derek had a meeting planned at his house to go over what needed to be done. Now that Akshi was here.


    Here.


    At Elmwood High.


    ¡°Derek!¡±


    He turned to see Nick walking up to him with a glare on his face. It meant they were going to talk about Walt somehow. ¡°Hey. So, I¡¯m only allowed to go on Saturday. My dad is curious why we¡¯ve gone from months between CCNC sessions to now every weekend during school. As much as it sucks, I need to know which meeting is mandatory.¡±


    Derek nodded, glancing around at the students, checking their eyes. All of their pupils were black. He didn¡¯t know why he assumed they¡¯d all be green from Akshi¡¯s charm. The nightmare he had last night didn¡¯t help. All the students turning as one with green eyes. It was freaky.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know how safe it is to wander around town looking for monsters to fight anymore,¡± Derek said.


    Nick winced. ¡°Yeah, I know. Especially with Grizzizzik.¡±


    Derek didn¡¯t look at his friend, instead made sure everyone had normal color eyes. ¡°Did you tell your rogue yet?¡±


    ¡°Hell no,¡± Nick said. ¡°Did you tell Milo?¡±


    ¡°It¡­ sort of came out,¡± Derek said. After a pretty terrible panic attack once I was done describing everything to Tyler yesterday after school.


    ¡°That makes sense.¡± Nick brushed his fingers over the scar on his eyebrow. ¡°So far Clarissa doesn¡¯t know either, because we¡¯re not sure if she could keep it quiet around Grizzizzik.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s going to find out. There¡¯s no way he can ignore this,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°I know.¡± Nick sounded so defeated.


    ¡°Preferably tell him before we attack any more monsters, considering the stunt he pulled jumping out of my van last week.¡±


    Nick winced. ¡°Sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°Goddammed rogues,¡± Derek muttered again.


    There was silence between the two of them, both lost in thought. Derek didn¡¯t know Nick¡¯s thoughts, but he kept his gaze on the student body, going over what he learned about the magic spells. Charm person would give someone a color to their pupils, unless the person didn¡¯t want them to know they were being charmed. Akshi might not be powerful enough to hide his charm, especially with such a large group. He also had detect thought, but it would be nearly impossible to figure out if Akshi could use that on anyone. Judging from Mr. Stower¡¯s actions yesterday, Akshi was getting quite powerful with charm person. It might even turn into dominate person. Mr. Stower might start randomly throwing punches at the student body.


    The bell rang, causing both of them to jump. Nick covered his face, groaning. ¡°I hate this so much.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Friday. We have a long weekend ahead of us.¡± Derek said it in a way that he was trying to convince himself.


    Nick gave a noncommittal nod. ¡°I¡¯ll see you¡­ tomorrow. Possibly.¡± Nick did little more than run his hand through his hair as he melted into the hallway with the other students. Derek sighed, heading for his locker to drop his books off. Milo had been taking a lot of interest in history and biology of Earth, and he¡¯d been reading through his textbooks like Ezekiel with fiction. He never figured out what book Ezekiel was on now.


    Derek slipped into his seat in AP Biology, right as Mr. Anderson came out of his office with everyone¡¯s homework. Derek was going to have a hard time concentrating today, so it was a mental effort to force his brain to be in a school mode.


    Mr. Anderson began his lecture right at the bell, and Derek focused on his job as a student. He ignored the little sounds in the hall. Refused to let his mind think up the worst possible scenario while seeing every shadow. Derek wrote down notes, forced his mind back on the subject whenever it wandered. He could do this. He could keep a calm composure at the sound of footsteps in the hall.


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    Which was weird when, ten minutes before the end of class, Mr. Anderson paused his lightning fast lecture speed. His fingers hesitated at the whiteboard, and he sighed, grabbed the lid of the black marker, snapping it back on.


    ¡°Look, um¡­ we¡¯re ahead of schedule, actually. Take the rest of the ten minutes and work on the homework for the day,¡± Mr. Anderson said, placing the marker on the whiteboard.


    It was so incredibly weird that no one moved, waiting for the real reason. They were in advanced placement biology. It was often speculated that Mr. Anderson would never stop lectures before the bell unless it was a life-or-death situation.


    Mr. Anderson looked at the group. ¡°Go ahead. It¡¯s a Friday. Use this while you can. I won¡¯t promise it another time.¡±


    That was all Oskar needed. He shrugged, pulling out homework from another class he most likely forgot about yesterday. Once Oskar did, the rest of them did, too. Mr. Anderson stared at Derek, then made a motion with his head. The student part of Derek¡¯s mind completely broke down, and panic mode entered. He honestly didn¡¯t know if this was for him being a student or because of his request to have Milo work in his lab. Either way, panic returned.


    Derek got up from his desk, holding his AP bio textbook. He needed some sort of lie if anyone asked. Derek walked up to the table, feeling nervous. Mr. Anderson was rubbing the bridge of his nose, not even looking at him.


    ¡°I have¡­¡± Mr. Anderson dug his fingers deeper into his skin before dropping his hand on the table. He then looked at the other students, who were doing exactly what he asked, some of them quietly whispering. Some of them even started chuckling before looking at Mr. Anderson with a nervous expression. ¡°I need to talk to you about your homework. In my office.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Derek said.


    They walked into Mr. Anderson¡¯s office. He entered first, leaving the door wide open. Derek leaned against the doorway, watching his science teacher, who looked deeply uncomfortable. He folded his arms, looking at the door. ¡°Who is the snake man?¡±


    ¡°Shit, you see him too?¡± Derek asked.


    Mr. Anderson still didn¡¯t look at Derek. ¡°Of course I¡¯ve seen him. I¡¯ve seen a few obnoxious little creatures ever since I saw your¡­¡±


    ¡°We can call him my cousin if it makes you feel better.¡±


    Mr. Anderson shook his head. He took a deep breath, then let out a sigh. ¡°Alright, look. I still don¡¯t want to know what you¡¯re doing. But¡­ but I liked Bob.¡±


    ¡°Bob?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Robert Stower. The vice principal.¡±


    Derek couldn¡¯t help it and crinkled his nose. ¡°You liked Mr. Stower?¡± The vice principal always seemed like he was doing a little too much to gain the favor of students, which was creepy now that Akshi was controlling him.


    Mr. Anderson shrugged. ¡°The guy leaves me alone to teach my stuff. I appreciate that in a person.¡± If it wasn¡¯t such a serious situation, Derek would have laughed.


    ¡°You¡¯ve¡­ seen more than Akshi?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming Akshi is the snake man?¡± Derek nodded as Mr. Anderson kept his arms folded, staring at the wall. ¡°I have absolutely no idea what you¡¯ve done to suck all these people into this world, and I still don¡¯t want to hear the sob story. But¡­¡± Mr. Anderson scrubbed his fingers across his chin. ¡°But I¡¯ve got a feeling many people¡¯s lives are in danger. And¡­¡± Mr. Anderson let out a groan, then he spoke, sounding like it took every ounce of his mental capacity to say the words. ¡°Your¡­ cousin¡­ may¡­ use¡­ the school¡¯s lab.¡±


    For the first time since he saw Akshi, Derek felt a bit of hope. ¡°Wait, really? Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Shh!¡± Mr. Anderson said, looking far more distressed. ¡°Your cousin can¡¯t be seen by anyone. This arrangement is for as long as the Akshi guy is in control of Bob. And for the love of god, please don¡¯t let him blow up my lab.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry Mr. Anderson. He¡¯s blown up my mom¡¯s kitchen a few times, but she can¡¯t tell, and everything magically goes back into place, anyway. It¡¯s wild.¡±


    Mr. Anderson tore his gaze from the wall to give Derek a look of pure terror. ¡°What?¡±


    The small smile that had formed on Derek¡¯s face while he was talking to Mr. Anderson dropped. ¡°Um¡­ things magically go back to place afterwards. That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s the important takeaway here.¡± Derek patted Mr. Anderson¡¯s shoulder, who still looked at Derek with terror. ¡°So, um¡­ thanks.¡±


    Derek moved to leave, when Mr. Anderson held out a hand. Derek was terrified he¡¯d messed everything up, and he clawed at his mind for something to remind his teacher about the life-or-death situation they were in. Mr. Anderson sighed again. ¡°There are no cameras in the lab. We don¡¯t have the budget for it. There are cameras outside it, though. And Mr. Stower is responsible for monitoring the cameras. I don¡¯t know how you¡¯ll do it, and I don¡¯t want to. If you need to use it during school time¡ª¡± Mr. Anderson closed his eyes, looking like he¡¯d aged ten years, ¡°¡ªI guarantee your snake enemy will hear an explosion.¡±


    Derek nodded. ¡°Have you seen Akshi before yesterday?¡±


    Mr. Anderson shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll stress that I want to be as little involved in this as possible. You get my lab, and I¡¯m letting you have it. Whatever else this is, I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    Derek did not want to press his luck, but he had to say this, anyway. ¡°Mr. Anderson, you¡¯re one of the few people who see these things. We could really use your help.¡±


    Mr. Anderson closed his eyes and shook his head. ¡°This is the extent of the help I¡¯m willing to give. I¡¯ve learned to ignore the demon rats rooting through my trash every night¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sorry, the what?¡±


    ¡°¡ªso I¡¯m going to choose to ignore everything else. I¡¯m doing this to help a friend.¡± Mr. Anderson paused, then shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m choosing to help a colleague who happens to be a pretty okay guy.¡±


    Derek blinked. ¡°Because he doesn¡¯t interfere in your life?¡±


    Mr. Anderson gave Derek a look. ¡°He¡¯s way more friendly now than ever before, asking questions about my life, and I desperately need things to go back to the way they were.¡±


    ¡°Are you¡­ hiding something, Mr. Anderson?¡± Derek asked, knowing he¡¯d regret it.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m simply an introvert, failing many times to explain to an extrovert why I enjoy living a quieter life.¡±


    Derek had to physically work on keeping a smile from his face as he gave a nod. ¡°Alright, well. Thank you, Mr. Anderson. I promise you won¡¯t regret this.¡±


    Mr. Anderson shook his head. ¡°I already do.¡±

 Chapter 44

    Evelyn was playing with her hair. If she was five years younger, she would have already started chewing on it, but she¡¯d thankfully convinced herself out of such a disgusting habit long ago. They were at Roy¡¯s Burgers, the restaurant next to the school. Two hours before a football game, this was the best they could do on short notice, and even then, a lot of the group wasn¡¯t there. Rafael and Ezekiel weren¡¯t there, as usual. Nick was at work, and they all agreed that it would be better if Nick broke the news to Grizzizzik gently. Evelyn, Alejandra, and Derek were outside at a table under a large umbrella, with their characters at the table next to them.


    It was hot, but everyone else was having a milkshake. Tyler¡¯s was untouched and melting. Evelyn refused to get one. She was way too nervous, both about what was going on and the whole situation with Akshi and the upcoming football game. Clarissa, Hraktar, and Milo were there, but Evelyn was even nervous about that. She wondered if they should have gotten somewhere inside, just to hide their characters. Mr. Stower was going to attend the football game, and it would be ridiculous to think Akshi wouldn¡¯t be there too. If Akshi wanted, he could take binoculars and peer over to see them.


    They had all finished taking turns assuring Tyler that they were fine. No one had seen Akshi since yesterday. It was a relief, but the level of danger they were now in was causing Tyler to ignore his milkshake as he held his head in his hands.


    ¡°Good news is Mr. Anderson let Milo borrow his lab,¡± Derek said. ¡°Milo¡¯s already planning on using disguise self to enter school as a student on Tuesday, then just work¡­ as quietly as possible in the lab.¡±


    Tyler lifted his head and gave Derek a look.


    ¡°You¡¯re sending the guy who blew everyone up into a lab and asking him to be quiet?¡± Clarissa asked.


    Derek sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a work in progress.¡±


    Milo was twiddling his thumbs, glancing at Clarissa. ¡°We have no other choice. Akshi is here, and he is way more powerful than any of us. If we¡¯re going to survive, we¡¯ve got to level up, and I¡¯ve got to have a lab to make my gadgets.¡±


    Tyler went back to holding his head in his hands, but his words were clear. ¡°What about Rafael? Does he see Akshi?¡±


    Everyone but Tyler turned to look at Alejandra. She met no one¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yeah. He saw him. Briefly. It seemed to push him away even further.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea how this happened?¡± Derek asked Tyler.


    Tyler let out a breath. ¡°Just¡­ give me a minute.¡±


    There was silence. Evelyn let Tyler have his silence. He kept his head cradled in his hands. Alejandra was drinking her milkshake with a far off look on her face. Derek took a spoonful of his before handing it over to Milo. The mana fusor took it, curious, before sniffing it. He took a bite, looking surprised, before passing it over to Clarissa. The druid took a sip, then Hraktar took the cup, trying not to squish it as he tried it out.


    Evelyn¡¯s phone buzzed. It was from Hazel.


    Hey, are you coming soon? We¡¯ve got some warmups to do.


    Evelyn glanced at Tyler, who was still motionless, his milkshake turning into a puddle. Milo picked it up, drinking it.


    Evelyn texted back quickly.


    Just finishing up here.


    Tyler lifted his head, looking like he¡¯d aged about ten years. He didn¡¯t even notice his milkshake was missing. ¡°Stupid dramatics. Stupid stakes. Stupid everything. The GM gets one character that doesn¡¯t have to listen to the rules of the game in order to create dramatic effect. The MED must be made a threat. And we have no other choice but to keep leveling up while hiding from Akshi. All for dramatic effect. For the sake of the overall story arch.¡±


    Derek stared at Tyler. ¡°That is the shittiest reason I¡¯ve ever heard.¡±


    ¡°I know. It sucks. But the fact is, Akshi is now in the bubble, and getting used to this new way of life like the rest of you.¡± Tyler glanced at Clarissa, Hraktar, and Milo, and only then noticed that Milo had his milkshake. By the look on his face, he didn¡¯t care.


    Alejandra passed her milkshake over to Hraktar. ¡°But what do we do?¡±


    ¡°We¡­¡± Tyler made a gesture. ¡°Keep doing what we¡¯re doing. Take it a day at a time. We¡¯ve got to level up. Got to get stronger. We¡¯ve¡­¡± Tyler groaned, covering his face. ¡°Goddammit. We don¡¯t have a wizard or a sorcerer.¡±


    Evelyn and Alejandra exchanged glances. Derek furrowed his brow, then horror trickled over his face as he covered his mouth, eyes wide.


    ¡°Um¡­ does someone want to explain?¡± Alejandra said.


    Tyler bowed his head, his hands curling into fists. ¡°Akshi is a powerful magic wielder. One of the strongest. He learned some secrets of immortality.¡± Tyler raised his head, a look of defeat in his eyes that terrified Evelyn. ¡°If we kill Akshi, his body will flake away, but then regenerate in¡­ in a few days decided by a die roll, fully healed, fully powerful. Which means the only way he can be killed is the level nine spell Wish. A spell so powerful it can rewrite the foundation of reality.¡±


    Derek looked horrified, his voice quiet and numb. ¡°Something only a wizard or a sorcerer can get once they reach level seventeen.¡±


    Clarissa and Milo glanced at each other. Hraktar folded his arms, looking troubled. Evelyn stared at Tyler, ignoring the vibration of her phone. ¡°What kind of OP MED is that?¡± she asked, trying not to sound terrified.


    ¡°One with thankfully a smaller amount of hit points. But Akshi packs a punch in the time he has,¡± Tyler said.


    Clarissa sat down in the booth next to Tyler, trying to look regal, but there was a far off look in her eye as well. ¡°There has to be another way to defeat him.¡±


    ¡°You knew we didn¡¯t have a sorcerer or a wizard in our group. How were you going to let us defeat Akshi when you were the GM?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Tyler still looked pained, but he brought out his phone. He typed something in, a worry line appearing between his eyebrows.


    ¡°It would be its own kind of quest. There are some items I was going to have you guys look for. The Wish ring. The Wish blade. Those would have worked. It¡¯s just¡­ those items probably didn¡¯t travel to our world in the explosion,¡± Tyler said. ¡°We¡¯ll have to ask Calawit if she can sense any other arcane items.¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Derek was on his phone, too. ¡°What domain is Ezekiel?¡±


    Evelyn glanced at Alejandra, and she frowned. ¡°Um¡­ life domain, I think.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Even if we had a wizard or a sorcerer, we can¡¯t wait until we all hit level seventeen to kill Akshi. Then we¡¯d be going up against Torraq, too,¡± Evelyn said.


    Tyler¡¯s already fallen face fell into the depths. ¡°We can never let those two meet up. Akshi¡¯s already figured out how to charm someone. If Torraq got here too, they would figure out how to destroy earth.¡±


    Her phone once again vibrated, and she once again ignored it. ¡°How high of a level do you suggest our characters be in order to face off against Akshi?¡±


    ¡°Minimum?¡±


    ¡°Minimum in order to survive,¡± Evelyn said.


    Tyler was again looking at his phone, the worry line deepening. ¡°Level six? Level seven is a better hope of everyone walking away from it. Level nine would be ideal. But¡­ but I have a bad feeling that if everyone was at level nine, there is a dangerously good chance Torraq could enter the bubble.¡±


    ¡°Has he entered yet?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Tyler tapped some things on his phone. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Are¡­ you sure?¡±


    ¡°This time I¡¯m damn sure.¡± Instead of tapping, he started to scroll. ¡°He only gets one guy in at the beginning, and he chose Akshi.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s eyebrows drew together as she thought about Tyler¡¯s words. ¡°Who¡¯s he?¡±


    Tyler glanced up. ¡°Sorry, what?¡±


    ¡°You said he. That he only gets one guy. Who¡¯s he?¡±


    Tyler stared at Evelyn, then tried to remember what he was talking about. His brows furrowed before he dug his knuckles into them to straighten them out. ¡°I have¡­ no idea. I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s he. He¡¯s doing this.¡± He shook his head, then returned to his phone. ¡°Either way, she fought hard for Akshi not to appear so early but relented in order to get a favor in return.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s she?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Tyler glanced up. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Who. Is. She?¡± Alejandra repeated.


    Tyler stared at Alejandra as though she sprouted another nose. He blinked, then glanced at the ceiling. ¡°I guess¡­ the GM is two people. One of chaos, one of order. And¡­ they¡¯re fighting for balance. Here in Elmwood.¡±


    Evelyn stared at Tyler, then tore her gaze to meet Alejandra¡¯s. Her jaw had dropped.


    Evelyn¡¯s phone started to ring. Hazel had given up texting and was now calling. She cleared her throat, pulling it out of her pocket and swiping to answer.


    ¡°Hey, Hazel. I¡¯m¡­ really sorry. I¡¯m coming.¡±


    ¡°Do not feel rushed at all, girl. You just haven¡¯t been replying to my texts, and I was worried. Is everything alright?¡±


    No. Nothing was alright, but there was no way she could say this to Hazel.


    ¡°I lost track of time, that¡¯s all. I¡¯m coming.¡± She gave Tyler an apologetic look, but he nodded, giving her a wave. Everyone else waved too, and she gathered her things. ¡°I will be there in five minutes.¡±


    She headed out of the outside seating area of the burger joint. She spared one last glance at her friends. Saw Tyler scrolling through his phone with a hand in his hair as he talked with Derek and Alejandra, both looking grim.


    Evelyn waved to Clarissa, who Derek promised to take home safely. She walked out of the burger joint as a new set of nerves compounded themselves into her stomach. They had a football game to go to. Then they had homecoming to prepare for. And the entire week of activities Akshi would attend.


    ***


    Nick got home and let out a huge breath of relief. True, the mystery of Akshi was still there, but at least he wasn¡¯t at school. And he was done at work for the day.


    Then again, Akshi could be traveling around Elmwood to figure out what was happening. Nick wasn¡¯t necessarily safe, but he was at least away from Mr. Stower. For now, his house was safe. As long as Phantom didn¡¯t double cross them. Knowing his track record, it was more than likely.


    Grizzizzik was outside again, making more arrows from hell hound teeth under the lights of their porch. It was eight-thirty. Evelyn wouldn¡¯t be back from the football game for a while.


    Nick dropped his bag off in his room before going out again. He waited by the back door, watching Grizzizzik as he worked, knowing this information would be as life altering for him as it was for everyone else. The longer he put this off, the worse it would be. He should have told him yesterday, but he couldn¡¯t do it. He needed one night¡¯s sleep where he wouldn¡¯t be concerned about if Grizzizzik was sneaking off. It didn¡¯t help. Even without telling Grizzizzik, he still tossed and turned.


    Nick opened the door and stepped out onto the back porch. With the sun gone, it was still over ninety degrees outside. Grizzizzik was sitting there, hunched over, focusing on making sure the feathers were held in place as the glue dried.


    ¡°Hey, Grizzizzik. I want to talk to you about something.¡± He blurted it out before he lost his courage again.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± the rogue grunted, focused on the arrow.


    Nick did little else but settle into the chair opposite. Grizzizzik¡¯s focus was on the arrow, making sure the feather was straight. Nick rubbed his jaw, knowing he needed to say this now. ¡°We¡¯re going to Derek¡¯s house tomorrow morning for another session.¡±


    ¡°Looking forward to it.¡± Grizzizzik¡¯s voice was mechanical.


    ¡°There¡¯s¡­ something you need to know before we meet up with the rest of the group.¡±


    ¡°Mmm,¡± Grizzizzik said again.


    ¡°Akshi is¡­¡± The moment he said Akshi¡¯s name, Grizzizzik¡¯s laser focus changed from the arrow to Nick¡¯s eyes. The rogue was daring him to continue whatever he was about to say. Nick swallowed. ¡°Akshi is here.¡±


    Grizzizzik frowned, his focus trickling back to the arrow. ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve established that. He¡¯s in this realm.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean¡­ here, here. He¡¯s¡­ in Elmwood. Inside Clarissa¡¯s bubble. He¡¯s¡­¡± Nick was too afraid to look away. Too afraid not to analyze every emotion on Grizzizzik¡¯s face. ¡°He¡¯s charmed my vice principal, and he¡¯ll be at my school all next week.¡±


    The rogue¡¯s eyes snapped back to Nick, letting this information tumble into the list of information he needed to know. Watched as the gears in his rogue¡¯s head turned.


    ¡°I need to emphasize that you are squarely at level two.¡± Nick again looked at Grizzizzik¡¯s character sheet. 600/900 XP. ¡°If you go after Akshi now, he will snuff you out like a candle.¡±


    The gears still turned. Nick watched, waiting. He eased himself into his roleplaying mind, imagining exactly what Grizzizzik might do if he found out his father was in the same town. Grizzizzik was reeling from this information but scrambling to look like he was in control. The calm, collected, street wise individual who was taught that showing fear was a weakness.


    Grizzizzik¡¯s hand holding the arrow was perfectly still. The rogue returned his focus back to the arrow, but he was far less present. He needed to get stronger. Nick realized his character didn¡¯t want to rely on the others to help him.


    ¡°Grizzizzik, don¡¯t,¡± Nick said.


    The rogue¡¯s eyes never wavered from the arrow. ¡°I¡¯ve got to slice his throat. It¡¯s got to be me. The others are in danger. There¡¯s no point risking them.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t just your problem. This is everyone¡¯s problem. Akshi is threatening my world, and we need to get rid of him,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°It¡¯s safer to do this on my own,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°We never want to try that. Understand? It¡¯s far too dangerous. You can¡¯t level up without the others, or they¡¯ll be the ones in danger,¡± Nick said.


    Grizzizzik remained silent, locked in his own head. Nick didn¡¯t like it, but at least he had access to his head.


    The rogue set down the arrow, then glanced up at the night sky, thinking some things through. Mostly acknowledging Nick was right. He couldn¡¯t go solo leveling to take out Akshi. It would put the rest of the team at a disadvantage. But Grizzizzik was terrified of the possibility that if the rest of the team came with him, someone else would be the one to slit Akshi¡¯s throat. Or someone could die. He was surprised to learn both unsettled him.


    Nick dropped his hand, giving Grizzizzik a look. The rogue needed to be the one to get revenge on his father. Nick was almost more worried about what would happen if someone else killed Akshi than the idea of what would happen next week with Mr. Stower.


    With a mental control Nick could never have, Grizzizzik placed the arrow down with the others, all spread out. He then stood up, brushing himself off.


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    ¡°Night,¡± Nick said.


    The rogue walked into the house, closing the door behind him. Nick closed his eyes, sensing Grizzizzik enter his room. In the solitude he thought he had, the rogue started a plan. A dangerous plan full of faulty ideas. Nick covered his mouth, the heat of the evening coming back to him as he felt his sweat turn icy. It was as he feared. Grizzizzik was turning in on himself, which meant turning away from Nick, too. For the moment, he knew Grizzizzik wouldn¡¯t try sneaking out. Nick had a sinking feeling that the higher the level, the more reckless his rogue would get.

 Chapter 45

    Evelyn walked in with Clarissa, with Nick and Grizzizzik following behind them.


    ¡°Hello you two! Thanks for stopping by!¡±


    Evelyn turned to see Derek¡¯s mother, Amanda, there. Evelyn forced herself to pretend this was nothing more than an intense session of CCNC.


    ¡°Hey, thanks for letting us meet here so often,¡± Evelyn said.


    Amanda smiled. ¡°Oh, anytime. I tried to convince Derek to stay here. It can get so hot out there, and you don¡¯t need to be traveling so much.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Evelyn¡¯s thoughts stalled as she saw Tyler and Derek discussing something quietly. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s his senior year of CCNC, you know? He likes the immersion of it all.¡±


    ¡°You are far too kind of a friend,¡± she said, looking over at Nick. ¡°And I thank you for that. Please make sure you pack plenty of water.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± Evelyn patted her backpack that held four water bottles. If they were going to do some intense grinding to level up, Evelyn needed plenty of water. Mostly because of Clarissa¡¯s ice knife spell. She needed water to cast it. Her personal water was in a more insulated jug to keep it cold. Walt gave them until three, and they were going to use every hour.


    They walked further into the house. Alejandra was there, looking nervous. Hraktar was leaning against the wall, looking ready for anything.


    ¡°Still no Rafael?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Alejandra shook her head. ¡°He got real angry at me last night when I talked about it.¡± She wasn¡¯t looking at Evelyn. ¡°I should have checked the game score last night before talking about it.¡±


    Evelyn winced. They had been destroyed last night. The high school they were up against was too good. Hopefully next week¡¯s game was a bit more balanced, what with it being homecoming and everything.


    Evelyn glanced over at Grizzizzik, who had somehow chosen the darkest corner to brood in. ¡°I think we¡¯re all under a lot of stress.¡±


    Nick joined Derek and Tyler¡¯s conversation. Evelyn needed a change of subject. ¡°Do you have a date for homecoming?¡±


    Alejandra shook her head. ¡°No. And I doubt anyone¡¯s going to ask with just a week before.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Um, sorry.¡±


    Alejandra shrugged. ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. There are more dances in the year. What about you? Do you have a date?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Connor Frank,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. He seems like a nice kid.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve heard that, too.¡±


    The silence descended on them again. Evelyn was playing with her fingernails. Connor was in her grade on the football team. He seemed like a nice enough guy. Jennifer had told him to ask Evelyn out so all the cheerleaders could be at the dance. Evelyn wasn¡¯t sure what that meant, but Connor understood this meant they were not dating. Or that there was any such expectation of such. And she really made sure he understood that. They were going purely as a chance to get to know each other better. Perhaps become friends.


    Amanda slipped into another room as Tyler slid his phone into his pocket. ¡°Alright. I¡­ don¡¯t know what creatures we¡¯ll meet today, but we have the added pressure of trying not to attract Akshi. Let¡¯s¡­ go. I guess.¡±


    Milo patted Tyler on the back. ¡°Let¡¯s go, fearless leader.¡±


    Tyler gave the mana fusor a look of defeat, causing Evelyn to giggle. Alejandra giggled with her, causing Tyler to give them a wry smile. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s load up.¡±


    They all got in the minivan. Evelyn was nervous, checking that she had water a few times.


    ¡°We should go talk with Calawit,¡± Tyler said.


    Derek nodded. ¡°On it.¡±


    They drove for a bit as Evelyn looked out the window. The scenery passed, and she came to a humbling realization. They couldn¡¯t walk outside and expect droves of bad guys to come so they could level up fast. Nothing had changed. There were already sparse enemies before. With some, they had to comb the town to look for. It wasn¡¯t like the apocalypse was coming and bad guys roamed the streets. That would definitely help them level up. Earth was big, and she didn¡¯t know where the creatures were scattered to. Tyler and Derek had their master list, and even though it had a couple thousand creatures, how many desert monsters were there?


    They parked in the street by Jos¨¦¡¯s and made their way to the tent.


    ¡°Hello, Calawit!¡± Clarissa said the moment she walked inside the tent.


    ¡°Princess! Is that you?¡± The gnome woman came out from behind a door. She smiled as she climbed on the desk, giving Clarissa a hug. She kept an eye on the opening door. The moment Grizzizzik walked into the tent, he was frozen. Calawit smirked as red petals landed on his wrist before he could walk in. Grizzizzik gave Calawit a glare.


    ¡°Hello to you too, Grizz,¡± Calawit said.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    The rogue grumbled about something before walking further into the store.


    ¡°So, what brings you to my magical store?¡± Calawit asked.


    ¡°We wanted to check up on you,¡± the druid said as she broke away. ¡°Akshi is here, in Elmwood, and we wanted to make sure you were okay.¡±


    The old gnome woman frowned. ¡°Akshi? Here? Mmm, I¡¯m going to have to strengthen my enchantments.¡±


    Tyler approached her, and Evelyn observed him. ¡°Please, Calawit. We need your help.¡±


    The gnome woman gave Tyler a look, mostly to size him up. ¡°The only help I give is as a shops keeper. My adventuring days are over.¡±


    He sighed, looking defeated. ¡°I know. But¡­ you¡¯re the only level twenty sorceress in Elmwood. We need to get rid of Akshi. Permanently.¡±


    Calawit still blinked at Tyler before straightening her spectacles. ¡°I¡¯ve got a strange feeling about you, child. Something about you is more familiar than the other earthlings. So I¡¯m going to say some things in code that I assume you will understand.¡± Tyler blinked, waiting. ¡°You know better than I why I can¡¯t help you.¡±


    Tyler¡¯s shoulders slumped. Evelyn was confused, trying to pull the information from his face.


    ¡°I¡­ I just thought that maybe with coming to earth¡­¡±


    Calawit shook her head. She then straightened, her eyes shooting a distrustful look at Grizzizzik. ¡°So you¡¯re trying to kill your father, are you?¡±


    Despite being across the way, Grizzizzik closed his eyes, his face contorted in pain. ¡°Stop calling him that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s who he is. Stop hiding from the truth, boy.¡±


    Grizzizzik opened his eyes, glaring at her. He tried to distract himself by picking something up to look at it. But as usual, his hands went completely through. Flustered, he tried to save face and folded his arms, scowling at her. Calawit simply grinned.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t help us, we at least need an extra pair of eyes,¡± Tyler said. ¡°The only way to get rid of Akshi for good is a wish spell. We need an artifact that mimics it. Do you have one?¡±


    Calawit frowned, her eyes scanning over her store. Evelyn waited, holding onto the strap of her bag with all her water bottles.


    ¡°That¡¯s a deeply powerful artifact. I only carry baubles and trinkets,¡± Calawit said.


    Milo picked up an amulet. ¡°Is there something I can infuse to something to recreate such a spell?¡±


    Calawit studied Milo. ¡°You honestly think you could tinker with your toys and recreate one of the most reality altering spells in all of Shrouded Domain?¡±


    Milo shrugged. ¡°We are out of options. When we¡¯re out of options, that¡¯s usually when I come in.¡±


    ¡°I doubt you could at your current level,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Hence the other reason we came in,¡± Derek said, glancing at Calawit. ¡°Have you heard of any monsters roaming? Causing any trouble? We need to level these guys up.¡±


    Calawit placed her hands on her hips, a raised eyebrow. ¡°Do I look like a tavern?¡±


    ¡°No. But until one gets magically built, you¡¯re all we¡¯ve got,¡± Derek said.


    Calawit sighed, shaking her head. ¡°I just wanted to be a shopkeeper.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ that¡¯s a yes?¡± Tyler asked.


    Calawit groaned as she climbed back on the desk. ¡°I¡¯ll have to keep an eye out. I haven¡¯t necessarily been looking.¡±


    Milo reached behind him and pulled out a few bottles of gold mana. ¡°For you.¡±


    Calawit¡¯s eyes brightened as she picked them up, looking at the color. ¡°How absolutely beautiful!¡± She closed her eyes, touching the bottom of the bottle with her fingertips as she breathed in deeply. ¡°You and Clarissa make the most beautiful mana together.¡±


    ¡°Why thank you,¡± Milo said.


    Calawit rotated her wrist as three gold coins dropped into her palm. She then flicked them in Milo¡¯s direction. He caught them.


    ¡°I trust you to give the princess her proper share more than I do your lizard friend,¡± Calawit said.


    ¡°Snake,¡± Grizzizzik mumbled.


    Milo dropped two pieces of gold into Clarissa¡¯s hand as he placed the other one in his inventory behind his back.


    ¡°Oh, thanks, Milo! But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nope, don¡¯t say another word. I¡¯ve got four other color manas to figure out, and the gold mana was mostly from your meditation. I just purified it,¡± Milo said.


    Clarissa placed one of the gold pieces in her inventory and kept the other one out. ¡°Calawit, do you have any more beakers or vials for my good friend here?¡± Clarissa set down the gold piece.


    ¡°I sure do!¡± Calawit leapt onto the bookshelf and walked across it to get to the other side. Milo¡¯s eyes brightened as he followed her.


    Evelyn moved closer to Tyler, who was looking distressed. ¡°Is there something we need to know about Cal?¡±


    Tyler took a deep breath, tearing his gaze from the floor as he looked at Calawit. ¡°She knew the wish spell once. When I was playing her in one of my campaigns. She wished to be the most powerful mana wielder in the world to defeat our MED. Not just being able to cast sorcerer spells, but all the spells of all the different classes. Wizard, cleric, mana fusor, warlock.¡± Tyler shook his head. ¡°She jumped from level seventeen to twenty. Possibly higher, but the levels don¡¯t go past twenty. But the game master can give whatever consequence he deems worthy. We defeated the MED, but her lover, Vorix, completely forgot about her existence. And if she ever tried to adventure again, he¡¯d die. The only thing she loved more than her powers was Vorix. So, she retired. And, with a roll of a die, she lost her ability to use the wish spell.¡± Tyler shrugged as Evelyn stared at him. ¡°You know, I never created her with a tragic back story. Knowing this game, they¡¯d go through trauma enough to shape them. My dice rolls certainly did their job on my poor gnome sorcerer.¡± Tyler watched the shopkeeper. ¡°She was a hundred when I played her. Aged her up a bit to become the shopkeeper for your campaign. Mainly because I wanted to check in on her. Make sure she was still fine. And she is.¡±


    Calawit slapped Milo¡¯s hand as he tried to pick up a dagger. ¡°Don¡¯t touch that! That dagger belongs to a demon king! Every damage dealt by it will inflict that same damage on the nearest orphan child.¡±


    Milo stared at her, eyes wide. ¡°What the hell, Calawit. Why do you keep this stuff just lying around?¡±


    ¡°I like to know where it is.¡± She picked it up, squinting. ¡°No, wait. This is a regular dagger. The demon king¡¯s dagger is over there.¡± She pointed with her thumb over her shoulder at a dagger that definitely had a dark aura around it.


    A smile tugged at Tyler¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Again, Calawit, what the hell?¡± Milo kept rubbing the hand she slapped.


    Calawit shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s safer here than it is out there, as long as there¡¯re no idiots in here.¡± Milo grumbled as he checked his hand. ¡°If it makes you feel better, sweetie, I can make your hands not touch things like I do with Grizzizzik there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ fine,¡± Milo said.


    ¡°Oh, good.¡± She loaded him up with some empty beakers and vials. ¡°Pleasure doing business with you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Evelyn left the tent and got in the van. Tyler checked his watch. ¡°Well, we might have to drive around, but I don¡¯t feel like we¡¯ve really got anything else to do.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Yeah. I think that¡¯s it. Until tomorrow.¡± Tyler glanced at Nick. ¡°Can you do tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°If we get home early enough and say someone had to call in early at work, I could possibly convince my dad to do this tomorrow,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Tyler glanced at the scenery as Derek started driving the van. ¡°That¡¯ll also give Calawit some time to find some monsters.¡±


    ¡°Also, Mr. Anderson casually mentioned his house has some demon rats infiltrating his trash,¡± Derek said, like it was the most casual thing ever.


    The silence in the van stretched on. Tyler pulled out a few pages, shifting through them. ¡°Yep. Demon rats. We¡¯ll have to look into it tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 46

    Nick knew exactly what Grizzizzik was planning. He felt it in the way the rogue closed himself off to everyone. Giving enough dialogue to make it so no one was concerned about him. Made it seem like he was still a team player. Brushing off words or looks of concern. Doing the bare minimum to make sure no one noticed what he was doing.


    And, admittedly, it wasn¡¯t much. Grizzizzik was giving it a few days. Letting the shock of it simmer down. Let everyone think he was just moody with nerves instead of cooly planning out a one person intel mission that would undoubtably end in disaster.


    Sunday they all lost steam, which is when Grizzizzik was at his peak quiet. Nick was exhausted. Calawit had nothing for them, saying it had been less than twenty-four hours, and what did they expect? They tried to travel around Elmwood to see if they could find demon rats, but Mr. Anderson had his address locked down. Not even Evelyn could find it, who was a pro at finding everything about a person through their social media. As far as anyone could tell, Mr. Anderson didn¡¯t have social media. No one was finding his house. The probability of their quiet but intense science teacher giving out his address to a select few of his students, even for demon rat extermination, was low. According to Derek, Mr. Anderson would rather have the demon infestation than have students hanging around his house.


    After searching for four hours, they stumbled on a nest of baby vultures that breathed a weak flame. It felt almost wrong to smash them, though Grizzizzik had no trouble doing so. It gave him ten experience points, and some looks from the group.


    Which meant they needed another day. Nick was anxiously folding his arms, knowing what Walt would say.


    ¡°You can¡¯t spend your entire weekend playing that game, Nick.¡±


    It was eerie when Walt repeated the same phrase Nick predicted he would say when he finally asked him about it Sunday night.


    ¡°Dad, come on. I don¡¯t have work on Monday. The bookstore¡¯s closed for Labor Day.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been lenient, letting you play two games over the weekend. I can¡¯t possibly let you play a third.¡±


    Nick drained his glass of water. ¡°And why not? It¡¯s not like I have anything else to do.¡±


    ¡°There are plenty of jobs around the house you can do,¡± Walt said.


    Nick made a point of rinsing out his cup before placing it in the dishwasher. ¡°Come on, dad. This is literally the only thing I have in my life right now.¡±


    Walt kept tapping on his laptop as though already finished with the conversation. ¡°And I don¡¯t want you to forget that you¡¯re still in deep trouble.¡± Nick didn¡¯t mean to, but it happened. Walt mentioned the entire reason for this prison sentence. It caused his eyes to relax enough to give a semblance of an eye roll. A vein in Walt¡¯s forehead popped out. ¡°It¡¯s for your own good!¡±


    It was far too easy to make Walt angry, even if he didn¡¯t mean to. ¡°Is it, Dad? Is it really? Or is this some sort of a power trip for you?¡±


    Walt stopped tapping, giving Nick a glare. ¡°Don¡¯t make me take away your little game, too.¡±


    Nick glared at his father. Glared at the man who would rather see his son wither up and become a shell of a person than ever embarrass him again. Nick hated he couldn¡¯t tell Walt exactly what he thought. Not just about the characters, but about his parenting. Walt threatened to take away CCNC. The man who swore Nick would be grounded until he was eighteen, and stuck with it. Even if this wasn¡¯t a matter of life or death, Nick couldn¡¯t lose CCNC. It was his only socialization.


    Nick turned around and went to his room, not trusting himself to stay near Walt. He shut his door, knowing Grizzizzik heard the whole thing. He knew because Nick rolled a high stealth check right before the conversation. No doubt Grizzizzik would listen to the whole thing, forming a plan. It was in Nick¡¯s best interest to pretend he didn¡¯t know his rogue was planning something. Nick was still terrified.


    Evelyn came soon after the fight, assuring him she¡¯d take Grizzizzik with her. The evidence of him rolling the dice during school made her believe Nick had a close enough bond with Grizzizzik that he could combat with him even if he was away. Nick agreed to it as his rogue popped back into the room again, acting like he did nothing but bathed in the sun.


    Nick worked on some last-minute homework as it got late. He waited patiently as his rogue finished making his weapons. Nick got up and walked over to Evelyn¡¯s room. He texted something on his phone as he knocked, waiting for her to come out.


    The door opened, and he saw her out of the edges of his vision. ¡°I wanted to wish you good night.¡± He then held his phone up to her. He didn¡¯t hit send, because then Walt would read it, and he wasn¡¯t in the mood to explain the situation.


    ¡°Um, yeah. Good night, Nick.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes skimmed the unsent message.


    Grizzizzik is planning something. I don¡¯t know what it is, but it makes me uneasy. Never let him out of your sight tomorrow.


    Evelyn finished reading it, gave Nick a grim look, and nodded.


    ***


    Evelyn once again had her backpack of water bottles. Her shoulder felt like it had a permanent dent in it after lugging this around for two days. But things were picking up again. They were driving again toward a nature hike. Calawit said she heard some rumblings deep in the ground while she was meditating. She admitted she wasn¡¯t sure how far the bubble reached, but she couldn¡¯t deny the rumbling.


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    Derek eased the minivan into the dusty parking lot. They all piled out, and Evelyn tried not to be obvious in making sure Grizzizzik stayed close. The rogue was quiet. Moody. Much like Nick this morning as he ate his sugar marshmallow cereal. It didn¡¯t help when Walt slid him a list of jobs that needed to be done around the house, and Nick shot him a deadly glare.


    Grizzizzik caught Evelyn¡¯s gaze, and she turned her head, focusing on the path ahead. Considering Grizzizzik didn¡¯t fall asleep the moment they headed toward the minivan, Nick had a strong enough connection to do long distance combat. Evelyn figured this, but the confirmation was nice.


    Evelyn walked next to Alejandra. She was in choir, and they had a concert coming up. Alejandra was pretty confident, mainly because she didn¡¯t try out for any solos.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Evelyn asked.


    She shrugged. ¡°I mean¡­ that¡¯s not really my thing.¡±


    ¡°Have you even tried?¡±


    ¡°Well, no, but I¡¯d rather let the seniors try out. It is their last year and everything.¡±


    Evelyn moved the backpack from one shoulder to the other. ¡°I suppose.¡±


    Derek turned around, walking backward. ¡°I think we should all keep our eyes peeled. Which means Tyler needs to prompt us to roll for a perception check.¡±


    Tyler frowned, glancing at the other characters. ¡°This feels more like a passive perception kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°Oh, great. So, our two chaos GM¡¯s might be rolling dice right now?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°One of chaos, one of order. And¡­ probably.¡± Tyler glanced around. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean we don¡¯t have to.¡±


    The ease with which he talked about this prompted Evelyn¡¯s curiosity. ¡°Do you know anything more about this chaos and order game masters?¡±


    Tyler shook his head. ¡°I have no idea.¡± He checked his phone. ¡°I¡¯m already starting a list of questions to ask Neal at con. The end of the month can¡¯t come soon enough. I¡¯ll tell you that much.¡±


    Exhaustion seeped into Evelyn¡¯s bones. It was barely September, and she was already counting down the days to the thirtieth. It was going to make for a very long month.


    Grizzizzik slowed to a stop. He unfolded his arms, holding them out like he was balancing on something. ¡°Does anyone else feel that?¡±


    A silence reached all of them. At first Evelyn was worried Grizzizzik was using the opportunity to try some sort of sleight of hand. She missed Nick not being here to confirm his rolls. But she saw genuine unease in his eyes as his eyes scanned the desert. They were getting near the shade of the mountains. Grizzizzik backed away, his eyes wide.


    Hraktar unsheathed his great sword. ¡°Grizzizzik, what do you feel?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel it?¡± Clarissa asked.


    Hraktar looked confused. ¡°Feel what?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ vibration,¡± Milo said, getting to one knee. He touched the ground, frowning.


    Once Clarissa and Milo pointed it out, Evelyn could sense the deep rumbling in the ground. She took her bag off her shoulder, easing a water bottle out as the vibration grew. This couldn¡¯t be good, whatever it was.


    The dirt near Tyler and Derek shifted as though something was underneath. Both stumbled away. Evelyn took a few steps closer, but wished she hadn¡¯t.


    A twelve-foot long creature shot out of the dirt. Evelyn couldn¡¯t help but scream as she stumbled back.


    The creature landed, and she was able to get a better look at it. The dark blue scales on the thing looked thick, with cream-colored scales on its underbelly. There were so many teeth in the creature¡¯s mouth that it couldn¡¯t close it all the way. Evelyn¡¯s eyes were wide as she took a few tiny steps back. The tail was thick and ended in some tough spikes. There were two horns on its head, and Evelyn did not want to be in the way of it charging, even if logically it couldn¡¯t happen.


    ¡°Drake,¡± Tyler whispered. ¡°That¡¯s a drake.¡±


    ¡°A drake made it through the bubble?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Derek shook his head. ¡°Drakes aren¡¯t as deadly as a dragon, but you still don¡¯t want to mess with one.¡± There was another roar as a second blue drake dove out of the sand. ¡°Or two,¡± Derek added.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Tyler said.


    Time slowed down, and Evelyn felt all the information come to the forefront of her mind. A d20 floated in front of her.


    Roll for initiative.


    Evelyn knew this was coming, but it still made her nervous. She grabbed the d20 out of the air and gave it a shake.


    Nine plus two. Eleven wasn¡¯t bad, though the frozen time helped her study the drool hanging off one of the drake¡¯s crooked teeth in front of her. It didn¡¯t help.


    Time resumed as the drake in front of them leapt toward Hraktar and opened its mouth to bite him. Thankfully, the fighter was prepared for such an attack and dodged out of the way. The tail of the drake came down hard, and Evelyn gasped, fully prepared to see Hraktar take a face of the spiked tail, but it instead nicked his great sword, sending it flying.


    ¡°Stupid nat one,¡± Alejandra mumbled.


    Grizzizzik leapt to Hraktar¡¯s side, pulling out his rapier. He went with a deadly blow, piercing the scales and causing blood to come from his shoulder. The drake roared in pain.


    Milo stumbled back, giving his crossbow a good whack with his wrench as it glowed with a poisonous green aura. He aimed at the drake behind him and fired. The green bolt buried into the drake¡¯s shoulder. The creature snarled at Milo, who made him back away even further.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t many places to hide,¡± Milo mumbled.


    Evelyn got the feeling that the mana fusor was feeling quite self-conscious of those nineteen hit points above his head. She had little time to think about it, as time slowed down and her options were in front of her. She chose ice knife, then she also chose her new feature with the Circle of the Shepherd, picking the bear totem. That should help everyone.


    Evelyn shook her dice. It looked like it was almost going to land on a three, then it landed on sixteen. She let out a breath of relief as +4 bumped it up to a dirty twenty. A d10 appeared in front of her. She gave it a nice shake and was pleasantly surprised when it landed on eight.


    Time resumed, and Evelyn sprayed droplets of water in Clarissa¡¯s direction. Her druid princess chanted an incantation, moving her wrists around as the water slowed down. It lumped together and froze into a sharp edge. The ice knife disappeared into the drake¡¯s shoulder, and it let out a scream. The knife burst, slamming ice chunks in the face.


    The bigger drake fighting against Hraktar and Grizzizzik looked up and saw Clarissa finishing the last of her movements with the spell. It snarled at her. She looked back, then chanted something else, throwing her hands up into the sky. Her eyes glowed a golden color, and the spirit of a bear flew out of her.


    ¡°What is that? What is that? What are you doing?¡± Milo asked.


    Clarissa had no time to answer. The bear sprinted around the group, roaring.


    ¡°You¡¯re all welcome!¡± Evelyn called out.


    All four of the hit point bars above the character¡¯s head pushed further, giving everyone seven additional hit points. The numbers above all their heads were no longer green, but yellow, with a tiny portion of their health bar in the same color yellow.


    ¡°You are the best, Evelyn!¡± Derek said.


    She gave a thumbs up. But that¡¯s all the time she had. The drake Clarissa stabbed with an ice knife, leapt forward and chomped down on the druid¡¯s shoulder. The tail came down, barely missing her. But that bite took out eight points of damage from her health. The yellow number disappeared, and she went back to the regular green. It was a good thing she used the bear spirit, or else this would have been a lot worse. The drake let go, and Clarissa backed away, holding onto her torn shoulder as her hit points settled at sixteen.


    ¡°Princess?¡± Milo asked.


    ¡°Just focus on killing this thing!¡± Clarissa said.

 Chapter 47

    Hraktar waited for the bigger drake to roar before he dove for his great sword. Once he did, he wasted no time slamming it into the biggest Drake¡¯s head. The scales sheared off, and it stumbled with the impact. The drake let a low, guttural growl in the depths of its throat as it spun on Hraktar. To his credit, the fighter did not back away. Instead, he swung his great sword around to get a better grip on it.


    Grizzizzik was still next to Hraktar and swung with his rapier, taking advantage of the recent wound to dig his rapier further into the flesh. The bigger drake roared in pain, and the other drake snarled at the party. Evelyn realized the two drakes were acting strange. But a familiar strange. It caused her to hesitate.


    Milo lifted his crossbow again, shooting another green bolt at the smaller drake. The creature snarled at Milo. The mana fusor gave a grin he did not feel. ¡°Hello!¡±


    Time slowed down, and Evelyn chose the simitar this time. She was worried about using too many spells, considering their chief healer wasn¡¯t here. She needed to save her mana for cure wounds.


    She rolled an eighteen and didn¡¯t even bother seeing the total number as she snatched the d6 and gave it a roll. It was three, but with a +2, it wasn¡¯t too bad.


    The smaller drake turned her attention to Milo, and Clarissa took the opportunity to swipe at the drake, slashing against the leg. Though it must have hurt the drake, the creature ignored the injury as it barreled toward Milo.


    ¡°Ah, shit,¡± Milo mumbled under his breath at the same time Derek did. The drake took a huge bite out of his shoulder, and Evelyn heard the cracking of the collarbone as it caved in on itself. Milo shouted in pain as the drake let go, just to smack him with a horned tail. Milo flew into the air before collapsing on the ground, coughing as he gripped his broken shoulder. There was way too much blood, but Milo stumbled to his feet, pretending like he wasn¡¯t bleeding from multiple teeth marks on his broken shoulder.


    ¡°Go, team, go,¡± Milo rasped as he tried to stay on his feet, his hit points plummeting to nine.


    Hraktar made another swing at the large Drake, giving it a hard smack with the great sword. Evelyn then watched, wide eyed, as Hraktar slammed his fist against the drake¡¯s face. The skull caved in, and blood splattered from its nose and mouth as it died.


    The smaller drake screamed in anger as Hraktar shook out his fist. Evelyn realized what this was. The bigger drake was a man, and the smaller drake a woman. These two drakes were a couple, and Hraktar just killed the drake¡¯s boyfriend.


    ¡°Uh, oh,¡± Evelyn said.


    The drake screamed at Hraktar, and the fighter brought up his great sword, no doubt happy to draw attention to him. Everyone else looked terrible.


    Milo tried to lift his crossbow, but he let out a scream as it pulled against his shoulder wrong.


    Time slowed down, and Evelyn touched the option for the scimitar again. She rolled and felt disheartened as it landed on a two.


    The drake charged. Hraktar was prepared, keeping his eyes on the teeth. Which is why the attack with the tail was unexpected. Hraktar went flying. Once he landed on his back, the drake was already there, her teeth raking against his chest. Hraktar let out a cry of pain as the drake lifted her head again, preparing for yet another attack. Hraktar grabbed the jaws, keeping the drake from biting his face.


    ¡°Hraktar!¡± Clarissa shouted.


    Evelyn could barely see the fighter¡¯s health bar. It was at ten.


    Hraktar struggled with the drake. His two hands were on its jaw, and with a quick jerk the bottom part of the mouth snapped. The drake tumbled off of Hraktar, looking haggard. Bleeding from multiple cuts, but still it stood, snorting at the fighter, ready to bite his head off with a misshapen mouth.


    Milo scrambled to action. He loaded his crossbow and aimed. His left arm was shaking as he held the crossbow, and his right shoulder still looked crumpled beyond recognition, but Milo steadied his aim, then let the glowing green bolt fly.


    It smacked the drake right in the eye. It screeched, and Hraktar scrambled away before it fell dead at his feet.


    As the bodies settled, Evelyn watched as two hundred and fifty experience points pushed the bar closer to the edge. She squinted, curious.


    550/900 XP


    It was a nice chunk of experience points, and getting closer to level three was always a bonus. She wished they had this fight at the beginning of the weekend. She hoped Clarissa would reach level three by now, but her expectations were too high.


    Clarissa healed Milo, and seven hit points were added to his bar. His shoulder, though still looking tender, no longer looked crushed in on itself. Milo, in turn, went to heal Hraktar. Gold mana entered his body, looking as though it washed away the bite marks on his chest as ten hit points came back, almost pushing him to full health.


    ¡°Alejandra?¡± Tyler asked.


    Evelyn turned to focus on what was happening. Her friend was a distance away, kneeling on the ground. They approached her, and she turned, tears streaming down her cheeks. ¡°They were¡­ they were protecting their nest.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes widened as Alejandra lifted a soccer ball sized egg for everyone to see. It was a sandy color, but unmistakably an egg.


    ¡°Alejandra¡­ they were drakes. Dangerous creatures. You saw what they did to Milo and Hraktar,¡± Derek said.


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    ¡°Anyone would have done the same. We stumbled on their nest. They were just¡­ they were protecting their egg. Their family. Oh my god, we killed them,¡± she whispered, holding the egg.


    Tyler and Derek glanced at each other, both looking worried. The tears would not stop falling from Alejandra¡¯s eyes. Evelyn looked at the egg, feeling a slight trickle of guilt that she thought of the drakes as nothing more than experience points. She remembered Grizzizzik slaughtering the baby vultures, and¡ª


    Where was Grizzizzik?


    ¡°Shit.¡± Evelyn spun around, searching the horizon. She pulled out her phone and saw multiple missed calls from Nick, the last one from five minutes ago. ¡°Oh, shit.¡± There was only one voice mail. ¡°Grizzizzik is gone!¡± she said as she tapped on the voice mail.


    ¡°Evie! I don¡¯t know how this¡¯ll affect you guys, but¡­ I rolled a nat twenty on stealth. I need to know if you still saw him leave, because he definitely left. Something in me¡­ I sense it. He¡¯s gone.¡±


    Evelyn dropped the phone from her ear, her eyes wide. ¡°When was the last time any of you saw Grizzizzik?¡±


    ¡°He¡­ he was fighting the drakes, then¡­¡± Derek rubbed his forehead, frowning.


    ¡°Then he disappeared, right?¡± Evelyn searched the group again. ¡°We all sort of forgot about him.¡±


    ¡°We were in the middle of fighting drakes,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°But¡­ we shouldn¡¯t have been affected.¡± Evelyn started heading back, feeling sick, trying to call Nick, but he didn¡¯t pick up. ¡°The roll of the dice shouldn¡¯t have affected our sight, because we¡¯re not from the Shrouded Domain. Grizzizzik just¡­ disappeared.¡± Evelyn was specifically trying to keep an eye on him. There is no way she would have forgotten. Was the dice affecting them now, too?


    She tried not to think about the implications.


    ***


    Nick pedaled as fast as he could on his bike down the street. He had asked his mother if he could go on a bike ride, mainly because she was far more likely to let him. And if Lydia was on his side, then that meant Walt was less likely to scream at him. She told him not to be gone for long.


    There was a pull deep in his soul about where Grizzizzik was. The rogue was half a mile away from the high school, and Nick needed to make sure he didn¡¯t get any closer. At least Nick knew where he was. It was hot. Dangerously so. And he was pumping his legs, adding to the sweat that was already on his face. If he wasn¡¯t so desperate, he would have ignored this completely. Walt would have never given him the keys to the car. The bike was his best bet.


    He pedaled down the familiar path to the school. It was different being on a bike, and he hated how quickly cars passed by him, reminding him of the much faster option he didn¡¯t have. He had to get to Grizzizzik before he got to Elmwood High. He doubted the rogue knew about the cameras. Not only that, but if Grizzizzik tried to break in, and Nick ran in to stop him, it would be him the police would arrest for trespassing.


    Grizzizzik was single-handedly destroying Nick¡¯s carefully built reputation.


    Nick¡¯s heart raced, and not just from the exercise. He wasn¡¯t sure what to expect. Grizzizzik got a nat twenty, and he hoped he could still see him. Something was going on that made Evelyn not notice, or else she would have stopped him. Maybe they were somewhere without service. He honestly hoped it was something that easy.


    Nick followed the pull in his soul, sweat pouring down his face. It had to be a hundred degrees outside, but he was getting close. And considering he wasn¡¯t doing any more rolls, Grizzizzik wasn¡¯t getting into any trouble yet.


    Nick got off the bike, knowing Grizzizzik was in this cul-de-sac somewhere. ¡°Grizzizzik!¡± Nick tried to shout, though he felt nervous about alerting anyone. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re doing, you need to stop! You can¡¯t run away from your friends like that!¡±


    No one spoke. Considering everyone was inside, beating the heat, at least no one was out there to give him weird looks. Nick got off his bike, walking it toward a place where his gut was telling him Grizzizzik was crouching. He came to an uncomfortable realization. He¡¯d rolled a nat twenty on his own character, and he couldn¡¯t see him anywhere. He went by feeling alone. Grizzizzik couldn¡¯t get any closer to school.


    ¡°How long are we going to play this game?¡± Nick asked. He didn¡¯t see Grizzizzik until he stood to his full height behind the recycle bin.


    ¡°Believe me, I am far more eager to stop playing this game and get on with my life.¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t bother smiling. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Following a lead,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask Milo? He¡¯s literally the equivalent of a private investigator.¡±


    The rogue folded his arms, glaring. ¡°This isn¡¯t about them.¡±


    ¡°This has now become everyone¡¯s problem. The people who have taken you in and even sometimes considered you a friend would want to help you out with this.¡± Grizzizzik said nothing, just kept pouting. Nick shook his head. ¡°No, no you don¡¯t. You don¡¯t get to act like this. You don¡¯t wander off where you¡¯re not supposed to. You stay with your friends, you do not go off alone.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s glare darkened. ¡°I¡¯m already past eighteen years old.¡±


    It was an odd response, and it was getting way too hot out. ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to ground me. In your house. Just like what your father is doing to you. But I¡¯m older than you by a good ten, fifteen years.¡±


    Nick raised a finger but said nothing. He hated how much Grizzizzik¡¯s words unsettled him. ¡°This is different.¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡± Grizzizzik said it more like a challenge.


    Nick was about to say more, but his phone went off. He saw it was Evelyn calling. He pointed the phone at Grizzizzik. ¡°We¡¯re talking about this more when we get back home. Follow me.¡± He flipped opened his old phone. ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry. I don¡¯t know how that happened.¡±


    Nick gave his rogue another look. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I found him.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ found¡­ Nick, are you out of the house?¡±


    Nick started walking out of the cul-de-sac and was relieved that Grizzizzik followed. ¡°Yeah. I mean, how else were you going to find him?¡±


    ¡°Does dad know?¡±


    ¡°Mom does.¡±


    Evelyn made some sort of exasperated noise. ¡°Well, um, alright. We¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking him back home. We aren¡¯t far. Just a ten-minute bike ride away.¡±


    ¡°Bike ride! You rode your bike in this weather?¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on. I¡¯m still standing,¡± Nick said.


    Grizzizzik was near enough that he managed to give Nick a look. ¡°Sounds like someone likes to do things by himself, too.¡±


    Nick shot him a glare.


    ¡°We¡¯ll head back to our house and maybe meet each other on the way.¡±


    ¡°Wait, no. Don¡¯t. If I come in the house with the whole CCNC gang, it¡¯ll make dad suspect I snuck off.¡±


    ¡°You did sneak off,¡± Evelyn said.


    He glanced around to make sure no one else could see him. ¡°Well, I know, but as far as mom is concerned, I went on a little bike ride to get out of the house.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Fine. Derek¡¯ll drop me off, though I think some characters will sneak in and talk with Grizzizzik. Clarissa¡¯s pretty furious, and Hraktar might need to hold her back.¡±


    A smile lifted the corners of his mouth. ¡°Yeah, sure. I¡¯ll see you in about ten minutes, then.¡±


    He hung up and realized the error of his thinking right off. He didn¡¯t know how to ride his bike back with Grizzizzik in tow. Grizzizzik was staring at the bike, then caught Nick¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Whatever you¡¯re thinking, I¡¯m not doing it.¡±


    Nick shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re fine with running beside me, then?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°No one can see you if you''re on my bike,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Right. No one but Hraktar, Milo, and the princess. I¡¯ll run,¡± Grizzizzik said.

 Chapter 48

    Nick rode his bike at a gentler pace as Grizzizzik kept up behind him. He didn¡¯t feel bad about it, considering Grizzizzik was the one that got him in this situation in the first place. The rogue was fit enough that this was more a good workout rather than a punishment.


    When he turned onto his familiar street, he noticed Derek¡¯s van outside. It looked like everyone was in the house. A list of alibis tumbled through his mind as he thought about what he might say to Walt. It was better they didn¡¯t all go in together, but he was still nervous.


    Nick and Grizzizzik walked in, and everyone was in the living room. Grizzizzik hardly took two steps in when Clarissa was there, grabbing his rogue¡¯s hood.


    ¡°Ow. Ow. Ow,¡± Grizzizzik said as she dragged him into the living room.


    ¡°Oh, pipe down. I¡¯m not hurting you,¡± she said.


    Lydia smiled at Nick. ¡°Hello, honey.¡± She was unaware of the druid and the rogue acting like quintessential siblings. Walt was there too, which made Nick remember all the different alibis even though he never asked.


    Lydia adjusted her purse straps around her shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ve got some errands to run.¡±


    Walt dropped his voice as he stared right at Nick. ¡°So they better be gone before we get back.¡±


    A glare appeared on Nick¡¯s face. Walt wouldn¡¯t outright kick anyone out yet. That would be Nick¡¯s job. Nick again looked at Lydia, who was doing nothing to stop Walt. She had gotten so busy at work that she was hardly home anyway, and Nick was jealous of her for that. Anger, too, was there. An anger that she let her husband do this to him.


    Nick¡¯s parents moved out the garage door right as Milo defused the argument from getting too heated between Clarissa and Grizzizzik. Nick waved at Alejandra, Derek, and Tyler. ¡°Hello, everyone.¡±


    They all mumbled their hellos, more invested in the drama unfolding between Clarissa and Grizzizzik.


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry, Milo! I simply want to know what exactly this rogue was thinking!¡± Clarissa said.


    Grizzizzik folded his arms. ¡°I needed some time to myself to figure things out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how we work anymore, Grizzly Bear. Let me tell you how this is going to go. You will tell me exactly what you were doing, or I will¡­¡± Clarissa trailed off, clearly looking annoyed, until an idea hit her. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a mani-pedi.¡±


    Grizzizzik gave her a look, not at all amused, nor threatened.


    ¡°Believe me, you would have been far more threatened if I actually rolled a high number,¡± Evelyn said.


    Nick frowned, then glanced at her. ¡°You rolled for that?¡±


    Evelyn shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a good threat. I¡¯ve used it on you plenty of times.¡±


    And it never threatened him, either, but now was not the time to point that out.


    Clarissa pointed at Hraktar. ¡°Do it,¡± she said.


    Hraktar shrugged, then took a few steps forward. Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait, wait. I-¡±


    The rogue didn¡¯t get a chance to explain. The fighter grabbed the rogue by the front of his shirt, then turned him upside down before holding on to his ankle. Nick covered his mouth, smiling. This was giving him flashbacks of the early sessions where Hraktar did this all the time to Grizzizzik to get him to talk and to keep him from running.


    Grizzizzik sighed, folding his arms as he remained upside down. ¡°I hate you,¡± the rogue mumbled to Hraktar.


    Milo was leaning against the wall. ¡°Just tell us what you were doing, Grizzizzik. We¡¯re your friends, not your enemies.¡±


    The rogue sighed. ¡°I wanted to get a basic idea of what we¡¯re up against with Akshi, and considering all of you would have wanted to help, it might have ruined the whole stealth mission.¡±


    There was a moment¡¯s pause, almost like an instant, when Nick felt his friends blurred out before refocusing. He realized what this was. Everyone rolled for an insight check.


    ¡°I think we can believe him,¡± Milo said, looking at Clarissa. Nick, Tyler, and Alejandra glanced at Derek, who made a satisfied nod. His roll must have been good. Derek held up two fingers twice, which Nick assumed meant twenty-two. ¡°He¡¯s still an idiot, but he¡¯s not lying. Yet.¡±


    Clarissa pointed a finger down at Grizzizzik¡¯s chin. ¡°This was dangerous. You can¡¯t leave us in the middle of battle again. Whatever revenge mission you want to have, you have other people who are worried about you.¡±


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    ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Milo asked right after.


    Clarissa gave Milo¡¯s arm a slap, which was the arm that looked pretty messed up to begin with. He groaned as he grabbed his elbow, and Clarissa¡¯s face softened. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Grizzizzik shook his head. ¡°I learned nothing. I was trying to get to the school, but this one stopped me before I could.¡± He jerked his head toward Nick.


    ¡°You better be happy I did.¡± Nick was relieved his parents were gone, because his next phrase would be dangerous if taken out of context. ¡°There are cameras in and around the school building for this very purpose. To make sure they catch who¡¯s breaking into it, so it¡¯s easier to arrest them. Maybe no one would have seen you, but Akshi would have. And known you figured out he took control of someone at school.¡±


    ¡°Cameras?¡± Grizzizzik asked, still hanging upside down. ¡°What are those?¡±


    Nick sighed. ¡°There is so much about this world you need to learn before you attempt any sort of stealth mission. You need your team if you hope to be successful, so you cannot sneak out by yourself again.¡±


    Grizzizzik did not appreciate the subtle jab at his stealth skills.


    Tyler checked his watch. ¡°We better not overstay our welcome. Nick, do you know if you¡¯d be allowed to have another session on Saturday?¡±


    ¡°In the morning, right? There¡¯s the homecoming dance in the evening,¡± Derek said.


    Tyler dropped his hand. ¡°Oh, are you going?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, with some friends in drama,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ going with multiple people?¡± Nick asked.


    Derek shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m in a group. We¡¯ll split off if we have to for dancing and what not, but honestly, these kinds of dances are more fun as a group.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a week to introduce our characters to modern technology, then we can¡ª¡±


    Tyler¡¯s words were cut off as Derek made a loud, enthusiastic gasp. ¡°MOVIE NIGHT! We need a movie night! We¡¯ll choose all the great heist movies!¡± He started counting on his fingers. ¡°The Ocean movies, Mission Impossible movies, there are so many options!¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ we¡¯re not marathoning all those movies. We don¡¯t have time,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°It¡¯ll give them ideas,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°All the wrong ideas. Best not to give them too high of expectations. I swear, CCNC heists need one terrible roll to ruin everything,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll put movie night on the back burner. I¡¯ll compile a list,¡± Derek said.


    Tyler sighed, shaking his head. ¡°I mean, it might be a good idea to give them some sort of a documentary series on the advances of technology.¡±


    ¡°Go to the library and check out books. They¡¯ll have a lot of options there. It¡¯s what Ezekiel and I have done,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Tyler sounded enthusiastic. ¡°Check out some books, and, I mean, we could still have a movie night.¡±


    ¡°Alright, so, here¡¯s the plan.¡± Where Tyler sounded enthusiastic, Derek sounded downright thrilled. ¡°Get familiar with technology. We do our best to dodge Akshi at school, and try to formulate a plan to¡­ to¡­¡±


    Grizzizzik finally unfolded his arms, pointing his palms up, though for him, it meant they were pointed toward the floor. ¡°Kill him.¡±


    Tyler raked his fingers down his neck. ¡°Killing him involves leveling up. A lot. Ezekiel needs to train, too. We¡¯ve got to get experience points without you all being noticed by Akshi for as long as possible. But we¡¯ve also got to keep our eyes and ears open. Figure out¡­ where he¡¯s going, where he¡¯s living.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I was trying to do,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°The only issue is if he noticed you, even a little, he could obliterate you. Leveling up in secret is still our best bet right now.¡± Tyler rubbed his head, looking exhausted. ¡°So keep that in mind, everyone.¡±


    Evelyn pulled out her phone, looking something up. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure¡­ yep. Once Princess Clarissa hits level three, she¡¯ll learn the spell ¡®Pass without Trace¡¯. That could seriously help if we wanted to do a pre-heist mission to gather information.¡±


    Tyler nodded. ¡°Yeah, that makes things not nearly as terrifying in my mind.¡±


    ¡°Can I get down now?¡± Grizzizzik asked, turning toward Hraktar.


    It was impossible to know what Hraktar was thinking. His resting face often made Nick assume the fighter was thinking about crushing rocks for breakfast. Hraktar looked down at him, and the rogue narrowed his eyes. Grizzizzik opened his mouth to say something when Hraktar dropped him. He landed with a grunt, losing a hit point. Grizzizzik righted himself, throwing his cloak over him. ¡°I guess it would be pointless to ask for an apology?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Hraktar said. Grizzizzik gave the fighter an incredulous look. Hraktar smirked. ¡°That you¡¯re so bad at catching yourself."


    Nick felt nervous. He understood they needed to do this. It was part of getting these people back home. But he also realized that if anyone saw him, there were some real-world consequences.


    This was dangerous still. He was pretty sure Akshi had the detect magic spell, which meant Clarissa couldn¡¯t get within ten feet of Akshi, or he¡¯d notice them in their significantly weaker state. He realized that if all these characters died, then there would be no one else to stop the CCNC enemies.


    Which meant only he and his friends would see fantasy creatures trying to interact with the world and failing. It might not be too bad, except he wasn¡¯t looking forward to seeing a dragon flying around the world, let alone three.


    But it was more than that. It wasn¡¯t a game. It hadn¡¯t been a game for a month, but this meant something more. If things went wrong while they were playing any regular session of CCNC, they could move on. If there was a chance things went wrong here, Nick might be discovered breaking into Mr. Stower¡¯s house or some other illegal thing.


    ¡°Nick?¡±


    He broke out of his reverie, not even noticing Alejandra had walked over to him. It was only when she was next to him that he realized the sweat he¡¯d accumulated while on a bike ride in one-hundred-degree weather.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ um¡­¡± Everyone else was quiet, watching him. ¡°If this goes wrong. If the police get involved¡­¡±


    Tyler¡¯s face dropped. ¡°Yeah.¡± There was silence. Tyler rubbed his chin before dropping his hands. ¡°We level up. We don¡¯t get caught. We talk to Neal Richmond at the end of the month during con. Hopefully, Neal can shed more light on our situation and help us figure out how to get everyone back home.¡±


    Silence again descended among them. Tyler sighed before heading toward the door, and everyone else took that as a cue to leave. Tyler patted Nick¡¯s arm. ¡°Thanks. We hope to see you on Saturday.¡±


    Nick nodded. ¡°Yeah. I hope so too.¡±


    Alejandra glanced at him as everyone started filing out of the house. She looked like she was about to say something, but changed her mind. Instead, she smiled, and Nick tried to smile back. He watched her open the door and step aside for Hraktar to walk through before she followed after him.

 Chapter 49

    Alejandra clutched her bag to her chest as she stared out the window. It was quieter now that it was just her, Tyler, and Derek. The two guys were striking up a conversation about the best heist movies of all time, and she zoned out, watching the scenery pass. Feeling her bag next to her.


    Hraktar made it to level three. She was worried he was outpacing the others. She didn¡¯t want them to get imbalanced with what they did. Ezekiel, still at level one, caused her enough anxiety. She¡¯d have to get Rafael to do some battles with minions. Somehow. They spent an entire weekend before finding the drakes. Finding those monsters. Slaughtering them.


    Her eyes grew warm as she blinked. She wasn¡¯t going to cry again. If she did, she might start sobbing. They got distracted by Grizzizzik¡¯s disappearance, which was for the best. Alejandra needed the time to keep herself from getting too frightened.


    Derek pulled into his driveway as Alejandra readied to leave. She got out, thanking Derek and Tyler as she kept her bag close, heading for her car. Hraktar followed behind her.


    ¡°Alejandra?¡± Tyler called out.


    Despite not wanting to, every muscle in her body tightened. She turned around, forcing her face to look innocent. ¡°Yes?¡±


    He jogged up to her, smiling. ¡°Hey, I wanted to check on you. I know¡­ I know things can be a bit hard, and the battle today¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she said, mainly because she wanted Tyler to stop talking. She was incredibly nervous about him talking too much about the battle.


    ¡°You were crying. I don¡¯t want you to think we were skipping over what happened because Grizzizzik caught us all off guard. If there¡¯s anything you want to talk about, you know my number. I¡¯m happy to listen,¡± Tyler said.


    Alejandra paused, touched by Tyler¡¯s thoughtfulness. She glanced at Hraktar, who looked at her and sensed she wanted a moment alone. He walked over to her car.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± She rubbed her head, feeling tears threatening to betray her. ¡°It¡¯s been a month since they¡¯ve arrived, and I¡¯m still not used to it.¡±


    Tyler nodded. ¡°We can all understand that.¡±


    Alejandra looked back down at her bag. ¡°I understand they were drakes. That they¡¯re like the little cousins of dragons. That they¡¯re dangerous. But¡­ but they were protecting their unborn child. Protecting each other. Before when it was a game, I didn¡¯t mind so much because even though we were slaughtering them, they weren¡¯t real, but now¡­¡± Alejandra trailed off, glancing behind her at Hraktar waiting by the car. ¡°They are real. All of them. I made up his backstory. It¡¯s so¡­ tragic. Running away from his tribe. From his birth mother. Getting all that abuse because he¡¯s a half orc. Am I¡­ am I responsible for that, too?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Tyler said.


    It surprised her how quickly he said it. ¡°No?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No. I don¡¯t know what strange multiverse is at play here, but I do know you can¡¯t blame yourself for that.¡± Tyler lifted a hand to emphasize his words, but no other words came out. Instead, he sighed and used his hand to rub the back of his head. ¡°Don¡¯t be too harsh on yourself. It¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    ¡°This game is coming alive around us.¡± Alejandra¡¯s knuckles turned white around the edges of her bag. ¡°How can I not blame myself for the pain I¡¯ve caused?¡±


    Tyler gave her another look, one sparked with compassion. ¡°You didn¡¯t know, Alejandra.¡±


    ¡°I do now.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Yeah. I get that. None of us knew. But we¡¯ve got to keep doing the best we can. At this point, it¡¯s all we can do.¡± Alejandra nodded, tucking some of her hair behind her ears. ¡°And the offer is still there. You have my number if you need to call, even though I suck at giving words of encouragement.¡± A smile flickered across Alejandra¡¯s lips. ¡°I feel really good about seeing Neal at the end of the month. We might not need to do this much longer.¡±


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    She forgot about the others going to con at the end of the month. That at least would give them some sort of focus on what they should do.


    ¡°Thanks, Tyler. You really are a great GM,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually a lot more improvisation than I realized, but it keeps me on my toes.¡±


    Alejandra smiled as she headed toward her car, waving at Derek and Milo as she did. ¡°Come on, Hraktar. We¡¯ve got to get home. Then we¡¯ll get you properly leveled up.¡±


    Hraktar nodded as she unlocked the car. A wave of heat hit her as she opened the door, and she gave it a moment before climbing inside. She turned on the air conditioning as Hraktar buckled his seat belt, smoother this time.


    ¡°You¡¯re learning,¡± Alejandra said. Hraktar smiled a bit at that. She pulled out and headed toward her home. ¡°So, you¡¯re at level three now. I¡¯m not sure if you noticed while you were in the Shrouded Domain, but this means you can choose a more specific type of fighter.¡±


    Hraktar looked out the car window, much like Alejandra did in Derek¡¯s minivan. ¡°Right. Um¡­ what kind of fighter was I before?¡±


    ¡°You chose the battle master. There are some options here we can look through when I get back, but the battle master is still a superb choice,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Yeah. We can talk more about it.¡±


    The ride home wasn¡¯t too long. Rafael was nowhere in sight, which was better. Ezekiel was still on the couch, a book open on his chest, as he took a nap.


    They went into Alejandra¡¯s room and discussed the options. Level three was always a fun, yet intimidating one to get to as a fighter. There were the usual choices: Champion, Battle Master, and Eldrich Knight. Hraktar had no interest in learning magic, so Eldrich Knight was out of the question. After going through the options, he was happy to stick with Battle Master. Even after choosing that, there were still a lot more choices. He could choose three maneuvers, which he was confused about, not realizing he hadn¡¯t known them before. He remembered them back in the Shrouded Domain, but it was like he¡¯d forgotten them now.


    There was a long list of maneuvers. Alejandra was tempted to choose them fast, but she wanted Hraktar¡¯s input. She didn¡¯t realize how many maneuvers there were to learn. Adding an extra die to the attack would always be helpful, though she could only use one maneuver per attack. Still, extra dice was extra dice. And as he leveled up, he could add more maneuvers. Each maneuver had a die that accompanied it. She could only use one maneuver per attack, and only four maneuver dice total before Hraktar needed to get them back with an hour-long rest.


    She mentally scrolled through the list of maneuvers before she found two that piqued her interest.


    Sweeping Attack


    When you attack a creature with a melee weapon, use an extra d8 to attempt to damage another creature with the same attack. Creature must be within five feet of the original target and within your reach. If the original attack roll would hit the second creature, it takes damage equal to the number you roll on your maneuver die.


    Tactical Advantage


    When you make an Investigation, History, or Wisdom check, you can use a maneuver die to add to the ability check.


    Alejandra told these to Hraktar, and he agreed, almost excited. This was definitely more Hraktar¡¯s personality. She added those, then scrolled through the other maneuvers. She asked about one called a menacing attack, but Hraktar didn¡¯t sound interested. Alejandra understood the hesitancy of acting like an orc. Hraktar didn¡¯t like the idea of trying to look threatening. She went through the others, saying them out loud to Hraktar, gauging his reaction. It was taking her a lot longer than she thought, and she tried to pretend she wasn¡¯t as anxious as she felt.


    They finally settled on parry, and Alejandra glanced through it.


    Parry


    When another creature damages you with a melee attack, you can use a reaction and use one maneuver die to reduce the damage by the number you roll on your die + your Dexterity modifier.


    They were some good choices. She rolled for hit points. It landed on a six, and with the +4 with Hraktar¡¯s constitution, it was ten total. She watched Hraktar¡¯s hit points go from twenty-four to thirty-four, and she tried to feel a bit more relief at that. In truth, she was nervous her fighter was a level ahead of everyone. It wouldn¡¯t be so bad if Hraktar was with them, but if they went without their fighter tank, the rest of the group might be in trouble.


    The final thing was to decide what kind of artisan tools he would become familiar with. After deliberation, he decided on carpenter tools, which sounded about like what he chose last time. It meant he¡¯d have an extra bonus on rolls dealing with structures. It was a nice bonus for checking traps, though Grizzizzik would always be the one who was excellent at things like that.


    Hraktar mentioned needing some rest, and Alejandra was happy he was the one who suggested it. The fighter left to sleep on the couch. Alejandra waited until she heard the settling of the house before she got up and grabbed her bag. With a deep breath, she unzipped it to see the sandy drake egg inside. She lifted it, brushing some of the dirt that still clung to the edges. It was quite warm, but she had no idea what to do with it. There was a good possibility she would kill this egg. She didn¡¯t know how to take care of a drake egg, but if there was even the slightest chance it would survive, she had to try.

 Chapter 50

    Rafael barely opened the door when Alejandra was there to greet him.


    ¡°Um, hey,¡± he said.


    ¡°I need your help.¡±


    He slid into the front door. ¡°I¡¯m starving. Can we talk while I eat?¡±


    ¡°All I need is for you to roll some dice, because I want to ask Ezekiel a few questions. It wasn¡¯t working while you were gone,¡± Alejandra said.


    Rafael shrugged as he walked deeper into the house. ¡°Let me make a sandwich. Has Mom already left?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. About a half hour ago.¡±


    Rafael walked into his room to change out of his grocery uniform. It was hard stocking the shelves when he felt so hungry, but he¡¯d experienced worse things.


    He shoved an Elmwood football t-shirt and shorts on before leaving his room, heading straight for the kitchen. Rafael pulled the fridge door open when time slowed down. He blinked, frowning.


    Make an animal handling check.


    ¡°A what?¡± Rafael mumbled as he snatched the d20 out of the air. He shook it, and it fell on a thirteen. The +2 appeared, making it fifteen total.


    Time resumed, and Rafael glanced behind his shoulder at Alejandra and Ezekiel. ¡°Can you at least wait until I have a sandwich?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Alejandra waved away his concerns as Ezekiel placed his book to one side and started talking to her.


    Rafael took out the peanut butter and jelly, then grabbed two slices of bread. He then changed his mind and grabbed two more slices.


    ¡°¡­it might last without its mother, but it needs that warmth. I read that drakes rarely hatch unless they feel completely safe in their environment, and that usually means sensing some sort of protector out there. Sand drakes need warmth. And to be partially buried in it. At least¡­ I think so.¡± Ezekiel tapped his finger against his chin, closing one eye. ¡°Pretty sure.¡±


    Rafael slathered peanut butter on two slices of bread. ¡°What are you two talking about?¡±


    His little sister ignored him. ¡°So¡­ there¡¯s no way the egg will hatch out there?¡±


    ¡°No. Not if you killed its parents. I¡¯m sorry, Alejandra,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Rafael watched, confused, as Alejandra nodded, her face morphed into sadness and yet determination. Rafael finished putting the jelly on the two slices and began eating the first sandwich. It tasted amazing.


    Ezekiel patted her hand. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to worry too much. The Great Lady of Light has a little sister, the Lady Zwitera. If any animal dies before it grows into an adult, that goddess takes care of them in the afterlife until their parents pass on. Then she finds them and gives the child over for them to continue raising them.¡±


    Alejandra looked at Ezekiel. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ actually quite sweet.¡±


    ¡°It brings a lot of comfort to a lot of people.¡± Ezekiel went for his book again. ¡°The little drake will be reunited with its parents soon.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Alejandra paused, organizing her thoughts. Rafael stuffed the last of the first sandwich into his mouth before reaching for the next one. ¡°But aren¡¯t Drakes considered evil? Will they be going into the next life? One of peace?¡±


    Time slowed down again. Rafael frowned.


    Make a religion check.


    Rafael rolled a twelve. Since Ezekiel was a cleric, he had a nice +4 to bump it up to sixteen. Time resumed.


    Ezekiel shrugged. ¡°There is a place for all creatures. The Great Lady of Light has many family members, all full of compassion. The Lady Zwitera will take on any creature that was killed before its prime, regardless of what that creature¡¯s parents did.¡± Ezekiel patted her hand again, which was kind of awkward, but Alejandra looked as though she didn¡¯t care. ¡°I promise you, Alejandra, as a cleric of the Great Lady, her little sister will take good care of that drake baby before handing it over to its parents.¡±


    Alejandra nodded, then noticed Rafael watching them. He was starting on his second sandwich, figuring he wasn¡¯t allowed into this conversation. He couldn¡¯t help but notice Hraktar was nowhere to be seen.


    Rafael took a huge bite of his sandwich. His stomach grumbled, which meant it was smart to make a second sandwich. ¡°Any other questions?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Yes, um¡­¡± Alejandra began fiddling with her hair. ¡°Tyler¡¯s been talking about beings he thinks are the game master.¡±


    Ezekiel almost opened the book again but closed it. ¡°Game master?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the best way we can understand it,¡± Alejandra said.


    Ezekiel shrugged. ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Have you heard of¡­ it¡¯s a woman he sometimes refers to as order. And a man that he thinks is¡­ chaos?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Ezekiel stared at her, blinking. Rafael couldn¡¯t understand that facial expression, but a d20 popped in front of him.


    Make a religion or history check.


    Rafael frowned. Both had bonuses of +4, so he figured he¡¯d choose the religion one. He rolled the dice, watching it fall and land on a ten. He glanced up as time resumed, wondering what the answer would be.


    Ezekiel leaned back, confused. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± he gave a little laugh. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s a fable. One they don¡¯t bother teaching anymore. I don¡¯t¡­.¡± His brows furrowed. ¡°I read a book about it once in the library. At the temple where I lived. This was ancient, ancient religion. So far back in time, it was almost¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you know who they are?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Ezekiel focused on her, shrugging. ¡°They¡¯re just¡­ beings.¡±


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


    ¡°Like Gods? Goddesses?¡±


    Ezekiel shook his head. ¡°No, more than that. I mean,¡± he rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°It¡¯s hardly even mentioned anymore. Just that there were, as far as we can tell, two eternal beings at the beginning of time who¡­¡± Ezekiel dropped his hand. ¡°It¡¯s just a fable, Alejandra. It¡¯s like if¡­ if you asked questions about the wolf in little red riding hood.¡±


    Rafael took another bite of sandwich, watching as his sister looked perplexed. ¡°But¡­ but Tyler said¡­¡± Alejandra trailed off, glancing at Rafael, before turning her focus back on Ezekiel. ¡°He talked about chaos and order. Without knowing about this fable you knew. If he talks about order and chaos, when he didn¡¯t even know this, doesn¡¯t that imply there¡¯s some truth to it?¡±


    Ezekiel shrugged. ¡°We can¡¯t be sure.¡±


    Alejandra looked defeated. Ezekiel glanced over at Rafael, who was half-way done with his second sandwich.


    ¡°Well, thanks. Thanks for your help.¡± Alejandra got up and headed toward her room. Rafael finished his sandwich and seriously considered making a third. Practice was rough today, and going straight to work didn¡¯t help. Ezekiel grabbed his book and stood up. ¡°Are we going to do any combat today?¡±


    A pit formed in Rafael¡¯s stomach, like he¡¯d swallowed a stone. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know, man. We¡¯ll at least¡­ two weeks. On the sixteenth.¡±


    Ezekiel nodded. ¡°Yeah. Yeah alright.¡± There was silence between them, and Rafael regretted eating his sandwich so fast. Ezekiel was looking at his library book, which was a collection of fairy tales. ¡°It¡¯s just I¡¯m a bit worried I¡¯m not getting the training I need.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Rafael glanced at the countertop, then found he no longer had an appetite. ¡°We¡¯ll¡­ figure something out.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thanks.¡±


    He walked toward his room, feeling sick to his stomach. That was the phrase Jack aways said before completely bailing on him. He tried not to think about it too hard, but then again, how could he not?


    ***


    Derek turned off the car, thankful for the early morning as the heat already crept inside. It was beach day for spirit week, so he was decked out in his brightly floral shirt he got on his last trip to Puerto Rico. He turned to Milo. ¡°Ready?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure Akshi isn¡¯t around?¡± Milo asked.


    ¡°No. But that¡¯s the door farthest from the office. So we go in with another large group of students, wait for the bell to ring, and pretend you¡¯re another student going to class. Luckily, this school is built like a rock. Which means there is enough thickness in the walls that it should keep Akshi from noticing any magic if he casts detect magic.¡±


    ¡°Unless he walks through the door. Or runs into me while I¡¯m disguised like this,¡± Milo said.


    ¡°Yeah. Unless that happens. Which hopefully, it doesn¡¯t.¡±


    Milo shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve worked under more stressful conditions.¡±


    Derek opened the door. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Milo held his magical wrench, and his body gave off a faint glow. His clothes rippled before changing into a more modern outfit. Milo was already a young man at twenty-four, but the magic de-aged him a good five years and gave him a backpack and scruffy hair. It even included the ¡°beach day¡± themed outfit to blend in with other students who wouldn¡¯t be able to see him. He also wore shorts and sandals, and the shirt he had on was brightly themed, with miniature men surfing on waves.


    ¡°You look fantastic,¡± Derek said.


    Milo beamed. ¡°Thanks!¡±


    They got out of the car and headed toward the door with a surge of students.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, the lab will protect you from magic detection, but it won¡¯t protect anyone¡¯s ears if Akshi hears an explosion,¡± Derek said from the corner of his mouth. He probably should have said that when he wasn¡¯t surrounded by people. He didn¡¯t want a bomb threat called on the school. That wasn¡¯t lying low at all.


    Milo nodded as students happened to give him space, even though they didn¡¯t understand it. Derek waved at some of his drama friends by the cafeteria, and they waved back. They were in deep conversation about something.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He tried hard not to sound paranoid, but he couldn¡¯t help himself.


    Baily, a redhead junior girl, gave him an incredulous look. ¡°How long will it be before you don¡¯t have try out jitters?¡±


    Derek frowned, then checked his phone. ¡°Shit. Is that today?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s today. Mr. Jensen is torturing us by having school try outs the start of spirit week so we can be miserable with nerves for a few days before posting the cast list,¡± Eric said, Baily¡¯s best friend. At least, they were best friends this week. Depending on whether one of them gets into the play, and what part they got, could derail the entire friendship, as it did every audition. Their frenemies was a saga fit for its own sort of play.


    ¡°Try not to get your hopes up,¡± Jeff said. ¡°It¡¯s Clue, meaning it¡¯s a super small cast. And Emma is obviously going to be cast somewhere in the play.¡±


    Baily and Eric both scoffed. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°And you, too, Derek. I guarantee you¡¯ll be one of the men,¡± Jeff said.


    Derek shook his head. ¡°Nah, there¡¯s some tough competition this year. Besides, I completely forgot about it. It¡¯s a memorized monologue and a cold read, right?¡±


    Jeff nodded. ¡°Yep.¡±


    Derek pulled up a monologue on his phone he hadn¡¯t done since middle school and started refreshing his memory.


    ¡°Thanks for not being a drama queen about this. Honestly, Emma is such a pain to be around a few days after cast lists are posted,¡± Baily said.


    ¡°Ugh. Remember when she got Ariel two years ago?¡± Eric asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Baily groaned.


    Eric rubbed the edges of his eyelids. ¡°I swear she was singing every other sentence. Being scuttle was such a nightmare.¡±


    Baily¡¯s eyes flashed, and Derek remembered how she was in the chorus for the Little Mermaid. Not even one of the sisters. Just in the chorus. Despite the way they could bond over their mutual disdain for Emma, there was definitely some fighting going on between those two behind the scenes.


    Derek needed to change the subject to one they were more comfortable with. ¡°At least it¡¯s distracting her from flirting with Caleb.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, poor Caleb. He never knew what hit him,¡± Eric said.


    ¡°No, Caleb just doesn¡¯t know how to play the game,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Flirting? Relationships? All of it a game?¡± Baily asked.


    Derek kept scrolling through the monologue. ¡°With Emma it absolutely is. She likes torturing guys and keeping them guessing. If she was flirting with me, I¡¯d straight up kiss her to confuse her back.¡±


    Baily scrunched up her nose as Eric raised an eyebrow. Jeff shook his head. ¡°Never kiss crazy, Derek.¡±


    He snorted as Milo remained quietly beside him. ¡°Crazy is all she knows, and what¡¯s crazier than randomly kissing her to keep her from pulling a person along just to torture them?¡±


    His friends talked some more as he refreshed his memory of the monologue. He wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about being in a play. He already felt sick about the idea of adding yet another obligation to his plate. If he got in the play, he¡¯d have to give up some of his after-school activities for practice. And he wasn¡¯t sure how he¡¯d juggle it on top of CCNC. Taking drama meant he was required to try out, since it was part of his grade. And he couldn¡¯t intentionally mess it up, either. He enjoyed having an A in drama. He needed a no stress A to get through the harder classes, like AP Bio.


    The bell rang, and Derek glanced at Milo.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys later,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Yeah. Good luck with Mr. Anderson,¡± Jeff said.


    Derek waved as he headed toward class.


    ¡°Are you a bard?¡± Milo asked.


    ¡°God, no.¡± Derek read through the monologue again. ¡°I just¡­ really like being in plays. And musicals. They¡¯re fun.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what a bard does, isn¡¯t it?¡± Milo asked.


    ¡°No. A bard sleeps with anything that has a pulse,¡± Derek said.


    Milo snorted. ¡°I mean¡­ it¡¯s a bit stereotypical. Not all bards are like that.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not. But I¡¯ve seen the memes.¡± Derek opened the door to Mr. Anderson¡¯s class.


    ¡°So, you mean like kissing a girl for no reason? Wouldn¡¯t that be bard-like behavior?¡±


    It caused Derek to freeze, then he shot Milo a glare. ¡°Completely different.¡±


    Milo shrugged. ¡°Do you know how to play a musical instrument?¡±


    Derek didn¡¯t answer, his glare still on his face. He used the excuse of being in a class, so he really shouldn¡¯t be muttering to himself. In truth, he knew how to play the piano. And the guitar once when he was younger but didn¡¯t want to give Milo the satisfaction. His mother made him play the piano, and he did have a pretty good singing voice. He was kind of sad he couldn¡¯t take choir this semester.


    Mr. Anderson glanced at Derek, then his eyes flickered toward Milo before giving Derek a questioning look. He gave a small nod and watched as Mr. Anderson steeled himself. His teacher looked again at the mana fusor, then gestured with his head toward the lab door. Milo didn¡¯t bother hiding his smile as cracked his knuckles, then shook out his shoulders. Mr. Anderson sighed, then rubbed the bridge of his nose as the door to the lab closed. He mumbled something to himself before dropping his hand.


    ¡°Alright, well¡­ thanks Mr. Anderson,¡± Derek said as he turned toward the desks. He settled himself in, straining his ears to hear Milo working. Today it worked. And hopefully, their luck would last.

 Chapter 51

    Alejandra had been bracing for this ever since she¡¯d heard Mr. Stower¡¯s announcement at the impromptu pep rally. Tuesday nothing happened for her, but on Wednesday, it took a massive amount of mental energy to keep herself calm when the vice president walked into the first CCNC after school session of the week. Her heart sputtered as she forced it to calm, but it stopped working completely once Akshi slithered in. She forced herself to look at Se?ora Florez because she didn¡¯t dare look at Derek. It somehow felt incriminating. There was an absurdity to this stress as she wore her outfit for spirit week. Wednesday was wearing a decade. She got into her mom¡¯s closet, which was full of hand-me-downs, and went with whatever decade other people thought she was wearing.


    Something inside her died. She was seriously wondering if it was worth it. Coming to school in her mom¡¯s old clothes, pretending she had all the school spirit she could muster while hiding a half-orc in her home from Akshi. Could she keep doing this to herself? Playing a game of CCNC when she understood the full consequences.


    She tried desperately not to look at Akshi as he slithered forward, then studied a figurine on the desks all pushed together to make a table.


    ¡°Hello, Se?ora Florez. Thank you again for letting us come,¡± Mr. Stower said.


    ¡°Us?¡± Se?ora Florez glanced at the door. ¡°Is someone else coming, too?¡±


    Akshi twirled his wrist and Mr. Stower¡¯s pupils turned greener. ¡°Ah, forgive me. Force of habit. Now, Se?ora, tell me about CCNC club.¡±


    Se?ora Florez smiled, picking up the bag of dice. ¡°It¡¯s a game. The name says it all. Players make a choice, the roll of the dice deals the chance, and then the game master gives the consequence.¡±


    ¡°Ah. And it¡¯s all in a mythical fantasy world, yes?¡± Mr. Stower asked.


    Alejandra watched as Derek sat next to her, giving her a calming smile she could not reciprocate. Mr. Stower and Se?ora Florez continued talking as Akshi tried to pick up one of the d4¡¯s. She couldn¡¯t tell if it was because he couldn¡¯t interact with anything on earth, or if it was a d4 being notoriously difficult to pick up.


    ¡°We¡¯re alright.¡± Derek¡¯s whisper was so quiet she almost couldn¡¯t hear it. She didn¡¯t want to react to it either. She watched Mr. Stower and Se?ora Florez talking as Akshi approached Se?ora Florez.


    ¡°Hey, you guys all leveled up, so go ahead and look over what you need in order to strengthen your characters,¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    ¡°Sick,¡± Oskar said, grabbing his player¡¯s handbook. Alejandra nodded because it felt like the right thing to do. They sat around the desks. She was tempted to move seats so her back was to Akshi, but it would be weird. Derek handed her a player¡¯s handbook, and she opened it to whatever page she could and hid her face. A fear trickled in that she hadn¡¯t felt in a while. The need to be calm. To not bring attention to herself. The primal urge to run from a predator, even when the logical part of her said it would be better to stay where she was. Stay quiet. Uninteresting.


    Akshi slithered over to Mr. Stower, and Se?ora Florez¡¯ eyes flickered in that direction. Alejandra gripped Derek¡¯s arm under the table, aware that she hadn¡¯t cut her fingernails in a while. Derek gave a strangled gasp before looking up to see Se?ora Florez quizzically looking at a place where Akshi once occupied.


    ¡°Se?ora Florez? Is everything alright?¡± Mr. Stower asked in a robotic voice.


    ¡°Fine. Everything is fine.¡±


    Don¡¯t say it. Say nothing. Please.


    Derek detached her fingers from his arm, though he gave her hand a comforting pat.


    ¡°Did you see something?¡± Mr. Stower asked.


    Derek tensed, and Alejandra¡¯s muscles screamed to relax.


    ¡°Well, no. I mean, I¡¯d tell you, but you¡¯d think I¡ª¡±


    Derek stood up, the chair of the desk scrapping against the floor. ¡°Mr. Stower, hey. I¡¯m not sure if we¡¯ve formally met.¡± He walked over to them, and Alejandra forced herself to stare at the player¡¯s handbook. ¡°I¡¯m Derek Perez. President of the CCNC club.¡±


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    She forced herself to calm down, to listen to Oskar bickering with Benny about which was better to beef up, strength or constitution. She clasped the player¡¯s handbook, staring at her character sheet. Telling herself she could not run.


    ¡°Ah, yes. Hello, Derek,¡± Mr. Stower said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you here and there.¡±


    ¡°Probably because I¡¯ve been here or there.¡±


    Mr. Stower laughed. ¡°This kid!¡±


    Alejandra did not want to look up. Akshi was coming over to their table. Even though she wasn¡¯t looking right at him, she saw his face. Saw the human features with the snake hood. Felt every hair on the back of her neck stand as he leaned over to get a better look at the figurines.


    Derek, Se?ora Florez, and Mr. Stower kept talking about CCNC, about the benefits of the game, not only in math skills, but in social skills as well.


    Mr. Stower was rubbing his chin. ¡°It sounds like everyone brings along their imaginary friends to go on fantastical adventures.¡±


    Derek and Se?ora Florez waited a beat before glancing at each other.


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, sure, that¡¯s a way to describe it,¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    Akshi leaned over, and Alejandra forgot to breathe. He looked at Derek¡¯s wizard figurine, Algrum Bronzediggle. Hraktar¡¯s character sheet was becoming clearer in her mind, and she felt lightheaded. She needed to breathe. If she just thought it, Hraktar would appear. It was the last thing they needed, but the fear was strong.


    ¡°Now, humor this odd question. Are there any snake people in this fantasy realm?¡± Mr. Stower asked.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re talking about the naga race,¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    Mr. Stower frowned. ¡°Naga?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re a mythical race. Half-human, half-snake,¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    Akshi paused, then looked up at Se?ora Florez, who did not return the gaze. Alejandra needed to breathe, or she would pass out.


    ¡°How interesting. Is there any incredibly popular half-human half-snake creature in this game?¡± Mr. Stower asked.


    Senora Florez started gesturing with her hands. ¡°Well, I mean, obviously the most popular is Akshi.¡±


    Akshi dropped to the ground and zoomed toward Se?ora Florez. Alejandra covered her mouth. Her breathing had taken a different turn. Hraktar¡¯s character sheet appeared, her dice just out of reach. She tried to shut off her brain.


    ¡°Akshi?¡± Mr. Stower asked as Derek¡¯s muscles tightened.


    ¡°Yes. A powerful spell caster. Often the enemy a team of adventurers must defeat. If they can,¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    Alejandra couldn¡¯t let Hraktar appear, even though she desperately needed a feeling of security. They couldn¡¯t smuggle Hraktar out of here if he appeared. And if he appeared now, Akshi would murder him.


    Mr. Stower was smiling. Akshi leaned in until he was half an inch away from Se?ora Florez¡¯s face. Mr. Stower¡¯s pupils turned a darker shade of green. ¡°That is so fascinating.¡±


    Do nothing. Be nothing. Become invisible.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to help,¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    Mr. Stower glanced over at the makeshift table. ¡°I think this is one of the more fascinating clubs we¡¯ve visited. We might be back.¡±


    Se?ora Florez frowned. ¡°We?¡±


    Mr. Stower didn¡¯t answer. Just smiled at them. ¡°When is your next meeting?¡±


    ¡°Well, this might be our last time this week, since it¡¯s homecoming week,¡± Derek said as Se?ora Florez opened her mouth to answer. Alejandra, who felt like nerves were emanating off her body, marveled at how calmly Derek said all this. ¡°Another classic thing about CCNC is scheduling. It¡¯s always the biggest obstacle.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. That is one thing I¡¯m learning. Homecoming week is full of things to do,¡± Mr. Stower said. ¡°Well, I shall ask for an update about your next meeting. It¡¯ll be better for all of us for it to be next week, anyway.¡±


    Se?ora Florez nodded. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll let you know when our next meeting is. It¡¯ll most likely be next Tuesday.¡±


    ¡°Then I shall see you next Tuesday,¡± Mr. Stower said.


    He turned to leave. Akshi kept staring at Se?ora Florez before slithering after Mr. Stower.


    Once the door closed, Alejandra finally breathed. It sounded more like a gasp, and a ringing filled her ears. Oskar and Benny glanced over, frowning. Derek turned and saw her, concerned. ¡°Alejandra?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t speak. The other CCNC members were confused, but the silent confusion where they knew something was wrong but didn¡¯t know how to help.


    ¡°Alejandra? Are you alright?¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    She shook her head. Lying to anyone right now was impossible. She hated keeping secrets. She hated having to pretend everything was alright when she was breaking inside. It reminded her of a time not that long ago, pretending everything was alright at home when it was actually hell.


    Derek whispered something to her, and Se?ora Florez nodded. Alejandra didn¡¯t know what was happening, but Derek helped her to her feet.


    ¡°You¡¯re alright. He¡¯s gone. Se?ora Florez said you can use her office. Do you need a school nurse? You look like you¡¯re having a panic attack.¡±


    Her hands trembled. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t leave¡­ this room.¡±


    ¡°I know. I know, Alejandra. Let¡¯s just¡­ get you some help. Let¡¯s go to Se?ora Florez¡¯s office.¡±


    Alejandra didn¡¯t fight him as he helped her into the office. Se?ora Florez thankfully had tissues, because she already felt tears rolling down her cheeks. How long had her cheeks been wet?


    Alejandra gripped the edge of the desk, all the air from her body leaving. She collapsed in the chair, her shoulders slumped. The stress was getting to her. Despite having her friends, she felt so isolated.


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ be fine. Go back,¡± Alejandra said to Derek. ¡°I need a moment.¡±


    Derek nodded, looking grim, but obeyed. He knew Se?ora Florez was hovering, but she, too, was being respectful.

 Chapter 52

    Alejandra remained hunched over the desk. Her tears and mind had finally calmed down as the other club members finished the session and left. A knock came at the edge of the wall by the office.


    ¡°Hey, Alejandra? Do you want to talk about it?¡± Se?ora Florez asked.


    Alejandra sniffed, grabbing yet another tissue to wipe her nose. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine.¡± It was a lie. Everyone around her knew it was a lie. And that¡¯s what she hated more than anything. There were so few people who could do anything about it.


    Se?ora Florez moved into the office. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask out of a necessity to make sure our school is safe. Did Mr. Stower do anything to you to make you feel uncomfortable now or in the past?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alejandra said as quickly as she could. ¡°No, no, but¡­ thank you. For checking.¡±


    Se?ora Florez nodded, her face grim. ¡°School may be chaotic and crazy, but I want to make sure it¡¯s safe for everyone. Is there anything I can do to help?¡±


    Alejandra looked at her favorite teacher. Saw how willing she was to help. Derek appeared soon after. She gave Derek a look, and her thoughts must have been there in her face. His eyes widened as he shook his head. It was too late. She wanted to tell Se?ora Florez about everything.


    ¡°She should know,¡± Alejandra said.


    He shook his head more vigorously. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    Se?ora Florez frowned, turning enough to see Derek waiting there. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°She saw him. Glimpses of him. Saw Calawit¡¯s tent. According to the rules, she¡¯s supposed to help.¡±


    Derek paused, then ran his hands down his face.


    Se?ora Florez frowned. ¡°Do you know about the tent by my husband¡¯s restaurant?¡±


    Alejandra turned her focus to her. ¡°So, you do see it?¡±


    Se?ora Florez shrugged. ¡°Sometimes. Other times not.¡± She looked worried. ¡°It¡¯s the strangest thing. Whenever I see it and then look away, it¡¯s almost like I feel some sort of¡­¡± She gestured with her hands, but then gave up. ¡°I forget I see it. Until I see it again. And even now, talking about it, I should be distressed that I¡¯ve seen it multiple times and forgotten, but even now I feel some sort of thing that¡¯s forcing me not to be worried.¡±


    Alejandra tore her gaze away from her teacher to give Derek a pointed look. He sighed, again rubbing his face.


    ¡°Do not bring Hraktar here,¡± he said quietly to Alejandra.


    ¡°How else is she supposed to believe us?¡±


    Words appeared in front of her, and Alejandra read them. It was from her side quest bar.


    Check with Tyler about how to go about this.


    Alejandra frowned, then pulled out her phone.


    ¡°Alejandra?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°I got a side quest. Did you?¡±


    ¡°Um, no.¡± Derek looked as though he zoned out, but he was checking his bar, too.


    ¡°Well, I did. I¡¯m calling Tyler.¡± She found Tyler¡¯s number and called him.


    ¡°Now?¡±


    ¡°If Se?ora Florez is supposed to help, we¡¯re getting the help now.¡±


    Not doing anything wasn¡¯t an option. She was still in school, and Akshi was still here. True, part of this was her procrastinating leaving the school because she didn¡¯t want to see Akshi again. The panic attack in the office told her she was not ready to face him.


    ¡°Alejandra?¡± Tyler¡¯s voice came through the phone.


    ¡°What is Se?ora Florez¡¯s part to play in all this?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°Um, sorry?¡±


    ¡°Se?ora Florez. I have a side quest asking to check with you about her involvement. So, what is it?¡±


    There was silence on the other end as Se?ora Florez frowned, glancing between the two of them. ¡°Are you two alright?¡±


    Derek sighed. ¡°Depends on what Tyler says.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­¡± Tyler trailed off again.


    ¡°You remember Se?ora Florez, right?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°Of course I do. Excellent math teacher. I¡¯m just¡­ oh.¡±


    Alejandra glanced at Derek, then at her teacher. ¡°What. Did you get something?¡±


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    ¡°Um¡­ hang on.¡± She heard some ruffling. ¡°Alright, so here¡¯s the thing. For some reason, Se?ora Florez will not see any of your characters if they show up. She does have a part to play, but she¡¯s got to discover it on her own.¡±


    Alejandra groaned. ¡°That¡¯s not good enough, Tyler. This is dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I know, but there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡±


    ¡°My side quest says there¡¯s something you can do, so do it. I just had the worst session of CCNC because Mr. Stower was here with his special little friend analyzing everything and I can¡¯t pretend like nothing happened.¡± The words tumbled over, going faster the longer she talked.


    ¡°Alejandra?¡± Se?ora Florez asked.


    She couldn¡¯t pretend anymore. She lowered the phone. ¡°Se?ora Florez, the game is real. The Shrouded Domain actually exists. We somehow opened a portal, and our characters came into the real world. Here. In Elmwood. But they¡¯re not the only ones who did. Akshi is here, too. Torraq is¡­ somewhere. Thousands of monsters are here on earth. We¡¯re trying to get rid of them, but it¡¯s been so hard.¡±


    Se?ora Florez waited patiently, then blinked. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±


    Alejandra let out a breath, then looked at Derek, feeling sick. She focused her attention back on her teacher. ¡°Please. Did you¡­ hear anything I said?¡± Se?ora Florez waited, almost patiently, looking more curious than anything. ¡°Se?ora, please. Akshi. Akshi is here. He¡¯s charming Mr. Stower like a human puppet. Akshi is looking for us. For me. For my character, Hraktar.¡±


    Se?ora Florez¡¯s face seemed to almost relax. ¡°Well, I¡¯m happy to hear you¡¯re feeling better. You better get back home before anyone worries about you.¡±


    Alejandra felt the phone drop out of her hands as tears once again raced down her cheeks. Derek picked up the phone, taking her arm before leading her out of the office.


    ¡°Derek, she¡­ she didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°I know. I saw. Hey, Tyler. I¡¯ll call you later,¡± Derek said into her phone before hanging up.


    ¡°I will see you guys later!¡± Senora Florez said, waving.


    Alejandra resisted as Derek tried to pull her out of the door. All she could think of was if she left this room, she might run into Mr. Stower, and he would notice her tears.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s alright,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Alejandra said. ¡°What if he¡¯s out there? Waiting?¡±


    Derek stopped at the doorway and placed his hands on Alejandra¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Hey, it¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    Alejandra tried to believe him. She thought her panicking was over, but the calm, cool way Se?ora Florez simply didn¡¯t hear her unloading the secret had unsettled her. It was her worst fear all over again. She had reoccurring nightmares of arriving at school beaten up so badly that she could barely walk. And everyone kept going with their lives. Despite the blood pouring from her wounds and cuts, no one found it odd.


    She had spilled her heart out to Se?ora Florez, warning her of trouble, and some sort of magical enchantment made it so she couldn¡¯t hear.


    Alejandra bolted out of the school.


    ¡°Alejandra, wait!¡± Derek shouted. She went the long way to avoid the main office, but it was closer to her car, anyway. She just focused on running. On getting out of here.


    She was almost to her car when Derek caught up with her. ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re not driving home in your state.¡±


    ¡°In my state?¡± Alejandra let out a breath. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    Derek said nothing, but the gentle way he looked at her made her aware of how rattled her breathing sounded. How much her hands trembled. Her gaze shifted all over the place. She had just ran out of the school. She covered her mouth with her hands as more tears spilled down her cheeks.


    Derek wrapped his arms around her, and she used the moment to let the small sob she was holding back come out. He held her for maybe two minutes, but it was all she needed. A moment to collapse before figuring out how to pick herself up again. She¡¯d done this before.


    She broke from the hug, drying her tears. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Derek nodded. ¡°Yeah. I feel like this is all my fault.¡±


    Alejandra gave him a curious look. ¡°Your fault? Why would it be your fault?¡±


    The look he gave was almost humorous. ¡°I¡¯m the one who rolled that nat one, causing Milo to blow everything up.¡± His humorous look dropped, and he rubbed his neck. ¡°So¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Alejandra turned her attention to Elmwood High. She wasn¡¯t sure what to say. ¡°If it makes you feel any better, I don¡¯t blame you for that roll.¡±


    Derek snorted. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    She dried her tears. ¡°Thanks for helping me. I¡­ better get back.¡±


    He nodded, almost sadly. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    Alejandra didn¡¯t answer. She got in the car, giving a pitiful wave. She was growing to resent coming to school. There was a heaviness in her chest that did not let up until she drove into the driveway of her house. She got out, ignoring her house, and walked down the street. She waved at a few of her neighbors as she got to the empty lot at the bottom of a hill. She slid down it carefully, then found what she needed. The sandy egg was buried there, still quite warm. Whether it meant the baby was alive, she didn¡¯t know. Would the egg be warm enough during December and January? Was she going to kill it? Why did she do something so reckless?


    Her fingers brushed against its rough exterior. She thought of everything that happened today, of the panic she felt at school. Why couldn¡¯t she feel brave? She remembered how calmly Derek talked to Mr. Stower. He faced him and Akshi like he wasn¡¯t afraid of anything. Why was she so terrified?


    Alejandra took a deep breath, then let it out again. She covered the egg in the dirt once more and headed for the hill when she saw a broken bush. It was more than broken. It looked squashed. Frowning, she walked over to see a footprint. A very large footprint. With a trembling hand, she brought out her phone and took a picture, her heart hammering. She scrambled up the hill, making the short distance to her house. Rafael was there when she opened the door, working the remote as Ezekiel and Hraktar sat on the couch.


    Rafael was smiling, pressing a button on the remote. ¡°This is going to blow your mind. This was literally the story I was thinking of when I thought of Flannigan Jones.¡±


    A bright, almost wondrous look entered Ezekiel¡¯s eyes. ¡°You have Flannigan Jones here?¡±


    ¡°No, but this will definitely scratch that itch,¡± Rafael said.


    Alejandra frowned, then heard the familiar opening song. She watched Indiana Jones¡¯ back trekking through a jungle. She shot Rafael an annoyed look. He shrugged.


    ¡°So, this isn¡¯t real, right?¡± Hraktar asked.


    ¡°The movie? No. It¡¯s like a play, but with far more special effects to make it look as though it¡¯s real. All these people are actors,¡± Rafael said.


    Ezekiel looked completely taken as Indiana Jones and the group of characters kept walking through the jungle. Alejandra shook her head as she moved toward her room.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got homework,¡± she said, her only explanation.


    She set her bag down next to her bed and sat down. Berating Rafael wasn¡¯t an option right now. She understood the deep need to not want to be a part of something dangerous. It terrified her that she wanted to do the same. Ignore it all. Forget it. But she couldn¡¯t. And that might be the reason this entire situation hurt her so bad.


    She opened her phone to see the footprint picture again and her heart hammered. She sent the picture off to Tyler with a question right under it.


    Were there orcs in Torraq¡¯s lair? If so, were they a part of Hraktar¡¯s tribe?

 Chapter 53

    It was lunch on Friday, and Evelyn was wearing her Elmwood High Wolves shirt. The other cheerleaders sat around her, and she listened to their conversation. Eating lunch didn¡¯t interest her. She needed to eat something, but her stomach was full of nerves. What with the football game tonight, CCNC tomorrow morning, and the dance later that night, she could hardly muscle down water.


    The conversation among the cheerleaders came to an abrupt halt, and Evelyn felt herself come out of her reverie to notice two boys standing to the side of the table, looking right at her. Evelyn had never seen them before. She placed her water bottle on the table. They had frozen, awed looks on their faces.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Evelyn said. Neither one of them said anything. She frowned, watching them. They stared like they ran into a famous person. ¡°Can I help you?¡±


    This prompt seemed to jolt one of the boys, but the other still stared at her.


    ¡°So¡­ we heard you like Choice, Chance, and Consequence.¡±


    Behind her, the other cheerleaders snickered. To give her something to do, she grabbed her water bottle. ¡°Um, yeah. It¡¯s¡­ a great game.¡± There was no point lying. This did not help the star-struck look the two boys had. An unease settled into her. ¡°Is there anything else I can help you with?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to join our campaign?¡± the boy whispered, still in awe.


    The unease compounded, and it didn¡¯t help that the other cheerleaders kept snickering. She both commended the boy for his bravery and felt bad that she had to be the bearer of bad news. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m currently swamped as it is. With school and such.¡±


    ¡°And your own campaign?¡± the boy asked.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s been going for a while.¡±


    Once again, the boy fell silent as they stood there. Evelyn didn¡¯t want to give them false hope, so she didn¡¯t suggest the possibility of a next time. Perhaps it was rude, but she couldn¡¯t see herself doing anything else with CCNC while her character was in the real world.


    ¡°Alright. Cool,¡± the boy said after an uncomfortably long silence. The other boy behind him kept staring at Evelyn. He hadn¡¯t blinked since he arrived.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you around,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Okay.¡± The boy whispered it, sounding like she promised the best thing to ever happen to him.


    Evelyn was again afraid the boys would stand there for the rest of the lunch hour. She didn¡¯t want to hurt their feelings, but she wasn¡¯t sure how to ask them to leave without sounding rude.


    ¡°Ugh, tell your new boyfriends to leave, Evelyn,¡± Jennifer said.


    She wished Hazel had her same lunch. Hazel always said the right thing. Clarissa did, too. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± The boy stared wide eyed as he slowly backed away. ¡°See you¡­ later.¡±


    The other silent boy remained, staring unblinkingly at Evelyn. The other boy disappeared into the crowd by this point, leaving his friend. Evelyn waved at the silent boy, who finally reacted by waving back. She then made a shooing motion, which made her feel bad, but she didn¡¯t know how else to talk to him. He finally got the hint and backed away, his wide eyes still on Evelyn.


    Evelyn turned back, seeing Jennifer and Rebecka looking entertained by the entire thing.


    ¡°Looks like someone¡¯s getting a whole sock drawer dedicated to them,¡± Jennifer said.


    Evelyn frowned. ¡°Come on, Jen. There¡¯s no need to be crude.¡±


    Jennifer scoffed. ¡°Tell that to them. They¡¯re the one with the socks.¡±


    ¡°Not all game nerds are like that.¡± Evelyn tried to take another drink, but her stomach knots got even worse.


    Jennifer shrugged and picked up her tray. ¡°Best not to risk it.¡±


    Evelyn didn¡¯t watch her go, but she did feel empty inside. Rebecka left, too, as did a few more cheerleaders. She hated how Jennifer was so quick to assume the worst in boys. But even as she thought about it, Evelyn¡¯s eyes traveled to a different table where Rafael chatted with his football friends. She averted her eyes and grabbed her water bottle. Her stomach was in too many knots as she tried to muscle down some more water. She made a mental note to eat something before the game tonight.


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


    ***


    Derek was listening to some music while reading through the script. His phone went off, mostly from all his drama friends as they discussed the cast list. Derek got the part of Wadsworth, which he was trying really hard not to be nervous about. It was a huge part, one he should feel lucky about getting. What with everything else happening right now, he wasn¡¯t sure he was ready.


    There was a knock on the door, and Miguel was there at the doorway. ¡°Hey, son.¡±


    Derek popped out his ear buds. ¡°Hey, Dad!¡± Derek got up to hug him. Miguel had a lot of weekends free now, so Derek didn¡¯t feel nearly as guilty about being busy tomorrow with CCNC.


    ¡°I heard you got Wadsworth!¡± Miguel said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± All the emotion and unease came across in that one word.


    Miguel gave him a side hug. ¡°Oh, stop. You¡¯re going to knock it out of the park. As usual.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, dad.¡±


    ¡°Hey, your mom and I wanted to talk to you before we talk to your siblings.¡±


    Despite the light tone in his dad¡¯s voice, a deep sense of dread squeezed Derek¡¯s torso. His mother was outside in the hall, trying to smile. He froze in place. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Miguel chuckled. ¡°Derek, come on. We¡¯ve been trying to keep this light so you don¡¯t leap to the wrong conclusion. Everything is fine. I promise.¡±


    The unease worsened in his gut at his promise. He tried not to get nervous, but he was going there. Fast. They did this all the time. Gave him the uncomfortable news first so he could have whatever panic attack privately in his room instead of in front of his siblings.


    He waved his hand in a circular motion. ¡°Just give it to me. Quick. I¡¯m jumping to some terrifying conclusions and they¡¯re each worse than the last.¡± He looked at Amanda. ¡°Abuela¡¯s still alive, right?¡±


    ¡°My mother is fine.¡± Amanda placed her hands on his shoulders. ¡°Your father is considering a different job. That¡¯s all. He doesn¡¯t even have one yet. He¡¯s just considering it.¡±


    Derek let out a breath, holding his knees. ¡°Good. Okay. I can work with that.¡± He then thought of the implications. ¡°Can I work with that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in Phoenix,¡± Miguel said.


    Derek paused, letting this sink in. Phoenix was almost two hours away. ¡°Are we¡­ moving?¡±


    It was the glance between his parents that made the unease smack him all over again. Now it wasn¡¯t the unknown. It was solid ground. A million thoughts swirled through his mind in less than a second. He couldn¡¯t move to the city. He got a part in the play. Elmwood has been home for years. He wasn¡¯t ready to live in a big city, let alone the capital of Arizona.


    Milo.


    Derek¡¯s eyes shot straight through his parents to where Milo sat in the kitchen, mixing some gold mana.


    ¡°We¡¯re not moving,¡± Miguel said.


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t do that to your senior year.¡± Amanda reached around and placed a hand around Miguel¡¯s waist. ¡°In fact, we¡¯re still considering the job, whether this would be a good fit.¡±


    Derek let out another breath. ¡°But you¡¯ve been thinking about it long enough that you¡¯re talking to me about it?¡±


    Miguel sighed. ¡°There¡¯s too much travel in my job right now. Izzy¡¯s gone off to college. You¡¯re about ready to leave. I¡¯ve missed you both. I¡¯m seriously considering it. But if I do, we¡¯re not planning on moving until you¡¯re done with school. Buying and selling a house is hard to predict, but we¡¯re hoping by this summer to have this house sold and settled in Pheonix. By that time, you¡¯ll have finished your senior year.¡±


    Derek stared at his parents. Miguel had already decided. That much was clear. It wasn¡¯t official, but Derek might as well consider it. There were so many emotions. Happy that he¡¯d stay until his senior year. Reeling that his life was getting uprooted.


    It was going to be uprooted, anyway. He was going to college next year. But if there was no reason to come back to Elmwood, would he ever be back? What about all his high school friends? Was this it? A taste of growing up?


    ¡°I know it¡¯s a lot, but it¡¯s still uncertain,¡± Amanda said. Which Derek knew was a total lie. Miguel was taking the job. They were moving. ¡°So don¡¯t tell anyone yet. It might not happen.¡±


    Derek nodded, his mind still reeling. His application was ready to go in January to ASU. He had it all planned out. He even talked with Tyler about rooming with him. Elmwood wouldn¡¯t be his home forever. It was never about that. And yet¡­


    Yet it was nice to think his parents wouldn¡¯t be that far. That he¡¯d still come back to Elmwood to visit. Tyler left for college two years ago, but it never felt like he¡¯d gone away. He wanted the same.


    True, it wasn¡¯t like his parents were moving across the country, but still. Elmwood. He remembered when they first moved here. There were a few of his family members here, but not nearly as many as where they were in Florida. And yet somehow Arizona became home far quicker to him than in Florida.


    Derek again looked past his parents to see Milo working. Milo couldn¡¯t leave the bubble. Not at his current level. He fully believed his mana fusor would gain a higher level before summer, but then again, how long would Milo be here?. That, too, brought its own sort of finality to it.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s a lot to take in,¡± Miguel said. ¡°Change is never easy, but we are trying to make the most of it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Derek felt like he was falling backwards into a black pit. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Miguel wrapped Derek in a hug. ¡°I want to see you more, kid. Before you go to college.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He was stuck on that word. He couldn¡¯t think of another.


    ¡°We¡¯re here for you, Derek,¡± Amanda said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± It was numb. His parents were concerned, but he felt himself spiraling. They didn¡¯t want him back in his room alone, so they spent an hour with him to make sure he was alright. Asking him about CCNC. He tried not to think about what this could mean. He wasn¡¯t even sure himself. His eyes always wandered over toward where Milo sat. Kept thinking about how many things could be worse, but he didn¡¯t like where things were going, either.


    It wouldn¡¯t be until summer. He had to take this one day at a time. That¡¯s all he could do.

 Chapter 54

    Nick gripped the steering wheel as Evelyn scrolled through her phone again. Grizzizzik and Clarissa were in the back seat, neither one of them looking at each other. There was a quiet in the car, but it was far from peace. No one had a fight that Nick remembered, but there was a definite feeling of ¡°off¡±. Evelyn had been distracted all morning. Clarissa and Grizzizzik wouldn¡¯t talk to each other if they didn¡¯t need to, so they didn¡¯t. Nick was still fuming. During breakfast, Walt dangled over Nick¡¯s head that he was only letting him do this because he¡¯d been so well behaved this week. Like he was some sort of dog, needing a pat on the head and an extra treat because he was such a good boy.


    The fact that Grizzizzik could see his unease and was hiding a smirk did not help.


    They pulled into Derek¡¯s house. Judging by the cars, Tyler and Alejandra were already here. Evelyn was texting someone as Nick turned off the car. They all got out, silently trekking toward the door. Evelyn didn¡¯t slip her phone in her pocket until the door opened.


    ¡°Hello!¡± Tyler said. ¡°Come on in. Derek¡¯s talking with your dad now.¡±


    Nick frowned, glancing at Evelyn. ¡°Um¡­ why?¡±


    ¡°Well, the grapevine is getting back to us. Some people have seen us around town, so Derek¡¯s making sure we¡¯re fine to play outside.¡±


    Nick rubbed the bridge of his nose. That wording was awful. It was no fault of Tyler¡¯s, but he still felt like a dog. He marched in, his face settling into its glare.


    Amanda was there, cleaning up the kitchen. Milo was there, too. He was washing old vials and beakers. He watched the strange sight of Amanda moving around the kitchen and ignoring Milo.


    ¡°Yep! You have nothing to fear, Mr. Larsen. Thank you so much. Yep! Bye.¡± Derek turned off his phone, then gave Nick an enthusiastic thumbs up. ¡°We¡¯re good to go!¡±


    Nick said nothing, folding his arms tightly and figuring out how many days he had left until April tenth. He was almost jealous of Derek¡¯s birthday in January. Why did his have to be so late?


    Derek¡¯s enthusiastic thumbs drooped as he glanced at Evelyn.


    ¡°You better get going, Derek. It¡¯ll only get hotter, and you need to end with enough time for the girls to get back for the dance,¡± Amanda said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ve got enough water bottles,¡± Derek said. Evelyn held up her own bag. Nick just glowered. ¡°What time do you need to get back, Evelyn?¡±


    She checked her phone. ¡°I¡¯ve got a hair and nail appointment at three. So as long as I¡¯m back by two thirty, that¡¯d be great.¡±


    ¡°And you, Alejandra?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not going to homecoming.¡±


    Amanda¡¯s gasp was tiny, but there. ¡°No one asked you?¡±


    Alejandra looked like she didn¡¯t enjoy the sudden attention. ¡°It¡¯s really not that big of a deal, Mrs. Perez. There¡¯s still¡­ plenty of dances this year.¡±


    Amanda glanced at Derek. She then jerked her head to a place a bit more private, and Derek followed. Nick had been at Derek¡¯s house long enough to know his mother made sure everyone felt at home. Alejandra being left out of a school dance was something she took as a personal offense, and Nick knew the woman was going to make sure Alejandra was asked to the next one.


    How, Nick didn¡¯t know, but Amanda had her ways. Derek and Amanda talked in fast, quick Spanish. Ones that sounded like they were fighting, but Nick was always surprised to learn they weren¡¯t. Perhaps Nick always assumed a parent/child conversation meant fighting.


    Once Derek finished his conversation, they all walked out of the house toward the minivan. Grizzizzik jumped into the back with little ceremony as Hraktar wrestled with the seat belt.


    They drove toward Calawit¡¯s store. Clarissa and Milo were chatting about his recent discoveries. With working in the lab every day, he was close to discovering red mana. Clarissa checked with Hraktar about Ezekiel, and the fighter reported about the same. Ezekiel was blowing through the books. And was introduced to movies, mostly Indiana Jones, and fell madly in love with them.


    Alejandra leaned over to Nick. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Having her head that close to his own instantly brought Nick out of his mind. ¡°Yeah. Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Alejandra studied him, frowning. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ you¡¯ve looked¡ª¡± she gestured toward his face, ¡°¡ªangry?¡±


    Nick looked away, seeing Calawit¡¯s tent getting ever closer. ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± He trailed off, not interested in talking about Walt.


    ¡°Is it about your dad?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°Is it anything else? He¡¯s made it so it¡¯s only ever been about him in my life.¡± Nick¡¯s voice came out far more bitter than he expected, and it caused Alejandra to hesitate. He rubbed his forehead. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just¡­¡± He trailed off again. Alejandra said nothing else.


    Derek parked the van on the side of the road, and everyone got out. It was a quick trip to Calawit¡¯s tent. Nick walked beside Alejandra. They didn¡¯t talk, but it was nice to be beside her. He needed to stop being so angry at Walt. If he didn¡¯t cool it, he¡¯d waste this entire time being angry. He needed to focus.


    They walked in the tent, with Grizzizzik getting the flower petals on his hands again, shooting Calawit an annoyed look. The gnome sorceress grinned.


    It took Nick a second to realize they weren¡¯t the only one in the tent.


    ¡°Phantom?¡± Derek asked.


    The bandit captain looked up, smiling. ¡°Hello adventurers! Calawit told me you¡¯d be in here!¡± Phantom looked back down again, distracted with the petals on the back of his hands.


    ¡°What news?¡± Milo asked, folding his arms.


    Phantom was still distracted with the petals, not answering. He muttered something to himself as the petal looked like it was going to come off, but it remained firm.


    ¡°Phantom?¡± Calawit snapped her fingers in front of his face. ¡°Milo asked you a question.¡±


    ¡°Akshi.¡± Phantom glanced up again. ¡°Akshi is here! In this little town.¡±


    They waited, but that was all the news Phantom had. Grizzizzik sighed, rubbing his forehead. ¡°You have to be one of the worst thieves I¡¯ve ever met.¡±


    Phantom frowned. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°We already knew that.¡± Grizzizzik dropped his hand. ¡°We¡¯ve known for over a week now.¡±


    The bandit chief deflated at that. ¡°Well, you asked for information.¡±


    ¡°Next time, it¡¯d be nice to have some information we don¡¯t know,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Phantom pursed his lips to a thin line. ¡°I¡¯m trying. I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ve noticed yet, but the guy is as slippery as a snake.¡±


    Grizzizzik rolled his eyes. Tyler took out his phone, tapping on a few things. ¡°Calawit, what do you know about this?¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Alejandra¡¯s eyes widened. She stared at Tyler, swiping inches from her neck with her hand. Tyler frowned, curious, but it was too late. Calawit had seen the phone. The gnome took it and inspected the screen. ¡°This is the strangest contraption I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    Tyler kept glancing at Alejandra, who covered her face with a hand. ¡°You¡¯ve seen phones before, right?¡± Tyler asked.


    Calawit pushed her small spectacles up her nose. ¡°Absolutely, but they¡¯re still fascinating. Is this the box that paints a picture of the object you want instantly?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ yeah. I guess we can describe it that way,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Fascinating. Absolutely fascinating.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ the picture.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Calawit was holding the phone upside down, but Tyler righted it for her. Calawit¡¯s gaze shifted to Alejandra. ¡°Is this a path you want to go down?¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve seen orcs?¡± Alejandra asked, whispering.


    Nick frowned. It didn¡¯t matter that Alejandra whispered it. Across the way, Hraktar stiffened, turning his head toward them. Calawit distracted herself by looking at the picture before giving it back. Despite Alejandra¡¯s whisper, Calawit resumed with her normal, gravely voice. ¡°They are serving under Akshi. He is keeping them distracted for now. He¡¯s preparing something. I don¡¯t know what, but it sounds like Akshi is in communication with Torraq somehow.¡±


    Nick stared at Calawit, wide-eyed. ¡°How do you know this?¡±


    Calawit turned her gaze toward Nick. ¡°I know the orc language.¡±


    He frowned, studying her closer. It didn¡¯t answer his question at all, but he always got the impression Calawit was downplaying just how powerful she was.


    ¡°See, Phantom, that is how you be a thief. Calawit is better at gathering information than you are,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Phantom glared at him, but said nothing.


    ¡°Orcs. Here?¡± Hraktar asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Calawit tore her gaze from Nick to crane her head back to see Hraktar. ¡°Friends of yours, judging by their skin pattern.¡±


    For the first time since their CCNC characters got here, Nick saw the huge half-orc fighter look nervous. ¡°But¡­ here?¡±


    Calawit turned her attention back to Alejandra. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to mention it. I didn¡¯t think your friend would have stumbled on proof.¡±


    Hraktar turned to glance at Alejandra, who sighed, hugging herself. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say anything.¡±


    Tyler brought his phone closer to him. ¡°We need all the information we can get. But should we wait until next week? That way, we¡¯ll have Rafael and Ezekiel with us. An added person going after some orcs might be helpful.¡±


    ¡°It depends. How strong is Ezekiel?¡± Milo asked.


    Alejandra shook her head. ¡°Rafael¡¯s¡­ not doing anything with him.¡±


    Her sentence hung in the air. Nick glanced at Derek, who rubbed his head.


    After slipping his phone into his pocket, Tyler kept his gaze on the floor. ¡°In that case, it might make it worse if Ezekiel is there.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Calawit, I have a friend who thinks he¡¯s seen demon rats hanging around his house. That feels easier for a low-level cleric to handle. Can you figure out where my friend lives?¡±


    Calawit squinted through her spectacles at Derek. ¡°What kind of friend are you if you don¡¯t even know where he lives?¡±


    Derek shrugged. ¡°I mean¡­ he enjoys his privacy. So you might want to¡­ not let him notice you.¡±


    Calawit rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not a rogue gathering information for the gossip boards in a tavern.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± both Grizzizzik and Phantom said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know rogues don¡¯t gather gossip,¡± Phantom said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a very refined art,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°We¡¯re not simple gossipers!¡± Phantom had his hands on his hips.


    Grizzizzik pointed a finger to his palm. ¡°Besides, a good thief always knows gossip always has a bit of truth.¡±


    Calawit simply smiled, waving her hand. ¡°It is too easy to ruffle your feathers, boys. Go do something useful. Like think about getting an honest job.¡±


    Phantom and Grizzizzik both gasped like they¡¯d been mortally wounded. Nick smirked until he noticed Alejandra looking at Tyler, worried. Hraktar, too, had retreated into himself.


    ¡°Alright, well, we have an enemy.¡± Tyler glanced at Hraktar. ¡°But is it one that we want to engage?¡±


    There was silence as everyone looked at Hraktar, who did not focus on anything. It took him a few beats before he realized the attention was on him. ¡°Sorry, what was the question?¡±


    Tyler glanced at Alejandra. ¡°We should skip today¡¯s session.¡±


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine.¡± Hraktar rolled his shoulders around, and there was a lot of cracking. ¡°We can do this.¡± The fighter settled into his stance.


    ¡°Hraktar¡­ are you sure?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°The orcs are being a pest, no? And we¡­ get rid of pests. To keep this town safe.¡± He headed toward the opening of the tent. ¡°Come on. As mentioned before, it¡¯ll only get hotter.¡±


    Once Hraktar left, the tent became quiet. Tyler stared at Alejandra. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell him?¡±


    She didn¡¯t look at anyone. ¡°Because I know what he¡¯s like when he¡¯s nervous.¡±


    ¡°How many orcs are there?¡± Nick asked.


    Tyler sighed, covering his eyes. ¡°Once Akshi figured out Hraktar¡¯s weakness, he started using orcs as guards. I guess the question of whether we¡¯re following the AI campaign or my own has been answered. Akshi has many orcs of different levels. It might be smart to chip away at Akshi¡¯s orc army a bit at a time so we don¡¯t have to face all of them when we hit level seventeen.¡±


    ¡°Akshi¡¯s got an army of orcs?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    Tyler¡¯s face morphed into one of pain. ¡°Yeah. Yeah, he does. We better make sure there aren¡¯t too many for us to handle right now.¡±


    Even after that phrase, no one moved. Nick was aware that Hraktar was out there, ready to face people of his tribe. Hraktar did this before, once. But Nick got the feeling Alejandra was so uncomfortable about it that Tyler never returned to that plot point.


    They left, piling into the minivan. Derek turned on the van, then placed his hands on the steering wheel. ¡°So¡­¡±


    Tyler glanced behind him at Hraktar. Every single muscle in the fighter¡¯s body was taut. If anyone touched Hraktar, he¡¯d take off their head.


    ¡°Anyone have any ideas?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Milo and Grizzizzik should do a stealth and investigation mission to narrow down where the orcs are,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take us long. Once we get in the zone, orcs can¡¯t hide from us,¡± Milo said.


    Tyler nodded, still keeping an eye on Hraktar.


    Derek and Nick made their roll. They started with stealth. Nick got a sixteen, and since he had a +6 with his roll, there was no doubt he¡¯d get by. Derek didn¡¯t say what he¡¯d rolled until Milo and Grizzizzik left.


    ¡°Seven?¡± Nick asked, holding back a wince. ¡°What is it with the modifier?¡±


    ¡°That is what the modifier bumped it to,¡± Derek said.


    They drove around, Derek leading the way since he felt the pull of his character. With what Derek rolled, they might need to prepare for a hasty escape.


    Time slowed down, and Nick got prompted to do an investigation roll. He assumed Derek would get one, too.


    He rolled, and it landed on a nat twenty. Once time resumed, it didn¡¯t take long for Nick to feel a drop in his stomach.


    ¡°Tell me someone else feels that,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Tyler said.


    Derek responded by tightening his grip over the steering wheel.


    Alejandra¡¯s eyes bounced between Tyler and Nick. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°Bad feeling,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°We¡¯re talking Star Wars level of bad feeling,¡± Derek mumbled.


    The passenger seat groaned under Tyler¡¯s constant squirming. ¡°Go where you need to.¡±


    Derek nodded, then moved the van into a side street.


    Alejandra folded her arms, staring forward. It was now her turn to look deep inside her mind.


    ¡°Alejandra?¡± Nick asked. She glanced over at him, concern and fear never leaving her face. ¡°You alright?¡±


    She glanced behind her at Hraktar. ¡°I know what he¡¯s thinking. He wants to get it over with quickly. But it¡¯ll get him killed.¡± She tapped her cheekbone. ¡°I already see it. He¡¯s so frightened any roll will be at a disadvantage.¡±


    Hraktar buried his head in his hands.


    Derek pulled the van over so quickly that Nick pushed into Alejandra. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, straightening.


    Evelyn opened the sliding door and Milo and Grizzizzik leapt inside.


    ¡°Go! Go! Go!¡± Milo said.


    Derek didn¡¯t wait for Evelyn to close the door. He had peeled out onto the road before Evelyn finally got the door closed. Grizzizzik and Milo panted, leaning against the door.


    ¡°Where do we need to go?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s too many. Two dozen at least,¡± Milo said.


    ¡°Everyone is too low of a level to take on that many orcs,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°We get back to Derek¡¯s house,¡± Alejandra said.


    Grizzizzik shook his head. ¡°We need a plan. That¡¯s all. Lead them out slowly and take them out. Their strength is in their numbers, not their brains. We break that apart; we can get to them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still far too dangerous,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Form a solid plan, we have a solid chance,¡± Milo said.


    ¡°Yeah. If the dice rolls are good enough,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m calling it. We can¡¯t do this. Not today. Not with Hraktar¡­¡± Tyler trailed off. Nick could almost feel the nerves radiating off the fighter.


    Hraktar finally met Tyler¡¯s gaze. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We can do this.¡±


    Alejandra turned around. ¡°No, Hraktar.¡±


    Her fighter stared back. ¡°We need to get rid of them.¡±


    Alejandra paused, studying Hraktar, then at Tyler. ¡°Hraktar is already at level three. He¡¯s got a little over a thousand experience points. He doesn¡¯t need any leveling right now. My suggestion is you make a plan without my fighter.¡±


    Tyler watched her closely, then glanced at Derek.


    ¡°I¡¯m heading home. We need a plan no matter what we do,¡± Derek said.


    Hraktar let out something that sounded like a grunt, but considering how tense he was, everyone flinched away from him. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be that hard. Orcs are stupid. You show them something flashy and they¡¯ll follow like the idiots they are. It wouldn¡¯t be hard to get a few of them away.¡± The vitriol that came out of Hraktar made the hairs on the back of Nick¡¯s neck stand up. Everyone stared at the fighter, who met no one¡¯s gaze. He stared out the window, smashed into his seat with his knees close to his chin.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ um¡­¡± Tyler was the first to break the silence, but was still hesitant. ¡°We¡¯ll take that into consideration, Hraktar. Maybe we¡¯ll look into that for next week. I think¡­ Alejandra is right. You can sit this one out and let the others get some leveling. But¡­ not today. Let''s take a break."


    Behind them, Hraktar tried to relax, but it sounded more like he was cracking his knuckles.

 Chapter 55

    Evelyn was so full. They didn¡¯t go on a dinner date, but it didn¡¯t stop her from devouring her salad and a few breadsticks with ferocity. Her stomach had been in such knots all day, and all day yesterday, that she realized she couldn¡¯t remember when she ate last and had to make up for it.


    She was talking with her cheerleading friends, Brandi and Amber, as they drove to the high school. They had spent about a half hour taking pictures together with their dates when Blake, Amber¡¯s date, finally pulled into the school parking lot.


    ¡°I¡¯m so ready to dance!¡± Brandi said, leaping out of the car.


    Evelyn smiled as she got out, straightening her dress as she walked beside Connor. ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Hey. You look real pretty tonight,¡± Connor said.


    Evelyn gave him a humorous look. ¡°I know.¡±


    This had to be the third time he said this, and the third time she answered like that. He still seemed to find it funny. Connor had to know they were just friends, right? She would have answered to him the same way she would have answered to Derek. They were going to a dance because they wanted to show their school spirit as cheerleaders and football players.


    Evelyn had a feeling Akshi would be here, but it still didn¡¯t calm her nerves enough when she saw him standing beside Mr. Stower. She stayed by Connor¡¯s side, trying to stay involved in the conversation as they passed the vice principal.


    ¡°Hello!¡± Mr. Stower had an unusually cheerful voice.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Stower!¡± they all said. Akshi watched them closely, but moved his gaze when no one paid attention to him.


    The gym was loud, even though it was a slow song. They definitely weren¡¯t the first to arrive. They had spent longer than usual taking pictures.


    They met up with some other friends. Jennifer and Rebecka were there with their dates. She scanned the crowd for any other familiar faces and saw a few. Derek, with his group of drama friends, talked and laughed around the refreshment table. She also saw Hazel and Rafael dancing. It made her pause. All the times Evelyn had seen him, Rafael had a concentrated look. Nose to the book, throwing himself into his studies, almost hardened. But tonight, he was looking at Hazel, and Evelyn glimpsed her friend from years ago. Easy to smile. Cracking a joke. Relaxed.


    Evelyn looked away and forced herself into the conversation again, laughing at a joke she didn¡¯t quite hear.


    ***


    Derek had way too many thoughts swirling through his head, and he didn¡¯t want to remain on any of them. His mind cycled through them, making himself dizzy.


    He got the part of Wadsworth.


    Miguel was going to get a new job.


    His family would move at the end of the year.


    He was a senior. He needed to get his college application out.


    Phoenix. His family was moving to Phoenix.


    Milo was at home.


    Two dozen orcs.


    Akshi was here. Beginning his slow slither through the gym.


    ¡°Derek? Are you alright?¡±


    He was dancing with Emma.


    Derek pulled his thoughts to the moment. He tried to smile. ¡°Yeah. Of course.¡±


    ¡°You seem distracted.¡±


    Akshi moved around the edges of the gym, studying the students. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m not.¡±


    Emma frowned, but Derek was admittedly more concerned about what was happening out of his peripheral vision. He tried not to look.


    ¡°Congratulations, again, on getting Wadsworth,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a huge part.¡±


    Emma showed off her sparkling white teeth. ¡°And yet it fits you so perfectly.¡±


    The swirling thoughts and emotions stilled enough for him to focus on the present. ¡°Me? Wadsworth? Have you¡­ read the play?¡±


    Emma shrugged. ¡°I mean, sure. Kind, loyal¡ª¡±


    ¡°Seriously, Emma, have you read the play? Watched it, even?¡± Derek asked. ¡°He¡¯s like, the mastermind behind all the murders, according to the best ending.¡±


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    Emma gave that laugh, the loud and boisterous one, calculated to make sure it was unique enough so everyone knew who was laughing. ¡°You¡¯re so funny, Derek.¡± She took one hand off his shoulders to play with her perfectly curled hair. ¡°Honestly, I love working with you. It¡¯ll be so much fun being the Ms. Scarlet to your Wadsworth.¡±


    ¡°Right, yeah. Um,¡± Derek decided not to ask her a third time whether she¡¯d read the play.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to try out for Beauty and the Beast for spring, right?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of required.¡± He studied her again. ¡°For my grade.¡±


    She laughed again, giving him a small push with her hand. ¡°You never fail to make me laugh!¡±


    It clicked in his mind that Emma was flirting. She was doing that thing where she played with the guy, letting him feel honored by being in her presence. String them along. Let his imagination go wild instead of doing anything.


    She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, smirking. ¡°But really. I think Mr. Jensen mentioned you¡¯d be a great fit for the beast. I can totally see it.¡±


    She was playing the game. Teasing him about the possibility of kissing her. Planting in his mind the idea of him getting the part of the beast, because of course Emma would get Belle. Fill his thoughts with thoughts of dating her.


    ¡°Mr. Jensen said that about me?¡± Derek placed a hand against his cheek, mocking surprise. ¡°How crazy!¡± He dropped his hand back to her waist. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Emma. Isn¡¯t it weird that we¡¯ve done two Disney plays so close to each other?¡±


    Emma shrugged, brushing some hair behind her shoulder. ¡°Probably because I did such a stupendous job bringing in a crowd when I was a sophomore.¡±


    Derek nodded, watching Akshi make another round through the gym. The song had to be almost done. He was feeling thirsty, and he wanted to time it so Akshi was nowhere near the refreshment table when he went over there.


    ¡°It¡¯s hilarious to me that Missy broke up with you over the summer. I mean, really, you¡¯re such a catch,¡± Emma said.


    That was all Derek needed. With the stresses, the confusion, he was waiting for something familiar, and here it was. Emma playing coy and trying to string a man along. So he did the thing he swore to do to shut Emma up.


    He grabbed her face and kissed her like it was their last day on earth. It was a hidden anthem, an attempt to take dignity back from all the guys she strung along, pretending to date, but having far more fun in the chase. It completely made sense in Derek¡¯s head.


    He let her go, fully prepared for a slap in the face. He kept his hands on her waist, dancing like absolutely nothing had happened. His eyes scanned the room, trying to figure out where Akshi was, when Emma took his face again and resumed the kiss. Derek blinked a few times before he realized the proper etiquette was to close his eyes.


    Oh, right. It made sense in Derek¡¯s head because his head was scrambled with too many thoughts. That didn¡¯t mean it was smart.


    ***


    There seemed to be a lot of slow songs. Maybe she noticed because Connor was asking her to dance at every single one of them. Evelyn tried to keep the conversations light for her own sanity.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a fun night,¡± Connor said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± There was no privacy in these conversations, as she was half yelling in order to be heard. ¡°It really has.¡±


    ¡°Really? You¡¯ve enjoyed it?¡± Connor asked.


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s always fun to get together with a group of friends and hang out.¡±


    The smile on Connor¡¯s face dropped. ¡°Oh. Yeah. Yeah, of course.¡±


    Evelyn studied his face. ¡°What? What was that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I thought that¡­¡±


    Unease put more knots in her stomach. ¡°Didn¡¯t they¡­ Brandi said we were all getting together as friends. You¡­ knew this, right?¡±


    Connor sighed. ¡°Evelyn, come on. You¡¯ve got to know what people are saying about you.¡±


    She was caught off guard by that sentence, and she hated how she didn¡¯t know what he meant. ¡°Um¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°Come on, Ev,¡± Connor said. She never heard that nickname given to her, and she hated it. ¡°You¡¯re a sophomore. In high school. You¡¯re supposed to date people now.¡±


    Evelyn blinked, and she couldn¡¯t help but keep blinking. ¡°Seriously? Of all the scandalous things people could say about me, the only thing cropping up is how I don¡¯t have a boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°So, just checking. You are straight, right?¡± Connor asked.


    Evelyn¡¯s brows drew together so quickly they almost tingled. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    Connor sighed. ¡°I had a really fun time with you tonight, Ev.¡±


    ¡°Evelyn.¡± Her tone was dry, almost dark.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange for a cheerleader to not have a boyfriend,¡± Connor said.


    They were still half screaming at each other, and she hated the lack of privacy. Evelyn wanted an excuse to escape, but she also wanted to make her position clear.


    ¡°There¡¯s more to relationships than¡­ being a cheerleader.¡±


    Connor shook his head. ¡°Then is it true your brother threatens anyone who even looks in your direction? Because that¡¯s the only other way this makes sense to me.¡±


    In her flustered state, she turned her head and saw Akshi. Akshi turned, and for the briefest moment, their gazes met. Fear flooded her system, and she pretended her gaze continued to move across the room, scanning for anyone.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what? What does my brother have to do with any of this?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got a criminal record,¡± Connor said.


    ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I assumed he¡¯s threatening boys who get too close to you.¡± His face dropped. ¡°Does he?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s¡­ I¡­¡± Evelyn faced forward, her heartbeat rattling as she saw out of the corner of her eye Akshi dropping to the floor and speeding right up to them.


    ¡°Do you know how hard it is to assume men have to be perfect before you consider dating them? Do you know how toxic that is?¡± Connor asked.


    ¡°This entire thing was set up because I agreed to go with a bunch of my friends. We all agreed that this was to show school spirit, not to pair off and start dating,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Ugh, come on, Ev.¡±


    ¡°Evelyn.¡± Her tone was unmistakably harsher, and needing to scream didn¡¯t help in the slightest. Akshi raised his body up, staring right at her.


    Connor rolled his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re making it very difficult to want to date you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to say this as clearly as possible. If I had a hint of knowing that by signing up for this group date meant I¡¯d have to choose a boyfriend by the end of it, I wouldn¡¯t have come.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright if you¡¯re a lesbian, Evelyn. I have a cousin who¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Seriously, you need to stop,¡± Evelyn said.


    Connor gave her a look. ¡°The more you pull away, the more I think you¡¯re not straight.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t date you to prove I¡¯m straight!¡± She was fully screaming at this point. The fact that Akshi was right there did not help Evelyn feel like this conversation was all that private.


    Connor rolled his eyes. ¡°Fine. You clearly must have a type. Are you even attracted to anyone on the football team? Because I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re into this nerdy game Ch¡ª¡±


    It was on fear alone that made Evelyn slap his face. She could not let Connor say Choice, Chance, and Consequence when Akshi was right there.


    She spun around and rushed out of the room, her breathing coming in quick gasps, terrified as Akshi followed. She had to pretend she didn¡¯t see him. It drove her into a panic she tried to use. She sprinted out of the gym, Akshi hot on her tail.

 Chapter 56

    In the hallway''s light, Evelyn covered her face and cried. She was terrified enough to sob, and yet she tried to control it somewhat. She sensed him staring her down. Waiting for any sign of recognition. Evelyn wouldn¡¯t give him one. Akshi still had no idea. He was going on a hunch.


    Please, let him be going on a hunch.


    ¡°Hey, are you alright?¡±


    It was not Akshi¡¯s voice. Evelyn forced herself to drop her hands and turned, seeing Mr. Anderson there. He took in the tears racing down her cheeks and deflated.


    ¡°Ah, shit. I mean, sorry. Shoot.¡± He rubbed his head, looking like he¡¯d prefer to be anywhere but here. ¡°The teen years are a huge deal, yes, but life goes by so fast. This will be a moment and¡­ and you¡¯ll laugh about this breakup in the years to come.¡±


    Evelyn stared at him. She didn¡¯t know what else to do. Akshi was leaning over ever closer, and Mr. Anderson looked like he, too, was trying to ignore the obvious snake man in the room.


    ¡°Right,¡± was all Evelyn managed to say.


    She had Mr. Anderson last year for science, but didn¡¯t expect him to remember her. He didn¡¯t seem like the type to remember people.


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you. You can keep dancing, or you can call someone to pick you up, but you shouldn¡¯t stay out here. Just¡­¡± he motioned with his hands. ¡°Pretend I said something inspirational to get you back in there.¡± Evelyn realized Mr. Anderson was far more concerned about Akshi hanging around her than he was about trying to comfort her during what he supposed was a breakup.


    Akshi pursed his lips together and blew a stream of air that hit her face. It was odd, feeling the air, and yet not a strand of her hair quivered. Evelyn used all the mental capacity she had to not react. Once Akshi frowned, she allowed herself a moment of weakness. This was just a hunch. If she played her cards right, Akshi wouldn¡¯t believe she actually saw him.


    She covered her face again and let out a shuddering sob.


    ¡°Oh, god. I mean¡­ sorry. Golly gee, let¡¯s get you back in there, Evelyn. You can call your parents and get out of here.¡±


    It was a strange feeling to realize Mr. Anderson knew her name. He always seemed like he didn¡¯t care to remember anyone. She moved forward because she wanted to get out of Akshi¡¯s gaze. She did want to call someone. Nick. Her brother. She couldn¡¯t stay here, mostly because of Akshi. The fact that she slapped Connor was the real-life excuse she needed. Nick would understand her situation, though, and take her back home.


    Mr. Anderson led her back into the gym as she got her handbag, searching for her phone. Akshi was still there, watching her every move. When Akshi¡¯s back was to Mr. Anderson, he stared right at the snake man, and a lot of the misery he felt stemmed from seeing Akshi.


    Evelyn¡¯s hands shook as she got her phone, dialing Nick. She was pretty sure her parents were on a date right now, but she didn¡¯t know. Either way, Nick was the only person who would understand her situation.


    Akshi was there, breathing down her neck. ¡°Can you see me, girl?¡± he hissed into her ear.


    Evelyn placed the phone against that ear, looking again at Mr. Anderson, who was still looking at Akshi. Her old teacher tore his gaze from the evil enchanter and scanned the room before lifting a hand. ¡°Mr. Stower. Hello! Can I have a word with you?¡±


    Akshi sneered, his yellow eyes narrowing as Evelyn focused completely on listening to the ringtone as Akshi slithered away to catch up to Mr. Stower.


    ¡°Evelyn?¡± Nick asked.


    She let out a breath. ¡°Nick?¡±


    ¡°Um, sorry. I can¡¯t hear you. At all.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Evelyn had gotten used to how loud the gym was. She started walking out of the gym, away from Akshi, promising to thank Mr. Anderson somehow for the distraction. ¡°I¡­ need you to pick me up. I can¡¯t stay here.¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    There was a moment¡¯s pause, then she heard some things moving around on the other side of the phone. ¡°Who do I need to kill?¡± he asked.


    Despite everything, Evelyn felt herself smile. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s nothing like that. It¡¯s¡­¡± She realized she actually had an answer to who she wanted her brother to kill. ¡°Akshi. Though¡­ we can¡¯t kill him yet.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Nick said. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be there in ten minutes. See you soon.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Nick.¡±


    She hung up, having no desire to wait in the gym. She didn¡¯t want to run into Akshi or Connor. It was a warm enough evening in her blue knee length dress. She scrolled through her phone, seeing all the texts from her cheerleader friends checking to see if she was alright. She composed a generic text that she didn¡¯t want to talk about it, that she was getting a ride home, and she would see them all Monday.


    It was barely nine. She felt annoyed at that. It was too early to leave a dance. She was annoyed at Akshi and at Connor. She tried not to be annoyed at herself. Was it really so strange to be a cheerleader and not date anyone? She remembered Connor¡¯s insistence that something must be wrong with her. She folded her arms, glaring. There was nothing wrong with her. She simply didn¡¯t want to date. It had nothing to do with what happened to her. She was fine. Rafael did not break her. It couldn¡¯t possibly be weird that she wasn¡¯t dating anyone.


    Evelyn rubbed her forehead, feeling the hate she bottled up toward Rafael. It was threatening to burst. Seeing him at the dance, smiling, relaxed. Deep down, Evelyn had to admit that she didn¡¯t think Rafael deserved to be happy. Not like that. Not with someone like Hazel. Hazel, her friend. No one deserved Hazel. Least of all Rafael.


    Nick pulled up to the entryway of the school gym, and she placed the phone back in her purse and jogged toward the car, forcing her mind to forget. She slipped inside and buckled herself before making sure her hair wasn¡¯t pulling against the seat. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± Nick turned the blinker on and glanced behind his shoulder before easing back onto the road.


    Evelyn kept her gaze on the school, making sure Akshi wouldn¡¯t come flying out the door to follow them. The moment she thought about it, she was terrified of it happening.


    She placed her elbow against the car door, rubbing her forehead before giving a shuddering breath.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°For about half an instant, I made eye contact with Akshi,¡± Evelyn said. Nick didn¡¯t say anything, then swore under his breath. ¡°I think I fooled him, but it was still terrifying.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you fool him?¡±


    She rubbed her arm. ¡°Well, I mean, at the time, Connor was trying to ask me out, so I made it seem like we were about to have a fight.¡±


    There was another pause. ¡°Connor Franke?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Evelyn was surprised to see Nick¡¯s fingers tightening over the steering wheel. She couldn¡¯t help it and rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh god, Nick. I just finished explaining to him how you don¡¯t hurt people who ask me out.¡±


    Nick was still strangling the steering wheel. ¡°Yeah. Of course not.¡±


    Evelyn gave him a look. ¡°I¡¯m serious, Nick. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not interested in Connor, and now he knows I¡¯m not interested either. Please don¡¯t get involved.¡±


    They started down the road, when Nick slowly inclined his head, then a slight smile crossed his face. Evelyn didn¡¯t know why that look terrified her so much. ¡°Nick? I¡¯m serious. Don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°No, not Connor. But¡­ orcs.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Orcs?¡±


    Nick¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s not even nine-fifteen. Alejandra already suggested it. Kill the orcs without Hraktar. We can blow off some steam by obliterating two dozen orcs.¡±


    ¡°But Tyler said we should wait until next week.¡±


    ¡°Think about it. We know exactly where Akshi is right now. He¡¯s distracted, and will be there until eleven, eleven thirty. That gives us two hours to locate and kill two dozen orcs without needing to worry about stumbling on Akshi.¡±


    Evelyn stared at her brother. Saw how big his smile was. Hated that she was warming up to the idea. Fast.


    ¡°Nick¡­ what about mom and dad?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re on a date. If anyone asks, you had a rough time and, being the protective older brother I am, I took you to get ice cream.¡±


    His mind was already made up. She shouldn¡¯t go along with this. She didn¡¯t know what would happen if someone saw them battling orcs and not at some ice cream parlor.


    If she was being completely honest with herself, she actually wanted to destroy those orcs. This wasn¡¯t about Connor. This was about Akshi. There was a chance Akshi might put two and two together and figure out this was a message of her own, but she didn¡¯t want to hide. She wanted to unsettle him as much as he unsettled her.


    Except she had a thought. ¡°We can¡¯t do it by ourselves. We don¡¯t have to call Alejandra, but Milo needs to level up as much as Grizzizzik and Princess Clarissa.¡±


    Nick was still smiling as he pulled over. ¡°Let me see your phone.¡±


    Evelyn pulled out the phone from her purse and unlocked it, handing it over to him. Nick found Derek¡¯s name and pressed the call button. Evelyn watched, raising an eyebrow. The car was silent, so when Derek answered, she could hear the loud thumping of the music.


    ¡°Evelyn? What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Nick. Evelyn¡¯s with me. I have one tiny question for you,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Alright?¡± Derek said, sounding hesitant.


    ¡°Do you want to hunt some orc tonight?¡±


    There was a moment¡¯s pause, only a moment. Evelyn could almost hear Derek smirking. ¡°Hell yes I do.¡±

 Chapter 57

    Derek climbed into the back seat, a giddy smile on his face that reflected the excitement he could not contain.


    ¡°This is insane,¡± Evelyn said.


    He buckled himself in. ¡°This will be the best homecoming ever.¡±


    Nick drove from the parking lot. Evelyn¡¯s small smile disappeared, and instead she pointed to the area around her mouth. ¡°What¡¯s that on your face?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Derek pulled out his phone and turned his camera on. Streaked across part of his mouth were obvious marks of lipstick from where he and Emma had been making out. ¡°Uh, nothing.¡± He worked on trying to wipe it off. ¡°So, are there any ground rules?¡±


    Nick turned on a blinker. ¡°If anyone asks, we went to an ice cream shop to comfort Evelyn after a disastrous homecoming.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Derek turned his attention toward her. ¡°Was it?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°It was fine. Except Akshi was there. And he freaked me out.¡±


    ¡°Same.¡± Derek got the last of the lipstick off before Emma started calling him. He turned his phone on silent before smiling at Evelyn. ¡°Hey, you look great.¡±


    Evelyn brushed some hair off her shoulder. ¡°I know.¡±


    Derek chuckled, then shifted his focus to Nick. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°No idea. Milo and Grizzizzik would know where to go, though.¡±


    Derek leaned back against the seat. ¡°Should we portal them in?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do that,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Portal?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Derek concentrated, feeling the pull with Milo and reaching for him. Milo and Grizzizzik both appeared in the car. Grizzizzik¡¯s shoulder rammed into Milo¡¯s sternum and he groaned.


    ¡°What the hell,¡± Grizzizzik muttered, straightening. ¡°We¡¯ve talked about this, Nick. I don¡¯t enjoy being pulled like that.¡±


    ¡°Totally understand. But I will make it up to you by letting you give a message to your father,¡± Nick said.


    Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What kind of message?¡±


    ¡°Slaughtering the two-dozen orc army he¡¯s beginning to collect.¡±


    Grizzizzik paused, then nodded. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d be okay with that.¡±


    Derek turned toward Milo. ¡°Do you know where they are?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re stupid. We can check the same place,¡± Milo said.


    Derek placed a hand on the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Head toward Aztec road.¡±


    ¡°On it,¡± Nick said.


    It didn¡¯t take long to get there, but the plan they cobbled together felt sound enough. Evelyn was smiling the entire time. Derek was beyond excited. This would be enough to push Milo into level three. His mana fusor needed the added benefits of that level. He was close to a breakthrough with red mana, and perhaps pushing another level would be the thing he needed.


    Once they parked, Evelyn worked on getting Clarissa to their position while Grizzizzik and Milo scouted ahead. Derek rolled an eight, and the +2 barely made it a ten. Grizzizzik got a nineteen with his modifier, so hopefully it would be enough.


    Once again, they were right outside Elmwood. Derek could see the campfire about half a mile away, and he assumed it was the orcs. He rubbed his hands in excitement.


    It didn¡¯t take long before Clarissa was teleported to their position, and Evelyn explained the plan. They had over an hour to do this, and Derek couldn¡¯t wait to get started.


    Milo, being human, didn¡¯t have dark vision. Grizzizzik and Clarissa thankfully did. It explained why Grizzizzik was holding Milo¡¯s wrist, leading him back.


    ¡°There are fifteen orcs down there,¡± the rogue said.


    ¡°Hmm, only a little more than a dozen. Where did the others go?¡± Nick asked.


    Milo shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s still a lot to take on. I say we do as much as we can now while they¡¯re sleeping. We do not want to face the full fifteen by ourselves.¡±


    Grizzizzik nodded. ¡°He has a point. And we don¡¯t have all night. Let¡¯s get a little closer and begin.¡±


    ¡°Help us reach them. It¡¯s getting dark,¡± Nick said.


    Grizzizzik begrudgingly grabbed Nick¡¯s and Milo¡¯s wrists and pulled them through. Clarissa helped Evelyn and Derek as they made their way in the dark, closer to the orc camp.


    Their plan began. A swirl of sand circled around Clarissa, hiding her form until it dropped, revealing a wolf. Evelyn gave her a scratch behind the ears before the Clarissa wolf dashed off. Derek waited, the nerves and excitement making him incapable of holding still.


    Evelyn, Nick, and Derek tried to hide. Milo got a fourteen plus two for stealth, and Derek watched him meld in with the sand. Derek didn¡¯t know what Nick rolled for Grizzizzik, but one second Grizzizzik was standing next to him, the next he disappeared.


    In the darkness, they waited. They heard the orcs before they heard Clarissa. Derek hoped she hadn¡¯t attracted too many. It certainly felt like a lot.


    Derek, who was so used to the sound, was afraid of how loud it was when Milo smacked his crossbow with his wrench. He tried to see the glow of the crossbow, but it was thankfully hidden. Milo chose acid damage bolts. Derek had watched Milo working on his crossbow the past few days, using his tools to tighten it with mana. It only took Derek a moment to realize what his mana fusor was doing. He was running out of crossbow bolts, and had specifically requested to learn the infusion of repeating shot. With how much Milo worked on it over the few days, it could now create its own bolts from mana, even if it wasn¡¯t infused as an arcane weapon. Milo¡¯s crossbow was swiftly becoming the most powerful weapon he owned.


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    The wolf raced past him. Derek looked up to see four lumbering orcs chasing after it. Time slowed down. This wasn¡¯t for initiative. This was a surprise shot with Milo¡¯s crossbow.


    Derek had to roll twice for disadvantage, since he didn¡¯t have dark vision, but was happy when the lowest was a fourteen, with an added five bonus. He was not surprised to see the d8 and the d6 pop up. He gave them a good shake and got a five and a one. Disappointment came with rolling a one, but the plus three bonus made it nine total. That would be a pretty nice surprise hit.


    Time resumed, and one orc bellowed as an acid bolt hit him right in the thigh. Derek winced, hoping they were far enough from the large group of orcs that no one would hear them.


    One of the other orcs dropped to one knee with a rat dagger sticking out of his kneecap, which was the only hint of what Grizzizzik had done.


    ¡°Turn on your flashlights. It might help them see better,¡± Evelyn said.


    It was mostly for Milo¡¯s benefit, since he was a human. Derek opened his phone and turned on the flashlight, lighting the fight. Nick¡¯s phone didn¡¯t have that capability, but any light at all had to help.


    The orcs were more surprised at the light coming from Derek and Evelyn. The four orcs turned toward them, and Derek got to see just how intimidating the seven-foot-tall orcs were. He was pretty sure they could squish Derek with no trouble at all.


    Nick lifted a hand in Derek¡¯s direction, his eyes still on the orcs. ¡°They can¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    It was like Nick could read his mind. Though it gave him an idea. ¡°It might be a great distraction, though.¡±


    Right as he finished, time slowed down.


    Roll for initiative.


    This battle was going to be sick.


    The dice rolled, and with everything added, Milo got an eighteen. Since this was a sneak attack, he was pretty sure the orcs would roll at a disadvantage.


    Time resumed, and Derek wondered if he was supposed to see something.


    ¡°Grizzizzik missed,¡± Nick mumbled.


    Sometimes he wondered what it would be like to have dark vision. Time slowed down, and Derek made his quick decision. There was enough light from their phones that Milo was no longer at a disadvantage, which was good enough for him.


    It would be stupid to choose anything other than the crossbow right now. He grabbed the d20 and gave it a good shake. It landed on nineteen, and the plus five was an easy hit. He then grabbed the floating d6 and d8, giving them a good shake, too. They landed on a four and a one. The plus three gave it a nice bump, and he chose the enemy Milo could see the clearest.


    Time resumed. The orcs were confused and livid. A dangerous combination. One of them grunted in surprise as an acid bolt whacked its arm, but they were still confused about Derek and Evelyn holding the phone with light coming out of it. One orc picked up its massive great axe and swung at Evelyn. She closed her eyes, and Derek and Nick watched as the weapon sliced right through her abdomen and did nothing to harm her. Evelyn cracked an eye open, smiling.


    With a snarl, Clarissa the wolf bounded out of nowhere and tackled the orc that tried to slice Evelyn in half. The orc toppled over as the wolf tore his throat open, blood going everywhere as the teeth sliced into an artery. A gurgle came out of the orc before it expired.


    Derek checked his clothes to make sure the orc blood didn¡¯t get on his suit. ¡°Nice.¡±


    Another orc tried to slice the wolf in half, but Clarissa leapt out of the way, snarling. The last two orcs tried to stab Derek and Evelyn with their javelins, but they moved right through.


    ¡°We should join their fights more often.¡± Derek lifted his arms. ¡°We¡¯re great distractions.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think many of our enemies will be as stupid as orcs,¡± Nick said.


    Grizzizzik appeared from nowhere, making a wide slice against one of the orc¡¯s throats before again dashing back into the shadows.


    Derek couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Dude! That¡¯s sick!¡±


    ¡°Sneak attacks are great!¡± Nick said.


    Time came to a standstill. Derek rolled and got another nineteen. He was positively beaming. This had to be the best homecoming week he¡¯d ever had.


    With twelve total damage, Milo aimed at the orc that attacked Derek and completely obliterated him with one powerful acid bolt to the neck. The orc dropped without so much as a whimper. Derek gave Milo a thumbs up, and he returned it.


    Clarissa the wolf once again leapt onto the orc Grizzizzik hit. The orc toppled to the ground as the wolf bit down on the exposed throat. The orc once again gurgled as he, too, died. Clarissa¡¯s snout was covered in blood as she snarled.


    The final orc tried once again to stick his javelin straight through Evelyn¡¯s gut. In a way, he did, but Evelyn simply smiled as the orc grunted in confusion.


    Grizzizzik appeared again out of nowhere and slammed his rapier against the orc¡¯s thigh. The orc bellowed before collapsing.


    They were down. All four orcs were dead, and it only took a few minutes. Milo and Grizzizzik brushed themselves off. Neither one of them were hurt.


    Grizzizzik tried to heave one of the great axes. ¡°How much gold do you think Calawit would give us for these? We might have quite the collection before the end of the night.¡±


    Milo shrugged. ¡°I have no idea, but we might as well ask when we see her next.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s going to lug them around?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°No one.¡± Milo put his crossbow in his inventory. ¡°I¡¯ll put them in my void bag.¡±


    ¡°You have a void bag?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Milo reached behind him and took out one of Amanda¡¯s reusable shopping bags. ¡°I¡¯ve got a lab, now. I created my own void bag.¡±


    Derek couldn¡¯t help it and started giggling. He¡¯d been rolling a ton for Milo during school. He assumed it was for creating mana, but clearly, it was for something else. They watched, fascinated, as Grizzizzik and Milo stuffed huge great axes and javelins into the reusable shopping bag. It wasn¡¯t one of his mother¡¯s favorites, so that was good. It had a huge anthropomorphic apple, giving an enormous smile and a wave. Next to the apple was a huge ¡®Muchas Gracias¡¯ in fancy calligraphy. There was a point where Derek was certain the bag would break, but they kept sliding in the weapons like it was nothing. Clarissa, still in her wolf form, ran to get more orcs.


    A hundred and thirty-three experience points dropped into Milo¡¯s progress bar, and Derek couldn¡¯t help but smile. By the end of the night, they were going to get to level three. He could feel it.


    Clarissa brought five orcs, and the battle was about the same. It was starting to feel like a grind. The orcs were so surprised and startled by the lights that Derek, Evelyn, and Nick took the brunt of the attacks. It wasn¡¯t hard. The orcs were so stupid they kept trying to attack them.


    Milo and Grizzizzik once again put five pairs of great axes and javelins in the reusable shopping bag as Clarissa ran off for more.


    Derek watched, fascinated, as they finished filling the bag with all the loot they found. Milo held the bag like there was barely anything in it before sliding it back into his inventory. From what he remembered, void bags could carry five hundred pounds worth of items but only feel like ten pounds. Milo was working hard in the lab. There was no doubt about that.


    There was an odd chirping sound, and Nick pulled out his old phone. He frowned.


    Despite everything, Derek felt the numbing panic enter his chest. ¡°Is it your dad?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­ Tyler.¡±


    ¡°Tyler? Why is he calling you?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Derek checked his own phone, since he had it on silent. He saw a ton of missed calls from Emma and a few from Tyler.


    ¡°Do I answer?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Technically, Tyler told them not to do this until next week. They were going against their game master¡¯s wishes. But he also wasn¡¯t the game master.


    They heard a yelp in the distance, like the sound of a wolf getting hit with a javelin.


    ¡°Princess!¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Is she alright?¡± Derek asked as Nick turned off his phone and slid it back into his pocket.


    Evelyn was reading something from the character sheet only she could see. ¡°She got smacked with something. She¡¯s down to two hit points in her wolf form.¡±


    Derek was trying to figure out how far away Clarissa was. They might need to go find her. And fast.


    Everyone else had the same idea. They moved from their battle spot, with Grizzizzik leading the way with his dark vision. Their careful walk ended up being a careful jog. There was another yelp, which caused Evelyn to sprint. ¡°Princess Clarissa!¡±


    A wall of flame appeared not that far from them. They ran to it like a beacon as an orc bellowed in pain. If Clarissa was using magic, she must have dropped her wolf form.


    Time slowed down, and Derek¡¯s momentum came to a slamming halt. Familiar words filled Derek¡¯s vision.


    Roll for initiative.

 Chapter 58

    Derek grabbed the d20 and gave it a roll. Eleven total wasn¡¯t bad, but he was more worried about how far away they were from the battle. The entire group was running as fast as they could, but it wouldn¡¯t be enough if Clarissa was facing the rest of the orc army by herself.


    ¡°She¡¯s turned back into a wolf and is running toward us!¡± Evelyn shouted. ¡°She was incredibly lucky that she was first in combat!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good plan!¡± Milo said.


    Grizzizzik was running a lot faster than everyone else, mostly because he could see so much better.


    The shadow of a wolf streaked by, and Derek skidded to a stop. That was Clarissa, running past them. Which meant¡­


    Six orcs followed after her. Milo leapt out of the way as Derek, Evelyn, and Nick covered their faces and let the horde run on past. The more the weapons and bodies moved through him, the more gross it felt.


    The orcs seemed to notice the three of them, and they came to a halt.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­¡± Derek said as the orcs started circling around them. ¡°They can¡¯t hurt us.¡±


    Nick held out a hand like he was planning on grabbing one of their javelins. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Time slowed down for Derek. His roll produced a dirty twenty. The orcs were holding torches, which benefited Milo.


    He didn¡¯t know how long they¡¯d been doing this. Milo¡¯s mana weapon could only go for an hour, and they were closing in on that. Derek rolled the d6 and the d8 as quickly as possible, even though time had slowed for him. They needed to end this fight fast.


    With ten points of acid damage, Derek chose the orc that looked like Clarissa¡¯s bonfire spell had hurt it. Milo lifted his crossbow and let the bolt loose, smacking the orc right in the brain. The orc¡¯s eyes rolled up to the top of his head before collapsing. The other orcs didn¡¯t like that.


    Grizzizzik dropped next to Milo and pulled out his rapier, stabbing the orc about to come after him. The sword went right through the orc¡¯s stomach. It squealed before dropping to the ground.


    ¡°One hit kill. Nice roll,¡± Derek said.


    Nick looked as surprised as anyone. ¡°It was my strongest roll yet.¡±


    One of the other orcs smacked Grizzizzik with his great axe. Derek winced in sympathy as the rogue got a nasty gash across his shoulder and he dropped to ten hit points. The other orc slammed his great axe at Milo, a dangerous gash across his ribcage.


    Time slowed down.


    Make a constitution saving throw.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Derek said, grabbing the dice. It was a bad enough hit he¡¯d have to roll for concentration to keep his spell working. He gave it a good shake before it landed on a six. The +3 bumped it up to a nine, but it wasn¡¯t enough. It needed to be a ten or higher.


    Time resumed, and the green color crossbow flickered and went out as Milo gripped the gash in his side, panting.


    Derek picked up a small rock. ¡°Hey! Over here, idiot!¡± He threw it at the orc, watching it bounce harmlessly off its armor.


    With another snarl, Clarissa the wolf leapt onto one of the orcs facing Evelyn and Nick, biting down hard on its shoulder. The orc stumbled but kept standing. It grabbed its javelin and stabbed the wolf biting its shoulder. It was an awkward hit, and Clarissa jumped off with no injury, snarling at the orc. The orc next to it slammed his axe straight through Evelyn¡¯s torso.


    She backed away from the ace, touching her dress. ¡°This would be so much worse if it actually hit.¡±


    Time slowed down, and Derek made a roll. It landed on a two. He winced as he watched Milo gripping his side as he lifted his crossbow, trying to aim, but groaning again as the side of his shirt was drenched in blood.


    Gathering his strength, Grizzizzik made a slice through to the orc that hit it. It bellowed in anger as it grabbed its belly that now had a clean cut right through it. It snorted, glaring at the rogue. Once again, it picked up his great axe and made a swing. It was too slow and lumbering, and Grizzizzik easily dodged the weapon.


    The orc next to Milo tried the same thing. Despite how much pain Milo was in, he sidestepped the weapon, too. The orc stumbled, and the weapon clattered to the ground.


    ¡°Someone definitely rolled a nat one,¡± Derek mumbled.


    Clarissa the wolf bit the orc¡¯s ankle, snarling as she did so. The orc bellowed in rage. It brought up a javelin and slammed it down hard. Clarissa yelped as her eleven hit points dropped to five.


    The orc who had tried to kill Evelyn picked up his great axe and swung it at Clarissa. It buried itself into the wolf. The yelp of pain finished with a scream as Clarissa appeared as herself. She had seven hit points left and a gash across her hip.


    Time slowed down again. Derek was getting nervous. Despite destroying two orcs easily, there were four orcs remaining. Only one looked like it was a breath away from death. Another looked ragged, but ready to fight. He wasn¡¯t sure if the last two had even gotten hit.


    He rolled a nat twenty, which felt fantastic. He was really missing the lack of mana on his crossbow, but he might need to save his last mana for curing wounds. Instead, he rolled damage for the crossbow and got a four plus the added three bonus. He then used his bonus action that came with being a badass crossbow user and pulled out his dagger, too. The die landed on fifteen, which was a hit. He got a one with his dagger damage, but every little bit helped. The plus two made it a three, and he hoped with all that damage it would at least be a nice chunk of pain for the orc that looked like it hadn¡¯t gotten hit.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Time resumed. Milo raised his crossbow and slammed a bolt into the orc¡¯s shoulder before switching, slicing his dagger up through the armor and into his other shoulder. The orc roared, black blood seeping from his wounds. Thankfully, it was the one that had dropped his great axe.


    Next to him, Grizzizzik tried to slice at the orc, but the creature blocked it with its great axe. The orc then tried to smash the axe into Grizzizzik¡¯s face, but he leapt out of the way, sneering at the orc.


    The orc that Milo injured grabbed his javelin and smacked it against Milo¡¯s head. Derek gasped as he saw Milo¡¯s hit points drop to one. ¡°Milo!¡±


    Blood poured from a gash in his head. Milo was barely standing, gasping for air.


    Clarissa slammed her scimitar down on the orc near her, and its cry of pain cut off as the light in its eyes died. Three orcs left.


    Clarissa sheathed her scimitar before chanting something in elvish. Sand began picking up around her as they heard a roar of a bear. Derek watched, relieved, as seven hit points bumped Milo up to an eight. The gashes on his head and his side didn¡¯t look nearly as bad.


    ¡°I love that feature,¡± Derek said.


    Evelyn nodded. ¡°Me too.¡±


    Grizzizzik and Clarissa too got an extra seven hit points. Which was nice when the orc was ready to slam his great axe into Clarissa¡¯s gut. She got out of the way, but not soon enough. A bit of the blade caught her, and four points were taken off her hit points.


    Derek took his turn, rolling the die. He winced as he got a nat one. That couldn¡¯t be good.


    Time resumed, and Derek watched in horror as Milo raised his crossbow at the orc. The orc slammed it away with his hand, and it went off, heading straight for Grizzizzik, who had his rapier out. Grizzizzik tried to make an attack on the orc, but got hit in the shoulder with the bolt. He shouted in surprise as he stumbled back, his eyes wide as he stared at Milo.


    ¡°What the hell!¡± Grizzizzik hissed, trying not to look at it.


    Milo stared at the rogue with wide, apologetic eyes.


    Both orcs came down hard on Grizzizzik and Milo. Grizzizzik¡¯s orc slammed him hard with the great axe and he stumbled back with a slice across his chest. His hit points dropped to three.


    Taking advantage of Milo¡¯s distraction, the orc drove his javelin through Milo¡¯s gut.


    ¡°NO!¡± Derek should be used to this. Milo was so incredibly squishy. But it still didn¡¯t stop his sinking heart as his mana fusor¡¯s hit points dropped to zero. The mana fusor stared ahead, still in shock, before his eyes rolled up to the back of his head and he collapsed on the ground.


    Derek ran forward, knowing he couldn¡¯t let the orc hit Milo again. Not when he was down. It was terrifying how swiftly things could go wrong with a couple of bad dice rolls.


    Clarissa swiped her scimitar into the orc. It grunted, but Derek was pretty sure they¡¯d never even touched this orc. The orc backed away from Clarissa¡¯s attack before once again swinging his great axe at her. Clarissa easily dodged it.


    Grizzizzik slammed his rapier into the orc. It bellowed before it dropped to the ground, dead.


    Time stood still right as Derek was about to step in front of the orc.


    Make a death saving throw.


    Derek whimpered as he grabbed the d20.


    ¡°Come on. High number. High number.¡± It landed on a three. ¡°Seriously? I¡¯d stick you in dice jail if I could. You are not behaving right now!¡±


    Time resumed and Derek slid in front of the orc that looked like it was ready to stab Milo. ¡°Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t you dare! Focus on me, you big, stupid orc. Focus. On. Me.¡±


    The orc bellowed at him, sticking Derek through, but nothing happened. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Use your action on me.¡±


    Clarissa dug her scimitar into the orc, but it didn¡¯t do too much. She hit more of the armor than she did the skin. The orc was not happy. It tried once again to hit Clarissa, but it was so enraged that the great axe slipped from its fingers and tumbled into the ground.


    Grizzizzik tried once again to fight his orc, but the creature was so much stronger. It blocked Grizzizzik¡¯s strike, and the rapier tumbled from his weak grip.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Nick said.


    Derek made another death saving throw. Having one failure already against him, he didn¡¯t want to make it two.


    Luckily, this one landed on twelve, and he got a check on success.


    The orc tried again to stab Derek straight through the gut, but it simply went through him. Derek was happy to be a meat shield for his friend.


    Clarissa again stabbed the orc. It screamed before dropping to the ground, dead.


    Grizzizzik, no doubt angry at losing his rapier, snarled before he leapt against the orc. The creature was no doubt surprised by this. Grizzizzik took a chunk of skin out of the orc¡¯s arm with his fangs. He then looked up at the creature as he chewed and swallowed. Derek winced as he watched Grizzizzik¡¯s health bump up to five.


    Nick simply shrugged. ¡°I need every bit I can.¡±


    Derek lifted a hand. ¡°Not complaining here.¡± Time slowed down for him. ¡°Come on, nat twenty, nat twenty.¡± It dropped on a seven again. ¡°Oh, come on!¡± Another x appeared in the failure. He could not fail again. Milo would die. ¡°Milo needs a healer!¡±


    Evelyn cupped her hands around her mouth. ¡°She¡¯s coming!¡±


    The druid bounded over and dropped to her knees, shifting Milo to his back before placing her fingers an inch away from his forehead. She chanted something that sounded like the whistle of wind. A sandy light came out of her palms as they fed into Milo¡¯s head.


    Milo coughed, struggling to sit up as seven hit points tumbled into him.


    ¡°Oh, thank god,¡± Derek mumbled.


    Grizzizzik pulled out his hell dagger and shoved it into the orc. It bellowed and dropped to the ground, dead. It was the last of them. They had done it. They defeated all fifteen.


    After all was said and done, they had gained five hundred experience points for defeating fifteen orcs. Derek sighed in relief as he saw his mana fusor¡¯s experience fill up.


    Milo ready for level three.


    If anything, Milo needed more hit points. The fact that the three of them could do all this without their fighter was incredible. But they all would have died if Derek, Evelyn, and Nick hadn¡¯t distracted the orcs.


    Grizzizzik took his hell dagger out of the orc and sheathed it. ¡°Does anyone have any other healing left?¡±


    Though still sitting on the ground, Milo lifted a finger. ¡°I¡¯ve got one left. And a bunch of gold mana.¡±


    ¡°Princess Clarissa has two left,¡± Evelyn said.


    Grizzizzik lifted his blood covered hand, resting it gently on Milo¡¯s shoulder. The rogue¡¯s teeth lengthened, his eyes turning to slits. The mana fusor shrank back. ¡°I¡¯m going to pull this crossbow bolt out of my shoulder, and you¡¯re going to heal it. Or I will eat you and take my healing that way.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter that Grizzizzik wouldn¡¯t be able to eat Milo. The threat was enough that whatever color was left in Milo¡¯s face quickly fled. ¡°Okay.¡±


    In one swift motion, Grizzizzik grabbed the bolt sticking out of his shoulder and pulled it out. He let out a shout as Milo grabbed his hand. Derek rolled the d8, and it landed on a five. He got a +3 for his spell caster modifier, and golden mana flowed into the rogue¡¯s arm. Grizzizzik shuddered as the wound on his shoulder closed and he got thirteen points back in his health bar.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Grizzizzik hissed, looking far better than everyone else, but more angry. Milo didn¡¯t start breathing again until the rogue let go and went looting through the bodies, gathering weapons together.


    Clarissa had ten hit points left, but she was holding her hip that had stopped bleeding. Milo brushed some blood off his face. ¡°Do you need to heal yourself?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Really,¡± Clarissa said.


    Milo reached behind him and pulled out a vial of gold mana. ¡°You, more than any of us, need to keep your health up.¡±


    Clarissa sighed, then took the vial. She downed it before muttering her same elf incantation. The gold mana stitched her wounds and gashes, and Derek saw her health bar fill all the way up. She brushed herself off. ¡°Thank you, Milo.¡±


    Milo¡¯s voice dropped, somehow sounding both light-hearted and serious. ¡°I need you to make sure Grizzizzik doesn¡¯t kill me.¡±

 Chapter 59

    Nick, Evelyn, and Derek came together as they watched their characters loot the bodies. Milo was mostly there to hold the reusable shopping bag as Grizzizzik and Clarissa pushed great axes, javelins, and other supplies into the bag. Nick shook his head.


    ¡°Grizzizzik snatched all the money these orcs had. He¡¯s probably not going to tell Milo or Princess Clarissa about it,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Hey! Share the gold!¡± Evelyn shouted toward Grizzizzik. The three characters acted like she hadn¡¯t said a word. ¡°They won¡¯t hear us, will they.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Derek said. ¡°Alejandra tried telling Se?ora Florez everything, but she couldn¡¯t hear anything. There¡¯s definitely some magic keeping people from interfering with the game, however that works.¡±


    Evelyn grumbled about something as she pulled out her phone. ¡°Oh, god. I forgot about Tyler.¡±


    Derek pulled out his own phone. There were forty-five missed calls from Emma. He didn¡¯t know what that was about, but he was thinking he shouldn¡¯t have made out with her. He tried finding Tyler¡¯s name, but was interrupted again as Emma tried to call.


    He immediately dismissed it and called Tyler as fast as he could. It wasn¡¯t ringing for long.


    Tyler sounded out of breath and worried. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Okay, deep breath. Sorry we didn¡¯t pick up any of your calls.¡±


    ¡°Where are you!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re¡­¡± Derek paused, looking around. He didn¡¯t actually know where they were. ¡°We¡¯re heading back. Soon.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re not at the school?¡±


    ¡°No. We¡­ um¡­¡±


    ¡°Derek.¡± There was an underlining tone in Tyler¡¯s voice. Almost like his friend was being the adult in the situation that he never wanted to be, and hinted for Derek to tell the truth.


    ¡°We¡­ ditched the homecoming dance and¡­ took on fifteen orcs. They¡¯re dead now.¡±


    Tyler groaned, the pain and annoyance carrying through the phone. ¡°This was¡­ you could have¡­ what were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°I have had the worst feeling in the world for an hour, and it hasn¡¯t gone away. I am coming to find you. Where are you?¡±


    Derek sighed, then motioned for the others to follow him as he told Tyler where Nick had parked the car. Tyler was grumbling the entire time, but followed the instructions.


    Grizzizzik whispered something to Nick, who looked exhausted, but said something back. The rogue gave Nick a look, and Nick matched that same look. Grizzizzik shrugged and slipped back toward the orcs. Milo searched around in his void bag and handed Clarissa a piece of cloth before motioning to his mouth. She muttered her thanks before wiping the orc blood off as they walked.


    By the time their little group was at Nick¡¯s car, Tyler was getting out of his, looking pale.


    ¡°You don¡¯t¡­ this isn¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t have you¡­¡± Despite the long drive, Tyler¡¯s mind was still scattered.


    Derek raised a hand. ¡°Dude, we¡¯re fine. And we all got to level three. This is what we were supposed to do. Level up as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°No. Something¡¯s wrong. Something bad.¡± Tyler looked around. ¡°Where¡¯s Grizzizzik?¡±


    Everyone turned to Nick, who had his arms crossed. He closed his eyes briefly before staring at the ground. ¡°He wanted to chop all the orc heads off to place strategically throughout Elmwood to send a message to his father.¡± That brought a silence among the group. Tyler¡¯s chin slowly fell as his eyebrows rose. Nick gave a defeated shrug. ¡°It¡¯s what Grizzizzik does. This should surprise no one. It¡¯s not me, it¡¯s his character.¡±


    Tyler¡¯s head dropped the rest of the way. ¡°Oh good god, that phrase.¡±


    ¡°Like you haven¡¯t said your fair share of game master phrases,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Yeah, well, here¡¯s a classic one.¡± Tyler lifted his head to give Nick a look of chastisement. ¡°That is certainly a choice your character can make.¡±


    Derek couldn¡¯t help it and snorted. Tyler turned his dry gaze toward Derek. He shrugged. ¡°Oh, come on, Tyler. We¡¯re fine. The orcs are gone. You were worried the whole time, but Grizzizzik¡¯s got a master stealth plan going.¡± Derek paused, then glanced at Nick. ¡°Right?¡±


    Nick nodded. ¡°Rolled a dirty twenty. His plus six in stealth is really handy.¡±


    Evelyn was rubbing her arms, looking between Nick and Derek. ¡°Well, I mean, let¡¯s think about this. Tyler is the messenger of sorts for the true game master. His gut instincts have been right every time so far. When did you start feeling this way?¡±


    Tyler frowned, then pulled out his phone. ¡°The moment I started calling Derek. So¡­ 9:43.¡±


    ¡°Does anyone know when we started the battle?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Derek tried to think, but he remembered being too excited to skip out on homecoming to fight actual orcs in Elmwood.


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    Nick shrugged. ¡°That sounds about when we started the battle.¡±


    Tyler looked like he was concentrating. ¡°What happened during the battle that hadn¡¯t happened any other time?¡±


    Derek glanced at Evelyn, who looked at him before her eyes fell on Nick.


    ¡°We got stabbed,¡± Nick said. ¡°Multiple times. We were distracting the orcs from our characters so we could take the brunt of the damage since Hraktar wasn¡¯t here to do that.¡±


    Tyler didn¡¯t move for a good five seconds, staring at Nick. Then he pulled out his phone. ¡°Let me see.¡±


    Nick was confused. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Wherever you were stabbed, let me see.¡± Tyler tapped something on his phone before the flashlight turned on. The confusion never let up from Nick¡¯s face, but he grabbed the end of his shirt and lifted it. He didn¡¯t have to get far. There was some sort of mark where the orcs stabbed him in the stomach, and yet there was no blood. It looked more like a bruise, but it was gray.


    Derek paused, then checked his own stomach. It was littered with more gray marks. He touched them, not feeling a thing, and yet seeing them all over his body.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Tyler whispered as he turned his phone to Derek¡¯s abdomen.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Tyler looked at it, rubbing his hand down his face. ¡°I don¡¯t know. And I really don¡¯t want to find out what happens if you get more. No one gets stabbed again.¡±


    Milo took out his magnifying glass and looked closer at Derek¡¯s stomach. Time slowed down, and Derek felt nerves coming to him.


    Make a medicine check.


    Derek winced as he grabbed the d20. He hadn¡¯t done a lot of these checks, and there was only a +1 bonus. It really needed to be a good roll. Nick and Evelyn depended on whatever Milo discovered, too.


    He rolled a nineteen. He let out a relieved breath as it turned into a dirty twenty.


    Time resumed itself, and Derek watched as Milo continued to stare at Derek¡¯s abdomen. He prodded the mark before reaching behind him and bringing out a vial of gold mana, downing it. He placed his hand against Derek¡¯s stomach, and it looked as though the mana was spent, but Derek never rolled any dice. Mana sifted through Milo¡¯s palm into Derek¡¯s stomach, but something stopped it.


    Milo took his hand away, almost shaking off the excess mana. ¡°I have¡­ no idea what that is.¡±


    Derek¡¯s face fell as he stared at his mana fusor.


    ¡°Did you roll for that?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Medicine. Dirty twenty.¡±


    Tyler let out another breath. He turned off the flashlight and slipped it back in his pocket before looking at Evelyn. ¡°You too?¡±


    She had her hand on her shoulder, giving a distracted nod. Tyler had his hands in his hair. ¡°Alright um¡­ this feeling sucks. Absolutely no one gets hurt by these creatures again.¡±


    Nick rubbed his chest. ¡°What about the hell hound a month ago? It went straight through me. It¡­ it was attacking Alejandra when I went to go save her. How is this different?¡± Nick was finally starting to look scared. ¡°Is it different? Is Alejandra hurt?¡±


    ¡°Remember how Phantom stabbed you? How he literally fell right through you?¡± Derek asked Tyler. ¡°Do you have any marks?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Tyler checked his shoulder, to be sure. ¡°This, somehow, is different.¡± Tyler dropped his hands, his eyes noticeably more wet. ¡°Keep an eye on this. All three of you text me if it changes. In fact, give me constant updates. Once a day, I want to know what those marks are doing.¡±


    Derek was trying to think of something, feeling the need to talk, but not sure what to say, when Nick¡¯s phone went off. Nick jumped out of his skin before swearing under his breath. He pulled it out, saw the name, and his face dropped into his glare. Derek winced, glancing at Evelyn, who was covering her mouth, eyes wide.


    ¡°Hey, Dad,¡± Nick said, turning away from everyone.


    Tyler turned toward Derek. ¡°Do you need a ride home or back to the school?¡±


    ¡°Um, home. Take me back home. I¡¯ll text my friends and let them know not to worry about me.¡±


    ¡°I took Evelyn out for some ice cream.¡± Nick was walking off a little further away, but they could still hear him.


    Derek pulled out his phone and started texting in his drama group¡¯s message.


    ¡°Obviously that¡¯s unnecessary,¡± Nick said, his voice lowering in anger.


    Tyler looked at Evelyn. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Seriously? You think that¡¯s a calm and reasonable response?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Evelyn kept her gaze on Nick. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Derek finished texting and looked up to see Nick, shoulders tense, the glare deepening. This was going to be bad.


    ¡°Akshi and I made eye contact at the dance.¡± Evelyn dropped her gaze. ¡°Briefly. And¡­ I wanted to leave. Nick had the idea of killing orcs. Derek came.¡±


    Tyler stared at her, then glanced at Derek. Derek was absently rubbing his shirt, already planning on looking at the gray marks in better light.


    ¡°So, I¡¯m not supposed to look out for my sister! Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± Nick asked.


    Tyler gave a pitiful look at Nick.


    ¡°Sorry, Tyler,¡± Evelyn said.


    His gaze shifted back to Evelyn. ¡°Sorry? Why sorry?¡±


    ¡°For¡­ tonight.¡±


    ¡°Get all your people you used to spy on me and hire them out to the FBI. Seriously. Your tracking skills need to be put to better use for this country,¡± Nick said.


    Tyler sighed, compassion filling his face. ¡°I admit I got a bit scared. I hate this feeling of helplessness. Just¡­ all of you need to promise to pick up when I call. And if Akshi made eye contact with you, then¡­¡± Tyler trailed off, digging his palm into his forehead as the implication hit him. ¡°You¡¯re not alone in this. None of us are. We have three more weeks until con.¡±


    Tyler must have felt the same way Derek did when he said that. Three weeks. Derek glanced at Milo with orc blood mingled with his own on his clothes. Evelyn made eye contact with Akshi. Grizzizzik¡¯s father now had a genuine reason to stay at the high school and learn all he could about Evelyn. Three weeks was going to be hell.


    ¡°Do you feel like Akshi is going to hurt you?¡± Tyler asked.


    Evelyn shrugged, her face crumpling. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t think I could get hurt, but¡­¡± She placed her hand across her middle.


    ¡°You said he made eye contact. Does he know anything?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I think I made it so he thought it was random.¡±


    Tyler winced. ¡°I¡¯d rather you be sure.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Evelyn rubbed her arms, her voice trembling. ¡°Me too.¡±


    Nick slammed his phone shut, stomping over to his car, the dark glare on his face. ¡°Evelyn, we¡¯ve got to go. Dad¡¯ll call the police in eight minutes if we¡¯re not home.¡± Evelyn nodded, heading for the car. Nick pointed to Derek. ¡°Do you have a ride home?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Good. See you Monday.¡±


    Clarissa climbed in the back. Tyler and Derek moved out of the way as Nick started the car and drove away. Milo remained; his arms folded. They were silent as they watched the car speed off.


    ¡°I hate all of this.¡± Tyler checked his phone again. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Alejandra and Rafael. All of you need to keep an eye on Evelyn at school. Make sure she¡¯s safe. I don¡¯t¡­¡± Tyler almost shuddered. ¡°I have no idea what to do.¡±


    Derek looked at the road where Nick¡¯s car disappeared. ¡°I really want to kill more orcs,¡± Derek mumbled.


    Tyler gave him a look. ¡°Pick up your phone next time.¡± Tyler started heading toward the car. ¡°And stop getting stabbed. This whole thing is freaking me out.¡±


    This was going to be a very long three weeks.


    They got in the car. Milo buckled himself in the back. He tightened it as he leaned forward. ¡°So¡­ there¡¯s no easy way to say this, but¡­ can I do more experiments on you later?¡±


    Derek smirked as Tyler rubbed his forehead. ¡°Let¡¯s get everything sorted out to get you to level three. Then you can try again. Maybe being level three will help.¡±


    Milo nodded. ¡°That sounds good.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re level three now. Do you still want the ability to make your cannon?¡± Derek asked.


    A smile grew on Milo¡¯s face. ¡°Hell yes I do.¡±

 Chapter 60

    The ride home was silent. The charge of Nick¡¯s glare filled the entire car, and Evelyn was terrified to break it. She distracted herself by glancing at the options for her third level druid. There wasn¡¯t too much for level three. The big one came from level two, choosing her druid circle. Clarissa now had access to two level two spells, and four level one spells. More spells were always nice, and she¡¯d also have to roll for hit points. It would feel nice to have over twenty hit points.


    Evelyn didn¡¯t dare move. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she prepared for a screaming match between Nick and Walt when they got home. Clarissa was taking a quick nap in the back. Grizzizzik was still doing whatever he needed to around Elmwood.


    They pulled into the driveway. Nick barely turned it off before shoving the door open and getting out. He slammed the door before heading toward the garage. Evelyn¡¯s eyes grew warm. She didn¡¯t want to go inside. She knew what would greet her there.


    Clarissa sat up, straightening her tiara. ¡°Shall we go inside?¡±


    The first of the tears fell. ¡°I suppose.¡±


    The druid heard the tone in Evelyn¡¯s voice. ¡°You¡¯re scared?¡±


    Evelyn watched as Nick walked through the opened garage door and inside the house. ¡°Terrified.¡±


    Clarissa followed her gaze as she noticed Nick. ¡°Ah. You did not get your father¡¯s permission to do this adventure.¡±


    ¡°You could say that.¡±


    There was silence again, then Clarissa unbuckled her seatbelt. ¡°Worry always does more harm than good. The situation is happening. Worrying about what might happen is silly when we can go see what¡¯s happening.¡±


    Evelyn closed her eyes and took a steadying breath. Her fingers fumbled over the door handle before she opened it and got out of the car, the shouting already drifting out the door. She made sure the car was locked before moving into the garage. After another moment of readying herself, she opened the door.


    A wave of sound hit her. Lydia was nowhere to be found. Evelyn felt a powerful urge to sneak across the wall and hide in her room.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a joke, Nick. You can¡¯t leave this house! You are grounded!¡±


    ¡°I have spent years doing absolutely nothing! My record is squeaky clean! I have been perfect! Why isn¡¯t that enough for you!¡±


    ¡°You know the rules of being grounded! I am not budging one inch until you turn eighteen!¡± Walt held up Nick¡¯s phone. ¡°Tell me right now why Tyler called you.¡±


    Nick glared at Walt. ¡°I don¡¯t know. As you can plainly see, I didn¡¯t answer it!¡±


    ¡°It was my fault!¡± Evelyn found herself saying.


    Nick and Walt ignored her.


    ¡°You really think I¡¯m going to take that answer?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the truth!¡± Nick shouted.


    ¡°It was my fault!¡± Evelyn shouted even louder. They finally looked at her. Evelyn walked over to stand in front of Nick. ¡°I called Nick. I wanted to come home early. He was kind enough to take me for ice cream. Is being a good brother such a punishable offense to you?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°Because you were on a date with Mom. It seemed silly to call you when Nick was already available.¡±


    Walt narrowed his eyes, studying Evelyn closely. ¡°I know he¡¯s been using your laptop to look up rental places.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Evelyn said, a statement of its own. But that, too, was a tiny lie. Nick wasn¡¯t using her laptop; she was giving it to him. She fully acknowledged she wasn¡¯t brave enough to say this to her father¡¯s face, and she hated how it felt like throwing Nick under the bus.


    Nick took the moment of silence to escape, heading down the hall and slamming the door to his room. Walt glared at his retreating form before glaring right back at her.


    ¡°You are not helping him at all. In fact, you¡¯re making it worse. He needs to learn his lesson,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°He already has,¡± Evelyn said in a brave way she did not feel. ¡°And since you clearly can¡¯t see that, you¡¯ll learn your own lesson when he turns eighteen.¡±


    Walt shook his head, then left for his own room as he slipped Nick¡¯s phone in his pocket. Evelyn was left alone in the kitchen, feeling her knees tremble. She¡¯d confronted Walt before, but it was always when he was in a good mood. She had never done that in the middle of a screaming match.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Clarissa asked.


    Evelyn brushed her sweaty palms down her dress. ¡°Yes.¡± She began walking toward her own room. ¡°You have a few more spells to choose, then we need to roll for more hit points.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes you act like a princess, and it¡¯s so fun to see.¡±


    Evelyn frowned, finally giving Clarissa a good hard look. Her druid, with her sapphire tiara and gorgeous, if bloodstained, blue dress. ¡°Me? A princess? What did I do?¡±


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    ¡°You stood up for your brother.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not acting like a princess,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Then what is?¡±


    Evelyn shrugged. ¡°You.¡±


    ¡°And what do I do?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ you¡¯re an elf. And you get things done.¡±


    Clarissa laughed, the sound light and airy. ¡°Perhaps I have a limited idea of what a princess does since I spent a century staying with my parents, but someone who stands up for those who are less fortunate would make a great princess.¡±


    Evelyn wasn¡¯t sure what to say. She was pretty sure there was more to being a princess than that, but it did feel like a good basic idea.


    Clarissa motioned her over, her face serious. ¡°Now come. If you¡¯re comfortable enough, I¡¯d like to check you for any of these gray marks the other two have. That Tyler boy is right. We need to monitor this.¡±


    Evelyn nodded, once again absently touching her stomach. She didn¡¯t feel anything, but she still remembered the grey marks on Nick and Derek¡¯s stomachs.


    ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll bounce spell ideas off each other while we do it, too,¡± Evelyn said.


    ***


    Nick tried to sleep, but he couldn¡¯t. Grizzizzik wasn¡¯t back yet, and he was uncomfortable about that. True, severing the heads off fifteen orcs had to be time consuming, let alone strategically placing them over the town. But the dance was undoubtably over. Akshi was¡­ who knows where? Maybe he should have leveled Grizzizzik up before allowing him to do this.


    At least he got more hit points. That, apparently, could be done from a distance. Grizzizzik now had twenty-five total, a nice bump from eighteen. But choosing the rogue subclass he couldn¡¯t do unless Grizzizzik was there.


    Level three was the big one. Once Grizzizzik was back, he¡¯d go through the mastermind subclass so they could get more familiar with it.


    Also, he really needed the distraction from his fight with Walt.


    Nick didn¡¯t realize he was sleeping until he heard the window sliding back. He sat up, rubbing his eyes as Grizzizzik slipped through the window. Nick checked his glowing alarm clock to see it was almost four in the morning.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe,¡± Nick said, resting his elbows on his knees.


    Grizzizzik glanced at him. In the moonlight, he saw his rogue still covered in blood. ¡°I thought you were asleep.¡±


    ¡°I was.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Sorry.¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t expect Grizzizzik to apologize. It was weird and out of character, which caused his suspicions to flare. ¡°Did everything go okay?¡±


    Grizzizzik picked off an orc tooth from his clothes. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    There was another silence. ¡°Alright, so, I wanted to talk to you fast about your rogue subclass. I don¡¯t know why it won¡¯t let me choose this until you¡¯re here, but are we good with everything about mastermind? The class you had before?¡±


    Grizzizzik folded his arms, giving Nick a blank stare. ¡°No.¡±


    Nick raised an eyebrow. ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    He waited for his rogue to explain, but it was clear he wasn¡¯t going to. The silence stretched on as he stared at his rogue, who stared blankly back. ¡°So¡­ what do you want to do instead?¡±


    Grizzizzik didn¡¯t answer. The blank stare turned into one of resign. Nick realized he couldn¡¯t choose mastermind because Grizzizzik didn¡¯t want it. He wanted something else and was hesitant to say for some reason.


    ¡°Scout?¡± Nick asked. Grizzizzik remained silent. Nick mentally scrolled through the other options given to rogues. ¡°Assassin? Thief? Swashbuckler?¡± Grizzizzik rolled his eyes, unfolding his arms and unclasping his cloak. ¡°Are you going to tell me? Or are you going to keep secretly judging me because I can¡¯t read your mind?¡±


    Grizzizzik shot him a glare as he started unbuttoning his vest. Nick¡¯s character sheet shifted, and one option filled his vision. Nick stared at it, pretty sure he was still sleeping.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ what?¡±


    Again, Grizzizzik said nothing. He simply eased himself out of his blood covered shirt before tenderly holding his shoulder where Milo accidentally shot him.


    ¡°You hate magic. And mana. You don¡¯t understand any of it. You¡­ no. This isn¡¯t you. Why do you want to be an arcane trickster?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°It is what it is.¡±


    ¡°That is the stupidest answer I¡¯ve ever heard. I created you, and this makes no sense, other than some deep desire to be a complete rebel and not listen to me.¡± Again, Grizzizzik answered with a blank stare. Nick read through the requirements. ¡°Look at this. It uses your intelligence modifier to cast spells. You¡¯re¡­ an idiot. Your modifier would be zero. Zero! Which is how much sense this choice makes.¡±


    Grizzizzik gathered his cloak, shirt, and vest. ¡°I¡¯m going to go wash these.¡±


    Nick watched his rogue leave, jaw slack. What had happened to Grizzizzik? He hated magic. Hated mana. Considered it the coward¡¯s form of fighting. Despised it because of how much his father relied on it.


    Nick stood up and silently left his room, walking down the hall until he got to the bathroom where Grizzizzik was washing his shirt and vest in the bathtub. The rogue barely glanced over his shoulders before focusing again on cleaning. Nick folded his arms and leaned against the door.


    ¡°You are Grizzizzik, right? Not some enchanted clone Akshi created to ruin his son¡¯s life by making him choose a magic based class?¡± Nick asked as quietly as he dared.


    Grizzizzik dropped his head, his shoulders slouching. ¡°Seriously, kid, didn¡¯t you create me? Don¡¯t you know how stupid a question that is?¡± The rogue stood up, facing Nick. ¡°You honestly think if I really was Akshi in disguise, I¡¯d tell you that? Even if you asked nicely?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the only way any of this makes sense,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Nick. Doesn¡¯t your little magical dice tell you it¡¯s me?¡± Grizzizzik wiggled his fingers in Nick¡¯s direction.


    Nick narrowed his eyes, but Grizzizzik was right. The character sheet was still up, still showing him all the things he would need to choose for arcane trickster. That couldn¡¯t be possible unless it was Grizzizzik making the choice.


    ¡°Stop playing games with me. Tell me why you¡¯re making a choice so out of character,¡± Nick said.


    Grizzizzik still stared at him, then turned around and kept cleaning his clothes. Nick sighed, rubbing his eyes again. He should go back to sleep. None of this made sense.


    Nick paused. Grizzizzik was his character. What made sense was doing something that seemed out of character and not telling anyone why. But there was always a reason. So¡­ what was the reason?


    Nick watched as the rogue kept cleaning clothes. Saw the occasional scar on his back from his time spent with his father. Realized how deep Grizzizzik¡¯s hatred for Akshi was.


    ¡°You¡­ heard. That we don¡¯t have a spell caster strong enough to kill him,¡± Nick said, all of it clicking into place. ¡°And you¡­ want to be the one that does it.¡± Grizzizzik stopped, holding perfectly still. ¡°We might not find a magical weapon on Earth powerful enough to keep Akshi from coming back. You need to find out how to get rid of him permanently. Despite years of sticking your nose in the air, you need to study the magical arts to figure out how to kill your father.¡±


    Grizzizzik said nothing. He didn¡¯t have to. Nick knew he was right. With a mental click, Nick chose arcane trickster. Grizzizzik stiffened, a tiny hiss escaping him. Nick watched as the rogue gripped the edges of the bathtub.


    ¡°We¡¯ll choose your spells later. I¡¯m tired.¡± Nick got up from leaning against the doorframe.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± Grizzizzik trailed off. Nick paused, glancing behind him. Grizzizzik was still hunched over the tub. The rogue turned his head ever so slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone. That I¡¯ve¡­ made this choice.¡±


    Nick frowned. ¡°They¡¯re going to find out, eventually.¡±


    Grizzizzik focused back on his clothes. ¡°We¡¯ll see how long I can keep it a secret.¡±


    Nick fought the urge to roll his eyes as he went back to his room.

 Chapter 61

    Alejandra was halfway through her shift at McDonald¡¯s when Annie walked over to her. ¡°You¡¯ve got a guy here to see you. He says he needs to talk to you about something important.¡±


    Alejandra frowned, then her heart quickened. Was Nick here?


    She used a moment of time to make sure she didn¡¯t look like she¡¯d been flipping hamburgers for the past two hours before walking up to the counter. Her smile dropped a fraction of an inch when she noticed it was Tyler. It made sense, of course. It wouldn¡¯t be Nick coming to visit her. He was a prisoner in his own home.


    ¡°Oh. Hey, I didn¡¯t expect you,¡± Alejandra said.


    Tyler gave a pathetic smile. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m heading back to Tucson soon. I need to update you on the situation.¡±


    That caused her to drop her smile completely. ¡°Is everyone alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Well¡­¡± Alejandra¡¯s eyes widened, causing him to wince. ¡°I better explain.¡±


    She listened as Tyler told the story of what had happened. Her mouth was falling open the longer Tyler¡¯s story went. Her head was spinning when he finished.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already visited Rafael. He was the one who told me you were here at work. It seems¡­ Hraktar took it pretty hard,¡± Tyler said.


    Alejandra nodded, even if she didn¡¯t really understand. Hraktar always had a hard time with orcs.


    ¡°Thanks, Tyler,¡± she said, distracted.


    Tyler didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he looked as though the weight of the world settled on his shoulder. ¡°Hey, I have to ask. When the hell hound attacked you, did you¡­ did you see any marks on your body?¡±


    Alejandra frowned as she tried to remember. She, of course, remembered the hell hound attack. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. I had¡­ my eyes closed the whole time, so I wasn¡¯t sure where it got me.¡±


    Tyler was rubbing his chin. ¡°My guess is everywhere. If you didn¡¯t see anything, then this is a recent development.¡± The heaviness was still there in his eyes. ¡°Thanks, Alejandra. Keep me posted on anything you find.¡±


    Her mind fluttered to the drake egg she had been hiding down a hill near her house. ¡°Uh, yeah. Yeah, I will.¡±


    Tyler smiled before leaving. Because he doesn¡¯t expect her to hide anything. No one really expected much trickery from Alejandra. Mostly because she was such a horrible liar.


    The three hours after Tyler left were some of the hardest she had at work. She was completely distracted, worried about her friends and Hraktar. She didn¡¯t need to focus too hard on her job, since it was a matter of making food as quickly as possible. But her mind was squarely on her friends. She knew Hraktar well, and that was part of the problem. Her character was most likely sulking, in a dangerous spiral of remembering far too much of what happened in his past. His thoughts clouded and confused. The only comfort she had was that Ezekiel was with him. The cleric always knew how to cheer him up.


    Once she was in her car, she took off her hat and ran her hand through her hair, feeling soaked in grease. She didn¡¯t have to close tonight, but it was still almost ten thirty at night by the time she pulled into the driveway. She walked in, glancing around to see her home was empty. Mariana was most likely at work. Rafael was probably asleep. It was a school day tomorrow, after all.


    She took a few more steps inside when a flicker of light came from the backyard. Frowning, she walked over and saw Ezekiel and Hraktar surrounding it, having a conversation. She backed away before seeing light under Rafael¡¯s bedroom door. He would join them Saturday. It both excited and caused her more exhaustion. Ezekiel wasn¡¯t ready.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    She walked down the short hall and knocked quietly on the door. There was a shuffle inside before Rafael opened the door.


    ¡°Oh, hey Alejandra,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Hey, um¡­ were you planning on training at all with Ezekiel this week?¡±


    Rafael looked like he was holding in a sigh as he took out his phone. He scrolled through something, his eyes hardening. ¡°Look, I just¡­ I don¡¯t have the time.¡±


    Alejandra shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re going to get Ezekiel killed.¡± His answer was a disbelieving frown as he slipped his phone back in his pocket. ¡°Everyone is at level three now. The monsters Ezekiel will be up against might be at least level three as well. I know he¡¯s a cleric, but it¡¯s¡­¡± She trailed off, her hands in her hair. ¡°Please train him. At least get him to level two.¡±


    All he did was give a shrug. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    She pointed to the hallway leading to the small living room where there was still the flickering of the fire. ¡°Ezekiel has ten hit points. Hraktar has thirty-four. How does that not scare you?¡±


    He didn¡¯t look at her, and instead folded his arms. He motioned with his thumb behind his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve got a mountain of homework I still need to do. Scholarship applications aren¡¯t going to write themselves.¡±


    Alejandra couldn¡¯t possibly stay around him for another moment. She didn¡¯t want to fight with him, but every conversation recently was them always on the border of an enormous blow up. Despite wanting to have that blow up conversation, she instead spun around and headed into the backyard. She planted herself on the ground next to Ezekiel and gathered her legs up, hugging them tightly as she looked at the fire. It was so hot outside still. Why were they around a fire? Why was she?


    It took a few more seconds before she glanced up, seeing Hraktar and Ezekiel staring at her as though they weren¡¯t sure what to do with her sudden appearance. Alejandra sighed. ¡°Sorry. I¡­ needed a minute.¡±


    Ezekiel and Hraktar exchanged glances. She looked at their hit points above their heads, once again reminded of how different the numbers were. She was terrified Ezekiel would die Saturday.


    The cleric turned his attention back to Hraktar. ¡°So anyway, that¡¯s how Bilbo gets the ring from Gollum.¡± He brought a mug up, sipping from it. It was one of the chipped Elmwood High football mugs with a wolf on it. Ezekiel smacked his lips, then frowned. ¡°Sorry, I went off on a tangent there. What was your question?¡±


    Hraktar gave the smallest of smiles. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Alejandra looked at Ezekiel, at her brother¡¯s character. She was reminded of a more tumultuous time living with Jack. How did her brother make up such a fumbling, lovable character who became the leader of their little group?


    ¡°I actually have a question for you, Alejandra.¡± Ezekiel placed his mug on the ground, focusing on her. ¡°When are we going to the library again? That is an absolutely delightful place.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Alejandra rubbed her arms even though she was not cold. ¡°Yeah, um¡­¡± Her mind cycled through her own schedule. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ Akshi is in Elmwood now. I don¡¯t know if we should travel anywhere close to the high school in case¡­¡± she trailed off, seeing the obvious hurt in Ezekiel¡¯s face.


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, I guess that makes sense.¡±


    She gave him another look before pulling out her phone and opened her e-reader app. ¡°I feel like you¡¯ve been here long enough that you could understand this technology.¡± She got up before kneeling next to him. ¡°See this? This is my library e-reader app. It¡¯s linked to my library card, so as long as the ebook is available, I can check it out. There are also a ton of books so old you can check them out without waiting. I feel like you¡¯d dig Sherlock Holmes.¡±


    Alejandra placed her phone in Ezekiel¡¯s hands. She began scrolling through all the book options. ¡°See here? Here¡¯s a Study in Scarlet. It¡¯s always available. So, I click here, then I click here. It takes a second to load, and then boom. There¡¯s the entire book. You can scroll through the pages like this.¡± She showed him with his finger how to swipe to turn the pages.


    Ezekiel stared at the phone. Alejandra wondered if she had gone too fast. Ezekiel blinked, swiping with his thumb through some pages, then back again. He looked up at Alejandra, a childlike wonder filling his eyes. ¡°You have¡­ thousands of books¡­ on this¡­ magical box?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ more like millions. Possibly billions.¡±


    Ezekiel still stared at her, then his gaze tore from hers to look back at the phone. ¡°This is¡­¡± he started giggling. ¡°This is absolutely¡­¡± he started laughing. ¡°How are you not glued to this all day?¡±


    Alejandra gave a shrug. ¡°Well, I mean¡­¡± She made a mental note not to show him her game folder.


    Ezekiel laughed, leaping to his feet. ¡°This is the most incredible thing I¡¯ve ever seen! I¡­ I¡¯ve got to go! I will see you two later!¡±


    He bolted into the house, his laughter turning manic. Alejandra chuckled as Ezekiel settled himself on the couch, diving into the book. She was happy Ezekiel found something that brought him so much joy. Turning toward her fighter, she wished there was something as easy to do to help him. Somehow, she knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy, but she prepared herself to have the conversation.

 Chapter 62

    The silence between Alejandra and Hraktar was only interrupted by the crackling fire she didn¡¯t want to sit too close to. The fighter took a small stick, breaking it in half, then in half again before absently tossing it into the flames. It was hot, but she wanted to check on Hraktar. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Hraktar started poking the fire with a log, not looking at her. Alejandra had been concerned about Hraktar ever since she heard the news of Clarissa, Grizzizzik, and Milo slaughtering the orcs. She wasn¡¯t sure what this would do to him, but it obviously made his depressive funk far worse than when he first discovered orcs traveled here.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you about the orcs. I was kind of afraid¡­ this would happen,¡± Alejandra said.


    Hraktar did that thing where he lifted the corners of his mouth. It couldn¡¯t be classified as a smile, even though there was an imitation of one on his face. This was more like he went through the motions without feeling it. It did nothing to soften his features, and it made him scarier than he realized.


    ¡°And¡­ I¡¯m sorry they¡¯re dead,¡± Alejandra finished.


    Hraktar went to pick up another stick. He snapped it in half, but it simply squashed into his hand. He let the bits sprinkle to the ground before putting a hand in his short black hair.


    ¡°It makes sense, right? Makes sense that three of my friends left to slaughter a threat. Huge, barbaric orcs. They posed a danger to the town. To you. To the others. They needed to be taken care of. They needed to be eliminated.¡±


    Alejandra looked at Hraktar. Her fighter, her half orc, was struggling mentally.


    ¡°Hraktar-¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± He turned to her, expecting an answer, but Alejandra didn¡¯t have one.


    She sighed. ¡°Just because orcs are¡­¡±


    ¡°Brutish. Barbarians.¡± Hraktar poked the fire, watching it dance. ¡°Animals?¡±


    Alejandra closed her eyes, her head hanging in defeat. ¡°Look, there¡¯s something you should know about me. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯ve got a Hispanic mom and a Caucasian dad. And my dad, he¡­¡± Alejandra couldn¡¯t bring herself to say it. Even after two and a half years, she couldn¡¯t look at someone in the face and recount the fear she felt not that long ago when Jack got in a rage. It was easier to forget.


    But it seemed like Hraktar didn¡¯t need to hear the stories. Absently, his fingers reached up to feel his mangled ear. Alejandra¡¯s eyes filled with tears. ¡°Just because half of you is orc, doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re a monster.¡±


    ¡°But they are monsters. Right? My orc tribe? Your father¡¯s tribe?¡± Hraktar asked.


    Alejandra stared at the fire. ¡°No. My father¡­ he made some bad choices. Terrible choices. That was on him. Not his family.¡± Though she knew little about Jack¡¯s family. He kept all of them pretty isolated.


    ¡°As did my orc tribe. Make horrible decisions.¡± Hraktar rubbed the side of his face. ¡°So they deserve death. Deserve to be taken out. They are a threat. They¡¯ve done unspeakable things to me. So why do I feel so terrible about their slaughter? Why am I angry at my friends for not telling me?¡± Hraktar covered his face. ¡°This should have a straightforward answer. They treated me so horribly. I should be glad they¡¯re dead. Why does this feel so¡­ complicated?¡±


    Alejandra rubbed her arms, tears in her eyes. She wanted to change the subject, because if she tried to make him feel better, it was going to get worse. She had no idea how to help him feel better, because she had no idea how to make herself feel better. ¡°It¡¯s, like, ninety degrees out here. Why did you guys make a fire?¡± It sounded callous the moment it left her mouth. Hraktar was spilling his heart, and she was trying to change the subject.


    But Hraktar let the subject be changed. ¡°To cook dinner.¡± He picked up one of her mom¡¯s tumblers, a plain blue one, and took a sip. In his large hands, it looked like nothing more than a small cup.


    ¡°Dinner?¡± She glanced at the dark kitchen through the sliding door. ¡°I thought Rafael taught you both how to make sandwiches.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he did. But¡­¡± Hraktar trailed off, then glanced at Rafael¡¯s window. Alejandra followed his gaze to see the light of Rafael¡¯s room. Rafael was on his bed, a pile of homework around him. Alejandra watched as her brother erased something on his paper, then double checked with a textbook before writing something down again. ¡°Ezekiel figured it out a couple of days ago. Your mother, she works all the time in order to earn coin, yes? To pay the bills. There seem to be many, many bills. Rafael works at the grocery store and brings home groceries. He pays for them himself without telling your mother.¡±


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    Alejandra frowned, then tore her gaze from Rafael to Hraktar. ¡°He does?¡±


    He nodded. Alejandra again looked through the window, saw her brother typing something on a calculator. He looked at it before writing it into his math homework. Mariana gave him money for groceries. What was going on?


    ¡°Your family doesn¡¯t have much coin.¡± Hraktar said it so simply, like it was a statement, but the pricks of embarrassment hit Alejandra¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°No. We don¡¯t.¡±


    Hraktar nodded, looking into the fire. ¡°Ezekiel told Rafael not to worry about buying food for us. We¡¯ve survived off the land long enough. We don¡¯t want to be a burden to you.¡±


    Alejandra still stared at Rafael. Every time she thought he was blowing off CCNC, she heard something like this. Rafael wasn¡¯t playing CCNC because he had other concerns. Making sure Alejandra and Mariana had food.


    ¡°You¡¯re never a burden, Hraktar,¡± Alejandra said.


    Hraktar was back to looking at the fire. ¡°I eat so much more than everyone else.¡±


    Alejandra smiled, placing her head on his shoulder. ¡°You save everyone¡¯s lives all the time. I guarantee no one wants to see you hungry on the battlefield.¡±


    Hraktar chuckled. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Alejandra smiled as she straightened. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡±


    ¡°A little,¡± Hraktar said. Alejandra didn¡¯t know what to say to that. Hraktar¡¯s smile was disappearing again, the heaviness returning. ¡°I need some time to process it. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Alejandra nodded, then placed her hands in her pocket as she walked back into her house. It was way too hot to stay beside a fire. She passed Ezekiel reading on her phone, making her way once again down the hall. She knocked on Rafael¡¯s door. It was almost eleven thirty, and he was still doing homework.


    Once again, she heard shuffling from inside before the door opened. Rafael looked exhausted. ¡°Yeah? What do you need?¡±


    Alejandra stared at her older brother. Tears filled her eyes. ¡°What do you do with the money mom gives you?¡±


    Rafael¡¯s facial expression seemed to freeze before surprise flickered in his eyes. ¡°How did you¡ª¡±


    ¡°What do you do with the money mom gives you for groceries?¡± Alejandra asked again.


    Rafael sighed, a heaviness entering his eyes that she sometimes saw in Hraktar¡¯s. ¡°She, um¡­¡± He rubbed the bottom of his chin, not looking at her. ¡°I found her password book while cleaning up and discovered all the places online that she pays her bills. She¡¯s got four smaller bills she can¡¯t pay right now while she¡¯s working on the bigger ones. And the essential ones that keep our lights on and such. I¡¯ve been using that money to pay off those smaller bills. Almost done with the third one. By the time I go to college, the last one will be paid off.¡±


    How did Alejandra not know any of this? ¡°When were you planning on telling me?¡±


    Rafael shook his head. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Neither should you.¡± The tears in her eyes were about to fall. ¡°Rafael, you¡¯re only a year older than me.¡±


    Rafael shrugged. ¡°Nineteen months, technically.¡± She gave his arm a soft whack, which caused a rare smile to flutter across his face.


    ¡°Please let me help pay some of those bills,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°No. Alejandra-¡±


    ¡°Stop thinking you have to solve everything yourself. Stop trying to protect me. If paying off those bills helps mom not need to be gone as much, I¡¯d drain my bank account.¡± A painful sigh escaped her. ¡°We¡¯ve¡­ all distanced ourselves since the divorce. And I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    He glanced behind him at his pile of homework. ¡°Um, perhaps¡­¡± She waited, curious. ¡°Do you¡­¡± He pulled out his phone. ¡°Hazel wants to spend some time to get to know you. Maybe¡­ maybe we could have a game night soon?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Her heart already felt lighter. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d love that.¡±


    Rafael started tapping on his phone. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll let her know.¡± She reached over and hugged him. He seemed surprised at this, considering the slight stiffening of his muscles. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Just¡­ thank you.¡±


    He patted her back. ¡°Yeah. Um, you¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Maybe it wasn¡¯t a stiffening of his muscles at all. She realized how long it¡¯d been since she gave her brother a hug. He¡¯d never been a beanpole, but she hadn¡¯t hugged him since he¡¯d gotten serious about lifting weights for all the sports he did, and there was a difference in years. Had it really been that long since she¡¯d hugged her brother?


    Alejandra let go, backing away. ¡°How much a month are the remaining bills?¡±


    ¡°A hundred and fifty a month for one, three hundred and fifty a month for the other.¡±


    That didn¡¯t sound like small bills, but probably because she was in high school. She didn¡¯t even want to ask about the bigger ones. ¡°Please accept part of my paycheck when I give it to you. I really want to help mom. You don¡¯t have to be the protector all the time.¡±


    Once again, Rafael¡¯s rare smile came through. Perhaps it seemed so rare because they hadn¡¯t had a conversation like this in a while. It felt easy. Natural. Once again, they were talking amongst themselves to figure out how to best help Mariana out of her situation.


    ¡°I really want to hang out with Hazel and you, so¡­ let me know,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    He smiled again. They needed to spend more time together.


    She went into her room and got into her pajamas. It was past midnight when she checked to see Ezekiel still on her phone. She brought out her charger and showed him how he needed to plug it in, but that he could still use it.


    Outside, the flames had burned down to embers. Hraktar¡¯s form hunched over the fire, his hands in his hair. He stared at the fire, but didn¡¯t see it. She quietly opened the sliding door again.


    Hraktar glanced up, straightening. ¡°Hi.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡± She gestured toward the house. ¡°I¡¯m going to bed soon. I¡­¡± she looked back at her fighter. ¡°You don¡¯t¡­ have to be the protector all the time.¡± Hraktar frowned. Alejandra wasn¡¯t exactly sure where she wanted to go with this. Perhaps she should have told this to Rafael instead. ¡°And don¡¯t feel like you have to do this alone. I¡¯m here for you. We all are. Even if we don¡¯t know the right words to say to help you feel better. We want to, but I never know what to say. Except¡­ sorry. That you suffered so much growing up.¡±


    There was a softening in Hraktar¡¯s face. His smile wasn¡¯t back, but at least it wasn¡¯t fake, either. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you suffered, too.¡±


    Her face relaxed to the same softening. ¡°Thanks.¡±

 Chapter 63

    Nick was reading his book as he ate his lunch. It was a CCNC novel, written in the late eighties. It was nothing but adventures, battles, and gore, and he loved it.


    He picked up a few fries and dipped them in the ketchup, eating them as he read about a goblin king getting his head thwacked off when someone dropped in the seat across from him. It wasn¡¯t too difficult to deduce it was Derek. The only other person who would sit by him was Evelyn, and she didn¡¯t have his lunch.


    ¡°Hey, Derek.¡± Nick glanced at the page number before setting his book to one side. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    It was only after he said that when he noticed something off with Derek. His usual bubbly, happy friend looked as though he¡¯d seen something terrifying. Considering everything they¡¯d gone through in the past month and a half, he braced for something bad.


    ¡°So¡­¡± Derek placed his fingertips on the table. ¡°I might have made a teeny, tiny mistake during Homecoming that is coming back to bite me. And I need your advice.¡±


    Nick raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are your gray marks changing?¡±


    ¡°Um, no. No, it¡¯s more¡ª¡±


    ¡°Derek!¡±


    They both turned. There was a girl Derek once pointed out to him as the queen of drama. Not only did she take drama, but she loved all forms of it, too, whether acting or the gossip of high school.


    ¡°Oh, uh, hey, Emma. I was¡ª¡±


    She plopped down on Derek¡¯s lap and kissed him. Nick blinked a few times, then couldn¡¯t help it and smirked. He shouldn¡¯t, but the entire situation was hilarious. He was waiting for Emma to be done so he could introduce himself, but it wouldn¡¯t happen anytime soon.


    Nick grabbed his chicken sandwich, taking a bite. Derek was squirming, trying to end the kiss, but this girl clearly had her claws dug into him.


    Derek finally broke free by faking the need to cough. Emma broke off the kiss, but still clung to him.


    ¡°So, um, Emma, this is my friend Nick Larsen.¡± Derek gestured toward Nick before trying to wipe the lipstick from his face.


    ¡°Hello.¡± Nick held out a hand to shake hers.


    Emma gave him a once over, her face devoid of emotions. ¡°No,¡± was all she said.


    Nick shrugged, returning to his chicken sandwich. Derek shot her a glare as he continued to wipe off the lipstick. ¡°Emma¡ª¡±


    ¡°Where are you taking me tonight?¡± Emma asked, lounging on him like he was a sofa.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Oooh, are you going to surprise me?¡±


    Derek shot Nick a terrified look. ¡°Yeah, um, let me plan with my good friend Nick where I¡¯m taking you tonight.¡±


    She squealed before giving him another kiss. A very long kiss. Nick simply watched, humor dancing in his eyes at how much Derek squirmed. Derek, who seemed to sense Nick¡¯s complete disregard for his current situation, lifted a hand to show off an obscene gesture before Emma finally released him.


    ¡°I will see you tonight, then!¡± She peeled herself off him and skipped to another table.


    Nick was still smirking as he passed over some napkins. Derek clawed the napkins against his lips. ¡°She¡¯s reapplying that lipstick, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Nick glanced over, stifling his smile as Emma took out her phone, applying lipstick. ¡°Yep.¡±


    Derek groaned, checking with his phone camera to make sure he got everything. ¡°It¡¯s like she¡¯s marking her territory. Why isn¡¯t this coming off? Ugh, it tastes like chalk.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ I¡¯m assuming that was the teeny tiny mistake you made at homecoming?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°I was trying to shut her up.¡±


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°By doing what? Kissing her?¡± The look his friend gave him made him lower his chicken sandwich. ¡°Holy shit, Derek.¡±


    ¡°I admit my plan wasn¡¯t exactly thought through, and perhaps I needed to take the advice of my friends and not ¡®kiss crazy¡¯,¡± Derek said in the quietest, most humble voice Nick had ever heard from his friend.


    Nick shook his head, chuckling again. ¡°So, you¡¯re going to break up with her, right?¡±


    Derek again glanced around the lunchroom before facing Nick again. ¡°The plan is I get her to hate me before she breaks it off.¡±


    Nick couldn¡¯t help it. Sometimes his overly dramatic friend needed a dose of reality. He lifted his hand and slapped both of Derek¡¯s cheeks. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to shock him out of the ridiculous drama mind that controlled him sometimes. He then pointed at Derek with his finger, his face completely dry. ¡°No.¡±


    Derek was surprised that Nick had slapped him, but he seemed more annoyed at his answer. ¡°That is the only way to get to Emma. She has to decide herself.¡±


    ¡°Holy hell, Derek. You tell it to her straight. Stop making it about her and put your own feelings into consideration. There is no point dragging her along and playing these games. You¡¯re almost eighteen yourself. Have some decency.¡± Nick grabbed a handful of fries and dipped them in ketchup. Derek stared at Nick, looking as though he had sprouted a third ear on the top of his head. Nick chewed, not comprehending why his friend was looking so confused. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Take your own advice, dude,¡± Derek said.


    It was Nick¡¯s turn to look confused. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You asked Alejandra out a year ago. She requested time. And now you two are just¡­ what? Waiting for another person to move? Leaving her alone to think about it? Never following up?¡±


    Everything in Nick froze. How Derek knew about him asking Alejandra out could only be some mythical power given to the drama kids. Gossip somehow stuck to them like a fly trapper. Nick raised his finger again. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ completely different.¡±


    Derek snorted. ¡°Really? You¡¯re a total simp.¡±


    ¡°I am not. She has some things to figure out. Her parents¡¯ divorce and everything.¡±


    ¡°The divorce that happened almost three years ago, you mean?¡±


    Nick ignored him and plowed on. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t exactly have the best reputation. Rafael made that perfectly clear he doesn¡¯t want me anywhere near his little sister.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he did?¡± Derek asked.


    Nick resisted the urge to roll his eyes. ¡°Yeah. It was soon after I got back to school after recovering from the car crash. Rafael told me he was done hanging out with me, and done playing CCNC. And I was never to hang out with his sister outside of the game.¡± That was a clean version of what Rafael said. Rafael kept hanging his criminal record over his head. Angry that Nick would betray their friendship like that. Hang out with the wrong crowd to annoy Walt. Actually think it was a good idea to go vandalize cars and houses in a different city. How pathetic his excuses were and how much Rafael could no longer handle being in his presence.


    The scar cutting across his eyebrow made Nick realize he could have died because of his stupidity. It hurt far worse hearing Rafael say all that than it was Walt to scream the same thing.


    But now he didn¡¯t care at all what Rafael thought. Perhaps he didn¡¯t care what Rafael thought of Nick¡¯s feelings for Alejandra, either.


    Nick pulled himself back to the present. ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s an excellent lesson in that. Rafael was clear and created no doubt about his true intentions. You need to do the same with Emma.¡±


    Derek snorted, stealing a few fries from Nick¡¯s plate. ¡°You know what, Nick? You show me how it¡¯s done. Talk to Alejandra, follow up with her, and maybe I¡¯ll consider your ideas.¡± Nick gave him a dry look as he finished his chicken sandwich. ¡°Nick the simp has a nice ring to it, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°You still got a bit of lipstick. Right there.¡± Nick pointed to the side of his own mouth.


    Derek panicked, pulling his phone camera to see his perfectly clean mouth. He glared at Nick. ¡°Go to hell.¡±


    Nick picked up his tray and his book, smiling sweetly at his friend. ¡°I¡¯ll see you there.¡±


    ***


    Alejandra was going over her Spanish notes, trying to figure out which words were of which genders in the worksheet they were given.


    The bell rang, and she finished writing the last of the words. It will be nice to not have homework from Spanish to do.


    ¡°Alejandra, can I have a quick word with you?¡± Se?ora Florez asked.


    She glanced up. ¡°Yeah.¡± She gathered her things and stuffed them in her bag, zipping it on the way to talk to Se?ora Florez.


    Se?ora Florez was busy wiping down the whiteboard. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing. I know our last CCNC after-school club was a little hard for you. And I feel you should know Mr. Stower came to me on Friday asking to be the second teacher for the CCNC club.¡±


    A deep panic filled her gut. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right. We need a second teacher for safety reasons. He might shut things down if I don¡¯t get one, and he did offer.¡± She placed the white board eraser down. ¡°Is there any reason I should refuse Mr. Stower¡¯s offer?¡±


    Alejandra felt a strong desire to go on default and agree with the suggestion to keep the peace. But she couldn¡¯t. This wouldn¡¯t just hurt her.


    ¡°You can¡¯t¡­ no.¡± Alejandra was in danger of triggering another panic attack. She folded her arms, looking away. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. But no. Mr. Stower can¡¯t be the second adult.¡±


    Se?ora Florez nodded, looking sympathetic. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll need to find another adult before our club tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Anderson.¡± It tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop herself.


    Se?ora Florez listened, a frown growing on her face. ¡°I¡¯ve already tried Mr. Anderson. He¡¯s adamant about not joining.¡±


    ¡°When¡¯s the last time you asked him?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°Admittedly, a couple of years ago.¡±


    Her heart quickened. ¡°Try again. I need you to go to him and say this exact sentence. ¡®Mr. Stower wants to be the second adult in the CCNC club. Alejandra and Derek are pleading with you to be the second adult instead.¡¯¡±


    Se?ora Florez frowned. ¡°And¡­ you think that will work?¡±


    Alejandra let out a breath. ¡°It¡¯s got to.¡±

 Chapter 64

    Evelyn finished cheer practice. She didn¡¯t explain to the girls why she went into the stalls to dress now. There was no real reason, except that the grey marks on her torso made her feel vulnerable. Akshi might burst into the changing room. However, if her first day back taught her anything, it was that she possibly shook Akshi off her trail. She mentally prepared to be followed by him all day, but that wasn¡¯t the case. He popped in and out of her classrooms, and Evelyn was proud of herself for not reacting a single time.


    It still meant she was eager to get home.


    She changed into her street clothes, refusing to look at the grey marks. She grabbed her bag, checking her phone messages.


    ¡°Hey, Evelyn,¡± Hazel said.


    Despite all the times she kept her face straight throughout the day, hearing Hazel say her name made her jump, almost dropping her phone. ¡°Oh, hey. Hey, Hazel.¡± She slipped her phone back in her pocket. ¡°How are you?¡±


    ¡°So good. Hey, Annie!¡±


    Evelyn glanced over to see Annie running up to them. ¡°Sorry, got distracted. Are you ready to go?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Annie, Evelyn and I want to get a group together to do CCNC,¡± Hazel said.


    ¡°CCNC? Isn¡¯t that a nerdy game?¡± Annie asked.


    ¡°Incredibly. But I also hear it¡¯s super fun. My brothers won¡¯t shut up about it. Brandi and I want to play, and Evelyn¡¯s offered to be the game master. Do you want to play?¡±


    Annie blinked, confused. ¡°When? When would we play?¡±


    ¡°We have a long bus ride to the football game on Friday. I figured we¡¯d start then.¡± Hazel looked at Evelyn. ¡°If that¡¯s alright with you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course.¡± Better to say that instead of how there was a chance their characters would appear in real life if they died. It would bring up way too many questions she wasn¡¯t ready to answer. Being the GM, it meant she could never kill off the characters, and she¡¯d be okay with that.


    ¡°Do you want to join?¡± Hazel asked, looking at Annie.


    ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve never played before,¡± Annie said.


    ¡°Great! Neither have Brandi or I. You¡¯d fit right in,¡± Hazel said.


    Annie sighed. ¡°I guess those bus rides can get really long.¡±


    ¡°Is that a yes?¡± Hazel asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a yes.¡±


    Hazel made a happy squeal and turned toward Evelyn. ¡°Are three players enough?¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah. Yeah, since this is my first time being a GM, it¡¯s best if we start small,¡± Evelyn said.


    Hazel squealed again. ¡°I¡¯m so excited! Annie, you text me if you need any help creating your character.¡± Hazel took out her phone, checking her messages. ¡°Rafael is a master at this. I¡¯ll see if he can help you out.¡±


    ¡°Good. Because I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    ¡°Again, you¡¯ll fit right in. Now, where is that boyfriend of mine? He¡¯s usually here to meet me?¡± Hazel asked. Evelyn had a strong feeling he was avoiding her. ¡°Either way, we should all get together to make our characters. You have second lunch, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I do,¡± Annie said.


    ¡°Perfect. We¡¯ll meet at the table and get our characters ready. Rafael has the same lunch, and he can bring his dice. Do you want to join Evelyn?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She said it before thinking of a better excuse. ¡°No, um, I don¡¯t need to be there. The best thing you can do is think of your character¡¯s backstories and send them to me. Don¡¯t tell each other, though. Half the fun is discovering other people¡¯s backstories.¡±


    Hazel¡¯s thumbs flew over her phone. ¡°I am seriously so excited. I will see you all tomorrow.¡±


    Evelyn smiled and headed toward Annie¡¯s car.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a dice rolling game?¡± Annie asked. ¡°It¡¯s not gambling, is it?¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s fingers tightened over the straps of her bag. ¡°No. It¡¯s just a game. Dice is involved, but it¡¯s not gambling. It¡¯s nice if you have your own set of dice, but I can bring a few extra sets of mine.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. Choice, Chance, and Consequences, huh?¡± Annie said as they got to her car. ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that the game from the eighties that opens you up to being possessed by devils?¡±


    Evelyn happened to glance over to Hazel right as Rafael wrapped his arms around her. As she suspected, he waited until Evelyn was gone.


    ¡°It was a scare. Not real,¡± Evelyn said.


    Annie chuckled. ¡°Oh, good.¡±


    The huge smile on Rafael¡¯s face could be seen for miles as Hazel hugged him tight. Hazel, the most popular girl in school, the kindest, happiest person on earth, had her arms wrapped around him, giving him a kiss.


    Evelyn tore her gaze away and slid into the front seat.


    ¡°They¡¯re adorable, aren¡¯t they?¡± Annie asked.


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    ¡°Hazel and Rafael?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Annie started up her car. ¡°Yes! Ugh, so sweet.¡±


    ¡°Yep. Perfect,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Annie shifted to reverse. ¡°We¡¯ll find our perfect guy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She tried to put some feeling into it.


    ***


    Nick organized his backpack, making sure everything was in there before slamming his locker closed. He checked his phone to see the time before tucking it back into his pocket. He glanced up to see Evelyn heading toward him. ¡°Oh, hey.¡± He glanced around the hallway as she approached him to see if Akshi was following her. ¡°You alright?¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± It didn¡¯t sound believing. ¡°Hey, do you know where Derek is? I want to ask him if we¡¯d be alright playing other campaigns.¡±


    Nick was so confused by the question. ¡°You mean, in CCNC?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Like, if a group of people wanted to play another game, I should¡­ I should go along with it, right? I thought I settled myself on an answer last night, but now I can¡¯t be sure.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re totally fine,¡± Derek said, appearing out of nowhere. ¡°Alejandra and I still play our campaign in our CCNC after-school club, and so far, no side effects.¡±


    Nick stared at Derek. ¡°Where did you come from?¡±


    ¡°Just¡­¡± Derek, too, glanced around the hallway. ¡°Shaking things up.¡±


    Nick gave him a look, and he shrugged it off. Emma must be looking for him.


    ¡°Okay. It should be fine. Hazel wants to start a CCNC campaign, and I was worr¡ª¡±


    Derek made a noise that couldn¡¯t be human, cutting Evelyn off and causing Nick¡¯s gaze to shoot toward him.


    ¡°Hazel? As in Hazel Jones?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Evelyn furrowed her brows in confusion. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You said Hazel Jones and a CCNC campaign in the same sentence? Are you getting the cheerleading captain involved in CCNC?¡±


    Again, Evelyn paused, though her furrowed brow relaxed into more of a skeptical look. ¡°Actually, a few of the cheerleaders want to play, so we¡¯re planning a session on Friday on our way to the football games.¡±


    Derek¡¯s eyes were wide. ¡°I could kiss you.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s face dropped. ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡±


    Nick gave his friend a look, because judging by his past stupid actions, there was a chance he might do it anyway.


    ¡°Evelyn¡­¡± Derek raised a hand, looking like he was standing in the presence of an angel. ¡°You do anything you can to foster the spirit of CCNC among the cheerleaders. Do you hear me? Get them to want this. Please. I am beg¡ª¡± Derek stopped, then his eyes widened. ¡°Escape. Nick, Nick, escape. Open your locker. Right now.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he asked, even as his hand already rested on the lock.


    ¡°There¡¯s Delly, part of her squad. She¡¯s coming. Oh, god, she¡¯s coming. You¡¯ve got to hide me.¡±


    Nick opened his locker. ¡°And what does my locker have to do¡ª¡±


    Derek didn¡¯t let him finish. Once Nick¡¯s locker opened, Derek dove inside, slamming the door shut. The two siblings stared at the closed locker, and there was a long silence as they comprehended what had transpired.


    Nick glanced down the hallway to see Emma walking with a crowd of people surrounding her.


    ¡°Derek¡ª¡± Nick started to say.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here. Don¡¯t let me out until she¡¯s gone,¡± Derek whispered from inside.


    Nick rubbed the bridge of his nose, giving a slight groan.


    ¡°I feel like this is one of those things that the less I know, the better.¡± Evelyn jerked her thumb over her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll be meeting up with some friends.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Evelyn.¡± Nick grabbed her elbow. ¡°Mr. Stower, Akshi, they¡¯re¡­ they¡¯re still not bothering you, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. Don¡¯t worry about me, Nick. I¡¯m shaking them off.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but if you need help, you text me and I¡¯ll do¡­ something.¡±


    Evelyn gave him a look. ¡°No, you¡¯re not. I¡¯m not putting you in further danger of dad¡¯s rage like at Homecoming.¡±


    He didn¡¯t let go of her elbow. ¡°I¡¯m serious. If he¡¯s giving you any grief, I want to know about it.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± She brushed his hand away. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know.¡±


    He didn¡¯t like how uncommitted Evelyn sounded, but he let her go.


    ¡°Is she gone?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Evelyn, or Emma?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Do not speak her name!¡± It came out like a strangled hiss.


    Nick rolled his eyes. ¡°Still walking down the hallway too close.¡±


    ¡°Nick?¡±


    His gaze shot forward to see Alejandra walking up to him. This had been the most social he felt all year. ¡°Oh, hey.¡±


    ¡°Do you know where Derek is?¡± Alejandra asked.


    At the mention of his name, Emma passed by them, and she jerked her head around as though to figure out which female was talking about him.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± He leaned against his locker, folding his arms. ¡°No. Nope. I have¡­ no idea where he is.¡± Alejandra sighed, rubbing her forehead as she scanned the halls. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± She dropped her hand and her voice. ¡°We have CCNC after school today. Se?ora Florez said Mr. Stower wants to be the second adult, but I told her to go ask Mr. Anderson instead. I was hoping Derek could make sure Mr. Anderson will be there.¡±


    Inside the locker came a gasp, and Nick reflexively banged on the door. Alejandra watched the action, frowning. ¡°Are you¡­¡±


    ¡°As soon as I see Derek, I¡¯ll let him know,¡± Nick said.


    She again looked at the locker. Nick didn¡¯t exactly want her to leave, but he needed to stall at his locker for a bit longer as Emma made her oh-so-slow way through the halls. ¡°Hey, Alejandra,¡± Nick started to say.


    She looked up at him. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡± Nick¡¯s heart rate kicked up a notch. He knew exactly what he could say to keep her here, but he couldn¡¯t deny he was nervous. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s been a year since I asked you out. And I know it¡¯s not exactly the best time right now. Both of us have a lot going on.¡±


    Alejandra gave a tiny scoff. ¡°That¡¯s an understatement.¡± There was still a smile on her face, and Nick clung to that.


    ¡°The thing is, I¡¯m not sure what I was thinking, asking you out a year ago.¡± The smile was dropping from her face, and Nick panicked. ¡°Meaning I am¡­ not in a position to take you on dates. I can¡¯t do much for you. But I still¡­ there¡¯s still a part of me that will always regret if I don¡¯t keep asking. Because¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alejandra said.


    It was the outcome he hoped for, but it still caused his mind to stutter to a stop, refusing to work. ¡°Yes?¡±


    She smiled. ¡°Yes. I¡­ don¡¯t know how this is going to work either, but¡­ we might as well see if it does. Right? Before¡­¡±


    ¡°Before I turn eighteen,¡± Nick filled in for her.


    She chuckled. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sorry I¡­ there were some things I needed to figure out a year ago, but¡­¡±


    Nick shook his head, hardly believing this worked. ¡°No, you¡¯re good. This is¡­ good. Great, even.¡±


    Alejandra smiled, then reached over to take his hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to take me on dates. Your father might not approve.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Um¡­ neither would¡­ your family.¡±


    Alejandra shrugged. ¡°I can help ease them into the idea. But it might take some time.¡±


    Nick nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m afraid of.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. Just be yourself.¡±


    He winced, and Alejandra shook her head, giving his hand a squeeze. She almost said something else when there was a knock from inside Nick¡¯s locker. Alejandra jumped, her smile dropping. He sighed, then glanced around to see Emma disappear down the other side of the hall. His fingers put in his combination before he opened the door, and Derek stumbled out of his locker. Alejandra¡¯s eyes went wide, covering her mouth with her free hand as Derek brushed himself off, scanning the hallway before his eyes settled on the sight of Nick and Alejandra holding hands. Derek shot Nick a glare. ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Nick chuckled as his friend sulked away in the opposite direction of where Emma was. Alejandra stared, confused. ¡°Is¡­ that supposed to make any sense?¡±


    His fingers tightened over hers. ¡°Derek has his own kind of logic. But he got your message. And let me know if Mr. Stower bothers you at all during CCNC.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I will,¡± Alejandra said. He felt a little more certain she would tell him. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You just¡­ what is it? You¡¯re smiling,¡± Alejandra said.


    Nick felt it there on his face. He had a feeling it¡¯d been there since Alejandra had said yes. Nick smiled all the wider. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡±


    She was blushing. ¡°Yeah. Okay.¡±


    Nick pulled her into a hug, her head settling right under his chin. She fit perfectly, as she always had, but this was different. Better.


    Amazing.

 Chapter 65

    Nick walked Alejandra all the way to Se?ora Florez¡¯s door. She peeked inside, and her heart finally relaxed at the sight of Mr. Anderson. He was slouched in the chair, looking like he was dead inside, but he was there.


    ¡°Do you see Mr. Anderson?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She dropped from her tiptoe position.


    ¡°Good. I better go to work, then,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    There was silence. Alejandra played with her fingernails as she looked at Nick, feeling heat creep up her cheeks. He of course tried to explain Derek¡¯s situation with Emma, but Alejandra found the entire thing funny, and was grateful it was Nick explaining and not Derek, because she giggled the entire time.


    ¡°I better go to CCNC club,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Nick glanced at the door.


    Again, there was silence. Alejandra felt it. She didn¡¯t know what this would look like, dating Nick. He was a prisoner in his own house, and she couldn¡¯t keep it from Rafael forever. But they¡¯d danced around each other for a year. It was mostly her fault, worried this could never work out, but she felt bad it had taken so long to at least try.


    Before she could talk herself out of it, she reached with her hand, placing it against his jaw. He touched her hand, curious. She leaned over, kissing him gently. It was so inexperienced. She had no idea what to do. But the warmth growing in her gut told her this was an excellent start.


    Nick¡¯s hands appeared around her waist as he kissed her back. Maybe they were moving too fast, but if they counted the year Alejandra was figuring things out, then it was plenty long.


    Time lost its meaning. Her heart pounded faster and faster as Nick¡¯s lips remained on hers.


    ¡°Alright! Alright, I get it! Open and honest communication!¡± Derek said from nowhere. Alejandra and Nick both jumped. She broke away, but Nick still kept his hands around her waist.


    Derek walked toward Se?ora Florez¡¯s room, looking annoyed. ¡°It¡¯s not that easy for the rest of us, okay? Look at this!¡± Derek leaned against the door to open it, but lifting his shirt sleeve to show red marks. ¡°She finds it hilarious to actually dig her fingers into me. Ugh. It¡¯s like dating a harpy.¡± Derek walked into Se?ora Florez¡¯s room, dropping his sleeve. ¡°Yo, Mr. Anderson! I¡¯m so relieved you¡¯re here.¡±


    Mr. Anderson did little more than grunt. Alejandra touched her burning red cheeks as the door clicked close, looking at Nick, who was smiling. She so rarely saw him smile, and the sight of it made her heart do flips. His hands remained around her waist. ¡°I¡­ guess I better go to work.¡±


    ¡°And I better go to CCNC.¡±


    He smiled, leaning down to give her one more kiss. One more short, beautiful kiss before he tore his hands away from her waist. ¡°Bye,¡± he said, as though pained by the thought of leaving her.


    ¡°Bye.¡± Her hand reached behind her to find the door. She was going to be so distracted during CCNC.


    ***


    Derek tapped his pencil against his character sheet, his eyes glancing between Se?ora Florez and Mr. Anderson. It was abundantly clear that his science teacher was there to be the second adult in the room and nothing else. He was borrowing Se?ora Florez¡¯s desk to correct papers, ignoring the campaign.


    He wasn¡¯t the only one.


    Alejandra had a stupidly big grin on her face that anyone could understand the reason for. Those two would not keep things a secret. It would be another day before Rafael figured out. Hell, even half a day. He kind of felt responsible for pushing those two together. Hopefully, this wouldn¡¯t blow up in their faces. He didn¡¯t even think about how Rafael was coming with them on Saturday.


    Derek rubbed his face, already feeling how awkward that would be.


    ¡°Roll for persuasion, Oskar,¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    Derek forced himself into the present. All he remembered was being in a tavern, and Oskar¡¯s character was asking a mysterious woman if she had any information about the missing prince of Osvoroth. However long the conversation was, Derek had lost himself in his thoughts for too long to remember why Oskar needed to roll for persuasion.


    ¡°Ugh, but what if this initiates a fight? I don¡¯t have the hit points to start another one.¡±


    Se?ora Florez gestured toward Oskar¡¯s d20. ¡°You stated your piece. You now need to roll those math rocks to see how well she was persuaded.¡±


    Oskar sighed, then rolled the d20. Derek leaned over to see it landed on a six. Oskar winced, checking his sheet and doing a quick count with his fingers. ¡°Eight?¡± His voice had an audible tremble.


    Se?ora Florez smiled. ¡°Well, that¡¯s all the time we have for today. I will see you all next week.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, dammit, Derek,¡± Oskar said.


    Derek lowered his pencil, confused. ¡°Me? Why are we damning me?¡±


    His friend shoved his character sheet into his folder. ¡°You¡¯re the one that¡¯s got play practice every day this week. How can I possibly wait until next week to know what¡¯s going to happen?¡±


    Derek couldn¡¯t help it and smiled as he gathered his own things, placing his dice back in his container. ¡°I feel that.¡±


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    Se?ora Florez glanced over at Derek. ¡°Hey, a word? Since you¡¯re president of the club?¡± she asked.


    Derek shoved his things in his bag. Alejandra was completely distracted, and everyone else was gathering their things. ¡°Yeah, what is it?¡±


    Her voice lowered. ¡°Are you¡­ sure you want Mr. Anderson as the second adult?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Derek glanced over to see his science teacher shuffling through some papers.


    ¡°He just¡­ doesn¡¯t seem interested,¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    ¡°What did he say when you asked him?¡±


    ¡°Swore up a storm, then agreed.¡± Derek had a difficult time hiding his smirk. Se?ora Florez shook her head. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t actually want to be here, we shouldn¡¯t make him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Derek scratched his head with his pencil eraser before sighing. He wasn¡¯t sure what to do until an idea struck him. He had a file dedicated to the research he and Tyler had collected about CCNC characters coming to Earth. ¡°I¡¯m going to give you a few articles of research. Read them and let me know if anything¡­ changes.¡±


    Se?ora Florez frowned. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±


    Derek opened his mouth to explain, but he didn¡¯t know what else he could say. ¡°I know.¡± He stuffed the rest of his things in his bag before swinging it over his shoulder and giving Se?ora Florez a smile as got up to leave the room.


    His thoughts were all over the place as he made his way out of the school. He checked to make sure Alejandra was okay, but she looked like she was happy in her own little world. Not even an attack from Akshi could get her out of her daydreams.


    Derek shook his head as he walked down the stairs, pulling out the key to his car. He unlocked it and slid in, waiting for a moment before the other side of the door opened and Milo climbed inside the passenger seat. He waited as Milo buckled himself in.


    He turned the car on. ¡°How¡¯s the red mana coming?¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± Milo said as Derek pulled out of the parking lot. ¡°I might pop over to Calawit¡¯s to check if she has any other softening ingredient. The hell hound corpse has been completely drained, so I disposed of the remains in a way that shouldn¡¯t attract anything.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Derek flipped on his blinker. ¡°Do you want me to take you to Calawit¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°No. I would hate to busy a bard¡¯s night with something other than seeing his woman.¡±


    Derek didn¡¯t know what possessed him, but he slammed on the brakes a lot harder than intended at the stop sign. He shot his head toward Milo, seeing the mana fusor with a humorous smile on his face. ¡°I do not! I am not. Who told you? There¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°It is absolutely incredible the things you hear in Mr. Anderson¡¯s class,¡± Milo said.


    ¡°We¡¯re not¡­ I¡¯ve never¡­ there is absolutely¡­¡±


    Milo chuckled. Derek¡¯s nostrils flared, and it was somehow this banter that made him realize he needed to break things off with Emma.


    He moved the car through the four-way stop. ¡°I am not a bard.¡±


    ***


    Wednesday game night was such a hit that Rafael felt worried this would become a thing. Not that he would have minded. Every day Hazel was still in his life seemed surreal. He was waiting for the moment she discovered how dark his secret went, and that would be enough for her.


    Speaking of secrets, he waited oh so patiently for Alejandra to say anything at all about dating Nick. He waited the entirety of game night for her to mention anything at all. He had his arm around Hazel¡¯s shoulders, listening to the two of them chatting it up like a storm. But Nick never came up.


    Rafael hated the idea that he was testing Alejandra. He didn¡¯t want to play mind games with her, but he was wondering why she didn¡¯t bring it up once. Even when Hazel asked questions about CCNC, Alejandra went out of her way to avoid mentioning Nick in the group.


    Rafael didn¡¯t want to get angry about it. He heard from Parker yesterday that he saw Alejandra and Nick kissing. Yesterday. And his little sister said nothing.


    Was this some sort of trick Alejandra was playing? Some sort of payback for him not mentioning about him and Hazel? He honestly didn¡¯t know. And the fact that he didn¡¯t know hurt in its own kind of way. Proof he had drifted apart from his sister.


    ¡°You chose a sorcerer?¡± Alejandra asked with a raised eyebrow.


    Hazel¡¯s smile faltered. ¡°Is there something wrong with a sorcerer?¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡± Alejandra shook her hands out in front of her. ¡°Sorry, no. I just¡­ I¡¯m impressed. The magic system of CCNC can get complicated. Each magic class has its own separate way of using mana. I didn¡¯t dare attempt a magic user until I¡¯d played the game for at least three years.¡± Alejandra seemed to sense Hazel was worried about her decision. ¡°Then again, not everyone starts playing when they¡¯re twelve years old. I bet you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Hazel nodded. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m sure it makes a difference that the other two girls in my group have no idea, either. And Evelyn is such a sweet girl. I guarantee she¡¯ll go easy on us.¡±


    ¡°Without a doubt,¡± Alejandra said.


    He remembered why, with painful clarity, why he drifted apart from Alejandra. Which is why he stayed silent, keeping a small smile on his face the entire time Alejandra and Hazel talked about CCNC. And he let them have their chat. He couldn¡¯t spoil it. Not today. Today Alejandra and Hazel would get to know each other. They would have their moment. He would pretend it wasn¡¯t a betrayal that Alejandra didn¡¯t want to bring up Nick.


    Besides, it was really Nick he wanted to talk to.


    ***


    Evelyn did her nightly routine where she checked her grey marks and sent her text update to Tyler. There was no change. It still looked like grey lines and bruises, but it wasn¡¯t healing.


    There were a lot of things on her mind. The football game was in two days. Hazel, Annie, and Brandi had texted their character¡¯s backstories. For being a bunch of cheerleaders, she was actually surprised at the vast differences between the characters. Annie chose a female elf fighter because she was really nervous about this being her first time, and that was Rafael¡¯s suggestion. Like Tyler had suggested to Alejandra all those years ago. Hazel chose a human sorcerer, and Brandi chose a gnome monk. Evelyn didn¡¯t know how a gnome monk would work, but she was genuinely excited to see how Brandi would play her.


    She paced the length of her room as Clarissa left to get ready for bed. She was nervous, trying not to think about Saturday, when Rafael would be there at the session. Instead, she focused her worries on Friday night. Being a game master brought her way more fear than the routines of their cheer.


    Her thumb hovered over her texts, seeing her last message she sent to Tyler seven minutes ago. She explained the marks were still gray, and nothing had changed.


    Sounds about where Nick and Derek are, too. Thanks for letting me know.


    It was what he sent back five minutes ago. It was nine o¡¯clock, and the house was quiet. Nick was in his room, reading his book. He spent most of his time there, anyway. Her family found it easier to never be around each other, and she felt an ache thinking about it.


    Her fingers hesitated, but her mind forced herself to do this. She needed advice, and who better to go to than Tyler?


    Hey, I¡¯ve been asked to be a game master for a CCNC campaign for a bunch of newbies. Do you have any advice? Because I don¡¯t know if I can do this.


    She sent it, then placed the corner of her phone against her chin, closing her eyes.


    Her phone buzzed soon after, and she glanced down.


    Say no more.


    Evelyn was confused, then her phone vibrated, and Tyler was calling her. She couldn¡¯t help it, feeling herself smile as she swiped. ¡°Tyler?¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m setting a timer to force myself to get off the phone with you. If I don¡¯t, I could talk until three in the morning, and that won¡¯t help either one of us. How long do you want to chat about being a game master?¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s smile widened, already feeling herself relax as she checked the clock. ¡°How much can you tell me in an hour?¡±


    ¡°Enough to make you not nearly as scared. And Evelyn? I assure you, you don¡¯t have to be scared. You¡¯re going to do a fantastic job.¡±


    She let out a breath, her heart already lighter. ¡°Thanks for believing in me.¡±


    Tyler chuckled as Evelyn settled herself into a long conversation with her friend.

 Chapter 66

    Nick finished getting his backpack organized for the next few classes he had coming up. Once he finished, he made his way over to Alejandra¡¯s locker. He caught sight of her as she finished getting her math book. She closed the locker, already smiling, as she turned to see him. ¡°Hi.¡±


    ¡°Hi.¡± He placed his hand on her waist and pulled her in for a kiss. This had to be one of his favorite weeks of his entire life.


    So, when he heard someone else clearing their throat uncomfortably close to them, Nick wondered if his happiness would only last a week. Alejandra was far quicker to break away than him. He opened his eyes, seeing Rafael in the corner of his vision.


    Nick plastered on a smile that wasn¡¯t sincere. ¡°Hi to you, too.¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡± Rafael¡¯s arms were folded, his eyes giving the impression he was simultaneously trying to douse a fire even as it was burning out of control.


    ¡°Rafael¡­¡± Alejandra started to say.


    Nick was aware he still had a hand on her waist, and he felt an urge to bring her closer to see what Rafael would do, but he resisted. His hands on her was annoying Rafael enough.


    ¡°When were you planning on telling me?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Seems like your family isn¡¯t big on revealing who¡¯s dating who. Didn¡¯t feel the need,¡± Nick said.


    Rafael¡¯s glare darkened. ¡°I was asking her.¡±


    His fingers tightened over Alejandra¡¯s waist. ¡°Then why are you looking at me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not one to turn my back on a poisonous snake,¡± Rafael said.


    Nick couldn¡¯t help it and started laughing. ¡°Poisonous snake? Really, Rafael?¡±


    ¡°Can we¡­ not? Please?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°You had an opportunity last night,¡± Rafael said, still staring right at Nick. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Is this still a question for your sister?¡± Nick asked.


    Rafael took a step forward. If he was trying to be intimidating, it didn¡¯t work, since he was a whole head shorter than Nick. The burning in his eyes started to spread. ¡°You weren¡¯t at my house last night, were you?¡±


    ¡°Obviously not,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Then butt out of this conversation.¡±


    ¡°If you want me to stay out of this, maybe you should consider not looking at me while you¡¯re talking with her?¡±


    ¡°Fine. Here¡¯s a question for you, Nick. Does your father know you''re dating my sister?¡± Rafael asked.


    Nick tried not to show anything on his face, but he felt the way the corner of his mouth dropped. His eyes narrowed and his brows drew together. Hatred for Walt burned in his heart and sent it out to his bloodstream. ¡°It¡­ doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t much space between Nick and Rafael, but Alejandra found a way to put herself between them, causing them both to take a small step back. Alejandra lifted a hand toward her brother. ¡°I didn¡¯t know how to tell you, because I was afraid you would jump to the worst possible conclusion. I was afraid you would threaten him and cause some sort of ridiculous scene, just like what you¡¯re doing now. It¡¯s not needed. Admit it, Rafael, you don¡¯t know Nick anymore. You don¡¯t need to protect me from him.¡±


    Rafael still glared at Nick, and he was more than happy to glare back. There was silence as Alejandra stayed between them. It did nothing to ease her brother¡¯s glare. The bell rang, signifying the start of school, and he still kept his glare steady. He lifted a finger, one shaking from the barely contained rage. ¡°You do anything at all to hurt her, I will get the police involved.¡± Nick¡¯s glare darkened, but he didn¡¯t dare say a word. ¡°See you Saturday.¡± This sounded more like a threat than mentioning the police. Nick kept his glare as Rafael finally tore his gaze from Nick and moved with the rest of the students going to their first class. Nick would have kept glaring, but Alejandra reached over, placing her thumb between his eyebrows, and rubbed it to straighten out the furrow.


    ¡°I was afraid of this,¡± she said. Nick closed his eyes, easing himself from his anger, but it was impossible. He didn¡¯t dare talk. He was so infuriated. ¡°I know asking you to be friends again is an impossible thing, but¡­ civility? Is that possible?¡±


    Nick wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. ¡°Let¡¯s take it one day at a time.¡±


    ***


    The moment Derek and Milo entered the school Friday, Derek was on high alert. He would have hung out in Mr. Anderson¡¯s room, but his teacher made it clear how he felt about that on the first day of school. Besides, it was too obvious. Emma had his schedule memorized.


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    ¡°Shall I see you after school?¡± Milo asked.


    ¡°Yeah. You should be good to slip in his classroom.¡±


    ¡°Derek.¡±


    It was a female voice, so it automatically caused him to tense up. But once he realized it wasn¡¯t Emma¡¯s unnaturally high cadence she adopted since they started making out, Derek looked around to see Se?ora Florez leaning against her classroom door, her arms folded.


    ¡°Hola, Se?ora.¡±


    ¡°Hola.¡± She glanced around. ¡°So, the information you gave me¡­¡± She reverted to English. Derek hesitated, waiting, his heart lightening. ¡°Either I¡¯ve completely lost my mind, or Akshi is here, using Charm Person on Mr. Stower.¡±


    Despite her words, Derek felt himself relax. Milo glanced at him, frowning. ¡°You told her?¡±


    Se?ora Florez jumped, her eyes traveling over the space Milo stood before settling on his face. Milo smiled, then waved. ¡°Please tell me I haven¡¯t lost my mind.¡± She whispered this in Spanish. ¡°Jos¨¦ will miss me.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s really there, and you¡¯re not losing your mind.¡± His assurances were in Spanish before he switched to English. ¡°The only thing we can figure is the rumors from the eighties are true, and somehow our characters escaped from the game.¡± Se?ora Florez stared at Milo. ¡°And¡­ according to Milo, here, anyone who can see the mythical creatures has a part to play in getting them home.¡±


    Se?ora Florez tore her gaze from Milo to look at Derek. ¡°So, what am I supposed to do?¡±


    Derek sighed, then slowly raised his shoulders in a defeated shrug. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know. All I can tell is Akshi is here at school, and Mr. Anderson is the only other person who can see him. So¡­ we need to not have Akshi at CCNC club.¡±


    Se?ora Florez¡¯s gaze returned to Milo. ¡°Keep Mr. Stower from CCNC. Got it.¡±


    ¡°We should get them home soon. Just¡­ keep pretending Akshi isn¡¯t there. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯d do if he figures out one of us can see him. Alejandra, Nick, and Evelyn are all part of the group.¡± Derek pulled out his phone. ¡°In fact, I should text them that you know.¡± He tapped on the group chat that had in all caps: CCNC NOT NICK. It was the CCNC group, but without Nick¡¯s number. He didn¡¯t want to mess up and accidentally text the group with Nick in it.


    Se?ora Florez nodded, rubbing the side of her face. ¡°Alright, well¡­ see you later.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Derek understood the look on Se?ora Florez¡¯s face. She was probably going to use the rest of the time before the first bell rang to come to terms with this new information. Derek wondered if he would ever get used to it.


    He finished sending off his text to the group when arms snaked around him before squeezing all the air out. ¡°Derek!¡±


    As the last of the air squeezed out of him, he let out a weak, ¡°Hey Emma.¡±


    ¡°I missed you!¡± Derek hardly had time to get another breath in before she was kissing him. Derek, painfully aware that Milo was watching, ended it early.


    ¡°Yeah. You know¡­ great.¡±


    Her fingers dug into his ribcage. ¡°Did you need to get some math help from Se?ora Florez?¡±


    He slid his phone back into his pocket. ¡°Um, no. No, it was discussing CCNC.¡±


    Emma laughed. ¡°Well, that¡¯s got to be the first thing to change if you¡¯re going to keep seeing me.¡±


    Derek frowned. ¡°Sorry, what?¡±


    ¡°CCNC? Yeah, no. You won¡¯t be a part of that anymore.¡±


    Derek laughed, because it was so ridiculous, he couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°I¡¯m the president of the CCNC after-school club. CCNC is my life. I¡¯m not resigning from my life.¡±


    ¡°If you want this to work between us, you¡¯ll find a way.¡±


    ¡°Great. That makes things so much easier. We¡¯re done.¡± Derek pulled her from him like a nasty band-aid and kept walking.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. What did you say to me?¡± Emma asked.


    Derek glanced behind her. ¡°We¡¯re done. We were never meant to be.¡± He gave her a thumbs up. ¡°Thanks for the learning opportunity this was. I will see you later. I¡¯d say more as acquaintances than friends.¡±


    Emma¡¯s mouth dropped open, leaving her speechless for once in her life. Derek kept walking, feeling a weight lifted off him. His phone vibrated with a text from Alejandra.


    This is the best news I¡¯ve heard all month!!!


    At first Derek was confused how Alejandra knew he broke up with Emma, but then remembered the text he sent about Se?ora Florez now seeing the CCNC creatures. Still, breaking up with Emma was pretty nice.


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no way that¡¯ll come back to haunt you,¡± Milo said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ruin this feeling. It¡¯s nice.¡±


    ***


    Evelyn knew she had them when they started laughing. Sure, they got through the awkward stumbling of the role play, but when Annie cracked a joke while in character, that was when she knew this was going to be a weekly thing.


    Playing on a bus was new, and she wasn¡¯t sure she liked it. Evelyn had no idea how they¡¯d do combat. So far, their first session didn¡¯t have combat, but they would eventually. Evelyn brought multiple pairs of dice with her and was more than happy to share. The dice roller tray was Tyler¡¯s idea, and she was so happy she called him, as it saved them from losing dice. Evelyn held it as steadily as possible as the others did their rolls.


    It was slow. It was also their first session, and they were all new. Evelyn, too, was new at being a game master, so she benefited from the slower pace.


    Despite the other odd looks they were getting, none of the other cheerleaders approached them. Hazel had this almost mythical power no one else could breach, because everyone respected her.


    When Evelyn stepped off the bus, she felt lighter. The session went well. She enjoyed herself. They won the football game, and their dance routines went perfectly. They played another mini session on the way back, and the girls were falling in love with the game.


    It was a warm night when Evelyn spotted her mother¡¯s car and ran over to get in. She dropped her bag and her CCNC things in the back before climbing into the front.


    ¡°We won. How exciting!¡± Lydia said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Evelyn buckled herself before checking the mirror. It was almost midnight, and she needed to start taking out the bobby pins from her hair.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry we couldn¡¯t make it to this one. It was so far away,¡± Lydia said.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, mom. You¡¯ll be at the next one, right?¡±


    Lydia started the car. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t miss it.¡±


    Evelyn checked her phone, seeing everyone else making comments about the game. She also saw a message from Tyler.


    Make sure Nick knows CCNC won¡¯t be until the evening. If Calawit figured out where the demon rats are, there¡¯s a good chance those won¡¯t come out until the sun sets.


    Also, let me know how your first game master session went!


    Evelyn read the message again, feeling her smile drop. Right. CCNC. With Rafael. She slipped her phone back in her pocket. She¡¯d successfully ignored tomorrow for a while, but it was coming. Practically here. It would be fine. It would be like the first weekend the characters came to earth. Evelyn and Rafael would simply pretend the other one didn¡¯t exist.

 Chapter 67

    Nick was checking his watch, counting down the hours until they had their session. He was both excited and nervous about this one. Excited because he¡¯d see Alejandra again. Nervous because he¡¯d see Rafael there, too. His excitement at seeing Alejandra far outweighed his nervousness, though.


    Grizzizzik was outside practicing with his rapier, his face concentrated. Nick watched from inside, waiting for the sun to set. He searched through all their movies and tv shows to distract himself without actually choosing one to watch.


    Walt walked out of the hall and noticed Nick on the couch. ¡°Have you done your homework?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± Nick continued to scroll through the choices.


    ¡°Surely there¡¯s something better you can do with your time.¡±


    Nick crinkled his nose. ¡°Waiting until CCNC.¡± So I can get out of this house.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be out too late. You still have a ten-thirty curfew, even on the weekends.¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to be smart with me?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°Nope, I¡¯m trying to be amicable, so you can leave me alone quicker.¡± It was a strange flash of bravery he might regret.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to get a potent dose of reality in April, Nick.¡± Walt headed for the garage. ¡°That much is clear.¡±


    Nick kept scrolling through his options. ¡°I cannot wait.¡±


    Walt shot him a nasty look. The glare on Nick¡¯s face had become increasingly ugly for the past two years, so much so that it became his default look, and he pointed this at Walt. It took being with Alejandra for four days to realize how much darker his times at home were.


    Walt slammed the door to the garage, and Nick placed his hand in his hair, scrolling through the options before he turned it off and went to Evelyn¡¯s door. He knocked quietly.


    She opened it, taking off her headphones. ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Are you using your laptop?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°For music, but I can move that to my phone.¡± Something in Nick¡¯s face twitched. He couldn¡¯t help it. It was a painful reminder that she had all the electronics she could want. Her smile dropped. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I ¡­ need to look up rental places,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn shrugged, then pulled out her phone. ¡°Yeah, go for it.¡± She tapped a bit on her phone before placing it on her desk. Once the laptop was closed, she handed it over to him.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Nick said, moving to his room. The CCNC session tonight was stressing him out, mostly because he would be near Alejandra with Rafael breathing down his neck. It was going to be interesting, to say the least.


    Nick had a ton of rentals already saved. Some dream rentals he could never afford that were across the country. Them being across the country made them so appealing, but he couldn¡¯t do that. It was like he told Grizzizzik. Dropping out of high school a month before he graduated would be about as smart as shooting himself in the foot. He needed a high school diploma.


    He, of course, remembered his conversation with Grizzizzik. About forcing his dreams to work for him. He¡¯d been thinking about it a bit, but he didn¡¯t know what else to do besides make sure he had a rental apartment lined up for April.


    Most of these apartments had a minimum of a year lease. If he was serious about leaving as soon as he turned eighteen, he would have to find somewhere in Elmwood. Then he¡¯d have to resign to living in this town another year. But maybe that wouldn¡¯t be too bad. Get in somewhere in April, stay until the next April. Alejandra would almost be graduated from high school by then.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    It surprised him how simply he made the connection. He could stay in Elmwood for another year. Mr. Morgan already seemed pretty interested in keeping him full-time. If he could work at the bookshop for an entire year, that would give him a nice cushion. Other kids his age were talking about college, like Derek, but he needed a break from school. Rather, he needed a break from his parents, and he needed a year of making his own way before attending college. He had a feeling, come April, he¡¯d be limping out of his parents¡¯ home and needed time to figure things out.


    He could almost hear Grizzizzik scoffing at his thoughts. Once again, he was reminded of his character, forced to do what he had to for his own survival. If he stood in one spot, he was going to get killed. In a way, Nick could sympathize with that.


    Nick typed a sentence on the laptop he hadn¡¯t written before.


    How to emancipate from your parents in Arizona.


    Nick pulled out a notebook and began writing information. He was getting excited at what this could mean until it mentioned kids with criminal records had an almost zero chance of getting emancipated. Nick tapped his pencil against the notebook. Technically, he didn¡¯t have a record, but it wouldn¡¯t take much digging before they discovered a reason to keep Nick with his parents. He¡¯d also have to prove he could provide for himself. He was pretty sure he could. A nice chunk of money was sitting in his savings account. He had a feeling rent would eat it all in a year, but as long as he kept his full-time job¡­


    There was a soft knock on the door. ¡°Nick?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Evelyn walked in, as she always did, leaning against the wall. ¡°Ready to go?¡±


    He checked his watch, surprised at how quickly the time went once he had something to do. ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Grizzizzik and Clarissa got in the car as Nick climbed into the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Another month and you¡¯ll be driving this thing.¡± Nick glanced behind him to back out of the driveway.


    ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m so nervous,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°For driving?¡±


    ¡°Yes, for driving!¡±


    This confused Nick. ¡°But Mom and Dad say you¡¯re doing great.¡±


    She shuddered. ¡°There are way too many rules. How are you not paranoid all the time that you¡¯re going to kill someone?¡±


    Nick shrugged. ¡°I guess¡­ practice? Though it¡¯s always worse when there¡¯s a police car behind me. I never feel more scrutinized than when there¡¯s one of those cars in my rearview.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s understandable. It¡¯s kind of like Schrodinger¡¯s Cat.¡±


    Nick blinked, then glanced at Evelyn before focusing on the road again. ¡°Sorry, what?¡±


    ¡°Schrodinger¡¯s cat! You know the principle. It applies here. You can be the best driver in the world until a cop car is behind you. Or your driver instructor is sitting in the car next to you. Then you forget everything. So are you a good driver? Or are you a bad one? Is the cat alive? Or is it dead?¡± She flipped her hair from her shoulder, scrolling through her phone.


    Nick stared at the road, saying nothing. He wasn¡¯t sure what was more surreal, that he was discussing his little sister learning to drive, or she started spouting off a thought experiment for quantum mechanics that sort of applied. ¡°How¡­ how do you know this stuff?¡±


    She scoffed, aimlessly scrolling on her phone. ¡°I took Mr. Anderson¡¯s science class last year, idiot. It¡¯s a pretty common principle.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯re also, you know. A cheerleader.¡±


    Evelyn laughed. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Nick? I can¡¯t like science because I¡¯m a cheerleader?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother answering. I actually despise science. Some principles are fascinating, though, don¡¯t you agree? Or should I stick you in a box that may or may not kill you?¡± Evelyn held up her phone. ¡°Pretend selfie that¡¯s actually a group photo!¡±


    Nick was confused until Clarissa leaned in closer to Evelyn, giving an elfish smile. Evelyn gave her peace sign and a wink before taking the photo. He tried to keep his focus on the road, but was surprised. How many pictures had Evelyn and Clarissa taken?


    ¡°You don¡¯t post those on social media, do you?¡± Nick asked.


    She tapped on her phone. ¡°Of course not. The wrong people might see them. But¡­ you honestly don¡¯t want any pictures of you or Grizzizzik?¡± There was a silence as Nick glanced at the rearview mirror to see his rogue sulking, staring out the window. ¡°Ugh, girl. You are GORGEOUS!¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Stop it. Look at you! Look at those eyes!¡± Clarissa said, fascinated with the camera.


    ¡°I bet there¡¯s a filter I could use to make me look like an elf.¡± Evelyn tapped on her phone again. ¡°Ah! There it is! New pose!¡±


    Nick stared ahead, trying not to laugh. Evelyn made a kiss face as Clarissa turned her head to the other side, showing off her crystal tiara. Despite the almost whiplash conversation change, Nick couldn¡¯t help but realize that when he left in April, he¡¯d be leaving Evelyn behind, too. And despite how much she annoyed him, how much she was clearly spoiled, she was the only family he¡¯d miss. Even if she did ridiculous things like request group shots from her druid character.


    They pulled into Derek¡¯s driveway and got out of the car. Evelyn and Clarissa got out, oohing and ahhing at their own pictures. Grizzizzik shut the door, hands deep in his pockets.


    ¡°You don¡¯t feel left out that we¡¯re not taking pictures, are you?¡± Nick asked.


    Grizzizzik gave him a dead stare. ¡°No offense, but I would rather streak naked through the fae forest screaming for a deal from the queen of the fae herself than do whatever those two did the entire car ride.¡±


    Nick shrugged, suppressing a smile. ¡°Fair enough.¡±

 Chapter 68

    It was like a celebration. Derek watched the CCNC characters have a brief reunion, talking with Ezekiel. They were comparing notes of the modern world, with Ezekiel and Clarissa gushing about phones.


    ¡°In an instant! My portrait is taken in an instant! It¡¯s my favorite thing!¡±


    ¡°Of course it would,¡± Grizzizzik mumbled.


    ¡°Alejandra showed me how many books are on it! Not thousands, not tens of thousands, but millions! Millions of books, right at your fingertips! I could stay in this world for the rest of my life!¡± Ezekiel said.


    Derek smiled, shaking his head. Despite the CCNC characters being unusually chatty, he and his friends had fallen silent. It was clear they needed to say something, but this felt more a reunion of friends who actually cared about each other. Derek didn¡¯t want to spoil it.


    Getting into Derek¡¯s minivan was a different thing altogether. It was hard before, but now they had Rafael and Ezekiel to think of. At one point, Rafael offered to drive his car to Calawit¡¯s tent, but they wouldn¡¯t have it. Instead, Hraktar and Grizzizzik ended up in the back, and they squished Rafael, Ezekiel, Clarissa, and Milo into one bench, while Nick, Evelyn, and Alejandra were in the front. Tyler slid into the front seat, and Derek situated himself in the driver¡¯s side. He adjusted the rearview mirror, trying to imagine simpler times with Rafael and Nick together, but the hatred they both tried to hide from everyone else was going to blow the top of his van off.


    As he started the vehicle, he needed to start a conversation with his friends, and it needed to be safe. Thankfully, he had just the conversation.


    He started the minivan and pulled out of the driveway. ¡°I finally broke up with my girlfriend.¡±


    Tyler paused mid scroll, then glanced over at him, frowning. ¡°I thought you broke up with Missy over the summer.¡±


    ¡°Not Missy. Emma,¡± Derek said.


    Rafael tore his gaze from the small space between Nick and Alejandra to shoot him a look. ¡°Since when were you dating Emma?¡±


    Nick¡¯s glare turned into a glare-like eye roll. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a stretch to call what you did dating?¡±


    ¡°Wait, is that the girl you said randomly started singing Disney songs in the hallway two years ago?¡± Evelyn asked, glancing at Nick.


    A small, triumphant smile flickered across Derek¡¯s face. There it was. The safe topic. He explained, as often as they needed him to, his thought process to his old friends. He¡¯d rather they rail on his life choices instead of sitting in complete silence. Maybe he was a bit of a masochist.


    Maybe he should¡¯ve told them about his father looking into jobs in Phoenix. How he noticed his mom searching through houses in the same area. Somehow that topic, too, felt unsafe. A week later and he still struggled to process it.


    After a long car ride of everyone giving their opinions about his life, he was happy to hear his friends almost acting like themselves again. Nick was rolling his eyes, telling Derek his thoughts about how ridiculous the whole thing was with his clear, no nonsense black and white mentality. Alejandra tried to sympathize with something she clearly didn¡¯t want to sympathize with, but wanted to help Derek feel better. Evelyn spouted off some other gossip she dredged up about Emma and her squad, and even Rafael broke out of his shell to lecture Derek about how he needed to think about the future.


    The entire thing made the corners of Derek¡¯s mouth twitch.


    Tyler raised an eyebrow. ¡°What are you smiling about?¡±


    Derek shrugged as he pulled off to the side of the road near Calawit¡¯s tent. ¡°Just catching glimpses of a life that might have been.¡±


    Tyler glanced behind him before focusing again on Derek, a small shake of his head.


    They got out, walking toward the tent. It was almost six o¡¯clock, and there was a passing cloud as the sun sunk toward the horizon. It was still hot, but once they entered the tent, it was back to smelling like a flower garden. Then a pine forest. And an apple orchard.


    ¡°Why, hello you!¡± Calawit said once Ezekiel had entered the tent.


    The cleric¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Calawit!¡±


    The gnome sorcerer went down a couple of shelves to hug him. ¡°Do you need any Flannigan Jones?¡±


    Ezekiel ended the hug quickly to look at her face. ¡°Do you have any?¡±


    She motioned with her hand. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll show you where they are.¡±


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    He followed Calawit with a skip to his step as they made their way to the book section of the store. Tyler followed, asking for any update on the demon rats.


    Derek looked around as the other characters went to their usual spots in the shop. Milo and Clarissa went to the potions section. Hraktar stood in a corner, watching with his arms folded. Alejandra was between Rafael and Nick toward the front of the store, looking like she wanted to be near both, but those two were purposefully not looking at each other. Nick moved over next to Derek, shooting a glare at Rafael. Their old friend was near the wall, closer to Hraktar. Arms folded, body stiff, watching the interactions of the other characters.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you broke up with Emma,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Yeah. Me too.¡±


    There was another beat of silence. Derek considered telling his friend about moving to Pheonix. It was on the tip of his tongue when they heard a noise. The two of them saw Calawit staring at Nick like she discovered something dangerous in her store. Which was ridiculous, considering the item closest to them was a Hand of Choking.


    Nick cleared his throat. ¡°Um, hi.¡±


    Calawit sniffed, causing her glasses to jostle. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­ what?¡±


    For being short, she took quite the menacing step forward. ¡°I did not sense a thing until you stepped into my store today. What. Did. You. Do.¡± With every word, she leaned in closer and closer. Nick backed away at every word.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°The fae forest has a strange glow, don¡¯t you think?¡± Calawit asked.


    Nick¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡±


    The entire thing confused Derek. Calawit snapped her fingers and the petals above the door zoomed toward Nick. He kept stumbling back; the petals turning an angry red.


    ¡°Tyler?¡± Derek asked, because he wasn¡¯t sure what was happening.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to do anything,¡± Nick said.


    Derek watched, wide eyed, as an army of petals slammed Nick¡¯s wrists together. They circled around and up his arms, pressing them against his chest. The petals then made a cocoon around his torso, pinning him tight. Nick struggled, but his arms weren¡¯t going anywhere.


    Tyler approached the scene, alarmed. ¡°Calawit?¡±


    ¡°He understands thieves¡¯ cant. Only criminals know how to speak and understand it,¡± Calawit said.


    Tyler looked at Nick, who still struggled with the flower petals. ¡°Nick?¡±


    ¡°Wait, none of you heard what she said?¡± Nick asked.


    Derek glanced at Calawit. ¡°She talked about the fae forest.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean¡­ about the¡­¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t speak thieves¡¯ cant, human. So why do you?¡± Calawit asked.


    Nick stopped struggling with the flower petals, though his glare deepened. ¡°I assumed it¡¯s an added benefit of being Grizzizzik¡¯s creator. It doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m a criminal.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Rafael started to say.


    ¡°Shut up, Rafael,¡± Nick said.


    Alejandra stepped forward, placing a hand on Nick¡¯s petaled shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s not like that anymore. I assure you he¡¯ll never steal again.¡±


    Calawit pulled out a crossbow, already loaded, pointed right at Nick. Derek¡¯s heart hammered in his chest. They couldn¡¯t add any more grey marks to themselves.


    Tyler appeared between Calawit and Nick. ¡°I assure you; he won¡¯t do anything.¡±


    Nick tried to back away from Calawit, but she kept her crossbow fixed on him. ¡°No, he won¡¯t. You know why? Because no one ever steals from Calawit, and no one ever will.¡±


    ¡°I swear, I have stolen nothing from you,¡± Nick said.


    She kept the crossbow pointed at his flower petal covered chest. ¡°Why do you know thieves¡¯ cant?¡±


    ¡°I already told you. I created Grizzizzik, so the ability came that way.¡±


    Ezekiel moved forward. ¡°Anyone can learn thieves¡¯ cant. For example, I¡¯m not a thief. There isn¡¯t a drop of criminal blood in my veins, but the monkey¡¯s butt cheeks are always on its left side.¡± Derek raised an eyebrow at the unmatched confidence Ezekiel had when he said that last part. Nick frowned in Ezekiel¡¯s direction and Grizzizzik rolled his eyes. Calawit kept her gaze on Nick, but there was a slight twitch in her mouth that could almost be described as a smile. Rafael covered his mouth, trying and failing to keep in a snicker. Ezekiel gave a firm nod. ¡°I rest my case.¡±


    Tyler placed a finger against the crossbow and forced Calawit to lower it. ¡°Cal, I can vouch for my friend¡¯s character. He made a mistake a couple years ago and has done more than enough to reform himself. Don¡¯t¡­ cling to his past mistakes. It only makes him moodier.¡±


    The sorceress still glared at Nick, but she allowed Tyler to lower her crossbow. Considering Calawit had a full size crossbow in her gnome hands, the weapon looked so much bigger than it was. It still didn¡¯t match the threat in her sneer. ¡°I don¡¯t like thieves in my shop.¡±


    ¡°We understand, and Nick is¡ª¡± Tyler¡¯s head bobbed a bit to the side, ¡°¡ªwilling to do what he needs to in order to gain your trust.¡± There was a tick in Nick¡¯s jaw as he stared at nothing. Tyler glanced at him, who sighed in defeat.


    Calawit stood at her full height. ¡°Every time you come into my tent, this is how you¡¯re going to look.¡± She gestured with her fully loaded crossbow at his chest again. Nick glanced down at his pedal cocoon before meeting her gaze again. ¡°Are we in agreement?¡±


    Nick¡¯s face was settling into the look Derek knew all too well. The slight glare in his almost bored expression when someone expected the worst of him. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Perfect.¡± Calawit put away her crossbow like one of the other characters, placing it in the void in her lower back. She straightened, smiling at the others. ¡°Does anyone have any other business they need to take care of?¡±


    Tyler glanced at Nick. Derek rubbed his chin, feeling bad for his friend. So many people wouldn¡¯t let his mistake go.


    ¡°Yes, actually.¡± Milo pulled out his void bag. ¡°Do you want to look at these?¡± He pulled out two javelins that should not have fit in the reusable shopping bag. ¡°There¡¯s about twenty more weapons in here.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Calawit glanced at the bag. ¡°A void bag of your own make, I presume?¡±


    ¡°Sure is.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡±


    Milo tipped the void bag upside down, and the weapons tumbled out of it. Calawit wasn¡¯t looking, so Nick attempted to break out of the petals again. Derek had a feeling his friend was trapped until Calawit deemed otherwise. Grizzizzik walked over to Nick, then folded his arms.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say a word,¡± Nick said.


    Grizzizzik shrugged. ¡°Just commiserating.¡±


    Derek smirked, then he noticed Alejandra eyeing the pile of weapons, hand over her mouth. It made little sense until she glanced at Hraktar. Derek then saw the look on the fighter¡¯s face. It was as though nothing else was in the room except that pile of weapons. He was leaning against the tent wall, his knees trembling. His green skin somehow looked a touch lighter. He tore his gaze from the weapons and quietly slipped out of the tent into the growing darkness.

 Chapter 69

    They left Calawit¡¯s tent as it got darker. The flower petals were soft enough to never be restrictive. Almost comfortable, but Nick was more than happy to get out of the tent and leave the petals behind. The petals exploded off him, like he¡¯d hit a wall only he could go through. Nick didn¡¯t care to follow and see where the petals ended up. He just wanted to get out of there. He glared at the darkness, shaking out his arms. Evelyn¡¯s phone vibrated, and she pulled it out to answer it. Once Nick¡¯s hands were free, he dug them deep into his pockets and headed straight for the minivan.


    ¡°Dad, come on. I¡¯m not¡­ no. Just trust us, okay?¡± Evelyn said.


    Nick shot Evelyn a look that was already dirty because of how horrible this session was going. They hadn¡¯t even reached the demon rats.


    ¡°No, dad. I¡¯m not doing it. Don¡¯t call me again.¡± Evelyn hung up and silenced her phone.


    Derek glanced at both of them as he unlocked the minivan. His phone went off, and he pulled it out before giving Evelyn a panicked look.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer.¡± It was the most dry Evelyn¡¯s voice had ever been.


    Derek winced, then cleared his throat before sliding his finger across the phone and placing it against his ear. ¡°Hey Mr. Larsen.¡±


    Evelyn rolled her eyes before climbing into the van.


    ¡°Yeah¡­. Yeah¡­. No¡­. Yeah¡­. Of course¡­.¡± Derek was squirming as a bead of sweat appeared on his forehead. He lowered the phone to his chest, bracing himself. ¡°Hey, um, Rafael? Mr. Larsen wants to talk to you.¡±


    Rafael frowned, looking at Derek before getting distracted by the CCNC characters climbing into the van. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°He wants to ask you questions about how the session is going.¡± Rafael was confused, but took the phone. Derek lowered his voice. ¡°Be as honest as possible. It makes it easier.¡±


    Rafael was still confused, bringing the phone up to his ear. ¡°Hi. Um, hi, Mr. Larsen.¡± Nick shook his head, following the characters into the minivan. He folded his arms, his blood roaring through his ears.


    ¡°Yeah. Of course. We¡¯ve¡ª¡± Rafael glanced at Derek and Tyler. ¡°We¡¯ve figured out from¡­ from the shopkeeper where we need to go to fight the demon rats infesting the fantasy town.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°Yeah. CCNC is¡­ wild.¡±


    Tyler gave an enthusiastic thumbs up as Alejandra climbed in next to Nick. She took his arm, forcing him to unfold them before sliding her hand into his. It was incredible how good that felt. She leaned over, close to his ear. ¡°You¡¯re a good guy. I¡¯m sorry it takes people a while to see that.¡±


    Nick closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose. To distract himself, he thought of the different apartments he found in Elmwood. They were small, run down places, but they were a symbol of escape. Less than a year, and Walt wouldn¡¯t call any of his friends like this again.


    ¡°Yep. I¡¯m having a great night. Good to talk to you too, Mr. Larsen. Yeah, see you later. Bye.¡± Rafael ended the call, handing Derek¡¯s phone back to him. ¡°Why was I talking to Mr. Larsen again?¡±


    ¡°He checks up on us on occasion. Makes sure¡­ Nick is really here. That CCNC is going how he expected,¡± Derek said.


    Rafael took this in, then gave the barest glances in Nick¡¯s direction before looking back at Derek and Tyler. For an answer, he grunted before climbing into the back of the van. A vein in Nick¡¯s eye was about to burst with the effort it took to not roll them.


    Derek climbed in as Tyler got around to the other side. Tyler buckled himself and tightened the seat belt. ¡°Calawit is pretty certain about where these demon rats are. She¡¯s also afraid they¡¯ve been multiplying, so¡­ we need to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Exactly how many rats are there?¡± Alejandra asked as Derek started up the van.


    ¡°There were a hundred regular rats in the dungeon.¡± Tyler put the address into his phone as Derek pulled onto the road. ¡°Whether they came with the blast, we¡¯ll see. Demon rats, however, those are more mythical, and there were fifteen of those creatures hanging out in the dungeon.¡± Tyler scrolled through the list of monsters. ¡°All of them are an extremely low challenge rating, so it¡¯s an excellent start for Ezekiel to get experience points.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s just going to be a lot of them,¡± Clarissa said.


    Tyler nodded. ¡°No one¡¯s afraid of rats, are they?¡±


    No one said anything. The GPS chirped at Derek to turn left.


    ¡°They could bite ankles,¡± Milo said, then glanced at Ezekiel. Nick understood the concern. Everyone else had hit points in the twenties, and in Hraktar¡¯s case, the thirties. Ezekiel was at ten. Nick didn¡¯t know the bite attack on demon rats, but he assumed it wouldn¡¯t take too many to knock Ezekiel out.


    Hraktar¡¯s hand came up from the back, patting Ezekiel. ¡°If needed, you can climb on my shoulder to get away from the rats.¡±


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°I might take you up on that offer,¡± Ezekiel said.


    The nerves of the upcoming encounter made Nick need to ask his question to put his mind at ease. He didn¡¯t look at Rafael or Ezekiel, but still asked his question. ¡°You¡¯ve got spells prepared now, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we prepared some spells,¡± Ezekiel said.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    The silence descended on the car.


    ¡°Nick,¡± Alejandra started to say.


    He had the distinct impression he was in trouble, and he didn¡¯t know why anyone thought that. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡± Alejandra trailed off, then glanced away.


    He shrugged, her hand slipping from his. ¡°I¡¯m making sure we¡¯re as prepared as we can be.¡±


    ¡°You can certainly ask again without making me feel incompetent,¡± Rafael said with a surprising bite.


    Nick rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡°We haven¡¯t played together in a while, and the last time we did this, it seemed like you failed to remember what a cleric actually does.¡±


    There was a lot of noise that came out of many people, and Nick had a hard time deciphering it.


    ¡°Come on, Nick,¡± Alejandra said next to him. ¡°Rafael and Ezekiel spent an hour creating holy water for this mission.¡±


    Evelyn and Derek were saying something, but he couldn¡¯t understand them.


    Rafael¡¯s voice seemed to cut through at Nick. ¡°It¡¯s only been a few years. It¡¯s not like I was gone forever.¡±


    Nick turned himself around to face Rafael. ¡°The way you played Ezekiel last month certainly made it feel like you were gone forever.¡±


    ¡°HEY!¡± Tyler said, loud and long. The noise in the van subsided as Tyler stared at them all again. He gave a sigh. ¡°Come on, guys. I know tension is high, but¡­ but we¡¯ve got to work together. I understand the hurt runs deep in this group, but your characters are relying on you. We¡¯ve got to get them home.¡± He seemed to deflate. ¡°Pretend? Pretend you¡¯re friends again?¡± He rubbed his face as though he, too, knew how stupid that sounded.


    Nick folded his arms tightly over his chest. Silence again descended among the people in the van, except for the occasional chirping of the GPS.


    The silence might have gone the entire stretch, but Ezekiel straightened in his seat. ¡°So¡­ are we talking about hard things? Because we need to discuss something.¡± The entire van held its breath. Nick braced himself for whatever Ezekiel had to say. This couldn¡¯t be good. He¡¯d played Ezekiel long enough to know the cleric spent way too much time reading books instead of interacting with people. His social cues weren¡¯t the best. ¡°Milo, Princess, Grizzizzik. You slaughtered some of Hraktar¡¯s orc tribe¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ezekiel!¡± There was panic in Hraktar¡¯s voice.


    ¡°¡ªand he¡¯s been in a weird funk about it all week. We need to figure this out before we focus on destroying some demon rats.¡±


    Milo and Clarissa exchanged glances. Hraktar, who was in the back of the van, sunk further into himself.


    ¡°So¡­ you didn¡¯t want us to kill those orcs?¡± Milo asked.


    Hraktar didn¡¯t say anything. Then a defeated sigh came from him. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It just felt¡­¡±


    ¡°Icky?¡± Alejandra suggested.


    The fighter nodded. ¡°Icky.¡±


    Grizzizzik was inspecting his hell dagger. ¡°Did you want to be there with us? Cracking the heads of the people who wronged you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Hraktar¡¯s answer came in fast. ¡°Or¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Clarissa turned to see Hraktar. ¡°Perhaps it was wrong of us not to check with your first. Please accept our apology.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ I mean¡­¡±


    The druid shook her head. ¡°You¡¯ve clearly been hurt by what we did. And I¡¯m sorry. You are figuring some things out, so my suggestion is we all leave the orcs alone until you¡¯ve come to terms with it.¡±


    ¡°Leave the orcs alone?¡± Milo asked.


    Grizzizzik glanced up from his hell dagger. ¡°But¡­ they could gather in strength. It would be better to keep whittling them away while they¡¯re not as strong instead of waiting for them to gain strength.¡±


    Clarissa nodded. ¡°It would, yes. But Hraktar¡¯s our friend.¡±


    The rogue waited for more explanation, but none came. ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°He has to know we have his back,¡± Ezekiel said.


    ¡°Give him time and space to work through things. He¡¯s got more of a history with the orcs, so he needs to mentally prepare himself better,¡± Clarissa said.


    Grizzizzik sighed, but said nothing.


    Nick rubbed the scar across his eyebrow, still feeling the lingering hate in his system, when Derek slammed on the brakes. There was a chorus of groans. Nick straightened and saw the problem.


    ¡°That¡¯s more than fifteen,¡± Derek whispered.


    A migration of flesh, fur, and skin made their way across the road, inches from the minivan¡¯s wheel.


    ¡°How many are there?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°More than fifteen.¡± Derek was stuck on that phrase.


    ¡°Can you run them over?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°I doubt it. Since they¡¯re mythical creatures, they wouldn¡¯t¡ªhey!¡± Tyler was cut off as Derek floored it. Nick instinctively threw his arms out to protect both Alejandra and Evelyn as the minivan hit many, many rats.


    Derek drove further before pulling off to the side of the road.


    Tyler spun around, a hand on the handle. ¡°Stay in here.¡± He threw open the door and slipped out of the minivan.


    The problem with that was Nick didn¡¯t know if Tyler was talking to everyone, or only the CCNC characters. Since he didn¡¯t specify, Nick unbuckled himself. He climbed to the front and got out of Tyler¡¯s door.


    He walked over to Tyler, who had his phone in hand with the flashlight on. Nick pulled himself to a stop when he saw the scene. A trail of dead rats remained where the wheels had driven over. Some of the injured were scuttling away. Those who weren¡¯t dead squealed in the night.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°This is¡­ the worst feeling,¡± Tyler said, holding his stomach.


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have been able to kill the rats. They¡¯re mythical.¡±


    The squeaking came near. Nick glanced behind him, trying to find where the squeaking was coming from. ¡°Unless¡­ some of them aren¡¯t mythical demon rats.¡±


    The huge cluster of rats appeared, like they were checking their dead. ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± Tyler held the flashlight up higher. ¡°The CCNC world and the real world can¡¯t coexist. A bunch of rats from our earth couldn¡¯t interact with demon rats, that would¡­¡± Tyler trailed off.


    ¡°Start a problem so big that whatever game master is up there is probably warning you by giving you a really, really bad feeling?¡± Nick asked.


    Tyler froze, then glanced at Nick, his eyes wide. ¡°Shit.¡±


    Now that Nick was looking for it, he guessed that a third of them were regular rats. All the others were demon rats. He could tell by the small, glowing red light emanating from the centers of their bodies, pulsing with their rapid heartbeats.


    ¡°There¡¯s still a lot more than fifteen,¡± Nick whispered.


    At Nick¡¯s words, the mass of fur turned as one. Nick and Tyler both took a few stumbling steps back. Far faster than Nick could comprehend, the mass ran toward them, squeaking ferociously.


    If it was the daytime, he would have found it almost comical. But at night, when he could see them by the pulsing red light and the phone flashlight, all he saw was a horde headed straight for them. He was pretty sure some of them were from earth, too. The earth rats acted as violently as the ones from the Shrouded Domain, and they could actually bite him.

 Chapter 70

    Tyler stumbled into the van, and Nick got up on the edge of the door so the rats went under the van. Tyler was panting, staring ahead as the mass ran, then turned right toward the car. ¡°I¡¯ll ask again. Anyone at all have a rat phobia?¡±


    Grizzizzik rapped on the back door. ¡°Open this up. We can¡¯t hide in here forever.¡±


    Derek glanced at Tyler, who nodded. ¡°Stay in the van as much as you can. If this really is a swarm of demon rats, they will be immune to damage from rapiers and great swords.¡±


    Hraktar was almost done unsheathing his great sword when he paused, glancing at his weapon. ¡°Well, that certainly makes things difficult.¡±


    Ezekiel pointed toward the van ceiling. ¡°We stay on top of this contraption and blast them with spells.¡±


    Again, Hraktar glanced at his partially unsheathed weapon. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not magical.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Right. Well¡­.¡± Ezekiel trailed off, and Hraktar rolled his eyes.


    Nick shot a look at Grizzizzik, who made a point to not look at him. Grizzizzik couldn¡¯t be stubborn today. They needed all the magic casters available, because this was a lot of demon rats.


    With a dull thud, Hraktar sheathed his weapon again. ¡°I¡¯ll hoist you to the top of the van. That¡¯s something I can do.¡±


    Derek hit a button, and the minivan beeped before the back door slid open. Grizzizzik grabbed the edge of the open door. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Hraktar motioned for Ezekiel to come over. The fighter helped the others get on top of the van before pulling himself up. Evelyn opened the side door, and Nick moved inside, closing the door after him.


    ¡°Should be an easy encounter. Just lob spells at the ground. Keep the lights on so the humans can see,¡± Tyler said to Derek.


    Time slowed down.


    Roll for initiative.


    Nick grabbed the die and gave it a good shake. With the modifier, he got thirteen, total. Nick glanced up at the ceiling of the minivan, wondering what Grizzizzik would do. His rapier would be useless against the rats. The rogue refused to tell anyone about his magic based subclass, but Nick had a feeling Grizzizzik would reveal his choice tonight. There was literally nothing for his rogue to do facing a swarm of demon rats.


    By the light of the car headlights, the swarm gathered together. Nick watched, his eyes growing wider, as the mass broke into four smaller masses.


    Tyler shielded his eyes from the light. ¡°There¡¯s got to be forty rats in each group. This is insane.¡±


    The first group skittered under the van for protection. Alejandra grabbed her seatbelt. ¡°I think¡­ we better buckle ourselves up again.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t touch the real world.¡± Right as Tyler said that, the van vibrated. Nick held out a hand, almost to balance himself. Everyone turned to look at Tyler, whose eyes were wide. ¡°Everyone buckle up if you¡¯re not already.¡±


    Evelyn scooted over so Nick could sit down. They saw a flash of light, and a beam of sacred flame headed toward one mass of rats, missing it completely. Nick frowned, then turned toward Rafael. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot them over there. Shoot the rats under us!¡±


    Rafael pointed toward the floor. ¡°They¡¯re protected under the van.¡±


    Nick glared while buckling himself. ¡°It¡¯s sacred flame. They get no benefit from cover.¡±


    His old friend shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t want us to get hit.¡±


    Alejandra placed a hand on Nick¡¯s arm. ¡°Could you two possibly stop fighting?¡±


    While they argued, Clarissa must have cast her bonfire spell in the middle of one swarm. They heard chittering and shrieks as some rats burned and ran around in a panic.


    ¡°Good one,¡± Tyler said to Evelyn.


    The swarm Clarissa hit with fire scattered, but soon gathered again under the minivan. Derek placed his hands on the wheel. ¡°Do I¡­¡±


    Tyler shook his head. ¡°You can¡¯t drive without also jostling the characters up there.¡±


    ¡°True, but¡­ if this minivan gets¡­ if they can actually hurt my parent¡¯s minivan¡­¡±


    Tyler rubbed his face. ¡°I need to¡­ concentrate.¡±


    Time slowed down for Nick. Grizzizzik¡¯s weapons were useless right now. He mentally pulled up the rogue¡¯s list of spells, but when he tried to choose one of them, a firm block came down on his mental ability. Nick¡¯s nostrils flared. ¡°You¡¯re a magic wielder now. You might as well let your friends know.¡±


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    ¡°It¡¯s not happening.¡± Being outside the minivan muffled Grizzizzik¡¯s voice.


    ¡°You can¡¯t skip your turn!¡± Right as Nick said that, time resumed, and nothing happened. Nick closed his eyes, his fingers curling into fists. ¡°Goddamn rogues.¡±


    The third swarm of rats scurried under the van.


    ¡°Just as a warning, I don¡¯t think Hraktar can do anything,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ fine. Four swarms of rats are something our magical crew can take care of. And there are other ways to help,¡± Tyler said.


    Derek partially turned in his seat. ¡°Help Milo. He¡¯s got to take one turn in order to make his cannon, but then he might need Hraktar to carry him.¡±


    Alejandra smiled. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯d be happy to.¡±


    Derek rolled down the window. ¡°Did you hear that, Hraktar? Be prepared to brace Milo when he finishes his cannon.¡±


    The fighter gave a thumbs up.


    The last swarm of rats made it under the van. Once again, the van shivered. Nick grabbed the door, his heart pounding.


    ¡°Tyler?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    Their game master was kneading his knuckles into his forehead. ¡°We¡¯re going to be safe. As long as¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The van gave another shiver. Nick looked around and saw double. There was a part of the shiver that created a second, almost astral version of the van before it righted itself into the main van. His eyes widened. ¡°What the hell?¡±


    Tyler grabbed the edge of the door. ¡°They¡¯re creating a version they can manipulate.¡±


    Derek gasped. ¡°Will it hurt my parent¡¯s minivan?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m-¡± Tyler tapped the edge of the door as he gathered his thoughts. ¡°¡ªpretty sure it¡¯s going to be fine.¡±


    ¡°About how certain are you with that?¡± Derek asked.


    There was a pause, then a flash of sacred flame slammed through the car and hit a swarm of rats. The hairs on Nick¡¯s arms rose as the flames got close to him. He heard the squealing and the squeaking right under them as the rats got hit. Nick turned, seeing Rafael staring back. The message was obvious. His old friend did that nearest to Nick because he didn¡¯t care if Nick got hit with sacred flame. He wasn¡¯t about to lower to Rafael¡¯s level, though. ¡°Glad you listened to me.¡±


    Rafael was about to retort, but Alejandra held up a hand to her brother before shooting Nick a look that pleaded civility.


    Plants and vines sprouted from underneath the ground, and there was a squeal as it trapped the rats. The van gave another strange lurch. The projection of the van jostled, but Nick didn¡¯t feel the movement. He rubbed his head. ¡°This is giving me a headache.¡±


    ¡°That should give Milo time to finish the cannon,¡± Evelyn said.


    Derek gave her a thumbs up. There was a loud amount of squeaking as it sounded like some rats broke free.


    Again, time slowed down, and Nick went into his spells before again there was a block. It was like walking through a brick wall. Time resumed, and nothing happened. He glared at the ceiling. ¡°Seriously, Grizzizzik!¡±


    ¡°Everything alright?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s¡­¡± Nick remembered Grizzizzik¡¯s threat, but at this point he didn¡¯t care. ¡°He asked for arcane trickster. The guy knows magic now, but he¡¯s refusing to use any of it.¡±


    Tyler turned around, frowning. ¡°Grizzizzik chose arcane trickster?¡±


    He answered by giving a defeated shrug. Another swarm broke free, no doubt the other rats chewing the others out of the vines.


    Hraktar leapt to the hood of the car. Derek winced, no doubt checking to make sure there wasn¡¯t a half-orc size dent in the hood. Milo leapt down, too, doing the final touches on his cannon. It looked like he created it from wood, which didn¡¯t seem smart. It was shaped like a hastily carved rubber band gun, except the barrel had a huge opening. Milo whacked it with his wrench, and it began glowing red as he smirked. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Hraktar nodded, then lifted the mana fusor, turning him upside down and grabbed his ankles, dangling him over the hood of the van. Nick could make out an almost deranged smile on Milo¡¯s face as he disappeared from view, holding his mana gun with both hands. ¡°This is going to feel so incredibly satisfying!¡± Milo shouted.


    A flame erupted from the cannon, smacking two swarms of rats. The vines lit up, too, hitting the other rats trapped in the entanglement. Nick had a weird sensation where he was certain it should feel hot, but felt nothing. The bottom of the van was on fire, and the rats screeched and screamed.


    ¡°Nice shot,¡± Tyler said.


    Derek said nothing, his elbows on the bottom of the steering wheel as he stared ahead.


    ¡°Um, guys?¡± Milo asked. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you see?¡± Hraktar said.


    ¡°Shit. Shit. Shit. Pull me up! Now!¡±


    Hraktar hoisted him up as the astral projection of the van gave an ominous squeal. There was a silence, then all at once, the projection of the van broke apart from the main van.


    Derek tried to look through the front windshield. ¡°Shit!¡±


    Nick watched as another less solid version of the van stood at a dangerous angle. Grizzizzik tumbled off and landed on the ground. Ezekiel and Clarissa grabbed hold of the top and held on. Hraktar and Milo were catapulted into the night.


    ¡°Oof. Fall damage,¡± Derek mumbled.


    There was a roar. Last time Nick checked, a swarm of rats wasn¡¯t supposed to roar.


    ¡°Ooooooh shit.¡± Tyler grabbed his phone and scrolled through the list of monsters.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we see the new monster? It¡¯s supposed to be right¡­ there.¡± Evelyn pointed between Tyler and Derek, where the tip of the van was at an angle.


    Tyler opened the door. ¡°Clarissa! Ezekiel! Get off! Get off now!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ezekiel asked as Clarissa dropped next to Grizzizzik.


    The creature that had grown from the swarm of rats picked up the copy of the van and threw it. Derek whimpered as they watched the astral projection vehicle slam into a tree. ¡°Not the actual van,¡± Derek whispered.


    Rafael unbuckled himself. ¡°Ezekiel was still on it.¡±


    Nick opened the door and scrambled out, feeling worried about the cleric. Ezekiel had become his character, too. ¡°Is he okay?¡±


    ¡°He dropped to five hit points,¡± Rafael said.


    Half. He dropped by half because some creature threw the van. Ezekiel, their cleric, should not be this squishy.


    The entanglement burned away, and the swarm of rats was breaking up. Some of the earth rats ran straight for civilization, squeaking as they went. Nick narrowed his eyes and saw some of them had burn marks on their skin.


    There was a thump of heavy footsteps, and Nick turned to see some strange, six foot tall rat humanoid creature. It had thick, rope-like muscles like it¡¯d been in the gym for years. It wore a pair of shorts, like it had somehow worn clothes. The fur was an off white color, with beady black eyes and a long snout. It snarled at Clarissa.


    Nick pointed at it. ¡°Is that a wererat?¡±


    Tyler backed away. ¡°Shit just got real.¡±

 Chapter 71

    Nick wasted no time. He sprinted toward Grizzizzik as the rogue got to his feet, seeing the wererat. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to hide your decisions. Stop being so prideful and start using magic. That thing can¡¯t get hurt by your rapier, either, because it¡¯s not silver. This is a strictly magic based combat, which means Hraktar is out. Our tank is out. We need every single spell caster we can get. Stop trying to hide it!¡± Grizzizzik growled, like he had come to the same conclusion, but his stubborn pride was still stopping him. ¡°Damn you, Grizzizzik. We¡¯ve got to defeat these guys. Ezekiel could die!¡±


    ¡°We¡­ don¡¯t know who this wererat is, right?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°I really hope not,¡± Tyler said, scrolling through his phone. ¡°Pretty sure it¡¯s a random minion of Akshi¡¯s. Or a really powerful demon rat. But demon rats and earth rats weren¡¯t supposed to mingle, either.¡±


    The wererat snarled as it moved forward, swiping at Clarissa with its dangerous claws before biting down hard on her shoulder. Clarissa screamed, which jolted Ezekiel to his feet. Nick watched, eyes wide, as Clarissa¡¯s hit points plummeted to five. Tyler¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°We need to kill it,¡± Tyler said, glancing at Derek. ¡°If it is someone from earth, we¡¯ll¡­ deal with that when we get there.¡±


    ¡°Grizzizzik, please. More than Ezekiel might die tonight,¡± Nick said.


    Milo and Hraktar ran toward the battle with enough time to see a swarm of rats headed straight for them. Milo yelped in surprised and scrambled up Hraktar. The fighter had little choice but to hold the mana fusor while the swarm of rats attacked his legs. Hraktar grunted as his hit points dropped from twenty-seven to seventeen.


    ¡°Those demon rats mean business,¡± Derek said.


    Hraktar grunted as blood trickled from multiple bite wounds on his legs. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t afraid of rats, Milo.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, I didn¡¯t think I was afraid of women until one tore my heart out.¡± Milo glanced up. ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can get to the trees.¡±


    Ezekiel pushed his hand forward, blasting the wererat with sacred flame, but the wererat easily dodged it, snarling.


    ¡°You are not that powerful! Get away from it!¡± Clarissa shouted as she lifted her hands in the air, her eyes changing color. A spirit of a bear erupted out of her, circling around the battlefield, giving everyone an added eight hit points.


    Grizzizzik was backing away when one swarm headed for him. The rogue leapt out of the way as some of the demon rats jumped to bite him. Grizzizzik growled, and Nick felt his breathing come easier. His character would protect himself, and since he was that desperate, he would do what he needed to.


    Time slowed down, and Nick mentally searched the list of spells. Even as a magic caster, Grizzizzik didn¡¯t have a lot of options. Though maybe he could help get the wererat, since that was the biggest bad guy right now.


    Nick mentally chose mind sliver, and a d6 popped up. Nick gave it a roll, and it landed on a six, which made him let out a breath. As long as the wererat rolled low, six points were coming his way. It wasn¡¯t nearly as much as what he was used to, but Grizzizzik couldn¡¯t use his rapier right now.


    Time resumed, and Grizzizzik grumbled. Almost hiding it, he brought his hands together and muttered something, a spike forming. Grizzizzik shot it forward. The wererat was too focused on Ezekiel to notice, and the spike slammed into its head. It shrieked, spinning around and snarling.


    ¡°Does anyone have any rotten food?¡± Nick shouted.


    Derek glanced at his vehicle. ¡°Well, I mean, I could check my parent¡¯s minivan. Not sure when the last time they cleaned it.¡±


    Nick searched through the spell list. ¡°We need some rotten food for a spell.¡±


    Derek nodded, rushing over to the minivan. While he was doing this, another swarm headed for Hraktar and Milo. The mana fusor jumped into the air toward a tree branch, grabbing a hold.


    ¡°Come on, Hraktar!¡±


    The fighter jumped, grabbing onto the branch right at the last moment as the rats tried to chomp on his ankles. The two of them were there only for a moment before there was a snap. The branch broke and they hit the ground as the swarm passed.


    Hraktar coughed, but stood back up. ¡°There¡¯s nothing for me to do. I¡¯ll be your shield while you spray them with fire.¡±


    ¡°I mean, I won¡¯t say no to that.¡± Milo pulled out his flame thrower. There were two swarms headed straight for them, and Milo was on his knees. He held his flamethrower and smiled ever so slightly. ¡°I missed you, my dear cannon.¡±


    Another burst of flame erupted from the tiny cannon. It was a ton, considering how small it was. It hit the two swarms closest to them. The rats screamed, writing in the flames. The swarms disintegrated, consumed in the flame, the squeaking disappeared.


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    Hraktar raised an eyebrow. ¡°I guess you won¡¯t need me to hold you.¡±


    Milo pumped his fist in the air. ¡°Science, bitches!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still two swarms and a wererat! You two be in charge of finishing the swarms. We¡¯ll take the¡ª¡± Clarissa was cut off as the wererat charged Ezekiel. It slashed at Ezekiel¡¯s chest, draining seven of his eight added hit points. Then it bit down hard, bone crunching underneath the wererat¡¯s jaw. ¡°Ezekiel!¡±


    His hit points dropped to zero, and he went limp. The wererat practically spat him out before swirling to face Clarissa, placing itself between her and Ezekiel¡¯s unconscious form. The druid was breathing deeply, but glared at the wererat with a rage that Nick did not want to get too close to.


    The swarm of rats again came after Grizzizzik, who tried too late to step out of the way. The swarm was much smaller, and thankfully resulted in only a tiny bite on Grizzizzik¡¯s ankle, costing one hit point. He pointed at them, looking at Milo. ¡°Burn these vermin over here first, please.¡±


    Clarissa threw her hands in the air, and a bonfire exploded underneath the wererat. The creature leapt to the side, almost sensing the vengeance in Clarissa¡¯s face. The bonfire lit up the battlefield.


    ¡°Does Milo need to save Ezekiel?¡± Derek asked.


    Rafael shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s got one success. He should be¡ª¡± Rafael was cut off as one swarm of rats headed straight for Ezekiel¡¯s body. ¡°Oh, shit!¡±


    They surrounded the cleric, taking bites out of his flesh. Clarissa screamed. Hraktar bound forward and scooped Ezekiel¡¯s unconscious form in his arms, trying to kick away at the demon rats.


    ¡°That¡­ that was¡­okay, that was a crit. He¡¯s got two failures now,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Keep us posted,¡± Tyler said.


    Hraktar kept backing away from the rats as Milo slid forward on his knees, blasting the rats and Hraktar with the flamethrower. The fighter grunted as he lost six hit points.


    Milo winced. ¡°Sorry, my friend.¡± The swarm shrieked in pain before dying out.


    Hraktar shook his head, stomping a bit with his legs. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± He placed Ezekiel on his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll keep him here until we take care of the last swarm.¡±


    The wererat, in order not to get hit by the bonfire, turned and ran straight for Grizzizzik, his claws out. He swiped at Grizzizzik, but the rogue dodged before tripping right into the wererat¡¯s teeth. Screams were cut off as time came to a stop.


    Make a constitution saving throw.


    Nick winced, grabbing the d20. He did not want Grizzizzik to get lycanthropy. There was no way he wanted his cool half man half snake creature also turning into a wererat.


    It landed on a fourteen, and the +2 made sixteen total.


    Successful.


    Nick wasn¡¯t sure who was successful, the lycanthropy or Grizzizzik. Considering it was a sixteen, he wanted to believe it was his character.


    Time resumed, and he watched the extra hit points Clarissa gave him disappear. It was fine. Grizzizzik was still in pretty good shape, all things considered.


    Derek ran forward and handed Nick a handful of stale French fries. ¡°I found them between the seats.¡± He brushed his hands on his pants.


    Nick stared at them, seeing hair clinging to one of them. ¡°Um¡­ yeah. Thanks.¡± They had probably been there for ages. Not necessarily rotten, but certainly old. They¡¯d have to see how this worked.


    Grizzizzik threw off the wererat and danced around the swarm of rats trying to snap at him.


    Clarissa ran straight for Hraktar, placing her hands on Ezekiel¡¯s forehead. Bright, sandy light filled the battlefield. Ezekiel gasped, flailing a little as he received four hit points back. Hraktar eased the cleric to his feet again.


    The world held still, and Nick chose acid stream. Time resumed, and he turned toward Grizzizzik. He rushed forward, placing the stale food in his hands, which the rogue did not like at all, but he had little choice. The wererat was snarling, getting on all fours, ready to leap at him.


    Grizzizzik held the food forward, then used his other hand to make a quick motion, saying something that was dark. It was the only explanation for the language Nick had heard.


    A stream of acid shot out, dissolving the food and smacking the wererat in the face. It shrieked in surprise before backing away, snarling.


    Hraktar pointed to the remaining rats, following it with his finger. ¡°The swarm is right there beyond the light.¡±


    Milo aimed his flamethrower, and again a burst of flame shot forth, hitting the swarm. The shrieks were loud, but there were still a few rats who escaped.


    The wererat shrieked, slapping his arms and shaking off the acid. It snorted, not at all happy as it glared at Grizzizzik.


    ¡°Grizzly Bear? How did you make that acid stream?¡± Clarissa asked.


    ¡°Too busy to answer questions.¡±


    The remaining few demon rats headed straight for Hraktar. He probably didn¡¯t notice them. They were so small, but they bit his ankles again and he shouted in surprise. The rat bit down hard and stayed attached. Hraktar kicked his foot to dislodge the rat, and it went flying, tearing a chunk out of Hraktar¡¯s ankle.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± His hit points dropped to thirteen. ¡°Nasty vermin.¡±


    Ezekiel pulled out the smallest vial of holy water Nick had ever seen. ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s what you prepared?¡± Nick asked, turning toward Rafael.


    Rafael glared back. ¡°It¡¯s really expensive game wise, okay! Powdered silver is scarce.¡±


    ¡°By the Great Lady of Light, I am blessing you three as you attack the wererat,¡± Ezekiel said, flicking water on Hraktar, Clarissa, and Milo.


    ¡°No, not me.¡± Hraktar winced as the water hit him. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. Well, that should help you¡­ not be scared,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Hraktar mumbled something unintelligible.


    Nick felt annoyed, glaring at Rafael. ¡°What are you using holy water for? You don¡¯t have to use materials, you have your medallion! It¡¯s your spell casting focus!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Seriously, when is the last time you played this game?¡±


    Alejandra grabbed Nick¡¯s arm, squeezing it with a sense of desperation. ¡°Please stop fighting.¡±


    Clarissa turned toward Hraktar. ¡°Stab him and keep the sword inside.¡±


    Hraktar was confused, but pulled out his great sword and easily sliced through the wererat¡¯s gut. The creature cackled at the fighter¡¯s attempt, but Clarissa wasn¡¯t done. She began whispering something in elvish, glaring right at the wererat as Hraktar kept the great sword in its stomach. Around the sword, the skin began to bubble and morph. It gasped, backing away with the great sword still inside.


    Nick chose another mind sliver, and the wererat was again hit. Two points didn¡¯t feel like much damage, but the wererat still looked too well considering how long this battle had been going.


    ¡°There!¡± Hraktar again pointed at the few remaining rats. Milo blasted them like he was some deranged exterminator, and the last of the demon rats were gone.


    The wererat glared at Clarissa, pulling the white hot sword out of its side. It showed an incredible amount of intelligence as it turned its gaze on Ezekiel. The wererat remembered how much Clarissa hated that he attacked Ezekiel more than any other, so it dropped to its hands and knees, sprinting straight for the cleric.


    ¡°No!¡± Clarissa shouted.

 Chapter 72

    Ezekiel dodged the wererat¡¯s claws, but the bite came down hard. The cleric was already pretty ragged, but the blood drained from his face as he once again closed his eyes and went limp.


    ¡°He better still be alive,¡± Nick said, his anger making his voice horse.


    ¡°I¡­. Yes, he¡¯s alive,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°A cleric should not be knocked out this much!¡± Nick couldn¡¯t help but shout.


    ¡°Give him a break. He¡¯s level one,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°And whose fault is that?¡± Nick almost shouted.


    Ezekiel collapsed to the ground. Rafael had his hands in the hair, staring at nothing. Clarissa¡¯s incantations were loud and furious. The wererat smiled as it approached her, but then Clarissa lifted a hand and blew a cloud of noxious green gas into his face. The creature snarled, snapping at the air.


    It was Grizzizzik¡¯s turn, and Nick had one last mana slot. He chose confusion.


    The rogue stepped forward, moving his hands in a way that no one could deny he was using magic. Clarissa held her side as she watched, confused, as Grizzizzik finished saying the dark spell before shooting forth his hands. A black energy slammed against the wererat and it howled, his eyes growing wide as it began to snarl and whimper.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Clarissa asked.


    ¡°All questions must remain until the end.¡± Grizzizzik kept his hands out toward the wererat.


    ¡°Grizzly Bear! Is this magic?¡±


    The rogue¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Yes. And it needs concentration, so shut up!¡±


    The wererat howled and tried to run. Hraktar grabbed the wererat, pulling it into a grapple. ¡°Milo! I¡¯ve got a good hold of him!¡±


    The mana fusor shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not shooting you with a blast of flame! You¡¯re not well enough for that kind of power.¡± He dropped his cannon and walked forward. ¡°I can do this, though.¡± Milo grabbed the wererat, and an electric shock traveled through the creature¡¯s whole body. It shrieked and cried, still suffering from the confusion spell Grizzizzik had him under. The wererat finally looked ragged. It held its head and howled in pain.


    Clarissa picked up the white hot great sword again. It was too heavy for her, but luckily she just had to drop it on the wererat. It shrieked again. There couldn¡¯t be much more that wererat could handle.


    Grizzizzik couldn¡¯t do much else, and instead opted to stay focused on his confusion spell.


    ¡°Milo! Hit it again!¡± Hraktar said.


    The wererat shrieked, not doing anything to fight against Hraktar¡¯s grappling. Milo once again placed his hands against the wererat¡¯s fur and shocked him. The creature gave a final yelp, then he went limp, the thing finally dying.


    Clarissa wasted no time. She gathered her skirts and ran with a notable limp to Ezekiel. The cleric was on the ground, looking bad. He was unconscious, though it sounded like something was caught in his lungs. The air he breathed came in raspy and fast.


    The druid placed her hands inches from his head, saying a soft incantation. It was only a moment before Ezekiel gasped, throwing his hands out. He backed away, right into Clarissa¡¯s arms, genuinely terrified.


    Milo held up his hands toward his friend. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Ezekiel. You¡¯re okay. It¡¯s over. All the enemies are dead.¡±


    It went better than expected. The wererat shifted and changed into a large demon rat, which meant it wasn¡¯t someone from earth. Level one Ezekiel survived. They survived the night.


    Ezekiel used one hand to brace himself and the other to touch his shoulder. ¡°Right.¡± He let out another breath, wiping his mouth. Nick was both surprised and relieved that Ezekiel had made it through. ¡°Right. Um¡­ thank you. Thank you, Princess.¡±


    Clarissa grabbed his jaw and kissed him hard. Nick couldn¡¯t help it and winced. It was fine when those two were actually the ones in love, but after years of giving little to no role play moments with it, it felt out of place.


    Milo rested his cannon on his shoulder, smiling at Hraktar. ¡°It¡¯s about time, honestly.¡±


    Derek gave Nick a nudge with his elbow. ¡°Probably feels better now that Ezekiel¡¯s not your character, right?¡±


    Nick snorted, looking away from Ezekiel and Clarissa. ¡°I suppose.¡± He glanced at Evelyn, but she wasn¡¯t looking at him, or at her character. She had a wide, almost frightened animal look that set off some older brother instincts. Things had gone fine. Why was she scared?


    Following her gaze lead him to see Rafael looking almost as frightened, if not horrified. Nick wouldn¡¯t have thought anything of it, but Rafael turned to see him, and the terrified look deepened. His former friend unfolded his arms, frantically glancing between the two siblings. Nick¡¯s nose wrinkled. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡±


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    ¡°Nothing.¡± Rafael¡¯s gaze dropped to the ground. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Nick¡¯s eyes narrowed. Evelyn rubbed her arm. ¡°Rafael¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, Evelyn. Just¡­¡± Rafael lifted an arm, not looking at her. ¡°No.¡±


    Nick glanced between his little sister and the guy that used to be his best friend, and something inside his stomach boiled. The frustration of everything crept up on him. Nick took another step toward Rafael, the glare clear on his face. ¡°Am I missing out on some sort of inside joke?¡±


    Rafael again gave a terrified look at Evelyn, then back at Nick. The kid was sweating. ¡°Look, Nick, you¡­ please understand it¡¯s¡­ our characters are¡­¡±


    ¡°Explain. Now.¡± Everyone else disappeared. Nick didn¡¯t even care about them. Clarissa and Ezekiel could make out this entire time, and he wouldn¡¯t have noticed. All he cared about was how Evelyn looked scared and Rafael might be the reason for it.


    Rafael sighed, and with it his face fell. ¡°I was drunk. That was¡­ my first mistake.¡± Blood roared through Nick¡¯s ears. He didn¡¯t think his glare could get any darker, but it did. Nick tried to calm the blood, because he needed to hear. Rafael¡¯s voice had grown quiet. ¡°My second was asking Evelyn to meet with me somewhere I knew no one would see us. I¡­ I don¡¯t even remember what I said. My parents were divorcing, and I¡­¡±


    Nick took another step nearer. ¡°What. Did. You. Do.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t rape her.¡± Rafael¡¯s words were a little too quick. ¡°I swear, I didn¡¯t do that. I¡­ kissed her and¡­¡± Nick held perfectly still. His muscles were stiff, ready to be used. Ready for a release he needed to give them. Rafael finally tore his gaze away. ¡°I might have felt¡­ over her shirt. And¡­ tried to¡­ underneath her shirt. I¡¯m s-sorry. God, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Nick waited three rapid heart beats before he snapped. He punched Rafael as hard as he could. He heard an explosion of noise that made him remember his friends were still there. The desire to care was still gone.


    Rafael was down. Nick slammed his foot against his rib cage. He wanted to crush it. Snap the bones. He stomped again and again until hands grabbed his arms and pulled him back.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± Nick still tried to kick Rafael, fought against the hands that held him back.


    ¡°Stop, Nick. Stop this,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°That son of a bitch hurt my sister!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve hurt him enough,¡± Derek said.


    They dragged him further away from Rafael. ¡°Let me go!¡±


    ¡°Derek, take Alejandra and Rafael. Drive him to a hospital if you have to, but get him away from Nick,¡± Tyler said.


    On the other side of Nick, Derek looked worried. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Fast, before someone calls the cops,¡± Tyler said.


    They were by a park, but it was still a residential area. By the light of the burning rats, Rafael got up with Alejandra¡¯s help. He stumbled, and Nick felt a surge of pride seeing how bloody his face was; his grunts of pain as he hobbled away. The anger resumed, and he didn¡¯t stop himself from screaming one more threat. ¡°I never want to see you again, you worthless piece of shit!¡±


    He was aware of Evelyn on the ground, leaning against a tree with her hands covering her mouth, tears streaming down her face.


    Which is when Alejandra glanced behind her shoulder, right at Nick, and it was like he was thrown in a tub of ice. Tears streamed down Alejandra¡¯s face as she looked at Nick with hopelessness and a twinge of terror. That look did more to stop his thrashing than Tyler ever could. The anger disappeared. Icy dread returned. Sometimes, in the black moments of hatred, he forgot Rafael was Alejandra¡¯s older brother.


    She faced forward again, helping Rafael into Derek¡¯s minivan. Ezekiel, Hraktar, and Milo followed inside. Derek started up the van and drove off.


    Nick collapsed to his knees, breathing deeply as the anger drained out of him.


    ¡°Evelyn?¡± Tyler asked.


    She shook her head, staring at her knees. ¡°Please, please leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± she trailed off, then got to her feet, walking a few feet away, keeping her face covered. Nick¡¯s hands were curled into fists, glaring at the ground. Tyler¡¯s gaze bounced between the two siblings before he let out a shuddering breath.


    ***


    Evelyn kept her arms folded as they walked inside the house. Even though it was ten, she was exhausted. A heaviness in her chest made it hard to want to do anything but sleep.


    But her parents were there, her mother instantly reaching out with her hands. Evelyn accepted the hug, burying her face in Lydia¡¯s shoulders.


    Walt stared straight at Nick. ¡°You broke Rafael¡¯s nose. And three of his ribs.¡±


    Evelyn closed her eyes, feeling more tears coming. She tried to be brave, tried not to remember the horror on everyone¡¯s face as Rafael explained to Nick what happened. Somehow, she knew Nick would react like that. She was glad Derek and Tyler were there to keep him from killing Rafael.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend like he didn¡¯t deserve it,¡± Nick said.


    Grizzizzik and Clarissa walked in the door. Grizzizzik retreated to Nick¡¯s room, as Clarissa stayed in the corner, watching.


    ¡°Do you have any idea what this would look like on your record? If he presses charges?¡± Walt said.


    Nick shook his head. ¡°I am not doing this with you right now.¡±


    Lydia kept holding Evelyn. ¡°Are you okay, Evie?¡±


    Evelyn didn¡¯t have the strength to say anything. Instead she nodded, pretending to be fine, when inside she crumbled.


    ¡°Oh, really? You want me to not punish you for breaking Rafael¡¯s nose?¡± Walt asked.


    Nick¡¯s glare got darker. ¡°What more can you take from me!¡±


    Evelyn winced, the anger almost matching his anger for Rafael.


    ¡°You are not attending that con. Do you hear me? Your mother will drive Evelyn to Phoenix, but you are staying here and doing chores! And no attending those little game sessions with your friends for a month! Give me your phone!¡±


    Nick slapped his phone in Walt¡¯s palm. ¡°You know what? I¡¯ve lost my love for the game, anyway.¡± He stormed past them toward his room.


    ¡°Do you want to press charges against Rafael, Evie?¡± Lydia asked.


    There were tears in Evelyn¡¯s eyes as she released herself from the hug. ¡°He didn¡¯t rape me, mom.¡± She wiped her eyes. ¡°And rapists still go free. What on earth could anyone do? What would be his punishment? A slap on the wrist? A promise he¡¯d never do it again?¡± Another sob threatened to crush her, her voice strangled. ¡°What can anyone do to him to give any sort of justice?¡±


    She wanted her mother to have an answer. To assure Evelyn that despite rapists going free, they could punish Rafael. Do something where Evelyn would never have to see Rafael again. Make it so the memories wouldn¡¯t be so vivid.


    But Lydia said nothing. She glanced at Walt, who was too busy calming his anger from the argument with Nick.


    There was nothing. Nothing to make it so she¡¯d never have to see Rafael again. Except to let Nick kill him.

 Chapter 73

    Rafael couldn¡¯t sleep. Adrenaline had come, gone, and come again. It was five in the morning, and he had to admit he wouldn¡¯t get any sleep.


    He climbed out of bed, hearing Ezekiel snoring beside him. His bare feet padded softly on the carpet as his injuries gave a dull throb. The pain medication the hospital gave him was wearing off. He needed some new ice packs, anyway.


    Once the ice was against his ribs, Rafael sat at the table, staring at nothing. He had been in a daze at the hospital, letting Alejandra and Derek take care of everything. Once Rafael had signed in, Derek left to check on the others. Alejandra tried to talk to him, but Rafael said nothing. He didn¡¯t say anything else all evening. Even when they called his mother. He forced Alejandra to say everything. Repeat his deeds, because he was spent. Done. The secret was out, and now it would spread. He couldn¡¯t possibly play in the football game next week. Or even the week after. He¡¯d have to tell the couches why. They¡¯d have to kick him off the team. It was what he deserved.


    Everything he¡¯d so carefully worked for would come crashing down. The reputation he always knew was fake burned before his eyes.


    Someone sat next to him, giving him a package of frozen peas. Rafael moved a bit, the jolt of pain reminding him of how injured he was. It was Mariana, and he glanced back at the table, accepting the peas.


    ¡°It¡¯s easier to wrap around your ribs than the ice pack,¡± she said. Rafael nodded, saying nothing. ¡°You need to press charges against Nick.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± It was the first thing he said to anyone since last night.


    Mariana frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not sending you to school with that boy in that same building. Not after he did this to you. I need to know you¡¯ll be safe.¡± Rafael said nothing. He just stared ahead. Mariana ruffled his hair, like she used to as a boy. It jolted him into himself. ¡°Did you get any sleep?¡±


    Again, Rafael shook his head. He knew he was closing in on himself. He knew it was unhealthy. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Mariana waited, and Rafael forced himself to look at her. ¡°Have you ever¡­ done something so horrible that¡­ that it feels like you can never possibly be forgiven?¡±


    Mariana¡¯s face broke into a humorous look. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Rafael was genuinely confused. ¡°When?¡±


    The humor practically danced in her eyes. She lifted her hands, her palms toward the ceiling. ¡°Everything, hun. Look at us. Look how long it took me to kick an abusive man out of this house. It¡¯s taken us years to get on our feet, and we¡¯re still not quite there. I¡¯m practically a stranger in my own house. To my own kids. By the time the debts I¡¯ve created will be paid off, both you and Alejandra will be off to college.¡± That statement caused the humor to leave her face, and she looked out the window, playing with a lock of her hair.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s completely different,¡± Rafael said.


    Mariana gave him a look. ¡°Really, Rafael? Is it different?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault. It was dad¡¯s.¡±


    Mariana shook her head. ¡°I see no difference. It was still my choice. A choice I didn¡¯t make for way too long. And in the process, I hurt my children.¡± Mariana took the ice pack he got from the freezer and placed it on the side of Rafael¡¯s nose, right under his eye. Her face morphed into compassion. ¡°You¡¯re getting a black eye.¡±


    He took the ice pack from her. ¡°I hurt her. I hurt my friend. Destroyed things beyond repair.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it always looks in the beginning. But you¡¯re not a villain. And if you won¡¯t do anything to keep yourself safe from Nick, I¡¯ll schedule an appointment with the school to make sure proper protocols are in place.¡±


    ¡°Mom-¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t up for negotiation.¡± Rafael sighed as Mariana went to get her laptop. ¡°And you¡¯re not going to school until we¡¯ve had this meeting.¡±


    He glanced out the window, feeling sick to his stomach. The fallout was coming, and he wasn¡¯t prepared for it.


    He forced himself to have something to eat. Mariana sent off a few emails, and Rafael didn¡¯t have the strength to respond anymore. Mariana got a call from one of her bosses that sounded angry, and Rafael winced, feeling responsible.


    Mariana apologized to Rafael, saying she needed to go to work. Rafael understood, and he also somehow knew Mariana would wait until she was alone in the car to cry. And Rafael could not help but feel responsible for that, too.


    ***


    Alejandra woke up, not feeling rested at all. She walked out of her room to see Rafael sitting at the table. As soon as he saw her, he stood up, heading for his room.


    ¡°Rafael-¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get any sleep. I¡¯m exhausted.¡±


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    He certainly looked exhausted. ¡°Raf-¡±


    ¡°Just let me sleep.¡±


    Alejandra didn¡¯t know what to do other than to let him go. A part of her was terrified of leaving him alone with his thoughts.


    She got herself some breakfast, then worked on her homework. Her phone was to the side, ignored. Nick could never text her, and he definitely wouldn¡¯t text her about this. She was kind of glad he wouldn¡¯t. It was easier to be furious at him than with her brother.


    It was getting to be mid-morning when she heard a knock on her door. For a moment, she was terrified it was Nick, who¡¯d storm into their house and murder Rafael. It was enough to make her look around the house and make sure the lights were turned off.


    Her phone vibrated, and she saw it was from Tyler.


    You guys at home?


    The relief was enough for Alejandra to notice. She headed toward the door and unlocked it, seeing Tyler there with his phone out. ¡°Hey.¡± He placed his phone in his pocket. ¡°Is¡­ Rafael here?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s sleeping. He didn¡¯t get much last night.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I doubt anybody did.¡± The weight in his tone was almost as heavy as the bags under his eyes. Alejandra blinked a few times before turning away.


    They heard a door open, and Alejandra turned to see her brother appearing at the end of the hall. ¡°Have you figured out how to transfer Ezekiel back to Nick?¡± Rafael asked.


    The worry etched in Alejandra¡¯s face. ¡°You should be asleep.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not possible, Rafael. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Tyler took out his phone again. ¡°This situation has gotten messy. I¡¯m thinking we¡¯ll take a three-week break from leveling up characters, anyway. What with con in two weeks, we¡¯ll meet with Neal and we can get more direction about what we¡¯re doing with these characters. We¡¯ll at least have some sort of direction to point them while we¡¯re doing all this leveling. And¡­ we¡¯ve got to spend some time away from each other for now.¡± Tyler¡¯s gaze lingered on Rafael¡¯s black eye.


    Rafael glanced down, and Alejandra was surprised and relieved to see tears in his eyes. If she was being honest, her older brother¡¯s emotionless face had concerned her far more than what he did.


    ¡°Waiting¡­ might not be an option,¡± Rafael said.


    Tyler frowned. ¡°What? Why not?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ failed. I failed the save.¡± Her older brother closed his eyes, then let out a ragged breath. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t¡­ Ezekiel. He¡¯s got lycanthropy.¡±


    Alejandra gasped, her hand to her mouth. Ezekiel, a wererat? Their cleric? A highly religious man?


    Tyler stared at Rafael, processing what he said. ¡°Lycanthropy? As in¡­ wererat.¡±


    Rafael nodded. There was silence again as Tyler kept staring at Rafael. This was not something they could procrastinate until everyone felt better. From what she understood of lycanthropy, the first change in the moonlight was usually the one that solidified the curse.


    ¡°Can it be cured?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Tyler clicked open his phone again, a dazed look on his face. ¡°Um¡­ maybe. As long as the game master wants it to happen. But¡­ I¡¯m not the game master anymore. I¡¯m the messenger.¡±


    ¡°Ezekiel can¡¯t turn into a wererat. That¡¯s a dangerous, evil creature. He¡¯s our cleric. He¡¯s good,¡± Alejandra said.


    Tyler nodded, tapping some things into his phone before wincing. ¡°The next full moon is October fifth.¡±


    The fear caused her chest to tighten. ¡°That¡¯s not long. That¡¯s¡­ what, two and a half weeks away?¡±


    ¡°Eighteen days.¡± Tyler lowered his phone, rubbing his face. ¡°Right. This is¡­¡± He let out a breath. ¡°Does Ezekiel know?¡±


    Rafael shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t have the heart.¡±


    ¡°Alright, well¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± Tyler motioned over his shoulder, and then froze in that position. This information was rocking all of them. ¡°I¡¯m going to stay in touch,¡± Tyler finally said. ¡°And soon. Let me¡­¡± Tyler groaned, then backed away from the door. ¡°I¡¯ll spend some time thinking about it. See if I can get any information from¡­ from whatever game masters¡­¡± He left the phrase hanging, still reeling. Rafael turned away from the door.


    ¡°Rafael,¡± Alejandra said.


    He said nothing, simply returning to his room. Tyler was silent as he went to his car. Alejandra rested her head against the edge of the door and closed her eyes. Tyler was right. This entire situation was so messy.


    ***


    Nick turned a corner and saw Alejandra waiting for him at his locker. It was Monday morning, and he knew they needed to have this conversation. He wanted this conversation much sooner, but he was terrified. A little scared of Walt finding the history of his call to her and asking questions. Nick didn¡¯t want to admit to Walt that he¡¯d been dating Alejandra for a week behind his back. But he was more terrified of Alejandra. He almost wanted to call because he didn¡¯t want to see her face.


    He would never apologize to Rafael. That son of a bitch deserved every ounce of pain Nick could get in. And he wished he could have given more.


    ¡°So¡­¡± Alejandra started to say.


    Nick could tell on her face what she was going to say. He found his face relaxing into the glare that was always there. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    She played with her fingernails, giving him one long, scrutinous look. ¡°We took it too fast.¡±


    Nick put his locker combination in. ¡°I get it. You¡¯ve got to stick with your brother.¡±


    Alejandra folded her arms, her eyes darkening. ¡°You know, I could have been on your side, too, except you chose to break my brother¡¯s nose. How am I supposed to view that as anything other than the red flag it is?¡±


    Nick rolled his neck around his shoulders before he opened his locker. ¡°You honestly believe he didn¡¯t deserve it.¡±


    ¡°No, Nick. Not that. Never that.¡± Her voice caught, and Nick did his best to ignore it. ¡°It was an accident what he did.¡±


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t.¡± The familiar flames of anger returned to his face, his voice coming out sharper. ¡°None of what he did to my sister was an accident. I don¡¯t care how drunk he said he got. That¡¯s no excused for what he did.¡±


    She shook her head, tears in her eyes. ¡°Fine, perhaps my wording was wrong, but¡­¡± She closed her eyes. ¡°But it was your choice, too. You didn¡¯t have to punch him.¡±


    The flames of anger got to his voice, and his words came out like poison. ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I am sorry that my brother hurt Evelyn. Truly, I am. But if you won¡¯t apologize¡ª¡± She stopped when Nick rested his hand on the locker. The one with a huge green and yellow bruise on the knuckles. He finished getting the books he needed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never apologize. He deserved it. And more. I won¡¯t pretend to be cordial around him to make you feel better.¡±


    Her eyes darkened. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve sent your message. We¡¯re done.¡± He zipped up his bag. ¡°And if you feel like you need an even cleaner break, know I will punch Rafael again if he ever touches Evelyn. I¡¯ll assume you¡¯ll give him the message, since I really don¡¯t want to see your brother again.¡± Nick slammed the locker door, aware that the tears in her eyes had fallen. ¡°Goodbye, Alejandra.¡±


    He slung his bag over his shoulder, feeling the glare that was so often on his face. He didn¡¯t know where he was going, he just needed to be away from her. Back to being alone.

 Chapter 74

    Nick didn¡¯t get far from Alejandra when the intercom crackled to life. ¡°Nick Larsen. Come to the office, please. Nick Larsen.¡±


    He closed his eyes, aware that there was an ache between his eyebrows from how much he glared this past weekend. He opened his eyes, the ache intensifying as he headed toward the office. They would keep calling for him until he arrived.


    When he got there, he threw open the door, not caring that it was almost hitting the wall. The secretary glanced up. ¡°Yes, hello, Nick. Vice Principal Stower would like to talk to you.¡±


    His angst was deep, but he still understood what that meant. This wasn¡¯t just talking with the vice principal, this was talking to the guy currently charmed by Akshi. Nick rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to push aside the anger. ¡°Is he going to be talking to Evelyn, too?¡±


    The secretary went back to tapping something on her computer. ¡°That¡¯s the plan, yes. He assumed it would be easier to talk to you separately.¡±


    Nick dropped his hand, not bothering to give any more information as he moved through the small office to the propped open door. He barely glanced at Mr. Stower before sitting down across from the desk, folding his arms tightly. ¡°What?¡±


    Akshi was there, slithering in the office, watching Nick with a curious air. Nick had to ignore him. His mind was a jumbled mess. This thing with Rafael had dwarfed all his other problems, but they were still problems. He still needed to pretend he couldn¡¯t see Akshi.


    Grizzizzik¡¯s father.


    Mr. Stower was organizing papers on his desk, giving Nick a wistful look. ¡°I will have you know Rafael isn¡¯t here today. It sounds like he is recovering from an injury. From a fight. Instigated by you.¡±


    Nick folded his arms tighter across his chest. He didn¡¯t start the fight. Rafael did three years ago. There was no way anyone would believe him, though.


    The vice principal waited for Nick to answer, but he refused. Mr. Stower sighed. ¡°I¡¯m simply making sure it¡¯s ended. I have an appointment set up with Rafael and his mother to figure out the next steps. To make sure he will be safe coming back to school. That you won¡¯t¡­¡±


    Nick thought of plenty of things he wanted to do to Rafael, but he was also aware they made him sound like Grizzizzik. Instead, he closed his eyes to force calm into his voice. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± It was short. Simple. It sounded far more threatening using a calm voice than what he meant. Akshi turned his head, studying Nick, a flicker of recognition that caused a smile to grow on his face. Nick refused to react to that, though he kept glaring at Mr. Stower.


    There was little the school could do between Rafael and Nick. Their fight happened over the weekend, not on school grounds. Rafael hadn¡¯t gotten the police involved, and might not ever, which was a relief in its own right, but there was still the fear he would.


    So, unless Nick punched him again on school grounds, this interview couldn¡¯t last much longer. Judging by how Akshi was leaning close to his face, studying his glare, Nick didn¡¯t want to stay.


    ¡°Alright, well¡­¡± Mr. Stower rubbed the side of his head. ¡°Thank you. I truly hope we never have to visit again.¡±


    Nick stood up. ¡°Feeling¡¯s mutual.¡± He almost grunted it as he left the office.


    His mind was working so fast it was turning numb. So many things were happening at once, but he pushed everything else aside. He needed to find Evelyn, to warn her about Akshi being in Mr. Stower¡¯s office.


    He pulled out his phone and called his sister. This was an emergency. He needed to find Evelyn. He¡¯d have to think of another lie for Walt later.


    ***


    Evelyn felt the weight of the story the moment she walked inside the school. The way some students stopped talking when she walked down the hall. This was gossip of the juiciest kind, and Elmwood High savored it before searching for more to devour.


    How many people knew the full story, Evelyn wasn¡¯t sure. Perhaps none of the stares or the whispers were about her, but she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling. This was a small town. Gossip traveled fast. Nick was a prime example of that.


    None of her cheer friends came to find her. She never saw Derek and Alejandra on most mornings. Nick offered to hang out with her in the morning, but she declined.


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    She scrolled through her phone when she accidentally bumped into someone. ¡°Oh, sorry.¡±


    The boy turned, then recognized her at once. His eyes went huge as he backed away. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t see¡­ this was all my fault.¡±


    Evelyn frowned as she watched the boy turn and sprint down the hall. Confusion trickled into her face, scrunching up her nose. It was one thing to know exactly what happened, but a different thing to wonder what kind of story was being passed around.


    Her phone vibrated in her palm, and she looked down to see Nick calling her. ¡°Nick?¡±


    ¡°Where are you?¡± He sounded angry. Panicked. Worried. There were a lot of emotions in his voice.


    ¡°Upstairs by the literature hall. Why?¡±


    ¡°I need to talk to you before they call you to the office.¡±


    Right as Nick said that, the intercom crackled above her. ¡°Evelyn Larsen, come to the office. Evelyn Larsen.¡±


    It echoed on Nick¡¯s side of the phone. ¡°I¡¯m almost there. Just wait for me.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She saw him coming up the stairs and gave a pathetic wave as she ended the call. Nick took the stairs two at a time, catching up with her.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to meet with Mr. Stower. Akshi will be there,¡± Nick said. Evelyn played with her hair, dread filling her stomach. She didn¡¯t want this right now. ¡°Just¡­¡± He trailed off, and she dropped her hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Evelyn-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine!¡± It came out sharper than she meant. This entire thing was painful. Akshi possibly knew she could see him. But she didn¡¯t want to worry about that. She wished she didn¡¯t have to. All weekend, she imagined what would have happened if she told someone years ago. Dealing with this situation with Rafael, then trying to save their characters, it would make her lose her mind.


    ¡°I will be close. I can call Grizzizzik if I need to,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn shook her head as she headed toward the stairs. ¡°Never call Grizzizzik. Not here in Elmwood High while his father is in the same building. It¡¯s a death wish. This is¡­¡± she groaned, rubbing the side of her eye to not mess up her make-up. This was going to tear everyone apart. Her friendship with Rafael was already gone. Now that the truth came out, their little friend group would undoubtably take sides. All the while, these characters needed to get back home. They needed them united, but she could not be around Rafael anymore.


    ¡°Evelyn Larsen, come to the office, please. Evelyn. Larsen.¡± The way the secretary said her name, it almost felt passive aggressive.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be close. I won¡¯t call for Grizzizzik, but let me know.¡±


    She rubbed her upper arm as they got closer to the office. ¡°I will.¡±


    Nick stopped walking as Evelyn continued her trek to the office. She walked inside, already seeing the open door and Akshi¡¯s snake tail.


    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± Evelyn said.


    The secretary gave a sad smile, then pointed toward the open door of Mr. Stower¡¯s office. Evelyn nodded, then did everything possible to keep her cool as she walked inside. Her fingers trembled slightly as they found the armrest before she slid into the chair. ¡°Hello, Mr. Stower.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Evelyn. Hello.¡± Despite the fact she knew Mr. Stower was currently being charmed by Akshi, she acknowledged there was some sadness weaved in his voice. ¡°Look, Evelyn, I want to be one hundred percent open and honest. We are all incredibly disheartened by Rafael¡¯s actions toward you years ago, and we want to make sure this school is a safe environment for all parties.¡±


    Her throat closed up. It was incredibly hard to keep eye contact. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±


    ¡°Should this ever happen again, I hope you feel safe telling us right away so we can take the proper measures,¡± Mr. Stower said.


    Because when it came down to it, there was nothing they could do. Not to Rafael, not to Nick. Both caused pain, and the only thing they could do was make sure it didn¡¯t happen again. She cleared her throat, doing her best to sit up straight and not look scared as she voiced her thoughts. ¡°There isn¡¯t much you can do, is there?¡±


    Mr. Stower¡¯s sigh sounded defeated. ¡°Not much, no. And for that, I apologize.¡± Evelyn watched, the pupils of his eyes turning that sickly green color. ¡°But we can let you meet with our school counselor. She¡¯s excellent at what she does, and I really think you could benefit from talking through what happened.¡±


    The fear in her gut brought the words out her mouth faster than she had time to process them. ¡°No, thanks.¡±


    Mr. Stower frowned. ¡°No, thanks?¡±


    If she hadn¡¯t seen the sickly green color in his pupils, she would¡¯ve taken that offer, but this was Akshi¡¯s plan. Her mental wellbeing was too important for her to follow along with a plan Akshi created. She¡¯d make her own.


    ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t mean any offense to the school counselor, but my parents are looking into a therapist of our own.¡± She made a mental note to text Lydia as soon as they were done with this meeting.


    Mr. Stower sighed. ¡°I suppose as long as you¡¯re getting the help you need.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I am. Is there anything else you need?¡± She almost regretted asking that question, because the need to leave the office weighed on her heart.


    ¡°I¡­ yes, I need¡­¡± Mr. Stower¡¯s eyes were still a sickly green.


    Evelyn ignored his stammers and stood up. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Stower.¡±


    She headed for the door. Akshi slithered in front of it, staring right at her, but Evelyn was annoyed enough to keep walking. Instinct told her to stop and move out of the way, but she wasn¡¯t supposed to see Akshi. She marched right through him, feeling nothing. Her steps were purposeful, an emotion she didn¡¯t feel, as she moved out of the office right as the bell rang. She didn¡¯t get far before seeing Nick.


    ¡°Evelyn?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I still ignored Akshi,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Okay, well, keep me posted.¡±


    Evelyn sighed as the rush of students began. She pulled out her phone and texted her mom to ask about getting a therapist away from school, away from Akshi. ¡°You kind of have your own problems to work on, Nick.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything to that, because she was right. Their friend group was fractured before, but now it was officially broken. And somehow, they had to take care of their characters.

 Chapter 75

    Nick did his homework in his room because Walt was home, and he wasn¡¯t interested in being in the same vicinity. It took an incredible amount of mental pressure to put everything to one side and do homework. He almost believed there wasn¡¯t a snake humanoid and an elf druid practicing sword fighting in their backyard. Or how they were having a conversation about magic abilities that was definitely one sided.


    In that way, he went on pretending he was some average kid planning for a future instead of planning for when he could get out of this hellhole.


    If he could pretend all that away, perhaps he might one day pretend his best friend didn¡¯t hurt his little sister. But he doubted they could ever get to that point.


    ¡°Nick.¡±


    He turned to see Evelyn with her phone pressed against her shoulder, motioning him to come over. He dropped his pencil and got up, following her into her room as she tapped on her phone.


    ¡°Okay, Tyler. You¡¯re on speaker phone. Just try to be quiet. My parents are in the other room.¡±


    ¡°Right. I¡¯ll try,¡± Tyler said. Nick folded his arms. ¡°Hey, Nick. Evelyn. I know it¡¯s been a rough weekend. When I left you guys before, I said it would be easiest if we all took a few weekends off. Spend some time apart. And honestly, I think we can still do that. I just need to make you aware of a few things. Ezekiel¡¯s got lycanthropy.¡±


    Nick dug his fingers into his hair, taking a deep, steady breath, but it wasn¡¯t working. ¡°Godammit, Rafael.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Rafael¡¯s fault. It¡¯s the roll of the die.¡±


    A flood of anger hit him all over again. ¡°Rafael is ruining Ezekiel. He doesn¡¯t know how to play him, and we¡¯re all better off without him.¡±


    ¡°Nick, come on. Rafael is trying.¡±


    ¡°And failing. And bringing the rest of us down with him,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn glanced at the door, a finger to her lips. Nick didn¡¯t mean to glare at her, but he did.


    ¡°I still believe everyone needs to spend some time apart, but I also strongly feel Ezekiel needs to get looked at by Calawit. She¡¯s the most powerful sorceress alive, and if anyone had an answer, she would. I think it¡¯s what we¡¯re supposed to do.¡±


    ¡°How are we going to do that if we have to spend time apart?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Whoever wants to can go to Calawit¡¯s tent. Ezekiel definitely needs to go, which means Rafael will go, too.¡± Tyler lowered his voice. ¡°I will leave the rest up to you guys. This won¡¯t be a battle. This will hopefully lead to Ezekiel getting cured before the first full moon.¡±


    Nick rubbed his face, feeling so tired. ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± He didn¡¯t want to work with Rafael. He wanted to never see him again.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a wise choice,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°I won¡¯t go, either,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°I completely understand. I¡¯ll let the others know and let them figure this out with Calawit. Once they know what to do, I¡¯ll call and report back. See you two later.¡±


    Nick was already out of Evelyn¡¯s room and back toward his own. Back toward homework. Once again, he bricked up the part of his mind radiating the most anger, and pretended he was a regular seventeen-year-old kid.


    This was going to be impossible.


    ***


    Alejandra was in the living room with Hraktar and Ezekiel. She was pacing, waiting for Rafael to come out of his room. Her brother was summoning the courage to tell Ezekiel.


    Ezekiel was reading more of Sherlock Holmes on her phone, completely engrossed. Whenever Alejandra wasn¡¯t using it, he was on it. The cleric was used to reading it while it was charging.


    Rafael¡¯s door opened, and he walked out. Mariana was gone to work, and it was getting closer to seven-thirty, when they were planning on leaving. Rafael walked to the kitchen and placed his ice pack in the freezer. He then walked in front of Ezekiel. The cleric finished the sentence he was reading before he looked up. ¡°Hey!¡±


    Rafael scratched the bottom of his chin. ¡°We¡¯re going to meet Calawit.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that what we¡¯re doing?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    ¡°Yes. And¡­¡± Rafael trailed off, looking at Alejandra. She had no idea what Rafael needed for support, but she wanted to give it. He dropped his hands. ¡°And you¡¯ve got¡­ lycanthropy.¡±


    Ezekiel nodded. ¡°Yeah. I thought so.¡±


    That was it. Ezekiel unplugged the phone and got up, handing it to Alejandra. Rafael frowned. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ your big reaction?¡±


    Ezekiel frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


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    ¡°You¡¯re a cleric. At the full moon, you¡¯re going to turn into a wererat. We¡¯re about to ask Calawit if there is any chance to cure you before you become a creature so far from yourself that no one will recognize you. You could kill your friends in the wererat state,¡± Rafael said.


    The cleric took this in with a small nod. ¡°Yeah. I guess we better talk to Calawit.¡±


    Rafael stared at him. ¡°How are you so calm?¡±


    ¡°I know who my friends are. They will not fail me. We will find a cure,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Rafael again stared at him. Alejandra looked at Hraktar, who had his arms folded. ¡°And if we don¡¯t find a cure?¡± Rafael couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Ezekiel glanced at Hraktar, and the huge fighter nodded. ¡°I will have your back. Or pin your wererat form if needed.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my friend.¡±


    It was odd. That was the only word Alejandra could think about. They had been so entrenched in the drama between Rafael and Nick, Rafael and Evelyn, that Alejandra was afraid to add yet another thing on their plate. But Ezekiel took this with an ease she was almost jealous of. Ezekiel wasn¡¯t afraid. Wasn¡¯t about to burst into tears and hyperventilate. He had lycanthropy, and they were about to figure out its cure. Ezekiel had a group of friends who would stick to his side no matter what happened.


    What would that feel like?


    Rafael looked as though he was about to say something when there was a knock on the front door. Alejandra frowned, walked over and opened it, surprised to see Derek and Milo standing there. Derek was checking his phone and glanced at her, smiling. ¡°Oh, perfect. Glad I¡¯m not too late.¡±


    Alejandra blinked, staring at Nick¡¯s only friend in the world, standing on the steps of their house. ¡°You¡¯re coming with us?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Well, character wise it makes sense. Milo and Ezekiel are best friends. Milo will absolutely take every opportunity to study Ezekiel at this point.¡± Derek glanced at the mana fusor as he moved through the door, heading for the cleric. Derek¡¯s voice lowered. ¡°You might need to watch that. I can¡¯t promise Milo won¡¯t go full mad scientist on Ezekiel.¡±


    Alejandra felt a smile tug at her lips, one that made her realize how little she¡¯d been smiling lately. ¡°But¡­ what about Nick?¡±


    Derek returned to his phone, texting someone. ¡°I doubt he¡¯ll come. Or Evelyn.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean¡­ what will Nick think if he knows you¡¯re here?¡± Alejandra asked. ¡°He¡¯s made his point perfectly clear about how he feels about my brother. He¡¯ll be super mad if he finds out you helped us.¡±


    Derek finished texting, a slight smile on his face. ¡°That¡¯s a rather simplistic take.¡± He slipped his phone back in his pocket. ¡°You let me worry about Nick. The guy knows CCNC is my life. I¡¯ve done a lot of crazier things in the name of the game.¡± Derek¡¯s eyes slid past her shoulders, and he nodded. ¡°Hey, Rafael.¡±


    Alejandra turned, seeing Rafael at the end of the hallway. ¡°Hey.¡±


    There was a beat of silence as Derek looked away. ¡°What you did to Evelyn was pretty shitty.¡±


    Rafael tenderly rubbed his side. ¡°Yeah. Incredibly shitty.¡±


    ¡°And the fact you know that helps. I¡¯ll be completely honest. I still need a bit of time to process what you did, but¡­ well.¡± Derek shrugged. ¡°Ezekiel and Milo are best friends. It¡¯d be weird if I didn¡¯t come.¡±


    Rafael nodded, then looked away. ¡°Thanks. For coming.¡±


    Alejandra then noticed that Ezekiel was standing shirtless in the living room, with Milo leaning over with his magnifying glass. It was the first time she noticed the bite marks on the cleric¡¯s shoulders. His skin was perfectly fine, except for the multiple black swirling marks where the teeth had punctured him. Some sort of swirling mass remained right under the surface of his skin. The mana fusor poked the mass on his shoulder. ¡°I bet you anything that¡¯s black mana.¡±


    Ezekiel shrugged. ¡°Well, whenever you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.¡±


    Milo kept moving his magnifying back and forth, then paused, glancing at Ezekiel with a slight frown. ¡°From a book you read?¡±


    ¡°Obviously.¡±


    Alejandra checked her phone. ¡°Are we ready to go? We don¡¯t want to get home too late. It is a school night.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go,¡± Rafael said.


    Derek pulled out keys from his pocket. ¡°I brought the minivan.¡±


    Ezekiel grabbed his shirt. ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡± He slipped it on as he headed toward the door. ¡°The game¡¯s afoot!¡±


    Alejandra smiled as Ezekiel passed them, heading for the van.


    ¡°Sherlock Holmes, huh?¡± Derek asked.


    Alejandra shrugged. ¡°They¡¯re all free on the internet. There¡¯s, like, fifty short stories and four novels.¡± They moved out of the way so Hraktar and Milo could follow Ezekiel outside. ¡°I mean, now that he¡¯s battling more often, he won¡¯t burn through our pop culture quite as fast.¡±


    ¡°Eh, don¡¯t be so sure,¡± Rafael muttered.


    ***


    Rafael was anxious. It was hard to tell, because ever since the weekend, he was always anxious. As they walked into the tent, though, he was lightheaded with worry. At least this time, he knew why. Ezekiel¡¯s situation concerned him. Tyler was confident Calawit would have something to tell them, but whether the news was good or bad was a different matter entirely.


    Rafael walked into the tent, moving aside so Hraktar could walk in. He felt the dull thud as the six-and-a-half-foot fighter moved into the tent.


    Milo walked inside. ¡°Cal!¡±


    ¡°Milo? Is that you?¡± Rafael watched as the little shopkeeper jumped on the desk. The mana fusor grabbed Ezekiel and pulled him in the tent. She moved her spectacles closer to her nose. ¡°Well hello! Where¡¯s your other friends?¡±


    ¡°Not coming. For now,¡± Milo said.


    ¡°Ah. So, are you three going on an adventure? There¡¯s been a few more rumblings here and there.¡±


    ¡°We came to help Ezekiel,¡± Hraktar said.


    Calawit sniffed, studying Ezekiel closer. ¡°There is something odd about you. I sense in you what I sense in that other boy. And the lizard.¡±


    ¡°Grizzizzik¡¯s a snake,¡± Ezekiel said.


    The sorcerer gave a wave of her wrist. ¡°Eh.¡± Calawit moved closer to study Ezekiel. ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    ¡°I got bitten by a wererat,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Calawit¡¯s face seemed to fall. ¡°Oh. My deepest condolences.¡±


    Rafael¡¯s heart pounded, glancing at Calawit with a fear he didn¡¯t expect to feel. ¡°Isn¡¯t there something you can do?¡±


    Calawit turned, seeing Rafael there. She studied his face, curious. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Uh, Rafael Walker.¡±


    Calawit continued to stare at him, her head slowly cocking to one side. ¡°Rafael Walker. I see qualities of you in him.¡±


    Rafael frowned, his eyes bouncing to Alejandra for a moment before returning to Calawit. ¡°Sorry, who are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You. You and Ezekiel. Both of you are the unexpected leaders of this little gang, aren¡¯t you?¡± Calawit said.


    He shook his head, because it was instinctual. ¡°No. Not really. I mean, Ezekiel is, but I¡¯m no leader. Tyler¡¯s our leader. I¡¯m more the¡­¡± He trailed off, because he wasn¡¯t exactly sure what he was. He just knew he wasn¡¯t anything like his character. It¡¯s why he created the cleric the way he did. ¡°Can you check on Ezekiel? We all need him. And not in a wererat form. That¡¯s not who he is.¡±


    Calawit¡¯s grin faded as she straightened, but it was still there. ¡°I am merely a humble shopkeeper. It seems like every other time you visit me, you require a new responsibility for me to take on. Shopkeeper. Tavernkeeper. Now healer.¡±


    ¡°Believe me, Cal, if there were other healers here, we would go to them. You seem to be the only person from Osvoroth who¡¯s here,¡± Milo said.


    Calawit sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±

 Chapter 76

    Ezekiel once again took off his shirt. Milo handed Calawit his magnifying glass, but she waved it away. Instead, she got up on Milo¡¯s shoulders and used his height to get closer to the cleric before touching one of the marks on Ezekiel¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Black mana, right?¡± Milo asked.


    ¡°Undoubtably.¡± She wiggled her fingers at Ezekiel. ¡°Hand me your medallion.¡±


    Ezekiel paused, then reached up to undo the small chain that held the silver medallion of the Great Lady of Light. He eased it into Calawit¡¯s palm. ¡°Be careful with it, please.¡±


    ¡°Always.¡± It was big enough that she had to hold it with both hands. She eased it toward the center of the bite mark and placed it against his skin. Ezekiel sucked in air. His knees quivered as he grabbed his shoulder, leaning against a bookshelf. Rafael winced.


    Calawit brought the medallion back toward her, searching Ezekiel¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s promising.¡±


    Milo glanced at her, slightly alarmed. ¡°Promising?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°If it was deeply infected, he would have turned already.¡±


    There was a moment¡¯s pause as everyone looked at her. Milo placed her back on the shelf. ¡°You tried that before knowing he might turn?¡± He shook his head. ¡°What the hell, Cal!¡±


    Calawit simply smiled. ¡°Oh, stop. He would have turned back once you all knocked him out. The big guy over there could¡¯ve taken him.¡± She glanced at Hraktar. ¡°You might want to stay by Ezekiel¡¯s side as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be an issue,¡± Alejandra said. ¡°Rafael and I are brother and sister and live under the same roof.¡±


    Calawit nodded. ¡°Good.¡± She handed Ezekiel back the medallion, and he secured it around his neck again.


    Derek glanced at Rafael. ¡°You didn¡¯t roll a nat one on his saving throw, did you?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No. After the modifiers, it came out to twelve. I think I needed a thirteen to save, since I rolled a thirteen on the first bite.¡±


    Derek winced. ¡°Just missed it, then. Well¡­¡± He scratched his forehead, looking again at the bite mark. ¡°At least it wasn¡¯t a nat one.¡±


    Calawit scrambled over the bookshelves before finding something on the lowest level. She climbed back up, holding out a piece of hard cheese to Ezekiel.


    ¡°Cheese? Is it because of rats?¡± Rafael couldn¡¯t help it and looked at Derek. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    His old friend shrugged as Ezekiel studied the sliver of hard cheese, frowning before he glanced at Calawit.


    ¡°Tell me every thought entering your head. It will help me assess your condition better,¡± Calawit said.


    Ezekiel gave the cheese a sniff. ¡°It smells nice. But I have no urge to eat it. Though the longer you hold it close to me, the more likely I will buy it from you. Extra coin, if you asked.¡±


    ¡°I adore your honesty.¡± She flipped it toward him. Ezekiel caught it, a smile on his face. ¡°Take a bite.¡±


    Ezekiel did. While he did, Calawit took Milo¡¯s hand and sliced his palm deep. Milo let out a shout of surprise more than pain, though four hit points dropped from his health bar. The mana fusor grabbed his bleeding hand, eyes wide. ¡°Calawit!¡±


    ¡°Forgive me. I might have gotten a little carried away.¡± She grabbed his wrist and pushed his blood-covered hand toward Ezekiel¡¯s face. He nibbled on the cheese, staring at Milo¡¯s hand. His nose crinkled as he gave her back the cheese, ready to heal Milo.


    ¡°No, no. Let me. I¡¯m the one that cut him.¡± Even as Calawit said that, gold mana lifted from her hand and entered Milo, stitching his wound together. The four hit points returned, and Milo rubbed his palm, grumbling.


    Calawit then brought up a book, with Flannigan Jones on the title. Ezekiel¡¯s eyes widened and filled with a sense of wonder. ¡°Is it¡­¡±


    ¡°Yep. Next one in the series.¡±


    Ezekiel giggled like a child and pulled out a gold piece, slapping it in Calawit¡¯s palm as he snatched the book, flipping it open to the beginning. He stuffed the rest of the cheese in his mouth and began reading. Rafael glanced at Calawit. The sorceress leaned over with her dagger, making a cut into one of the black marks on his shoulder. Again, she got carried away and four hit points dropped from Ezekiel¡¯s bar. Considering the cleric was at level one, it was almost half of his hit points. He braced against the bookshelf, already looking haggard from a dagger cut. Yet he still kept focusing on his book.


    Calawit circled her hands, saying something in an ancient language. A white light glowed from her palm before sprinkling into the dagger wound and glowing against the black marks. Then the whiteness went away, and the black remained. Calawit sniffed, her nose moving around. With a flick of her wrist, Ezekiel had his four hit points back.


    Rafael rubbed his chin, watching Calawit. She leaned back. ¡°You may put your shirt back on if you wish.¡±


    Ezekiel tore his gaze from the Flannigan Jones book as Milo handed him his shirt. He slipped it on, ready to dive back into his book when Hraktar placed a hand on it. ¡°Maybe wait until Calawit tells you how to cure yourself before you return to reading?¡±


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    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Ezekiel reached behind him, placing the book in his inventory. ¡°Of course.¡±


    Calawit sighed, sitting down on the top bookshelf. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no doubt about it. You have lycanthropy.¡±


    There was a long enough pause that Rafael leaned in a little closer. ¡°Is that it?¡±


    Calawit shrugged. ¡°The kind of lycanthropy that a remove curse spell cannot cure.¡± She opened her hand, and a book flew into her palm. She flipped through the pages, then nodded. ¡°The next full moon is close enough that my tests should have triggered something, but they didn¡¯t. The lycanthropy is still new and finding its way into Ezekiel¡¯s system.¡± Calawit closed her book, and it flew back to its position. ¡°There¡¯s still a few more weeks for it to settle into you, though. My guess is since you¡¯re a cleric, you¡¯ll get the extra help needed from your deity on October fifth.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ezekiel said. ¡°The Great Lady of Light always helps those who ask.¡±


    Calawit nodded. ¡°Right, I¡­ to be certain you stay in your human form and not transform into a wererat, you better pray. A lot.¡±


    The cleric smiled. ¡°No problem.¡±


    Calawit hesitated. ¡°No, I mean¡­ you pray. Every minute the full moon is in the sky, you better be on your knees communing with the Great Lady.¡±


    Ezekiel nodded. ¡°I will.¡±


    Calawit blinked. ¡°The moon is in the sky a good twelve hours.¡±


    He clicked his tongue and gave her awkward finger guns. ¡°Twelve hours praying is novice numbers, Cal.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Sometimes I forget who I¡¯m talking to. Be careful, alright? I¡¯m not sure what this group would do if you transformed into a wererat once a month. Or turned into a wererat completely.¡±


    Rafael took out his phone, plugging in information on the next full moon. ¡°It looks like it won¡¯t rise in Arizona until¡­ six-thirty at night.¡±


    Calawit raised an eyebrow, then glanced down at Rafael¡¯s phone. ¡°Fascinating things.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only the light of the moon, right?¡± Rafael glanced at Derek. ¡°Even though this says it¡¯s officially a full moon at 11:30 am, it won¡¯t hurt him until it rises here?¡±


    Derek nodded. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s the light. And I doubt keeping Ezekiel inside or in the shadows would work. The moment the moon rises over the horizon, it¡¯ll start.¡±


    Rafael checked his phone again. ¡°So, until six-thirty at night until seven-twenty in the morning, you¡¯re going to be praying. Are you okay with that?¡± He glanced at Ezekiel.


    ¡°You all need to stop worrying about my length of prayers. I have many things to tell the Great Lady. I can tell her about this world and the adventures we¡¯ve had so far.¡±


    ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll stop worrying about you in early October.¡± Calawit headed toward the bookshelf. ¡°Early November, however, is a completely different matter. By that time, no amount of praying will save you from succumbing to lycanthropy.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen if we don¡¯t cure him in November?¡± Milo asked.


    Calawit held out a hand, the book she needed landing in her palm. ¡°He must perform a cleansing ritual. If the cleansing succeeds, then everything is fine. Ezekiel is back to his usual self, and the lycanthropy disappears from his system. If the cleansing partially succeeds, then every full moon he will change into a wererat, but back to his normal self once it sets. If the cleansing fails completely, he will be a wererat forever. A creature so far from what you know that he¡¯s not even the same person. Wererats are paranoid little things, and he will no doubt attack if startled.¡± Calawit glanced at Hraktar. ¡°So¡­¡±


    The fighter kept his arms folded. ¡°Try not to scare him?¡±


    ¡°Try not to¡­ anything. You¡¯re an intimidating guy, big fella.¡±


    Ezekiel shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Calawit. We¡¯ll get this curse lifted long before the lycanthropy takes hold.¡±


    Calawit snorted as she opened the book. ¡°Famous last words.¡± She flicked her wrist to turn a few pages. ¡°Lycanthropy cures have the same three components for each were creature. One, a claw or tooth from the hybrid¡¯s mortal enemy. For your wererat''s mortal enemy, you¡¯re looking for some feline monster. You, and you alone, Ezekiel, must kill it by yourself and extract the tooth or claw.¡±


    ¡°Be happy you¡¯re not getting a fang from a vampire,¡± Derek muttered.


    ¡°The second component is a beloved item from your mortal enemy. The more powerful, the better. And finally, purest silver pounded into powder by a god or goddess. Or one of They¡¯re minions.¡± Rafael stared at Calawit, terrified. She straightened her spectacles. ¡°All this must be done by the next full moon, in this case, the one in November. Then, and this is the most dangerous part, you must have all three components and begin the cure ritual right at the moonrise of the full moon.¡±


    ¡°Why right at moonrise?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°Starting the ritual then gives the lycanthropy and your humanity time to wrestle it out during the shift. A chance for the spell to work.¡± Calawit lifted the tome toward him. ¡°Are you familiar with the cure ritual?¡±


    ¡°I believe so.¡± Ezekiel glanced through the pages, nodding a few times. ¡°I might need a refresher right before, but this looks right.¡±


    The sorceress took the tome back. ¡°You work on getting those three items, then we¡¯ll chat rituals.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ a tooth from a cat monster that you need to kill all by yourself. Grounded up silver by a deity, and something from your enemy?¡± Milo asked, counting on his finger. He then frowned, studying Ezekiel. ¡°Do you even have an enemy?¡±


    ¡°Akshi, of course,¡± Ezekiel said.


    The room was silent as everyone looked at the cleric.


    ¡°Please no,¡± Derek said.


    Ezekiel frowned. ¡°He is. Akshi is my enemy. So is Torraq, but Akshi is the one that¡¯s here.¡±


    Rafael had his hands in his hair. ¡°Ezekiel, we can¡¯t possibly approach him. Ever. You¡¯re level one. You almost died from a bunch of demon rats, and you still didn¡¯t level up. If Akshi even looked your direction, you¡¯d get annihilated.¡±


    ¡°And that is something I completely understand. But¡­ it feels right,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Derek covered his face. ¡°Goddamn clerics.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like the easiest thing to get is to kill a cat monster all by yourself,¡± Milo said.


    Derek grumbled as he pulled out his phone, tapping on some things.


    ¡°What about silver?¡± Rafael asked. ¡°Is this silver from our world? Because that might be¡­ impossible.¡±


    ¡°I could dilute silver coins down to a pure bar, but it¡¯s making it into a powder that will be difficult.¡± Milo scratched the back of his head in thought. ¡°Pounded into powder by a deity, you said?¡±


    Calawit nodded. ¡°Or one of their minions. The idea of this cure ritual is balance. Ezekiel has two things battling inside him. A rat, and himself. He must sacrifice both sides of himself and choose the God or Goddess who will show the most mercy on him so he can keep himself.¡±


    ¡°Poetic,¡± Milo said.


    ¡°Poetic, but is it possible?¡± Hraktar asked.


    ¡°Saber-tooth tiger. Suggested combat is level two,¡± Derek said out of the blue. All gazes focused on him as he held up his phone and gave it a shake. ¡°Torraq¡¯s list of baddies from his lair. There are a few saber-tooth tigers on there, and the more you level up, Ezekiel, the easier they will be. The only problem is they¡¯re not native to the desert. We¡¯ll have to see if Princess Clarissa can lure them here somehow. Better a saber-tooth tiger than a black sphinx.¡±


    Calawit shuddered, and she was the only one. She simply turned and headed toward her desk. ¡°Best of luck to all of you. You¡¯ve got a little more than a month to figure it out.¡±


    Rafael watched her disappear. While getting stuck on a puzzle, Tyler often said he never gave impossible missions because then the game wouldn¡¯t be fun. Did the true game masters believe this same rule? Because all of this felt unachievable.


    Another chilling realization trickled up his spine. There was a hidden, overarching mission to curing Ezekiel. They might not be able to do it without all working together. And that, more than silver, more than teeth and claws, more than stealing something from Akshi, made this feel impossible.

 Chapter 77

    Rafael folded his arms gently, but it still reminded him of his still broken ribs. No one spoke on the way home. Ezekiel was reading his new book. Alejandra showed him how to turn on the flashlight on her phone, and he was happily reading inside the van. Everyone else was quiet. Contemplative.


    They got to Rafael and Alejandra¡¯s house. Hraktar stumbled out of the minivan before heading straight for the house. Rafael, Alejandra, and Ezekiel took longer to get out.


    ¡°Hey, um¡­¡± Rafael turned to Derek. ¡°Thanks. For coming.¡±


    Derek nodded. ¡°I¡¯m going to call Tyler and explain everything. Maybe he¡¯ll have more insight. I¡¯ll do everything I can to help save Ezekiel. We don¡¯t want to lose him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t want to lose him either,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m glad to hear you say that,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve just¡­¡±


    Derek ran his hands over the steering wheel, not looking at him. ¡°Been purposefully using harsh language to keep us at a distance because you didn¡¯t want us figuring out what you did? Or rather, didn¡¯t want Nick to figure out because then he¡¯d murder you?¡±


    Rafael let out a breath. ¡°Yeah.¡± It was such a tortured sound that Derek¡¯s face softened to a smile.


    ¡°Honestly? I get it.¡± Derek shifted from park to reverse. ¡°I¡¯d do the same. Which is why I¡¯m glad I¡¯m not in your shoes, but¡­ I¡¯ll work on Nick. Give it a couple of decades. He might stand being in your presence again.¡±


    Rafael¡¯s chuckle was a self-deprecating sound. ¡°Thanks, Derek.¡±


    Derek checked behind his shoulder. ¡°Just to be clear¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m a shitty friend.¡±


    Despite it all, a smile grew on Derek¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later, Rafael.¡±


    ¡°See you later.¡±


    Derek backed out of their driveway and drove off. Rafael sighed, then turned and walked carefully back into his house. He couldn¡¯t help but feel like a failure. A failure to his friends. To his family. To Ezekiel.


    As the game says, it¡¯s always a chance roll of the dice. Clarissa and Grizzizzik both got a high roll and didn¡¯t get lycanthropy. Ezekiel was unlucky. It didn¡¯t mean that it was because Rafael held the dice, even though it felt that way.


    He opened the door, and Alejandra was waiting for him.


    ¡°How many more experience points does Ezekiel need before he hits level two?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Rafael mentally brought up the character sheet.


    265/300 XP


    ¡°Thirty-five more points. He was so close.¡±


    Alejandra smiled. ¡°We could travel around this weekend to see if there''re any creatures you could kill. It¡¯d be nice to bump you up to level two.¡±


    ¡°Right. Yeah, Ezekiel really needs it,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°You know I¡¯m suggesting this for you, too.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Rafael glanced at Ezekiel, who was reading on the couch. ¡°Yeah. I mean¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t hung out in ages. I¡¯m excited to help Ezekiel level up, but it¡¯ll be fun spending time with you again.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It will.¡± It surprised him to know he meant it.


    There was a knock at the door, and Rafael glanced at it. Who would come to their house past ten at night?


    Alejandra moved past him. Perhaps she was thinking the same thing. She once mentioned Hraktar was based on him. The protective older brother instincts. But honestly, Rafael saw much more of Alejandra in Hraktar¡¯s quiet, thoughtful protectiveness.


    She opened the door, and her body relaxed, but only a little. ¡°Hello Hazel.¡±


    Rafael¡¯s heart plummeted. He instinctually grabbed his phone from his pocket to check if Hazel tried to call, but there was nothing there. The last thing he sent to her was a simple text, saying he understood if she wanted to break up with him. She saw it, but didn¡¯t reply.


    ¡°Is Rafael here?¡± Hazel asked.


    His little sister hesitated long enough before turning to one side. Hazel walked in, taking in Rafael¡¯s face. He glanced at Alejandra, who was heading toward her room, giving him and Hazel one more look.


    ¡°Um, hi. Hi, Hazel,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°You know I don¡¯t like using texting for things that deal with our relationship.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ know. I just wanted to give you an easy out. If you don¡¯t want to¡ª¡±


    She played with a lock of her hair, keeping her gaze on him. ¡°There are a lot of rumors going on. I¡¯d like to hear the truth from you. Entirely.¡±


    ¡°The¡­ truth?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯d rather hear it from you than whatever the rumor mill is churning up.¡± The bracelet she wore slipped down her arm as she continued to play with her hair. Rafael¡¯s heart hadn¡¯t stopped pounding since she came in. ¡°What happened between you and Evelyn?¡±


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    Heat hit Rafael¡¯s eyes. He didn¡¯t want to talk about this. Not with his girlfriend. Not with someone who was so kind. Someone he¡¯d always seen as innocent. Yet that wasn¡¯t the right word for her. Innocent, na?ve, they seemed like perfect words for Hazel when he¡¯d first gotten to know her a year ago. But an innocent and na?ve girl would have accepted what he said blindly. Would have run away the moment she heard what happened. Not come to his house. Asked him questions. Really wanted to find out what happened. Sure, maybe she was a little innocent, because the world didn¡¯t work like that anymore. But it wasn¡¯t innocence. It was a courage he¡¯d never understand.


    He pointed toward the table. ¡°Do you¡­ want to sit down?¡±


    Hazel nodded, still keeping her distance, but giving him the benefit of the doubt. Rafael did not deserve this woman.


    So he told her. Quietly. Ezekiel was still on the couch, reading his Flannigan Jones novel, so he was certain he didn¡¯t overhear. Hazel took it in, her face a mixture of compassion and pain. Rafael didn¡¯t tell her about CCNC. She might not understand, anyway.


    He finished the story, explaining briefly that he caught up with his old friends and it came out about what happened. And Nick, understandably, did not take it well.


    Hazel again looked at his face. There were tears in her eyes. ¡°Thank you for telling me.¡±


    Rafael said nothing, again glancing at Ezekiel before focusing on the ground. ¡°Again, if you¡­ want to leave¡­¡± Hazel frowned, and Rafael was starting to believe that maybe she wouldn¡¯t break up with him. ¡°I mean¡­ don¡¯t you?¡±


    Hazel shook her head. Her voice lowered. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, Rafael. This is complicated, no doubt, but¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯d kiss you, but I don¡¯t know what your cousin would think.¡±


    The frown on his face became more pronounced. He tried to think of which of his cousins Hazel knew, but they were all in a different school district.


    ¡°Sorry, um, which cousin are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The one right over there.¡± She pointed toward the couch. ¡°The one totally engrossed in his book.¡±


    Rafael¡¯s gaze shot toward Ezekiel, then back at Hazel, his eyes widening. ¡°You¡­ see him? You can see him?¡±


    Hazel frowned. ¡°Of course I can see him. I didn¡¯t notice him until I sat down, but¡­ I mean¡­¡± She tucked some hair behind her ear as she stood up. ¡°Do you want to introduce me to him?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Rafael got to his feet, his eyes still wide. ¡°Hazel, are you¡­¡±


    She walked over with her bright smile. ¡°Hello. My name is Hazel.¡± Ezekiel¡¯s eyes tore from his book to look up at her. He blinked as their eyes met. ¡°I wanted to introduce myself. I¡¯m Rafael¡¯s girlfriend, Hazel Jones.¡± She smiled at Ezekiel, then at Rafael. ¡°You both look alike, so I assumed you were cousins.¡±


    Ezekiel stood up, holding out his hand. She shook it, smiling.


    ¡°I thought you said people of your world couldn¡¯t see us,¡± Ezekiel said, glancing at Rafael.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m not¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t catch your name,¡± Hazel said.


    ¡°Ezekiel. I¡¯m Ezekiel Watson. Cleric of the Great Lady of Light.¡±


    It was finally this that made Hazel¡¯s smile falter. ¡°Sorry, you¡¯re¡­ what?¡±


    Rafael¡¯s mind spun. He didn¡¯t know what to do, except to give this the ultimate test. ¡°Hraktar! Can you come out here, please?¡±


    Hazel glanced at Rafael, frowning. ¡°Hrak¡­ Hrakwho? Hraktar?¡±


    Alejandra¡¯s door opened, and they heard the thumping of the fighter¡¯s footsteps. Hazel turned, then screamed as Hraktar appeared around the hallway. Hazel backed away, and Rafael held her on his side that didn¡¯t have broken ribs.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± Hazel asked, her voice strained with fear.


    Alejandra appeared beside Hraktar, concerned. ¡°Wait¡­ can Hazel see him?¡±


    The fighter frowned, watching Hazel. ¡°Yeah. She can. I know that reaction anywhere.¡±


    Hazel was breathing deeply, her wide eyes fixed on Hraktar. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Alejandra turned toward Rafael, her eyes wide. ¡°Anyone who can see them has a part to play. That¡¯s what Tyler said. Hazel can see them, therefore¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°No? What do you mean?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°We¡­ no. We can¡¯t let Hazel get involved.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice, Rafael. She can see them.¡±


    Hazel moved out of his arms, closer to Ezekiel than to Hraktar. ¡°Rafael, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    His hand naturally touched his side, and the wince he gave wasn¡¯t from pain. ¡°Hazel, this is¡­¡±


    ¡°She sees them, Rafael. She¡¯ll see Akshi tomorrow. That alone means we need to prepare her,¡± Alejandra said.


    Rafael groaned, rubbing his forehead. His sister was right. If Hazel saw Ezekiel and Hraktar with no issues, she would see Akshi.


    ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ all sit down. Hazel, there¡¯s more to the story you need to know.¡±


    ***


    Evelyn found it easier to lose herself in her phone, scrolling through everyone¡¯s pictures on social media. Seeing the perfect faces and perfect lives they all pretended to have. The kind of pretending she could do, if it wasn¡¯t so exhausting. It was the start of the morning, and everyone was waiting for the bell to ring to start school. Evelyn was seriously considering skipping a day. When her mother scheduled her therapist appointment for Thursday night, she was almost sad she didn¡¯t schedule it during the day. Jennifer and Rebecka practically ignored her now, not that they were great friends to begin with. But she always got the impression that if those two couldn¡¯t tolerate someone, then no one else put in the effort. Mornings were getting lonely.


    ¡°Evelyn?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a voice she expected. One that confused her, too. She glanced up to see Hazel.


    ¡°Oh, hey. Hey, Hazel.¡±


    There were tears in the cheer captain¡¯s eyes as she walked over and hugged her. Evelyn was surprised, but hugged her back. There was a lot said in the hug, but she didn¡¯t understand any of it. Hazel must have figured out. Of course she did. Everyone at school had some wild story about what happened.


    Hazel broke away, then started wringing her hands. It was so not Hazel to be this uncomfortable. ¡°I wanted to say I¡¯m sorry. So deeply sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Hazel.¡±


    ¡°I know, but¡­ you should also know¡­¡±


    Hazel didn¡¯t have to continue. That part Evelyn understood. ¡°You¡¯re still dating him.¡±


    She sighed, then looked at Evelyn. ¡°Yeah. I am.¡±


    Evelyn nodded, looking away. She didn¡¯t know how to feel about it, so she refused to feel anything.


    ¡°You ought to know the only reason I am is because¡­ because I know it will never happen again. I understand if you never want to see him again, but he was crying when he told me what he did to you.¡±


    Evelyn nodded again, still refusing to look at her face. ¡°I get it.¡±


    ¡°And¡­ one more thing.¡± The shift of her tone made Evelyn tear her gaze from the wall. What else could there possibly be? ¡°I know how complicated this is for you and I. I understand cheer is going to feel awkward. But¡­ I still need to learn about CCNC. I¡­ saw them. Last night. Ezekiel and Hraktar.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°You saw them?¡±


    Hazel nodded. ¡°And apparently I need to be on the lookout for a snake man named¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shh.¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t help it. She doubted Akshi would appear if anyone said his name, but she still didn¡¯t want to chance it. Evelyn covered her mouth, trying to think straight. ¡°Okay, um¡­¡± She rubbed her forehead again. ¡°Okay. Akshi comes to cheer occasionally. I assume you know about Mr. Stower.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Right. So¡­ pretty much wherever Mr. Stower is, Akshi is there, too. Be on the lookout, but never look right at him. Never let him know you can see him.¡±


    Hazel nodded. ¡°Thanks, Evelyn.¡±


    Evelyn wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about this turn of events. ¡°I still would like to be friends, but¡­¡± she rubbed her arm, ¡°but I can¡¯t be around Rafael right now.¡±


    Hazel took Evelyn¡¯s arm and gave it a squeeze. ¡°I completely respect that. I don¡¯t want to lose your friendship either.¡±


    For the first time since the secret broke, Evelyn felt the smallest weight lift from her shoulders. ¡°Thank you.¡±

 Chapter 78

    Rafael was sitting in the chair, waiting for it all to be done. School was going to start soon, and he was painfully aware that there were many people in the office. His mother. His head coaches. The principal. The vice principal.


    Akshi.


    He stared at the knots in the wood desk, listening to Mariana and Principal Watson talk. The hairs on the back of his neck stuck straight up. His body kept telling him he was in danger, but he was doing his best to ignore Akshi, who kept his eyes locked on Rafael¡¯s face the moment he stepped inside the office.


    But Akshi was there. He was listening to this entire conversation, and something in him was screaming at him to stop it. To stop the conversation. They were describing Rafael¡¯s entire schedule, making sure he got out of Se?ora Florez¡¯s math class and moved to a different one so he wouldn¡¯t have to sit there with him. Went over, again, what happened that night. Too much detail Akshi was happily writing down. He needed to do something. Inaction froze him in the chair. This crime lord should not have this much information. He needed to stop it. Somehow.


    Coward. I¡¯m nothing more than a coward, and everyone is in danger because Akshi is listening in. Do something. Do something, you idiot! Tackle him. Make a scene. Do something other than sitting here.


    Rafael¡¯s fingers curled around the armrest. Something deep inside him wanted to break out and strangle Akshi. Demand that snake stay away from his girlfriend. Stay away from everyone. But that would be pointless. He couldn¡¯t hurt Akshi, just like Akshi couldn¡¯t hurt him. What it would do was make him aware that Rafael was involved. That couldn¡¯t happen. Right now, they needed to cure Ezekiel of his lycanthropy.


    But he¡¯s listening to the story. This is what he does! Gather¡¯s information, and your inaction is causing real people harm.


    Just like your refusal to do anything about Evelyn.


    They needed to get more information from Neal, the creator of the game. As soon as these characters and their enemies returned home, the better. Then he could go back to the shattered remains of his life. Back to his self hate.


    Back to harming everyone by being a damn coward.


    ¡°So, do you feel comfortable with what we¡¯ve talked about?¡±


    Rafael glanced up at the principal. Who was he talking to?


    Mariana nodded. ¡°A lot better, yes.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± The principal placed his hands on his desk. ¡°I think we¡¯re all in agreement, then.¡±


    Everyone moved to leave. ¡°Wait,¡± Rafael heard himself say. Principal Miller and his coaches glanced at him. Rafael needed to speak, but he hesitated under the attention. ¡°What about¡­ what about punishment?¡±


    Glances were exchanged before turning back to Rafael. The principal cleared his throat. ¡°As said before, since Nick didn¡¯t do this on school grounds, our hands are tied. There¡¯s very little we can¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, I mean¡­ mine.¡± Rafael glanced at his coaches. ¡°What¡¯s my punishment?¡±


    Principal Miller looked confused. ¡°Your punishment? For what?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t believe Principal Miller was even saying this. ¡°For what I did to Evelyn. I¡­ assaulted her. I should be¡­ shouldn¡¯t something be done?¡±


    Principal Miller leaned back in his chair, his face a mixture of sorrow. ¡°Your situation is the same as Nick¡¯s. It wasn¡¯t done on school grounds. And it wasn¡¯t severe enough for us to do anything now that so many years have passed.¡±


    Not severe enough. Rafael stared at Principal Miller. It was severe enough to dissolve a friendship. To cause an older brother to beat the shit out of him. To spark this conversation in the first place. To cause Rafael to seriously fear for his life when he thought of stumbling in the path of Nick today at school.


    ¡°I¡­ should at least be kicked off the football team.¡±


    His coach shook his head. ¡°It was two and a half years ago. You¡¯ve proved your character since. Take a couple weeks to heal, then get ready to practice mid-October.¡±


    Rafael stared. He had nothing more to say. Something deep in his gut said this was wrong. He¡¯d done something bad. Bad enough to get more than a slap on the wrist. Not with how much damage had happened.


    He could demand something. Anything. He should have been kicked off the team. He should be suspended. Change schools. Something. Why weren¡¯t they doing anything.


    The coaches all left, and Rafael¡¯s stomach continued to churn. He couldn¡¯t accept this. Hazel should have left him. Derek should have never talked to him again. Mariana should not be sitting next to him, making sure his schedule was changed so Nick could never touch him again. He had made choices leading up to this moment, and they were all shitty.


    In fact, the only reaction that made sense was Nick¡¯s.


    ¡°Come on, Rafael,¡± Mariana said.


    He had no choice, mostly because he didn¡¯t want to stay in the office another second with Akshi. His silence in that room, too, was another shitty choice on his part. The bell rang, signifying the start of classes. Rafael¡¯s feet shuffled out of the office, and his mother walked beside him.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to work. You call me as soon as you get home, okay?¡± She ruffled his hair before kissing the top of his head.


    ¡°Mom, I¡ª¡± Rafael didn¡¯t know what was happening. ¡°Isn¡¯t this wrong? Shouldn¡¯t I be getting punished?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Rafael.¡± She gently placed her hand near his nose, following the bruise that was healing. ¡°You already have enough punishment, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ what punishment? I haven¡¯t gotten anything. I shouldn¡¯t be getting off this easy. What I did was wrong.¡±


    ¡°And you know it was wrong. That¡¯s what punishment is supposed to do. To remind you you¡¯re wrong. You spent two and a half years trying to make it right by yourself. Now we¡¯re here to help you. Stop thinking about getting kicked off the football team, and work on healing what happened.¡±


    She kissed his forehead again before leaving out the front doors. Rafael watched her go as students began filing out of the hallways, heading toward their classrooms.


    No. He completely disagreed with his mother. She was married to Jack, after all. If Jack got a slap on the wrist and returned to his family, he was quite sure they¡¯d all be dead. Every choice he made since that night was like a black sludge that he lived with, growing. Festering. It came out when Nick punched him, and the black sludge separated from his body. He finally saw the monster that¡¯d been living with him. He was going to everyone, begging them to help him lock it up, and they were simply patting his head and telling him it was fine.


    It wasn¡¯t fine. Absolutely none of this was fine.


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    Hazel came up to him, hugging him tenderly. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ think so.¡± No. He wasn¡¯t okay. He wasn¡¯t sure what he expected. Expulsion from football. From sports. From school, even. Made an example because he¡¯d made an awful choice. A warning to others. And he¡¯d be the first to admit he deserved every bit of it. But did he deserve it enough to force it on himself? Was that the hell he was going to live with? Knowing he deserved worse, but not being strong enough to request it.


    Like sitting quietly in an office as Akshi gathered more information on his old friends. He glanced up to see Mr. Stower walk out of the office with Akshi close behind. Hazel almost turned to see, but Rafael placed a hand on her cheek, forcing her to face him, giving the smallest shake of his head. True, Hazel would see Akshi soon enough, but he felt this deep desire to protect her for as long as possible.


    Hazel looked at him, a hint of fear in her eyes. Rafael forced himself to look away and watch, making sure Mr. Stower was walking away from him.


    ***


    Nick had his book open, but he wasn¡¯t reading it. Anger roared through him too much for him to do anything like concentrate on the words in front of him. He used his book like everyone else used ear buds. A sign he wanted to be left alone.


    It was lunchtime, and it was too loud. He kept reading, making sure everyone could see the book in his hand as he stuffed his pizza roll in the small marinara cup. He picked it up, ripping a piece of the roll with his teeth as he continued to stare at the words.


    A tray came down softly at the spot across from him, and he snapped his gaze to Derek, who sat down. ¡°Hello.¡± Nick said nothing, looking back at his book as he drowned the roll in the marinara sauce. ¡°So, um, do you want to hear the update on the gossip going around about you? Or the update about Ezekiel?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Nick said.


    Derek hesitated. ¡°Okay, so¡­ when you say it in that sort of tone, I can¡¯t tell if you don¡¯t care which one I start with, or you don¡¯t want to hear it at all.¡±


    Nick shut his book with more snap than necessary before placing it to one side. He tore another chunk of roll with his teeth. ¡°Just preparing for bad news. Might as well hit me with all of it.¡±


    Derek kept his eye on Nick as he opened his utensils. He had the impression Derek was nervous of him, but he found he didn¡¯t care about that, either. ¡°So¡­ Rafael is here, meaning the rumors that people thought you murdered him and buried him under the baseball diamond are diminishing. That¡¯s a plus.¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t answer. Whatever levity Derek hoped to have with starting that story petered out. ¡°The rumors remaining are still not helping your reputation.¡± Nick didn¡¯t respond. Derek sighed. ¡°Fine. Let me tell you about Ezekiel.¡± Nick listened to him explain the entire situation and the ingredients they needed for the cleansing ritual. Nick was shaking his head, wondering how they were possibly going to pull that off in a month.


    ¡°Tyler has his own notes on this. After I told him what Calawit said, he says Ezekiel needs to level up a lot. The stronger he is, the more likely he can beat this thing.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Which means we need to keep up the weekly CCNC sessions.¡±


    Nick stared at Derek. ¡°I¡¯m not hanging around Rafael.¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t have to. Tyler believes that you and Evelyn have a strong enough connection to your characters that you can roll the dice from inside your house. At least until we figure some things out.¡±


    His fingers tightened over the marinara cup. ¡°What exactly is there to figure out? It is for Rafael¡¯s own safety that I never talk to him again.¡±


    Derek sighed. ¡°Come on, man.¡±


    ¡°Are you going this Saturday? With him?¡± Nick asked.


    The silence was long. Almost a betrayal itself before Derek rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Technically, I¡¯ve already gone. I went with them to check with Calawit.¡±


    It would have been easier if Derek had punched him in the mouth. ¡°Are you serious? You went with them?¡±


    ¡°What did you expect? I love CCNC, and I want these characters back home,¡± Derek said.


    Nick dropped the cup with more force than necessary. ¡°He assaulted my sister. And you take their side?¡±


    Derek raised two hands in surrender. ¡°Don¡¯t make me choose. Don¡¯t draw the line in the sand. Don¡¯t make this like a divorced couple, forcing their child to choose which parent they love more. I went there to show my support for Ezekiel, not Rafael. He knows what he did was shitty, and I still have my own feelings to process.¡±


    ¡°Again, Derek, I¡¯m going to say this as plainly as possible. He. Assaulted. My. Sister.¡±


    Derek sighed, dropping his hand. He shook his head. ¡°Yeah, man. He did. And you broke into rich people¡¯s cars to steal things so your new best friend¡¯s older brother could have money to buy drugs. You vandalized part of a town. Unknowingly aided someone who was giving out drugs illegally. Got in the car with an underage drunk guy, who kept getting more drunk, and put everyone on that road at risk. It was lucky, even, that you got in a crash before you took out a bystander. If you¡¯re waiting for me to choose the guy who made the better decisions in their past life, the jury is still out on that one.¡±


    Blood pounded in his ears, threatening to drown out all reason and logic. ¡°That was three-¡± He pulled himself short, curling his fists.


    Derek didn¡¯t let it pass. He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Three years ago? About the same time Rafael made his own incredibly stupid and criminal choice?¡± Nick glared at Derek, his knuckles turning white.


    ¡°That was different, because I didn¡¯t hide it,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t. If you could have, would you?¡± Derek said. Nick kept glaring at him. ¡°All I¡¯m saying is you¡¯re both incredibly shitty. We¡¯ve just had longer to process what you did. If we can¡¯t work together, Ezekiel turns into a wererat. Our group loses their leader. Forever. Again, Nick, I didn¡¯t go over there to support Rafael. I went to help Ezekiel. The character you once played.¡±


    Nick grabbed the last of his pizza roll. ¡°This game wasn¡¯t meant to be so life consuming. We have some actual real-world problems we need to work through. We can¡¯t put our problems to one side to solve theirs.¡±


    Derek shook his head, a frown clear on his face. ¡°Dude, I don¡¯t know any other way to get this across. I understand why you did what you did. You don¡¯t need to defend yourself to me. I am still processing my own anger at Rafael right now. You are preaching to the choir! Just don¡¯t. Make. Me. Choose. You are both struggling with the horrible decisions you made years ago, and I am suggesting to Rafael what I suggested to you. That you take your mind off things by playing CCNC.¡±


    ¡°This is completely different,¡± Nick said. ¡°I didn¡¯t hurt anyone in the group when I did what I did.¡±


    ¡°Like hell you didn¡¯t,¡± Derek said, tears pricking his eyes.


    ¡°Not in the same way that Rafael did to Evelyn. Don¡¯t even pretend that¡¯s the same,¡± Nick said.


    Derek covered his face, sighing. ¡°Of course it¡¯s not, but¡­ Tyler¡¯s thinking of a system. We can still cure Ezekiel while spending time apart. It¡¯s just¡­ I need to know you¡¯ll do everything you can to help Ezekiel. Which means not killing Rafael.¡± Nick glared at Derek. ¡°Do you know how many people are still convinced you murdered him? That you came to school yesterday cool as ever because you¡¯d also threatened Principal Miller that you¡¯d murder him, too, if he didn¡¯t allow you to come?¡±


    Nick stared at him. ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Just thought you ought to know the gossip. How convinced people were that you were the kind of person to murder Rafael.¡± Nick hadn¡¯t seen Rafael at all. He figured it was better he didn¡¯t know the bastard¡¯s schedule.


    ¡°Do you honestly think I¡¯m going to kill him?¡± Nick asked.


    Once again, Derek hesitated, and again, Nick narrowed his eyes. Derek shook his head. ¡°You always pretend you¡¯re not some dark and brooding rogue. But then things like this happen, and I see glimpses of Grizzizzik in you. I need to hear you say that you won¡¯t slit Rafael¡¯s throat.¡±


    Nick glared at Derek before he shoved the last of the roll into his mouth. He had to be completely honest with himself, and with Derek. ¡°I¡¯ve only ever¡­ thought about it.¡±


    ¡°Murder is wrong,¡± Derek said, like he couldn¡¯t imagine he needed to say this.


    Nick didn¡¯t like the condescending tone. ¡°You wanna know what else is wrong?¡± He let it hang. Obviously Derek knew.


    Derek sighed. ¡°This is a future decision you haven¡¯t made yet. This is the difference.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not going to,¡± Nick said. I just want to punch him again. Want no one around to stop me and keep beating him until the anger goes away.


    There was a chance the anger would never go away.


    Nick looked away, taking a sip of his drink as Derek continued to scrutinize him. ¡°What Rafael did was shitty. And the thing is, he knows it. I saw it on his face last night. He admitted he was a terrible friend, and deserved every horrible thing coming to him. I know you want revenge. I¡¯m afraid you want to kill him. So I just need to check. Do you know killing Rafael is evil?¡±


    Nick glared at Derek, furious. He wasn¡¯t even sure why he was furious. Most of the fury came from knowing Rafael was alive and well, walking around this very school. And every horrible thing coming to him was going to be nothing more than a slap on the wrist, when he deserved so much more. Nick realized his fists were still clenched, and a plastic knife had found its way into his fist. ¡°I¡­ will not¡­ slit Rafael¡¯s throat.¡± Nick wasn¡¯t sure he believed it yet.


    Derek stared at him, then sighed, picking up his tray. ¡°I¡¯m making things worse.¡± He got up, giving a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing you around, Nick.¡± He headed toward the table he usually sat at with his drama buddies. Nick opened his book again as he stabbed the cooked carrots with the knife. He glanced over at the other table to see some students watching him. The second he made eye contact, they turned away, murmuring amongst themselves. Nick forced himself to stare at his book. Stare at the words so people would leave him alone as he unclenched his fist, the plastic knife clattering to the table.

 Chapter 79

    Evelyn felt the therapy session wrapping up. She went in smiling, but it was impossible to keep smiling while she talked with her therapist. The truth was, it hurt. Hurt in a way that felt permanent. Now that everything was out there, she could see all the crushed pieces of herself and was trying so hard not to feel broken.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done a brave thing today,¡± Gemma said. Despite the multiple plaques hanging in her office showing how much school she¡¯d attended, Gemma was adamant that Evelyn call her by her first name.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel very brave.¡±


    ¡°Everyone doing courageous things rarely feels brave. It¡¯s what makes it so brave in the first place.¡±


    Evelyn tried to smile, but it soon faltered. Her shoes were off, because Gemma was all about doing whatever was comfortable, and she wanted to take off her shoes and hug her legs the entire time. ¡°I just¡­¡± Despite the session almost finishing, Evelyn didn¡¯t want to dive into this, but Gemma simply raised her eyebrows, encouraging her to continue. Evelyn sighed. ¡°I keep¡­ having this strange thought that¡­ that I¡¯d have to see Rafael again. That we¡¯d¡­ I don¡¯t know, have to work together on some¡­ project. To be forced together again. It¡¯s silly, but¡­¡± But it¡¯s actually true and I wish I could also tell you about CCNC and how it¡¯s some sort of portal into our world and there is literally an elf princess sleeping in my room for four hours and we go on wild adventures, including with Rafael¡¯s character. How am I supposed to handle this? The fate of our characters depends on us working together, and I can¡¯t. I simply can¡¯t.


    Gemma just smiled. ¡°The story is out, Evelyn. As painful as it is, it means your teachers are more aware of your situation. They¡¯d never do that to you. Even if they tried, you can say no. You have the right to be heard.¡±


    Evelyn nodded because they expected it of her. ¡°I guess it¡¯s the overactive imagination I have.¡± She forced a chuckle out of her. ¡°Imagining end of the world scenarios. Zombie apocalypses. Situations like that where I¡­ need to work with Rafael in order to save the world.¡±


    Gemma smiled, her eyebrows raising again. ¡°What an active imagination indeed! Let¡¯s explore it.¡±


    Her heart started bouncing. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Why not? If you brought it up now, it¡¯s clearly more than a fleeting idea. It must have kept you up some nights.¡±


    She hugged her legs all the tighter. ¡°Yeah. Some nights.¡±


    Gemma smiled again. ¡°So you¡¯re in an apocalyptic situation and you must partner up with Rafael in order to save the world. What¡¯s the first thing you do?¡±


    Evelyn stared at Gemma, not sure how to answer that question, but as with most things, she posed a question that helped her face the mountain of confusion in her head. ¡°I¡­ figure out the full extent of the situation before partnering with him.¡± Wait to hear what the creator of CCNC says before going to another session with him.


    Gemma nodded. ¡°Sounds like a plan. And if you realize you have to work with Rafael? To save the world?¡±


    Evelyn stared at Gemma, remaining quiet with her thoughts. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know. I¡­ still hate him. Still don¡¯t want to be near him. Annoyed as hell that Hazel, his girlfriend, still wants to date him, even though I said it was okay. It¡¯s hard enough cheering with Hazel. I don¡¯t think¡­ I don¡¯t think I could ever work with Rafael.¡±


    Gemma nodded, then spun on her chair toward her desk. ¡°Our time is out, but if you¡¯d like, we could pick up this scenario next week.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Evelyn let go of her legs, and they dropped to the floor.


    ¡°After all, it¡¯s not like the end of the world is coming next week,¡± Gemma said.


    Evelyn couldn¡¯t help it and winced. But she forced herself to smile. ¡°Yeah, thankfully not.¡±


    Gemma smiled. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit.¡±


    She signed up for another session, then thanked her and left. She felt hollow, like her insides had been scraped out and left for people to dissect.


    She walked outside to see Walt and waved before getting into the passenger side. ¡°Hey.¡± She grabbed her seat belt.


    ¡°Hey, my girl. How¡¯d it go?¡±


    The seatbelt tightened against her waist. ¡°Good. It was a first session, but I think it went well. I like her.¡±


    ¡°Happy to hear that.¡± Walt backed out of the parking lot. ¡°We can always change therapists if you don¡¯t like her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s pretty chill. I think I need ¡®pretty chill¡¯ right now,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Okay, good.¡±


    They drove down the street, and it was quiet. Evelyn took out her phone, scrolling through it out of habit.


    ¡°It seems so out of character for him,¡± Walt said out of the blue.


    Evelyn glanced up. ¡°Sorry, what?¡±


    ¡°Rafael. Such an odd thing for him to do. Out of character.¡±


    Evelyn wasn¡¯t sure what to say, but she recognized the tar-like feeling forming in her gut. Thick, heavy, and threatening to pull her in.


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    Her dad tapped on the wheel. ¡°He¡¯s more than made up for it, though. Good kid.¡± Evelyn gripped her phone, feeling heat rise to her cheeks. ¡°Great grades.¡± He raised a finger, keeping his eyes on the road. ¡°Now that¡¯s a kid who understands consequences of one¡¯s actions. Really got his head on straight.¡±


    The phone she needed for a distraction started shaking. ¡°Can we¡­ not? I don¡¯t want to talk about Rafael.¡±


    ¡°Right. Of course not.¡± Walt chuckled. ¡°Probably talked about him enough in therapy.¡±


    Evelyn didn¡¯t smile. She pretended to keep scrolling on her phone as Walt turned on the radio to some old people''s music. She rubbed the side of her face between her eyebrow and hairline to keep the tears from forming. The shaking in her hand never went away.


    As soon as the car pulled into the driveway, she got out of the car. ¡°I¡¯m going on a run, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course. Take your phone,¡± Walt said.


    Evelyn didn¡¯t answer. She went to her room, changed into some shorts and a tank top, before placing her phone in her pocket. It was dark, but she tried not to worry. Somehow, going for a run at night seemed safer than staying with Walt. Which is when she admitted to herself that neither was safe, but she needed to escape.


    Her mind shut off as the feeling of ickiness returned. Walt clearly still thought the best of Rafael. She didn¡¯t like to think of people picking sides, but it was happening anyway. Her side and Rafael¡¯s. And Walt clarified tonight which side he was on. So many people were on his side.


    Betrayal. That¡¯s what this felt like. She shouldn¡¯t have expected anything less. It was Walt, after all. She didn¡¯t consider him a great father.


    Evelyn kept running, kept her emotions in check. Refused to cry. It would make it harder to run if she sobbed.


    Perhaps this is how Nick felt before he made his destructive choice. Walt often compared Nick to Rafael a lot, and it was often how Nick fell short. They had been such good friends that it hadn¡¯t mattered. At least, when it had, Rafael usually told Walt off in the most diplomatic way possible. But now¡­


    At first, there was no goal to her run. She wanted to get out of the house, away from Walt. Moonsparkle, however, was impossible to miss. Even in the moonlight, there was a beautiful glow to her. Evelyn stopped running, hands on her hips as she looked at the unicorn right on the outskirts of town. There was some movement, and she turned to see Clarissa approaching the unicorn with a basket. Evelyn¡¯s eyes filled with tears, and she forced them back. She couldn¡¯t cry. If she did, she wouldn¡¯t stop.


    She approached slowly, and it didn¡¯t take long for Moonsparkle to notice her. Clarissa turned, her face breaking into a smile. ¡°Evelyn. Hello!¡± The smile faded. ¡°You are¡­ hurt.¡± Evelyn glanced around, wondering if she¡¯d got snagged by a branch. Clarissa moved the basket to her hip. ¡°No, I mean¡­ your heart. It is heavy. Moonsparkle told me.¡±


    Evelyn sighed as she walked up to them. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine.¡± Moonsparkle snorted. Clarissa smiled, glancing behind her shoulder at the unicorn. Evelyn waved her arm. ¡°I¡¯ve spent an hour talking about it. I don¡¯t want to talk about it anymore.¡±


    ¡°So, you said a white lie to get out of a conversation you don¡¯t want to have.¡± Clarissa smiled, then brushed some hair from Evelyn¡¯s face. ¡°You poor girl.¡± Clarissa handed her the basket. ¡°Want to feed Moonsparkle?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please.¡± Evelyn looked down at the basket and noticed it was a bunch of chopped up cacti. ¡°Won¡¯t this hurt her?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Clarissa said.


    She trusted the process and walked over carefully. Still aware that Moonsparkle was an animal of healing, but also one of death. She offered the basket, and Moonsparkle reached forward, sniffing before nibbling. Evelyn adjusted the basket to have a free hand before she reached out, her hand running through the golden mane. Evelyn¡¯s chin quivered. This was a job for Clarissa. Clarissa, the pure desert elf who was perfect in every way.


    Evelyn glanced at her character, who started speaking in elvish as she brushed Moonsparkle¡¯s neck with a handmade comb. The unicorn sighed in return, and Clarissa giggled before speaking more. Tears dropped as desperately as Evelyn trying to hide them.


    ¡°Evie?¡± Clarissa asked.


    She sniffed, focusing on the unicorn as she talked to them both. ¡°You¡¯re so¡­ cool. You¡¯re perfect. I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Clarissa frowned. ¡°Perfect?¡±


    Evelyn shook her head, placing her hand on Moonsparkle¡¯s nose. ¡°I¡¯m in awe, that¡¯s all.¡± She wiped some tears from her face. Clarissa took the basket from her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not perfect. I spent well over a hundred years in my parents¡¯ home before I went adventuring. Watching my brother have all the adventures. Protecting our realm and doing it well.¡± Clarissa¡¯s face dropped. Evelyn didn¡¯t need to be her creator to know her druid felt a deep sense of homesickness.


    Evelyn focused again on Moonsparkle. ¡°When you talk to people, they listen. People respect you. They don¡¯t betray you.¡±


    Clarissa let out an uncharacteristically loud laugh. ¡°Have you seen Grizzly Bear and I talk? That rogue does not listen, I assure you.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ but when it really matters, he does.¡±


    Clarissa stopped brushing Moonsparkle and glanced at Evelyn. ¡°What is this really about?¡±


    Evelyn sighed, keeping her hand on Moonsparkle¡¯s nose. Tears kept her eyes warm. ¡°I feel so powerless. Even now. Especially now. After all this came out, most of the conversation was whether what Rafael did was right, instead of¡­¡±


    ¡°Instead of anyone asking if you were alright?¡± Clarissa asked. Evelyn felt her face crumple. She covered her face, feeling the tears fall. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Her knees turned weak as Moonsparkle moved forward. She wrapped her arms around the unicorn¡¯s neck, afraid she¡¯d collapse into sobs if she didn¡¯t. The brokenness she felt manifested in how impossible it was to stand. She shouldn¡¯t feel this way. It wasn¡¯t like Rafael raped her. She punched him in the face when it happened and told him to never talk to her again. He respected her wishes. Bent over backwards to keep it a secret, and made everyone hate him in the process. Did everything possible to stay out of her way. Three years ago. Three whole years and her eyes were swimming, her knees trembling, the memories still far too fresh in her mind. She should feel better. Why couldn¡¯t she get better from this? Why couldn¡¯t she talk to her therapist today and both agree therapy wasn¡¯t needed? Because what happened wasn¡¯t that bad. She should be fine. Why wasn¡¯t she fine? Why did she feel the icky tar when Walt sided with Rafael?


    ¡°Evelyn.¡± Her druid placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°I am not perfect, but I am a princess. A princess does not deny herself what she needs. And you, my dear, dear friend, need to sob.¡±


    Evelyn tried to laugh, but that laugh was the last thing that made her knees collapse. The tears came and did not stop. The answer was simple. She felt the icky tar because Rafael broke something in her, and Walt punished Nick instead of him.


    Moonsparkle dropped to her knees with Evelyn, and she clutched the golden mane as she sobbed. Ugly ones that racked her body, that caused her shoulders to shake. Gobs of tears and snot that placed her firmly in the disgusting human category instead of the beautiful, graceful elf category. The thought of all this fluid landing in Moonsparkle¡¯s mane horrified her, but she couldn¡¯t stop. The dam broke, and there was no point stopping it now.


    Eventually the shaking was less, the sobs weren¡¯t as violent. Clarissa and Moonsparkle never left her side, and somehow she understood Moonsparkle was not disgusted by the state of her mane.


    The problems were still there. Their CCNC characters were here. Everyone knew what Rafael did to her. So many memories of him had become tainted. They still needed to figure out how to work together while her brother was ready to murder Rafael. Try to save the world while Evelyn tried to pick up the broken pieces of herself. But Clarissa was right. For this moment, she needed to sob.

 Chapter 80

    Evelyn ran her fingers through Moonsparkle¡¯s golden mane. It was dry, with no evidence that she¡¯d used it as one large tissue. In fact, it caused her golden mane to shine all the brighter, if that was even possible.


    ¡°I made you both when times were simpler.¡± Evelyn spoke out loud for no reason. ¡°And now things are so¡­ complicated.¡±


    Clarissa watched her as she offered the basket to the unicorn, who reached inside and continued to eat. Clarissa brought her knees up, leaning against Moonsparkle. ¡°Simple or complicated¡­ we¡¯re still here.¡±


    Evelyn wasn¡¯t sure what that meant. Instead, she, too, leaned against Moonsparkle and closed her eyes.


    ¡°Does it bother you that I am in a courtship with Ezekiel?¡± Clarissa asked.


    ¡°No.¡± This one was honest. Ezekiel hadn¡¯t felt like Rafael¡¯s character in years. The more appropriate question would be whether or not she felt uncomfortable that it was Nick¡¯s other character more than it was Rafael¡¯s. But now that the characters were here, she could see them as their own person. It was as odd as if someone asked her permission to date Rafael¡¯s cousin. Ezekiel was not Rafael. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you both. What does Ezekiel¡­ feel about all this?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Hurt,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°There is a lot of pain in this group, and he¡¯s at a point where I don¡¯t think he has a story to make sense of this situation. And Rafael has gone back to avoiding him.¡±


    Evelyn kept her eyes closed. She was exhausted. She couldn¡¯t stay out here forever. Her parents would worry about her if she was gone for too long. It was hard to pull up the desire to go back, but she would have to. Eventually. Here, in the protection of Moonsparkle and Clarissa, she felt safe. They didn¡¯t have to do anything but be there, and she felt she could slowly organize the shattered pieces of her life.


    Once Moonsparkle finished eating the cacti, they returned. Clarissa and Evelyn rode on the back of the unicorn, which filled her with that same sense of wonder and ecstasy as when she first saw the creature.


    They got as far as Moonsparkle wanted before she got too nervous with so many houses around. Evelyn gave the unicorn one more hug before it trotted away, then she and Clarissa quietly walked home.


    It was late, and she slipped in the house, still not prepared to see Walt again. The betrayal came back sharp all over again. She placed her phone on the desk when she noticed there was a missed call. She glanced at it, and saw it was from Tyler. She must not have heard it while she was on her run. Or with Moonsparkle and Clarissa.


    She picked up her phone and let out a breath. She wasn¡¯t sure if she could do this. Didn¡¯t know if she wanted to hear what Tyler had to say. Every time someone talked, she was bracing for them to say something like Walt did. Hear another story where someone took Rafael¡¯s side. Some sense of betrayal.


    If she didn¡¯t call him now, she¡¯d stay up all night wondering. She hit the call button and placed it against her ear, listening to it ring, preparing herself mentally for a conversation.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Evelyn said.


    There was a moment¡¯s pause, but only a moment. Tyler cleared his throat. ¡°We have a session coming up Saturday. You are in charge of who goes to it.¡±


    ¡°Um, what?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the session will be. But it¡¯s up to you who will attend. If you want Rafael to not attend, he¡¯s not going. If you don¡¯t want his sister there, then she won¡¯t be there. If you don¡¯t want Derek there, I¡¯m forcing him to stay home. If you want me to be away, I will go away. The only thing is I can¡¯t have Nick there, as your father has already made his mind up about that. Other than that, it is up to you. Whatever you want. Whatever you need to feel safe,¡± Tyler said.


    Evelyn covered her mouth, tears pricking her eyes. She tried not to let her watery voice get in the way. Tried to pretend she was a lot braver than she was, but she still couldn¡¯t say Rafael¡¯s name. ¡°He¡­ he doesn¡¯t have the bond with Ezekiel. If he can¡¯t go, then Ezekiel can¡¯t, and he won¡¯t level up.¡±


    ¡°And I¡­ really don¡¯t care. He can go off on his own and help Ezekiel level up during the week while we do our thing Saturday,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°What about the saber tooth tigers?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re not here yet. Besides, he has to fight it alone. I don¡¯t know when it¡¯ll come, but it won¡¯t be Saturday. They might not be here for a while yet, and we¡¯ll cross that bridge when we get there. But Rafael hurt you, and that is unacceptable. You deserve to feel safe.¡±


    Evelyn slowly sat on the edge of her bed. She thought her tears were all dried up, but these were a different sort. The true conversation she wanted to have with her therapist was right here. She needed to know. ¡°Tyler, what if¡­ what if¡­¡± Her heart was hammering in her throat. It was difficult to speak. ¡°What if we have to work together? To get them home? What if the game masters make me partner up with him in order to-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Tyler said.


    Evelyn tried to swallow, her heart aching. ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m doing a good enough job explaining myself, so let me word it another way. If you never want to see Rafael again at CCNC, then you will never see Rafael again. I don¡¯t care what the game masters say. I don¡¯t care if the fate of the world depends on it. I will personally fight an army of mythical creatures myself before I ever allow you to work with Rafael against your wishes. If you don¡¯t want to. You. Don¡¯t. Need. To. And¡­ in another day or two when I am in a better state of mind, I will make sure Rafael understands that, too.¡±


    Evelyn let out a breath. Someone was in her corner. Tyler was in her corner. Nick was, too, but she was honestly afraid he would murder Rafael, and she wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that. Evelyn closed her eyes, glad that this was a phone call, because she was pretty sure she¡¯d collapse into a heap again and sob. One of relief. Tyler was certain she would never have to work with him to save their characters. There was a way. She wouldn¡¯t have to see Rafael if she didn¡¯t want to.


    With that huge burden placed to the side, she began to think about Tyler¡¯s original question. She remembered her brief thought at the therapist, and realized it still rung true.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to stay home and roll from a distance with Nick,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°At least until we get more information from Neal.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Tyler said. ¡°And you are coming to con?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, I¡¯d still love to go to that.¡±


    ¡°And you want Derek there?¡±


    Evelyn understood the question. Derek had gone with them to Calawit¡¯s tent to get information about lycanthropy. Derek had smiled and waved at her in the hall, but hadn¡¯t come to talk to her. It didn¡¯t feel nearly like the betrayal of what Walt said, but she couldn¡¯t lie and say it didn¡¯t hurt, but she also knew that they had never actually talked. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know if I could force him to stay away from con.¡±


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    ¡°I could.¡±


    The absolute certainty in Tyler¡¯s voice surprised her. ¡°Does he¡­ does he actually think what Rafael did was okay?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Tyler said quietly. ¡°No, he¡¯s still quite mad at Rafael. But Derek¡¯s always been the kind of guy to give friends a second, third, even fourth chance. It¡¯s reckless. It ends up hurting other people, and himself. I understand if that kind of behavior hurts, and if you don¡¯t want to be around him, either.¡±


    Evelyn sighed. It did hurt. ¡°He¡¯s been giving Rafael a chance. Why isn¡¯t he giving me one?¡±


    Tyler sighed. ¡°And that¡¯s where it hurts. He probably thinks you hate his guts since he did go to Cal¡¯s tent and probably figures you don¡¯t want him around.¡±


    Evelyn frowned, glancing at the door of her bedroom. A bit of fight entered her. She loved hanging out with Derek, because he was such a dork. He seemed safe. It was easier to think about spending time with Derek than it was with Rafael. Despite how much this hurt, she couldn¡¯t cut him out. Not without him looking her in the eye and telling her that he did not believe it was wrong what Rafael did. She needed to hear the same level of Walt-like betrayal from Derek¡¯s mouth before she made a decision about him.


    ¡°Let him come to con. I want to hang out with him. I want him to take a chance on me, too,¡± Evelyn said.


    Tyler hesitated. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s what you want?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Then she hesitated, too. ¡°You¡¯re going to be there, right?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Then absolutely yes.¡±


    ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll go to con. We¡¯ll figure out what to do with these characters. Then¡­ we¡¯ll make a more detailed plan after.¡±


    Evelyn closed her eyes, letting out a breath. ¡°Thanks, Tyler. For everything.¡±


    ***


    Friday morning at school, Nick split off from Evelyn to go¡­ wherever he went in the morning. She was almost tempted to follow him, but he had this glare that made her scared. He was marinating in his hatred. She hardly talked to him as they drove to school. Despite him obviously being on her side, she was also scared of him. Scared that anything she said would drop him over the edge and he¡¯d end up with an actual criminal record. It wasn¡¯t safe. Nick needed his own therapist. But how could she possibly go about suggesting that to her parents?


    Evelyn sighed as she put in her combination. She opened her locker door, glancing at herself in the mirror to make sure her make-up was still fine. She reached into her locker when she heard his slithering. She closed her eyes and took a breath. Wait for him to slither past. It¡¯s what he always did. Always with Mr. Stower.


    She grabbed her history book, placing it in her bag.


    ¡°Hello, Evelyn.¡±


    Everything inside her froze. The bag and her book tumbled out of her hands and onto the ground. Akshi was talking to her. Actually talking to her. Mr. Stower was nowhere to be seen. She remained quiet, but her textbook and bag were on the ground, and she was too terrified to pick them back up again.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. You can keep pretending you don¡¯t see me. I simply have a message to give you.¡± Every sound disappeared. Every sound but his voice and her own increased breathing, echoing in her head. ¡°You understand, now, don¡¯t you? How some people decide to step away from the law? Take matters into their own hands? Set up our own empire?¡±


    Heat pricked her eyes. Her book and her bag remained on the ground. Something screamed at her to pick it up again, but she was scared. Akshi was targeting her, using nothing but his words.


    ¡°Rafael may be of your world, and I may be of a different one, but I can make him break. I can make him suffer.¡±


    Evelyn gave a tiny gasp, then knelt and gathered her book and bag. She couldn¡¯t be listening to him. She had to keep pretending he didn¡¯t exist.


    ¡°All I ask is that you let me. Give me permission, and I can hurt him,¡± Akshi said.


    A tear formed, threatening to fall. She realized the monumental information Akshi just gave her. For now, he needed permission to hurt another. For now, he could touch the world if one of them let him. For now. He was asking her to let him break Rafael. And she couldn¡¯t let him.


    Right?


    Evelyn stood up, slamming her locker closed. She slung her backpack over her shoulder and walked forward, right where Akshi was standing. She plowed forward, pretending he wasn¡¯t there, like he didn¡¯t ask her something impossible.


    Until she slammed into his very solid shoulder.


    Gasping, she backed away, staring wide eyed at the floor before her gaze shot to Akshi. The crime lord of Osvoroth was smiling. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that interesting. You¡¯re considering it, aren¡¯t you.¡± He reached forward with a hand, and Evelyn scuttled away, a tear falling from her eyes. Akshi curled his hand into a fist that glowed a sickly green color, still smiling. He could touch her. Fear threatened to tear her throat out. ¡°Give me permission to show Rafael how much he hurt you. No one here can help you. No one here can. I promise you, by the time I¡¯m through with him, he will never hurt you again. I simply need your permission.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s chest was heaving, Clarissa¡¯s character sheet appeared in front of her gaze, waiting for her to summon her. She¡¯d never summon Clarissa. It was a death wish. This was Akshi. He was almost as bad as the fae. Easy with promises that had four dozen strings attached. Ones that usually ended up with fatal results. She could not agree to anything he said. No matter how much it hurt, no matter what, he would make things so much worse.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Evelyn. Once you decide to use my skills, you¡¯ll know where to find me,¡± Akshi whispered.


    ¡°Evelyn!¡± She tore her gaze from Akshi to see Derek heading right for her, a terrified look on his face. ¡°Yo, girl. How are you?¡± Despite the terror on his face, his voice sounded like everything was okay when he could plainly see who was in front of her.


    ¡°Derek,¡± she said, far more of a whisper.


    She grabbed her elbow and moved. Derek sailed right past Akshi, and Evelyn did nothing but keep up. She couldn¡¯t think. Her mind was scrambled, and she was scared.


    They slipped into an empty classroom and Derek braced himself against the door. ¡°What did he say to you?¡±


    Evelyn shook her head. ¡°Nothing.¡± It was a lie. A lie she couldn¡¯t bring herself to change. It was Derek. Her friend who pretended like everything was fine between them the past week until Akshi came. Until he was forced to make a decision. He was still avoiding the decision.


    ¡°Nothing?¡± Derek asked, panting as he kept his back to the door.


    ¡°You¡­ got to me too fast.¡± She swallowed the lie, feeling her shoulders slouch. ¡°Th-thank you.¡±


    Derek shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± He glanced behind him, trying to peek out the window. ¡°Shit, Evelyn. I don¡¯t even want to think what Akshi could do to you.¡±


    She was aware of the tears that had already fallen. She was lying to Derek because she was afraid of what he would think if she told the truth.


    ¡°He¡¯s not going to hurt you, okay?¡± Derek said. ¡°Shit, you¡¯ve already been hurt enough.¡±


    Evelyn looked at him, not sure why that surprised her. ¡°Have I?¡±


    Derek turned from the door to look at her, completely confused. ¡°Obviously. You know¡­ with what Rafael did.¡±


    She shrugged, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. ¡°I know. I was just¡­ surprised. To hear you admit that.¡±


    Derek¡¯s body stilled. He kept studying her, the confusion melting off his face. ¡°Evelyn¡­¡± He trailed off, almost like he expected her to interrupt. But she didn¡¯t want to. She wanted him to keep trying to explain himself. To have the conversation they were dancing around. Derek looked away, placing his head against the door he was still bracing.


    He opened his eyes, face resigned, as he looked at her. Evelyn braced herself for him to talk. ¡°What would you like me to do?¡±


    She wasn¡¯t sure what she expected, but it wasn¡¯t that. She expected him to explain himself, to stumble. Maybe he still would. If she asked him to torture Rafael like Akshi implied he would, Derek would decline. Of course he would. Because that would be wrong. She shouldn¡¯t ask anyone to hurt Rafael. To get any sort of justice this way. She wanted to still test Derek¡¯s loyalty, but that, too felt wrong. Not after her conversation with Akshi. She was too exhausted. Instead, she thought of the true thing she needed from Derek.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell Nick what you saw,¡± Evelyn said.


    Derek frowned. Just like she didn¡¯t expect his words, he clearly didn¡¯t expect hers. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ tell Nick that Akshi was going to talk to me,¡± Evelyn said. Because if Akshi gave the exact same suggestion to Nick, he might take it. She couldn¡¯t keep this secret. But she also couldn¡¯t tell Derek.


    ¡°O¡­ kay,¡± Derek said slowly.


    ¡°And take me home. I¡­ can¡¯t be at school right now. Not with Akshi, not with¡­¡± Evelyn trailed off, giving a slight shake of her head.


    The bell rang right after she said that. She winced, glancing at her hands. Derek kept looking at her, then straightened. ¡°Come on, Evie. I¡¯ll take you home.¡±


    She kept her arms folded as she headed toward the door. Derek held his hand out, stopping her as he glanced out the window. No doubt he was looking for Akshi.


    They slipped out of the classroom, and out into the halls. Evelyn didn¡¯t say a word as they walked out of the school. Derek pulled out his keys, unlocking his car. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want me to tell Nick. That much I will respect.¡± Derek buckled himself before starting it. ¡°Please let me tell Tyler.¡±


    Evelyn sighed as he pulled out of the parking lot. If anything, they all knew the dangers of secrets. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s fine.¡±


    Derek breathed easier as he pulled out onto the street. Evelyn didn¡¯t feel his same calmness. She had to admit to herself that Derek did come. He saw her with Akshi, and he plowed through to help her, like the friend she remembered. It was a partial comfort to her. Akshi was a known enemy, and she could still rely on Derek to help her. She wasn¡¯t sure what he¡¯d do against someone he considered a friend. And for that alone, Evelyn lied to him about the conversation.


    She couldn¡¯t lie to Tyler. And maybe someone did need to know that Akshi offered her a deal. One she couldn¡¯t possibly take. Akshi made a first strike, and Evelyn blocked it. For now.


    Once you decide to use my skills, you¡¯ll know where to find me.

 Chapter 81

    It was a long week. Too long. Alejandra watched Rafael¡¯s black eye starting to heal, but the haunted look remained. She watched from a distance as Nick kept his dangerous glare. Kept his distance from everyone, even Evelyn.


    And Evelyn. Alejandra was too scared to approach her. Since Alejandra broke up with Nick, it was a sign she was staying by her brother¡¯s side. Evelyn stopped waving at her at the halls. It wasn¡¯t something Alejandra took personally, because it also looked like the poor girl was just trying to get through the week. It broke Alejandra¡¯s heart, but she doubted Evelyn would want to see her.


    By Friday night, Rafael¡¯s black eye had healed enough that there was a bit of yellow. His eighteenth birthday was tomorrow, but Rafael acted as though it was any other day. Hazel was planning on taking him somewhere, and Mariana was taking the evening off so that they could at least have a small celebration with their family after CCNC.


    Mariana left for work, and Rafael didn¡¯t wait long before he grabbed her laptop. Alejandra sat down across from him and pulled out her phone. ¡°Let me pay off the smaller loan. I have enough in my bank account.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    She dropped her phone on the table. ¡°Come on, Rafael. You¡¯ve been doing this for two years. Think of it as a two year catch up for me. Besides, I didn¡¯t get you a birthday present.¡±


    ¡°Good. You don¡¯t need to,¡± Rafael said.


    Alejandra pushed her glasses up her nose. ¡°At least let me take care of both payments. This way, you can take Hazel somewhere nice tomorrow for your birthday.¡±


    Rafael cast a quick glance at her, then back at the laptop. ¡°I won¡¯t let you drain your bank account. This system we have is good enough. You have college to pay for.¡±


    ¡°So do you.¡±


    The tapping keys filled the silence between them. Alejandra almost prompted him again as he clicked on something, not looking at her. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Alejandra shook her head. ¡°And I have an entire working year ahead of me to gain it back.¡± Rafael again said nothing. ¡°You can be incredibly stubborn when you want to be.¡±


    He was about to say something else when there was a dull boom. Alejandra frowned as the table shook. She held it, glancing around. ¡°Earthquake?¡± Rafael asked. She stood up and rushed outside. ¡°Alejandra, wait!¡±


    She walked outside and looked at the dark, cloudy sky. She didn¡¯t realize time had stood still until the words filled her vision.


    Roll for perception.


    Alejandra grabbed the d20 and gave it a quick shake. It landed on a twelve, and with a +2, it bumped it to fourteen.


    Time resumed.


    ¡°Did you get a roll?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Yes. Fourteen. You?¡±


    ¡°Seven.¡±


    Alejandra winced. Hraktar eased himself out of the door, looking troubled. She turned toward her character. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    The fighter, too, faced the sky. Ezekiel walked out, book in hand. ¡°It was a slight tremor of the earth. I doubt it¡¯s anything to worry about.¡±


    They heard it again, a dull thud. Hraktar shook his head. ¡°No, that¡¯s the sound of a big animal getting pushed around by an even larger one. I¡¯d know it anywhere.¡±


    Alejandra winced, then she turned toward Rafael. Her brother kept an eye on Hraktar. ¡°Can you tell where it¡¯s coming from?¡±


    Hraktar scratched his head. ¡°Not far. I think this is happening within your town.¡±


    She pulled out her phone and called Derek. It was instinctual at this point.


    ¡°Alejandra?¡±


    ¡°I got a fourteen. Did you get something?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, actually. An eight. What did Hraktar say it was?¡±


    ¡°A big creature being pushed around by an even bigger one. Within town boundaries.¡±


    ¡°Shit. Um¡­ I will¡­ call you back. I¡¯ll ask the others what they got.¡±


    Rafael heard, turning his head toward the phone. ¡°It¡¯s football tonight. Evelyn will be cheering.¡± Alejandra relayed the information to Derek, causing him to swear again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go¡­ Okay. I¡¯ll go talk to Nick personally. You guys try to scout ahead. Be careful.¡±


    She ended the call, not liking this at all. Rafael was already heading back into the house. ¡°I¡¯ll get the keys.¡±


    She called Tyler, who didn¡¯t answer. They all climbed into the car as she texted him instead.


    Something might be up.


    It was all she dared say as she finished buckling herself. Rafael backed the car out of the driveway. She rubbed her upper arm as they heard another dull thud.


    Rafael began driving, checking his watch before focusing on the road. She glanced at her older brother. ¡°You okay?¡±


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    ¡°Fine.¡± He tenderly touched his nose before stopping at a four-way stop.


    ***


    Derek pulled into Evelyn''s and Nick¡¯s driveway. There was only one light on, and it was coming from Nick¡¯s room.


    ¡°Stay in the car. I¡¯ll get them,¡± Derek said to his mana fusor, throwing the door open and stumbling out. He didn¡¯t bother with the front door. Walt terrified him, and he¡¯d rather not see him. Derek didn¡¯t hesitate, knocking on Nick¡¯s window the second it was within reach. He tried to keep it quiet, but desperation was a stronger emotion.


    His knuckles didn¡¯t stop tapping against the window until the curtains pulled back and he saw Nick. His friend opened his window. ¡°Derek, what¡ª¡±


    ¡°Two enormous creatures might be fighting each other in Elmwood right now,¡± Derek said.


    Nick blinked. ¡°Um¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°That noise. Did you hear that noise?¡±


    ¡°Sorta. Grizzizzik and Princess Clarissa figured it was a slight earthquake.¡±


    Derek scanned the inside of Nick¡¯s room. ¡°You must have rolled low. Milo thought the same.¡±


    He glanced out the window. ¡°Admittedly yes. A seven total.¡±


    ¡°Alright, well, Rafael and Alejandra are scouting ahead. We¡¯ll all meet up with them to be sure,¡± Derek said.


    Nick¡¯s muscles stiffened, and he glanced at Derek¡¯s car to see Milo in the back. Grizzizzik walked into the room.


    ¡°Take Grizzizzik and Princess Clarissa. I¡¯ll stay here,¡± Nick said.


    Derek understood, and he didn¡¯t want to argue. ¡°Alright. Grizzizzik, go get Princess Clarissa. We¡¯ve got to go. We can¡¯t have two creatures battling in the streets.¡± The rogue nodded and slipped out of Nick¡¯s room. Nick had his arms folded; his stance was dangerously defensive. ¡°Are you going to roll from a distance the rest of the time the characters are here?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Nick grabbed the window and slammed it shut.


    Derek let the sigh come out before turning back to his car. He was scared of having another conversation about this with Nick.


    Grizzizzik and Clarissa walked out the door and got into Derek¡¯s car.


    ¡°What if it is a tremor of the earth?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    Derek shifted from park to reverse. ¡°Then we can sleep comfortably knowing that¡¯s all it was.¡±


    ***


    Alejandra tried Tyler again, and again no answer. Rafael kept his focus, driving through town.


    Hraktar leaned forward, pointing. ¡°Go that way.¡±


    Rafael didn¡¯t question it. The thumps got louder. Alejandra rolled the windows down enough to hear hissing.


    ¡°Still not answering?¡± Rafael asked as Alejandra dropped her phone in her lap.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Rafael slammed on the brakes. Alejandra gasped, bracing herself against the car. She almost shouted at her brother, but what tumbled into view caused all the oxygen to leave her body.


    It looked like a mess of fangs, legs, and scales. It took her a second for her mind to realize what she saw. A huge constrictor snake was pinning a ginormous spider. There were a ton of legs and hissing and clicking. Blood pounded in her ear as she watched the spider break free of the snake. With two of its front legs, the arachnid slammed the snake down. The pincers on its face were the size of her arms, clicking away as it got closer to the snake.


    Alejandra rolled the window the rest of the way up, staring wide eyed at the monsters before her. ¡°I now have arachnophobia and ophidiophobia.¡±


    Someone honked, causing Alejandra and Rafael to jump.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Rafael muttered to the car behind them as he put on his blinker and pulled over to the side of the road. They watched as the car behind them drove by the chaotic scene as though it were a calm September evening.


    The snake thrashed around, and Alejandra watched through the light of the streetlamps how the snake¡¯s long tail should have crashed into homes. The snake threw the spider off it, going straight through the home. It got right back on its legs, scuttling toward the snake.


    The only thing capable of tearing Alejandra¡¯s gaze from the two monsters fighting was the phone in her lap finally went off. She scrambled to pick it up, putting it on speaker so Rafael could hear.


    ¡°Alejandra? Everything alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m watching Shelob from Lord of the Rings and the Basilisk from Harry Potter duke it out in the middle of Apache Street, but other than that, things are great.¡±


    There was a long pause from Tyler. ¡°To be clear, is it an actual basilisk? Is anyone turning to stone?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not an actual basilisk.¡± Alejandra glanced behind her to see Hraktar loading his crossbow. ¡°I didn¡¯t know any other pop culture references off the top of my head that had a ginormous snake to paint a good enough picture.¡±


    ¡°Kaa. From the Jungle Book,¡± Rafael suggested.


    ¡°This one is so much larger than Kaa.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t get me started on the lack of J?rmungandr in the MCU.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ what?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°Not opening that can of worms. You and the characters? Is everyone okay?¡±


    ¡°Shelob and Bassie are fighting with each other. Should we¡­ let them? Then kill the loser?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Rafael made a face. ¡°Is that what we¡¯re calling them?¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­ my gut says no. They are in the middle of Elmwood. We can¡¯t let them interact with our world.¡±


    She sighed, then glanced at Rafael. He was still staring wide eyed at the monsters. He tore his gaze to look at Alejandra. ¡°Um¡­ okay? How?¡±


    ¡°Are you in the van?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°In our car. There¡¯s a football game tonight in a different town.¡±


    ¡°Right, right. Keep the characters inside the car and distract the monsters until you get to an open place, like a park or something.¡±


    ¡°You think we should fight these things in a park?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°Better a park then in the middle of the street.¡±


    Rafael glanced at her, then turned on his blinker again. ¡°Hraktar, when I say go, shoot one of those things.¡±


    Alejandra glanced at Rafael, eyes wide. He suppressed a smile.


    ¡°Oh! Can I shoot one with some sacred flame?¡± Ezekiel asked, like he was a teenager asking to take the car for a spin.


    ¡°Go for it! But both of you wait for my signal.¡±


    ¡°Rafael,¡± Alejandra said.


    He started making a U-turn. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯re in a car and can go faster than them.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m on a date right now, but text me updates.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re on a date?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°Is that shock I hear in your voice?¡± He was clearly suppressing a smile himself. ¡°I¡¯ll try to keep in touch when I can.¡±


    Alejandra wasn¡¯t sure how to process this, but she said goodbye and hung up the phone. Light filled the car as Ezekiel¡¯s hands glowed.


    ¡°Roll down your windows, and get ready to shoot them,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare speed.¡± Alejandra scrolled through her phone, looking for Derek¡¯s contact information. ¡°We can¡¯t get pulled over.¡±


    ¡°How does one roll down these windows?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    Rafael responded by rolling both rear windows down from his control.


    ¡°Ooo,¡± Hraktar said, sticking his head out.


    Ezekiel maneuvered so his glowing hand hung outside the back. ¡°You go for Bassie. I¡¯ll hit Shelob.¡±


    Rafael rolled his eyes again at the names.


    ¡°Right.¡± Hraktar made sure the crossbow was loaded. ¡°Um, which one is Bassie, and which one is Shelob?¡±


    ¡°Bassie¡¯s the snake,¡± she said.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Hraktar lifted his weapon, taking careful aim.


    ¡°Alejandra?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got the monsters, and we¡¯re heading for the nearest park.¡± Alejandra adjusted her phone to put him on speaker, too.


    Rafael leaned over, but kept his eyes on the road. ¡°A gigantic snake and spider. Just to warn you. I¡¯ll head toward Franklin Park. It¡¯s about two miles away.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. I¡¯ve got Grizzizzik and Princess Clarissa with me. Nick¡¯s staying home.¡±


    The tension in her shoulders eased enough for her to notice. ¡°Thanks, Derek.¡±


    ¡°See you soon.¡±


    She hung up. Rafael glanced in his rearview window as Shelob and Bassie were again at each other. ¡°Alright, Hraktar, Ezekiel, let¡¯s get this thing started.¡±

 Chapter 82

    Time coming to a halt cut off the hum of the car, and Alejandra¡¯s ears rang to make up for the lack of noise.


    Roll to hit.


    Alejandra rolled the d20. It landed on a fourteen, and the +6 made a nice dirty twenty. She was so used to fighting with the great sword that it was odd to only get one d8 instead of two d6¡¯s. Either way, it was damage, and they needed to get those monsters¡¯ attention.


    The d8 landed on a six. The +4 made it ten. Everyone often criticized fighters as the basic choice, but honestly, it was nice to deal damage like this.


    Time resumed. A flash of light exploded out of Ezekiel¡¯s palm, and Hraktar shot his crossbow bolt.


    Shelob sensed the flames before it hit, scuttling away so fast it made Alejandra feel a deep desire to get out of the way of a predator. The bolt smacked into the huge snake¡¯s body. It made the fine hairs on Alejandra¡¯s arms stick straight up as the spider turned its multiple eyes toward them, clicking its pincers. The snake gave a low hiss, staring straight at Hraktar.


    Rafael slammed on the gas pedal, and the car lurched forward.


    ¡°You said the car can go faster than them,¡± Alejandra said.


    Her brother glanced at them through the mirror. ¡°Tell that to my adrenaline.¡±


    Alejandra watched the spider shoot forward, its multiple legs moving in a fluid motion, bringing its pincers ever closer to them. The snake, despite getting hit, dropped to its belly and slithered forward, looking like it could eat the car if it wanted to.


    The scene froze, and Alejandra felt nauseous.


    Roll for initiative.


    Alejandra rolled, nervous about her total of fourteen. Time resumed, and Alejandra watched in horror as Rafael stopped the car.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She tried to keep the alarm from her voice.


    ¡°Four-way stop.¡± He waited as another car moved past them. ¡°Gotta keep the law.¡±


    Bassie slithered forward, its jaw opening far too wide and leapt, her fangs just missing the car as Rafael jerked it forward again. Alejandra¡¯s ears pounded from all the blood rushing to them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay on Shelob, you stay on Bassie.¡± Ezekiel did his best to stay buckled as he pointed his hand behind him, shooting sacred flame again. And once again, Shelob scuttled out of the way. ¡°Those things sure know how to move.¡±


    Time slowed down, and Alejandra rolled the dice. She saw fifteen and didn¡¯t even bother waiting to see what the bonus gave. Even with the awkward partial cover Bassie got, it was still past twenty. She waited for that d8.


    The d8 landed on a seven, and she gave a relieved breath. The +4 was a nice eleven.


    Hraktar already had the bolt loaded. He craned his head around and shoved his arm outside. The bolt released, and it flew true, smacking into the snake and causing it to stumble.


    Ezekiel watched the snake try to recover. ¡°Perhaps you should try for Shelob. You might actually hit it.¡±


    Alejandra kept glancing at her phone clock. They should be at the park by now, but the time stops always made it difficult to tell time.


    ¡°What is Shelob doing?¡± Ezekiel¡¯s voice sounded strained.


    Alejandra never whipped around so fast. Shelob finished climbing on top of a house before turning around and spitting a web right at them.


    ¡°Ah, shit,¡± Rafael said.


    The web tangled the back tires. Rafael grabbed the steering wheel and Alejandra braced herself. Instead, like before, the car shuddered before leaving a lesser copy of itself behind. Hraktar and Ezekiel shouted in surprise as they were transported to the car copy.


    Rafael pulled over, pressing the emergency lights. Alejandra stumbled out of the car to check on Hraktar and Ezekiel.


    ¡°Stay in the car,¡± she shouted to Hraktar, who was already trying to get out. ¡°You¡¯ll be better protected in there!¡± She already had her phone out, calling Derek. The back tires got stuck, and the car had swerved before smacking into a tree. Bassie leapt forward and bit the car, gnawing on the back lights, trying to break it.


    Rafael had a hand in his hair. ¡°What do we do?¡±


    ¡°Alejandra?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Change of plans, Shelob stopped our car. We¡¯re on Adams Street, not far.¡±


    Derek let out a string of curses in Spanish that reminded Alejandra of her mother when she was talking to her abuela. ¡°We¡¯ll be there in a minute.¡± He said it as though he didn¡¯t get creative with Spanish phrases.


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    Ezekiel tried once again to hit the snake with sacred flame, but it made a wild shot, leaving the snake perfectly fine. Rafael groaned. ¡°I suck at sacred flame.¡±


    ¡°Bassie¡¯s probably got an unbelievable dexterity saving roll. It¡¯s not your fault,¡± Alejandra said.


    Ezekiel was safe in the car. Him and his ten hit points couldn¡¯t get hit. Even with the window down, she doubted the snake could get through.


    Alejandra forced herself not to look at the enormous spider chilling on top of a house. A house. She was relieved Evelyn was out of town.


    She was happy when the dice landed on an eighteen, and beyond happy when her damage dice landed on an eight. With twelve total, they really needed to get Shelob looking a lot worse.


    Hraktar had his loaded crossbow ready, sticking his hand out and aiming right at Shelob, letting the bolt fly. It smacked into one of its legs, and the creature let out a spitting hiss. Alejandra backed away into Rafael.


    She felt like a hypocrite. It was easier to want ugly creatures to die.


    The snake slammed into the copy of the car, and Rafael winced, opening his folded arms to brace himself. He and Alejandra both glanced at the real car to make sure it was still fine.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± Rafael said.


    From inside the car, Ezekiel pointed his hands upward toward where Bassie was. Light exploded from his palm, traveling through the car, and smacking the snake in the stomach. It squealed in pain before rolling off and falling to the ground.


    Alejandra scanned the road, trying to find where Derek was. It took her a second to figure out the d20 was hanging in front of her. She grabbed it, giving it a good shake. Eleven. Seventeen total. She grabbed the d8 and was again relieved when it landed on eight again. Another twelve total.


    Hraktar was a machine. Once again, he pushed his hand out of the window and shot his crossbow, smacking another spider leg.


    A police car turned, coming down the street. Her eyes widened, then looked at Rafael. Their hazard lights were on. The policeman was going to check. Who wouldn¡¯t?


    ¡°We¡¯ll be alright,¡± Rafael said.


    Shelob tried again to bite the car. The police car drove right past the fight, which she found jarring. How anyone couldn¡¯t see a ginormous snake and spider attacking a replica of a car could only mean something magical was involved.


    The spider tried to snap at Hraktar¡¯s arm, but her fighter brought it back in, the copy car rocking with the battle as the police car pulled in behind them, bumper to bumper with the copy of the car.


    Alejandra put on a smile as the snake tried to wrap itself around the copy car. She struggled between pretending a battle wasn¡¯t happening and fully aware that a police officer was walking toward them. His nametag read Officer Dominguez. He seemed friendly enough. He had short, cropped brown hair and brown eyes. ¡°Hey, kids. You alright?¡±


    Alejandra glanced at Rafael. He tried to smile. Nerves strangled her ability to speak. Officer Dominguez studied them again before rattling off a phrase in Spanish. It took Alejandra a moment to realize he asked them if they understood Spanish better.


    ¡°No, no, sorry. You startled us, that¡¯s all.¡± Her cheeks burned.


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah um, car trouble?¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Car trouble, huh?¡± Officer Dominguez pulled his flashlight out.


    Rafael might have tried grunting, but a whimper came out instead. She glanced at him as Ezekiel once again filled the dark sky with radiant damage that completely missed the snake.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check ¡®er out then, shall we?¡± the officer asked.


    Time slowed down, and Alejandra took a moment to calm herself. Her hands trembled as she grabbed the dice. According to all the laws of probability and statistics, there was no way her nerves had anything to do with the roll, but she blamed them anyway as the d20 landed on a two.


    Time resumed and Alejandra watched as Hraktar tried to shoot the spider, but the creature was prepared now. The instant Hraktar pushed his hand out, the spider dodged the bolt, then bit down hard on Hraktar¡¯s arm. Alejandra gasped.


    Make a constitution saving throw.


    Alejandra whimpered, then grabbed the dice. She let out a scream of frustration as it landed on a five before she forced herself to shut up.


    Time resumed, and Hraktar bellowed with rage as the officer leaned over to look at their car. Alejandra searched the character sheet for her fighter¡¯s hit points.


    16/34 HP.


    Her stomach dropped. One attack and Hraktar¡¯s hit points were cut in half. That was a deadly blow.


    Officer Dominguez straightened, touching the car. ¡°Ah, I see what your issue is.¡±


    Rafael and Alejandra both tore their gazes from the battle to look at the officer, surprised. Alejandra expected nothing to be wrong with the car. Heat flushed to her cheeks again. The car was always a clunker. Whatever was wrong with it, they already knew and couldn¡¯t afford to fix it.


    ¡°At least, I¡¯ve never seen this before.¡± Officer Dominguez pointed to the back light. ¡°Are those teeth marks?¡± He brushed against it, and Alejandra¡¯s eyes widened as she saw exactly that. The marks of a huge creature, like a snake fang, right there near the brake lights. Alejandra and Rafael exchanged a terrified look before they both shot their gaze at the copy car.


    Bassie tried again to squeeze the car. There was a groaning of metal, and Alejandra and Rafael both glanced at the original car, seeing the metal bend ever so slightly. Officer Dominguez saw it too. He touched the car, frowning. ¡°What the devil¡­¡±


    A blast of radiant light exploded from the copy car, and the snake roared in pain. All the while, Rafael and Alejandra tried not to react.


    Rafael rubbed his mouth, leaning ever so slightly toward her. ¡°We¡¯ve got to move them out of the car.¡±


    Alejandra winced as time stood still for her. How could they do that when Shelob¡¯s bite cut Hraktar¡¯s HP in half? She became aware of how fragile Ezekiel still was.


    She pushed those thoughts to one side as she glanced at Hraktar¡¯s options. Shelob was close enough now that the crossbow and the bow would be at a disadvantage. The great sword would be clunky. Perhaps his mauling would be good enough. Shelob¡¯s face was close. It might work.


    She chose that and rolled the d20. It landed on a five, and she let out a defeated sigh. She had taken way too long to decide something that, in the end, didn¡¯t matter.


    Time resumed, and Hraktar attempted to punch Shelob in the face. The creature dodged out of the way, clicking with its pincers. It opened its mouth wide, biting down on the open window. Hraktar moved out of the way as its jaws bent the metal frame.


    ¡°Alejandra,¡± Rafael said.


    It took her a second to realize Rafael suggested moving them out of the car before the time freeze. She shook her head. ¡°If Shelob bites Ezekiel, it¡¯s a powerful enough bite, it could kill him instantly. He¡¯s still at level one.¡±


    Officer Dominguez shined his flashlight toward them. ¡°What was that?¡±


    Both of them froze, not saying anything. Thankfully, they didn¡¯t have to. Derek¡¯s car appeared, pulling to a stop in front of them. Derek hardly parked when Milo leapt from the car, a handheld cannon in one hand and his crossbow in the other. The mana fusor came prepared as he faced the two monsters.


    ¡°Why hello, uglies,¡± Milo said.

 Chapter 83

    A burst of energy exploded out of Milo¡¯s cannon, smacking the spider in the face. It flew back from the car, drawing its attention to Milo in time to get an electrified bolt to the face. Shelob finally, finally stumbled.


    Derek walked over to them, hands in his pockets. Rafael bent his head to talk to him privately. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re here.¡±


    Derek smirked as he watched Shelob trying to get its balance. ¡°Glad I could help.¡± He turned toward Officer Dominguez, disguising his smirk. ¡°Hello. Rafael and Alejandra are good friends of mine. They called for help.¡±


    The snake hissed as Grizzizzik and Clarissa approached the fight. Bassie leapt from the car. Despite never touching the actual car, it still seemed to echo from a ghost of a snake leaping off it. Derek raised an eyebrow, glancing at the original. Officer Dominguez winced, shining his flashlight at the top of the car. ¡°What is going on?¡± the officer asked.


    Derek glanced at Rafael and Alejandra, but it was difficult to explain with a battle raging behind them. Milo tried to get out of the way, but he wasn¡¯t fast enough. Bassie¡¯s fang sliced his arm and into his side. Alejandra¡¯s heart dropped to her stomach as Milo¡¯s health hit fourteen.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Derek¡¯s voice faltered, trying, like Rafael and Alejandra were, to pretend there wasn¡¯t a battle happening behind them. ¡°How are things?¡±


    ¡°Just helping them with a bit of car trouble.¡± Officer Dominguez kept the flashlight on the top, frowning. Sacred flame once again lit up the night sky. Bassie shrieked as it was hit in the back with radiant damage. Bassie¡¯s breathing was haggard, and blood collected on the ground beneath it. Officer Dominguez could hear echoes of what was happening. Was the real world starting to see them?


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare let Ezekiel out of the car,¡± Alejandra whispered as Derek talked with Officer Dominguez a bit more about the weird sounds coming from the car.


    ¡°But what about our real car?¡± Rafael whispered back. It wasn¡¯t quiet enough as Officer Dominguez glanced at him while popping the hood.


    ¡°It sounds like it¡¯s working fine. Yeah, sounding rough, but I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s anything to¡ª¡±


    Roll to hit.


    Alejandra picked the great sword, knowing Hraktar would get out of the car for this one. She rolled as fast as she could, trying to remember Officer Dominguez had been cut off mid-sentence and she didn¡¯t want to forget what he would say.


    Seventeen plus six. Easy hit. Two fives plus a four, fourteen damage. They needed this right now.


    ¡°¡ªworry about. But if you want, I could help you get to a mechanic.¡±


    Hraktar kicked open the door and got out, pulling out his great sword. He swiped it hard, slicing through two of Shelob¡¯s legs.


    Derek nodded, his voice dropping. ¡°Mmm, that¡¯s so badass.¡±


    Officer Dominguez slammed the hood of the car as Derek said that. Grizzizzik ran to join Hraktar but was too hasty and tried to stab where Hraktar had already cut the legs off.


    The rogue growled. ¡°Leave some for me next time.¡±


    Hraktar shrugged. Clarissa began a chant that sounded a lot like a howl before a fire erupted right underneath the snake. It shrieked, the skin bubbling from the flames as Officer Dominguez gave Rafael two thumbs up.


    Alejandra¡¯s phone went off. She grinned as she pulled it out, seeing it was Tyler calling.


    ¡°Hey!¡± she said in an over enthusiastic way.


    ¡°Is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know. Car trouble. But a super friendly police officer stopped to help us.¡± Alejandra smiled, waving at Officer Dominguez, who finished talking with Rafael. He smiled as he headed toward his cop car, completely oblivious of the two enormous monsters fighting nearby. Shelob thrashed around. Or at least that was what Alejandra thought. Instead, it turned around and shot out webbing again, wrapping Hraktar completely. He grunted, stumbling before collapsing to the ground. Alejandra gasped. She didn¡¯t think Shelob would have that ability again.


    ¡°Oh. Uh¡­¡±


    Milo lifted his cannon and his crossbow, glaring at Shelob. ¡°That¡¯s my friend!¡± The cannon shot off another ball of white electricity. It almost looked like a mana ball, smacking into Shelob. Milo tried shooting his crossbow, but his injured hand was impossible to ignore, and the bolt went wild. Still, the white electricity hit the snake, causing it to sputter and hiss.


    Alejandra waved at the policeman as Rafael and Derek pretended to talk to each other.


    ¡°Are you feeling anything off?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Not any different from normal. The usual anxiety about the two worlds colliding.¡±


    Alejandra ducked as a piece of broken concrete sailed over her head. It might not have actually hurt her, but instinct told her not to chance it. ¡°We didn¡¯t make it to the park.¡±


    Bassie tried to lift its head to bite Milo, but the mana fusor had been so traumatized last time that he instinctually punched the snake with his bare hands. From her experience at the table, Alejandra got the feeling that snake rolled a nat one. Bassie hissed, sounding far weaker.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m afraid of. Try not to let any creature touch something from the real world. I think it¡¯s showing in our realm,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ what we¡¯re afraid of.¡± Alejandra touched the fang mark in the car. These things were taking a ton of damage, and she was worried about how long Derek and Rafael could keep pretending to talk about something else to linger around the battle.


    Ezekiel again tried to hit the snake, but the sacred flame went wild, and instead hit the bonfire, adding to its flame.


    ¡°Can you pretend to talk to me a little more on the phone?¡± There was silence on the other end. ¡°I mean, I guess you¡¯re on a date. Do you have time to t¡ª¡± She stopped when she noticed the d20 hanging in front of her. ¡°Oh. Right.¡±


    Make a strength check.


    Alejandra glanced at her stats. Strength and constitution were Hraktar¡¯s two highest stats, but she knew it wouldn¡¯t mean anything if she didn¡¯t roll high enough.


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    An eight. She winced, then saw the +4 bump it up to twelve. It was an okay number, but would it be enough?


    Success!


    She breathed out some air as time resumed. Hraktar pushed the sticky webbing, tearing it apart with the help of his great sword.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to go. But text me when the battle is over,¡± Tyler said.


    He must not have heard her request to stay on the phone, and Alejandra was too flustered to ask again. ¡°Okay, bye.¡±


    Hraktar scrambled to his feet, prepared for anything. Grizzizzik went in with a quick stab, finally hitting something that hadn¡¯t already been hacked off. Shelob shrieked in pain, looking battered.


    Clarissa pulled out a short bow, aiming at Bassie and hitting it in the stomach. The snake was not looking good, and Alejandra moved over to where Rafael and Derek were.


    ¡°If we get out of here slowly, we can circle around the block without it looking weird,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Those two monsters can¡¯t last much longer,¡± Rafael said.


    Shelob leapt forward and bit down hard on Grizzizzik, who shouted in pain. Alejandra grimaced, remembering Hraktar¡¯s own bite with Shelob. Grizzizzik¡¯s hit points dropped to fifteen.


    Derek headed toward the car. ¡°Come on. A small circle around the block.¡±


    Alejandra got in their car, and Rafael slid into the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m strong enough with Ezekiel to be doing this?¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll find out.¡± Alejandra buckled herself. ¡°The monsters can¡¯t survive much longer.¡±


    They watched Milo take two more shots, the cannon missing, and the electric bolt slamming into Shelob. That spider really wasn¡¯t looking good, and Alejandra felt like a hypocrite. After the big stink she made about them slaughtering the drakes and fifteen orcs, she didn¡¯t care that the spider looked so rough. She wished it would die a little quicker.


    Rafael was starting up the car when Bassie, in a last effort, dove toward Milo and circled around him, binding him with its body. Rafael winced. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not good.¡±


    ¡°Not good at all.¡± Alejandra gasped as Milo¡¯s HP drop to one. ¡°Really not good.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t drive away from this,¡± Rafael muttered.


    A flash of light burst from the copy car as Ezekiel tried again with sacred flame, but Bassie easily dodged out of the way, squeezing Milo, who struggled to breathe.


    Time slowed down, and Alejandra shook the dice. Hraktar would have seen Milo¡¯s predicament, so she made sure he focused on Bassie.


    Which is when she landed on a nat one.


    ¡°No!¡± she shouted.


    Rafael glanced at her as he pulled away. Hraktar headed toward the snake, but it not only easily dodged his attempt to drive the blade into its head, but it also smacked Hraktar¡¯s feet, making him lose his balance and fall over, the great sword sliding out of reach.


    Rafael headed toward the first street. ¡°We¡¯ll go a little faster.¡±


    Alejandra kept her gaze on the back window in time to see Grizzizzik stab the spider¡¯s bulbous body. Once they turned a corner, Rafael sped through the other street as Alejandra¡¯s heart pounded.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be fine,¡± Rafael said.


    Once they rounded the corner again and saw the fight, Rafael slowed down so they could get a better look. Grizzizzik suffered another bite, his shoulder soaked in blood and a dazed look in his eye, but still standing. Milo was still tight in Bassie¡¯s grip. And Shelob was still alive.


    ¡°How long is it going to take for these things to die?¡± She waited for Rafael to answer, and when he didn¡¯t, she realized once again time had stopped for her. With the great sword gone and having no time to pick it up, she chose maul. It could still deal excellent damage. She rolled the d20, hoping for the best, and groaning when she saw a six. An added six made it a twelve, and she was genuinely surprised when two d6¡¯s appeared in her vision.


    ¡°I¡¯m not complaining.¡± She shook the two dice. Nine, with a +4. Thirteen. That would have to kill that snake.


    Time resumed, and Rafael was driving slow enough for her to see Hraktar bound over, grabbing Bassie¡¯s throat with his bare hands and strangling the thing. ¡°Let go of my friend!¡± Hraktar screamed.


    Bassie thrashed, but kept Milo secure. Hraktar gave it a good punch, and part of the nose caved in. The snake was still miraculously alive.


    ¡°How! How is this possible?¡± Alejandra asked, hands in her hair.


    Grizzizzik let out an exhausted grunt as he thrust his rapier into Shelob¡¯s gut. The spider shrieked before its muscles stiffened.


    ¡°Yes! Yes! That thing has to be dead now!¡± She watched, relieved, as the spider fell, its legs curling toward its body. ¡°Thank you Grizzizzik!¡± For a brief moment, she remembered who created that rogue, and her mind jumped off that subject almost as fast.


    Clarissa tried to aim toward Bassie, but there were too many people, and the arrow went wide. Rafael pulled over again. ¡°It¡¯s got to be almost dead.¡±


    Another burst of light from the copy car, another obvious miss.


    Next was Alejandra¡¯s turn, and she was nervous. She had a feeling Hraktar could finish it. She needed to roll well.


    A two. Alejandra glanced at her options left. She¡¯d have to do an action surge, because she knew this might be it. She rolled again, getting to a ten. That could be enough. Hraktar was strong enough with his bonus to hit.


    She was relieved when two d6¡¯s appeared. She rolled them quickly, watching them clatter. Two threes. And a +4. That had to be enough. This snake wasn¡¯t magical.


    Time resumed, and Hraktar kept a hand to Bassie¡¯s throat. It was hissing weakly, and with a jerk, Hraktar tore the head completely off the snake¡¯s body. Alejandra let out a relieved sigh. ¡°It¡¯s done! They did it!¡±


    Rafael leaned against the seat. ¡°Level two. Finally.¡±


    Alejandra saw the experience bar fill up. She squinted, looking at it a bit more.


    1560/2700 XP


    That was a nice chunk, but there was still a bit before level four.


    Derek pulled over, then poked his head out the side of the car. ¡°Something tells me my guy will want to stay and examine the body. Grizzizzik, too.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you do whatever rolling from your house?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°Yeah, probably. Should be safer that way, too. I¡¯ll let Nick know, but you two can head back.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, man,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°No, thank you. It¡¯s great to have all five of them working together again. It¡¯s good to know we can do something like this, too. Trade off while we¡¯re working through things,¡± Derek said, glancing at the five characters.


    Ezekiel opened the door, fully healed because he¡¯d stayed in the car. He rushed over to Clarissa, checking her for wounds, but Clarissa never got hurt. In fact, this was the first battle where no one got knocked out.


    Alejandra checked her watch. ¡°Ezekiel, Clarissa, heal everyone, and then we¡¯ve got to go.¡±


    Out of nowhere, Grizzizzik started laughing. They turned toward the rogue, who gripped his shoulder, a pained smile on his face. Alejandra was worried about his mental state. ¡°It¡¯s been great seeing you all. I¡¯m excited to go celebrate with you back in our cave outside town limits.¡± Alejandra frowned, about ready to ask Grizzizzik what he was talking about when his voice dropped. ¡°Everyone get in the car now. We heal back at home.¡±


    There was something about the quiet, urgent way Grizzizzik said that. She rarely saw the rogue unnerved, and it usually had something to do with¡­


    Alejandra glanced toward the houses, frowning.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look. Get in. Now.¡± Grizzizzik was already stumbling toward Derek¡¯s car.


    Alejandra didn¡¯t wait. She tried to get in the car, pretending she wasn¡¯t nervous. She climbed inside, buckling her seatbelt as Hraktar and Ezekiel slid in the back.


    Rafael wasted no time getting in. Alejandra¡¯s eyes lingered on Clarissa supporting Milo, healing him with mana as she helped him into the back of Derek¡¯s car. By the time he was in there, he got seven more hit points added to his count. Grizzizzik still looked dazed and struggled with blood loss as Rafael pulled out onto the street and headed in a direction that wasn¡¯t home. Derek went a different way.


    The bodies of the enormous snake and spider were off to the side of the street when she saw the outline of a smaller snake slither to the middle of the road. Alejandra¡¯s breath caught in her throat as she watched the smaller snake lift his body, distinctly human arms folded.


    A terror she never felt before slammed into her chest. Akshi could do whatever he wanted. They barely survived Shelob and Bassie. They were seriously injured. He watched them fighting and did nothing. What was he planning? Or did they just manage to escape a trap he set?


    Akshi watched them leave, and Alejandra tried to understand the implications.


    ¡°Does he know who we are?¡± she asked.


    Rafael glanced at the rearview mirror. ¡°There¡¯s a good possibility.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to go to school on Monday. She kept an eye on Akshi, standing there in the middle of the road, disappearing from sight once Rafael turned the car down a different street. With trembling hands, she opened her text to Tyler.


    Battle is done. I think we¡¯re okay. Akshi might have watched the whole thing.


    She waited for Tyler to respond. It didn¡¯t take long before her phone vibrated with Tyler¡¯s incoming call.


    ¡°Alejandra?¡± he asked once she picked up. ¡°Tell me everything.¡±

 Chapter 84

    Derek took the longest route to arrive at Nick¡¯s house, trying to stay away from the street they fought on. Clarissa healed Grizzizzik, and the dazed look in his eyes became far more focused as he received nine hit points. The pain he felt in his shoulder no doubt lessened, though he still kept a hand over it.


    ¡°You saw your father?¡± Milo asked, the first to breach the subject.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Grizzizzik kept his eyes out the window. ¡°I saw him once the fight was over.¡±


    Clarissa winced. ¡°How long do you think he was there?¡±


    The rogue rested his head against the window. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Derek glanced in the rearview mirror, seeing Nick¡¯s character. He already planned on talking with his friend about this. His head spun, but the most important thing for everyone¡¯s safety was to figure out if Nick rolled anything to discover Akshi there.


    The silence in the car lasted until Derek pulled into Nick¡¯s driveway. Clarissa and Grizzizzik climbed out, wishing Milo well. Milo remained, an arm around his stomach, giving them a small wave. Despite the healing, he still didn¡¯t look great.


    ¡°I need to talk to Nick. Do you want to come with me?¡± Derek asked.


    Milo unbuckled his seat belt. ¡°Yeah. Sure.¡± Derek turned off the car, and they walked over to Nick¡¯s window again. He was there, opening his window before helping Grizzizzik and Clarissa inside.


    Nick noticed Derek and Milo and nodded. ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Did you roll for perception at all?¡± Derek asked.


    Nick¡¯s face twisted in confusion. His eyes darted back and forth as he thought. ¡°Um, no. Just standard battle stuff.¡±


    Derek nodded. ¡°Alright, so¡­ Akshi was there at the end.¡±


    That caused Nick¡¯s face to fall. Horror filled his eyes. ¡°Akshi?¡± He shot a glance at Grizzizzik. ¡°And¡­ everyone escaped alive?¡±


    ¡°My guess is since you didn¡¯t roll anything, it was all based on passive perception. Hopefully that means Akshi didn¡¯t see us until Grizzizzik noticed him at the end of the battle.¡±


    ¡°Is everyone else alright?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Um¡­¡± Derek rubbed his hands together, glancing at his car. ¡°I don¡¯t think Akshi saw us. Or recognized us.¡±


    Grizzizzik snorted, which caused Derek to look at him. Nick, too, glanced behind his shoulder. Clarissa lingered at the doorway.


    ¡°Care to share anything, Grizzizzik?¡± Nick asked.


    The rogue was checking his wound on his shoulder. ¡°You can never trust Akshi. It¡¯s something you all know, and yet none of you put it into practice.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t just stop going to school,¡± Derek said. ¡°That might as well stick a target on our backs.¡±


    Grizzizzik grunted. ¡°Of course not. Akshi is a mastermind. He¡¯s putting down his roots. Picking his players carefully. Figuring out the ins and outs of your high school. Narrowing down his enemies and who¡¯s the biggest threat. He¡¯s doing this all behind the scenes. He already knows you, and that you go to high school. Knows the key players already. He wouldn¡¯t dare show himself unless he already knew. Akshi loves the game of it all. His sadistic mind has already figured out how to win. The only time you feel you''re ahead is when he lets you feel that way.¡±


    Nick and Derek exchanged worried glances. Derek¡¯s throat had gone completely dry as he remembered Akshi standing near Evelyn, with her looking petrified. Nothing happened, thankfully, but he had a strong desire to tell Nick everything. He ought to know. It was Evelyn, after all. No one could protect her better than Nick.


    But when he went to open his mouth, his words lodged in his throat. It was his one promise to Evelyn. He had broken her trust going with Rafael to Calawit¡¯s. It hurt Nick, too. But this was different. Nick needed to know.


    Nick rubbed his scarred eyebrow. ¡°Grizzizzik, are you saying¡­ he already knows us? Are you sure you¡¯re not being paranoid?¡±


    Grizzizzik shook his head. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t yet, he will. And paranoia keeps me alive.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t he squish us all while we were there, injured?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°I told you. He loves playing the game. Violence, harshness, swords. That¡¯s Torraq. Mental, psychological, cat and mouse? That¡¯s Akshi. He¡¯s preparing for a strike. Just one. One that he will plan for months. When we¡¯re least expecting it. And it will completely shatter us, I guarantee it.¡±


    Derek rubbed his forehead, trying to balance what Grizzizzik said with what he understood about Akshi from the CCNC lore. He needed Evelyn to tell Nick about Akshi trying to talk to her. That¡¯s how he would regain her trust. He left multiple texts and voicemails with Tyler, and he finally responded, thanking him for the information and that he¡¯d study it out. But this was now different. Akshi wasn¡¯t targeting any of them, he was targeting¡­ Evelyn. The thought alone made his blood run cold.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let Evelyn out of your sight at school,¡± Derek said quietly.


    Nick frowned. ¡°What?¡±


    Derek shook his head. ¡°Stay by her side whenever you can. Just in case.¡±


    Nick hesitated, then a distinct worry crossed his face as he again glanced at Grizzizzik. Akshi was often known to have more fun breaking characters mentally rather than physically. Many of his spells were geared toward that. It was how he became one of the most powerful crime lords in Osvoroth. Fear was far more important to Akshi than loyalty.


    ¡°Never let your guard down. Especially at school,¡± Grizzizzik said, looking right at Milo.


    The mana fusor nodded.


    ¡°What¡¯s Grizzizzik¡¯s passive perception?¡± Derek asked.


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    Nick studied the words in front of him that were invisible to everyone else. ¡°Nineteen.¡±


    Derek didn¡¯t know what to say. Con was next week. They needed to figure out how to get these characters and all the monsters back to the Shrouded Domain before Akshi planned¡­ whatever he was planning. Possibly with Evelyn. The thought made him nauseous. ¡°You guys get some sleep. That was an insane fight.¡±


    Clarissa moved to Evelyn¡¯s room. Derek went slow, making sure Milo eased into the back before he got into the car. Derek started the vehicle, his mind miles away as he pulled out his phone, calling Evelyn. She wouldn¡¯t answer, because she was still at the football game. But he would not put this off.


    Hey, you¡¯ve reached Evelyn¡¯s phone! Leave a message! She sounded so peppy and happy, like before shit hit the fan.


    ¡°Evelyn, hey. It¡¯s Derek. Look, Akshi was there at the fight. He spooked us all. I know you had me promise to never tell Nick, but you should. Please, Evelyn. Tell Nick that Akshi stopped you at school.¡±


    Some plan that would cause the group to shatter. He was too afraid to think of what it was. Right now, Milo and his friends were far stronger than Derek and his friends. His own friends already had a shattering moment. If Milo and his friends dissolved like theirs. If Akshi planned to use Evelyn in any way¡­


    Derek shook his head, focusing on getting home, thinking about Akshi. How that snake always observed the link in a group, found its weakness, exploited it, and snuffed out each part one by one.


    ***


    Evelyn zipped up her cheer bag, sighing. It had been a long game, but she found herself enjoying it. Enjoying it because Rafael wasn¡¯t there. For the first time in a while, she felt free. She still felt the weight of the stares at times, but Rafael wasn¡¯t there.


    Evelyn grabbed her phone, glancing at it. She¡¯d read the texts about the fight. Shuddered at the thought of a ginormous spider.


    She checked her call history. She didn¡¯t know why. Sometimes she felt like there was a missed call from someone, but then she¡¯d look at it and there was nothing there. Though why would anyone call her? She got all the information from the texts.


    Again, she checked her history, her brow furrowing. Once again, the urge was there, plain as day, that someone called her. She stared, seeing no one had called her all day. Her mind was messing with her. She stared so long at the call history that when she put her phone away and the urge returned, she closed her eyes and saw the image in her mind. No one had called her. She was sure of it.


    ***


    Alejandra¡¯s knees trembled the moment she walked inside the school Monday morning. She really wanted to be sick today, to where she attempted to get herself sick. Her stomach was in enough knots; she should be vomiting.


    They all agreed Shelob and Bassie were enough of a CCNC session that they didn¡¯t hold one over the weekend. The situation all unsettled them enough. Rafael made sure Ezekiel was properly leveled up. It helped ease her concerns to see their cleric with eighteen hit points instead of ten. She also couldn¡¯t help but notice that he did all the leveling while Ezekiel and Hraktar went out hunting. Except for the session, Rafael hadn¡¯t talked to his character at all.


    Considering Ezekiel was already Life Domain, it was a matter of going over his new abilities. Mainly a mega heal boost and being an extra badass while fighting undead. How that would work if he became a permanent wererat, she wasn¡¯t sure, but she didn¡¯t want to think about it. They would heal Ezekiel. They had to.


    She went to her locker and heard a heavy snake gliding on the ground. Her mouth turned bone dry as a shadow of a snake fell across her. She practiced her steady breathing. Her fingers trembled as she opened the locker, grabbing her books, and stuffing them in her bag. By the time she slammed the door, she knew where to go. If after school CCNC club taught her anything, it was she had little mental fortitude when Akshi was around.


    Her sweaty palm slid down one of the backpack straps as she walked the familiar path to her favorite classroom. Akshi followed right behind her. She was terrified of what this meant. He must have known she was there at the fight on Friday. He must have seen her face well enough to recognize her. Which meant Akshi knew she was involved somehow.


    Alejandra pulled open the door to Se?ora Florez¡¯s classroom and walked in. There were three other students there, talking in their seats. They must have had her class for first hour math. Se?ora Florez glanced up from her small desk in the corner. Her eyes locked with Alejandra¡¯s, and her teacher was having a hard time not looking at Akshi. The carefree look on her face turned more focused as Alejandra walked up to her.


    ¡°Hey. How can I help?¡± Se?ora Florez asked.


    Alejandra clawed at her mind, trying to force it to think of something, but she could feel him staring her down.


    ¡°Spanish,¡± Alejandra stumbled out. ¡°I need help with Spanish.¡±


    Se?ora Florez nodded. ¡°Conjugation is always hard. I can see why you needed to come to me.¡± In her panicked state, she forgot what conjugation was. Her teacher picked up her phone, texting someone quickly. ¡°Let me send this out fast. Are you going anywhere else before the first bell rings?¡± Alejandra shook her head, doing her best to calm the heat that stung her eyes. Se?ora Florez smiled as she finished texting someone, hitting send. ¡°Good. Because the best way to learn conjugation is to practice.¡± She set her phone down, again giving Alejandra a comforting smile. ¡°I admire your need to study Spanish in school. Honestly, I practiced years with my husband and even more years in Mexico before it clicked into place. So let¡¯s take the rest of the time to practice.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Se?ora Florez leaned back. ¡°Let¡¯s use the verb ¡®talk¡¯. We¡¯ll go slow, and we¡¯ll do it together.¡±


    Alejandra nodded again, trying with all her might to focus on Spanish. To focus on Se?ora Florez. Ignoring how Akshi was leaning over and studying her. Feeling his breath not move her hair.


    ¡°I talk,¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    Alejandra closed her eyes, pretending she was thinking. ¡°Yo hablo.¡± Se?ora Florez said it at the same time.


    ¡°Good, Alejandra.¡± This was basic Spanish, but she needed this. Some excuse to say something over and over with Se?ora Florez. ¡°You talk.¡±


    ¡°T¨² hablas,¡± they both said together.


    ¡°Excellent. What¡¯s you in formal?¡±


    ¡°Usted habla.¡±


    They went through that with the verb ¡®talk¡¯, then with ¡®read¡¯. They were halfway through their conjugation of ¡®read¡¯ when Akshi stiffened and glanced at the door. He then slithered out of the room, the door shutting behind him.


    Alejandra stopped talking, grabbing the edge of Se?ora Florez¡¯s desk and leaning over. Her teacher walked around her desk and toward the door, looking out the window as Alejandra closed her eyes, her shoulders shaking.


    Se?ora Florez returned, leaning against the desk and folding her arms. ¡°Mr. Anderson and I have figured out a system. One he discovered. Akshi can roam the halls as long as no one is talking to Mr. Stower. If someone talks to him, Akshi has to be there in order to make sure the vice principal is acting how he should. I had Mr. Anderson go talk to him to get him out of your hair until the bell rang.¡±


    ¡°Gracias.¡± Alejandra shifted to her Spanish mind. She might as well keep going.


    Se?ora Florez¡¯s smile was sad and fleeting as she looked again at the door. ¡°Mr. Anderson and I will talk. There¡¯s got to be some way we can get Mr. Stower out of his control, and away from you students. The five of you have enough to deal with without a mythical being trying to mess with your lives.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you can see him now,¡± Alejandra said.


    Se?ora Florez patted her on the shoulder. ¡°And I hope I can help get rid of him, too. Do you need anything else?¡±


    ¡°Just¡­ a moment.¡±


    Se?ora Florez smiled. ¡°Take as many moments are you need.¡±


    Alejandra closed her eyes, forcing the panic out of her system. Focusing on how Se?ora Florez and Mr. Anderson have a way to keep Akshi away. She wasn¡¯t powerless. She had these two teachers who would make sure she never got hurt. And a brother who was on her side. Things were getting better.


    Alejandra let out another breath, then opened her eyes as the first bell rang. Se?ora Florez checked her phone. ¡°Rick and I will have it all scheduled out, making sure Mr. Stower is always doing something school related in the morning.¡± Alejandra forgot Rick was Mr. Anderson¡¯s first name. ¡°If Akshi is bothering you, you let one of us know. I¡¯ll tell everyone else in your group, too.¡± Se?ora Florez shook her head, sad. ¡°This group¡­¡± she trailed off, glancing out the window.


    ¡°Gracias, Se?ora.¡±


    ¡°Happy to help where I can. I wish it was more.¡±


    Alejandra took another deep breath before turning around and heading toward her first class of the day.

 Chapter 85

    ¡°You look around and realize this isn¡¯t where you thought you¡¯d end up. There is something strange about this place. The mist coming from the ground is cool as it brushes against your skin,¡± Se?ora Florez said. Derek was leaning in, feeling anxious. ¡°And you hear it, in the quiet cries that seem to come from the mist itself. You all have stumbled into the Fae Forest.¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± Derek shouted.


    Oskar screamed in alarm before it turned into a groan as he melted out of his chair.


    Alejandra covered her face. ¡°Oh, we are so dead.¡±


    With a snap, Se?ora Florez shut her game master notebook. ¡°And that¡¯s where we¡¯ll end our session.¡±


    Derek covered his face, groaning. Se?ora Florez smiled, placing their figurines back in the box.


    Oskar pulled out his phone. ¡°Carson¡¯s going to freak that he missed today.¡±


    ¡°Oof, I hate the fae,¡± Derek said.


    Oskar started texting someone. ¡°Get in line, man.¡±


    Derek gathered his character sheet and dice. He was simply happy he could come. With play practice getting longer and more often, he was glad he was the president and could help set up when they did after school CCNC.


    With a snap, Senora Florez closed the lid. ¡°Hey, Derek? Alejandra? Could you stay after for a bit more to discuss your characters?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know this conversation.¡± Oskar maneuvered out of his chair fast. ¡°Don¡¯t let Se?ora Florez know your weaknesses!¡± He ran out the door. ¡°You¡¯ll never know mine!¡±


    She chuckled as Alejandra finished cleaning up her things. Derek ventured a glance at Mr. Anderson, who was sitting at Se?ora Florez¡¯s desk to correct tests. He wasn¡¯t involved in anything with CCNC; he was there to make sure Mr. Stower wasn¡¯t. And honestly, that¡¯s all Derek expected at this point.


    Derek could almost feel the mood shift as he and Alejandra remained. He had a feeling they weren¡¯t talking about their imaginary characters, but their real-life ones.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Se?ora Florez swapped her game master notebook with a different one. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing all the research I can on this topic.¡± She flipped through pages of handwritten notes. Derek raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed.¡±


    ¡°When you enter this school, you are under my responsibility. This is my duty, and I¡¯m going to take it seriously,¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    Mr. Anderson finished putting his papers away, getting out of Se?ora Florez¡¯s desk and leaning against the wall.


    ¡°Do you know how Akshi is controlling Mr. Stower?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Senora Florez flipped through some pages. ¡°I¡¯m not as confident as I¡¯d like to be. I¡¯ve researched all the spells he might be using. Dominate person doesn¡¯t give him near the amount of control that we¡¯ve seen. This has to be some sort of mixture between Akshi¡¯s magic and how it plays in the real world.¡±


    ¡°Kind of like how we can¡¯t explain my bond with Milo?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    ¡°It makes no sense. Mr. Stower didn¡¯t know about CCNC in the first place,¡± Derek said.


    Alejandra rubbed her arms. ¡°And I never got the feeling that our vice principal was¡­ evil.¡±


    ¡°I know. I honestly feel like Bob¡¯s the victim in all this, and there¡¯s got to be a way to reverse the spell, somehow,¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    ¡°An interesting theory, but how do we test it? The only people that can work magic are their characters,¡± Mr. Anderson said, nodding toward Derek and Alejandra.


    ¡°There¡¯s got to be some way. If we can see what¡¯s happening, we can influence it, too.¡± Se?ora Florez flipped a few more pages in her notebook. ¡°I¡¯m thinking Mr. Stower is being pulled more toward the magical side of things, forgetting himself. If we want to make a difference, I suggest we remind him who he is.¡±


    Alejandra and Derek glanced at each other. ¡°We don¡¯t know him all that well,¡± Derek said.


    Mr. Anderson sighed in a way that almost sounded like a groan. ¡°Yeah. Alright. Isn¡¯t there some sort of potion your mana fusor can make to help him remember?¡±


    Se?ora Florez glanced at Derek, hopeful. Derek did not feel that same hope. ¡°Magic doesn¡¯t work on us. Or at least¡­ when it did, it¡¯s made Tyler freak out. Our two worlds are not supposed to mix. And I guarantee Akshi will have a detect magic spell to sniff out whatever potion Milo made.¡±


    Se?ora Florez nodded. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ what I was afraid of.¡± She glanced at Mr. Anderson, who was tapping a finger against his arm, looking lost in thought before he pulled himself to the present. ¡°This is up to us, then.¡±


    ¡°Up to¡­ us?¡± Mr. Anderson asked.


    ¡°We know Bob better than these kids do. We need to shake him out of the charm. He¡¯s changed a lot this past month, so I say we remember what he was like before, and jog his memory.¡± She turned a few pages. ¡°A charmed person is completely under the control of the mana wielder, but Bob¡¯s of this world. We remind him who he was to help him fight off the influence.¡±


    Mr. Anderson covered his face with his hands, rubbing his forehead. ¡°Yeah, alright.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Mr. Anderson,¡± Derek said.


    His science teacher wasn¡¯t smiling. ¡°I just¡­ need him back to who he was before.¡±


    The smile grew on Derek¡¯s face. ¡°Ignoring you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Se?ora Florez smiled before glancing at Alejandra and Derek. ¡°You keep us posted on anything Akshi does. Mr. Stower has now become our responsibility. You two have way too much on your plate.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Se?ora Florez,¡± Alejandra said.


    Derek was struck with an idea, and raised a hand. ¡°Wait.¡±


    Mr. Anderson and Se?ora Florez both looked at him. Derek gave himself a moment to organize his thoughts before he looked at his math teacher. ¡°Calawit is the gnome sorcerer who lives in the tent near your husband¡¯s restaurant. There might be a reason she needed to settle there specifically. She¡¯s a powerful mana wielder and would be valuable to talk to.¡±


    ¡°Calawit?¡± Se?ora Florez asked.


    Derek nodded. ¡°Just¡­ don¡¯t steal any of her stuff. She¡¯s got a hard shell, but once you crack it, she¡¯s a softy. And seriously, don¡¯t steal her stuff. Or touch it, really. I honestly don¡¯t know what she has in there. It¡¯s kinda dangerous.¡±


    Se?ora Florez¡¯s smile flickered across her face. ¡°Well, she sounds like a fun NPC.¡±


    ***


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Evelyn scrolled through her phone as her mother sang along to the radio. Evelyn would hum occasionally, but she was more nervous about CCNC con. It was still early morning, and she was studying the different panels and deciding where to go. There was an interesting one on different mana domains, and she was super curious to see that one. Maybe they had info on getting the most out of the desert domain. There were also a few panels with the artists of the monsters and characters. She was excited, but knew the real purpose of the con. Neal was talking in the north building¡¯s ballroom at noon. It was the only panel at that time, because everyone was going to it. Neal was the founder and creator. The guy thought it up when he was only twenty years old back in the mid-eighties. He must know something. And Evelyn hoped she wouldn¡¯t have to portal Clarissa to Phoenix to give him proof. The bubble didn¡¯t reach that far.


    It was early when they left, so Evelyn found herself nodding off. The excitement and worry had a part to play in the little sleep she got last night. She wished Nick was coming. They had it all planned out for it to happen, but then Nick punched Rafael in the face. He¡¯d been in a funk ever since. No amount of finding a rental place helped it lift.


    Once they figured out what to do, once they had a more solid plan, Evelyn wanted to go back to the sessions. She wanted to be there when they helped their characters enter the portal and go back home. Tyler would keep his word and make sure Rafael wasn¡¯t there when she was. That much she knew.


    She missed going. It was impossible to lie to herself. She enjoyed being there, seeing Clarissa interacting with the other characters. It was harder to roll from a distance, especially in the middle of a cheer routine.


    For some reason she found herself back in her list of voicemails. Why did this keep happening to her? She clicked out of it and went back to social media as the miles continued to roll by.


    Lydia slowed the car down, causing Evelyn to wake up. She didn¡¯t realize she¡¯d been sleeping. She carefully rubbed her eyes, checking her phone camera to make sure she didn¡¯t mess up her makeup.


    ¡°You said someone would meet you, right?¡± Lydia asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Evelyn searched through her texts. ¡°Derek or Tyler should be here soon. I¡¯ll call one of them.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be spending the day in Phoenix. You call if you want to leave early.¡± Lydia checked her own makeup in the mirror.


    ¡°Yeah. Thanks, mom.¡± Evelyn climbed out of the car, heading toward the conference center as she waved to Lydia. She was definitely in the right place. There were tons of people, all wearing something pertaining to CCNC. Evelyn had thought of wearing a tiara and elf ears, but decided against it. There would be some people here who would go all out, and her half attempt at a costume would make her feel silly. Instead, she wore a shirt that was stuffed in the back of her closet, one Nick got her for Christmas last year. It had Choice, Chance, and Consequence in the famous lettering of the game. This was probably the first time she¡¯d ever worn it.


    She passed one person who looked so much like a half orc that she seriously had to look at his costume, finding the imperfections in the seams of his leg stilts to make sure it wasn¡¯t Hraktar¡¯s long-lost brother or something. It was crowded. She texted Derek and Tyler, telling them she was waiting to get through security. Derek sent a quick text back saying to call him once she got through, as Tyler was still getting ready at the hotel.


    It was a long wait. She went through the metal detectors as security quickly checked her bag. Once inside, there were a ton of different booths, all stuffed with books and artwork. She was in awe at how creative people could be. It wasn¡¯t just pictures or drawings, but metal work, little stone figures, even electronic touch screen tables for game nights.


    She had her phone to her ear, wondering if Derek could hear his ringtone with all this noise.


    ¡°Evelyn?¡± Derek almost shouted into the phone. It was as noisy on his end as it was on hers.


    ¡°Derek! Hey! I¡¯m through! Are you here at the booths?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Here helping people through the realization that G.H. Sage is actually a woman. Ugh, I¡¯m so happy she¡¯s here. She¡¯s my favorite CCNC author writing today. I wish I had brought all my books for her to sign! Not that it matters. Pretty sure I¡¯ve got them all signed, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Evelyn glanced around, figuring it was best to look for places that had a lot of books.


    ¡°I see you! Over here, toward the east door!¡±


    Evelyn glanced over, scanning the crowd until she saw him. She waved, hanging up. Derek already had a bundle of shirts, books, and art in his arm. He was wearing a cloak with a CCNC shirt underneath and a fake sword.


    ¡°Hey, Derek.¡±


    ¡°Good to see you.¡± He grabbed his backpack and stuffed his purchases in there. He didn¡¯t hug her. Not that she expected him to, but there was definitely more space between them right now. Evelyn glanced over to see a woman in her late-thirties at the booth nearest them, smiling as she signed books.


    ¡°Have you read any G.H. Sage books?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t say I have.¡±


    Derek zipped up his bag. ¡°They. Are. Excellent. Ugh, she pulls at my heartstrings every time. She understands the lore so well.¡±


    Evelyn watched again as the woman, G.H. Sage laughed at a comment and handed the newly signed book over. ¡°I guess, after hearing you bemoan the fact that there aren¡¯t many women in CCNC, I wasn¡¯t expecting a female author.¡±


    ¡°We will get more women into the game.¡± Derek put his busting backpack on. ¡°It is my life''s goal.¡±


    Evelyn smiled, glancing around. ¡°Where¡¯s Tyler?¡±


    ¡°He said something about needing breakfast. I¡¯m not even sure when he came into the hotel room last night. He was out socializing and partying,¡± Derek said.


    She checked her phone again. It was almost nine in the morning. Three more hours until Neal¡¯s panel. Another hour before they could wait in line to meet him and ask him questions. They had a bit more exploring to do before then.


    ¡°Maybe I should buy one of her books, since we¡¯ll be in line so much today,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°The Cost of Mana.¡±


    She frowned, glancing at Derek. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the book you buy. The Cost of Mana. You finish that, you are hooked for life.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Just sayin¡¯.¡±


    Derek was always overdramatic, but she was curious. ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s go get it.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t too long of a line. She got the book, almost five hundred pages, and the first in a series of five.


    ¡°The important thing to remember is the series is complete,¡± Derek said as he waited with her. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t torture you by asking you to start with her Imitation of Revenge series. Ugh. Next year cannot come fast enough.¡±


    ¡°How many books are in that one?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Three so far. She has plans for it being an eight or nine book series,¡± Derek said.


    He then fell silent as Evelyn was next in line to get the book signed. ¡°Uh, hi.¡± She wasn¡¯t even sure what to say as she handed over the hardcover book. ¡°My friend here says you¡¯re the best of the best writing today.¡± She said friend. It almost surprised and irritated her how easy that word trickled out of her.


    G.H. Sage smiled, glancing at Derek. ¡°Well, that¡¯s incredibly kind of you.¡±


    ¡°Huge fan. Can¡¯t wait for book four,¡± Derek said.


    The author smiled, almost like she was trying to hide something. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to share it.¡± She turned back to Evelyn. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Evelyn.¡± She spelt it out slowly, which she could tell the woman appreciated.


    ¡°Hello, Evelyn. I¡¯m Georgiana. Do you play CCNC?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Since I was eleven. I¡¯m still playing my druid elf princess.¡± There was no point lying.


    Georgiana smiled at that as she signed the book. ¡°I mean, who wouldn¡¯t?¡± Evelyn chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s good to have more women in the game.¡±


    ¡°Amen,¡± Derek muttered quietly.


    Evelyn suppressed a smile as she took the book back. It felt hefty, but she needed something besides her phone to look at. She¡¯d be taking plenty of pictures, so she¡¯d need to save the battery.


    Once she paid for her book, Derek got a text to meet up with Tyler outside the main booth area. She followed Derek as they made their way to a large hallway. He kept trying to say something, which was odd, because Derek never had a hard time saying things.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I keep thinking there¡¯s something I need to tell you,¡± Derek said, his brows furrowing.


    ¡°Oh? Like what?¡±


    ¡°If I knew, I¡¯d say. I was going to make sure you got something from me, but I don¡¯t remember what,¡± Derek said, a far-off quality to his voice.


    Evelyn frowned. It was definitely odd. Until it wasn¡¯t. Something in the back of her mind eased her away from the thought, and at first it alarmed her how easily she agreed to it, and then it was like the entire conversation never happened. The panel on mana was starting in ten minutes, and she wanted to attend it.


    ¡°Hey, Tyler!¡± Derek said, waving.


    Evelyn turned and saw Tyler walking over to them wearing a pair of aviators, holding a bagel and a paper cup of orange juice. ¡°Hey, guys. Glad you could make it, Evelyn.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Still sad Nick couldn¡¯t come, but¡­¡± she trailed off, not sure she needed to remind them all why he wasn¡¯t here. In fact, despite the sobbing she¡¯d done the week before, she felt better being here. Things were weird between her and Derek as they continued to dance around the conversation, but at least for the moment they both pretended like Rafael didn¡¯t exist.


    Tyler mumbled something before taking a bite of his bagel.


    Derek narrowed his eyes, frowning at his orange juice. He leaned over closer, studying Tyler¡¯s bagel, thick with cream cheese. Tyler took another bite before straightening his sunglasses.


    ¡°Dude. Are you hung over?¡± Derek asked.


    Tyler stopped mid-chew. He didn¡¯t look at either of them, and it was another beat before he kept chewing. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ not worry about it.¡±


    Derek snorted. ¡°So, is this why you didn¡¯t want to meet us in there?¡± He pointed toward the huge gymnasium with all the booths set up. The noise was at a dull roar, and Tyler winced. He drained the rest of his orange juice and tossed it in the garbage.


    ¡°Gentle reminder for myself that con parties have drinks stronger than they seem. Not a word of this to my mother. Understand?¡± Tyler muttered.


    ¡°Yeah. Sure,¡± Derek said.


    Evelyn shook her head, a slight smile on her face as she pulled out her phone. ¡°I guess it¡¯s a picture of Derek and I for a bit, then.¡±


    ¡°That would be appreciated,¡± Tyler said.


    Evelyn held up her newly purchased book and winked at her phone as Derek smiled into the camera. The first picture of many, she had no doubt.

 Chapter 86

    Rafael finished his shift, checking his phone on the way to the car. Still no reply from Derek or Tyler. He didn¡¯t expect anything from Evelyn. Rafael checked his watch and saw it was barely eleven in the morning. He had an early shift at the grocery store, mostly working on stocking shelves. Saturday morning was busy with weekend shoppers.


    He drove home, glancing at the clock every moment he could. He was eager for answers, ready to figure out how to get these characters home so that he could break off from the group for good. The monster prowling around his mind still made him deeply uncomfortable.


    He pulled into the driveway and turned off the car. The heat pushed him into his house far quicker than anything. He walked in, seeing Alejandra there in her McDonald¡¯s uniform. The house smelled of bread.


    ¡°Going to work or coming home?¡± Rafael asked.


    Alejandra checked the fridge. ¡°Going.¡±


    He winced, remembering he should have gotten groceries. ¡°I¡¯ll get more food tomorrow.¡±


    She went back to the countertop. ¡°No worries. I made some bread. I think it tastes pretty good.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ made some bread?¡± Rafael asked. She finished buttering a slice before holding it up. Rafael took it, curious, and bit into it. ¡°This is amazing. How¡¯d you make bread?¡±


    ¡°I looked it up and followed the recipe.¡± Alejandra licked a bit of melted butter off her finger. ¡°Mom¡¯s got a ton of pots and pans in here we never use. I wanted to try it out. Hraktar and Ezekiel are out hunting. You can tell them they¡¯re welcome to some when they return.¡±


    Rafael shrugged and took another bite. ¡°It tastes great. Thank you.¡±


    She beamed, grabbing her hat and opening her hand for the keys. Rafael dropped them into her palm.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving a bit early for work. Thankfully, I¡¯m not closing, so I¡¯ll be home by nine or so,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    She left as Rafael kept munching on the bread. It was surprisingly good. He didn¡¯t realize his sister could make bread. It always seemed way more complicated.


    He finished the bread and moved into his room to get his homework done. He had a paper due in English he wasn¡¯t excited about.


    The door opened and Ezekiel walked in as Rafael was organizing his textbooks. ¡°Oh, hey. Alejandra said you and Hraktar were out hunting.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We were. Hraktar¡¯s skinning the rabbits as we speak. Should make a nice stew,¡± Ezekiel said.


    ¡°Alejandra made some bread. She said you¡¯re welcome to have some.¡±


    Ezekiel¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Perfect!¡± The cleric eased himself down on the bed. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re avoiding me again. Like before.¡±


    Rafael froze, not quite sure what he expected from his socially awkward cleric. ¡°Um¡­ yeah. Yeah, I guess I am.¡±


    Ezekiel frowned. ¡°You¡¯re feeling incredibly guilty, right?¡±


    Rafael sucked on his teeth, trying to keep a calm head. The monster started prowling, waiting to see what yet another person would do with its existence. ¡°Yeah.¡± Rafael glanced out the window. ¡°Yeah, I am feeling incredibly guilty.¡±


    Ezekiel nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. You did something evil.¡±


    The monster bristled, and Rafael closed his eyes. He still felt the soreness of his healing ribs. ¡°I did. I messed things up.¡± He again looked at his textbook, the smile on his face faltering. ¡°Like¡­ really bad.¡±


    Ezekiel seemed to study Rafael again, a slight frown pulling at his lips. ¡°But it¡¯s all out in the open now. We can work through this. As long as you stop hiding.¡±


    Rafael didn¡¯t know how to express himself well enough. He obviously wished it had never happened. Wished he had been strong enough to never hurt Evelyn. He¡¯d played it over and over in his mind, tried to will his past self to stop drinking. To not text Evelyn. Things would have been so different if he had been a better person. If the monster had never formed.


    He placed a hand over his ribs. The ones that were the sorest. ¡°Thanks for your undying enthusiasm, but¡­ things won¡¯t be the same.¡± Rafael glanced out the window. ¡°I hurt a lot of people.¡±


    Ezekiel shrugged. ¡°Yeah. You did. You also created me.¡±


    Rafael kept his eyes on his homework. He couldn¡¯t follow this cleric¡¯s logic at all. ¡°You¡¯re the good I could never be, Ezekiel. You never would have done what I did.¡± He sighed, closing his eyes. ¡°The best thing you can do is figure out a way to return to Nick. I am the thorn in the group that needs to be removed. It¡¯s all out in the open, and I need to leave. It¡¯s better for everyone. It¡¯s better for Evelyn.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rafael. I cannot transfer to Nick. You created me. I can¡¯t go anywhere else.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ don¡¯t you hate me?¡± Rafael asked. The monster sat, listening. ¡°Aren¡¯t you disgusted that you have to be around me?¡±


    ¡°Are you disgusted that you have to be around yourself?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    Heat pricked his eyes, threatening to form tears. Rafael once again stared at his homework. ¡°Yes.¡± The monster growled at him. ¡°Yes, I am disgusted. I wish it never happened. I wish I was a stronger person. I hurt my friends. Who does that?¡±


    ¡°Hraktar,¡± Ezekiel said. He then paused. ¡°And Milo, sometimes.¡± He rubbed the light stubble on his chin. ¡°Grizzizzik does, rather often. Princess Clarissa¡¯s been known to slap me on occasion.¡±


    Rafael shook his head. ¡°This is different. This is so incredibly different from this that¡­ it¡¯s almost insensitive.¡±


    Ezekiel frowned. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t just snide remarks. Jokes that didn¡¯t land, or slaps. I. Hurt. Evelyn. I¡­ I violated her in the worst possible way. She has every right to hate me. I need to get out of this group. For her protection. No one should simply accept what I did. No one. This is disgusting. I am disgusting. I am¡­¡± The monster gave a growl, flexing its claws. Rafael covered his face, letting out a shuttering breath.


    There was a pause, and a silence that meant Ezekiel remained in the room. Rafael kept his face covered, trying to keep a sob at bay.


    ¡°Everyone says that the person wielding our dice is the same person who created us. So, you¡­ you should know my backstory.¡±


    Rafael let out a sigh, then dropped his hands. ¡°I threw something together. You needed to have a reason to stay in the temple reading books. I wanted you to¡­¡± Rafael gestured with his hands, aware that it made no sense at all. ¡°Be at the temple your whole life before adventuring.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know why I couldn¡¯t remember my childhood before the age of seven?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    Rafael sighed. ¡°No.¡± He looked away from Ezekiel. ¡°To be honest¡­ it¡¯s what I wanted. To forget. Have a clean slate.¡± His eyes gathered tears. ¡°To be¡­ happy.¡±


    Ezekiel again studied him, confused. ¡°You think me forgetting my life, my family, made me happy?¡±


    Rafael rubbed his forehead. ¡°Well¡­ you are happy. To simply not know.¡±


    Ezekiel didn¡¯t say anything, but the smile on his face flickered downwards. ¡°The Great Lady considers knowledge from books as a way to gain a deeper understanding about the importance of life. Understanding stories, histories, all must be preserved to help us gain an appreciation for life. And I¡­ didn¡¯t have my own story.¡±


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Rafael swallowed. ¡°But you¡¯re happy.¡±


    ¡°Of course I was. Because I was gaining knowledge. Waiting for the day I learned what happened to me. Happy to make some friends. Go on adventures. I¡¯d like to think I¡¯m a very happy guy,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Rafael nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± That was another thing he shoved into Ezekiel¡¯s character. Happiness. It was for his own needs. He needed an excuse to be happy during uncertain circumstances, and Ezekiel gave that to him while roleplaying. ¡°I¡­ guess I never thought about it that way. Perhaps we can do something now to help you remember.¡±


    ¡°Remember what?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    ¡°What happened to you. When you were a child.¡±


    Ezekiel again studied him closely. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been saying this whole time, Rafael. I already know. My friends have hurt me, and it¡¯s better it all came out instead of it staying inside so we could work through it. Make the appropriate boundaries and stick to them. Rebuild trust. It¡¯s a long journey, but it¡¯s worth it.¡±


    Rafael frowned, then straightened. ¡°Wait¡­ so they¡­¡± He glanced out the window, frowning. ¡°I guess it had been two and a half years since I¡¯ve played.¡± He remembered the times Tyler would try to get Rafael to consider Ezekiel¡¯s backstory, prodding a bit at what he remembered. But he didn¡¯t want to know. So much of Ezekiel¡¯s happiness came from not knowing. He was seriously afraid that if Tyler thought of something grim and dark that his character would never be the same. He needed Ezekiel to be happy. Happiness was vital for his own survival. ¡°What¡­ happened?¡±


    Ezekiel hesitated, then looked at his hands. ¡°This is my story,¡± he said, almost reverently. ¡°A battalion of orcs raided my village and burned it to the ground. My parents, my sisters, my neighbors, all dead. I ran and hid in the bushes to escape.¡± There was another beat of silence as Ezekiel looked out the window. ¡°It was Hraktar¡¯s tribe. Meaning¡­ he was the mastermind behind the attack. He strategically gathered them to where they needed to go, set them loose, and won a battle on a group of innocent people to gain victory in a war. He killed my family.¡±


    Rafael gasped. He couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°Holy shit. I¡¯m¡­ sorry.¡± His words felt hollow. That was dark. What was Tyler thinking?


    ¡°Hraktar didn¡¯t know at the time. In fact, don¡¯t talk to him about it. It¡¯s still kind of a sore spot for him. He feels a lot worse about it than I do,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Rafael touched his sore ribs again, looking at the wall. ¡°So you remember¡­ everything now?¡±


    Ezekiel nodded. ¡°I do.¡±


    He stared at his character. Saw the cheerful guy he created. ¡°How are you still happy?¡± Rafael knew his question made little sense, but Ezekiel seemed to understand.


    ¡°You were present when Alejandra asked about the Lady Zwitera. The sister of the Great Lady of Light. The goddess who takes on baby animals who were killed before they reach adulthood?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    Rafael nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Lady Zwitera has a twin sister. Lady Prodonos, Goddess of Orphans. She does the same thing, but with children.¡± Ezekiel glanced at a wall, touching his medallion. ¡°My sisters are fine. They most likely didn¡¯t stay too long with Lady Prodonos, as she is quick to find the parents once they die.¡± A tear fell down Rafael¡¯s cheek. Ezekiel shrugged. ¡°It took me a few days to forgive Hraktar. The pain he felt was clear. I applied what I¡¯ve always learned in the temple of the Great Lady of Light. Learn a person¡¯s story, and you gain an understanding that fills you with the compassion needed to accept the value of someone¡¯s life. Hraktar has spent most of his life trying to fit in by doing horrible acts for his tribe. He was the only one with any tactical smarts among them, and he used it to prove his worth to them. His tribe refused to see it. But I see the value of his life. He doesn¡¯t have to do anything to prove it to me. Princess Clarissa and Milo see it as well. Even Grizzizzik, though he won¡¯t admit it. Hraktar has finally found a tribe who accepts him for who he is. He doesn¡¯t want to hurt anyone anymore. He won¡¯t go back to slaughtering villages, because we won¡¯t ask him to do that. It would be silly of me to kick him out for something he¡¯s already sworn to never do again. We set parameters in place as I worked through my grief. Hraktar was more than willing to respect it all. He almost left the group, but I told him to wait. I was afraid of what might happen to him if he left. He was in a bad state of mind. I don¡¯t know if we would have ever found him alive again if he left.¡±


    Rafael winced, then folded his arms. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he knew he should say something, but he wasn¡¯t sure what. So much of Ezekiel¡¯s story filled him with guilt. A guilt that made him not want to stew in silence between them. ¡°I¡¯ve been piecing together your story,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Rafael glanced at him. ¡°Mine?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Of how you grew up. Your father, he sounds like he wasn¡¯t much of one.¡±


    Rafael could no longer look at Ezekiel. ¡°You could say that.¡±


    ¡°And when your parents divorced, it must have hurt you deeply,¡± Ezekiel said.


    ¡°Yeah. Well, sort of, it was just¡­¡± Rafael lifted a hand, trying to explain, but it was far too complicated. How could he possibly explain the relief that flooded him when he heard the divorce was happening? And then the sharp fear that came soon after? Women and children in domestic violence situations were in more danger when everything came out. It was the random statistic he heard, keeping him up at night. Keeping watch. Spending more than a few nights sleeping with a backpack within reach in case they needed to run. ¡°Too much,¡± Rafael finally said. ¡°It was too much.¡±


    ¡°Especially for a boy of fourteen,¡± Ezekiel said. Rafael blinked, the tears falling. ¡°You spent years depending on yourself to keep you, your sister, and your mom safe. You never thought about getting help elsewhere. A boy forced to do that is bound to make a mistake and end up hurting those around him. You were given too much responsibility too fast. And you broke in half. In the breaking, you violated Evelyn.¡± Ezekiel¡¯s voice was quiet. ¡°I understand. I have compassion. Please let me help you. Let me help you rediscover the worth of life so you never do that again.¡±


    Rafael quickly rubbed the tears away. ¡°So¡­¡± He closed his eyes. ¡°What do I do?¡±


    ¡°Evelyn needs to grieve,¡± Ezekiel said. ¡°You need to let her. Stay away from her. Let her stay with Princess Clarissa. She is already doing much to help her. Evelyn needs to figure out some things first before she gets strong enough to approach you. And when she does, your apology needs to be the first thing that leaves your lips. If she does get angry and spiteful, let others fix it. You¡¯ve done your damage. You need to stay away. Show Evelyn your support from a distance and do that by making sure other people get the story right. That you were in the wrong. Not only that, but it will never happen again. Because¡­ I assume it will never happen again.¡±


    Rafael nodded. ¡°It will never happen again.¡± It was the most sure he¡¯d ever felt.


    The cleric nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve broken people¡¯s trust. Words will be more difficult for them to believe. Actions will be stronger. You¡¯ll never get everyone¡¯s trust back. You¡¯re filled with guilt. That is the¡­ mana, almost, that you need to fuel your choice. You either wallow in it, or make the correct changes to be a better man.¡±


    Rafael stared at his cleric. Stared at the character he abandoned for two and a half years in order to wrestle with the guilt that felt overwhelming at times. The guilt that made it so much easier to snap at Nick. To get angry at his friends. His sister. To make sure he said the things that made them glare at him. Keeping them at a distance. Now he felt empty.


    But Ezekiel, a person who started as a figment of his imagination, made a cage appear and ushered the monster inside before giving him a list of instructions on how to get rid of it. He blinked away tears. ¡°Do you think this will work?¡± he asked, almost hopeful.


    Ezekiel cocked his head to one side, a frown tugging on his lips. ¡°You don¡¯t do this for a certain outcome of getting people to like you. Other people have their own choices to make. If you get kicked out of the group, then you get kicked out.¡± Ezekiel shrugged. ¡°I guess it will ¡®work¡¯ if something like that happens and you walk away feeling like you¡¯ve done everything you could. If you can come to a peaceful agreement with your soul that you tried your hardest, you failed, but you can try again to be a better person for a different group. And that truly, you will never do what you did to Evelyn again.¡±


    Rafael nodded. ¡°You¡¯re a good acolyte, Ezekiel.¡±


    A smile appeared on his face. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Ezekiel!¡± Hraktar called out. ¡°Stew¡¯s ready!¡±


    The cleric¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Good! I¡¯m starving!¡± He stood up, heading out of the room. Rafael watched him leave. For the first time since this all came out, he felt a seed of hope. Everyone around him patted him on the head, told him he was fine. Let the monster roam free. But now he had a plan. Ezekiel was right. He was on Evelyn¡¯s side. One hundred percent. He did a horrible thing, and he broke the trust of his old friends. It felt nearly impossible to gain back, and he had to admit it might never happen, but he had a course of action.


    He walked carefully out of the hall to see Ezekiel and Hraktar outside. Hraktar was stirring something in a pot, saying something. Ezekiel smiled, patting the fighter on the back. Hraktar nudged him with his shoulder. They started talking, though Rafael couldn¡¯t understand any of it. He saw the deep friendship, almost brotherhood, the two of them had. Rafael would never have known what happened between them if Ezekiel hadn¡¯t said something. He watched, feeling a deep pain in his chest.


    He remembered how much he clung to the idea of Ezekiel having amnesia for the entire adventure. He didn¡¯t want Tyler to do anything with it. Ezekiel¡¯s traumatic backstory was to never remember. It was something Rafael wanted. A man obsessed with stories, and didn¡¯t know his own. He¡¯d create his own story with this adventure. He didn¡¯t need a backstory.


    It was Rafael¡¯s own little fantasy escape. When he was little, he wanted to run away from home, but he couldn¡¯t abandon his sister and mother. Not to Jack. But he craved a fresh start. An idea that he¡¯d forget his entire childhood and start somewhere new was almost addictive to him. A way to abandon his family guilt free and get that fresh start he needed. It was something so insane he could only use that escape with a character from CCNC.


    Then he did run away, metaphorically speaking. But he remembered all too well. He never got that sweet release of forgetting what he¡¯d done. And while he was gone from CCNC, Nick took over his character. Took on Ezekiel, the leader of their little band, and through him forgave Hraktar for murdering his family and town while remaining true to Ezekiel¡¯s happy self.


    Maybe Nick needed his own escape. A leader of the group who was free to forgive horrible crimes. No doubt Ezekiel never brought it up with Hraktar. Never held it over his head. Once Ezekiel spent his time grieving, he forgave Hraktar and moved on.


    Ezekiel cracked a joke, and Hraktar let out a loud, bellowing laugh. He closed his eyes, leaning against his doorframe. Fantasy escapism was no doubt addictive. Practicing it in real life was a completely different ballgame. But he¡¯d have to try. Damn it all, he had to be a better man. Even if no one ever talked to him again.

 Chapter 87

    Neal came out to thunderous applause. Derek was on his feet with Tyler, shouting and hollering. Tyler was mostly over his hangover, though Derek noticed him still wincing and covering his ears.


    Derek didn¡¯t know what he expected. He¡¯d seen plenty of pictures of Neal. The guy was at least sixty. The guy kept himself well, no doubt being the owner of a game system that was worth a billion dollars at least. He smiled, waving at the enormous crowd.


    The panel was excellent, and Derek had a good feeling about asking the founder questions. Neal couldn¡¯t sell a game if he was crabby or rude.


    Derek, Evelyn, and Tyler purposefully sat in the back in order to slip away the moment the panel was done. Tyler wanted to attend it to see if there were any clues to their predicament, though Derek wondered if it was mostly because this was the founder of CCNC.


    The last ten minutes were for questions. The line of people wanting to ask a question was too long. Besides, Derek doubted Neal would appreciate being asked about portals and such in front of thousands of people.


    ¡°How did you come up with this game?¡± a man asked, mostly sounding in awe.


    ¡°Good question. Honestly, it¡¯s hard to pinpoint where inspiration hit, but once I got the dice mechanics down, the rest of it kept coming. And, of course, I was obsessed with Tolkien as a child.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that is all the time we have,¡± the moderator said.


    That was all Derek needed. He, Tyler, and Evelyn shot out of the back of the room and headed toward the main area, getting in line. It was already long, some people starting the line as soon as the convention opened this morning.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be good.¡± Derek glanced behind him as the line grew. ¡°Three hours is my guess.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Tyler took off his sunglasses and tucked them into his shirt collar. He then brought out a small notebook from his back pocket and started flipping through the pages. ¡°Gives me time to word this question perfectly.¡±


    Evelyn had The Cost of Mana out, which meant she would be preoccupied for a while. Derek leaned over, smiled at the group of people behind him, and nodded toward one of their homemade shields.


    ¡°Nice. Not many people are brave enough to put the symbol of the Eovo on their shield.¡±


    The guy looked at his shield, then gave an impish grin. ¡°You know the God Eovo?¡±


    Derek scoffed. ¡°God of Tricks? Mischief? And lemons?¡±


    The guy narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. ¡°And what do you think about lemons being lumped in with the God of tricks and mischief?¡±


    ¡°Makes perfect sense.¡± Derek understood the allegiance this question posed. There were two lemon camps for Eovo. The wrong one and the right one. Derek was proudly in the right one. ¡°When life gives you lemons, after all. Why wouldn¡¯t lemons be with the god of mischief?¡±


    The guy held up his hand, and Derek shook it. ¡°You are on the right side of the lemon war.¡±


    ¡°Glad to find another fellow soldier,¡± Derek said.


    It was incredibly easy to make friends at CCNC con. They filled the two and a half hours with discussions of lore and mana. After Tyler finished making sure his question was how he wanted, he joined Derek as they talked with the group behind him. Even Evelyn started closing the book and visited. She rarely dipped into CCNC, but she had fun while playing it. And not just because she was a cheerleader. Something Derek couldn¡¯t help but notice she kept to herself while talking with the guys. She was still guarded. The gaze she gave him was at times curious, at times hiding a hurt he knew she felt.


    Neal was within sight. Tyler got nervous, going back to his question notebook. Derek did that thing where he was talking faster and slipping some Spanish words on accident.


    ¡°Alright, one question each,¡± the volunteer worker said as she waved them forward.


    Derek faced forward, folding his arms and feeling a sickening in his stomach. One of nerves, and the feeling of free falling into the unknown. Neal finished talking with some other fans when Derek, Tyler, and Evelyn moved forward.


    Neal turned his gaze on them, a beaming smile on his face. ¡°Hello!¡± He took Derek¡¯s dice case, giving it a quick sign. ¡°Do you have a question for me?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± Tyler glanced at his notebook before looking at Neal. ¡°Our characters have come out of the game and a bunch of CCNC monsters are running amok in our town with more coming every day. What should we do about that?¡±


    Neal snorted, glancing up long enough to give Tyler a good look before focusing back down on signing the small poster. ¡°Hilarious.¡±


    Tyler waited as Neal finished his flourish before handing it back. ¡°No, sir¡­ I¡¯m serious. We¡¯re from Elmwood, Arizona. No one else can see the monsters, only our characters and us.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re the only ones who can fight them, too,¡± Derek said. ¡°We don¡¯t know what we¡¯re doing. We need help returning them to the Shrouded Domain.¡±


    Neal chuckled, focusing on the posters again. ¡°Did Reggie send you? Man, that jokester¡¯s always been sending people like you to dredge up rumors. One last joke from him before he kicks the bucket.¡±


    ¡°Please, sir, I¡¯d teleport my elf druid to prove it, but it¡¯s outside the protective bubb-¡±


    Neal kept his eyes focused on a poster he was signing as he raised a hand. Evelyn stopped talking. ¡°This has been a very fun blast from the past, no doubt, but I assure you that there is no way¡ªat all¡ªthat this game is some sort of demonic ritual that brings characters out of the¡ª¡± Neal stopped, his pen sliding across Tyler¡¯s final poster. Derek and Tyler glanced at each other before focusing on Neal. ¡°Shi¡ª¡± Neal started out loud, then dropped in volume as he dropped his pen, covering his face as he kept elongating the word. Derek didn¡¯t know what else to do but stand there, waiting for Neal. ¡°¡ªit.¡± The ¡®T¡¯ was pronounced, with some finality to it.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    It was a long beat before Neal finally dropped his hands, folding them in front of him as he looked at the three of them. ¡°So, um¡­¡± He rolled his head around his neck, popping it. ¡°I¡­ must apologize. I was¡­¡± Neal groaned again, then glanced at the clock. ¡°Do you know the bar across the street?¡±


    ¡°Um, yes,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be here for another two hours, but I¡¯ll plan on meeting you there right before my dinner break. It should help me remember more, too.¡±


    ¡°Okay, um¡­¡± Tyler gestured toward him, Derek, and Evelyn. ¡°None of us are old enough to drink.¡±


    ¡°Legally,¡± Derek muttered, prompting an elbow to the side from Tyler.


    Neal must not have noticed the movement, mostly staring at Tyler with horror. ¡°You¡¯re kids?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­twenty,¡± Tyler said, sounding defeated at how young he sounded.


    ¡°Seventeen,¡± Derek said.


    Evelyn gave a pathetic wave. ¡°Fifteen. Sixteen on November first.¡± Like that would help.


    There was so much going on in Neal¡¯s head, even as every muscle on his face froze in horror. ¡°That wasn¡¯t¡­¡± Neal again covered his face. ¡°Goddammit.¡± He reached inside and pulled out a small notebook and a map of the conference center. ¡°Alright. Um¡­ I¡¯ll still be done here in two hours.¡± He rubbed his forehead, glancing at the map. ¡°Meet me in room 126C. It should be below this hall. It¡¯s not being used.¡± He wrote the number down, tearing it out of the little notebook as he looked at the long line of people still wanting to meet him. Derek noticed a weight fall on Neal¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Do me a favor. When we talk¡­¡± Neal glanced back at them, a sadness entering there. ¡°Try not to get your hopes too high.¡±


    ***


    Nick had his notebook out, jotting down the names of different places he could rent in town. He spent way too long looking at apartments before checking the actual monthly rent prices. In the end, he hit the search function that caused the lowest prices to appear first. He¡¯d have to check these places out personally to make sure they weren¡¯t in a rough part of town. Did Elmwood have a rough part of town? He realized how ridiculous that sounded, considering who he hung out with when he was fourteen. The thing was, Anthony and Eddy spent little time in Elmwood. It was always in other towns.


    He skipped the first and second rental apartment. He had to, out of dignity. Nick couldn¡¯t possibly be that desperate, even though he was.


    He started writing the third, then the fourth. On the fifth, he hesitated. Morgan Estates. He looked up again at the site and clicked back on the website. Morgan Estates in Elmwood. Did that have anything to do with his boss, Mr. Morgan?


    The pencil tapped against paper as he scrolled through the Morgan Estates website. He figured they took pictures of the nicest one, or when it was recently built. They couldn¡¯t possibly be that nice for the monthly price they¡¯re asking.


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re done with Evelyn¡¯s laptop,¡± Walt said.


    Nick jumped. He didn¡¯t realize Walt entered his room, let alone was close enough to shut the laptop and take it from his desk. Nick spun around, glaring. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being punished, Nick. Don¡¯t forget that.¡±


    Nick hated this. His anger rose. He would have been fine, but he was right in the middle of figuring out who owned those apartments. ¡°I did all the chores you asked me. Don¡¯t you want me out of here as much as I do?¡±


    ¡°Not if you¡¯re going to find ways around my punishment to still do things you¡¯re not allowed to.¡±


    ¡°Like what? Use Evelyn¡¯s laptop? Use technology? Have any semblance of a social life?¡±


    Walt placed the laptop under his arm. ¡°You know why I can¡¯t trust you with this. You¡¯ve made some horrible choices in your life.¡±


    ¡°That was three years ago!¡± Nick shouted.


    Walt¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°I¡¯m talking about two weeks ago! You punched Rafael in the face! You broke his nose. You cracked his ribs.¡±


    Anger burned on the sides of his face. ¡°He deserved so much more.¡±


    Walt headed toward the door. ¡°You will not touch him again. Are we clear?¡±


    Nick should have let it go. Walt was on the way out of the room, and he needed to see as little of his father as possible to make it through today, but he was hurt and angry. ¡°That son of a bitch hurt my sister. I made myself perfectly clear about how I felt about it.¡±


    ¡°Not with violence. Not a son who lives under my roof.¡± Walt lifted a finger. ¡°I know this hurt your sister. Evelyn has been doing excellent in therapy. She will come out of this stronger than before. Rafael made a mistake, and he¡¯s proven he won¡¯t do it again.¡±


    Nick¡¯s jaw dropped. The anger flared to a fever point. Something inside his brain broke as he was transported through the years, picking out moments that hurt the worst. Moments where Walt sighed and said how proud Jack must be to have a son like Rafael. The moment Nick knew he could never measure up to his friend. Who always had Walt¡¯s attention once he stepped through the door. The memories that made Nick secretly happy Rafael no longer came to his house. The deep pain that he could never receive the same treatment as someone who was once his friend.


    It still applied. Rafael, that son of a bitch, was getting Walt¡¯s forgiveness while he would never get it. ¡°Are you serious!¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re forgiving that pervert, but you don¡¯t forgive me? You¡¯re going to let Rafael off the hook for this! But you hang my mistake over my head for years?¡±


    ¡°Rafael is a good k¡ª¡±


    The level of frustration and hurt he experienced was dangerously high. It was at such a level that he was bound to do the unthinkable. Which he did. Nick picked up his math textbook and chucked it at Walt¡¯s face. His father barely dodged it as the book clattered against the wall, and everything in Nick froze. Walt held up a hand as he stared at Nick, mostly surprised with a trickle of fear. Nick remained motionless, except for his chest rapidly rising and falling with his breath. They stayed that way for perhaps five seconds, but it stretched to an eternity.


    Walt had his hand up, but balled it into a fist, glaring at Nick. ¡°You lift another thing against me, I will call the police on you. You cannot treat me like this.¡±


    Nick said nothing, glaring at his father, doing his best not to show the horror he felt at what he¡¯d done. That was a bad move. More than a bad move. That was a ¡®holy-shit-that-was-stupid¡¯ kind of idea. Maybe not up there with stepping inside a car with a drunk Eddie ready to vandalize cars and tear up a town, but uncomfortably close. And the thing that made him the most scared was he only felt a tiny bit bad about it.


    Walt grabbed the door and closed it. The house was silent as Nick leaned against the wall, covering his mouth to keep his breathing under control. There was no one else but him and Walt in this house.


    That was stupid. Walt wouldn¡¯t hesitate to call the police on him, but Nick was so dangerously angry. A tiny part of him wondered if he would feel any sort of relief if he¡¯d actually hit him.


    The door opened, and a spike of panic hit him before Grizzizzik walked in with Nick¡¯s textbook. There was a grim look on his rogue¡¯s face as he set the textbook on the bed. ¡°Kinda makes you want to slit his throat. Doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    The tips of Nick¡¯s fingers turned icy, his knees trembling. He kept leaning against the wall, shaking his head. ¡°I¡­ wouldn¡¯t. I¡¯m not like you.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Grizzizzik said. ¡°You just created me. That¡¯s all.¡± His rogue approached, studying Nick¡¯s face. ¡°I see so much of my anger in you. So much of the need for justice. All in the early stages. You could be great, you know. Give it up. That binding idea of right and wrong. This will not save you. Embrace the need to do it yourself. To take matters into your own hands. The pantheon of deities are far too busy to actually care about people like us. We need to do this ourselves.¡±


    Nick couldn¡¯t look at Grizzizzik. It hurt him too much. He always made his rogue to be an exaggeration, but the more he talked, the less exaggerated it sounded.


    Which was also quite stupid. His mind was muddied enough, though, that his thoughts lingered on Grizzizzik¡¯s ideas. And for that reason alone, he realized how bad of a state he was in.


    Nick covered his forehead with his hand. ¡°Get out. Please.¡±


    The rogue shrugged before heading out of the room again. Nick closed his eyes and sank to the floor. He clamped his hand over his mouth and gave the quietest sob his body could produce.

 Chapter 88

    Evelyn could not focus, even though her book was interesting. Derek and Tyler were talking quietly amongst each other as she pretended to read. It was about ten minutes after five. No doubt Neal would have a hard time being pulled away from everything, since he was the creator.


    When it was twenty minutes after five, she started to worry. Her fingers drummed on the outside of her book, her mind refusing to focus. What did Neal mean by not getting any hopes up? It felt so ominous.


    The door opened, and Neal walked in wearing a super fake Torraq mask. He took it off pretty fast, dropping it to one side. ¡°I got here as fast as I could, sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Tyler said.


    Neal did not hesitate. ¡°So, you three have had your characters pulled into this realm?¡±


    ¡°I was the game master. These two, plus three more of our friends, got their characters pulled in. They, um, couldn¡¯t come with us to con.¡±


    Neal nodded, his face looking bleak. ¡°So¡­ five characters. Okay.¡± He ran a hand through his hair, sighing. ¡°There¡¯s¡­ little you can do. This contract has existed since I created the game.¡±


    Tyler raised an eyebrow. ¡°Contract?¡±


    ¡°There is no way for your characters to return to the Shrouded Domain.¡± Neal¡¯s voice was heavy. Evelyn¡¯s chest froze. Clarissa can¡¯t go back. All of them are here. Forever. She had a hope that they could do one last mission to start a portal, send everyone back, and not have to worry about being around each other.


    Around Rafael.


    ¡°They¡¯re¡­ stuck here?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°As with the many other characters who have trickled into this realm,¡± Neal said, his eyes heavy.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Tyler tried to gesture with his hands, but he got all confused. ¡°You¡­ there¡¯s no way back?¡±


    ¡°None. At least¡­ not that the others have found,¡± Neal said.


    ¡°There are others?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°How did this even happen?¡± Tyler asked almost at the same time.


    Neal sighed again, covering his face. ¡°Okay, look. I was young. Stupid. I wanted fame and fortune. Someone came offering a way. He looked human. He wasn¡¯t. I¡­ signed the contract, anyway.¡±


    Tyler¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, are you¡­ did you actually sign a contract with the devil for fame and fortune?¡±


    Neal ran his hands down his face. ¡°If the devil did exist, I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s this guy. No doubt he started those rumors in the beginning of time. He¡¯s a sort of ruler of this universe, though.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait.¡± Derek placed a finger from each hand on his temple. ¡°Are you seriously telling us that the Shrouded Domain is an actual place in our universe?¡±


    ¡°After everything you¡¯ve experienced, are you really that surprised?¡± Neal folded his arms, leaning back, looking at none of them. ¡°There are billions of stars, and billions of more galaxies with billions of more planets. I have no idea how our two worlds connected, but they are. Possibly from me signing the contract. The man I met promised riches and fame beyond my imagination, and I got it. But I was also too dumb to read the fine print.¡±


    ¡°Who was that guy?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Neal hesitated, rubbing his shoulder. ¡°There are beings in this universe on a different plane of existence with abilities and powers that truly make the rest of us feel like mortals.¡±


    ¡°Gods and Goddesses?¡± Derek asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Neal shrugged. ¡°As far as I can tell, I signed a contract with the guy who is literally chaos incarnate.¡±


    ¡°Chaos,¡± Tyler said, nodding. ¡°And¡­ Order?¡±


    Neal nodded. ¡°As far as I can tell, Chaos and Order are siblings, each with their own set of children. Justice, mercy, benevolence. All these ideals are higher beings.¡±


    ¡°Children?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°Who are their spouses?¡±


    Neal shrugged. ¡°They don¡¯t have them.¡±


    ¡°Can they be killed?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Neal said, glancing at Derek. ¡°I¡¯ve tried for over forty years. You cannot kill Chaos. He is an eternal being, written into the very laws of the natural universe.¡± Neal sighed. ¡°The closest I could explain this concept is Plato¡¯s Idealism theory.¡±


    ¡°Plato?¡± Tyler scrunched up his face, thinking.


    ¡°You know Plato¡¯s Ideals?¡± Neal asked.


    ¡°Just from my freshman philosophy class. Plato said somewhere in the heavens there was the perfect chair. All other chairs in this world are simply an imitation of it.¡±


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    Neal nodded. ¡°I¡¯m impressed.¡± Tyler smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not just physical things, though. Truth. Justice. All those have a perfect personification in a different realm.¡± Neal then looked at Derek. ¡°So, to kill Chaos, you must first get rid of chaos in our world and all the worlds. Which is¡­¡± Neal trailed off. Evelyn realized what he meant. Chaos was so ingrained in their world that she could hardly imagine a world without it. Unrest, war, hate. She could hardly watch two minutes of news before chaos was present.


    Tyler rubbed his head, looking sick. Evelyn understood the feeling. She just wanted to send these characters home, not have a philosophy lesson that had real world consequences. Clarissa had a family to return to. Evelyn didn¡¯t want to tell her about all this.


    Tyler dropped his hand. ¡°So, this being, this personification of pure chaos¡­ came to you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Neal said. ¡°And as far as I can tell, I signed the contract, and people¡¯s characters started trickling into our world. Ever since the eighties.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I just¡­¡± Derek still had fingers digging into his hair. ¡°I created Milo. From my imagination. How is it possible that there is a place that actually exists in our universe that has Milo when I¡¯m the one that created him?¡±


    Neal lifted his palms in the air. ¡°That, right there, reflects the perfect balance of Order and Chaos. A place existing in imagination but is real. It¡¯s impossible to tell which is from Order, and which from Chaos.¡±


    ¡°And all the other campaigns? The different lore? Our snake rogue is the son of Akshi. Akshi never had a son canonically,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°For whatever reason, whatever campaign is chosen for the portal is the lore they decide to set,¡± Neal said. ¡°I don¡¯t know why only a handful of people experience something like this. I wish no one had to. But they¡¯re here now, and we¡¯ve got to take care of it.¡±


    ¡°And no one can tell our characters are here because¡­ because they can¡¯t see them,¡± Evelyn said.


    Neal pointed to her. ¡°Exactly. There is some sort of mythical power when they first arrive that keeps them from interfering with the real world. From what I remember, they can slowly become part of society. It usually takes half a year to a year before people see them better. It¡¯s up to you all to help them integrate into earth life.¡±


    ¡°Even with a snake rogue, an elf, and a half-orc? Will they become more human?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°No. That¡¯s the other thing I must warn you about. I don¡¯t remember any of the characters that entered earth. Not until someone tells me they¡¯re here. That¡¯s why I was so confused when you told me. There is a powerful magic in all our brains that forces us to see what we are most comfortable seeing when dealing with a reality so beyond what we can comprehend. Your elf and snake will always look like an elf or snake to you, but the people around you will see them as human. It might take seven or eight months, but they will see them.¡± Neal sighed, looking at no one. ¡°Pretty sure I¡¯m going to see a handful of elf movie stars now.¡±


    Tyler still stared at Neal. ¡°But¡­ we¡¯ve got to return them to the Shrouded Domain. We can¡¯t¡­ they can¡¯t stay here.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could. I really do. But that¡¯d be the same as asking me to figure out how to get people to land while sailing in the middle of the ocean on a submarine. It cannot be done. And I¡¯m sorry.¡± Neal rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    ¡°Will earth turn magical instead?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°Will mana start to creep into our world? Can earth people gain magical powers?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Neal said. ¡°No, those that came with mana will be the only ones who can use it. It¡¯s a good thing they¡¯re usually kind, characters that come. Sometimes chaotic, but not destructively so.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s throat tightened. ¡°What do we do about¡­ the enemies that came with them?¡±


    ¡°Kill them. Quickly. As fast as humanly possible. The longer the enemies are here, the more they¡¯ll be able to mess with this realm, and we can¡¯t have another incident.¡±


    Derek¡¯s eyebrows furrowed together. ¡°What incident?¡±


    ¡°We had three very powerful bad guys enter through the portal. It¡­ was a slaughter. You don¡¯t remember what happened, and that¡¯s all that matters,¡± Neal said, staring right at Derek.


    Tyler and Evelyn exchanged terrified glances. Evelyn was having a hard time breathing. Tyler looked back at Neal. ¡°Sir¡­ they¡­ we¡­ blew up. The entirety of Torraq¡¯s lair. They¡¯re all¡­ here.¡±


    Neal¡¯s muscles went stiff, his eyes widening. ¡°How many¡­¡±


    Tyler cleared his throat, pulling out his phone. His hands trembled as he opened a document, then turned it toward Neal. ¡°About two thousand creatures.¡±


    Neal stared at the phone. He slowly backed away until he hit a wall. He leaned his head against it, breathing deeply. ¡°Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.¡±


    ¡°Are they¡­ is earth going to be in trouble?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Oh, god, you¡¯re just kids.¡± Neal had his hands in his hair. ¡°Okay, okay, we can¡­ this is still¡­¡± He closed his eyes, shaking his head. ¡°This has to be doable. Everyone else only took four or five months to track down and defeat the handful of enemies that came with them. But¡­¡± Neal still had his hands in his hair, staring at nothing. ¡°This¡­ this is¡­¡± He pulled his gaze from nothing to stare at them again. ¡°Order wouldn¡¯t let it happen unless it was doable. When did your characters get here?¡±


    ¡°Beginning of August,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°I will reach out to those people who have their characters here. We can see if they can help in any way. They can still do combat and work on tackling some of these monsters.¡± Neal covered his face. ¡°I¡¯m assuming¡­ Torraq was in his lair at the time?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. And¡­ Akshi¡¯s controlling the vice principal of our school,¡± Evelyn said.


    There must have been a limit of bad news Neal could handle. All he could do was stare at Evelyn, then he tore his gaze to look at Derek, then at Tyler. He took out another little notebook from his pocket. ¡°Here¡¯s my personal email address. I¡¯d prefer it if one of you emailed me. Keep me posted on everything. As I get more things figured out, I will also send you contact information to the other people who experienced this decades ago. Our biggest issue right now is getting all the creatures killed that we can before...¡± He looked again at the three of them. ¡°You¡¯re far too young to be doing this. I cannot believe they¡¯re¡­¡± Neal shook his head as he tore a piece of paper and offered it out to the three of them. Evelyn and Derek both glanced in Tyler¡¯s direction. He took it almost reverently.


    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± Tyler said.


    Neal shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t. I deserve no gratitude. If I¡¯d known then¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re helping us now,¡± Tyler said.


    A haunted look entered Neal¡¯s eyes. ¡°One last thing.¡± He looked at Derek and Evelyn, then back at Tyler. ¡°None of you die in the next year. And for god¡¯s sake, don¡¯t TPK. I know telling you not to die is stupid, but¡­ but if you die at the hands of one of these beings from the Shrouded Domain during the year they are transitioning to the real world, no one will remember you. Your parents, your friends, everyone else, it will be as though you never existed. And if all your characters die at the same time, you will forget, and so will I. All the creatures who¡¯ve come into this realm will have free reign, and they will completely take over earth next August.¡± Neal¡¯s eyes were getting red, and again he stared off into the distance. ¡°There was a thriving city back in the early nineties. No one today remembers Alwick, Wisconsin. I barely contained it with the two other groups, but¡­¡± Neal covered his face. ¡°You¡¯re just kids. I can¡¯t believe this.¡±


    Evelyn was not feeling comforted in the slightest. She found a chair and slowly sank into it; her knees no longer worked.

 Chapter 89

    ¡°So¡­¡± Derek slowly raised his shirt to show Neal the grey marks on his torso. ¡°Getting stabbed by a spear. Will that come back to haunt me?¡±


    Neal winced. ¡°It¡¯s this realm''s way of warning you that the two worlds are colliding, and the new one is getting more powerful. There¡¯s a chance it might go away. It might not. Depends on how successful we are in getting rid of the creatures. As much as you can, try not to interact with the other world. It will only speed up the process if the two worlds are interacting.¡± Neal pointed at Tyler. ¡°Take the promptings seriously. I know Chaos might seem evil to the core, but life can¡¯t exist without chaos. Same with Order. Don¡¯t automatically expect her to be all good. These beings are above good and evil, as strange as that sounds to our mortal ears. They do their thing, and as long as we respect them, they give us balance. And in that balance between pure chaos and pure order¡­ we survive.¡±


    There was a beat of silence as they took this in. Evelyn touched her own stomach with the gray marks.


    ¡°I will¡ª¡± Tyler swallowed, glancing at Neal. ¡°Keep in touch, then.¡±


    Neal tried to smile, but it didn¡¯t last long. ¡°I know this isn¡¯t comforting in the slightest. And I¡¯m¡­ sorry.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s phone chirped, causing her to jump. She mumbled an apology as she took out her phone, seeing it was from Lydia.


    ¡°My mom will be here soon to drive me back,¡± Evelyn said.


    Neal covered one eye, looking at her. ¡°Good god you¡¯re all too young.¡± He¡¯d said that so much that Evelyn wasn¡¯t sure if she should reply. ¡°Keep in touch.¡±


    Neal slipped away, and Evelyn gathered his things.


    ¡°We¡¯ll walk you out of the conference center,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Evelyn said.


    They walked out of the room and down the stairs. The three of them were silent as Evelyn kept her book tightly against her chest. She stared at the ground, unaware of time or of Derek and Tyler. No one spoke. There wasn¡¯t much to say, yet everything to say. Their impossible mission was clear. Kill all the monsters that entered the portal before they could interact with earth. Teach Clarissa how to live here. Without her brother.


    They had to kill all two thousand creatures before August. On top of everything else, they had to figure out how to work together. Somehow.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s better we know,¡± Tyler said, pulling out his phone and programming Neal¡¯s contact information into his phone. ¡°This is hard. It¡¯s a bit painful, but at least we know everything. Not only about the CCNC characters, but¡­¡± Tyler sighed, shooting an apologetic look at Evelyn. ¡°It¡¯s better that all secrets are out.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Derek said, rubbing his upper arm.


    Tyler¡¯s eyes bounced toward Derek. ¡°Um what?¡± Derek glanced at Tyler, almost apologetically. ¡°You tell me right now. I cannot handle the worst-case scenario my mind just went to.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ my dad might get another job here in Phoenix. That¡¯s all.¡± Derek cleared his throat, looking at his shoes. ¡°We might move at the beginning of the summer.¡±


    Tyler stared at him. Evelyn¡¯s gaze, too, bounced between the two of them. ¡°When were you planning on telling us?¡± Tyler asked as they walked out of the main door.


    ¡°My parents said it might not happen. But¡­ there are search histories of houses in Phoenix. It¡¯s definitely going to happen.¡±


    ¡°Again, Derek, when were you planning on telling us?¡± Tyler asked, more panic in his voice.


    Derek shrugged, his palms pointed toward the ceiling. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be perfectly honest. On the list of potentially traumatic secrets we¡¯re all clinging to, mine was not exactly fighting for the top of the list. It seemed¡­ insensitive. To bring it up. Because¡­ Evelyn had it worse.¡±


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    She winced, then glanced at her book. Tyler groaned, rubbing his forehead as they opened the door and filed out. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Fine. More than fine. It¡¯s easier to work with things once they¡¯re out in the open. Fine. Everything is¡­. We can do this. During the summer you can come to Elmwood a lot to finish killing the monsters. Because this is going to work. We¡¯ll get all the monsters taken care of before next August.¡±


    They walked outside, going down the steps, when they heard a loud shriek. The three of them glanced up, and Evelyn froze. It was something she couldn¡¯t quite understand, except for she¡¯d been living it the past two months. An adult desert dragon was perched on top of a skyscraper, hanging on by a leathery wing. Its sandy colored scales shone in the desert sun.


    ¡°Holy sh¡ª¡±


    The dragon roared, cutting Derek off. The thing that struck Evelyn as the oddest was that no one else reacted. Derek, Tyler, and Evelyn ducked like that thing was about to hit them with electricity, judging by the charges moving up its body. There should be mass chaos in the streets, apocalyptic levels of screaming and shouting. Weaving of cars and crumbling buildings. But it was as calm as any other Saturday in Phoenix. Evelyn rose, looking at the dragon as it blasted electricity from its mouth. The beam moved past the building like it wasn¡¯t even there. The dragon shrieked again and took off, flapping its wings as it took to the sky.


    Evelyn stood frozen on the spot, her heart pounding. She was so glad she didn¡¯t bring Clarissa. But the apocalypse that dragon could start was a mere eleven months away if they didn¡¯t kill it before then. Along with the two thousand other monsters scattered around the world. She slowly straightened, Derek and Tyler following her lead.


    ¡°Okay, right,¡± Tyler said, staring at the asphalt. ¡°It¡¯s¡­. We¡­ have a plan.¡±


    ¡°Do we?¡± Derek asked, about an octave higher than his regular voice.


    Evelyn¡¯s phone went off. She cleared her throat before answering it. ¡°Hey mom.¡± She sounded like a robot.


    ¡°I see you, but I can¡¯t get any closer. Just walk toward the north, and I¡¯ll be there!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She lowered her phone, glancing up again. At the dragon flying through the Arizona sky. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ see you guys later.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Derek said, still staring at the dragon.


    Tyler tore his gaze from the dragon to look at her. ¡°I¡¯ll stop by tomorrow. Once I get more information.¡± He glanced at the sky again before back at her. ¡°As much as this sucks, we can now start a plan. It¡¯s like we¡¯ve all dumped the puzzle pieces out, and now we can start organizing.¡± He tried to smile, but Evelyn again found little comfort in it. ¡°All secrets are out now.¡±


    ***


    Alejandra opened her window. It was a warm evening, and Rafael was in his room, with Ezekiel and Hraktar trying to sleep in the living room. She slid out of the open window and landed softly on the ground. It was eleven-thirty, and she was anxious. Tyler had called, but he said there was too much to tell, so he¡¯d be dropping by tomorrow to talk to them both. Which meant she was already prepared to get little sleep tonight. No doubt Rafael felt the same.


    She hugged herself as she walked down the street in her sandals. It was still relatively warm, but by this time next month, the nights would get cooler.


    Her feet stumbled down the small hill before she knelt near the path. Her fingers brushed away the dirt from the sandy colored egg. It was still warm. She wasn¡¯t sure what that meant, and there were only so many questions she could ask Ezekiel and Hraktar before they started having questions of their own. She lifted the egg in her two hands. The drake fight was at the beginning of this month, but still recent enough.


    This was a ridiculous endeavor. What had she hoped to gain from this? The drakes were dead, and Ezekiel¡¯s religion already had a way to give her peace. This feeling of guilt didn¡¯t need to exist. And yet it remained. They had senselessly killed this poor baby¡¯s parents.


    She eased the egg to the side before focusing on the hole, digging deeper into the dirt to hide the egg better. ¡°I have to go back home now.¡± She picked up the egg and was about to place it back in the hole when it shook. Alejandra¡¯s gaze shot to the egg, her heart skittering. She might have imagined it. After all, it was late, and she was exhausted.


    Until a crack appeared in the egg. With a gasp, she dropped it, scrambling away. Did she just kill it?


    The egg shook again, and another crack formed. Then another. Alejandra forgot how to breathe. She took out her phone, turning on the flashlight and held it toward the egg. There were crisscrossed marks all across the egg before a piece fell away. Alejandra leaned in closer. Scales of a dark blue, almost black creature revealed itself inside. Her mouth dropped open. The egg gave another rock as the top came off. It looked like a dark blue dinosaur, its eyes yellow like a dragon¡¯s. It hid away in the shell from the bright light before coming back again. Another part of the shell broke away, showing sharp claws. The baby drake saw her, opened its toothless mouth, and chittered.


    End of Volume Two

 Chapter 90

    Rafael wanted to think he was almost asleep when he heard scuffing noises in the kitchen. The truth was, his eyes were as wide as if it was twelve o¡¯clock in the afternoon instead of one in the morning. He was pretty sure he wouldn¡¯t sleep for the rest of the night. Between the anticipation of his conversation with Tyler and still thinking about Ezekiel¡¯s backstory, he¡¯d have to make sure coffee was well in stock at their house.


    The cabinet doors squeaked open, and he was too curious to pretend like he was sleeping. He got out of bed and slipped on a shirt before entering the hallway. He didn¡¯t get far before he saw Alejandra opening the fridge, searching through it.


    ¡°I forgot about groceries today. I¡¯ll¡ª¡± Rafael stopped short as his sister shrieked in surprise and slammed the fridge door shut. ¡°Alejandra?¡±


    ¡°God, Rafael. You scared me.¡±


    He blinked, then glanced behind him in the hall. ¡°I¡­ live here. Why are you surprised?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost one in the morning. What are you doing still up?¡±


    ¡°The same reason you are,¡± Rafael said. Alejandra gave him a strange look. One he couldn¡¯t quite decipher. ¡°You know, Tyler¡¯s talking to us tomorrow. Telling us about what Neal said and what we¡¯re doing with our characters.¡±


    Alejandra closed her eyes. ¡°Right! Right, right, right. I nearly¡­¡± she trailed off, straightening her glasses.


    ¡°You¡­ forgot? Did you seriously¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± Alejandra opened the fridge again. ¡°Of course I wouldn¡¯t forget that. Why would I forget something like that? Ludicrous.¡±


    She pulled out the gallon of milk before grabbing the bowl on the counter. Rafael did nothing more than stare as she poured the milk into the bowl.


    ¡°Since when have you put the milk in first, before the cereal?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    He gestured at¡­ whatever the hell she was doing with that bowl. She frowned, screwing the lid of the milk back on. ¡°No, no, I¡¯m just¡­ going to drink it.¡±


    Rafael stared as she put the milk back in the fridge. ¡°From a bowl?¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t find any mugs,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Dishwasher should be clean.¡±


    Alejandra gave a click of her tongue. ¡°Look at you!¡±


    That was all she said. Rafael continued to stare at his sister, worried about her mental state. Was the stress of everything finally getting to her?


    Alejandra picked up her bowl and stuck it in the microwave. It was like he was staring at something he couldn¡¯t quite understand. This seemed so normal for Alejandra, but something was off. His sister wasn¡¯t volunteering an explanation, either.


    She cleared her throat, straightening her glasses again as she waited for the microwave to be done. Once it was, she gave the milk a swirl with her finger before putting another ten seconds on the microwave. Rafael didn¡¯t know what else to do but to watch her, shuffling his weight from one foot to the other. ¡°Since when do you drink warm milk?¡±


    ¡°Since forever! Helps me sleep.¡±


    Rafael frowned as she took it out of the microwave. Alejandra made a point not to look at him as she shuffled into the hall. He watched her, waiting for her to acknowledge the curious look on his face, but she opened the door and slipped into her room. ¡°G¡¯night!¡±


    Rafael was so confused by the whole thing that he remained in the kitchen. He glanced at the still open cupboards and noticed an entire stack of mugs next to the bowls. He squinted, waiting for the mugs to give him an answer, but none came. It¡¯d be easier to get an answer from them than from Alejandra.


    There was a loud crash from Alejandra¡¯s room that made Rafael jump. He spun around.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! Totally fine! Just me being clumsy!¡± Alejandra said.


    Rafael waited a bit longer, but that was it. He rubbed his eyes, shaking his head. He really needed to get some sleep.


    He climbed back into bed, tossing and turning. It didn¡¯t sound like Alejandra had any easier of a night.


    Then all at once there was a knock on the front door, and Rafael woke up with a gasp. It was late. Or, rather, at least ten o¡¯clock in the afternoon. He hadn¡¯t slept in like this in ages. Rafael headed toward the door. There was only one person it could be.


    Bright light and heat hit him both at the same time as he opened the door. ¡°Hey, Tyler. Sorry, it¡­ was an awful night¡¯s sleep.¡±


    Tyler gave a pathetic nod. ¡°I hear that.¡± He walked in deeper, nodding at Hraktar and Ezekiel. ¡°Hey, guys.¡± Tyler sat down on the couch, and Rafael walked over to Alejandra¡¯s room, knocking on the door. ¡°Alejandra?¡± He heard his sister¡¯s deep breathing, and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll fill her in on the details. She needs to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Sleep when you can,¡± Tyler said. He looked awful. Rafael managed to get some sleep, but Tyler looked like he hadn¡¯t gotten any.


    ¡°Are you driving home?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Once I talk with everyone, make sure everyone¡¯s on the same page,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Are you up to that? You look like you haven¡¯t slept at all.¡±


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    Tyler shrugged. ¡°Setting up the email system with the other groups took time.¡±


    ¡°Other groups?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Sit down, I¡¯ll explain.¡±


    Rafael listened, his heart dropping farther the more Tyler spoke. It wasn¡¯t looking good. Any of it. No way back. Happened before. Defeat the monsters before they create an apocalypse on earth. And if they managed all that, his characters would then need to get used to life on earth.


    Rafael was almost glad Alejandra couldn¡¯t hear any of this. Hraktar and Ezekiel glanced at each other, not sure how to take it.


    Once he was done explaining the details, Tyler fell silent. The exhaustion truly started to hit him then. ¡°We have a lot to do before next August.¡± Tyler stood up, straightening before looking at Rafael. ¡°I need to have a word with you in private.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Sure,¡± Rafael said, standing up. They walked over to the front door as Hraktar and Ezekiel talked about what they needed to do.


    Tyler stared at the front door, taking a deep breath, then slowly letting it out. ¡°Looming apocalypse aside, I need you to understand something.¡± Rafael frowned, not sure how he was supposed to react to someone starting a sentence like that. ¡°Ezekiel needs to be cured of lycanthropy. We will work together on that. But let me tell you how that¡¯s going to be.¡± Tyler raised a hand, pointing at Rafael¡¯s chest. ¡°You¡¯re getting stronger, your bond with Ezekiel deeper. My guess is in the next day or so you¡¯ll even be able to roll from a distance. And when that happens, Evelyn is one hundred percent in charge of who goes to the sessions. If she wants to come to a session and doesn¡¯t want to see your face, she¡¯s not going to see your face.¡± Shame pricked Rafael¡¯s cheeks, and he wasn¡¯t sure how long he could keep Tyler¡¯s gaze. ¡°If she wants you to come, you will be in separate cars during our travels. If you come but make any sort of comment or look at her in any way that makes her feel uncomfortable and she changes her mind about you being there, you take your car and go home immediately without another look, without another word. And I will tell you this right now,¡± Tyler said, his voice both certain and exhausted. ¡°Those are just about the possible comments and looks. Because if you ever touch Evelyn Larsen again, I will not stop Nick from beating the shit out of you, because I will be joining him.¡±


    Rafael took this all in. He stared at Tyler, understanding the hurt and the pain. For once, he was glad someone was talking to him like this, even as it hurt. It reminded him of how much pain he¡¯d caused, when everyone else took his huge crime almost in strides. The cage Ezekiel had made for the monster was there, and Tyler pulled out a length of chain and a lock for him to wrap around it. Rafael was more than happy to take it and lock the creature in the cage. ¡°I agree with everything you said. And I will comply. I hurt her, and I know I hurt the group. I have a mountain to climb to rebuild any sort of trust with anyone, and I¡¯m¡­ sorry. I will listen to Evelyn. Listen to her through your instructions, because I will stay away from her.¡±


    Tyler gave another sigh, looking away. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought you¡¯d say.¡± He rubbed his eyes, like that would somehow fix the bags under his eyes. ¡°Why¡¯d you do it, Rafael? Why¡¯d you hurt her like that?¡±


    Rafael¡¯s muscles froze up. The careful wall he placed around any memories of that night came crashing down. Everyone kept asking about what happened. No one asked about his motivations. As much as he didn¡¯t want to admit it, the words tumbled out of him. ¡°I was¡­ lonely.¡± Tyler raised an eyebrow, but didn¡¯t say anything. The silence pulled the confession out of him. ¡°I¡¯d pretended for so long that everything was alright. With my family. With my dad. Pretending he wasn¡¯t raging at us all the time. Hiding the bruises when needed. It was exhausting, trying to be normal.¡± Rafael couldn¡¯t look at Tyler. This, more than anything, felt like a certain torture he couldn¡¯t bring himself to relive while staring a friend in the eye. ¡°They were linked. My need to hide everything my dad did while also hiding my feelings from Evelyn at the time. Completely different, but it was still the same sort of exhaustion. When my parents divorced, when we were finally going to be free of him, I¡­¡± Rafael stared at the door, tears burning his eyes. ¡°It wasn¡¯t as freeing as I thought. My dad was gone, but my mom disappeared, drowning in jobs to repay an ocean of debt while struggling with her own mental health.


    ¡°Alejandra and I almost went into the foster system. Things were supposed to be better when my dad left, but they weren¡¯t. And I¡­ went back to pretending.¡± Tears dropped to his cheeks that he quickly wiped away. ¡°Kept going back to how everything was fine. How my life wasn¡¯t falling apart. Again. And I couldn¡¯t take it. Evelyn was the only one who helped me truly smile, even if she didn¡¯t realize it. The only one who made it easier to pretend everything was alright. I wanted that one part of my life where I didn¡¯t have to pretend, where I told her how I feel, but¡­ I showed up drunk instead, because that was how my parents always took the edge off. I shouldn¡¯t have. But I didn¡¯t know any other way.¡± Rafael bowed his head, rubbing his neck. ¡°I don¡¯t even remember what I said to her. Just that¡­¡± He finally met Tyler¡¯s gaze. ¡°Just that I wanted to kiss her, so I did. Because she made me not feel so lonely. But I went too far. Way too far. Farther than I ever thought I¡¯d go. Which¡­ terrifies me.¡±


    ¡°Because what if you went all the way,¡± Tyler said for him.


    Rafael¡¯s face crumpled, because that, at its core, was his guilt. He opened one of the bottles, just a sip. Telling himself he would only talk to her. One sip, one confession. But he did more. More than a swallow, more than a kiss. He didn¡¯t think he would, but he did. He never reached for her pants, but what if he just wasn¡¯t drunk enough? What if that created the monster now growling in the cage. He craved the boundaries set up by Ezekiel and Tyler, even the beating Nick gave him because he caught a glimpse of the creature lurking, and he was terrified of it. Needed help to contain it. Wanted to make sure everyone gave him specific instructions to keep it locked up tight.


    ¡°Shit, man,¡± Tyler whispered. He closed his eyes, his face to the ceiling. He let out a breath, then straightened, placing a hand on the doorknob. He closed his eyes. ¡°Thank you for telling me. No doubt you¡¯ve replayed it a million times and figured out how that could have gone different.¡±


    ¡°About a trillion, actually,¡± Rafael said.


    Tyler shook his head, a different sort of exhaustion filling his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you went through that. I also hope you know that my previous statement still stands. Evelyn¡¯s in charge. She¡¯s gone through hell, too, and she deserves to know that people are looking out for her.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°And despite everything you told me, and the rough childhood you had, I want you to know that I still will beat the shit out of you if you touch her again,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°You have no reason to trust me, but I assure you, I never want to touch her again,¡± Rafael said.


    Tyler nodded. ¡°Good.¡± He opened the door, the heat trickling in. ¡°It¡¯s as you said. You¡¯ve got a mountain to climb rebuilding our trust, and you¡¯re starting at the very bottom. I¡¯ll be honest, you did pretty good in today¡¯s climb, but there will be many, many others. And as far as I¡¯m concerned, if you fall back again, I¡¯m not giving you another chance. I will kick you out of the group, and you will roll from a distance the entire time we take care of these monsters.¡±


    Rafael nodded. ¡°I know. And¡­ thank you. For this last chance.¡±


    Tyler sighed, glancing behind him to see Hraktar and Ezekiel still discussing what they need to do. ¡°Do you two¡­ need any more help?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Help?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Your dad, he¡¯s¡­¡±


    Rafael shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s not coming back. My mom¡¯s family has made sure of it. We¡¯re safe. We¡¯re fine.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Tyler patted him on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later, Rafael.¡±


    He walked to his car, and Rafael closed the door to keep the heat away. He leaned against the wall, sliding down until he was at the bottom. He felt that image again of the monster lying in wait in his cage. Growling as Rafael approached him. He showed the monster the key to the lock, then flicked it away, refusing to see where the key landed.

 Chapter 91

    Evelyn was working on homework she didn¡¯t get to yesterday. She tried to stay focused, but her mind was gone. She kept thinking about how to break it gently to Clarissa how she¡¯d never go back home. Never see her brother again.


    Her throat closed up at the thought. How could she possibly tell her character that? After everything Clarissa had done for her. She remembered how catatonic she was when they first arrived. They couldn¡¯t afford to have her do that again.


    There was a knock on the front door, and she let Walt answer it. It was a reminder to focus on her math homework. There was still English and history after this.


    She was in the middle of solving a problem when Walt entered the house again. ¡°Evie? Tyler¡¯s here. He wants to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Evelyn knew what Tyler wanted to say. They needed to figure out a plan on how to move forward. They no longer had one or two months more of CCNC sessions. They had many, many more. For now, they needed to focus on curing Ezekiel of lycanthropy. Which meant Rafael.


    Evelyn stood up from the table as Walt pointed over his shoulder. ¡°He wants to talk to you outside.¡±


    She glanced at the door, then walked past Walt and through the door. They had a small front porch with enough room to hold a two-person bench swing. Tyler was sitting with his elbow on the armrest, his finger under his lip, the movement of the swing also moving his finger back and forth. He looked deep in thought. This information was heavy. Almost two thousand creatures were on Earth, and they needed to be killed before they took over the planet.


    Evelyn didn¡¯t enjoy staying in her head, but Tyler still wasn¡¯t saying anything, even after she sat down next to him. It was almost like she wasn¡¯t there. A pile of homework waited for her inside, but it was barely eleven. Still plenty hot, though.


    Tyler finally dropped his hand, but didn¡¯t look at her. ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been attending therapy.¡±


    Evelyn brought her legs up and hugged them, like she did in Gemma¡¯s office. ¡°Um, yeah. It¡¯s been nice. My therapist is pretty laid back. Which is something I need.¡±


    He nodded, still not looking at her. The only sound between the two of them was the squeaking of the rocking bench. Tyler was still gone, lost in whatever maze his thoughts gave him. She kept her eyes on their rocky front yard.


    The rocking was disrupted as Tyler straightened. ¡°Okay, so¡­¡± again he trailed off. He closed his eyes, sighing. He looked at her, then tore his gaze, shaking his head as he looked at the wall. ¡°God, this has to be the hardest conversation I¡¯ve ever had.¡±


    Evelyn panicked. She was terrified he was going to ask her to work with Rafael. That he¡¯d backpedal on his promise. That Chaos and Order were demanding she partner with him.


    Tyler held up a hand, as though he could hear her thoughts. ¡°You¡¯re still in control, Evie. You get to choose who comes and who goes. I¡¯ve told Rafael he isn¡¯t allowed to attend CCNC if you don¡¯t want him there, and he agreed to the boundaries.¡±


    Evelyn swallowed. ¡°Even with¡­ even with Ezekiel getting cured before next month?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Even then. I don¡¯t know what happened between Rafael and Ezekiel this past week, but I could almost sense their bond. He¡¯s close to rolling at a distance. You will never have to see him again if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Tears appeared way too quickly in Evelyn¡¯s eyes. She tried to blink them away, but this was not a phone call. Tyler was here, looking at her face, seeing the tears form. Emotions clawed at her throat, and she forced herself to turn away. She had a death grip on her legs, pressing them against her chest. She did this at Gemma¡¯s office too, but she didn¡¯t mean to think of Tyler as a therapist. Tyler saw the tears in her eyes, and she could see his heart breaking.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Evelyn. About what Rafael did to you.¡± Tyler shook his head. ¡°God, that sucks.¡±


    Evelyn let go of her legs in order to cover her face. She didn¡¯t want Tyler to talk to her like this. Despite wanting someone to acknowledge her pain, how much it hurt that everyone focused on whether Rafael was right, she wasn¡¯t ready to acknowledge her own pain in front of people. She felt a brotherly hand around her shoulder, which is when she realized how much she was already crying. She leaned into his chest, keeping her legs up to protect hers. Thankfully, she had her sob session with Moonsparkle and Clarissa. She was not ready to leave a trail of tears and snot on Tyler, no matter how great a friend he was. But it was enough. The sob wasn¡¯t nearly as violent, and maybe that was part of healing. Crying it out enough times for each time to be a little less.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said after the worst of her crying was done. She straightened, drying the rest of her tears.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Please don¡¯t ever apologize,¡± Tyler said.


    Evelyn sniffed, doing her best to carefully touch her face. She¡¯d been putting on waterproof mascara ever since the story came out. It was going to absolutely ruin her lashes, but she was grateful for it today. She didn¡¯t look at him. ¡°Princess Clarissa and Ezekiel are¡­ they are officially dating. I do not want Ezekiel to turn into a wererat. Everything I do, I¡¯m doing for Ezekiel. Not Rafael. We can trade off who goes to what session, and he can go the first couple times to strengthen his bond with Ezekiel.¡±


    She was proud of herself for how steady her voice sounded. It wavered slightly at Rafael¡¯s name, but she felt good. She set an appropriate boundary, which is something she wanted to report back to Gemma. Somehow.


    Actually, she wasn¡¯t sure what she should talk about with Gemma when it came to CCNC.


    ¡°Great. I will plan on calling you each week to know who you want to attend. Because it doesn¡¯t have to be about Rafael, either. If that week you feel good enough to come with him there but change your mind halfway through, you let me know and I¡¯ll take care of it. Don¡¯t feel like you have to tough it out for anything. Okay?¡±


    Evelyn nodded. Honestly, it felt good. They set a boundary, and she knew Tyler would enforce it. She thought that was all they were going to talk about, but Tyler remained, still watching her face carefully, his eyes were full of sorrow. ¡°I¡¯m not expecting you to forgive him in a day,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Nor next week. Hell, not even¡­ ever. But¡­¡± Tyler again looked out at the road. ¡°I¡¯ve been studying Akshi¡¯s characteristics, going through what I think he¡¯d do. We¡¯ve been looking at it all wrong. We think it¡¯s only the CCNC character¡¯s he¡¯s focusing on. But¡­ we are part of that, too. All of us. We¡¯re not split into two groups, we are one. All of us.¡±


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Evelyn turned away from Tyler¡¯s gaze, heat pricking her ears. She knew exactly what he was going to say. ¡°The thing about Rafael is¡­ if you asked him to quit the football team, he would. If you asked him to break up with his girlfriend, he would. If you told him to take a long walk off a short pier, he would. In a heartbeat.¡± He gave a defeated shrug. ¡°And as much as this has caused deep pains I will never understand, I am here to warn you that someone else could-¡±


    ¡°He already has,¡± Evelyn whispered.


    Tyler glanced at her, confused. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Akshi,¡± Evelyn said, her arms once again going around her legs. ¡°He¡¯s already¡­ asked permission to hurt Rafael. Didn¡¯t¡­ didn¡¯t Derek tell you?¡±


    Tyler¡¯s eyebrows shot up in surprise, then fear. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He was there last week Friday and talked to me. I didn¡¯t mention it to Derek, but he was rattled enough seeing Akshi near me. I told him not to tell Nick, but that he could tell you.¡±


    Tyler looked confused, then pulled out his phone. ¡°The hell¡­¡± He scrolled through his messages. ¡°I¡­ nothing. Derek told me nothing.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s heart hammered in her chest. She tried not to feel like this was a betrayal, because it was a little too much. Derek would never do that. He always talked to Tyler. ¡°I will¡­ talk to him later. What did you say to Akshi?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Neither¡­ agreed or¡­ disagreed.¡±


    Tyler turned his head, the surprise still there on his face. ¡°Oh shit.¡± He covered his head, rubbing his face. Evelyn hugged her legs tighter. He dropped his hands, staring at the ground. ¡°You were hurt in a way I will never understand, Evie. And I cannot even begin to understand the hurt and pain you¡¯ll have to cycle through to process this. People have said they¡¯ve often felt so angry at their perpetrator that they¡¯ve wanted to place a bomb in their room and explode them to bits. But¡­ Akshi just handed you the detonator.¡± Tyler glanced at her. ¡°Please don¡¯t choose Akshi¡¯s way. Please. Take it from someone who¡¯s watched many a revenge plot unfold in CCNC. It¡¯s never as satisfying as you think it is.¡±


    Evelyn couldn¡¯t keep his gaze. Every time she thought of the justice of it all, it filled her with despair. Rafael got nothing. He walked away free. He took her peace, her security, and broke them. Nothing was done for that.


    Tyler studied her face, and Evelyn blinked. He leaned back a bit, crossing his ankles in front of him, and rested his head against the back of the swing. ¡°If these characters never came into the game, who knows how much longer this secret would have remained. Perhaps none of us would have known. Perhaps one of you would have come forward, the weight of it too much. But we all know now, and we¡¯ve got a responsibility to work through it.¡± Tyler blinked, glancing at the road with a fear trickling through his eyes. ¡°There is a powerful enchanter out here that has a reputation for mentally torturing people and filling them so full of fear that they are left a shell of who they are. Someone who was only supposed to be fictional, but from what we¡¯ve seen with Mr. Stower, can touch this world. Do not give him Rafael.¡± Tyler glanced at her, and she dropped her gaze, tightening her grip around her legs.


    She didn¡¯t like this. Any of it. Tyler leaned forward, elbows on his knees. ¡°God, I hate hearing myself talk. I¡¯d like to emphasize, Evelyn, that I don¡¯t want to put any pressure on you. You don¡¯t have to forgive Rafael in order to save the group. You don¡¯t have to come to the sessions. Roll as much as you want in your room for as long as you feel comfortable. Come to the sessions and I¡¯ll tell Rafael to stay home. Just¡­¡± Tyler¡¯s fingers tightened, then released. ¡°Just please¡­ don¡¯t hate Rafael so much that you¡¯d step aside and let Akshi torture him.¡± Tyler shook his head. ¡°I guess, the TL;DR of this entire conversation, know that Akshi can use your anger to destroy us all. But¡­ you are totally fine to take your time, going through the process of healing what happened and staying away from Rafael as long as you want.¡± Tyler gave her a pained smile, slowly lifting two thumbs up.


    Evelyn couldn¡¯t help it. The smallest flicker of a smile crossed her face, and Tyler¡¯s entire being seemed to relax. ¡°Oh, thank god you¡¯re smiling.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re a dork.¡±


    Tyler snorted, then leaned back on the bench. ¡°Thanks for listening. If you decide to come to any of the sessions again and have him along, I will keep my eyes on him. I retain the right to kick him out, too, if he does anything I don¡¯t like. I¡¯m the game master, after all. I need to make sure the people at my table feel safe.¡±


    A warmth fluttered through her chest. It was something she needed to hear. Someone in a position of power who gave their assurance that they would make sure it never happened again. Evelyn slowly loosened her hands, letting her feet drop to the ground. She looked at her bare feet, seeing the recent red fingernail polish she used on her toes.


    ¡°Thanks, Tyler. I¡­ appreciate it. It makes me feel better about Rafael and I going to a sesh at the same time. Sometime.¡± She played with a lock of her hair. ¡°Not that I can promise anytime soon.¡±


    Tyler gave her a small half smile. ¡°You are more than welcome to decide who you want to have at the session.¡± He glanced at the door, his smile disappearing. ¡°I¡¯d like to talk to Nick now. Do you want to send him out?¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s smile dropped. ¡°Um, yeah. Yeah, I¡¯ll go get him.¡± She stood up, heading toward the door. Tyler looked like he was about to re-enter his mind. She was nervous about Tyler¡¯s talk with Nick. Her brother had been in a funk ever since it happened, and he was far too happy to remain in it.


    ¡°Hey, Tyler?¡± she asked before he got too deep into his head space.


    He pulled himself back out of his thought maze, glancing at her. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Thanks. The only thing I can promise is I¡¯ll try to hate him a little less than the day before,¡± Evelyn said.


    He nodded. ¡°That sounds like a good plan.¡±


    ¡°And¡­¡± She hesitated. Tyler glanced at her, waiting. She had already thanked him, but it didn¡¯t feel like enough. Seriously, this guy loved CCNC. He was the most incredible game master and friend. He didn¡¯t need to do any of this, but he was here making sure they stayed safe and have difficult conversations. She didn¡¯t know how else to thank him. But her mind thought of the sweetest compliment she could think of. ¡°You¡¯re actually¡­ fantastic at being an adult.¡±


    The moment it left her mouth, she felt like an idiot, but the way Tyler¡¯s face relaxed into a smile made her feel like it was worth it. ¡°Thanks Evie.¡±


    She smiled again before slipping into the room. She walked down the hall before knocking quietly at Nick¡¯s door. He grunted from inside and it was all the permission she needed.


    She opened the door to see him sitting on a chair, glaring at his book. Maybe he was reading it, but it didn¡¯t look like it. Nick glanced up, his glare softening a fraction, which didn¡¯t feel like much.


    ¡°Hey, um, Tyler¡¯s out there. He wants to talk to you on the bench.¡±


    Nick continued to stare at her, then he tossed his book on the bed before standing, brushing past her to the front door. It gave her an uneasy feeling in her stomach. Tyler was worried about Akshi asking Evelyn to torture Rafael, but she realized in that moment Tyler would have the same conversation with Nick. And from what she saw on his face, Nick seemed more likely to say yes to Akshi¡¯s promises of pain.


    Evelyn pushed the thought aside as she walked back to her homework. She sat down and picked up her pencil, but math homework was the furthest thing from her mind. She glanced at her phone and noticed a missed call. She frowned, seeing it was from Derek. Weeks ago. And a voice mail.


    ¡°Evelyn, hey. It¡¯s Derek. Look, Akshi was there at the fight. He spooked us all. I know you had me promise to never tell Nick, but you should. Please, Evelyn. Tell Nick that Akshi stopped you at school.¡±


    When was this sent? Why did it appear on her phone? She had no idea, but the thought of telling Nick about Akshi still filled her with dread.

 Chapter 92

    Nick opened the door to see Tyler sitting on the bench, one arm resting against his leg, the other over the edge of the bench. Nick didn¡¯t really feel like sitting down. Instead, he crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. ¡°What?¡± He didn¡¯t mean for it to come out bitterly, but a lot of the things he said came across that way.


    Tyler tore his gaze from the road to study Nick¡¯s face. He tried to soften his glare, but it was impossible. It might be permanently stuck there. Tyler took in his defensive stance before focusing on the road again. ¡°Ezekiel¡¯s preparing himself for a twelve-hour prayer to the Great Lady. No one¡¯s too worried about him on Thursday. Then you¡¯ll have your fall break the next week. I¡¯ll be here in Elmwood for all of it, in case something happens. Milo is working on melting down silver coins into a bar. Ezekiel is certain we need to steal something from Akshi, which gives us a little more than a month to level up before doing a stealth mission for that. If something wrong happens, hopefully no one will die.¡± Tyler dropped his gaze. ¡°Hopefully.¡± He rubbed his chin. ¡°Calawit¡¯s been tracking a pack of four saber-tooth tigers coming toward us, which is great. Ezekiel needs to kill one of them by himself, and the rest of the group can handle the other three.¡±


    Tyler fell silent, and Nick kept his arms folded, leaning against the door. ¡°Fine. Great,¡± Nick said. ¡°I¡¯m still grounded until the middle of October.¡±


    ¡°And after?¡± Tyler asked, glancing at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay here.¡± There was a hollowing in his chest as he said it. Then the dull anger ignited again. CCNC was his only socialization, and Rafael¡¯s existence took it away from him more than Walt ever did.


    Tyler again looked at Nick¡¯s defensive stance. ¡°CCNC is all you¡¯ve got left.¡± It was like he could read his mind.


    His fingers dug into his palm. ¡°I refuse to be around Rafael. It¡¯s better this way. For his sake, more than mine.¡±


    Tyler winced. ¡°I¡¯ve made Evelyn in charge of the attendance of the sessions. She gets to choose when she wants to go, and who will stay there.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve also talked to Rafael and made him acutely aware that a looming apocalypse is not going to stop me from making sure Evelyn stays comfortable in the group. He will go home if she is uncomfortable, and he will roll from a distance.¡±


    ¡°That piece of shit needs to stay away from my sister for good.¡±


    Tyler gave him a scrutinized look. ¡°So, I know this may sound ridiculous, but I need to hear it in your own words¡ª¡±


    Nick rolled his eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t slit Rafael¡¯s throat.¡±


    One of Tyler¡¯s eyebrows shot up, and Nick realized he should have waited to hear the rest of it. There was a long pause, in which Nick kept his arms folded, almost glaring at Tyler. Derek had the same disbelief on his face as Tyler did in that moment. It didn¡¯t matter what he said, there was plenty of anger that caused his words to sound threatening.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ not going to run to Akshi and ask him to hurt Rafael, are you?¡±


    Nick said nothing. He hadn¡¯t thought of it, mainly because he was still imagining all the ways he could hurt Rafael himself. He didn¡¯t think about outside help. Part of him hesitated to open that particular door.


    Tyler studied his face, clearly not liking what he saw. ¡°Nick, Rafael does not deserve to be tortured by Akshi.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not Akshi, but that piece of shit deserves every horrible thing coming to him, and so far, not a lot is happening to him,¡± Nick asked.


    Tyler kept his gaze on Nick¡¯s. ¡°You got your punch in. Don¡¯t go searching for more. Rafael isn¡¯t going to do it again, and I¡¯ve seen plenty of reven-¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not going to do it again, because-¡± he¡¯ll be dead before he does. Somehow saying that wouldn¡¯t put him in a better light.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go to Akshi,¡± Tyler said again.


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Nick said. Tyler didn¡¯t believe him. But he might as well. Nick wouldn¡¯t go to Akshi, because he didn¡¯t need him. Tyler about said something else, but Nick shook his head. ¡°You¡¯ve given your warning. I¡¯ve given my assurance. You have a long drive ahead of you, and you look exhausted. Go home.¡±


    Tyler frowned, studying Nick. He didn¡¯t believe him, because Nick was in his mood where no one could believe what he was saying. Not even himself. Tyler held in a sigh as he got to his feet. ¡°I am a bit exhausted, yeah. It¡¯s been a rough weekend.¡± Nick did little more than grunt, keeping his arms tightly folded, fingernails still digging into his palms. ¡°Don¡¯t push us away, Nick. You need us. You¡¯ve got to work through this anger, and I¡¯m terrified you¡¯re not getting the help you need.¡±


    Nick wanted to roll his eyes. That felt like an understatement. ¡°Fine. Then don¡¯t defend Rafael.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Tyler stood, stretching a bit. ¡°I talked to him today, and it¡¯s as he said. He¡¯s broken our trust. He fully acknowledges it and knows he¡¯s got a mountain to climb to build it back. He¡¯s got one last chance from me. I¡¯m going to watch and wait. See how the next few months go. Even then it will be a while before I can give him my full trust back. But I don¡¯t hate him. I¡¯m not salivating at the thought of watching him slip up again to kick him out.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Congratulations. You¡¯re a better man than me,¡± Nick said.


    Tyler studied Nick¡¯s face, taking in the glare. Tyler rubbed his chin, then brought his hand down, resting it on Nick¡¯s tense shoulder. ¡°Do me a favor, then.¡± Nick said nothing, just waited for the guy to say whatever he needed to. Tyler looked at him right in the eye, his hand heavy on his shoulder. ¡°I need you to remember what it¡¯s like to make a mistake. More than a mistake. Something that is, honestly, a criminal offense. Something that, when the rest of us found out, we felt betrayed and hurt. Left feeling like we could never look at you the same way again. Remember what that regret tasted like, and how much you never wanted to do that criminal act again. To work your ass off to present as the best possible version of yourself to prove you¡¯d changed. And then I need you to remember the personal hell it is for one bitter person to hold it over your head for the rest of your life. One person to wait for you to fall. To go back to how you were. To never give you a chance, and to never escape their constant, critical gaze.¡± Nick stared at Tyler, feeling the glare he thought was permanent melt off his face. Tyler lifted his hand off his shoulder, placing a finger lightly against it instead. ¡°Rafael hurt your sister. In the process, he hurt you. You have every right to process that hurt to protect yourself and her from it ever happening again. But as a friend I must warn you. Hurt can turn to hate, and hate can become toxic. You always have the choice to be a better person than your father. I suggest you start now.¡±


    Tyler dropped his hand as he headed toward the stairs, pulling out some keys. He moved down the stairs, got in his car, and drove off as Nick continued to stare at the bench Tyler once occupied.


    ***


    Alejandra didn¡¯t realize how dead asleep she was until she heard Hraktar¡¯s footsteps in her room. Not even the door opening woke her. Simply his footsteps, then the way they pulled to a stop. There was a good three seconds where she wondered why Hraktar had stopped so suddenly before she remembered.


    She gasped, sitting up, looking for the creature. The baby drake had curled up next to her, as asleep as she was. The baby didn¡¯t react as Alejandra sat up, staring at her fighter, who stared right at the drake.


    Alejandra was exhausted. More than exhausted. She had spent all night figuring out what this creature ate. The warm milk wasn¡¯t a huge hit. Apples were a bust. She tried feeding the creature a bit of a hotdog, and he gagged it back up. After doing all that, she sat down exhausted when the drake happily lapped up some of the cooled milk. So milk wasn¡¯t totally out of the equation. She tried researching the diet of a baby drake in CCNC, but she kept getting conflicting ideas from different books and video games. There was far more detailed information about dragon diets than there were about drakes.


    At five in the morning, Alejandra was too exhausted. She collapsed on the bed, wanting to sleep. She watched the baby drake, about the size of a small lizard, circling around her bed before giving a tiny growl. The drake was silent as it crept up on something before giving a small shake of its midsection. Then it pounced on some sort of bug, tearing it in half before licking it up. It didn¡¯t take long before the drake had run up to her and curled into a ball, falling fast asleep. It didn¡¯t take long for Alejandra to do the same.


    But now she was here, grabbing her glasses off her nightstand and putting them on to stare at her fighter staring at the drake. They had been silent for a long time.


    ¡°I can explain,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°No need. I often got the impression you like to tame monsters.¡±


    Alejandra wasn¡¯t sure what he meant by that. ¡°You¡¯re not a monster.¡±


    Hraktar looked at her, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m talking about that boy.¡±


    ¡°Boy? What boy?¡±


    ¡°Nick. Grizzizzik¡¯s creator.¡±


    Her cheeks flushed a deep scarlet, and she didn¡¯t even know why. ¡°He¡¯s not¡­ Nick¡¯s not a monster either. Don¡¯t call him that.¡±


    Hraktar nodded. ¡°Right.¡±


    Alejandra placed a hand on the sleeping drake. ¡°Please don¡¯t kill him.¡±


    He finally tore his gaze from the drake to look at her. ¡°Who else knows?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ you.¡± Hraktar¡¯s massive shoulders fell. ¡°I¡¯ll admit I didn¡¯t think this through.¡±


    The baby drake stirred, then uncurled his body, stretching. He gave a yawn. She shouldn¡¯t, but it was incredibly adorable, and she was resisting the urge to snap a picture. It was incredible what a good night¡¯s sleep did. Or, good morning¡¯s sleep.


    Wait, what time was it?


    She grabbed her phone, seeing it was two in the afternoon. She didn¡¯t have work today, thankfully, but she realized how many other responsibilities she had.


    ¡°Tyler. Tyler was supposed to be here and talk to us,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Rafael tried knocking on your door to wake you, but you were dead to the world,¡± Hraktar said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We will fill you in on the details.¡±


    Alejandra looked down at the baby drake. Just the thought of what she was going to do with this drake while she was at school made her stomach drop.


    ¡°Hraktar, I¡­ I need¡­¡±


    ¡°You need your friends. Your brother. Tell them what happened and what you did.¡±


    His suggestion left her cold. ¡°No. I¡­ can¡¯t. I can¡¯t possibly let anyone else know.¡±


    ¡°And you expect me to keep your secret, too? Babysit your new pet while you are at school and keep it from Ezekiel?¡±


    Alejandra winced, then touched her hair, feeling the absolute mess it was before letting out a Spanish word Mariana used under the darkest of circumstances. ¡°Give me un momento.¡± She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to calm her bed head. The baby drake arched his back as he continued to stretch, then noticed Hraktar for the first time. The creature¡¯s entire body jumped, then froze, staring at the fighter. Hraktar unfolded his arms, doing his best to not look as threatening, but Alejandra didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him he always looked threatening. The drake moved forward, sniffing. The fighter went down on one knee, extending his hand to the creature. He scuttled up Hraktar¡¯s arm and rested on his shoulder, brushing his head against the half-orc¡¯s cheek as it started purring. It actually purred. Alejandra didn¡¯t realize a drake was capable of such a noise.


    Hraktar closed his eyes, his lips tight. ¡°Damn you, you little thing.¡± He reached over with a finger, petting the top of his head. ¡°You had to be the first baby that didn¡¯t scream the first time you saw me, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Alejandra didn¡¯t bother hiding her smile. Hraktar had a huge, tender heart. He knew what it was like to be feared because of his looks, which meant he would be the first to love this baby drake. She had a protector for her little pet. ¡°We¡¯ve got to think of a name for the guy.¡±


    ¡°Names are important,¡± Hraktar said, as the drake ran to the top of his head. ¡°But I need your assurance that I don¡¯t have to hide him from Ezekiel.¡±


    ¡°Hide what from me?¡± Ezekiel asked, appearing by the door.

 Chapter 93

    Hraktar grabbed the drake and easily hid him in his two hands. ¡°Oh, um, hi Ezekiel.¡± Hraktar glanced at Alejandra, who quickly got out of bed. ¡°I, um¡­¡±


    The drake¡¯s little head poked from between the fighter¡¯s fingers. Alejandra¡¯s hand covered her mouth to stifle a gasp as Ezekiel noticed. His eyebrows shot up in surprise. ¡°Is that a¡ª¡±


    The cleric had no time to answer. The baby drake sniffed, then let out a tiny squeal that, Alejandra realized, was his roar. He pushed himself to the top of Hraktar¡¯s hands and leapt off, giving his roar. His toothless mouth opened, claws extended. Ezekiel¡¯s eyes widened and backed away, though Hraktar caught the drake round the middle before it reached Ezekiel. Whatever attacking it could do, Alejandra wasn¡¯t sure, but her baby drake was going to try.


    Hraktar restrained the drake again, though the creature didn¡¯t stop snapping at Ezekiel. The drake growled at the cleric, and it was totally cute. Alejandra placed her hand over the creature¡¯s little jaw, holding it together. ¡°Enough, little one. Ezekiel is our friend. You don¡¯t need to do this.¡±


    The creature kept his yellow eyes fixed on Ezekiel, growling. ¡°This has to be a first,¡± Ezekiel said, staying toward the wall. ¡°A baby creature far happier to be with Hraktar than me.¡±


    The growling stopped. At first Alejandra was impressed at how well the drake listened to her, but soon noticed a d20 hanging in the air.


    Make an insight check.


    She gave it a nice roll, and it landed on a five. The +2 gave a small boost, but not enough to make it effective.


    Hraktar frowned as the drake continued to pull against his fingers. ¡°It makes no sense. No creature in their right mind would choose me over you unless something was wrong.¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong! That¡¯s it!¡± Ezekiel snapped his fingers. ¡°I bet this little guy senses the lycanthropy in me.¡±


    ¡°Do drakes have that good of a sense?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°This one does.¡± Ezekiel tried to pet the creature, but the drake growled before snapping at his outreached fingers. Alejandra forgot that, while rolling, she let go of the drake¡¯s jaws. Rectifying her mistake, she pinched her fingers over the drake¡¯s mouth again.


    ¡°Listen, little guy. These two will take care of you while I¡¯m at school. This one has a disease we¡¯re trying to cure this month. He¡¯s good under¡­ whatever it is you sense. We need your help to cure the darkness from him,¡± Alejandra said.


    A curious frown flickered across Hraktar¡¯s lips. ¡°How is this little baby going to help?¡±


    ¡°By not attacking Ezekiel every time he sees him,¡± Alejandra said. Hraktar nodded, the answer enough for him. Her phone vibrated on the end table, but she ignored it and looked at Ezekiel. ¡°Where¡¯s Rafael?¡±


    ¡°At work.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± She glanced between Hraktar and Ezekiel. ¡°No one tell him.¡±


    Both of them shot an uncomfortable glance at each other before facing her again. ¡°Because you will, right?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Alejandra trailed off, looking again at the drake. She let go of his jaws, as he wasn¡¯t trying to attack Ezekiel anymore. Instead, she scratched him under the chin, and the drake¡¯s eyes rolled up into his head, his back leg twitching in delight. She again suppressed a smile.


    ¡°Alejandra?¡± Hraktar asked, his words helping her focus.


    ¡°Right.¡± She dropped her hand. ¡°We¡¯re all going through something, and I don¡¯t want to add to it.¡±


    Hraktar gave her a look, then dragged his hand down the side of his face. ¡°You¡¯re going to¡­ keep this? From your brother?¡±


    Ezekiel pointed across the hall to Rafael¡¯s empty room. ¡°I mean¡­ you saw how horrible it was of him to keep the secret he did. It would¡¯ve been better if it came out sooner. Isn¡¯t this something we learn as a group and promise to never do again?¡±


    Alejandra was stuttering, trying to get her brain to work. The drake slipped out of Hraktar¡¯s fingers and jumped on the desk, his little paws slipping as he climbed closer to Alejandra. She was too distracted to remember what Ezekiel said until the drake ran and jumped toward her. She caught it around the soft belly before letting him scurry up her arm and relax on her shoulder. Hraktar certainly had a roomier shoulder, but the creature was still small. Alejandra started petting the drake, feeling the tiny scales under her fingertips before remembering Ezekiel¡¯s question.


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    ¡°Our entire friend group is¡­¡± Alejandra didn¡¯t know how to adequately explain what was happening, even though their characters had front seats to the drama of it all. ¡°It¡¯s hanging by a thread. I don¡¯t want this to be the final thing that breaks it.¡±


    Ezekiel blinked. ¡°A baby drake?¡±


    Alejandra shrugged. None of them were convinced, including herself. Hraktar crossed his arms, leaning to one side. ¡°How do you expect to hide him?¡±


    She chewed on the inside of her cheek. ¡°So¡­ um¡­¡± She pushed her lips forward as she thought, closing one eye. ¡°It¡¯s really¡­¡± If the weight of everyone¡¯s gaze wasn¡¯t on her, maybe she¡¯d think of something.


    Her phone started vibrating, which meant someone was calling. Grateful for the distraction, she snatched it off her nightstand and saw Rafael¡¯s name. She cleared her throat before answering it. ¡°Hey, bro. How¡¯s it¡­?¡± She was the worst at lying.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Yeah.¡± She glanced at Hraktar and Ezekiel, both of them watching her. Hraktar had the gall to look amused.


    ¡°I was worried when you didn¡¯t respond to my text.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Sorry. I¡¯m¡ª¡± the baby drake leapt off her shoulder and onto the desk again. Faster than she thought possible, he scuttled to the ground, then went into his hunt mode.


    ¡°You¡¯re what?¡±


    The drake moved forward silently, then gave his midsection a little shake again before pouncing on a wolf spider Alejandra didn¡¯t notice was there.


    ¡°Distracted,¡± Alejandra said.


    The drake tore the spider in half before licking it up. Alejandra made a face. One less spider to worry about.


    ¡°I got a prompt to roll for insight. I¡¯m assuming it was for Ezekiel.¡±


    It was enough to pull Alejandra to the conversation. ¡°Oh! Nice! Are you finally rolling from a distance, then?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kind of missing the point. Do you see Ezekiel? Why do I need to do an insight check? What¡¯s that cleric doing?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Alejandra watched Ezekiel easing toward the drake, hand still out. When he got close enough, the drake spun his head, giving the most adorable snarl Alejandra ever heard. The cleric brought his hand back, glancing at Hraktar.


    ¡°Alright, so¡­.¡± She closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead. The words tumbled out of her before she could stop them. ¡°Last month we were fighting these adult drakes and killed them but they were really protecting their egg, so I took it home without telling anyone and I¡¯ve been keeping it hidden ever since and last night it hatched and now there¡¯s a baby drake in our house. Ezekiel was being prompted for an insight check because the baby tried to bite him, and he figured out the creature sensed the lycanthropy in him, so¡­ yeah.¡±


    Alejandra let out a tiny breath, then glanced at Hraktar. He smiled, giving her a thumbs up. Ezekiel slowly let his hand toward the drake again, and the baby sniffed it, still keeping his dragon-like eyes squarely on Ezekiel.


    She almost forgot Rafael was on the other side of the phone since he had fallen silent for so long.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he finally sputtered. ¡°What?!¡±


    Alejandra winced. ¡°I¡­ answered your question.¡±


    There was another long pause before he broke it again. ¡°WHAT!?!¡±


    ¡°The baby¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ Alejandra, what did you¡­ there¡¯s a baby dr¡ª¡± Rafael stopped, most likely realizing whatever outburst he was about to have would be in a public place. He couldn¡¯t say there was a baby drake in their house. When he talked again, it was quieter. ¡°I have an hour left on my shift, then I¡¯m coming home. We¡¯re figuring out what to do with the baby.¡±


    That phrase also couldn¡¯t sound too good being said out loud. Ezekiel had a finger on its head, slowly petting it even though the drake gave him a murderous look. And on a small baby, it was adorable. Alejandra had a feeling it would be much more intimidating once it was older. How fast did drakes grow? She¡¯d have to do some research.


    ¡°Are you listening to me?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Yes. I¡¯ll see you in an hour, and during that time, I¡¯ll do some research.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Like how likely it is to survive on its own in an Arizona desert.¡±


    She gasped. ¡°No! Rafael, we can¡¯t get rid of him! He¡¯s a baby! He¡¯ll die on his own!¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t thought this through.¡±


    Alejandra shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in an hour.¡± She hung up, but kept her phone open. She turned on her camera, snapping a picture of the baby.


    ¡°While you¡¯re doing research, let me tell you what Tyler told us,¡± Hraktar said.


    She snapped another picture. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    Hraktar watched her, frowning. ¡°What kind of research do you want to accomplish in an hour?¡±


    Alejandra pulled up an internet search on her phone. ¡°Drake names.¡±


    ***


    Evelyn finished her homework. Sure, there were still two thousand monsters in the world, and they would soon grow powerful enough to hurt Earth, but at least her homework was done.


    She gathered her books, notebooks, and folders, stuffing them in her bag before she moved into her room. Clarissa was there, meditating. Evelyn quietly placed her things down, and Clarissa turned her head, watching.


    ¡°Oh, sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to break your meditation,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°I was at the end.¡± Clarissa touched her brow with a rag. ¡°Adding the imitation of blue mana to lure the saber-tooth tigers was hard in the beginning, but they¡¯re getting closer, so it¡¯s not as strenuous.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± She leaned against the wall, then glanced at her druid character.


    ¡°Everything alright?¡±


    Evelyn sighed. ¡°No. It¡¯s¡­¡± Tears filled her eyes again. ¡°You ought to know. There is no portal back to the Shrouded Domain. The creator of the game¡­ told us.¡± Clarissa continued to watch Evelyn curiously. She didn¡¯t want to say it, simply because it hurt so bad. ¡°So¡­ your brother¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Clarissa said.


    Evelyn stopped, though there wasn¡¯t much desire to keep her going. ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°I have a dear friend who¡¯s a mana fusor. Perhaps you¡¯ve heard of him?¡±


    Evelyn frowned. ¡°Milo?¡±


    ¡°Mindset is key. He told me that once. If you go into a project thinking it¡¯s impossible, then it will.¡± Clarissa smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible. It simply hasn¡¯t been discovered yet.¡±


    Evelyn watched Clarissa, but found she couldn¡¯t disagree. She didn¡¯t want to. Clarissa took this far better than she hoped. ¡°Yeah. Yeah, I guess.¡±

 Chapter 94

    Derek was playing Mario kart with Miguel. Derek had spent hours getting good enough to beat his father at Mario kart, and now it was almost sad that the challenge was gone when he turned eight years old. It was surprisingly easy to destroy Miguel at the game, but he still appreciated the time spent with him.


    The race was finished, and Miguel rubbed his forehead. ¡°Well, this is just comically hilarious.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re missing the trap door,¡± Derek said. ¡°Cuts the time.¡±


    ¡°Trap door. What?¡± Miguel asked, looking at the screen.


    Derek shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s there.¡±


    Amanda walked in, smiling. ¡°At a good stopping spot?¡±


    Derek noticed Tyler walking in after Amanda, and he smiled. ¡°Hey, man.¡± He noticed the exhaustion almost immediately on Tyler¡¯s face. ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°I need a moment to talk alone, if that¡¯s alright,¡± Tyler said.


    Derek tossed the controller on the couch. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll be back, Dad.¡±


    He and Tyler moved out of the TV room. Tyler smiled at Amanda who moved into the TV room. Tyler folded his arms, leaning against the wall. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me Akshi approached Evelyn last week.¡±


    Derek frowned. ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. Not right now. We need to be honest with each-¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± Derek pulled out his phone. ¡°You even responded.¡±


    It was Tyler¡¯s turn to frown. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t, because you never-¡±


    He stopped as Derek held up his phone to show the conversation they had last week. Though, conversation might be too strong of a word. Derek texted him about seeing Akshi by Evelyn, and then Evelyn asking him to tell her. Tyler responded with a simple Thanks for letting me know.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Tyler pulled out his phone, checking his history, then froze. Derek leaned over and saw his text there, plain as day, telling him about Akshi. Though now that he saw it, he didn¡¯t see Tyler return the text.


    Derek glanced at his own phone, and saw the text from Tyler was gone. No response. He was certain it was there.


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± Tyler said. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ cast that spell. The ability to mask most forms of communication about himself with other people.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Derek looked at his phone again. ¡°That was only with letters.¡±


    ¡°Texting. Emails. They all technically fall under that category,¡± Tyler said.


    Derek felt his stomach constrict and he braced himself against the wall. ¡°No, no that¡¯s not possible. He can¡¯t touch our world.¡±


    Tyler¡¯s eyes were bouncing around as he thought. ¡°Yes, he can. He¡¯s manipulating Mr. Stower.¡± Tyler rubbed the corners of his eyes with his pointer finger and his thumb. ¡°It¡¯s according to rules. He has the muddle spell. If someone wants to join his team, he will cast the muddle ritual to keep them isolated and away from any help they need. Keep his name out of letters. And texts, apparently.¡±


    Derek¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I sent her a voicemail. I¡­ completely forgot about it. How is that possible?¡±


    ¡°Also within the rules of the game. She didn¡¯t answer the phone, a voicemail falls under a letter of sorts. Especially if she was¡­ was far more willing to join Akshi than she let on. That spell would have been more powerful, according to her desire to join his side.¡±


    ¡°Ooooh shit,¡± Derek said. ¡°Does she¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve discovered it now. She¡¯s changed her mind. Akshi no longer holds that power over her or our technology,¡± Tyler said.


    Derek let out a breath. ¡°Holy shit that could have been bad.¡±


    Tyler rubbed his eyes again. ¡°It¡¯s still bad, Derek. Akshi is growing more powerful over our world, and what we¡¯ve experienced is only a fraction of what he can do.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to kill him as soon as possible.¡±


    Tyler dropped his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve got to talk to the other groups and see if anyone has a sorcerer, wizard, or bard. It¡¯s the only way to kill him. We cannot let Akshi live past next August. He could bring an apocalypse all by himself, let alone the thousand of monsters already at his disposal.¡±


    His friend looked exhausted and miserable. ¡°Did you get any sleep last night?¡± Derek asked. Tyler didn¡¯t need to say anything. The look on his face said it all. Derek shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t let you drive back to Tucson without a nap. My room¡¯s free if you don¡¯t want to drive back to your parents. I¡¯ll text everyone and let them know this new update,¡± Derek said, pulling out his phone.


    ¡°Call,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°What?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Call them and speak to them about this new update. Calling is still considered face to face, and Akshi isn¡¯t powerful enough to alter our words no matter how much Evelyn wanted to join him. Tell them texting and voicemails are now no longer to be trusted with important matters. Evelyn¡¯s probably confused at the voicemail she just got,¡± Tyler said, heading down the hall to Derek¡¯s room.


    Derek winced, feeling a tightening in his chest. ¡°I will call.¡±


    ***


    Alejandra was at the table when Rafael walked through the door. He didn¡¯t know what to expect, but seeing his little sister calmly sitting at the table with a blue lizard looking thing on her shoulder was definitely not what he figured would happen two months ago. She had her hands out in front of her, twiddling her thumbs. The entire thing brought a sort of panic inside him.


    ¡°Did Derek contact you, too?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Texting and voicemails can¡¯t be trusted anymore with important things, which made me think that maybe something had happened to alter whatever our phone call was, because there was no way this could happen.¡± Rafael¡¯s eyes rested on the baby drake. ¡°Turns out it did.¡±


    ¡°Rafael¡ª¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to tell Tyler. He¡¯ll know what to do,¡± Rafael said.


    She placed a protective hand over the drake¡¯s body. ¡°We¡¯re not getting rid of him.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t keep him, either! Who knows how big those things will get!¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°It takes six months after he¡¯s hatched for him to grow to adulthood. He will be around ten to twelve feet long, with the ability to rise on his hind legs if needed to make an attack with his claws. As a desert drake, he might have a sand or lightning ability if we can coax it out of him. He could be a real asset to the group.¡±


    Rafael took this in, his head inclining back ever so much before he dropped into a glare. He shoved his hands in his hair, trying to regulate his breathing. ¡°This isn¡¯t Pok¨¦mon. We¡¯re not collecting mythical creatures to aid our fight! This is a dangerous creature! Who you¡¯ve welcomed into our house!¡±


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    ¡°Quetzal won¡¯t fight. At least, you know. Not yet. He might not even want to. We shouldn¡¯t force him.¡±


    As though this conversation couldn¡¯t get any worse, it somehow did. ¡°You named it!¡±


    She grabbed the baby drake, moving it from her shoulder into her palm. ¡°Quetzalcoatl. Quetzal for short. I think it¡¯s cute.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not cute!¡± Rafael didn¡¯t know why he was fighting his sister about this. He collapsed into the chair opposite and covered his face. Pushing her away and getting defensive had been his go-to reaction for a while now. But this was a drake. They were a smaller dragon. Which meant this thing would be massive. And in a short amount of time?


    ¡°This thing is going to eat everything in our house,¡± Rafael said. ¡°We can¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take Quetzal hunting,¡± Hraktar said out of nowhere.


    Rafael glanced at the fighter. ¡°You¡¯re in on this too?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know until today. It¡¯s an excellent idea, though. Drakes are a powerful ally, and we need all the help we can get.¡± The baby drake stretched its body before curling up in Alejandra¡¯s palm, falling asleep. ¡°Besides, he¡¯s pretty cute.¡±


    Rafael gave the fighter a dry look, but it didn¡¯t bother him one bit.


    There was a knock on the door, and he frowned before remembering Hazel was visiting him after work. A groan escaped him as he got out of his chair and opened the door. ¡°Hey, Hazel.¡±


    She wrapped her arms around him, giving him a kiss. Despite everything, it was nice to have her here. She was always a comforting presence in his life. ¡°How was work?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Work was fine. It¡¯s the thing after work we¡¯re still working through.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    They walked deeper into the house for Hazel to see the baby drake curled. Hazel stared at the blue creature in Alejandra¡¯s hands, sleeping peacefully. She grabbed her cheeks and squealed quietly. ¡°That¡¯s the most adorable thing I¡¯ve ever seen!¡±


    Rafael frowned. ¡°Hazel, wait. No, no, you¡¯re supposed to be on my side.¡±


    ¡°Your side? Your side of what?¡± Hazel asked in a whisper as she sided up next to Alejandra. The two girls started cooing as Hazel ran a finger down the drake¡¯s sleeping head.


    ¡°His name is Quetzal,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Oh my god, that¡¯s so cute! Family picture!¡± Hazel took out her phone.


    ¡°Would you two stop it!¡± Rafael tried not to be loud, since the creature was sleeping, but he couldn¡¯t deny his frustration. Even more so as they both ignored him. Alejandra lifted the sleeping baby drake in her hand and smiled at the phone. Rafael rubbed the bridge of his nose, grumbling.


    ¡°I¡¯ll text the pic,¡± Hazel said, tapping on her phone. ¡°Quetzal is so cute!¡±


    ¡°Hazel!¡± Rafael shouted.


    The noise startled the baby drake awake, which made him the enemy of the house.


    ¡°Rafael, come on,¡± Hazel said. ¡°He¡¯s a baby.¡±


    ¡°A baby that will grow into an adult in six months. A mythical creature in a very nonmythical world. Where there is a powerful enchanter snake man who is trying to hunt us down. We¡¯re having a difficult enough time hiding our characters, and now you want to adopt a baby drake?¡±


    Quetzal chittered, then approached Hazel. ¡°Oh, aren¡¯t you the handsomest boy I¡¯ve ever seen?¡± The drake seemed to preen in the attention, running up to her and leaping into her hands. ¡°Yes, you are! Oh my god, you¡¯re the cutest!¡±


    Rafael groaned, doubting he could get another word in if this was how they were talking. Ezekiel walked up to him, smiling. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Rafael. We¡¯ll take care of him while she¡¯s at school. He¡¯s already a pretty skilled hunter, so don¡¯t worry about buying more food for him.¡±


    ¡°Hunter? What does he eat?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Spiders and insects, mostly. No doubt he¡¯ll move up to mice and rats. We¡¯ll test some more later to see if he likes any fruit, but insects and milk are his main diet for now,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Rafael sighed, watching Quetzal rub his head underneath Hazel¡¯s chin. She giggled like a schoolgirl. ¡°I always wanted a pet.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Alejandra said.


    Rafael hung his head in defeat. He was completely outnumbered. ¡°I guess this is going to happen, isn¡¯t it?¡± He pulled out his phone, calling Tyler. ¡°I¡¯m telling Tyler. He should know about this.¡±


    As the phone rang longer, he wondered if something had happened before he heard Tyler pick up. ¡°Rafael?¡±


    He froze. ¡°Sorry. Were you¡­ sleeping?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But it¡¯s fine. Do you need something?¡±


    ¡°Just¡­ letting you know. Alejandra¡¯s been hiding a drake egg from everyone, and it just hatched last night.¡±


    The silence stretched on. If Rafael didn¡¯t know better, he would have assumed Tyler had fallen back to sleep, but who could sleep after that revelation.


    ¡°Right,¡± Tyler said. ¡°A drake could help us, actually.¡±


    Rafael sighed, feeling defeated. Tyler was on board. Which meant the decision was already made.


    ¡°A full-grown one could, anyway. Do what you can to keep the drake alive. It¡¯s a dangerous world right now, and it¡¯ll only get worse.¡±


    ***


    Nick was driving Evelyn to school on Monday, as they did every school day. What was different was Nick didn¡¯t realize how quiet it had gotten. He¡¯d be the first to admit he¡¯d been stuck inside his own head for a few weeks now. Fantasizing about how he wanted to hit Rafael again. Consumed in anger and bitterness.


    There was still anger. What Tyler told him didn¡¯t instantly dissolve it all. He wished it had. Instead, it took away the addictive quality and instead he saw the destruction it caused. The bitterness, the coldness. His face ached with how much he glared at the world the past few weeks.


    Nick absently rubbed his forehead. He tapped on the steering wheel as he did so, almost hearing the silence. Had this silence been there all along?


    Damnit, Tyler. Why did you say that to me?


    Nick continued to rub his face, knowing exactly why Tyler said that. Because Nick was his father¡¯s son. The anger, the stubbornness, as much as Nick tried to be different, the genetic makeup was there.


    He dropped his hand. ¡°Hey, Evelyn?¡±


    She tore her gaze from her phone. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°So¡­ that night. When Rafael¡­¡± He watched Evelyn¡¯s face out of the corner of his eye, noticed as she physically braced for impact. ¡°Did you¡­ slap him? Or anything?¡± She frowned. Nick panicked. He wasn¡¯t sure how to get his thoughts across. He wanted to make sure his sister knew how to defend herself in case it happened again. If she didn¡¯t know, he wanted to teach her.


    ¡°No,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°No,¡± Nick repeated.


    Her eyes returned to her phone. ¡°I punched him in the teeth.¡±


    There was a moment¡¯s pause before Nick snorted. She smiled to herself, glancing out the window.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡­¡± Nick started to say.


    ¡°Punched him?¡±


    He hesitated, then found he couldn¡¯t lie. ¡°Yeah. I am.¡±


    There was silence again. She kept her eyes out the window. ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll ever do that again?¡±


    He thought about it. They were almost at school. It felt too short a time to have this conversation, but he pressed through, anyway. Once again, he found he couldn¡¯t lie. ¡°No. I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I agree.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t much else to say. Evelyn glanced out the window a bit more before she got a text and returned to her phone. The silence didn¡¯t seem so pressing. Saying it out loud helped Nick understand the truth. Rafael completely deserved to be punched in the face for what he did. But he also had a feeling Rafael would never dare do that again. Nick planned to always be by his sister when Rafael was around, and no doubt Tyler would be there if Nick wasn¡¯t. He admitted that he didn¡¯t know Rafael as well as before, but he doubted his old friend would ever try that again.


    Nick pulled into the parking lot and eased into the nearest open slot before turning off the car.


    ¡°Hey, Nick?¡±


    Since he wasn¡¯t driving, he made eye contact with his little sister. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    She hesitated, and he turned the car back on again for the air conditioning. Evelyn didn¡¯t look at him. ¡°I¡¯m doing okay. My therapist has been great, and Princess Clarissa and¡­ she¡¯s been surprisingly helpful, too. For now, I don¡¯t need another person to talk to. I need a brother who I don¡¯t have to walk on eggshells around.¡±


    Nick frowned. ¡°I¡­ know. I¡¯ve been in a mood for weeks.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous. You¡¯re already pretty isolated. This mood has made you stuck even deeper in your head. And I don¡¯t want you to¡­ go crazy or anything. Or do anything else you might regret.¡± She grabbed her backpack. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We don¡¯t want to be late.¡± She got out of the car. Nick followed, slinging his backpack over his shoulder as he pocketed the car keys. They started walking toward the school together.


    ¡°So¡­ how can I make it so you don¡¯t walk on eggshells?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°You want an honest answer?¡± Evelyn still had her phone out, scrolling through it.


    Nick shrugged. ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¡°As hard as it is, I need to interact with someone who isn¡¯t talking to me like I¡¯m about to fall apart in a sobbing mess.¡± She slipped her phone in her pocket. ¡°That¡¯s Gemma¡¯s job. And Princess Clarissa¡¯s. I need you to¡­ let me be myself. If I need to cry, I¡¯ll let you know.¡±


    Nick nodded. ¡°Right. I can try.¡±


    She smiled at the ground as they entered the school. She went off a different way, and Nick headed toward his locker. He put his combination in, placing the books in there from his homework over the weekend. He was acutely aware of Mr. Stower walking down the hall, with Akshi slithering behind him. Nick finished putting his books away, then rested against the open locker right as they passed. He should ruffle around his locker to keep up the alibi, but he couldn¡¯t do it. He was painfully aware Grizzizzik would pay actual gold to be where he was right now. To confront his father. But Grizzizzik wasn¡¯t powerful enough.


    Once Mr. Stower and Akshi went down the hall, Nick shut his locker, turning around. Rafael peeked over from one hallway, watching where Akshi had disappeared. Nick¡¯s stomach churned. He¡¯d see Rafael eventually today, but it still dredged up memories he wanted to remain buried. Or better yet, memories he wished never happened. Ones of favoritism. How well Rafael was treated in his home. How Walt forgave Rafael so quickly, and yet Nick was still suffering the punishment of breaking his nose. A broken nose Nick would defend to his dying day that Rafael deserved.


    Rafael noticed Nick¡¯s gaze and shrunk into the hallway. All the hatred Nick once felt for Rafael shifted to hurt instead. A deep hurt he didn¡¯t want to feel, but it was like wishing for the burning to stop while still trapped in a fire. His friend betrayed him, like Nick once betrayed him. There was hurt that wouldn¡¯t magically go away. He spent the entirety of a few seconds looking at Rafael¡¯s face and didn¡¯t imagine what it would be like to punch it again. That had to be an improvement.


    Nick slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked away.

 Chapter 95

    It amazed Alejandra how quickly Quetzal grew. When she left on Monday, he was still small. When she came home, he was about the size of an iguana. He still had an adorable growl, though. Hraktar and Ezekiel were nothing short of proud brothers, describing how quickly Quetzal learned the ropes of hunting.


    ¡°Does he still do that little bum wiggle right before he pounces?¡± Alejandra asked.


    A slight smile appeared on Hraktar¡¯s face. ¡°Yes.¡±


    She beamed, stroking Quetzal¡¯s head. Tyler called her that night, getting her side of the story and stressing that this could be quite dangerous, but couldn¡¯t deny they needed all the help they could get with fighting monsters, even if they had to wait six months before he grew his full length. Alejandra didn¡¯t know how she felt about them automatically assuming Quetzal would kill mythical creatures, but it sounded like he was an excellent hunter. She also didn¡¯t want him in too much danger. He was a baby, after all. She couldn¡¯t imagine Hraktar fighting alongside Quetzal in six months. That was all the way in March. It felt forever away.


    Derek was intrigued when he heard about the drake, but Milo even more so. Over the past few days, Milo would pop into their house with a smile and a magnifying glass, assuring her he wouldn¡¯t cut Quetzal up or anything. He wanted to understand more about how drakes manipulate mana. It took a lot for her to hand Quetzal over to Milo, though Quetzal seemed as intrigued by Milo¡¯s magnifying glass. Quetzal seemed to have a good judge of character. Alejandra asked Derek to let Evelyn and Nick know, since he and Tyler were the only ones talking to those two, and Derek readily agreed.


    Rafael was finally warming up to Quetzal, though it was clear Hazel helped. She was over far more often, getting to know CCNC and the mythical creatures.


    It was Thursday, and Alejandra was in choir. Another fifteen minutes and she¡¯d be heading toward her last class of the day. It was math, not with Se?ora Florez, but with the other math teacher, Mrs. Harris. Mrs. Harris was fine, of course, and it would have been selfish to have Se?ora Florez for both Spanish and math.


    Mrs. Feuz was working with the basses and tenors on their choir song, and Alejandra was absently going through the sheet music. Every once in a while she wondered if she should stay an alto, but then they get songs like this where the sopranos were hitting a high G, and alto was the better choice for her.


    There was a tapping noise, and she frowned, looking around. No one else seemed to hear it.


    There was movement out the window, and she glanced over before her head turned all the way to get a good look. Just to make sure she wasn¡¯t imagining Quetzal on a second-story window, scratching it. She fought to keep her jaw from dropping, but it was a losing battle. Quetzal saw her, and he kept scratching at the window, his jaws open in a smile.


    Horrified, she snapped back to look at Mrs. Feuz, who was still going through the tenor and bass parts. She looked again at the window, trying to think of some excuse to walk over and open a window when she was across the other room. There was no way anyone would believe that she needed to open the window for any reason. It was still over a hundred degrees outside.


    Quetzal stopped trying to scratch the window and sniffed instead. Alejandra¡¯s eyes went wide, shaking her head at the drake. She desperately wanted to take her phone out and text Hraktar that Quetzal was here, but neither Hraktar nor Ezekiel had a phone. She doubted they¡¯d know what to do if they got a text.


    The drake scurried away from the window, and Alejandra¡¯s heart pounded. Quetzal couldn¡¯t be here. Akshi was here. If Quetzal got discovered, he¡¯d be squashed easier than any of the other characters who came from the Shrouded Domain.


    Alejandra¡¯s breathing hitched. She raised her hand in desperation. ¡°Mrs. Feuz? Bathroom?¡±


    Her choir teacher nodded, and Alejandra bolted out the door. She wasn¡¯t sure what to do, but there was a bathroom near to the choir room. She had to be careful. There were cameras outside the building and in the hallway.


    She was struck with an idea and rushed into the bathroom. There weren¡¯t cameras in bathrooms. At least there shouldn¡¯t be.


    She jogged in, heading straight for the windows. This building was old, and she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the windows were rusted shut. But she was desperate. She fiddled with the lock before pulling with all her strength. The window creaked open, and Quetzal scuttled over to her, jumping up and down on the ledge in excitement.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t¡­. We¡¯re on the second floor, bud. Hold still. You¡¯re going to fall off!¡± Alejandra whispered.


    Quetzal crawled inside, chittering at her. He stood on her palm, brushing his head under her chin. Alejandra let out a breath, relieved that at least Quetzal was inside.


    ¡°You were supposed to stay with Hraktar. You can¡¯t come find me. It¡¯s too dangerous for creatures like you.¡± The drake climbed on her shoulder. He chittered some more before Alejandra had to grab him again. ¡°I¡¯m serious. You¡¯ve got to stay with Hraktar and Ezekiel. You can¡¯t run off.¡± A different thought struck her. ¡°Hraktar and Ezekiel are fine, right?¡± Quetzal nodded. ¡°So you do understand me?¡± He nodded again. ¡°Then listen to me closely. You cannot find me at school. It¡¯s too dangerous for you. You¡¯ve got to stay with the half orc and the human at home.¡± Quetzal snorted. ¡°I¡¯m serious. There is a dangerous creature here at school.¡± He brushed his head under Alejandra¡¯s chin again, which is when she felt a spark of something. Of understanding. ¡°I¡¯m fine here at school. You don¡¯t need to protect me from Akshi.¡±


    The drake¡¯s body trembled, either from fear or from rage she couldn¡¯t quite tell, but Quetzal seemed to know exactly who Akshi was. He started growling, circling around her palm.


    ¡°No, Quetzal. No, I¡¯m fine. You are not. You¡¯re just a baby. Now, listen. I have about an hour left of school. You need to hide. Okay? I need you to hide somewhere on me, and when I get back to class, I¡¯ll stick you in my backpack. It¡¯s very important you stay in my backpack, okay?¡±


    Quetzal nodded, then climbed up on her shoulders and hid behind her hair. Alejandra let out a nervous breath, bringing some of her hair in front of her and making sure no one could see the blue drake. Very few people could, but one of those people was Akshi.


    With a courage she didn¡¯t possess, she walked calmly back into the choir room with enough time to sit down, feeling the weight of Quetzal on her shoulders. She barely lifted the sheet music before the bell rang. She was more than happy to place her music folder in her backpack.


    ¡°In here, Quetzal. You¡¯ll be safer there,¡± Alejandra whispered, keeping her bag open.


    Quetzal slid inside, curling in the bottom. She had one last class, then she could go home. It was the only time she was relieved to have no after school CCNC club.


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    Alejandra eased her backpack on and moved out of the choir room as carefully as possible. She was careful not to jostle the bag too much as students crowded around her. Her heart skipped a few beats walking down the stairs, close to the main office. Close to Mr. Stower¡¯s office.


    She couldn¡¯t breathe until the main office was behind her, and she approached her locker. She flicked her glasses back up her nose, realizing how sweaty she¡¯d become. What was the point of being the world¡¯s worst liar? A huge sign might as well be on her forehead about a secret creature hiding in her backpack.


    Once her locker popped open, she grabbed her pre-calc book. Quetzal moved around so she could put the textbook in there. The drake stuck his head out of the bag for a moment, sniffing.


    ¡°No. No, stay inside. It¡¯s not safe.¡± The drake growled, then leapt out of her backpack. Alejandra¡¯s heart skyrocketed. ¡°No! Shit, get back here,¡± she said as loudly as she dared. She slammed her locker door and finished stuffing her math book in her bag. ¡°Quetzal! Quetzal!¡±


    The drake zoomed into the sea of students. Alejandra dove in, her eyes bouncing everywhere. Even though he was blue, he was also small, and nearly impossible to find. Turning a corner, she saw Mr. Stower and Akshi not that far behind. ¡°Shit. Shit. Shit.¡±


    Quetzal wouldn¡¯t dare go after Akshi. She remembered the shaking rage even at the name. Quetzal was growing bigger every day, but still a baby.


    Her breathing turned frantic. She searched for any sign of blue and saw him leaping onto the top of lockers a few dozen feet away. He scuttled in full view of anyone who could see him, which meant Akshi and Mr. Stower.


    Alejandra picked up her pace, moving with the students, trying to blend in. She watched in horror as the drake pulled to a stop before doing his little bum wiggle. Was he hunting?


    Quetzal leapt with a shrieking yet adorable battle cry into the middle of the students. She was grateful he was a baby and couldn¡¯t actually shriek that loud. Alejandra saw the familiar light brown hair, and her heart plummeted into her innards. Quetzal was going after Nick.


    Nick barely turned toward the sound before he got a face full of baby drake. He started swearing, backing into some lockers as he tried to pull the drake off the side of his face as Quetzal snarled.


    Alejandra sped up and grabbed Nick by the shoulder, her mind frantic. She dragged him down the hall to the vending machines, a place known as the make out spot because it was in a small alcove where there were no cameras. She¡¯d never utilized it, of course, but it was one of those things students just knew. It wasn¡¯t difficult to drag him, considering Nick was far more focused on dislodging the drake. They slid into the corner, hidden by a wall Alejandra was afraid was way too tiny.


    Nick pulled Quetzal off him, gasping as the baby drake tried to snap at his face. Alejandra grabbed the drake¡¯s jaws, clamping them shut. ¡°No, Quetzal. Bad Quetzal.¡±


    ¡°Alejandra, what the hell¡ª¡±


    She didn¡¯t think. She was flying on pure instinct at this point. Her hand slapped over Nick¡¯s mouth when a familiar slithering sound got closer.


    Nick must have heard it too, because he went perfectly still. Alejandra moved in closer, closing her eyes as he reached out with a hand, resting it on her waist. A guttural noise from the back of Quetzal¡¯s throat rumbled. It stopped when Nick quickly lifted his hand off her. Alejandra opened her eyes enough to see Nick staring at the baby drake with curiosity and a touch of apprehension.


    The slithering got closer, and Alejandra closed her eyes again, looking away. They were fine. The vending machines were down a hall, and there was no way Akshi and Mr. Stower saw them enter this small alcove. They didn¡¯t have enough time. But what about the cameras? Akshi would no doubt see the baby drake on it. It was kind of impossible not to. She¡¯d have to talk to Se?ora Florez about this. She wasn¡¯t sure what to do.


    His fingers circled around her wrist, lowering it from his mouth as Quetzal struggled to snap at his hand.


    ¡°They¡¯re gone.¡± Nick let go of her. ¡°Can you explain¡ª¡± he pointed at Quetzal, ¡°¡ªwhat this is?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Alejandra pulled her drake closer to her. ¡°Quetzal, Nick. Nick, Quetzal. He¡¯s my baby drake.¡± He stared at her in such a way that she had a sinking realization. ¡°Derek¡­ didn¡¯t tell you?¡±


    ¡°Tell me what, exactly?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ I might have taken the drake egg. And it hatched last week.¡±


    Nick stared at her. Stared at her a long time. It struck her that this was their first interaction since she broke up with him for hitting her brother.


    ¡°No.¡± Nick seemed to be aware of how long the silence lasted. ¡°No, Derek failed to mention that.¡±


    Quetzal growled again, jerking his head around so Alejandra lost her grip on his jaws. He went right back to snapping at Nick. His little voice was full of ferocious growls and grunts, like he was trying to talk. Alejandra backed away with Quetzal, because Nick couldn¡¯t back away much further than he already was. She patted Quetzal¡¯s head.


    ¡°Stop, little guy. Nick is¡­¡± Alejandra was about to say a friend, but hesitated. Nick picked up on it instantly. She had the soul churning moment where she glanced at Nick and locked eyes before looking away. ¡°He¡¯s not someone to bite, okay? That was a dangerous thing you did.¡±


    Nick was still there, forced into a corner, watching the interaction with slightly wide eyes. Quetzal kept his dragon-like eyes on him, still growling.


    ¡°M¡¯kay.¡± He pointed over his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m gunna go.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Nick.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    He slipped out of the small area and booked it into the hall. Alejandra sighed, then placed Quetzal in her backpack. ¡°Don¡¯t do that again. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    Quetzal growled in response as he curled over her pre-calc textbook. That was a disaster.


    Alejandra was distracted through pre-calc, trying her best to write her notes with Quetzal curling up for a nap in her backpack. She¡¯d have to talk to Se?ora Florez after school. There was no getting out of it. In the middle of the hall, Quetzal took a flying leap at Nick¡¯s face. She was terrified she was too late. That Akshi was already reviewing the footage right now. Any minute now, the intercom would crackle to life and call her to the office. To Mr. Stower¡¯s office. To sit down and talk about why there was a drake on the side of Nick¡¯s head, and why she dragged him to a place everyone knew didn¡¯t have cameras. What if they were already talking to Nick? Getting his story, then forcing him somewhere so they could ask her? What if their stories weren¡¯t lining up? What if Akshi kidnapped them and forced them at knifepoint to reveal their characters? What if¡ª


    The bell rang, and Alejandra almost leapt out of her seat. A few students chuckled near her. ¡°Jumpy much?¡± one of them asked.


    She didn¡¯t have the heart to smile. She simply gathered her things, not bothering to stuff them in her backpack. Squishing Quetzal was a genuine fear. Luckily, Se?ora Florez was in the math hall, so it wasn¡¯t as long of a trip. She moved down the hall as quickly as she dared before throwing open the door and stumbling inside.


    ¡°Se?ora?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Se?ora Florez was gathering up all the papers around her desk, calm as ever. ¡°Are we having CCNC today? I thought it was tomorrow?¡±


    Alejandra glanced around to make sure the last of the students were gone as she stumbled toward her desk. The story spilled out of her. Everything from fighting drakes to taking the egg to it hatching and then showing her teacher the baby drake. Quetzal had woken up and seemed excited to have another person to meet. Alejandra explained the story, how there was footage of the baby drake on the school camera slipping into the school, then attacking Nick.


    Se?ora Florez took Alejandra¡¯s word vomit, shuffling through it with mild surprise on her face.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to delete it. Akshi¡¯s going to figure out. If he hasn¡¯t already.¡±


    Se?ora Florez raised a hand, the surprise turning into concern. ¡°Alejandra, breathe. It¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. It was clear for anyone to see. The baby drake slammed into Nick¡¯s head and everything.¡±


    ¡°I met Calawit,¡± Se?ora Florez said, lowering her hand to instead start to scratch Quetzal, who loved it very much. ¡°Feisty gnome. Wouldn¡¯t stop pointing a crossbow at me until I gave her a peace offering of a plate of my husband¡¯s sopaipillas. She¡¯s been giving me some charms and enchantments to keep Akshi away. One of those is a spell. She helped me make a protection charm so the cameras no longer show mythical creatures.¡±


    All the air from her body left at once. An almost euphoric joy replaced her fear at what she heard. ¡°So¡­ he¡¯ll never see Quetzal.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Se?ora Florez said. ¡°Rick, Calawit, and I tried it out a few nights ago to be certain. Calawit never showed up on the cameras. The longer Akshi doesn¡¯t notice, the better it will be. The charms are still there, and for now, Akshi hasn¡¯t cast a detect magic spell on them. Once he does, Calawit will know.¡±


    With all the air out of her system, Alejandra took a deep, strangled breath in, then let it out. ¡°Sit down, Alejandra. You¡¯re going to be fine.¡±


    She didn¡¯t need to be told twice. Her knees gave out, and she collapsed in the chair, feeling relieved, feeling sick, feeling frightened, feeling exhausted. Feeling gratitude. ¡°Thank you.¡± She hugged Quetzal closer to her chest.


    Se?ora Florez nodded. ¡°I will keep my promise. Mr. Anderson and I are doing everything we can to keep you all safe.¡±

 Chapter 96

    Rafael walked into his home after his weightlifting session. He didn¡¯t have work today, which he was rather happy about. It was Thursday. The night of the full moon. It was going to rise later tonight, and Ezekiel was setting up outside.


    He opened the back door and slipped outside. Ezekiel was setting up his rug and pillow, making sure his knees were comfortable on it as he knelt. He had heard about Quetzal escaping from a hunt, and how frantic Ezekiel and Hraktar were, looking for the little guy. He also heard Quetzal snuck into school, giving Alejandra a scare. Thankfully everything worked out, because there were a lot of ways that could have gone worse.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Rafael asked Ezekiel.


    ¡°More than ready.¡± Ezekiel glanced at the setting sun. ¡°I¡¯m almost tempted to pray now, but Hraktar keeps telling me to wait.¡±


    ¡°Smart idea. The moon will be in the sky for a while. I don¡¯t want you running out of things to say.¡±


    Ezekiel chortled. ¡°I have too much to say. I got in trouble at the temple for reading books that weren¡¯t based on real life people. But the truth is, I doubt the Great Lady of Light isn¡¯t such a stickler. I think she embraces all stories that require you to look at the world in a more compassionate light.¡± Ezekiel squished his pillow as Rafael stared at him. Ezekiel then brought out a thick book and placed it on the makeshift altar.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to read Lord of the Rings to the Great Lady of Light?¡±


    A huge smile broke across Ezekiel¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m going to read Lord of the Rings to the Great Lady of Light!¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°You know, Derek¡¯s got the extended version of all three movies. Fall break is next week. We should do a movie night. Or nights.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, please! And everyone will be invited?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    ¡°Well, you know. Princess Clarissa. Milo. Grizzizzik. Hraktar,¡± Rafael said.


    Ezekiel nodded, making sure the unlit candles were just right. ¡°I would love to watch those movies with my friends.¡±


    Rafael sighed, glancing around at the cleric¡¯s setup. ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve got yourself set up. Do you want me to stay up with you?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll be alright. Still have a few hours left before moonrise.¡± The cleric then looked at Rafael. ¡°Your own friends have a sort of breaking of the fellowship, huh?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d already be going our separate ways if it wasn¡¯t for you five.¡± Rafael glanced at Hraktar and Quetzal playing fetch in the living area. Quetzal kept running after the ball, and for now wasn¡¯t leaving any marks as he slammed into furniture to get the tennis ball.


    ¡°Keep being a good man, Rafael. That¡¯s all you can do.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Well¡­¡± Rafael didn¡¯t finish.


    ¡°It takes time,¡± Ezekiel said.


    The dread returned to his system. ¡°Do we have time?¡±


    ¡°Working on yourself should never be rushed,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Rafael watched his cleric do some stretches. Ezekiel didn¡¯t feel rushed, so Rafael allowed himself to not dwell in the dread. He pushed himself off the wall and headed toward the sliding glass door. Once inside, he glanced at Ezekiel, who had a lighter, igniting the flame on and off again, the awe clear in his face. Rafael looked again at the dark sky. His cleric was going to be fine tonight. Though maybe he¡¯d have to grab that lighter from him.


    ***


    Derek was talking with Baily and Eric early Friday morning. Honestly, he couldn¡¯t believe it was already October, though in a way, he could. Being in a play performing at the end of October always made the month speed by.


    On that note, he needed to memorize his lines better. Those last monologues as Wadsworth were a beast.


    Milo had snuck in with a large crowd to get a head start on the red mana. He was close to a breakthrough, and the dirty twenty he rolled not long ago had to of helped.


    So far, Baily and Eric were doing a good job being friends. Eric got the part of Mr. Green. Baily got the part of the singing telegram girl. Not nearly as large, but they managed fine. At least, it seemed like they were. Honestly, he couldn¡¯t tell. Sometimes drama kids hid their authentic emotions behind sarcasm and passive aggressive remarks.


    He was thinking about how nice it was to have friends outside of drama when he saw Nick. His heart sputtered to a stop at how dark Nick¡¯s glare was. That was a kid who could not hide his feelings, even if he tried.


    Nick marched over to Derek, his arms folded. ¡°A word?¡±


    ¡°Uh, sure.¡± Derek watched Nick keep walking. He glanced at Baily and Eric before slipping away to catch up. He was worried they would have another fight about Evelyn, and he wasn¡¯t mentally ready for it. As a drama kid, though, he forced those emotions down. ¡°So, um, everything okay?¡±


    Nick spun around. ¡°Yesterday, a baby drake slammed into my head.¡± He lifted his hair enough for Derek to see tiny scratch marks across his scalp. They couldn¡¯t have been that deep. Probably didn¡¯t even bleed.


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    ¡°Huh.¡±


    ¡°¡®Huh?¡¯ That¡¯s all you want to say? Alejandra said you¡¯d keep me informed about things. Hiding a drake egg and then having it hatch is kind of a big thing to not tell me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. That was my responsibility, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Derek said, like he didn¡¯t know. Nick¡¯s glare cut through him, and he sighed. ¡°Fine, alright. I was supposed to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Well,¡± Derek gestured toward Nick, feeling a bit nervous. He meant to tell Nick soon, but he¡¯d been avoiding him the past week. ¡°You¡¯ve had this murderous glare for the past couple of weeks. I¡¯ve been terrified of approaching you because of¡­¡± Derek felt a swirl of guilt come up, and he didn¡¯t want to remind Nick of their last fight. ¡°It was only this Monday you came to school looking like you wouldn¡¯t snap anyone¡¯s neck if they talked to you, and I was¡­¡± building up my courage. ¡°I was afraid if I told you what happened, reminding you that Alejandra got a pet, let alone existed, that murderous look would return.¡±


    Nick continued to glare at Derek, really milking it. Derek tried to smile, but that made his friend¡¯s eyes turn into slits. ¡°If this is going to work, you¡¯ve got to do your job.¡±


    ¡°My job?¡± Derek asked, confused.


    ¡°Evelyn and I need some space. Rafael and Alejandra need it too. If we¡¯re going to work together, we¡¯ve got to have a messenger boy who does his job?¡±


    Derek took a steadying breath. He needed to stay calm, or they might have another blow up. ¡°I admit that I dropped the ball on this one. But if I¡¯m going to shuttle messages between everyone¡­¡± The thought alone made him overwhelmed.


    ¡°Evelyn needs her space. So do I.¡±


    ¡°And I completely respect that. As long as the messages aren¡¯t¡­ you need to promise you won¡¯t give me a dark glare that is¡­¡± Derek gestured toward Nick¡¯s face again. ¡°God, dude, put some black and gold scales on you and it¡¯s a spitting image of Grizziz-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Nick growled.


    He couldn¡¯t help it and snorted. ¡°Okay, fine. Sorry. Forgive me for wanting to enjoy your pleasant nature. I hadn¡¯t seen it in weeks. I was afraid my message would squash it.¡±


    Nick moved his jaw around before the glare finally lessened. ¡°Fine. If it makes it easier to be open and honest with me, then I¡¯ll try not to¡­¡±


    ¡°Bite off my head if I tell you something?¡± Derek suggested, causing Nick to roll his eyes.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Nick folded his arms. ¡°You¡¯re still wrong about Rafael, and the only reason any of us are even talking to each other is because Tyler¡¯s the only one with any sort of sense.¡±


    Derek held in his sigh. ¡°Just¡­ give Rafael a chance?¡± He said it carefully, like he was afraid of the wire he cut on a bomb.


    Nick¡¯s scared eyebrow twitched. ¡°The only chance Rafael is getting from me is if he listens to Tyler and never touches her again. And never talks to her without her permission. And respects her so completely that he never makes another mistake around her.¡±


    Derek nodded. ¡°Honestly¡­ yeah. That¡¯s fair.¡± Nick raised an eyebrow, as though surprised Derek agreed with him. Holy shit, they actually agreed on something. It felt like hope. Did he dare hope? Derek clapped his hands together before rubbing them. ¡°So, Alejandra has a pet baby drake. When that creature grows up in another six months, it¡¯s going to be working with Hraktar and everyone else to kill the mythical creatures before the apocalypse comes.¡±


    Nick kept his arms folded. ¡°Thanks for letting me know.¡± His voice was devoid of all emotion.


    ¡°So, how do you feel about Alejandra and her new pet?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he likes me,¡± Nick said, gesturing toward the scratches on his head.


    ¡°Give him time, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll warm up to you.¡±


    Nick snorted. ¡°Whatever.¡±


    ¡°Hey, so you and Alejandra. How¡¯s that¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Nick said too quickly, looking away.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Derek asked.


    Nick¡¯s face dropped. ¡°I¡­ punched her brother. You don¡¯t come back from something like that.¡±


    Derek shrugged. ¡°I played Puck in A Midsummer Night¡¯s Dream my freshman year during Shakespear. The bard himself has classically trained me to be the ultimate wingman.¡±


    Nick crinkled his nose. ¡°Midsummer Night¡¯s Dream? You mean the play where Puck messes up the love potions and chaos ensues?¡±


    ¡°Shit, you actually read it?¡± Derek asked.


    Nick rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ve noticed, but I have too much time on my hands. Way. Too. Much.¡±


    Derek gave his friend a disbelieving look. ¡°And so you read William Shakespeare?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Nick gave a weird gesture. ¡°A few years ago I saw Alejandra reading it, and I wanted¡­¡±


    Derek stared at Nick, the disbelief turning into shock. ¡°Holy shit, your dad has messed you up socially.¡± Nick dropped his hands, and Derek noticed the usual glare entering his friend¡¯s face. He needed to get off the subject of Walt fast, but he also felt an obligation to check on Nick. ¡°I heard about your dad grounding you for a month. Are you¡­ okay?¡±


    Nick frowned, the glare deepening. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Not like I¡¯d go to CCNC soon, anyway. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Nick trailed off, then studied Derek¡¯s face. ¡°Do you think I should have been punished for punching Rafael?¡±


    Derek met his friend¡¯s gaze, knowing he had to tell him the truth. ¡°If I knew you were going to hit him once, I would have let you. But you looked like you were going to murder him.¡±


    Nick looked away, rubbing his jaw. ¡°Yeah. Rafael doesn¡¯t deserve to die.¡±


    Derek let out an enormous sigh of relief, one that made Nick glance at him curiously. ¡°Oh my god, Nick. I¡¯m so glad to hear you say that out loud.¡± Nick rolled his eyes, though he failed to hide his smile. Derek saw a small burden lift from Nick¡¯s shoulders, and he continued. ¡°So no. I don¡¯t think you should have been punished for punching Rafael. Especially not your dad¡¯s rules. It¡¯s not punishment, it¡¯s abuse. As always.¡±


    Nick snorted. ¡°Not enough for anyone to change things.¡±


    ¡°And¡­ sorry,¡± Derek said. He often felt helpless about Nick¡¯s case, and hearing Walt¡¯s strict rules always brought a dark unease in his chest. He wanted to do something for Nick for three years, but there wasn¡¯t much the law could do.


    Nick folded his arms, tunneling into himself. Derek needed to shock him out of it, so he put on a sarcastic voice. ¡°Anyway, the offer still stands. I¡¯m more than happy to help you in your love life. If not Alejandra, we can look at some other woman who¡ª¡± It worked. Nick was already turning around and walking away, the faintest flicker of a smile on his face. It had been agony not being able to help Nick crack a smile. ¡°It¡¯s fantastic to see you not glaring at the world anymore!¡±


    Nick responded by giving him an obscene gesture, and that, more than anything, solidified in Derek¡¯s mind that his friend wouldn¡¯t sneak into Rafael¡¯s room and strangle him in his sleep.


    A d20 appeared in front of his face, and words appeared.


    Successful?


    Derek¡¯s smile widened as he grabbed the die. He had been rolling a lot of these lately. His smile faltered when it landed on a six.


    ¡°Oh shit.¡±


    He then watched as a +15 bumped it up to twenty-one. Derek¡¯s chest lightened. Milo had gone from a +5 bonus all the way to a +15 in a few weeks! He must have made a breakthrough.


    Successful! Red mana created. Fifty experience points added.


    ¡°Sick!¡± Derek said, adding an extra fist bump for good measure. Fifty experience points wasn¡¯t much, but he¡¯d take every single point right now.

 Chapter 97

    Rafael could not hold still, drumming on the steering wheel with his fingers. They had slaughtered the other team last night at the football game, and he was still filled with pent up energy. His ribs felt a bit better, but the aches reminded him of stupid choices he made.


    Rafael glanced at the rearview mirror to see Ezekiel and Hraktar sitting in the back. When he compared Ezekiel¡¯s experience points with Hraktar¡¯s, he was a thousand points behind. There was a lot to catch up on. Ezekiel was reading a book on Alejandra¡¯s phone, a slight smile on his face. Ezekiel had prayed the entire night, and nothing eventful happened. He was a great cleric. Praying a lot saved him this time, but there was much to do to cure his lycanthropy.


    They pulled into Derek¡¯s driveway. They were the first. He didn¡¯t know how Grizzizzik and Clarissa would arrive, but Rafael assumed Tyler went to pick them up.


    ¡°You ready?¡± Alejandra asked. Quetzal was on her lap, pressing his face against the window.


    Rafael let out a sigh before opening the door. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Ezekiel was already gone, heading straight for the front door. He had already knocked when they approached. Derek opened the door, smiling. ¡°Hey, guys. Come on in.¡± Ezekiel smiled and walked in. ¡°Princess Clarissa¡¯s not here yet.¡±


    That stopped Ezekiel in his tracks. He backed up again to see Derek. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    Derek pulled out his phone. ¡°Evelyn said Grizzizzik and Princess Clarissa are on their way. Something about the princess trying a new animal form.¡±


    Right as he said that, they heard a horse galloping. They turned to see Grizzizzik on the back of a black war horse, closing one eye and looking like he was preparing to get kicked off.


    Rafael felt himself relax. He had been anxious most of the week for this, and most of his nerves came from the idea of being near Nick. Every time he played Ezekiel, Nick was always critiquing his choices, even before he discovered what happened. Nick had been playing Ezekiel a lot longer than Rafael, but it still hurt.


    Yes, there was some deep hurt between the group, but for today, he would enjoy being at the session in case Evelyn wanted to come to the next one. If they didn¡¯t have five characters to get back home, he¡¯d be perfectly fine slinking into the shadows and never talking to these people again. But he had to try.


    The horse, which Rafael assumed was Clarissa, trotted up to the house with Grizzizzik on her back. The rogue had a death grip on the horse¡¯s black mane as the animal stopped, giving a snort. Grizzizzik remained on her back. ¡°We¡¯re going to pretend this never happened.¡± He tried to unclench his fingers from the mane as he tried to get off. The horse snorted.


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t have been that bad, could it?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like horses. Especially ones that are people and don¡¯t know how to be horses. Add that to being forced to ride bareback; you might as well ask me to ride a carriage created by a six-year-old.¡± Grizzizzik was partially down when Clarissa the horse bucked him off the rest of the way. He flung a string of curses in her direction as he found his footing. ¡°Next time I¡¯m stealing Nick¡¯s car and driving here. It¡¯ll be safer.¡±


    Rafael didn¡¯t know if he was serious and shot Derek a look. He already had his phone out. ¡°Yep. I¡¯m texting Evelyn to warn Nick about what he said.¡± Rafael smiled, glad that Derek was in good enough standing with those two.


    Grizzizzik snatched something out of the air, and Rafael didn¡¯t notice it was Quetzal until he was in the rogue¡¯s scaled hands. Alejandra gasped. ¡°Quetzal! No!¡±


    The drake, with his row of jagged baby teeth, was trying desperately to bite Grizzizzik.


    ¡°Quick to fight, aren¡¯t you? I like to see that in a baby. It means you¡¯ll survive longer.¡± Grizzizzik brought Quetzal closer. ¡°Just don¡¯t get on my bad side, kid.¡±


    Quetzal tried again to bite Grizzizzik, snarling. Alejandra grabbed the drake, bringing him closer to her.


    Tyler¡¯s car pulled up as Ezekiel walked over toward Clarissa the horse, smiling. ¡°Hello, beautiful.¡±


    Tyler got out of his car, pocketing his keys, as he saw the horse. He gave Derek, Rafael, and Alejandra a weary smile. Rafael watched as Clarissa morphed back into herself, smiling at Ezekiel.


    ¡°Hello, handsome.¡± She was six feet tall, and Ezekiel was a couple of inches shorter. Rafael had never realized that while roleplaying, but it didn¡¯t make a difference to those two. Once it looked like they were about to kiss again, Rafael tore his gaze away to look at the door. It was too painful to watch. Sure, Clarissa was not Evelyn, and he was not Ezekiel, but he did have a crush on his best friend¡¯s little sister once. And then messed it up so badly he broke her.


    Grizzizzik grumbled as he slipped inside the house where Hraktar and Milo were waiting.


    Quetzal climbed off Alejandra and rushed over to Tyler, who slowed down as the drake sniffed him. ¡°You must be Quetzal.¡± Tyler knelt to pick him up. Quetzal sniffed around before settling on his shoulder. ¡°Nice to officially meet you.¡± He walked toward the group, pulling out his phone as he petted Quetzal¡¯s head. ¡°Have you noticed the gossip?¡± He sounded weighed down with things.


    Rafael felt heat flaring to his cheeks. ¡°Um¡­ gossip?¡±


    Tyler seemed to realize what he meant as soon as he looked at Rafael. ¡°Sorry, not¡­ not about high school. I meant in the community.¡± He showed them what was on his phone. ¡°Local paper, page five. Short message about an increased sighting of gigantic rats, some of them spilling into people¡¯s basement about two weeks ago.¡± Tyler sighed as he brought the phone back to him. ¡°It¡¯s the local paper, but it¡¯s still in there. The demon rats and the regular rats were working together three weekends ago, and it was enough that it was in the paper.¡±


    Derek studied his friend. ¡°Page¡­ five. Of the local news.¡±


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    Tyler sighed. ¡°That¡¯s how it always starts.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so we¡¯ll work hard to make sure it doesn¡¯t get to where it¡¯s in anything other than the local news,¡± Derek said.


    Rafael folded his arms, glancing between the two of them. ¡°Are the rats taken care of now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Tyler glanced at his phone again. ¡°Exterminators took care of it, and left a number if anyone sees anymore.¡±


    ¡°At least no one noticed Shelob or Bassie fighting in the middle of the street two weekends ago,¡± Alejandra said.


    Tyler grunted as he placed the phone back in his pocket. ¡°I¡¯ve been in contact with Neal. There are five other groups around the world who are helping us out. Two here in America, one in Canada, and two in Europe. Their characters are at a slightly higher level, and are working on killing some creatures there, but Neal¡¯s worried about the creatures who made it to Asia. CCNC never got super popular there. Some of the older groups might be going on vacation to Asia later in the year. Neal¡¯s requested that since we¡¯re still kids, we need to stay in place and take care of the creatures here in Elmwood. Princess Clarissa¡¯s bubble is attracting enough monsters that we¡¯ve got our hands full already.¡± He rubbed his forehead.


    There was a moment where the reality of it all hit them. The apocalypse was coming, and there were maybe two dozen people who could actually do anything about it. They were silent until Derek cleared his throat. ¡°So¡­ Calawit¡¯s?¡±


    Tyler nodded. ¡°This¡¯ll be fun.¡± It wasn¡¯t nearly as joyful as his words sounded.


    It wasn¡¯t crowded in the van since Nick and Evelyn weren¡¯t there. A twinge of guilt churned Rafael¡¯s stomach as he saw the empty places. Grizzizzik was in the back, perfectly happy to be by himself even though there was enough room now. Rafael folded his arms, listening to Clarissa and Ezekiel talking to each other. Ezekiel had his arm around Clarissa, and she had her head on his shoulder. Rafael kept his face forward.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Rafael pulled out his phone to text Hazel. He missed her. One of these days she¡¯d come to these, but she was at work.


    Quetzal climbed on Hraktar¡¯s shoulder. The fighter had such a massive shoulder that the drake had no problem curling up there.


    Derek pulled over to the side of the road nearest Calawit¡¯s tent. They got out of the van and headed toward the opening. Rafael didn¡¯t plan it, mostly because he didn¡¯t want to be near Ezekiel and Clarissa, so he was by Grizzizzik. They walked inside, and red petals fluttered down, pressing themselves against the back of Grizzizzik¡¯s palm. The rogue mumbled something incoherent, and Rafael glanced at him. It was almost unnerving how much he resembled Nick when he glared.


    Calawit climbed on the bookshelf. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been your healer, your identifier of lycanthropy, your tavern. What new job do you have for me?¡± Her tone was full of sarcasm, but Rafael glanced at Alejandra with a smile.


    His little sister gave a defeated sigh. ¡°Hey, Calawit.¡±


    The sorcerer raised an eyebrow, straightening her glasses. ¡°Toltrix bless this old body. I wasn¡¯t being serious.¡±


    ¡°I know, but¡­¡± Alejandra pointed at Hraktar, who was holding Quetzal.


    Calawit stared at the baby drake before getting down to study it closer. ¡°So, which one of you is thinking about becoming a ranger?¡±


    Hraktar and Milo glanced at each other. Grizzizzik gave an involuntary shudder.


    ¡°No, just¡­ babysitting? While we¡¯re out attacking creatures?¡± Alejandra¡¯s voice grew quieter the more she spoke until Calawit could barely hear her.


    Calawit kept an eyebrow raised. ¡°Babysitting, huh?¡± Quetzal climbed out of Hraktar¡¯s grip and went to inspect Calawit. Since she was a small gnome woman, no doubt it was strange for Quetzal to see someone more his size. He sniffed as Calawit straightened her glasses. ¡°Hello, little one.¡±


    Quetzal kept sniffing her, and Calawit kept her finger out, looking almost bored. Her fingers glowed, and the pedals dropped from above the door and situated themselves on Quetzal¡¯s paws.


    ¡°Oh, come on, Cal. Do you really think that¡¯s necessary?¡± Milo asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s a baby. This protects him more than it protects my store. Who knows what things he might accidentally poke.¡±


    Alejandra glanced around, and Rafael couldn¡¯t help but realize Calawit was right. There were a ton of weapons. And who knows what potions there were here?


    ¡°I¡¯ll come back for him when we¡¯re done,¡± Alejandra said.


    Quetzal sniffed the petals on his paws. Calawit waved them away. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll start the speaking to animals ritual so I can make sure this baby is properly adjusted to this realm.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Alejandra tucked a lock of her hair behind her ears. ¡°Um, thanks.¡±


    ¡°The big question is, are you properly adjusted to this realm?¡± Milo asked. With a flick of her wrist, one weapon lifted on its own and whacked Milo on the back of the head. ¡°Ow!¡±


    Calawit smirked, then glanced at Ezekiel. ¡°Glad to see you as your cleric self.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too.¡± He patted his torso. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d look great as a wererat.¡±


    ¡°Very few people do,¡± Calawit said.


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason wererats aren¡¯t the subject of paranormal romance books like werewolves,¡± Tyler said.


    Rafael shrugged. ¡°My mom would still read it.¡±


    Alejandra snorted, but covered it up with a cough.


    ¡°How¡¯s that cure going, by the way?¡± Calawit asked.


    The mana fusor pulled out a silver bar from his inventory. ¡°Is this enough?¡±


    Calawit took it in her hands, inspecting it. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. Now you have to find the god, goddess, or minion that will ground it to powder.¡±


    He took the bar back from Calawit. ¡°How, exactly? Considering this realm doesn¡¯t have temples to help us summon deities.¡±


    Calawit shrugged. ¡°I have no idea. You¡¯ll be the first to know if I figure it out.¡±


    Milo sighed, then slipped the silver bar back in his inventory. ¡°We have a month, right?¡±


    ¡°Less than a month,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Clarissa¡¯s fingers tightened over the cleric¡¯s hand. ¡°Twenty-seven days.¡±


    Milo glanced at her. ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Calawit!¡±


    Everyone turned toward the door expectantly. The voice sounded urgent, but unfamiliar. Rafael watched as a big man climbed through the tent opening, getting two petals on his hands. He ignored them, focusing instead on Calawit. ¡°The numbers are growing every day. I don¡¯t like this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hey Phantom,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    The big man nodded. ¡°Grizzizzik.¡±


    Rafael frowned, studying the thief leader. Rafael had never met him. He must have come after he left the game.


    Quetzal appeared out of nowhere, and again Grizzizzik caught the drake midair as he tried to bite Phantom. The big man reacted by letting out a tiny scream and backing away.


    ¡°Easy, drake.¡± Grizzizzik gave the baby a pat. Quetzal didn¡¯t like that either and snapped his jaws at the rogue¡¯s fingers.


    Ezekiel glanced between Phantom and Calawit. ¡°What numbers?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had Phantom check on this growing goblin army.¡± Calawit leaned against a bookshelf. Quetzal escaped Grizzizzik¡¯s hands, running straight for Alejandra before arching his back, growling at Grizzizzik and Phantom, ready to protect her from both of them. The two men ignored the baby.


    ¡°At least two dozen. Some hobgoblins joined, and I¡¯m waiting for them to fight over territory, but it¡¯s not happening,¡± Phantom said.


    ¡°Two dozen goblins?¡± Tyler frowned, taking out his phone. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a lot.¡±


    ¡°Could we take on two dozen goblins?¡± Milo asked.


    Derek shrugged. ¡°You have a flamethrower now. Their armor class is pretty weak, and they don¡¯t have a ton of hit points.¡±


    ¡°And getting them would give us experience points.¡± Rafael glanced again at the measly 595 experience points on Ezekiel¡¯s character sheet. He really needed his cleric to reach level three. It felt odd not being able to cast spiritual weapon yet.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. An army of goblins and hobgoblins?¡± Alejandra picked up the drake, but he still kept his yellow eyes on Grizzizzik and Phantom. ¡°That feels like too much. We¡¯re only at level three.¡±


    ¡°We might as well check it out,¡± Ezekiel said. ¡°We don¡¯t want any of the goblins to stray into this lovely city.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve felt this army, too?¡± Grizzizzik asked Calawit.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumblings. I don¡¯t like that they¡¯re working together. That always leads to trouble.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go see what this is about,¡± Derek said.


    Alejandra frowned. ¡°Wait¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not fight. Just¡­ see,¡± Derek said.


    Alejandra¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°Alright.¡±

 Chapter 98

    They piled into the minivan, but Phantom tipped his nose at it. ¡°I¡¯d rather walk.¡±


    Derek leaned out the window. ¡°We¡¯ll get there faster in the van.¡± Phantom took a deep breath, then studied the van again. Derek hit a button, and the trunk door opened with a beep. ¡°Grizzizzik needs some company.¡±


    ¡°Like hell I do,¡± the rogue muttered from the back.


    Phantom didn¡¯t look thrilled about the prospect, either. After Phantom told Derek where to go, he climbed in the back as Grizzizzik glared at him. It brought a weird atmosphere into the van as Derek pulled onto the road.


    Alejandra fiddled with her hands, no doubt worried about Quetzal. Rafael patted her shoulder. ¡°He¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°I guess I¡¯m more worried about the influence Calawit will have on him.¡±


    Tyler turned around, smirking. ¡°I created her. Do you want me to predict what she¡¯ll do?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please.¡± She tried to sound relaxed.


    Tyler kept his smirk as he closed his eyes. ¡°She doesn¡¯t exactly know how to interact with babies, so she¡¯ll talk to him like he¡¯s already an adult. She¡¯s starting the speak to animals ritual now to explain why he needs to stay away from certain areas of the store. Cal will figure out if she can get some odd jobs out of him, even though he¡¯s smaller than her. If Quetzal does well, I can see them forming quite the partnership among her store.¡±


    Rafael felt his little sister relax next to him. ¡°That¡­ does sound good. If¡­ odd.¡±


    Tyler smiled as he opened his eyes. ¡°Good, yet odd. Two words that describe Cal perfectly.¡±


    ¡°Witchcraft. That¡¯s what this is,¡± Phantom muttered. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be able to predict what Calawit does with such certainty.¡±


    Tyler glanced at his phone. ¡°If it makes you feel better, I¡¯ve never been able to predict what you do. I¡¯ve always rolled dice to determine if your encounter with these characters is noble or selfish.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Derek¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯ve done?¡±


    Tyler shrugged as a frown tugged at Phantom¡¯s lips. ¡°Beg pardon, what?¡±


    Tyler quickly returned to his phone. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    They needed a change of subject, so Rafael cleared his throat. ¡°So, your name is Phantom?¡± The tense atmosphere deflated. Milo smirked, and Clarissa and Ezekiel exchanged humorous glances. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°My name is not¡­ Phantom.¡±


    This confused Rafael. ¡°But you respond to it.¡±


    ¡°Better Phantom than¡­¡± the thief trailed off.


    ¡°Mistweaver?¡± Milo asked.


    A smirk appeared on Clarissa¡¯s face. ¡°Jasper?¡±


    ¡°Nightstriker?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    ¡°Oh, there was that one name. What was it?¡± Milo placed a finger to his chin.


    ¡°Hyde Yertreasure,¡± Hraktar said.


    That brought a snicker from all the characters. Phantom kept his mouth shut, his lips a thin line. Tyler slid his phone in his pocket, a confused look on his face as he glanced at Phantom in the back. ¡°Derek, pull over.¡± He obeyed. They were on the outskirts of town as Tyler and Phantom continued to look at each other.


    ¡°Tyler?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Phantom slowly got to his knees, his eyes narrowing. ¡°You¡­ know my name, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Tyler let out a tiny sigh. ¡°I know you keep your real name hidden, so I never learned it. The name you had when you were a guard for the King of Osvoroth.¡±


    Anger trickled into Phantom¡¯s gaze. ¡°Open this vehicle, now.¡±


    ¡°Tyler?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Whatever his true plans were for this, they have now turned selfish,¡± Tyler whispered. ¡°We cannot trust his¡ª¡±


    A dagger flew past Rafael¡¯s ear, and Tyler jolted back into his seat. The dagger zoomed out of the car. Grizzizzik unsheathed his hell dagger, but Phantom already grabbed Milo around the front, placing his scimitar against his throat.


    ¡°Whoa, dude!¡± Derek said. ¡°Back off!¡±


    ¡°Open the back door. That fortune teller boy comes with me, or I¡¯ll slit the mana fusor¡¯s throat,¡± Phantom said.


    Rafael¡¯s muscles tensed, the need to do something making them quiver. However, he remained in his seat, glaring at Phantom. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly think we¡¯ll let you kidnap Tyler.¡±


    Milo grunted as the scimitar started to cut the skin of his neck. Phantom glared at Rafael. ¡°Try me.¡±


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    ¡°Alright, so¡­ you¡¯re incredibly touchy about your name,¡± Rafael said, his palms forward.


    ¡°Let Milo go,¡± Tyler said, already opening the door. ¡°I¡¯ll comply.¡±


    ¡°No, kid. Don¡¯t comply.¡± Grizzizzik moved the hell dagger into his other hand. ¡°Phantom is such a weakling. All I¡¯ve got to do is dig this into his shoulder and he¡¯ll do what we want.¡±


    Milo grunted as Phantom dug his scimitar deeper into his throat. A trickle of blood ran down his neck. ¡°Should we prove how soft you¡¯ve gotten, Grizzizzik? Try it. Try to dig the dagger into my shoulder and I will slit this one¡¯s throat. I will show you once and for all that you¡¯ve got friends. That you¡¯ll be devastated if one of them dies.¡±


    Grizzizzik growled, a fury in his eyes that Rafael couldn¡¯t interpret. The fact was, he wasn¡¯t sure how the rogue would react, and Nick wasn¡¯t here to clue them in.


    ¡°Tyler?¡± Derek asked, sounding afraid.


    ¡°Open the back.¡± Tyler unbuckled himself. ¡°We need Milo.¡±


    ¡°We also need you,¡± Rafael said.


    Despite the situation, a small smile appeared on Tyler¡¯s face. ¡°I know how your five characters work together. I¡¯m not worried.¡±


    The back door beeped, and Phantom released Milo, keeping his scimitar pointed toward Grizzizzik. ¡°You stay here for ten minutes. If I see any of you before then, I will kill the Tyler boy.¡±


    Alejandra pushed against her seat belt. ¡°You can¡¯t kill him.¡± She glanced at Tyler out the van window. ¡°Can he?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not figure that out,¡± Tyler said. Phantom grabbed him, pulling out a length of rope.


    ¡°Ten minutes. Then you can come find him,¡± Phantom said.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Milo said. ¡°You were going to betray us anyway today, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    Phantom started tying Tyler. ¡°You will never know.¡±


    ¡°Ten minutes waiting in here?¡± Derek asked, hands lazily on his wheels. ¡°Bet you anything there¡¯s a dozen traps out there.¡±


    Milo pulled out a cloth, holding it against his throat as Phantom tied Tyler¡¯s wrists behind his back. ¡°Goblins and hobgoblins. That¡¯s who you said is out there. They don¡¯t gather in such large numbers because they will kill each other for territory. The fact that they¡¯ve been this way for a week or more means they have a leader. That¡¯s why Calawit had you check to see who it was. But she didn¡¯t realize their leader is you.¡±


    Phantom glared at Milo as he finished tying Tyler¡¯s wrists. Derek smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t mess with a former law enforcer.¡±


    Rafael didn¡¯t know Milo¡¯s backstory. He didn¡¯t realize Milo had one. The mana fusor was just there. Phantom gave the rope around Tyler¡¯s wrists an additional tug, causing him to grunt.


    ¡°What was that army to be? Another little gift for Akshi to get closer to licking his boot?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    Phantom ignored him. ¡°Good luck getting through my traps.¡± He grabbed Tyler¡¯s arm and led him away.


    The rogue folded his arms. ¡°See you in eleven minutes.¡±


    Phantom shot him a glare, but kept going, dragging Tyler away. Rafael felt deeply uncomfortable. ¡°So, they can¡¯t kill him, right?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Derek pulled out his phone. ¡°But we¡¯re trying not to let the two worlds interact so much.¡±


    ¡°Are the police really going to help?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°They still can¡¯t see anything. I¡¯m calling Evelyn. They should know what¡¯s happening,¡± Derek said.


    Rafael fell silent. Alejandra kept her phone out, counting down the seconds until ten minutes. Grizzizzik pressed his face against the window, tsking. ¡°Phantom is a complete idiot. Does he really call that stealthing?¡±


    ¡°Hello? Derek?¡±


    Rafael¡¯s heart stopped. Derek put her on speakerphone. He had gone out of his way to avoid her for so long that it made him uncomfortable to hear her voice in the same vicinity.


    ¡°Hey, Evelyn. Just wanted to update you fast. Tyler¡¯s been kidnapped by Phantom, and we¡¯ve got to wait ten minutes before going after him.¡±


    Evelyn gasped. ¡°Oh my god! Is he okay?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ pretty sure. Grizzizzik, keep an eye on him. Maybe we can follow his pattern to avoid traps,¡± Derek said.


    Grizzizzik slipped out of the car. ¡°Already on it. The guy is nothing more than a bumbling fool. We¡¯ll have Tyler back in no time.¡± The rogue leaned against the van, watching.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see him,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°I should be able to see him, since it¡¯s the desert and I¡¯m a desert elf.¡±


    ¡°Did you roll anything recently?¡± Derek asked into his phone.


    ¡°Yes. It was a three.¡±


    ¡°That explains that,¡± Derek mumbled.


    ¡°Where are you guys? I¡¯m coming there.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The word stumbled out of Rafael.


    Derek glanced at him, his face hard to read. ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°Nick¡¯s grounded. He can¡¯t come, and we can¡¯t call him without his father knowing. As much as this sucks, Evelyn¡¯s got to stay there to keep Nick posted about this, and also be there if he needs to contact us. Because¡­ I¡¯m assuming Nick¡¯s got to know, too.¡±


    Derek nodded. ¡°Did you hear that, Evelyn?¡± They heard some shuffling on the phone and Evelyn¡¯s whispered.


    ¡°What!¡± This was unmistakably Nick. There was more shuffling as Nick¡¯s voice came in louder. ¡°Is everyone alright?¡±


    Derek pulled it off speakerphone and talked into the phone. Alejandra was gnawing on her lip. Grizzizzik chuckled. ¡°The idiot set off his own trap. How stupid could a thief get?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m far more concerned about the goblin army he¡¯ll hide behind,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Alejandra glanced at her phone. ¡°Seven minutes left.¡±


    The mana fusor pulled out some wood and began whittling it. ¡°Might as well get a head start on my flame thrower.¡±


    The cleric rubbed his head. ¡°We cannot let them reach the goblin army. We¡¯ve got to get Tyler back before then.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t even know where it is,¡± Milo said.


    ¡°Somewhere in that direction.¡± Grizzizzik pointed at the small figures of Phantom and Tyler.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Alejandra took a deep breath. ¡°This is fine. Absolutely fine. They can¡¯t hurt Tyler. He¡¯s going to be fine.¡±


    Rafael wanted to change the subject, so he glanced at Milo. ¡°So, um¡­ you were kicked out of law enforcement?¡±


    Milo was crafting his cannon, hardly looking up but still nodding. ¡°Sure did. Had a natural talent or what not. Tried to integrate my mana fusor inventions into investigations, but it, ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Blew up in your face?¡± Ezekiel said.


    Milo shrugged, his eyes still focused on his cannon. ¡°You could say that.¡±


    ¡°You seem to do that a lot,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°And I intend to fix my mistakes, too.¡± Milo glanced out the window. ¡°We¡¯ll get back.¡± The certainty in Milo¡¯s voice surprised Rafael.


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep you updated.¡± Derek about turned off the phone, but lingered. ¡°Yes, yes, okay.¡± He let out a sigh. ¡°Of course I promise. We¡¯re all pretty confident we¡¯ll get Tyler back before the evening.¡± He hung up, squirming in his seat. ¡°We¡¯re pretty confident about that, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Sure.¡± Alejandra¡¯s eyes were wide.


    It hit Rafael then about the real-world consequences of this. A thief captain who was touchy about his name kidnapped Tyler. Soon, goblins and hobgoblins could surround them, and they needed to get him back before the day was done, or else people were going to notice. Or forget about Tyler. Rafael curled his fingers into a fist. They needed Tyler. This group needed him. He was the glue holding everyone together, and if he wasn¡¯t there, they¡¯d never recover.


    ¡°Oh, god, we¡¯ve got to get Tyler back,¡± Rafael said. Tyler was the one emailing Neal and the others. He was their game master. They needed Tyler to not be surrounded by an army of goblins.


    Derek unbuckled himself. ¡°That¡¯s the plan. How much time do we have left?¡±


    ¡°Three minutes,¡± Alejandra said.

 Chapter 99

    Milo blew on his cannon, and it glowed. ¡°Phantom doesn¡¯t like pain. It won¡¯t take us long.¡±


    ¡°Grizzizzik?¡± Derek asked.


    The rogue pointed. ¡°Keeping my eye on them. They just disappeared over there, and I¡¯m certain he¡¯s sprung two of his own traps.¡±


    Ezekiel slipped out of the van. ¡°Can we make it before he reaches the army?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where the army is,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± Ezekiel sniffed, then he touched his head, wincing.


    The rogue gave him a look. ¡°You alright?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of bright today, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ezekiel shaded his eyes.


    Grizzizzik glanced at the sky, then back at the cleric and said nothing. Rafael wasn¡¯t sure how to take this. It was about as bright as any other day. He could only assume this was a hint of the wererat, but he didn¡¯t enjoy thinking about it.


    Alejandra¡¯s phone beeped. ¡°That¡¯s ten minutes. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Single file, step where I step. Phantom¡¯s an idiot, but we still need to take this carefully. Please.¡± Grizzizzik gave Hraktar a pointed look.


    The fighter folded his arms. ¡°I¡¯m bigger than you. It¡¯s not my fault I set off traps from higher up.¡±


    ¡°Then crouch.¡± With a fluid movement, Grizzizzik lifted his hood and started off.


    Rafael fell between Derek and Alejandra. The going was silent. Grizzizzik held his rapier, his eyes darting over the open space. Rafael listened to Alejandra¡¯s hitched breathing, worried she might have a panic attack.


    The rogue held up a hand, frowning. Everyone stopped, not breathing. ¡°Son of a bitch,¡± Grizzizzik muttered.


    The ground shook beneath them. Milo threw his hands out. ¡°Shit, Grizzizzik, what did you do?¡±


    The answer came when the ground disappeared from under them. Rafael braced himself for the fall and hoped Hraktar wasn¡¯t anywhere near him.


    They landed, the wind knocked out of Rafael. Grizzizzik growled as the pit grew dark again. Rafael coughed, looking up to watch whatever covering kept the pit hidden, had snapped back into place. It was pitch black inside.


    ¡°Sound off. Everyone alive?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    There was a chorus from all five characters that they were fine.


    ¡°Alejandra? Derek?¡± Rafael asked.


    They were both fine. There was a bit of scuffling before light illuminated the pit. Derek had his phone out and turned on the flashlight, getting to his feet. ¡°Well, someone rolled low.¡±


    ¡°The dice have nothing to do with it.¡± Grizzizzik brushed off his cloak. ¡°I successfully got us past three other traps. With so many traps, one was bound to get past me.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Derek placed his hands in his hair and shook them. ¡°Sounds good, Grizzizzik. At least there weren¡¯t spikes in this one.¡±


    Ezekiel looked at the trapdoor above them, about twelve feet. ¡°So, how do we get out?¡±


    Grizzizzik pulled out his thieves¡¯ tools. ¡°There¡¯s always a mechanism somewhere.¡± He glanced around, then pointed to a box halfway up. ¡°There. Hraktar?¡±


    Hraktar moved forward, then reached out a hand. Grizzizzik grasped it, climbing up the fighter¡¯s body before sitting on his shoulders, opening the box. Rafael watched, fascinated. Grizzizzik and Hraktar often butted heads, but when he thought about it, they were also often fighting side by side in every battle. Maybe this was what Tyler meant about them working well together.


    Derek held up his phone. ¡°Do you need the flashlight?¡±


    The rogue pointed to the corner of his eye. ¡°Dark vision.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Right.¡±


    He went back to twisting his tools around.


    Clarissa watched, almost bemused. ¡°You could use your mage hand for that. I hear arcane tricksters can do this with magic.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Ezekiel asked, impressed.


    Grizzizzik grumbled something unintelligible. Clarissa shook her head, smiling. ¡°You might need it in the future, and you¡¯ll want to practice.¡±


    Tools clinked together as Grizzizzik glared at the box. ¡°I¡¯m not using magic unless I have to.¡±


    With a final twist, the opening lifted, and daylight returned. Grizzizzik returned the tools to his inventory before climbing off Hraktar¡¯s shoulder. Clarissa got closer to the edge. ¡°I can climb up there as a spider.¡±


    Ezekiel took out some rope from his inventory. ¡°I have some rope we can use to climb out.¡± Clarissa took it, placing it in her own.


    ¡°Did you notice where the traps were?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    ¡°I noticed the darts in the trees not that far back.¡±


    Grizzizzik nodded. ¡°Good. Don¡¯t tie it around that tree. Tie it around the other one.¡±


    Hraktar rubbed his shoulder. ¡°Will it be strong enough for me?¡±


    ¡°It should, as long as you double it,¡± Milo said, glancing at Clarissa.


    The cleric gave the fighter a firm pat on the upper arm. ¡°Think light thoughts.¡±


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    Hraktar winced at the touch, causing his muscles to ripple. ¡°I¡¯ll go last.¡±


    With a swirl of sand, Clarissa disappeared. They were all super careful as Hraktar scooped up the wolf spider, reaching as high as he could, letting Clarissa the spider scuttle up the side of the wall. Rafael waited, heart hammering. He wasn¡¯t sure how long they remained down here, but every minute they were trapped was another minute Tyler got closer to a goblin army.


    It didn¡¯t take long before the rope dropped into the pit. Milo gave it a good tug before climbing up. One by one, they took turns. Rafael climbed the rope, hoping it wouldn¡¯t break halfway through. Once he got to the top of the pit, he shaded his eyes to try and see Phantom or Tyler, but they were gone.


    Ezekiel and Milo helped Derek climb over the top. He panted, sitting on the ground. Rafael glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. ¡°You alright?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say strength isn¡¯t one of my abilities,¡± Derek said.


    Rafael walked over to the edge of the pit, watching Alejandra climbing with Hraktar at the bottom, ready to catch her if she slipped. Rafael knelt down, grabbing Alejandra¡¯s elbow once she was close enough and helped her up the rest of the way.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    She rubbed her wrist. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Hraktar was left. They all glanced at him as he looked at the rope.


    ¡°Come on, big guy. We¡¯ve got you,¡± Milo said.


    It didn¡¯t comfort the fighter. ¡°Perhaps you should go on ahead without me. I can figure out a way. We¡¯re wasting time.¡±


    Grizzizzik gave a thumbs up. ¡°We¡¯ll be back for you soon.¡±


    The rogue started to leave, but Ezekiel grabbed him by his cloak hood, keeping him in place. ¡°Not going to happen.¡± Ezekiel looked at Hraktar. ¡°If things go south, we¡¯ll need every member of our team. Especially our fighter. We won¡¯t leave you behind.¡±


    Rafael frowned, folding his arms. It made sense for them to need each other. Their group was splintered, but at least their characters could still work together.


    Hraktar sighed, then started up the rope. He went slowly at the beginning, but when he got halfway, he sped up. Once he was near enough, Ezekiel and Milo hoisted him up.


    ¡°Great job thinking light,¡± Ezekiel said, clapping him on the back again.


    ¡°Yeah, uh¡­ no problem.¡±


    Rafael glanced at everyone¡¯s hit points. None of them escaped unscathed from the fall. The one hurting the most was Ezekiel, who lost four hit points. Milo lost four hit points, too, but it looked much worse on Ezekiel. He was down to fourteen, whereas the mana fusor still had a healthy twenty-four hit points. He really needed to level Ezekiel up.


    Grizzizzik wrapped up the rope again before tossing it to Ezekiel. Alejandra gave Hraktar a hug, and he hugged her back.


    ¡°Come on, we¡¯ve got to keep going.¡± Grizzizzik checked his weapons.


    They walked deeper into the outskirts of town. Grizzizzik¡¯s shoulders relaxed the farther they got. He knelt and picked up an arrow with a touch of blood. Grizzizzik sniffed it before tossing it aside. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it. It¡¯s poisoned,¡± he said as casually as ever.


    ¡°Poisoned?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°I hope it nicked Phantom. It¡¯ll slow him down.¡± Grizzizzik stood up, following the tracks.


    There was a hissing and a familiar rattling.


    ¡°Ah, shit,¡± Rafael said. They had strayed far from the path, so it was a matter of time before they ran into a rattlesnake. Or three.


    Grizzizzik shoved a hand to the side, keeping everyone behind him. He started hissing back at the snakes, almost snarling. Milo approached with his flamethrower, but Clarissa grabbed his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t agitate the poor dears.¡±


    ¡°Princess,¡± Ezekiel started to say.


    ¡°Hush. I¡¯m trying to listen.¡± She knelt next to three snakes. ¡°Hello, my lovelies.¡± She reached out to pet the rattlesnake like she would to Quetzal. Something deep inside Rafael said the next thing that would happen was the snake would bite her, and Ezekiel would have to heal her, but the snake did nothing. It kept hissing, examining her hands. ¡°We mean no harm. One of our dear friends has been kidnapped, and we need to locate him.¡± She listened to their hissing, all three snakes lifting their bodies to speak with her better. Rafael stared, wondering if they were magical creatures, but he was pretty sure the magical kind would be twenty feet long. They must be from earth.


    Clarissa giggled, which felt strange for a woman talking to three rattlesnakes. ¡°Why yes. Those are the two we¡¯re looking for. Have you seen any goblins or hobgoblins about?¡± There was more hissing. ¡°Yes, the goblins will be short, nasty little things. Hobgoblins about our size.¡± Rafael and Derek exchanged glances as there was more hissing. ¡°Oh. Oh dear, that¡¯s troublesome indeed. Thank you for the information.¡± She was going full on Disney princess right now. The only thing she was missing was ordering creatures to clean a room. ¡°Thank you, my friends. We will leave you in peace.¡± There was another hiss. ¡°Yes. That one especially will leave you alone.¡± She pointed at Grizzizzik with her thumb. ¡°I will see to it personally.¡±


    Clarissa stood up, brushing herself off. ¡°There are twenty goblins and eight hobgoblins. Also, two creatures the snakes described as large. Hraktar size large, but not as muscular.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, so Phantom¡¯s been lying to us,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Milo placed his flamethrower on his shoulder. ¡°Is anyone surprised?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt them. They know our intentions, and they won¡¯t hurt us.¡± Clarissa gave a pointed stare at Grizzizzik. He grumbled.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°This way.¡± Clarissa lifted her dress enough to step over bushes.


    Grizzizzik grumbled again as he followed her. Rafael hid a smile as he moved, giving the snakes plenty of space.


    They approached a hiking trail, one Rafael wasn¡¯t familiar with, but the air shifted. He heard the shrieking and the jeers. There was a tiny dip before a deeper drop off. Grizzizzik took Clarissa¡¯s shoulder, placing a finger to his lips. He then crouched down and crept forward toward the drop off. Rafael folded his arms, feeling antsy. He hoped Phantom and Tyler weren¡¯t here yet, but they¡¯d taken too long getting out of that trap.


    Grizzizzik slinked back, looking grim. True, he always looked grim, but Rafael had a bad feeling about this one. ¡°They¡¯ve got that kid surrounded by the hobgoblins. They¡¯re torturing him.¡±


    Alejandra gasped, and Derek stiffened. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Or at least they¡¯re stabbing him over and over again. No doubt learning he can¡¯t be killed and figuring out why,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Rafael rubbed his forehead. ¡°Shit.¡±


    ¡°And the creatures the snakes were describing were ogres,¡± Grizzizzik said. ¡°Two ogres fighting for dominance. I¡¯d give them time to beat each other, but Phantom is a little too stab happy with that Tyler kid.¡±


    All the characters glanced at Ezekiel, waiting. Ezekiel was rubbing his chin. ¡°The priority is getting Tyler out of Phantom¡¯s hands. Clarissa, do you have another animal change in you?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No. We haven¡¯t exactly been resting.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Then the best idea is to go in fast and hard. Hit them as many times as we can before they can react. Milo, Hraktar, you circle around and hit the goblins. That flamethrower should hit them well enough. And Hraktar, look threatening to draw most of the crowd to you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be so hard for you,¡± Grizzizzik muttered.


    ¡°Clarissa, Grizzizzik, and I will work on extracting Tyler safely. Grizzizzik, you take on Phantom. Clarissa and I will deal with any hobgoblins that remain. Any questions?¡±


    Everyone shook their heads, with Milo already holding his cannon.


    ¡°I¡¯ll cast pass without trace, and we can have that until Milo and Hraktar part ways,¡± Clarissa said.


    ¡°Good idea.¡± Ezekiel glanced at Hraktar and Milo. ¡°Then I¡¯ll cast guidance to both of you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your spell, Princess.¡± Grizzizzik almost sounded offended. ¡°Milo and Hraktar need it more.¡±


    ¡°No, Ezekiel needs it more.¡± Clarissa took out a few sprigs. ¡°Since you¡¯re with us, you¡¯ll enjoy an almost invisible existence.¡±


    Grizzizzik grumbled, but Clarissa was already muttering the incantation as Ezekiel started his own spell.


    Time slowed down, and Rafael saw the words in his sight.


    Roll for stealth.


    The spell would work beautifully, at least while they were together. Once Milo and Hraktar moved away, hopefully they had enough of a stealth to get a few shots in. Or a shot where Milo burns at least ten goblins.


    Rafael rolled and groaned when it landed on a three. He got a +1 with his modifier, but that added +10 was a godsend. Fourteen would have to be enough.


    Time resumed again, and Rafael studied the faces of Derek and Alejandra. They did not look too worried, which helped him not feel so uneasy.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Ezekiel turned toward Rafael, Derek, and Alejandra. ¡°You three stay here.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep an eye out,¡± Derek said.


    Their characters slid quietly down the dip before disappearing.

 Chapter 100

    Alejandra let out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s nice having Ezekiel back.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Derek said. He peered over the edge, and Rafael pulled out his phone. He tapped his camera before zooming in, seeing the goblins surrounding the hobgoblins. The two ogres were fighting each other, and Rafael seriously hoped they were draining each other¡¯s hit points. He noticed Phantom and zoomed in as close as possible.


    ¡°I see Tyler.¡±


    Derek peeked over his shoulder. ¡°Is he alright?¡±


    Rafael didn¡¯t answer. He wasn¡¯t sure how to. He watched on his zoomed in camera as Phantom stabbed Tyler. Their game master winced but didn¡¯t react how Rafael expected someone to when they got stabbed in the gut. Phantom asked something Rafael couldn¡¯t hear, and Tyler said nothing.


    ¡°Well, it could be worse,¡± Derek said.


    Rafael glanced at him with raised eyebrows. ¡°He could actually get stabbed in the gut?¡±


    Derek¡¯s nod was grim. ¡°As soon as the two groups start the fight, let¡¯s get down there.¡±


    ¡°We should stay here,¡± Alejandra said.


    Derek pointed toward a nice patch far enough away from the army. ¡°It¡¯ll be easier to guide their decisions if we actually hear what they want.¡±


    ¡°Then how do you explain Grizzizzik and Princess Clarissa with Nick and Evelyn?¡± Alejandra asked.


    No one said anything. No one wanted to. Rafael again glanced at the enormous army their characters would face. At least there were only two ogres. He didn¡¯t know how Derek, Evelyn, and Nick did this with fifteen orcs.


    Derek straightened. ¡°It¡¯s starting. I got prompted to roll for a hit.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± Despite the heat, Alejandra rubbed her shoulder. ¡°Twenty-one.¡±


    ¡°Nice. I got a ten. I have a bad feeling that¡¯ll miss.¡±


    They watched as two arrows flew into the sky, one smacking an ogre in the shoulder, the other bouncing off the thin armor, but definitely getting its attention. Milo appeared, getting down on one knee and holding his flame thrower. The flames barely licked some of them. There was a chance they wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat all of them. But they had to get Tyler out as fast as possible.


    A third arrow whacked the ogre Milo missed. Was that from Grizzizzik? He wasn¡¯t supposed to go for that ogre. He needed to focus on Phantom.


    Despite the hot Arizona afternoon, a bonfire magically appeared in the middle of the army, many of them scuttling away in surprise as Clarissa dropped the stealth charm.


    The surprised goblin, hobgoblin, and ogre faces froze, and words filled his vision.


    Roll for initiative.


    Rafael felt worried and sick to his stomach. Was he ever going to get used to this?


    Three. His d20 landed on a three. It was fine. Things were fine. Ezekiel was well hidden. Again. He hoped the lycanthropy wouldn¡¯t rear its ugly head at all.


    Time resumed and Clarissa moved forward, the bonfire dying immediately, leaving some bushes on fire. She then said some words, pointing at a few hobgoblins, and their armor glowed white hot. Rafael raised an eyebrow as the creatures started shrieking.


    The goblins screeched at Hraktar and Milo, pulling out their short bows and letting them loose on them. Alejandra gasped as she watched Hraktar grab Milo, then protect him with his body. Rafael winced as Hraktar¡¯s health points went from thirty-one to sixteen.


    ¡°Ouch.¡± Derek glanced at Milo¡¯s untouched health bar. ¡°But thank you.¡±


    ¡°I hope it helps. We need to destroy that army before they try that again,¡± Alejandra said.


    One ogre roared to the other one, and they went back to punching each other.


    ¡°Ouch.¡± Derek rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Well, let¡¯s hope they keep fighting each other. That would be fantastic.¡± Phantom placed a scimitar against Tyler¡¯s throat, shouting something. Derek shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ve got to get closer.¡±


    Rafael nodded before climbing down the small cliff. It wouldn¡¯t make for an easy getaway. The ogre jammed his javelin into the gut of the other one. It shrieked, pulling away.


    ¡°Yes, please. Just keep fighting,¡± Rafael muttered. They stayed in the tree''s shade. Rafael kept his eyes on Tyler. He was still on the ground, but watched the fight carefully.


    Grizzizzik pointed his short bow at Phantom. ¡°Let the boy go.¡±


    ¡°You shoot that at me I will¡ª¡± Phantom didn¡¯t get to finish, because Grizzizzik shot the arrow at his face. The thief dodged it, but when he looked back at Grizzizzik, he already had another arrow ready. Phantom¡¯s glare darkened. ¡°You son of a bitch.¡±


    ¡°Call your army off,¡± Grizzizzik said, staring Phantom down.


    Hraktar, with a few arrows sticking out of his back, pulled out his great sword and slid on his knees, taking a huge whack out of the goblin army. Some of the smaller goblins went flying, with quite a few getting chopped in half. A nice chunk of the goblin army was now dead.


    Breathing in relief, Derek patted Alejandra on the back. ¡°So glad we did not leave him behind.¡±


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    ¡°I agree.¡± A smile appeared on Alejandra¡¯s face.


    The hobgoblin army seemed to be one mass of white-hot metal as Clarissa kept her hands forward, observing them. They shrieked in pain, unable to do anything.


    Milo tried to kneel and use his flamethrower, flames exploding into the goblin army. Many of them were burned, and Milo prepared to use his crossbow, but missed. The bolt got way too close to an ogre, and it spun around, noticing Milo and Hraktar for the first time.


    ¡°Shit, shit, shit,¡± Derek said.


    Rafael ran a hand down the side of his face. ¡°So much for them fighting with each other now.¡±


    ¡°We¡­ might still have a chance,¡± Alejandra said.


    No one said anything. The goblin army was looking pathetic, and one more powerful blow from Hraktar¡¯s great sword would do them in. Clarissa was handling the hobgoblins, but now they had two ogres to worry about.


    Time slowed down, and Rafael sifted through his options. He didn¡¯t want Ezekiel running into battle with fourteen hit points, especially after what happened to Hraktar. Tyler was their top priority, and thankfully, Rafael prepared just the spell for it.


    Time resumed, and Ezekiel walked forward, one hand on his medallion, the other outstretched. Golden light filled his eyes. ¡°Drop!¡± Ezekiel¡¯s words multiplied in volume before Phantom hunched over, dropping the scimitar against Tyler¡¯s throat.


    With a flick of Clarissa¡¯s fingers, the hobgoblins shrieked again as their white-hot armor continued to burn. Clarissa lifted her hand to the sky before a spirit of a bear came out of her, running around the encampment.


    The smile was obvious on Derek¡¯s face. ¡°I love that woman so much.¡±


    Ezekiel received an added eight hit points, which made Rafael¡¯s tense shoulders relax.


    The goblins again shot at Hraktar and Milo. Milo dodged the few arrows that remained as Hraktar took one to the shoulder, dropping his health to eighteen.


    The ogre that looked far worse picked up his great club and took a swing at Hraktar, who easily dodged it. He steadied himself before gripping his great sword. The other ogre tried to stab Hraktar with the javelin, but he caught it with his great sword, then planted his feet before causing the javelin to sail out of the ogre¡¯s reach.


    Derek¡¯s eyebrows shot up, impressed. ¡°Dear god I love that fighter too.¡±


    Alejandra beamed.


    Phantom kept his free hand open as his gaze bounced between Ezekiel and Grizzizzik. ¡°Don¡¯t do something you¡¯ll only regret.¡±


    ¡°Take your own advice, you son of a bitch.¡± Grizzizzik¡¯s bow sang as an arrow dug into Phantom¡¯s shoulder. The bandit screamed in pain, stumbling back. Grizzizzik moved between Tyler and Phantom. ¡°Last warning. Call off your army.¡±


    As this was happening, Hraktar grabbed his great sword and, with a shout, made a wide, sweeping motion, slicing the bellies of both ogres. Rafael¡¯s jaw dropped as one of the ogre¡¯s knees buckled. ¡°Ho. Ly. Shit.¡±


    Alejandra did nothing but smile as Hraktar swung his great sword around again, slamming it into the ogre¡¯s side. How the creature was still alive, Rafael didn¡¯t know, but it looked like a good punch to the face would kill it. Phantom noticed that move too, no doubt far more inclined to listen to Grizzizzik.


    Some of the hobgoblins¡¯ armor was finally cooling down. Clarissa braced herself for an attack, but they were still recovering. The druid was single-handedly taking care of the hobgoblins.


    Milo smacked his flamethrower before pointing it and his ice crossbow again at the goblins. The crossbow went wild, but the flamethrower burned the army right down the middle. There was maybe one goblin left standing, and he was seriously injured, looking like he¡¯d rather be anywhere but here.


    ¡°Your goblin army is done,¡± Grizzizzik said as Ezekiel untied Tyler and helped him to his feet. ¡°Surrender.¡±


    Phantom had a hold of his shoulder, glaring at Grizzizzik. ¡°Never!¡±


    The rogue rolled his eyes. ¡°You always do in the end, Phantom. Stop pretending to be brave.¡±


    Time slowed down, and Rafael scrolled through his spell options. To be honest, he wanted the goblin army completely gone. He didn¡¯t want Milo or Hraktar to waste their action by getting rid of a single goblin.


    He picked sacred flame, targeting that one goblin, and rolled the d8. It landed on a seven. Unless that goblin had an insane dexterity save, he was toast.


    Time resumed, and Ezekiel pointed his hand right at the goblin before a white flame slammed into it. Grizzizzik glanced at Ezekiel, and he nodded. ¡°Now the goblin army is destroyed.¡±


    Clarissa started whispering something, moving her hands around before thorny vines burst out of the ground, tangling up all the hobgoblins. They shrieked, struggling with the vines squeezing them. Clarissa folded her arms, a slight smile on her face. Ezekiel whispered something to Tyler, and he nodded, waiting.


    ¡°And now your hobgoblin army is trapped,¡± Grizzizzik said. ¡°No one would care if you gave up. You do it enough. No one¡¯ll be surprised.¡±


    Phantom panted as he kept gripping his shoulder, but still pointed his glare at Grizzizzik.


    The ogre on his last leg picked up his club with an energy given to the dying and hurtled it toward Hraktar. It smashed into the fighter¡¯s torso, cracking ribs as he was thrown back. His hit points plummeted to nine. Grizzizzik¡¯s gaze shot toward Hraktar, distracting him long enough for Phantom to pounce. The bandit tried to stab Grizzizzik, but the rogue sidestepped it, lowering his bow and pulling out his rapier. The other ogre tried to hit Hraktar, but the club barely nicked him. Hraktar wiped the blood from his chest before holding his great sword once again ready. Grizzizzik went for a strike with his rapier, but Phantom blocked the blow with his scimitar. Things were happening fast. Almost too fast for Rafael to keep up.


    With a signal, Tyler snuck around the battle, seeing them at a safer distance, and headed toward them. Hraktar tried to attack the weaker ogre, but he missed. Milo ran in front of Hraktar, holding his cannon and his crossbow at both ogres. The ice bolt sailed right through the ogre¡¯s eye and out the other side, taking some brain matter with it. The ogre was upright for a second before it collapsed to the ground, dead.


    Once he was far enough from the battle, Tyler jogged over to them. Derek patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Glad you¡¯re alive.¡±


    Tyler shrugged. ¡°Never doubted you guys. Or your characters.¡±


    Milo¡¯s flamethrower came to life, and the ogre stumbled back with singed skin. It did not look happy.


    Time paused for Rafael, and he looked at his options before glancing at the scene before him. If he remembered right, Grizzizzik needed someone next to him as he fought to give him advantage with sneak attack. Ezekiel might do better fighting a bandit who was most likely to give up. He picked his mace, then rolled the dice.


    Thirteen. With a +4, seventeen was a pretty high number. Getting a d6 had to mean he got through the armor.


    He got a three, and with a +2, he hoped Phantom would give up soon and call off the army.


    Time resumed, and Ezekiel pulled out his mace, whacking Phantom in the shoulder that had an arrow sticking out of it.


    ¡°Ow!¡± Phantom shouted as Ezekiel moved beside Grizzizzik.


    Ezekiel raised a finger. ¡°I am more than happy to heal that once I get your assurance you won¡¯t attack us again.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Ezekiel,¡± Grizzizzik said, holding his rapier.


    Clarissa pulled out her scimitar and tried to stab one hobgoblin as Phantom sliced at Grizzizzik with his. The rogue easily side stepped the stab, looking disappointed at Phantom. ¡°You¡¯ve got to try harder.¡±


    Phantom glared at him. As the ogre tried and missed to whack Hraktar in the face, Grizzizzik also tried to strike at Phantom with his rapier, but the bandit blocked it with his scimitar.


    Hraktar grunted, slamming his great sword into the ogre¡¯s shoulder. It shrieked in pain. Some hobgoblins broke out of the vines, readying their bows. Milo stepped forward and blast the vines with his flamethrower. The entire thing erupted into flame, and Clarissa and Milo exchanged a thumbs up before the mana fusor spun around and shot an ice bolt into the other shoulder of the ogre. The ogre screamed in pain.


    ¡°Whoa. These people¡­ work incredibly well together,¡± Rafael said.


    Despite getting dragged through the desert and stabbed, Tyler had a huge smile on his face. ¡°You never should have doubted me.¡±

 Chapter 101

    Time slowed down, and Rafael knew Ezekiel needed to remain by Grizzizzik¡¯s side. If there was a chance the rogue could pierce the armor, he could get excellent damage with that sneak attack.


    Rafael chose his mace again and got a seven. The bonus gave him eleven, but it looked like it wasn¡¯t enough.


    No extra dice appeared, and time resumed. Ezekiel tried to hit Phantom, but it was too wide, and Phantom was too quick. The most important thing, though, was Ezekiel remained by Grizzizzik¡¯s side.


    Clarissa slammed her scimitar into the weak shoulder area of the hobgoblin armor. The creature shrieked, dropping to the ground, dead. There weren¡¯t many left. They had to be almost done. Phantom tried again to strike at Grizzizzik, but the rogue was too fast, blocking his blow. They were having a full-blown sword fight at this point.


    The ogre shrieked, then slammed his javelin into Hraktar¡¯s gut. Alejandra gasped as Hraktar¡¯s hit points plummeted to zero, then went back to one. The fighter stumbled back, then shook his head, gripping his stomach.


    ¡°Hraktar!¡± Milo said.


    Phantom smirked. ¡°Your fighter will go down soon. Everyone knows he¡¯s half your army.¡± Grizzizzik started growling. He went with a wild swipe, but Phantom blocked it again, laughing. ¡°You really care about these people, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s teeth lengthened. ¡°How painful do you think it¡¯ll be when I cut your tongue out?¡±


    The remaining hobgoblins turned toward Clarissa, letting loose a lot of arrows. Clarissa tried to dodge them, but two hit each arm, and another grazed her side. She groaned, backing away as her hit points trickled from thirty-one to twenty-one.


    Milo ran in front of Hraktar, pointing both the flamethrower and the crossbow right at the ogre. ¡°My turn to protect you, my friend.¡±


    The ice bolt smacked the ogre in the throat, and the flames blasted his body. The ogre shrieked, then stopped. Its eyes rolled up into his head as he collapsed, dead.


    Alejandra wrapped a hand around Derek¡¯s side. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He patted her shoulder. ¡°Milo hasn¡¯t prepared cure wounds for a while now, or else he would have used that on him.¡±


    ¡°Hraktar will be fine. There¡¯s no way Phantom can hold on much longer,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Ezekiel¡¯s got this.¡± Rafael wasn¡¯t sure if they heard. Either way, Rafael was next and chose preserve life.


    Time resumed, and Ezekiel turned his head, staying beside Grizzizzik. He clasped his medallion and whispered a prayer to the Great Lady, holding out his hand toward the fallen form. White mana shot from his hand and entered Hraktar¡¯s body. The fighter gasped, sitting up as ten hit points tumbled into his bar.


    ¡°God, I¡¯ve missed Ezekiel,¡± Derek said.


    Alejandra smiled at Rafael. ¡°And we¡¯ve missed you, too.¡±


    Rafael smiled as he tried to believe the compliment.


    Clarissa ran into the small gathering of hobgoblins, slashing one with her scimitar. It dropped, leaving two left.


    ¡°Give up, Phantom. Akshi will never accept this army now,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    The bandit shouted as the rogue stopped the scimitar with his rapier. He pushed the scimitar away before slicing Phantom across the gut. With a shout of pain, Phantom grabbed his stomach and backed away.


    Hraktar walked forward. With a wide movement, he beheaded the remaining hobgoblins. Rafael raised an eyebrow. ¡°Nice.¡±


    Milo walked to the other side of Ezekiel, holding up his cannon and crossbow. Phantom¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa. Okay. Let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s not do anything too hasty.¡±


    ¡°There it is.¡± Grizzizzik sheathed his rapier.


    The mana fusor kept his weapons up. ¡°Drop your scimitar.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, alright.¡± Phantom slowly lowered his weapon.


    Clarissa healed herself as she limped over to the rest of the group. Her limp became less noticeable as golden mana weaved itself throughout her body. She reached Ezekiel¡¯s side as her health bar filled all the way to twenty-four. Rafael took that as a hint. He walked closer to the now dead battlefield, passing the creatures corpses.


    ¡°Honestly, Phantom, haven¡¯t you learned your lesson?¡± Grizzizzik folded his arms. ¡°There¡¯s no point betraying us.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but it could be worse. I could end up your friend,¡± Phantom said.


    Faster than anyone could react, Grizzizzik had Phantom by the throat and up against the tree.


    ¡°Grizzizzik!¡± Ezekiel said.


    ¡°Give me three reasons to not snap your neck right now.¡± Grizzizzik¡¯s voice was dark. ¡°They better be good.¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one.¡± Ezekiel placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You would regret killing a man who had already surrendered. It¡¯s not a fair fight.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s fingers trembled as he closed his eyes. ¡°Damn you, Ezekiel.¡± He let Phantom go, and the bandit backed away.


    ¡°Not too far, Phantom. We still have some questions.¡± Hraktar leaned on his great sword covered in blood. Tyler went back to rubbing his wrist, and Rafael glanced at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Tyler said to the unasked questions. Rafael¡¯s eyes lingered on the thin gray mark on his throat before pulling out a water bottle from his pack and handing it to him. Tyler thanked him as he took it, draining half of it in one gulp.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re an ass kisser, but you¡¯re usually not this proactive unless you were given an order. Gathering an army? The mental load of keeping goblins, hobgoblins, and ogres from killing each other? You¡¯ve already met Akshi, haven¡¯t you? He¡¯s already given you an order,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Phantom¡¯s jaw started working like he was having a conversation, even as his lips were pursed tight. They barely cracked open for him to let out a single word. ¡°Possibly.¡±


    Time came to a standstill.


    Roll for insight.


    Rafael grabbed the d20 and gave it a good shake, hoping that between the five of them, someone could roll high.


    The die landed on a sixteen. With his +4 modifier, that gave a dirty twenty. That was good.


    Grizzizzik grabbed the front of Phantom¡¯s shirt and pinned him against the tree, then grabbed the arrow still sticking out of Phantom¡¯s arm.


    ¡°This is how it¡¯ll go, betrayer,¡± Grizzizzik hissed. ¡°You will tell me everything you told Akshi, or I will make your life hell.¡±


    Color drained from Phantom¡¯s face.


    ¡°Grizzizzik, stand down,¡± Ezekiel said.


    The rogue¡¯s nostrils flared. ¡°Stay out of this, cleric.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t you.¡±


    ¡°This has always been me.¡± Grizzizzik grabbed the arrow and gave it a twist. Rafael winced as Phantom screamed, his knees buckling. ¡°Did you tell Akshi about the humans who are with us?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Phantom¡¯s eyes shoot toward Rafael, Derek, Alejandra, and Tyler. ¡°No, I swear I didn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Why are you growing an army for him!¡± Grizzizzik shouted.


    Rafael glanced at Ezekiel, who looked like he was about to march forward to stop it, but Milo grabbed his shoulder. Ezekiel gave his friend a surprised look.


    Phantom panted. ¡°He¡¯s figuring out how to be king of this world. He¡¯s already got minions helping him.¡±


    ¡°How many?¡± Grizzizzik twisted the arrow again. Rafael couldn¡¯t watch. Ezekiel threw off Milo¡¯s hand and marched forward, grabbing Phantom¡¯s shoulder and placing a hand on Grizzizzik¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°Let go,¡± Ezekiel said.


    ¡°This is the only way we¡¯re getting information out of this man. All thieves know it. It¡¯s why no one wants Phantom on their team. Because he squeals at the slightest amount of pain,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    The bandit captain was panting, but chuckled. ¡°How does it feel, Cleric? To destroy an entire army of evil creatures. Doesn¡¯t your Great Lady of Light frown on this sort of thing? The value of life, that¡¯s what you believe. Didn¡¯t those goblins have value? That ogre?¡±


    Grizzizzik sneered. ¡°Leave Ezekiel alone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m simply concerned about his spiritual wellbeing. I know it¡¯s tied to his use of magic. It would be a pity if he lost it.¡± Phantom¡¯s tone held none of the sympathy one would expect with those words.


    Time held still, and the words prompted Rafael to roll a d8 for cure wounds. This was all Ezekiel¡¯s doing, but Rafael went along with it. He rolled a four, and with the modifier he wasn¡¯t even sure how this would help Phantom, but it was something.


    With time resuming, he watched Grizzizzik try to twist the arrow, but Ezekiel grabbed the arrow and ripped it out of Phantom¡¯s shoulder. The bandit bellowed with pain, collapsing on the ground as golden mana weaved their way into his shoulder.


    Grizzizzik shot Ezekiel a glare. ¡°Seriously? You waste some mana on this worthless sack of flesh?¡±


    Ezekiel said nothing, and didn¡¯t have to. Instead, Clarissa gave the rogue a chastising look as Ezekiel finished healing his shoulder. ¡°You make no sense. You kill my army, yet spare me,¡± Phantom said.


    ¡°The goblins, hobgoblins, and ogres have my sympathy. But they chose a side that would continue to devalue the lives of those here. They have no qualms in destroying life, and therefore I must send them back to the realm of deities, where they will receive true justice and mercy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hypocritical, is what it is. You kill and destroy with mana. Your Great Lady would be disappointed in you,¡± Phantom said.


    Ezekiel shrugged. ¡°¡®War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.¡¯¡±


    Phantom frowned. Rafael raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°You¡¯re quoting from something, aren¡¯t you?¡± Milo asked.


    ¡°Someone,¡± Ezekiel said. ¡°His name is Faramir. Great guy.¡± It made sense, of course. Ezekiel had probably read Lord of the Rings multiple times since he arrived.


    ¡°Is Faramir real?¡± Milo asked.


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± The cleric sat down next to Phantom, folding his arms. ¡°You¡¯ve been trying to gain Akshi¡¯s favor for years. He is no doubt a powerful mana enchanter, but his ways are evil and twisted. This is a wonderful realm. It¡¯s people kind and caring.¡± Rafael¡¯s face twisted, then he glanced at Derek and Alejandra. Was he talking about everyone on earth? Or just the people of Elmwood. Even some people in Elmwood were pretty awful. ¡°They are ill-equipped to handle someone like Akshi taking over. It would ruin them.¡±


    ¡°Which is why we join Akshi. Once he has the full extent of his abilities, he will become the most powerful being in this realm, and we would be stupid to fight him.¡±


    Ezekiel studied Phantom before his face relaxed. ¡°Actually, it reminds me of a story.¡±


    Grizzizzik rolled his eyes, groaning as he walked toward the shade of a tree. Rafael watched, amused, as Ezekiel started explaining the ending of the Lord of the Rings, specifically the scouring of the Shire. Rafael didn¡¯t know what it had to do with anything, but it definitely turned the tension of the group from high alert to almost respectfully bored. Milo wandered over to the ogres and started pulling out beakers and a small carving knife. Derek went to join him, offering to hold the filled containers. Grizzizzik flitted through the bodies, finding teeth and money, no doubt.


    Ezekiel finished talking about the heroic push from the hobbits, people who were generally opposed to fighting and adventuring, who confronted what was evil in their hometown.


    ¡°Then Wormtongue, who was always at Saruman¡¯s side because he had nowhere else to go, ended up killing his master.¡± Ezekiel let out a sigh as he looked out on the desert. ¡°A fascinating ending to the adventures of the Shirefolk.¡±


    ¡°What happened to Wormtongue?¡± Phantom asked.


    ¡°Oh. He got shot by a hobbit.¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡± Phantom started to say. ¡°Don¡¯t be Wormtongue?¡±


    Ezekiel gave the bandit a strange look, then his face relaxed. ¡°Oh, right. Yeah. Yeah, that¡¯s a great lesson to take from that!¡±


    Phantom shook his head, then got to his feet, still holding his tender shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± He started to leave. Grizzizzik, who finished gathering what he needed to and went back to watching them, shot Ezekiel a look. Milo, Hraktar, and Clarissa, too, divided their gazes from Phantom and Ezekiel. Derek and Alejandra both looked at Rafael, but he had no answer. Well, he did, but he doubted they would like it. Ezekiel was absolutely going to let Phantom walk away.

 Chapter 102

    Phantom took a few steps, then his shoulders slumped. ¡°Alright, look.¡± He turned, and Ezekiel glanced over his shoulder at him, surprised to see him back. ¡°Akshi¡­ knows. He knows you have lycanthropy.¡±


    Grizzizzik unsheathed his rapier. ¡°You son of a bitch. You told him!¡±


    Ezekiel stood, holding out a hand to stop the rogue before nodding toward Phantom. ¡°Thank you for the warning.¡±


    Phantom shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s more than that. He¡¯s got a basic understanding of lycanthropy and its cure. He¡¯s put two and two together, and knows you¡¯ve got to kill a saber-toothed tiger. It doesn¡¯t take a genius to know a pack of them are headed straight here, guided by her mana.¡± He jerked his head at Clarissa. ¡°Akshi can¡¯t leave this town for some reason, but he¡¯s sent out scouts. He¡¯s gathering minions to kill all the saber-toothed tigers, so you¡¯re forced to change into a wererat, or die trying to kill a stronger creature. If you turn, he¡¯ll get you to work for him. It¡¯s how he plans on destroying your group.¡±


    Clarissa covered her mouth, looking at Ezekiel with wide eyes.


    ¡°So¡­ he¡¯s sending some followers to go¡­ kill the tigers before they reach Elmwood?¡± Derek asked. He held three beakers of something gooey and black.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Phantom said.


    Ezekiel frowned. ¡°Does Akshi also know I need something from¡ª¡±


    Grizzizzik slapped his hand over Ezekiel¡¯s mouth. Phantom gave him a bored expression. ¡°What else do you know?¡± the rogue said instead.


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Phantom looked at the corpses on the ground. ¡°And that I¡¯ll probably avoid him for a while since I have nothing to give him.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°He¡¯s not the forgiving type. Disappear if you don¡¯t want a dagger buried in your heart.¡±


    Phantom sighed. ¡°Then I shall see you later.¡±


    Grizzizzik said nothing, just watched the bandit captain leave. Rafael took a drink out of his water bottle when the experience bar filled his vision, and a thousand experience points shot his cleric to level three. He felt a sigh of relief. He was leveling up. It felt good. And a thousand was great. They destroyed a large number of creatures, so that had its own feeling of accomplishment.


    Derek had five beakers, and Milo placed stoppers in all of them before sticking them in protective covers. He eased them into his inventory.


    Grizzizzik didn¡¯t release his hand from Ezekiel¡¯s mouth until Phantom was gone. ¡°You¡¯re an idiot,¡± was all Grizzizzik said.


    This insult completely washed over Ezekiel. He glanced over at Clarissa and held out a hand. She took it. They started heading back to where they came. Tyler was standing there, rubbing his chin, lost in thought. Alejandra noticed. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Tyler pulled himself out of his thoughts. ¡°Well, I mean¡­¡± He lifted his shirt to show so many grey marks that it almost looked like his skin. Rafael winced as he lowered his shirt, still smiling. ¡°I never doubted anyone for a second. Thanks for saving me.¡± Tyler turned around as well, following the group.


    Derek caught up with them. ¡°I¡¯m just glad they couldn¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Same, man. Same.¡± Tyler folded his arms.


    Rafael glanced at his character holding hands with Clarissa. ¡°So, what are we going to do about Ezekiel? Saber-tooth tigers are pretty easy to kill.¡±


    ¡°Especially if Akshi sends a level fifteen dragon after them,¡± Alejandra said.


    Tyler grunted. ¡°I¡¯ll talk with Calawit when we pick up Quetzal.¡±


    They were silent for a bit as the minivan came into view. Alejandra walked up to Tyler. ¡°But seriously, Tyler. Are you okay? You just got kidnapped. Held hostage. There were ogres, goblins, and hobgoblins all around you.¡±


    Tyler¡¯s smile was lame. ¡°I¡¯m sure it will hit me at two in the morning, but for now, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Well, when it hits you at two in the morning, know that we¡¯re here. You¡¯d offer the same to us if one of us got kidnapped,¡± Rafael said.


    Tyler smiled. ¡°Thanks, guys.¡± He glanced at Ezekiel. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on getting Ezekiel a one-on-one combat with a saber-tooth tiger. The only other option is a black sphinx, and there¡¯s no way he could fight one at his level.¡±


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    ¡°All five of them couldn¡¯t right now,¡± Derek mumbled.


    Rafael pulled up the character sheet again. ¡°Ezekiel shot to level three, though.¡±


    The news brought a genuine smile to Tyler¡¯s face. ¡°That is excellent to hear. Anyone else get level four?¡±


    Derek shook his head. ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be until we hit two thousand, seven hundred points.¡± Alejandra focused on her own character sheet. ¡°Hraktar is five hundred points away from that.¡±


    ¡°Good to know.¡±


    Rafael sighed, aware that he was still woefully behind. Tyler patted his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Rafael. I¡¯ve got a feeling Ezekiel will face a saber-tooth tiger soon.¡± The smile on his face dropped. ¡°Hopefully sooner rather than later.¡±


    ¡°Good thing it¡¯s fall break next week,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°So, um, movie night during fall break?¡± Ezekiel asked, catching up with them. ¡°Rafael will not let me watch Lord of the Rings without my friends.¡±


    ¡°It is a pretty epic experience,¡± Rafael said.


    Derek smiled. ¡°We could do that at the beginning of the week, sure.¡±


    ***


    Nick was doing his assigned reading in English. He was reading The Lottery, which was the second time he read it in high school. He didn¡¯t like the story, but he pushed through, anyway.


    ¡°Nick,¡± Walt said.


    Every muscle in his body seized up as he prepared to be yelled at, but he had to remind himself he was sitting on his bed doing his homework. There was nothing about this that Walt could criticize. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    It was enough for Walt to open the door. His father paused, glancing at Nick on the bed, and frowned. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do homework on the bed. It creates bad sleeping habits. Do that at your desk. Or even out on the table.¡±


    Nick¡¯s face hardened into a scowl. He forgot Walt could always criticize him. There was no way in hell he was leaving his room unless it was necessary. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Walt folded his arms. ¡°We¡¯ve got to discuss what you¡¯re doing during fall break.¡±


    Nick returned his gaze to his book. ¡°I¡¯ve already talked about it with Mr. Morgan. Most of his full-time guys are going on vacation, and he could use more help, so I¡¯ll be doing full time for the week.¡±


    Better there than here.


    ¡°Alright. I want to remind you you¡¯re still grounded the entire week,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°Yep.¡± Nick¡¯s vision turned hazy as he stared at the words.


    ¡°Which I¡¯ve been thinking about how we¡¯ll end this,¡± Walt said.


    He wasn¡¯t sure what his father meant and dared to glance up from his book. ¡°End what? Being grounded?¡±


    ¡°I need to make sure you won¡¯t act out again. That I can trust you to play with your friends and be an adult.¡± The amount of condescension in his tone made Nick lock his jaw. ¡°So, whenever you want to end this grounding, your session of CCNC will be at our house, at the table right over there.¡± Walt jerked his head over to the dining room. ¡°And I will be on the couch, listening in and making sure you behave.¡±


    ¡°Dad.¡± Nick closed his book. ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡±


    Walt waited patiently, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Fair?¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t know what to say. It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d tell Walt this, but they didn¡¯t sit down at a table and have a session anymore. They were off fighting monsters, actual monsters, threatening Elmwood. They didn¡¯t have time to pretend to do a session like this. In less than a year, an apocalypse was coming and monsters would hurt the people of earth. His suggestion was silly. Petty. But he clung to an idea to shake Walt away from this idea. ¡°Evelyn wouldn¡¯t like it. You can¡¯t force her to do this.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have to go. I¡¯m far more concerned about making sure you don¡¯t strangle Rafael if he¡¯s sitting across from you at a table.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t hurt him,¡± Nick said, his voice dark.


    ¡°And I¡¯d love to see evidence of it.¡± Walt folded his arms as Nick¡¯s glare settled on his face. ¡°So as soon as I can trust you to be civil in Rafael¡¯s presence through an hour-long session of this game of yours, I¡¯ll be more than happy to lift the punishment. But I am not lifting it until this happens.¡±


    Nick¡¯s jaw worked, his teeth grinding. ¡°Three.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re not an hour long. They¡¯re usually three. Or four.¡±


    His father shrugged. ¡°All the better.¡±


    This was unfair. More than unfair. They had the world to save, and Nick couldn¡¯t accurately tell Walt how pointless it was.


    ¡°I will¡­¡± Nick closed his eyes, trying to ease his glare from his face. ¡°Have to call Tyler and let him know. See what he thinks.¡±


    ¡°Then I shall expect to see that on your call history,¡± Walt said, walking out of the room.


    Nick watched him go, then covered his face in his hands. Derek¡¯s birthday was on the fifth of January. Rafael was already eighteen. What would it feel like to already be eighteen? Even January was a measly two and a half months away. Every month since he turned seventeen had been longer than the last. April was forever away, and they needed to get rid of those monsters now. But how could they waste a session?


    Either way, he¡¯d have to call Tyler. He¡¯d have to check with Evelyn to make sure Tyler even got saved. As long as he felt ready to face Rafael again. Have him in his same house. With his father breathing down his neck.


    Nick tossed his English textbook aside and covered his face. How was this even his life right now?


    There was a soft knock on the door and Nick glanced up, forgetting the door was open. Evelyn was there, phone in hand. ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Is Tyler alright?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t gotten an update in a while.¡± She scrolled through her phone. ¡°But I¡¯ve also not rolled in a while, either.¡±


    ¡°I got a sleight-of-hand roll. That usually means Grizzizzik¡¯s trying to steal coins off dead bodies without anyone else knowing. The creatures they were fighting must have had a hidden chest of gold, because he got a lot today.¡±


    Evelyn shook her head, humor trickling back in her eyes. ¡°How many gold coins does that rogue have by now?¡±


    Nick mentally pulled up the character sheet. ¡°Three hundred and thirty. And some silver and copper ones, too. He found a platinum coin a few weeks ago. No doubt secretly freaking out about that.¡±


    Evelyn snorted, checking her phone. ¡°Yeah. Alright. I¡¯ll keep you posted on what I know. Everything alright with you and Dad?¡±


    The humor drained from his face, and Nick glanced at the wall. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Evelyn pointed her phone at him. ¡°Liar. Obviously. But for now, I¡¯ll let it drop. If you¡¯re still in this mood by tomorrow, I¡¯ll come back and pester you.¡±


    Nick rubbed his head. ¡°Sure. Whatever. Just tell me when Tyler¡¯s answering you again.¡±


    She was already back to texting someone. ¡°Will do.¡±

 Chapter 103

    Derek walked into the tent as a blue streak sailed by and slammed into Alejandra¡¯s calf.


    ¡°Why hello to you, too,¡± Alejandra said to Quetzal. The drake ran circles around her before he climbed up to her shoulder. She giggled, then brushed her cheek against his before he scampered down again.


    Calawit appeared near a bookshelf. ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡±


    ¡°Phantom betrayed us and kidnapped Tyler. We defeated the entire army,¡± Milo said.


    Calawit blinked. ¡°Never a boring mission for you lot, is it?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a boring mission?¡± Milo glanced at Clarissa. ¡°What would that even look like?¡±


    Calawit shook her head. ¡°Ah! Ah! Ah! What did I tell you?¡± Derek glanced around, then noticed Quetzal. The drake gave a chitter. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t give me that nonsense. Of course you knew.¡± The drake growled again, then ran up to Calawit before pushing his head under his chin. ¡°I give you two months tops before this cute baby thing no longer works. You can¡¯t skate by on your looks alone.¡±


    ¡°Make a choice! Take a chance! Receive! Your! Consequence!¡± Derek reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. ¡°Make a choice! Take a¡ª¡± He swiped on his phone.


    ¡°Hey, Evelyn.¡±


    ¡°Is Tyler okay? He hasn¡¯t been answering my calls, and I haven¡¯t rolled any dice for a while.¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh. Yeah.¡± He moved his phone from his ear, looking at Tyler. ¡°Do you have your phone on you?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Tyler reached inside his pocket. ¡°Yes. Got too hot and shut off, though.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fine. We¡¯re all at Calawit¡¯s tent.¡±


    Evelyn let out a breath. ¡°Thank god. Okay, that¡¯s literally all I wanted to know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine too, thanks,¡± Derek said.


    Evelyn snickered. ¡°Dork.¡±


    ¡°Also, Princess Clarissa was a total badass in the fight,¡± Derek said.


    She tsked. ¡°Princess Clarissa is always badass.¡± Derek chuckled as she hung up. Tyler had his arms folded as they watched Alejandra and Calawit discuss Quetzal.


    ¡°I guess she could have come,¡± Rafael said.


    Derek didn¡¯t even realize he was near. ¡°Evelyn?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She wanted to come when she heard about you. Maybe it was wrong of me to step on her toes like that, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. It was smart to keep her with Nick,¡± Derek said. Honestly, it was nice having Rafael in the group, too. He always had excellent ideas. ¡°Eventually, Nick won¡¯t be prison bound in his home.¡±


    Rafael rubbed his chin. ¡°Is that¡­ still happening?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Still.¡± Derek¡¯s tone was quiet. Pained.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid this situation with our characters might break Nick,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Really?¡± Rafael glanced at Tyler. ¡°How do you mean?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been in survival mode the past year or so. Waiting until April. But these characters coming here, it¡¯s forcing him to do more than survive. He¡¯s being forced to push back against his dad, and¡­¡± Tyler trailed off.


    ¡°Coward¡¯s gotta act,¡± Grizzizzik said from behind them. Derek glanced over his shoulder to see the rogue.


    ¡°There¡¯s very little Nick can do right now,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°The kid can do whatever the hell he wants.¡±


    It was then that Derek noticed Grizzizzik wasn¡¯t just playing with the flower petals on the back of his hand. He was using his hell dagger to get at the petal. Derek frowned. He didn¡¯t see any blood, but it was still unnerving to see the rogue trying to peel back the petals with a dagger.


    ¡°Walt¡¯s pretty well protected to keep doing what he¡¯s doing, unfortunately,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Eh, excuses.¡± Grizzizzik twisted the dagger, but nothing happened. ¡°There¡¯re ways to make a death look like an accident.¡±


    Derek¡¯s face dropped. With Milo around, it felt like a nerd session every night. He wondered what it would be like to have Grizzizzik around, but was he getting a taste of it? Was Grizzizzik seriously suggesting Walt die? Did he ever suggest this to Nick?


    The realization must have hit Rafael and Tyler at the same time. Rafael lightly touched his nose as Tyler kept Grizzizzik¡¯s stare. ¡°You haven¡¯t been talking to Nick about these ideas, have you?¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s gaze lifted from the petal to the three boys staring at him. Derek was holding his breath. Grizzizzik said nothing as he sheathed the dagger and walked over to a dark corner to brood.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Rafael¡¯s voice was quieter as he kept an eye on Grizzizzik. ¡°The characters coming to this world might break Nick.¡±


    Derek pointed toward Grizzizzik, his gaze on Tyler. ¡°Are you going to check in on that? Or should I?¡±


    ¡°Let me.¡± Tyler pulled out his phone before remembering it was dead. He slipped it back in his pocket and ran a hand through his hair. ¡°I¡¯ll check in on both of them once we get back, though I might need to make sure my phone can turn on again.¡±


    ***


    Nick finished writing his paper for English Lit. He hated The Lottery. Such a sick story. Why did they always read dark stuff for English Lit?


    But this meant he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about homework for the entirety of fall break. Not that it really mattered. His plan was to go to work at nine when it opened and stay until five. Then he¡¯d come home and lock himself up in his room so he wouldn¡¯t have to deal with Walt.


    There was a knock on the front door that he ignored. He put all his school stuff in his bag when his bedroom door opened and Grizzizzik walked through. Nick barely glanced at his character, but then turned his full focus on him. His rogue was off. He didn¡¯t understand how he knew, but looking at his face, the glare, the tense shoulders, something was weird. In a word, Grizzizzik was in a mood. And it wasn¡¯t a pleasant one.


    ¡°Are you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Grizzizzik said.


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    Nick blinked, then glanced at the door, realizing he could hear Evelyn speaking with someone.


    ¡°I noticed you got a lot of gold coins.¡± It was lame, but it was the only conversation he could think of that would make Grizzizzik happy. Instead, his character grunted before undoing his cloak and flinging it to a corner. Grizzizzik didn¡¯t look too hurt. He had blood on his clothes, but it looked like someone else¡¯s.


    ¡°Pretty sure Tyler wants to talk to you,¡± Grizzizzik said, folding his arms.


    Nick glanced at the door, finally hearing Evelyn¡¯s voice coming through, and a male voice that wasn¡¯t Walt¡¯s. ¡°Oh, Tyler¡¯s here?¡±


    Grizzizzik said nothing, just folded his arms tighter and glared at the corner. It might benefit his rogue to get a few minutes alone. That, or the entire house might be in flames. Hopefully not the later.


    He got up and walked out of his room. He¡¯d have to check in on this later. Grizzizzik being in a mood was not healthy for anyone. Nick walked down the hall and saw Tyler inside the entryway. Evelyn was talking animatedly, no doubt nervous. When Nick approached, he winced at the thin grey line across Tyler¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m talking so much. I was really worried.¡± Evelyn even sounded out of breath, placing her hands on her hips as she looked at the ground.


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. In fact, I¡¯m sorry I made anyone scared. None of you needed to be. I¡¯ve seen all your characters work, and I was never worried about my wellbeing.¡± Tyler nodded at Nick. ¡°Hey, man, how are you?¡±


    ¡°Um, good,¡± Nick said. ¡°I¡¯d like to say better than you, but you seem to be alright.¡±


    ¡°Phantom¡¯s a big softie at heart. He only stabbed me because he was curious about how it wasn¡¯t hurting me.¡± He lifted his shirt to show a ton of grey marks on his stomach. Nick winced.


    ¡°Ouch.¡±


    ¡°No ouch, just uncomfortable.¡± Tyler dropped his shirt.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about not going out of your way to get stabbed to protect our characters?¡± Nick asked.


    Tyler¡¯s grin was sheepish. ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t do that.¡± His usually relaxed stance stiffened, and that alone clued Nick to the fact that Walt was approaching. ¡°Hello Mr. Larsen,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Tyler.¡± Walt said it with more of a grunt. ¡°I assume you won¡¯t stay long, since my son is still grounded.¡±


    Tyler shifted his weight, trying to smile. ¡°Yeah, I won¡¯t stay long.¡± Nick folded his arms, trying to relax his face. Evelyn glanced at him, a look in her eye that told him to be careful, because his signature scowl appeared on his face. ¡°I wanted to stop by personally and update Evelyn and Nick on our recent CCNC session. It¡¯s important to keep the storyline fresh.¡±


    ¡°Well, I assume Nick¡¯s told you, then, about how he¡¯s getting his punishment lifted?¡±


    ¡°I was going to. He just got here,¡± Nick said. Evelyn frowned, glancing between Nick and Walt.


    ¡°I¡¯m not lifting Nick¡¯s punishment until I see him interacting civilly with Rafael. Therefore, the next CCNC session must be at our house, and at a time I can observe my son. Only then will I allow Nick to go back to CCNC.¡±


    Nick¡¯s jaw started working, the scowl deepening on his face. ¡°I was going to tell him.¡± It came out harsher than he wanted.


    ¡°Well, I told him instead,¡± Walt said.


    Tyler kept his eyes on Walt. ¡°Oh. Right. Yeah, um¡­¡± Tyler froze, then his head slowly tilted to one side. ¡°Yeah.¡± Evelyn and Nick both glanced at him. Their game master had entered his head for a minute, and he dropped his gaze, his eyes darting around in thought. ¡°Yeah. Actually, that¡¯s¡­ fantastic. We could work with this.¡± He pulled out his phone, and Nick frowned, wondering what Tyler meant. ¡°So¡­ what with schedules and the current storyline¡­¡± He nodded. ¡°It might be more the end of the month. I want to make sure the characters are as leveled up as possible.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯d prefer it if it was a weekday. I¡¯d rather not waste one of my weekends.¡±


    Tyler hesitated enough before glancing at Walt, and Nick understood. It was a subtle jab at the pointlessness of the game, but for someone like Tyler, it probably hurt. ¡°Okay. Um¡­ lessee, fall break is no good.¡± He furrowed his brow. ¡°The week after might work, but¡­ no, no, let¡¯s wait until the week after that.¡±


    Walt pulled out his phone. ¡°The week of the twenty-second?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Does that work?¡±


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s on a weekday,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°Good. I doubt the weekend would work, anyway. Derek¡¯s in Clue and they¡¯re performing it that weekend,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s in that?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Wadsworth. Already have my ticket. It¡¯s going to be hilarious.¡± Tyler made a note for himself on his phone.


    ¡°Alright. Well, get that scheduled as soon as possible and let me know.¡±


    ¡°Evelyn, how do you feel about that?¡± Tyler asked.


    Evelyn opened her mouth, taking a breath to speak, when Walt shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡±


    Writing the note on his phone still had most of Tyler¡¯s attention. ¡°No, I mean about the session at her house. I don¡¯t want her to attend if she doesn¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°And I said Evelyn¡¯s fine. By the end of the month, she and Rafael will go back to being friends, no doubt.¡±


    Tyler stopped mid text. Nick felt the muscles in his arms tighten as his hands turned into fists. Evelyn glanced at her feet, her cheeks growing red. Tyler¡¯s gaze slowly lifted to meet Walt¡¯s. ¡°We have a system. I want to make sure she feels safe.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on. Rafael Walker? The kid¡¯s a model student.¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, Mr. Larsen, I was asking Evelyn¡¯s opinion on the matter, not yours.¡±


    Nick made a mental note not to mess with Tyler. Ever.


    Evelyn¡¯s cheeks were growing a deeper red. Nick had never seen her look so embarrassed. It was no surprise that Walt ignored her. ¡°It¡¯ll be at my house, and I assure you, my opinion does matter because I know my daughter.¡±


    Tyler¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°It may be your house, sir, but it¡¯s my table, and therefore my rules. And my rules are no one sits down unless they feel safe.¡±


    Walt about said something when Evelyn rose a hand. ¡°Dad, please. Please stop.¡± She turned to Tyler as Nick closed his eyes to force the glare from his face. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you a couple of days before the session how I feel about it.¡±


    Tyler nodded, short and stiff, his gaze on Walt. Walt rolled his eyes before walking away from them. Nick covered his face, letting out a breath, trying to force a calm he¡¯d never feel before dropping his hands. ¡°He told me you don¡¯t have to attend. This is Rafael and me. You don¡¯t have to be a part of this. I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s insisting you have to go.¡±


    The red from her cheeks lessened as she watched Walt disappear down the hall. ¡°It¡¯s a few weeks away. We¡¯ll see what happens. But¡­ yeah. I¡¯ll let you know a couple of days before.¡±


    She looked again at Tyler, who was still staring at where Walt disappeared. ¡°Do not feel any pressure at all.¡±


    ¡°You really think we¡¯ll have a regular session?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Tyler dropped his voice. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to think how we¡¯ll steal something from Akshi for the lycanthropy cure. There¡¯s no way around it, they¡¯ve got to do a heist. And your dad, of all people, gave me a brilliant idea to keep us away from the action. Rafael¡¯s getting a stronger link with Ezekiel, and by the end of this month, I bet we can do a session here at your house while the characters are infiltrating Akshi¡¯s place. That way, if something goes wrong, none of us will be there.¡±


    Nick felt the tightness of his chest loosen. Breaking into Akshi¡¯s place, therefore most likely Mr. Stower¡¯s, was on the agenda, and he was terrified of doing it. He was almost happy to sit that one out and roll dice from a distance. It was completely up to chance, and if chance made it go bad, then the police might get involved. The thought alone made his fingertips grow cold.


    But if Nick never had to be there? If they could all make the rolls from a distance?


    ¡°Do you think that¡¯ll work?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. If we all gather around a table with our figurines, it could work. We all know our characters well enough to role play what they say, and I feel like Chaos and Order would prompt me enough to let me know what¡¯s going on. I¡¯m really confident about this. But we¡¯ve got to level up before then. We¡¯re almost to level four, which is still¡­¡± Tyler trailed off, rubbing his forehead. ¡°Still not nearly as high as I¡¯d like going up against Akshi, but it¡¯s a heist.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully, the rolls are good enough we won¡¯t face him.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t sound convinced.


    Tyler sighed. ¡°Ezekiel needs to figure out what he needs from Akshi. I¡¯m hoping it¡¯s nothing on him.¡±


    Nick rubbed the side of his face. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°And¡­¡± Tyler again trailed off, glancing at Nick. He already knew what Tyler was thinking.


    ¡°Hopefully Grizzizzik doesn¡¯t get too deep in his plot for revenge that he purposefully seeks him out and causes more trouble for everyone?¡± Nick ventured.


    Tyler¡¯s face fell. ¡°Yeah. Hopefully not.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ stupid.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Grizzizzik going up against his father,¡± Nick said. ¡°Which I will have to role play in front of my dad.¡±


    Tyler winced. ¡°I didn¡¯t think about that.¡± He glanced around. ¡°Also, I¡¯m asking because of a comment made by Grizzizzik today at Calawit¡¯s tent, but he¡¯s not trying to convince you to kill your own father, is he?¡±


    Evelyn snorted, smiling at Nick. It evaporated when she noticed he was not joining in on her levity. ¡°Nick?¡± A touch of horror weaved through her voice.


    ¡°He¡¯s not¡­¡± Nick ran a hand through his hair, glancing at where Walt disappeared. At the hallway leading to his room, where Grizzizzik was in his mood. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Nick shook his head. ¡°Obviously I¡¯m not going to.¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Tyler said, almost as a prompt.


    ¡°So¡­ don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Tyler gave him a good, long stare. He then reached into his pocket, sighing. ¡°You need friends. You need¡­ so many friends. Don¡¯t listen to Grizzizzik and know I¡¯m a phone call away. We all are.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re all a phone call away on Evelyn¡¯s phone,¡± Nick mumbled.


    Tyler pulled out his phone, checking his messages again. A look of defeat flickered across his face. ¡°Yeah. Please check in with me once a week. Text or call, I¡¯m open to anything. I¡¯m serious. This¡­ isn¡¯t healthy.¡±


    Evelyn still stared at Nick with wide eyes.

 Chapter 104

    Tyler remained long enough to get their schedules for the week of the twenty-second. Nick got the feeling Tyler wanted to talk more, but Walt reappeared, and they didn¡¯t want to have a conversation about a rogue trying to convince Nick to murder his father.


    Nick¡¯s work schedule was predictable. He got off work at eight on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, but that was it. Evelyn had more of a schedule conflict. In order to make it less uncomfortable, Nick slipped away to his room so Walt wouldn¡¯t give him a look that reminded him he couldn¡¯t talk to other people.


    Nick walked into his room and swore. Grizzizzik had a pile of teeth on the desk. ¡°What the hell? What are you doing?¡±


    Without missing a beat, Grizzizzik kept sorting as he talked. ¡°Replenishing my supply of arrows.¡±


    Nick watched his rogue dully cleaning teeth and sorting them in piles. ¡°You¡­ have plenty.¡±


    Grizzizzik grunted. He tried to look bored even though his gaze held an intensity, glaring at those teeth like they were his sworn enemy. He thought maybe Grizzizzik had overheard Tyler asking about him suggesting Walt¡¯s murder, but he understood Grizzizzik. The rogue wouldn¡¯t react like this. It had to be something else.


    ¡°What happened at the battle today?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± There was such a burning anger to his voice it made Nick frown.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help if you don¡¯t tell m¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nothing happened. What makes you think I want your help? I¡¯m fine. Completely, totally fine!¡± He smashed one tooth in on the desk for emphasis but swore as the broken bits landed on the ground. ¡°That was a good one, too.¡±


    Nick swallowed, then backed away from the door. ¡°You clearly need some time alone.¡±


    Grizzizzik glared. ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯ve ever wanted.¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t say anything, too afraid to trigger something. He was almost afraid smiling would set him off. Grizzizzik could be touchy and this was one of those times.


    Nick slipped out of his room and headed upstairs toward the TV. He sat down on the couch and grabbed the remote. Tyler was pulling out of the driveway. He surfed through the options, trying to find something to watch.


    ¡°Have you done your homework?¡± Walt asked, appearing out of nowhere.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me.¡±


    It confused Nick. He stopped scrolling through the options to look at his dad. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Walt placed his hands on his hips. ¡°You¡¯re telling me all your teachers didn¡¯t give you extra homework to do over fall break?¡±


    ¡°Most of my classes had tests on Friday, so there¡¯s no homework from any of them. P.E. never has homework. I¡¯ve done all of it because I¡¯ll be working full time this week.¡± He tried to be as cordial as possible. Walt remained silent, and Nick didn¡¯t dare look until the silence got unbearable. He glanced at his father, who was glaring back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Am I about to be punished for being on top of my homework?¡±


    ¡°You need to be careful. Don¡¯t forget, you''re still under my roof.¡±


    His scarred brow twitched. ¡°I am fully aware, yes. You take every opportunity to remind me.¡±


    ¡°So you really think you¡¯re going to get an apartment in this town when you turn eighteen?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to get one sooner. Are you offering to let me?¡± Nick asked.


    Walt¡¯s glare darkened. ¡°If it will help you learn your lesson that you are grossly unfit for adult life, I would.¡± For that half a second of silence, Nick¡¯s heart lit up with hope. ¡°But I still have parental obligations.¡±


    And there was the drop in his heart, dipping further than it had at the start of this conversation. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s about all it¡¯s amounted to.¡± Not affection. Not even love. Walt chalked everything up to parental obligation. ¡°I¡¯d rather pay rent somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know the first thing about living on your own. You must pay for everything. Your cell phone, your car. Insurance. You pay rent here, you get to keep all that stuff and I take care of all the other expenses.¡±


    Nick furrowed his brow in confusion. ¡°You mean you¡¯ll kindly pay for internet I don¡¯t use?¡±


    ¡°I mean everything, Nick. You¡¯re not getting your bed. Or your dresser. Nothing you haven¡¯t paid for yourself. You are starting out on your own, and I give you three months before you come crawling back to us,¡± Walt said.


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    Nick stood up, his heart hammering. ¡°This is the same old conversation. You didn¡¯t trust me to do my homework, and I did. Don¡¯t trust me to be civil with my friends, I will. I don¡¯t care if I have to live in the darkest cave in the bleakest corner of the world. There is no chance in hell I¡¯m ever coming back here.¡± He started heading down the stairs.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°Away from you.¡± It was the truth. He remembered why he always stayed in his room so much. He couldn¡¯t return there, though. Grizzizzik might bite his head off. How hot was it outside?


    ¡°Nick.¡±


    He turned to see Evelyn in her room, her door cracked open. She gestured for him to come in. Better that than outside.


    He slipped inside. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s seriously all you have to say? After admitting Grizzizzik is trying to convince you to kill dad?¡± Her eyes were still wide and terrified.


    Nick fought the desire to roll his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s just a couple of times.¡± Which was apparently the wrong thing to say, because she gasped, covering her mouth. ¡°God, Evelyn, stop worrying.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ but¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got bigger things to worry about,¡± Nick said. ¡°Like the session in a couple weeks. You don¡¯t have to attend the session, but are you still okay with Rafael in our house?¡±


    The hesitation wasn¡¯t long, but it was there. ¡°Of course.¡± Nick narrowed his eyes ever so slightly as he folded his arms. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Nick. With you, Tyler, and Dad all keeping an eye on Rafael, I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯ll be more uncomfortable with the session than I am.¡±


    ¡°Good. He should be.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t get too overwhelmed with Grizzizzik, okay? If needed, Princess Clarissa can talk some sense into him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Nick frowned, then glanced at Evelyn¡¯s wall where he knew not that far, Grizzizzik was still sorting teeth. ¡°Hey, can I borrow your phone? I need to call Derek.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±


    He found Derek¡¯s number and called him, listening to the ringing.


    ¡°Hey¡­.¡± Derek trailed off, and at first Nick was confused. Then he realized what his friend was doing.


    ¡°It¡¯s Nick. Hey.¡±


    ¡°Nick! Hello!¡±


    ¡°Did anything specific happen to Grizzizzik? He¡¯s in a touchy mood, and I can only assume something happened today at the session.¡±


    ¡°With Grizzizzik? Uh¡­¡± Derek trailed off again, then let out a breath. ¡°Shit, I¡¯m not sure. We were all pretty focused on what happened with Tyler that none of us even noticed if someone was hurting Grizzizzik.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s moody. Like someone got under his skin. And when he¡¯s like that, he¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Dangerous to be around?¡± Derek asked.


    Nick ran a hand through his hair. ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡±


    ¡°And he¡¯s apparently trying to convince you to kill your dad?¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Shit, does everyone know about that now?¡±


    Evelyn gave him a pronounced frown.


    ¡°That was something he definitely wasn¡¯t subtle about today.¡±


    Nick sighed, dropping his hand. ¡°Just¡­ let me know if you remember anything.¡±


    ¡°Will do. Phantom was there, and those two always either get along or are at each other¡¯s throats.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds about right. I¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    ***


    It was Monday, the beginning of fall break, and Evelyn was studying the driver¡¯s license handbook. She hadn¡¯t been getting nearly as much time practicing her driving as she¡¯d like, since her parents were so busy with their lives. And it was completely illegal for Nick to help her drive.


    The door burst open, and Evelyn glanced up, seeing Clarissa there. ¡°I sense it, in my meditation. The saber-tooth tigers, they¡¯ve entered the dessert, but they are not protected within my bubble.¡±


    Evelyn slammed her book shut and got to her feet. ¡°Do you know about where they are?¡±


    ¡°Just that they¡¯re in the desert.¡±


    Evelyn pulled out a map on her phone. She tried to zoom in, but figured she didn¡¯t know when the desert started. Instead of her phone, she grabbed her laptop and quickly logged on. She called Tyler and put him on speakerphone, placing it on her desk. It rang a few times.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Tyler, it¡¯s Evelyn. Princess Clarissa sensed the saber-tooth tigers reach the desert.¡±


    She heard some rustling on the other side before a thud. ¡°Shit!¡±


    ¡°Um, you okay?¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine. Alright, so Princess Clarissa¡¯s domain is over the entire desert, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Which according to the internet, that¡¯s either a small section of Arizona, or all the deserts spanning Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Nevada, California, and Mexico,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Shit.¡± This sounded more like a reaction from Evelyn¡¯s words rather than whatever happened on the other side. ¡°Okay, um¡­ see if Princess Clarissa can sense the surroundings at all.¡±


    Evelyn glanced at Clarissa, and she nodded. ¡°I will try. The closer they are to my bubble, the easier I will sense where they are.¡±


    ¡°As soon as you get a firm idea, I¡¯ll take Rafael and we¡¯ll drive to meet them. We¡¯ve got to beat Akshi to the saber-tooth tigers.¡±


    Clarissa¡¯s elf like features scrunched in confusion. ¡°But¡­ you¡¯re not taking Ezekiel out of the bubble, are you?¡±


    ¡°Not at first. Rafael and I will drive to the saber-tooth tigers. Akshi doesn¡¯t know we want to kill them, so his army hopefully has all those states to check, too. Once we get to the tigers, Rafael will teleport Ezekiel to him so he can fight the creature.¡±


    Clarissa gasped. ¡°Outside the bubble?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the only way we can cure him of lycanthropy.¡± Tyler didn¡¯t sound like he enjoyed saying that, and Clarissa tried to get her mouth working.


    ¡°This¡­ this is unacceptable. The risks are too high,¡± Clarissa said.


    ¡°If you have another option, I¡¯d love to consider it.¡±


    Clarissa clenched her jaw, then looked at Evelyn. She understood instantly what that meant and also knew why Clarissa would not ask. With a swoop of her blue dress, she turned and left the room. ¡°Um¡­¡± In no time at all, the front door opened, and Clarissa had changed into a horse, galloping away. ¡°Something tells me she¡¯s off to visit Ezekiel.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I figured. As soon as Princess Clarissa recognizes any of the places, let me know.¡±


    ¡°I might find pictures of famous landmarks in the desert and let her study them,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°That sounds like a good idea. Because we don¡¯t know where the saber-tooth tigers are coming from. Either from the eastern states, or Canada, or from Central America. All are an option. Damn, my passport is expired. Do you think we¡¯ll go to Mexico?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Right. Of course you don¡¯t know. Why would you know? I¡¯ve got to call Rafael, figure out his schedule this week. The two of us might go on an impromptu road trip at the drop of a hat.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let you go,¡± Evelyn said.


    She hung up, glancing out the door where Clarissa left. Evelyn tried to imagine what it would be like if Ezekiel died, and then she immediately stopped the train of thought. Despite him not being there the first month of the campaign, his absence was felt. If he died-


    No. He''d be okay. He had to be.

 Chapter 105

    Nick scanned the barcode of a book and waited for it to load on his computer. He heard footsteps coming down the stairs from the main office.


    ¡°Oh, Nick, you¡¯re still here?¡± Mr. Morgan asked.


    Nick turned around, then glanced at his watch. He didn¡¯t realize it was almost five-fifteen. He was used to leaving at eight, so leaving at five was a bit to get used to. ¡°Oh, right. Sorry, sir.¡± He placed the book to one side and got up, stretching. ¡°Actually, I wanted to talk to you, but I couldn¡¯t find you at lunch.¡±


    ¡°Must have just missed each other,¡± he said as Nick logged off.


    ¡°I had a question. Morgan Estates? The apartment complex about half a mile from here? Do you own it?¡±


    Mr. Morgan was rifling through his papers, then paused as he glanced up. ¡°Morgan Estates?¡± He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Where¡¯d you hear about those apartments?¡±


    ¡°On the internet. While¡­ searching for apartments in town.¡±


    There was a pause. One where the silence seemed to reveal far more than he wanted. Mr. Morgan studied him, then went back to his papers. ¡°My older brother owns them and rents them out. You¡­ don¡¯t want to rent there.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Nick¡¯s heart froze. ¡°Why not?¡±


    Again, Mr. Morgan¡¯s eyes were on him. ¡°It¡¯s for people who¡¯ve hit rock bottom. People who¡¯ve done a few years in jail and are returning to society. People trying and failing and trying again to break their drug addiction. People experiencing nasty divorces that take everything from them and find themselves way over their heads as they try to rebuild their lives. It¡¯s not for¡­¡± Mr. Morgan trailed off.


    Nick rubbed his arm, doing his best to remain in control of his emotions. ¡°Perhaps I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to spend time in jail. Or divorce. Or drugs. But I need to get out of my dad¡¯s house.¡±


    Mr. Morgan sighed. He went back to ruffling through his papers. ¡°When¡¯s your birthday again?¡±


    ¡°April tenth,¡± Nick said.


    Mr. Morgan frowned. ¡°That¡¯s half a year away.¡±


    ¡°And if I had a plan for getting out of my house, it¡¯d be easier to wait until then,¡± Nick said. ¡°Is it dangerous there? Are police called every other week?¡±


    Mr. Morgan studied him. ¡°More like every other month.¡±


    Nick nodded. ¡°I understand your concern, sir, but the rent there is manageable. It¡¯s what I could see myself affording once I come on full time in the summer.¡±


    Mr. Morgan rubbed his chin. ¡°You¡¯re a great kid, Nick. And an incredible worker. You alone do all the work my team of four guys do together in a day. And I appreciate that. I hope it shows on your paycheck. But I want to make sure you won¡¯t find yourself in a rut before you turn twenty. This job I¡¯m giving you isn¡¯t meant to be your forever job.¡±


    Nick nodded. ¡°I appreciate you looking out for me. But planning for the future is... I need time away from my father to figure out my life, and to do that, I need a place to stay.¡±


    Mr. Morgan ran a hand down his chin, thinking. ¡°What exactly does Walt do?¡±


    The question froze Nick in his spot. He forgot this was Ike Morgan, Walt¡¯s best friend in high school and college. They rarely spoke about Walt, but this could backfire on him.


    ¡°Nick?¡± Mr. Morgan prompted, a hint of concern in his eyes.


    Nick shook his head, his throat closing. He hated these conversations, because it was a reminder Walt was doing the bare minimum required in a parent, according to the law. Nick was fed every day, had a room with a bed, a dresser, a desk. Had clothes hanging up in his closet. There wasn¡¯t a physical bruise or cut on Nick¡¯s entire body. The police couldn¡¯t arrest Walt for taking away his phone. Or for not letting him have the internet or a laptop. Walt couldn¡¯t be punished for isolating Nick from his friends. How could the law possibly touch that? He was in pain, though. Conversations like this felt like he was showing people the trickle of water that didn¡¯t seem like it would hurt, but that constant trickle caused a deep wound that only got worse with every passing year.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ isolated. All the time.¡± The warmth behind his eyes threatened to form tears. He mustered every amount of self-control he had to keep a stoic face, repeating to himself that Mr. Morgan was Walt¡¯s friend. ¡°I can hardly go out. I have a small group of friends I see. We play a tabletop role playing game. Choice, Chance, and Consequence. He¡¯s threatened to take that from me, too. And has, when¡­ when I¡¯ve made mistakes.¡± Nick shrugged, trying to downplay his pain even as his soul screamed for help. ¡°I¡¯m grounded until I¡¯m eighteen. No smart phone, no laptop, nothing.¡± He pulled out his old flip phone from his pocket. ¡°This is all I have, and he checks it every night to make sure I¡¯m talking with people he approves of. I think he¡¯s trying to protect me from making the same mistake when I was fourteen, but¡­¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°But it was three years ago,¡± Mr. Morgan whispered, horrified.


    Nick¡¯s stoic face slipped, and the warmth in his eyes felt more wet. Mr. Morgan, of all people, seemed to understand.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± His voice wavered enough to drop his stoic face all together, and with that, he partially turned his head so he wouldn¡¯t have to see his boss. His dad¡¯s friend. ¡°Three goddamn years ago.¡±


    Mr. Morgan kept his eyes on Nick, his eyebrows raised, his mouth struggling to stay closed. He then set his papers down and pulled out his phone. ¡°I¡¯ll text my brother. See if he has any openings. April is still six months away. Something might come up by then.¡±


    Nick¡¯s shoulders relaxed, but he couldn¡¯t look at Mr. Morgan. Something told him this could still be a trap. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Morgan.¡± He grabbed his water bottle from the desk. ¡°I understand I got this job because my dad and you were friends back in high school and college. But¡­ please don¡¯t tell him I¡¯m looking for an apartment right now.¡± He tried to hide the desperation in his voice. ¡°Especially into one owned by your family.¡±


    Mr. Morgan shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t. You have my word.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Nick walked through the back of the store until he got outside. He felt Mr. Morgan¡¯s gaze on him the entire time.


    ***


    Evelyn paced outside in the backyard. It was pleasantly warm. The first hint that summer was giving way to fall. Or at least in the way Arizona does it, where it was comfortably hot instead of uncomfortably so.


    Clarissa still hadn¡¯t returned. She must be visiting Ezekiel, because her druid wasn¡¯t stupid enough to fight the saber-tooth tigers herself. That level of stupidity was reserved for Grizzizzik.


    But her, however. She did feel stupid. She was trying to talk herself out of an idea that would not leave her alone since her character turned into a horse and gallop out of their house. Clarissa wouldn¡¯t want Ezekiel to face this alone. Which meant¡­


    Evelyn let out a sigh, then called Tyler. His phone number had been waiting for her to press it for about ten minutes now. This wouldn¡¯t be an easy conversation, but it needed to happen.


    ¡°Evelyn?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Princess Clarissa is a princess to the fullest. Which means she won¡¯t ask me to do this, so understand I¡¯m doing this because I want to. If something happened to Ezekiel out there and she couldn¡¯t help, she would never forgive herself, and elves live for a long time.¡± Evelyn took a steadying breath. ¡°I need to come with you on your road trip, even though she would never ask this of me. She has helped me so much, and I want to return the favor.¡±


    There was a pause on the phone. ¡°Oh.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°I mean, that absolutely makes sense for Princess Clarissa¡¯s character, but are you sure you want to do this?¡±


    Evelyn let out a sigh. She knew this question was coming. ¡°I¡¯m doing this for them. Not Rafael. And¡­ this will also help me decide about the session at my house.¡± She placed a hand against the side of her face. ¡°Is it even possible? Can I go on this road trip?¡±


    ¡°If you really want to come, Evie, I¡¯ll do everything possible to make you safe. Derek wants to come, too.¡±


    She closed her eyes, letting out a breath. ¡°Okay. Yeah.¡± She used her free arm to give herself a hug.


    ¡°With you coming, it¡¯ll be smarter to bring separate cars. You could ride with me the whole way, or if you want to ride with Derek, we can switch off. But we can do it in such a way that you will never have to see Rafael. I don¡¯t know what that will look like in the actual battle of the saber-tooth tiger. That we might have to play by ear. But I promise you, you will be safe.¡±


    Tyler was going to bend over backwards for her. He kept telling her this, and the calm certainty in his voice should have clued her in, but she was still surprised at how willing he was to help her. ¡°Okay. Thank you, Tyler. Seriously, thank you. I¡­ want to do this for Princess Clarissa.¡±


    ¡°Having Princess Clarissa and Milo there if a bad situation pops up could be useful. Let me think this through and get back to you how it¡¯ll look, but I¡¯m pretty confident that you won¡¯t have to see him for most of the road trip. Do you feel comfortable about the possibility of seeing him during the battle?¡±


    ¡°I think so. As long as I don¡¯t see him the whole way there. Or back.¡±


    ¡°Then I will make that happen.¡±


    Evelyn nodded, then felt stupid all over again. This was a phone conversation. He couldn¡¯t see her nod. ¡°Thank you. I want to do this for her. She¡­ has always meant a lot to me, and now even more so that she¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I will do what I can. Plan on coming on the road trip.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    They hung up, and she let out a breath of relief. She had received a text while talking to Tyler, and her moment of relief froze up again. It was from Alejandra.


    I want to send a message from Rafael, since he doesn¡¯t feel comfortable texting you, but figured you wanted to know. Princess Clarissa is here at our house. She and Ezekiel have been talking about this plan to leave the bubble all day.


    Her chest relaxed. She could almost tell how nervous Alejandra was with texting her.


    Thanks for letting me know. I was getting worried when Princess Clarissa hadn¡¯t returned.


    She sent that off, wincing. Hopefully she didn¡¯t sound too ridiculous sending that. She hadn¡¯t seen Alejandra in a while, either.


    Her phone vibrated, and she checked it.


    Pretty sure Grizzizzik would be the one disappearing to do a solo adventure that would get him killed, not Princess Clarissa.


    Evelyn smiled, posting a laughing emoji.


    OMG, I was thinking the same thing!


    Alejandra posted a laughing emoji back, and Evelyn smiled as she slipped her phone back in her pocket. She walked inside, and just to be certain, glanced in Nick¡¯s room to see Grizzizzik hunched over, making arrows. At least he was here.


    Her phone vibrated again with a text. It was from Tyler.


    Forgot to ask about whether you feel comfortable enough for Derek to drive you. Think about it. We have time.


    Evelyn felt herself fully relax. Going on the trip would be fine. She was going to be fine.

 Chapter 106

    Nick opened the garage door on Wednesday night. Evelyn had told him what might happen this week, with Clarissa trying to recognize where the saber-tooth tigers were. It also meant the hyped-up Lord of the Rings movie marathon was put on hold until they had more solid plans.


    His nerves were jumbled as he walked through the door. It was a little after five, and Walt was either already home or arriving in the next ten minutes. Nick had to eat dinner fast, so he didn¡¯t have to be around him.


    ¡°Well, hey, Nick,¡± Lydia said.


    He barely glanced at her as he emptied the water bottle in the sink. ¡°Hey, mom.¡±


    ¡°You enjoying your fall break?¡± Lydia asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± It was not convincing. Working full time for this one week would definitely make a nice bump in his bank account, but other than that, it was pretty boring.


    A silence descended as Nick finished washing his water bottle.


    ¡°I¡¯m about ready to make a casserole. I figured we could eat as a family tonight,¡± Lydia said.


    Nick winced. ¡°Oh. Tonight?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why I¡¯d make a casserole tonight and not eat it. Evelyn¡¯s out with friends and offered to get some things for a salad while she¡¯s at the store.¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah. Yeah.¡± Nick scratched his forehead with his thumb. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Oh, stop your fussing. It¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    He often wondered why his mother married his father. Perhaps it was the whole opposites attract thing. Walt, with his toxic negativity and harsh punishment and Lydia, with her toxic positivity and ignoring everything horrible around her.


    ¡°Right. So¡­ let me know if you need anything.¡± Nick walked out the back door into the heat of the evening. He usually came outside because Grizzizzik was in his room, working on the arrows and still being moody. Derek kept trying to send semi-helpful texts to Evelyn, but they couldn¡¯t figure out Grizzizzik¡¯s mood.


    Nick took a few steps outside before he noticed the rogue resting in one of the lawn chairs. Nick didn¡¯t know what possessed him, but he sat in the one across in the shade with his moody character.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Nick said. Grizzizzik cracked an eye open before closing it again. ¡°Has enough time passed that you¡¯re not so moody? Can I finally ask you questions without you biting my head off?¡±


    ¡°Hilarious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡±


    Grizzizzik kept his eyes closed, though he did shake his head. ¡°I simply process battles different from everyone else.¡±


    Nick narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve never been this moody after one.¡± The idiot was pretending to nod off so he wouldn¡¯t have to answer. Nick groaned, rubbing his head. ¡°I¡¯m trying to help you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been in a funk since the fight. We have more fights coming. Maybe not the one where Ezekiel fights the saber-tooth tiger, but you can be stubbornly moody enough for three weeks if we don¡¯t figure this out.¡±


    Grizzizzik shook his head. ¡°Again, kid, I don¡¯t need your help.¡±


    Nick stood up and was hit with a moment of clarity. ¡°No, you¡¯re just in a bad mood because you need my help, but don¡¯t want to admit it.¡±


    The rogue opened his eyes, giving Nick a familiar glare. His character was begging to be left alone.


    Nick shrugged and walked back inside. In a gesture of goodwill, he worked on the dishes as Lydia made the casserole. Evelyn came home soon after, saying goodbye to her friends before starting on the salad. It felt bizarre. It felt normal, yet abnormal. Like they all agreed to cosplay as a functional family for the night.


    Nick remembered the first time he and Rafael had spent the night at Derek¡¯s house. How Derek¡¯s entire family ate dinner together and actually enjoyed each other¡¯s company. It was one of the rare times Miguel was there, home from a business trip. Nick and Rafael were being overly formal with Miguel, and he laughed it off, demanding they never call him sir. Nick was far more surprised at how much talking and laughter there was at that dinner table. How much Derek openly teased his siblings with nothing more than a soft look of chastisement from Miguel if Derek crossed a line. And how Amanda wasn¡¯t just asking questions, but invested in their lives. It was odd. He realized why people got jealous of other people, but he could never be jealous of Derek. He was glad someone he knew had a functional place to call home.


    When Walt came home, Nick could feel the air charging around everyone. Lydia and Evelyn chatted up a storm while the casserole cooked, but Nick remained silent, as did Walt. They were less likely to fight if neither one of them talked.


    They all dished up before sitting at the table. The awkward silence descended as they ate. Evelyn and Lydia had filled the silence before with talk, which made it somehow harder to deal with the silence now.


    ¡°So how is your fall break going, Nick?¡± Lydia asked.


    She already asked him this. It was small talk. They were repeating themselves, but he didn¡¯t bother correcting her. He didn¡¯t look up from his plate. ¡°Good. Working.¡± He scooped up the taco casserole and took a bite. ¡°This tastes great, by the way, mom.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I talked with Ike today,¡± Walt said. It was terrifying how quickly a cold sweat could appeared on Nick¡¯s forehead. Mr. Morgan told him he wouldn¡¯t mention anything. Nick remained silent, daring a glance at his father, refusing to give anything away. ¡°He said you¡¯re working harder than four men combined this week.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Keep going.¡±


    Nick frowned, trying to figure out what this was. After a few seconds of studying Walt, he realized his father gave him a compliment. It was so unpracticed, Nick couldn¡¯t tell if he was being serious. Perhaps it was all part of the cosplaying a normal family.


    ¡°Yeah. Um¡­ I will.¡±


    The silence descended, and it was almost worse. He wanted to jump off this topic as quickly as possible, because he didn¡¯t want Walt asking any more questions about work and Mr. Morgan. He wanted to take the unpracticed compliment and leave.


    Nick picked up his glass of water and took a drink when Clarissa appeared in the kitchen. He sometimes forgot she was an elf, meaning her footsteps were nearly impossible to hear. But that wasn¡¯t what made him choke on his water. No, it was the fact that she was wearing nothing but her sapphire tiara, her sapphire necklace, and someone else¡¯s shirt, long enough to reach her mid-thigh.


    The water he was drinking both exited out of his mouth and somehow shot into his lungs. Nick coughed, the water trying to escape.


    ¡°Nick? Are you alright?¡± Lydia asked.


    He gave a thumbs up as he kept coughing. Evelyn glanced over and noticed Clarissa. She snorted, covering her mouth. The druid glanced at them both like she didn¡¯t have a care in the world as she waltzed over to the kitchen sink, grabbing a cup.


    ¡°You sure you¡¯re alright?¡± Lydia asked.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Nick cleared his throat, skewering some of the elbow macaroni noodles in the casserole. ¡°This is great. Still great.¡± He¡¯d complimented the food already, but he needed the conversation to change.


    A fit of giggles attacked Evelyn as she pulled out her phone and placed it on her leg to keep it hidden, but she was doing an awful job of it.


    ¡°Yes, um, thank you,¡± Lydia said.


    The back door slid open and Grizzizzik walked in. Nick closed his eyes, overcome with the same desire to giggle as hard as Evelyn.


    ¡°Am I¡­ missing something?¡± Walt asked.


    You have no idea.


    Nick cleared his throat. ¡°No. Sorry. Giggle fits.¡±


    Evelyn was still chortling as Grizzizzik walked over to the kitchen. He was so far in his head that Clarissa and her outfit hadn¡¯t caught his attention. How the hell could that rogue not notice her?


    Grizzizzik pulled out a hunk of cooked venison from the fridge he hunted for himself a few days ago. He bit a chunk out of it before closing the door. He was on his way back outside when he gave a nod toward Clarissa in greeting. It was only then that he finally noticed what she was wearing. Clarissa was sipping her water, leaning against the counter. Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes traveled over her, taking in the absurdity of Clarissa in a man¡¯s shirt before staring at her face in confusion.


    It was so beautifully, awkwardly Grizzizzik that Nick snorted again. He covered his mouth, tears of laughter pricking his eyes. Grizzizzik shot Nick a look before returning to Clarissa. ¡°What¡­ the hell?¡±


    ¡°Okay, what joke am I missing?¡± Lydia asked.


    Nick was too far into the giggles that he couldn¡¯t answer. Evelyn gasped, trying to calm herself, but there were tears streaming down her face. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Seriously, nothing. Sorry. Just¡­ inside joke.¡±


    ¡°Good evening to you, too, Grizzizzik,¡± Clarissa said.


    Nick finally heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and shirtless Ezekiel walked into the kitchen. Shirtless because Clarissa was wearing it. His medallion was still around his neck. The only thought Nick had was at least they found somewhere upstairs instead of one of their beds.


    Grizzizzik was sputtering, trying to get a coherent sentence in. Ezekiel reached forward with his fingers to get a piece of Grizzizzik¡¯s cold venison. ¡°Oh, that looks good.¡± The rogue instinctively held it away, still staring at Ezekiel and Clarissa with wide eyes.


    ¡°Care to explain this inside joke?¡± Walt asked, the humor lacking from his tone. The untold threat in his voice reached out, daring Nick to keep laughing. Nick¡¯s chuckle receded. The cosplaying normal family began to crack.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­ her¡­ you and her¡­¡± Grizzizzik sputtered.


    ¡°Just¡­ something about dinner reminded us of a CCNC campaign.¡± Nick took another bite of the casserole.


    ¡°Okay, first and foremost, to protect Clarissa¡¯s character, we got married yesterday. I am a man of the church, after all,¡± Ezekiel said.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­ you¡­¡±


    Clarissa placed her cup on the counter before brushing her fingertips against the black wounds on Ezekiel¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen this month. I wanted to make sure he knew he has me to rely on forever.¡±


    ¡°You got married!¡± Grizzizzik shouted. ¡°Why the hell would you do a stupid thing like that?¡±


    Clarissa frowned. Ezekiel raised an eyebrow as he placed a hand around Clarissa¡¯s waist. ¡°I¡¯ve lived my whole life in a temple. I won¡¯t sleep with¡ª¡±


    The rogue placed his hands over his ears. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear the rest of that sentence. I never want to know.¡±


    Walt started a conversation with Lydia, and Evelyn was texting someone, tears still streaming down her cheeks as she tried and failed to suppress her giggles.


    Grizzizzik placed the venison on the table as he covered his face. ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday evening,¡± Ezekiel said.


    ¡°Cal performed the ceremony,¡± Clarissa said.


    ¡°Hraktar and Milo were witnesses.¡±


    ¡°I came to invite you, but you were too focused on making those arrows of yours. You got pretty snippy at me for breaking your concentration, and we couldn¡¯t wait for your permission. Who knows when Ezekiel has to leave to kill the saber-tooth tiger?¡±


    Ezekiel smiled as he looked at Clarissa. ¡°If you want, Princess Clarissa and I could repeat our vows for you.¡±


    Nick started stuffing his mouth with food. He had a feeling he knew how Grizzizzik would react, and he needed to be ready.


    ¡°No!¡± Grizzizzik shouted. ¡°I don¡¯t care! I don¡¯t want to know! This is stupid! Why would you do this? Why would you¡­¡±


    ¡°I told you.¡± Ezekiel placed a hand over his medallion. ¡°I¡¯m a man of the church.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Why would you love her? She¡¯s a hundred years older than you! You¡¯re a child compared to her!¡±


    Clarissa¡¯s smile flickered. ¡°Comparing elf years and human years, we¡¯re the same age. Technically, I¡¯m younger. Time goes slower for my race. Don¡¯t accuse me of anything perverted.¡±


    ¡°This is dangerous!¡± Grizzizzik pointed at Ezekiel. ¡°You¡¯ve put us all in danger.¡±


    Ezekiel was genuinely confused. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    The casserole on Nick¡¯s plate was done, and he moved on to his salad.


    Grizzizzik stabbed a finger into his palm. ¡°We have one mission. Destroy all these creatures before they hurt this realm. We cannot get distracted with pointless¡­ side quests.¡±


    Ezekiel kept a hand over Clarissa¡¯s waist. ¡°This isn¡¯t a side quest. I love her. A kind of love that transforms a side quest into a main quest.¡±


    Perhaps that was romantic? It was at least romantic for Ezekiel, who¡¯d never had much female interaction except for temple novices devoted to the Great Lady of Light.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to get us all killed!¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Ezekiel frowned, the genuine confusion deepening. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± Grizzizzik covered his face again. ¡°You cannot get attached to someone!¡±


    Nick¡¯s smile slowly dropped. This was one of those breakthrough role playing moments. He didn¡¯t realize it because he was on the outside. But watching Grizzizzik get so angry like this, it made sense. His moodiness, his refusal to get help. It all clicked into place in his mind.


    Grizzizzik realized these past few days he¡¯s made friends with these people. How he reacted to that realization could be quite dangerous.

 Chapter 107

    ¡°Akshi takes weakness and exploits it for his personal gain. By getting married, you might as well announce from the rooftops how Akshi can destroy you!¡± Nick stuffed the last of the salad in his mouth as Grizzizzik¡¯s temper rose. ¡°He¡¯ll kidnap her! Torture her in front of you! It¡¯s how he¡¯ll break you! It¡¯s what he does! If you somehow survive this wererat curse, you¡¯ll still have Akshi to deal with! This was stupid! You¡¯ve put us all in danger!¡±


    Grizzizzik pushed past Ezekiel, heading for Nick¡¯s room. The door slammed shut, and silence descended on everyone. It was then that Nick realized his parents had stopped talking about their day. Evelyn was still texting, the giggles gone, though she still had a suppressed smile on her face.


    Nick drained the last of his water. Ezekiel glanced at Clarissa, preparing to talk to Grizzizzik, but Nick jumped to his feet, clearing his throat rather loudly before giving a small shake of his head. He gathered his dishes as he moved toward the sink. ¡°Great dinner, Mom. I loved it.¡±


    It was instinctual to make sure the dishes didn¡¯t clink too loudly in the sink before he moved to his room. Grizzizzik wouldn¡¯t respond to Ezekiel. He¡¯d glare the whole time, then listen patiently as the cleric started talking about a book that had a vague similarity to his problem. If Ezekiel went in there, Grizzizzik would blow up again, and it would solve none of their problems.


    Nick slipped into his room. His rogue had his hood up, his shoulders tense. He was leaning over the desk, his breathing ragged. ¡°Go away, Ezekiel.¡±


    ¡°Not Ezekiel. It¡¯s me,¡± Nick said, closing the door.


    The rogue rubbed his forehead. ¡°Shit, that¡¯s even worse.¡±


    Nick couldn¡¯t help it and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve been putting the pieces together. Let me describe what I think happened, and all you have to do is tell me if I¡¯m right or wrong.¡± Grizzizzik grunted. ¡°Or you can even grunt. That works, too.¡± The rogue still didn¡¯t look at him, his breathing still ragged and getting louder. Nick leaned against the wall and folded his arms. ¡°Something happened that got under your skin. Most likely Phantom. With the kidnapping and everything, something made you realize you¡¯re becoming friends with these people. You¡¯re terrified of making friends. Your father¡­¡± Nick hesitated, then glanced down. Not that Grizzizzik would have noticed. He was glaring at the wall. ¡°Akshi makes you believe that if you show any amount of connection with another person, it¡¯s a weakness. A weakness he can exploit. It¡¯s easier to be alone, rather than have friends. Because of how much it hurts to think they¡¯ll be taken from you.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Grizzizzik¡¯s fingers curled into fists as his voice quivered. ¡°Damn you, just shut up.¡±


    Nick¡¯s heart started pounding. He was right. He was familiar with that wavering tone. It made Grizzizzik realize this was, indeed, his future and he hated it. Friends. He had spent years placing a wall between him and anyone else to protect himself. To protect them from his father.


    ¡°What happened with Phantom?¡± Nick asked quietly, not expecting an answer.


    Grizzizzik dug his palm into the corner of his eye, letting out a shuddering breath. ¡°He threatened to kill Milo. Kill that stupid mana fusor if I tried to stab him back. And I was terrified. I was actually terrified of losing Milo. He¡¯s¡ª¡± Grizzizzik stopped short.


    ¡°A good friend?¡±


    ¡°I cannot stand that idiot sometimes. Too obsessed with mana. Gets way too excited with a new discovery. But damn, it would hurt. Not just because of his resourcefulness, but¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d miss him,¡± Nick offered. ¡°If you never saw him again, it would leave a hole in your soul that¡¯d be impossible to fill?¡±


    Grizzizzik still faced the wall. ¡°You¡¯re talking like I love him. I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t fall in love with people, and I¡¯m not the marrying type. That¡¯s for idiots like Ezekiel. And Clarissa.¡±


    ¡°I never said you¡¯d marry him.¡± Nick felt like he was talking to an elementary school kid. ¡°I¡¯m saying that¡­ love between friends still exists.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s a weakness,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°It¡¯s something Akshi wants you to think is a weakness. Your father is forcing you into his worldview. He doesn¡¯t want you to make friends. He wants to¡­ isolate you.¡± Nick winced, glad Grizzizzik couldn¡¯t see him.


    Grizzizzik turned his head ever so slightly. Nick expected a chastisement. Few people were allowed to casually mention Akshi was his dad without getting a large, loud lecture. However, this was different. Nick saw what no one else had witnessed. There were tears of grief in Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes. ¡°Like what your father does to you?¡±


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    A tennis ball lodged itself in Nick¡¯s throat. There was a moment of quiet as Nick rubbed his upper arm. ¡°Yeah.¡± Nick cleared his throat. ¡°The only difference is I know what my dad¡¯s doing and I hate it. Your dad is making you believe you need to be isolated. That way, you do it by yourself.¡±


    ¡°I do this because Akshi will torture them. All of them. And your friends.¡± The first of the tears fell down his cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s better to stay isolated.¡±


    Nick watched his character, noticed the stiff posture, the tears. ¡°It¡¯s too late, Grizzizzik. This is what you¡¯re working through right now. This is what your stubbornness is keeping you from accepting. You¡¯re already friends with all of them.¡±


    Grizzizzik faced the wall again. ¡°Shit.¡± He rubbed his palm over his forehead, continuing to swear under his breath.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Nick felt like an idiot for saying that. ¡°But¡­ now you know. It¡¯s better, actually. There¡¯re good things that come with it.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Grizzizzik¡¯s tears somehow reflected in his voice. ¡°How could the threat of Akshi murdering them in front of me possibly have anything good attached to it?¡±


    Nick tried to think of something specific to Grizzizzik. His grumpy, moody rogue always needed a guaranteed reward or gold coin before agreeing to anything. Nick slowly lifted his shoulders. ¡°You now know four people will have your back. Always.¡±


    Grizzizzik bowed his head. ¡°You tell anyone about this, I will pull your innards out from your ears and make you hunt for them.¡±


    Nick smiled. ¡°Not a word to anyone. I promise.¡±


    He slipped out of the room, knowing Grizzizzik needed to process this some more by himself. He hardly made it down the hall when Evelyn was there, still smiling. She held out her phone, a giggle escaped her.


    Nick took the phone. Evelyn had scrolled to the beginning of the conversation. It was in the group text with everyone but him. She started the conversation in a quintessential way.


    Omg! Omg! Omgomgomgomg!


    O.


    M.


    G.


    WE¡¯RE AT DINNER AND PRINCESS CLARISSA JUST WALKED IN WEARING SOMEONE ELSES¡¯ SHIRT!


    Nick snorted, scrolling to see the replies.


    You cannot start a conversation like that and NOT PROMISE LIVE UPDATES! That was from Derek, followed by a gif of Michael Jackson eating popcorn.


    Ezekiel¡¯s shirt, maybe? Alejandra texted, before another text came from her. Rafael said it isn¡¯t his, because he¡¯d marry her first.


    It sure as hell wouldn¡¯t belong to Grizzizzik, Tyler texted.


    Nick snorted, scrolling through the numerous skull and laughing emojis and a few GIFs from everyone.


    Grizzizzik just walked in! He hasn¡¯t even noticed yet, Evelyn texted. OMG Nick is dying! My parents are so confused!


    Nick shook his head, seeing the replies. Derek was absolutely beside himself with the juicy gossip. Alejandra asked more questions, most of them from Rafael. Tyler laughing at the whole thing.


    GRIZZIZZIK JUST NOTICED!


    He¡¯s so confused!


    Mark it in the books!


    Princess Clarissa has made Grizzizzik speechless!


    WHERE! IS! EZEKIEL! Derek texted.


    Prime suspect for sure, Tyler texted.


    HERE!


    EZEKIEL IS HERE!


    HE WALKED IN SHIRTLESS!


    Derek posted every mind blown GIF in his library. Alejandra, texting for Rafael, was trying to get more information, but Derek was too busy electronically screaming. Nick smiled. It was so¡­ them. Like they were before.


    All our characters went behind our backs!


    Calawit married them last night!


    Milo and Hraktar witnesses!


    Grizzizzik is finding out right now!


    Nick scrolled through the replies and reactions, smiling. It was so lighthearted. Wholesome. He almost forgot the crazy history they all had.


    Sorry. This was from Alejandra again. Really sorry, Evelyn.


    Rafael¡¯s kind of mad at me right now for mentioning his name while texting for him.


    I guess I was supposed to text his replies and pretend they were me.


    Sorry.


    Sandwiched between sorry¡¯s. Another quintessential Alejandra text.


    I consider this a safe conversation, and you can hop on for a bit if you want to, Rafael.


    His sister¡¯s answer impressed him.


    He doesn¡¯t want to. I¡¯ll go back to just mentioning they¡¯re from him.


    Evelyn gave a thumbs up before her next text. OMG I almost forgot how much of a competition Nick and Rafael had in making their characters more jacked. Ezekiel has ABS!


    Derek had finished all his mind blown GIFs before texting. I remember that!


    Because I beat them both by having a half-orc! Alejandra texted.


    Evelyn sent a laughing emoji. YES!


    How did you describe Hraktar¡¯s abs again? It was from Tyler. Like eight plump hernias sticking out of his sculpted abdomen?


    Alejandra sent a laughing GIF. I still stand by that!


    Derek sent another text. I shall never look at Hraktar¡¯s abs the same way again.


    Have you ever considered a career in writing paranormal romances? Tyler asked.


    Derek replied by sending a gif of someone spitting out their drink. Evelyn used an emoji to point to it. Literally Nick when Princess Clarissa first walked in.


    He didn¡¯t realize how big he was smiling until he got to the end.


    ¡°Figured you¡¯d want to see,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°I did. Thanks.¡±


    She motioned toward his bedroom door, dropping her voice. ¡°Is he okay?¡±


    Nick nodded. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine. Just needs some time to process things on his own.¡±


    ¡°I figured as much.¡± She returned to her phone. ¡°Wanna watch something?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s be down here, since Princess Clarissa and Ezekiel went back upstairs soon after you left,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Good call.¡± Nick wasn¡¯t even sure what they¡¯d watch. He somehow knew this was code for Evelyn wanting him near so she could update him on the group text, since no one could text him.


    His heart was warm as they settled on the couch. They chose a movie neither one of them would actually watch. He had Evelyn reply to some texts as him, so he felt included. Despite everything that happened, his friends were slowly patching this up. It might never be back to where it was, but for now, Nick felt like they had each other¡¯s backs again.

 Chapter 108

    Evelyn was in the middle of a dream. One that seemed to make perfect sense, but as she woke up to darkness, the dream slipped away. What time was it?


    She tried to reach for her phone, but was frozen in her bed. It took a few more blinks before she noticed the words floating in her vision.


    Roll for perception.


    Evelyn swallowed, then grabbed the d20. She had a guess what this was, but still felt nervous.


    The die landed on fourteen. The +4 was a nice bump to eighteen. Time resumed, and she grabbed her phone, checking the time. She barely registered it was four in the morning when Clarissa walked in, back in her blue dress now. ¡°What is Van Horn?¡±


    Evelyn rubbed her eyes. ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°Van Horn.¡±


    ¡°Um, you mean the horn on a van? Like the van Derek drives?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I noticed a sign through the tiger¡¯s eyes, and it said Van Horn.¡± She then made a weird noise with her mouth, almost like a tsking noise.


    ¡°Sorry, what was that last part?¡±


    She made the tsking sound again. ¡°It made little sense. It had a T and an X after it.¡±


    ¡°T and X?¡± It hit her, and she sat up. ¡°TX. Abbreviation for Texas.¡± She threw the blankets off her and ran straight for her laptop. She pulled up a map and put in Van Horn, Texas.


    She breathed a sigh of relief as it showed up. It did exist. But the relaxation all left when she saw how close it was to the Mexican border. She had a passport, but Tyler mentioned he didn¡¯t.


    She didn¡¯t remember how early in the morning it was until she listened to the phone ringing on the other side. She glanced at the clock on her computer, wondering if she should wait a few more hours, when Tyler¡¯s tired voice came on.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Tyler! I¡¯m so sorry. It¡¯s late. Or, uh, early. Princess Clarissa said she recognized the sign Van Horn, Texas, while meditating. The tigers are in Texas.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Great. This is great!¡±


    ¡°I looked it up. It¡¯s pretty close to the Mexican border.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not so great.¡± There was some shuffling around. ¡°I¡¯m assuming they¡¯d go into Mexico if they¡¯re traveling in a straight line.¡±


    Evelyn put in her home address and hit enter, watching it make a trip to Van Horn, Texas. ¡°Mmm, yes. This route has a bump to avoid Mexico.¡±


    ¡°Well, we know where they are. We have a direction to go. I¡¯ll call the other two and we¡¯ll leave as soon as possible.¡±


    She nodded, even though Tyler was on the phone and couldn¡¯t see. ¡°I¡¯ll start packing.¡±


    ***


    Rafael stuffed some clothes into a small suitcase. It was early. Way too early. But once he got the call from Tyler, he couldn¡¯t go back to sleep. He was nervous. Nervous about Ezekiel. About the saber-tooth tigers. About calling his work that he couldn¡¯t come in today. There were too many things that needed to happen, and it all needed to work. Ezekiel needed to kill a saber-tooth tiger before Akshi¡¯s minions did. Then they needed to rush back home to protect him in the bubble. So many things could go wrong. But it would be too dangerous not to try.


    It was six in the morning before Rafael grabbed his phone and dialed his manager¡¯s number. Alejandra was just getting up, a bathrobe around her. He wanted to let her keep sleeping.


    ¡°Hey, Mary,¡± Rafael said as soon as his manager said hello. ¡°Look, I¡¯m really sorry to do this so last minute, but¡­ but it¡¯s fall break.¡±


    ¡°And you want off today?¡± Strangely, Mary sounded excited.


    ¡°Um, yes. Just for a day or two. If that¡¯s possible.¡±


    She let out a whoop. It was so loud Alejandra glanced over, curious.


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    ¡°Brian will cover for you!¡± Mary said.


    Brian was his other manager. ¡°O¡­kay. Is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°He and I had a wager. Brian was positive you would never ask off for any of fall break. I said no one could do that after all the work you did last week. So if you asked for a day off, Brian was fully prepared to take your shift. Which he will. I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡±


    Rafael let himself smile, even chuckle a bit. ¡°Thanks, Mary.¡±


    ¡°You have fun. You work too hard.¡±


    He hung up, knowing at least work was covered. He talked to Alejandra about what was happening, and she got nervous, but nodded.


    Rafael finished packing, not knowing if he needed it all. But if they were going to spend the night somewhere, he didn¡¯t want to be unprepared.


    At six-thirty in the morning, Tyler¡¯s car pulled up. Rafael opened the door with his suitcase as Tyler got out and unlocked his trunk. ¡°You alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Nervous,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°We all are.¡± He helped Rafael put his suitcase in the trunk. ¡°Best-case scenario, we come home late tonight with Ezekiel holding a very large cat tooth or claw.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great. We¡¯ll focus on that.¡± Rafael wiped his forehead, glancing at his house.


    Tyler nodded to Alejandra. ¡°Are you okay to watch everyone¡¯s characters while we¡¯re gone?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She folded her arms, still in her bathrobe. ¡°Grizzizzik too?¡±


    Tyler frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if he will come. But Nick promised that if Grizzizzik wants to join the others, he¡¯ll drop him off at your house and then leave.¡±


    Alejandra played with her fingers. ¡°Is Nick okay?¡±


    Tyler shut the trunk, then glanced at her. ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Okay, good.¡±


    Rafael frowned, not sure how he was supposed to interpret his sister¡¯s question, but he didn¡¯t have time. He¡¯d just tuck it away to think about during the eight-hour road trip they were about to have.


    A second car pulled up, parking away from them so Rafael couldn¡¯t see Evelyn. Which was fine. He forced himself to look away.


    Hraktar walked outside with Quetzal on his shoulder. The drake was about the size of a large lizard, though he was so heavy now only Hraktar could handle him on his shoulders. The drake got down and scuttled toward Alejandra. She knelt down to give his head a pat before he disappeared around the house, no doubt looking for mice to snack on.


    Derek, Milo, Clarissa and Ezekiel got out of his car and made the quick trip toward Rafael¡¯s house. Ezekiel nodded at Rafael. ¡°I¡­ assume you got my note.¡±


    Rafael smiled. ¡°The note so well hidden that I didn¡¯t notice it until this morning? That note?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Ezekiel rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Don¡¯t you usually reach into that cupboard?¡±


    Rafael hid a smile as he glanced down. It was the cereal cupboard, and he hadn¡¯t had cereal in a while. ¡°Not yesterday.¡±


    Alejandra giggled. ¡°Next time you can put the note on the counter. Mom won¡¯t see it.¡±


    Ezekiel shrugged, then glanced at Clarissa with a smile. ¡°Yeah. I suppose.¡±


    With a smile, Tyler leaned against the car. ¡°Hey, you two, remember what we¡¯re doing.¡± He was focusing on Clarissa and Ezekiel. ¡°Ezekiel¡¯s got to be prepared at a moment¡¯s notice to fight a saber-tooth tiger one-on-one. Princess Clarissa and Milo need to be there as backup in case Ezekiel goes down, or in case there¡¯re more creatures we need to fight off.¡±


    Milo slapped Ezekiel on the back. ¡°So, be careful what you¡¯re doing here. No one wants you two teleporting into battle naked.¡±


    Derek covered his mouth, but it did nothing to stop his laughter. Ezekiel smiled as he gripped Clarissa¡¯s hand. ¡°We shall resist.¡±


    ¡°Cuddles and kisses are still on the table, though, right?¡± Clarissa asked.


    Ezekiel gave her a quick kiss. ¡°Always.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. Newlyweds,¡± Tyler muttered.


    ¡°Milo¡¯s got cure wounds prepared, and so does Clarissa,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need me?¡± Hraktar asked.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re sure,¡± Tyler said, watching Clarissa and Ezekiel walk inside the house hand in hand. ¡°You and Grizzizzik need to remain here. It¡¯s already dangerous enough splitting the group. If something goes wrong out there, we need both of you to remain and keep the main mission going. We¡¯ve got to eliminate all the monsters before next August.¡±


    Hraktar nodded, one he wasn¡¯t committed to. ¡°But if the princess dies¡­¡±


    The bubble collapses. The phrase Hraktar left unsaid.


    Tyler sighed. ¡°I know.¡± He glanced at Derek. ¡°Ezekiel gets teleported first. If he gets in over his head, Milo is next to teleport. If they need the extra boost, send in Princess Clarissa. That is the order. Let Evelyn know.¡± Tyler then glanced over at Milo, his voice dropping to a whisper. ¡°Don¡¯t tell Princess Clarissa I said that.¡±


    Milo nodded, his face grim. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    Tyler grabbed his phone out of his pocket. ¡°Alejandra, stay near the princess. Have her keep meditating. If there is any change in the tiger¡¯s direction, call us and let us know. Especially if they dip into Mexico.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°If they dip into Mexico, Derek and Evelyn can find them and guide them into the US, since they have passports.¡± Tyler sighed, tapping something on his phone. ¡°This is fine. Everything will be fine. We¡¯ve planned for everything. It¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°It will,¡± Derek said.


    Tyler gave a final sigh, then finished tapping his phone. ¡°Alright. Evelyn¡¯s with Derek for this first stretch.¡± Tyler gave Derek a look. ¡°Keep conversation light. Don¡¯t talk to her about anything she doesn¡¯t want to.¡±


    Derek gave him a thumbs up. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Good. We will always stay near each other in case she wants to switch drivers sooner. Rafael, you will be with me. Let¡¯s get this started.¡±


    Derek nodded, almost distractedly. Rafael followed his gaze until he landed on Hraktar. More specifically, Hraktar¡¯s midsection covered by his armor. Rafael hid his smile because he knew why. Hraktar was an unbelievably chiseled fellow. Despite the strange way to describe it, plump hernias were all Rafael could think of whenever he looked at Hraktar¡¯s stomach.


    The silence descended, and Hraktar finally took notice that he was getting the attention. He frowned, glancing at his midsection before looking at them all.


    Derek cleared his throat. ¡°Right. I will see you on the road.¡± He pulled out his own phone, tapping something as he walked toward the car. Rafael got in with Tyler, then buckled himself, watching Alejandra and Hraktar walk back into the house.


    Tyler started up the car, sighing. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine.¡±

 Chapter 109

    Alejandra didn¡¯t know where Hraktar got the deer. One minute she was getting ready for the day, then she walked out and saw them surrounding a fire as Hraktar spun the deer on a length of wood to cook it evenly. It was mid-morning, but still hot. She shook her head, smiling. All they were missing was Grizzizzik.


    A nagging feeling told her something else was missing, but she couldn¡¯t put her finger on it. She stayed inside, watching them interact. Ezekiel and Clarissa were distracted with each other. Hraktar and Milo took care of cooking the deer. Alejandra got herself a snack, staying in the air-conditioned home.


    The dull thuds of Hraktar¡¯s foot falls announced his presence inside. Alejandra smiled as she turned. ¡°Everything alright out there?¡±


    Hraktar nodded. ¡°It¡¯s getting hot.¡±


    ¡°Probably doesn¡¯t help to be by a fire,¡± Alejandra said.


    Hraktar chuckled. ¡°No, it most likely does not.¡±


    ¡°Do you need any salt?¡±


    The fighter opened a cupboard. ¡°We have enough. I¡¯m here to get a drink.¡±


    The sliding glass door opened again, and Milo slipped in. ¡°Hey, Hraktar. I¡¯ve been meaning to talk to you alone.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Hraktar glanced at Alejandra.


    She rubbed her arm. ¡°Do you need me to go?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. I mean¡­ your creator ought to know this, too,¡± Milo said. Hraktar drained his glass. Milo¡¯s face fell as he reached behind him. ¡°So, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen on this trip. It might go well, but¡­¡±


    Hraktar placed the cup on the counter, frowning. ¡°But you also like to prepare for the worst?¡±


    The mana fusor nodded. ¡°I do.¡± He pulled out his void bag and set it on the ground. ¡°I¡¯ve been creating this since I first heard about Ezekiel¡¯s lycanthropy, and I finally finished. If anything were to happen to me or Clarissa on the mission, it¡¯s best if you have this.¡±


    With a struggle, Milo grabbed a weapon with both hands, trying to pull it out of the bag. Hraktar almost went to help him when he froze. ¡°Is that¡­¡± He didn¡¯t finish. Alejandra knew exactly what that was. The duel blade of an axe appeared as Milo struggled with its weight. Hraktar backed away from the weapon. There was a distinct silver sheen to the double blade, and every muscle in Hraktar¡¯s body stiffened. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t use great axes.¡±


    Alejandra understood the hesitation. Milo must have saved one weapon from when they slaughtered some of the orcs in Hraktar¡¯s tribe. He stared at the great axe, terrified it would come alive and leap at his throat. A great sword had a bit more sophistication in Hraktar¡¯s eyes. Sophistication in that it wasn¡¯t a great axe or a javelin, the primary weapons of his tribe.


    ¡°Look, my friend, I¡¯m sorry again that we slaughtered some of your tribe,¡± Milo said. ¡°But your great sword cannot hurt Ezekiel if he¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡± Hraktar looked away, blinking. ¡°I will not kill Ezekiel.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t. You¡¯d be killing a wererat.¡±


    Hraktar let out a shuddering breath. Some people were ridiculously optimistic that Ezekiel wouldn¡¯t become a wererat. Grizzizzik lead the pessimists of the group. Milo seemed in the middle. He clearly had hope, but made this in secret. Just in case something went wrong. ¡°You couldn¡¯t do anything during the fight with the demon rats, and we can¡¯t have that again. And if worse comes to worst, if Princess Clarissa and I die out there and Ezekiel changes, I need to know you and Grizzizzik will have a way to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡± The word wrestled its way out of Hraktar¡¯s throat. ¡°Don¡¯t, Milo. You¡¯ll get back safe.¡±


    The mana fusor didn¡¯t move, watching Hraktar¡¯s face. ¡°And if we don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Ezekiel has become like a brother to me. I can¡¯t kill him. Using a great axe, of all things. I won¡¯t. I refuse.¡±


    Alejandra winced. This was hurting Hraktar, to where he showed legit fear. Milo sighed, glancing at the great axe partially out of the void bag. It was as far as Milo could drag it out. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it in Alejandra¡¯s room, tucked out of sight. If I return, I will happily collect it and we can pretend this conversation never happened. But if I don¡¯t return, or if Ezekiel doesn¡¯t get all the items he needs for the cleansing ritual¡­¡± Milo trailed off as Hraktar stared at him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to put any unintended pressure on you, my friend. But¡­ we need everyone¡¯s help, no matter the outcome. That means we need our fighter to actually fight.¡±


    Hraktar tore his gaze from Milo to the great axe on the ground. He used both hands to massage his head as he stared at the weapon commonly used by his tribe. They forbid him from using one, and as time went on, he never wanted to. Milo rubbed his upper arm. ¡°Did I¡­ was this a mistake? Using a great axe?¡±


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    Hraktar shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s memories. That¡¯s all. I can still use one. It¡¯s more the idea of¡­¡± Hraktar¡¯s eyes wandered over to the sliding back door, where Ezekiel sat next to Clarissa.


    The idea of being responsible for killing Ezekiel¡¯s family, and possibly Ezekiel himself.


    A lump appeared in Alejandra¡¯s throat as Hraktar blinked over and over again to keep tears from forming.


    ¡°No one wants to hurt him,¡± Milo said. ¡°But if we have to¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just¡­ being prepared,¡± Hraktar finished, again glancing at the great axe. ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Milo nodded. ¡°That¡¯s all it is. I truly wish you never have to use it, but if you do, it¡¯s better to have it.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t touch it unless it¡¯s necessary. You move it into her room.¡± Hraktar turned and walked away.


    Milo nodded, stuffing the great axe back in the void bag. Alejandra pushed herself off the counter to help. ¡°You can put it under my bed.¡±


    Milo nodded as they maneuvered it back into the bag. They walked down the hall before Alejandra opened her door and stepped aside. ¡°Is he going to be okay with this?¡± Milo asked, struggling to grab the great axe again.


    ¡°Hraktar will do what he must to protect his friends. I doubt anyone wants this to happen, but it¡¯s good to be prepared.¡±


    Milo grunted as he pulled the great axe out of the void bag. ¡°Those were my thoughts, too.¡± He carefully slid the great axe under her bed, and she was happy it couldn¡¯t cut the carpet. ¡°Will this put him in a funk?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Alejandra glanced down the hall, but couldn¡¯t see the others. ¡°Unless he kills Ezekiel the wererat. He might not recover from that.¡±


    Milo straightened, a sad look on his face. ¡°I doubt any of us could.¡±


    He moved out of her room and down the hall. Alejandra glanced under her bed at the sliver great axe. When she really thought about it, they could prepare as much as they could, but it was all up to chance.


    ***


    Derek and Evelyn finished a grand rendition of One Day More from the Les Mis¨¦rables musical. They had stopped at Wilcox, Arizona, to stock up on stacks and were a good three and a half hours into their road trip. They¡¯d barely touched his showtunes playlist. Singing One Day More always felt like a workout on its own. He was happy to pass on ¡°Think of Me¡± from Phantom of the Opera to instead have a conversation.


    ¡°Evelyn! Why aren¡¯t you in choir?¡± Derek asked.


    She smiled, shaking her head. ¡°It¡¯s different singing in a large group of people.¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean, I¡¯m honored, but seriously, girl. You¡¯ve got some sick pipes. Singing in a large group is almost better, since no one can hear you.¡±


    Evelyn chuckled as she opened her water bottle. ¡°Stop it. Your voice is gorgeous. You¡¯re trying out for the school musical, right?¡±


    ¡°Have to. It¡¯s part of my grade.¡± Derek glanced in his rearview mirror to make sure he was clear to pass a car going way too slow.


    ¡°You¡¯d be an incredible beast,¡± Evelyn said.


    He scrunched up his nose. ¡°No, thank you.¡±


    She glanced at him, eyebrows raised. ¡°Don¡¯t all the drama kids want the lead role of a play?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely they do. We¡¯re all quite the narcissistic bunch. Drama just helps us channel it in a semi-healthy way.¡± Derek eased into the other lane. ¡°But, you know, this is Beauty and the Beast. It¡¯s not for men. It¡¯s for women. The women will claw for the role of Belle. She¡¯s the actual star of the show. And everyone knows it¡¯ll be Emma.¡±


    ¡°Oh. You mean your ex? Or¡­ sort of ex?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. My sort of ex.¡± He grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds. ¡°No way I¡¯m playing the beast in that show. It¡¯d be too awkward.¡±


    Evelyn snorted. ¡°Actually, you know what? Don¡¯t be beast. You¡¯d absolutely kill it as Gaston.¡±


    The idea entered his mind and did not let go. ¡°Gaston, huh?¡±


    ¡°I could see you playing the over-the-top villain well.¡±


    Derek chuckled, but it got his mind whirling. Tryouts for the musical were always at the beginning of December. Mr. Jensen had such expectations that people would study their lines and the music over the incredibly long Christmas break. Evelyn was right. Of the two options, he¡¯d much rather go with Gaston. Everyone knew Emma would get the part of Belle, and he wanted to stay as far away from her as possible. But maybe it¡¯d be more fun playing the misogynist who was in love with himself.


    He needed to finish Clue first. Once he finished being the cool, collected butler, he could move on to the next play.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try out for Beauty and the Beast?¡± Derek asked.


    She checked herself in the phone camera. ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t. I¡¯ll still be in cheer and doing competitions.¡±


    Derek sighed. ¡°It¡¯s such a pity.¡±


    ¡°Not really. I can¡¯t act that well. Dancing is what I do,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°And CCNC.¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°And CCNC.¡±


    ¡°And convincing your other cheerleading friends to join CCNC club.¡± Derek wiggled his eyebrows.


    Evelyn snorted, giving his shoulder a shove. ¡°I¡¯ll admit Hazel, Brandi, and Annie are starting to like it, though they still can¡¯t attend CCNC club.¡±


    ¡°Because of cheer?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Because of cheer.¡±


    He groaned. ¡°I will literally move a mountain if I can get cheerleaders to attend CCNC club.¡±


    Evelyn laughed. ¡°I¡¯m almost afraid to invite them. Then you¡¯ll realize cheerleaders are nothing more than mortal women. Not some goddesses you see them as. You¡¯ll be disappointed.¡±


    ¡°I am still willing to move a mountain to bring the goddess to my level and greet her as a mortal,¡± Derek said.


    She shook her head, smiling. ¡°Actually, you know what? It might be better for you to realize cheerleaders are people, too.¡±


    Derek doubted he could ever see that, but another song came on. Only Seasons of Love could break him out of the conversation. He waited, ever so patiently, to see how much of a theater nerd Evelyn was as they listened to the opening tune. Evelyn then turned to Derek right at the lyrics.


    ¡°¡®Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes!¡¯¡± They both sang to each other. ¡°¡®Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear!¡¯¡±


    Derek was ready to commit to this. It was, after all, Seasons of Love. But in the space between Evelyn and Derek, a blue, reptilian head rose, chittering at them.


    They both screamed. With a control he did not possess, he slowed down enough to pull off the side of the road. There was no sound but the song that kept on playing, and Evelyn and Derek panting, staring wide eyed through the windshield. They didn¡¯t crash. That was all Derek focused on. He was almost scared of turning his head. Scared of the undeniable truth that Quetzal had snuck into their car.


    The drake climbed into the front, then sniffed the volume button on the radio. Evelyn and Derek were both still breathing deeply, letting him do it.


    ¡°Our plan gets a wrench thrown into it already,¡± Derek muttered.


    She sighed, then opened her contact list on her phone. ¡°I¡¯ll call¡­ Alejandra.¡±


    He nodded, then hit the emergency lights on his car.

 Chapter 110

    Nick taped the last box to get shipped off. He wiped his forehead before checking his phone. He didn¡¯t get any texts from anyone, so he assumed nothing too big had happened yet. If Evelyn was right, they left around seven in the morning, which meant they¡¯d been on the road about four hours now.


    With a grunt, Nick placed the box onto the pallet, then walked over to take a drink from his water bottle. He let out a sigh, knowing Mr. Morgan was here. He needed to talk to him, if only to put his mind at ease.


    Before he could talk himself out of it, he put his water bottle down and headed toward the stairs. The store was two stories, with the bookstore taking up most of the first floor and part of the second. They converted most of the second floor into their online store, and it also had Mr. Morgan¡¯s office. Nick walked up the stairs and saw his boss there at his desk, typing on his desk computer.


    ¡°Hello, Nick.¡± Despite talking, Mr. Morgan didn¡¯t break his concentration as he typed. ¡°Can I help you with something?¡±


    ¡°Um, just a quick question.¡± Nick eased closer to the desk. He didn¡¯t want to sit down. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell my father about me wanting to rent a place your brother owned, did you?¡±


    Mr. Morgan finished what looked like an e-mail. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I keep my word.¡±


    ¡°And¡­ I appreciate that. He just¡­¡± Nick trailed off, not sure what to say. ¡°I guess he gave me a compliment. It threw me off.¡±


    Nick sort of meant it as a joke. Mr. Morgan didn¡¯t laugh as he tore his gaze from his screen to meet Nick¡¯s. ¡°Your dad hasn¡¯t asked for an update in a year. I assumed it meant he¡¯d let this go. That he saw what I saw. A good kid.¡± Mr. Morgan leaned back in his office chair, his hands across his stomach. ¡°I called him up the other day to tell him you¡¯re one of the hardest working employees I¡¯ve ever had. Once you¡¯re eighteen, I¡¯m no longer obligated to have you as an employee. I¡¯m balancing my budget right now to make sure you get an appropriate raise when you work for me full time in the summer because I¡¯d be stupid to let you go anywhere else. Then I told him the past stays in the past for a reason. I told him my guess as to why you¡¯re such an incredible employee is because you possess an integrity few have. To be reminded of a past mistake so often, trying to drag you down, and yet actively choosing to be better. It¡¯s admirable.¡±


    Nick stared at Mr. Morgan. He wasn¡¯t sure what to say about it all, but he stuttered out a, ¡°Thank you.¡± He rubbed the scar that cut across his eyebrow. That felt like a compliment. And he still didn¡¯t know how to take one. ¡°I guess¡­¡± He hesitated. Mr. Morgan was his boss, but Nick had buried this deep. So deeply he refused to ever talk about it. But it¡¯d been three years. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like I have that much integrity, sir. I¡­ I was being stupid. It almost killed me. It was¡­¡±


    ¡°A wake-up call?¡± Mr. Morgan asked.


    Nick nodded. ¡°Yeah. I guess in a way, it taught me how dangerous my choices can be.¡±


    ¡°My statement still stands. You have a lot of integrity. Many people never learn from the stupid choices they made, and yet you did. At fourteen years old, even. Something I hope Walt, too, learns. If he needs reminding, you let me know and I¡¯ll do what I can as an old friend of the family.¡± Mr. Morgan said this so simply, but Nick¡¯s breath caught in his throat. The relief that flooded his system was almost euphoric. Mr. Morgan was on his side.


    His boss gathered up a box with Jos¨¦¡¯s logo on it. ¡°My wife is obsessed with Jos¨¦¡¯s. She gets lunch there almost every day. In the off chance she hasn¡¯t ordered in a while, Jos¨¦ brings a box of twenty crisp tacos, posed as giving a sampling of their catering to the businesses around town. My wife goes right back to ordering lunch from him. From one businessman to another, that man knows exactly what he¡¯s doing.¡± Nick chuckled as Mr. Morgan opened the box to him. ¡°Most of my staff are gone for the school¡¯s fall break. Please take one or two. Or five.¡±


    Nick smiled as he grabbed a napkin and picked out three tacos. ¡°Thanks Mr. Morgan.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ***


    They stopped for lunch at a rest stop once they made it a suitable distance into New Mexico. Tyler was there at a lone picnic table with a bag of burgers, texting. He smiled as he saw them, and Evelyn was happy not to see Rafael.


    ¡°Hey, have a seat.¡± He set his phone down and divvied out the fast food burgers.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Quetzal?¡± Derek asked. They mutually agreed not to turn around and give Quetzal back to Alejandra. Instead, Rafael offered to be in charge. They had stopped at a different location for Derek and Tyler to make the tradeoff before they kept going. But now they were here, and Quetzal was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Quetzal and Rafael are in a different park,¡± Tyler said. ¡°Once we¡¯re done here, Derek, you can go pick them up.¡±


    Evelyn felt herself relax. At first, she thought it was overkill, but this entire trip has felt like Rafael was never here. It was what she wanted. It¡¯s what she asked Tyler to do for her. Derek never brought him up once, and Tyler did what he promised.


    Even now, Tyler was quick to change the subject as he opened his burger. ¡°Have you gotten any rolls for Princess Clarissa?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°No. Not yet. Though they should come soon. Alejandra said Milo is trying to figure out if he can scientifically sharpen the meditation, so it doesn¡¯t come in all fuzzy.¡±


    Tyler nodded. ¡°That¡¯d be nice.¡±


    ¡°I should get some dice rolls on that soon,¡± Derek said.


    They were quiet as they ate their hamburgers. Tyler took out a large container of fries, spreading it on the flattened bag for them to share before taking a final bite of his burger.


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    ¡°Do you really think we¡¯ll have a session at Nick and Evelyn¡¯s house and for it to play out how we predict?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not? We¡¯ve been doing this for years, even if we didn¡¯t realize actual people were involved on a different planet.¡± Tyler took a sip from his drink. ¡°Let¡¯s practice and see if we can do this right now.¡±


    ¡°Practice¡­ a session?¡± Derek asked.


    Tyler crumpled up his burger wrapper. ¡°Let¡¯s see what our characters are up to, even if they¡¯re a state away.¡±


    Intrigue entered Derek¡¯s face. ¡°Check in on our characters without calling?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. In a way. And make sure your connections are strong,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Cool.¡± Derek set down his burger. ¡°Do we need to draw a pentagram using bird blood? Hold hands? Speak Latin backwards?¡±


    Evelyn snorted, then gave Derek¡¯s shoulder a shove. ¡°How do we start?¡±


    ¡°How it always starts. A description of the atmosphere by the GM.¡± Derek frowned, glancing at Tyler. ¡°Can you do that? Can you sense all our characters?¡±


    Tyler focused on the table. He took another sip of his drink, then closed his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasant house. Not grand. Not elaborate. But it¡¯s home. Home to three people who worked hard to make it so. A movie is on, but no one is really watching it. They¡¯re in the main living area, and on the table is the strangest assortment of snacks one could find. Some chips and dip, some veggie sticks. Water and soda. And half of a roasted deer on a platter too small for it.¡± Evelyn chuckled. She could see it so well in her mind¡¯s eye. ¡°What are your characters doing?¡± Tyler asked.


    There was silence, but it didn¡¯t last long. Derek closed his eyes. ¡°Milo¡¯s there doing measurements on the mana he senses emanating from Princess Clarissa. He¡¯s moving his hand back and forth in the invisible streams, closing his eyes as he¡¯s channeling more mana.¡±


    Evelyn nodded. ¡°Princess Clarissa is in meditation. She is soon about to tell¡­ yes. There she goes.¡±


    ¡°What does she say?¡± Tyler prompted.


    She smiled, then brought out her Clarissa voice. ¡°¡®It¡¯s not working, Milo. You¡¯re distracting me.¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡®Trust the process.¡¯¡± Derek took on the voice he always adapted as Milo.


    ¡°¡®I can¡¯t trust the process when you¡¯re clearing messing it up,¡¯¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°¡®Change your point of view, Princess. This will help. I promise.¡¯¡±


    Evelyn sighed exactly how Clarissa would to Milo back in Arizona. ¡°Princess Clarissa goes back to meditating, trying to ignore her best friend.¡±


    There was another silence. There wasn¡¯t much more for Evelyn to do. Clarissa had gone back to meditating. Which prompted a question. She glanced at Tyler. ¡°If I wanted to stay away from this session at my house in a couple of weeks? Could I still roll from my room and be able to say what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Tyler rubbed his chin. ¡°We¡¯d make it work. If you don¡¯t want to go, you don¡¯t have to. I don¡¯t want your dad bugging you about going, either.¡±


    Evelyn nodded, distracted, as she took a few more fries. She¡¯d been teetering on whether she¡¯d go ever since Walt told her about it. It¡¯d caused her stress, but as this road trip went on, the stress wasn¡¯t as sharp.


    Tyler¡¯s phone started buzzing, and he pulled it out of his pocket, checking it. It sounded like a long list of texts. Tyler started scanning them, then a slow smile spread across his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s from Rafael.¡± Tyler placed his phone in his other hand as he picked up some fries. He started reading them out loud. ¡°¡®I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m texting this. It¡¯ll probably makes no sense whatsoever. Ezekiel is on the couch, reading. But he¡¯s distracted. For the first time in his life, he¡¯s finding a distraction from somewhere other than a book. He¡¯s happy. Content.¡¯¡±


    Derek chuckled. ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s your answer, Evie.¡± He looked at her, smiling. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go, text Tyler what Princess Clarissa is doing. We¡¯ll make it work.¡±


    Evelyn took a few more fries, her decision already made. She was safe. Derek did what he could, and Tyler made sure she never saw Rafael if she didn¡¯t want to.


    ¡°I honestly think¡­¡± Evelyn started to say as Tyler started texting Rafael back. He paused, glancing at her. ¡°I think I can do it. I¡¯ll attend the session at my house. Just¡­¡±


    ¡°Rafael will never be in the same room with you without me or Nick being there, too.¡± Tyler¡¯s eyes already returned to his phone as he finished the text. ¡°That I can guarantee. And if you want to leave early, you¡¯re more than welcome to roll from your room. That¡¯s the nice thing about it being at your house.¡±


    ¡°And today?¡± Derek asked, glancing at Evelyn. ¡°When we fight the saber-tooth tigers?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°It¡¯d be good practice. I¡¯ll be there, so Princess Clarissa can come when she needs to. It¡¯ll be like a trial run for the session at my house. See how things go.¡±


    Tyler nodded, placing his phone to one side. ¡°Alright. We will see how things go.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ still don¡¯t want to see him until the battle.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± Tyler glanced at Derek. ¡°I¡¯ll text you the directions to the park he¡¯s at.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Derek picked up his phone, waiting for Tyler¡¯s text.


    Evelyn felt the anger toward Rafael melt away. It was a strange battle in her heart. She wanted to rage, to still be angry. It would be the only thing that protected her, because Rafael was still out there.


    It occurred to her how long three years could be. She could almost feel herself packing up the hatred, the anger, and placing it to one side. Not forgiveness. Not yet. Gemma told her forgiveness might never come, and that was okay. But anger, that emotion quietly went away. Akshi gave her a choice. So did Tyler. Torture Rafael until he was a shell, or keep giving him firm boundaries to make sure he never did it again. She permanently closed the door to Akshi¡¯s idea and instead chose Tyler¡¯s.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Derek¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Okay. Yeah, that was an excellent roll.¡±


    Tyler raised an eyebrow. ¡°Sweet. What was it?¡±


    ¡°Arcana roll. Nice that I have a plus five for my modifier, even nicer that I rolled¡ª¡±


    Derek¡¯s words were cut off as time halted. A d20 appeared in front of her.


    Roll for Perception.


    Evelyn winced and grabbed the d20. She rolled, hoping it was a good one. It would be so nice to check in and see where the saber-tooth tigers were.


    She gave the die a good shake and let it drop. It danced on the invisible table before her, almost too much.


    A three. Even the +4 did little to help.


    She groaned.


    ¡°¡ªan eighteen. So that has to be a good sign.¡±


    Evelyn slammed her palm against the table. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter! Princess Clarissa rolled a seven.¡±


    ¡°Oof, that¡¯s got to hurt,¡± Tyler said.


    Derek snickered. ¡°Oh, god, I can almost see it.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°¡®I did it! That should work wonders for your concentration!¡¯¡±


    Evelyn chuckled despite herself. ¡°¡®Seriously! Seriously, Milo? Could you possibly keep your celebrating to a minimum? I¡¯m meditating!¡¯¡±


    Derek snorted. ¡°Princess Clarissa throws something at him, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. One of the throw pillows.¡±


    Tyler chuckled as he gathered the trash in the bag. ¡°Let them have their fight. Bet you anything they¡¯ll be back at it in an hour.¡±


    Evelyn sighed as she stood up. ¡°I kind of wish we knew where to go already.¡±


    ¡°A good roll doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯ll know what to do. After all, when Princess Clarissa finally sees them, they might be in the middle of the desert.¡± Tyler sighed. ¡°It should be good. It was a fail this time, but something tells me that in another hour, you¡¯ll roll again.¡± Tyler checked his phone. ¡°We still have a while, and plenty of opportunities to split into Mexico if the need arises.¡± He glanced at Evelyn. ¡°How do you feel about listening to some Game Master podcasts?¡±


    Evelyn gasped. ¡°Oh my god, can we?¡±


    Tyler smiled, then waved at Derek. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    Derek maneuvered out of the picnic bench. ¡°See you later. I absolutely need to go down that slide first, but I¡¯ll be on the road soon.¡±


    Tyler chuckled as Derek ran toward the playground.

 Chapter 111

    It was about three-thirty in the afternoon when Nick¡¯s phone did something he rarely heard from it. It started vibrating from an incoming phone call. He stopped typing immediately before taking out his phone and glancing at it. Evelyn was calling. He was terrified something bad might have happened. No one called him unless it was an emergency.


    ¡°Evelyn? Everything alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re doing great. I wanted to call and update you on the trip. It¡¯s got to be hard not being on the group chat.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Nick leaned back in his chair, strangely touched. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d love an update.¡±


    Evelyn started talking, explaining they were in Texas now, passing through El Paso. She and Derek were now getting rolls about every half hour. They had to line it up to where both of them rolled fairly high in order to make it work, which hadn¡¯t been easy.


    ¡°And thankfully this last roll I had was for advantage, so they must be getting better at doing whatever they¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± Nick said.


    She then explained how Alejandra called Derek with all the information Clarissa saw. The tigers were still in Texas. They¡¯d found a rundown gas station to sleep for the hotter part of the day, which worked perfectly for them.


    ¡°Which means we might not need to go to Mexico at all. That would be nice. It¡¯d be so much less complicated.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s also good to know the saber-tooth tigers are still alive,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Right!? I thought so too. She hasn¡¯t seen any stronger creature around them, either. But we¡¯re still not ruling anything out.¡±


    She talked a bit more about the podcast she was listening to with Tyler on unconventional tips for being a game master, also the sights they were seeing. Or sort of seeing, as they were speeding past. Nick smiled, listening to her talk. She started rambling, which he didn¡¯t mind. It was nice that his sister wanted to keep him updated. Nick was trying to do the math in his head. They left at about seven; they were already in Texas. Now it was a matter of finding the tigers, killing one, then heading straight home.


    If they did this soon, they could be home by late tonight. Or at least tomorrow sometime. That was if everything went well. If he knew CCNC, things were always up to chance.


    Evelyn was winding down, her rambling not as fast. Nick smiled. ¡°Hey, Evie. Just be careful, okay? It¡¯s still dangerous out there.¡±


    ¡°I know. But we¡¯ll get this done soon. Then we¡¯ll have one finished thing off Ezekiel¡¯s cure,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°You have the silver. So that¡¯s two,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Eh, one and a half. We don¡¯t know how to grind the silver into powder.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Nick said, checking his watch.


    ¡°Alright, well, I better go.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for updating me. And if something bad happens, I want to know. I¡¯ll think of an excuse for Dad later.¡±


    ¡°Alright. See you, Nick.¡±


    Nick hung up, then felt his heart rate spike. What he just said returned to his mind out of context. It would sound horrible for someone overhearing them. He spun around to see if anyone had heard, but it was empty. He let out a breath. Sometimes he hated being so paranoid.


    ***


    Derek popped another handful of sunflower seeds into his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, the shells are great!¡±


    Rafael shook his head, thankful for Derek and his ability to talk about anything and everything. It was a great distraction from the battle ahead. ¡°I didn¡¯t even think the shells were edible. Pretty sure they¡¯re a health hazard.¡±


    ¡°Meh,¡± Derek said through a mouthful of shelled sunflower seeds. ¡°I¡¯ve been eating them my whole life and haven¡¯t had issues.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not big issues, but I doubt they¡¯re digestible. Next thing you¡¯re going to tell me is the shells on pistachios can be eaten, too.¡±


    Derek shook his head. ¡°Absolutely not. Those things are way too hard. Sunflower shells, though, are delicious.¡± He used his finger to pick at his teeth. ¡°They do have a habit of getting stuck in my teeth, though.¡±


    Rafael snorted, watching the empty scenery pass by. It was so odd after seeing the El Paso skyline. Rafael cracked another sunflower shell and popped the seed into his mouth. ¡°You don¡¯t have that problem if you get rid of them.¡±


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    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem if you enjoy them enough.¡± Derek fished around his teeth with his tongue.


    Rafael had his arm leaned against the window, a few fingers in his hair as he glanced at Derek. ¡°Yeah. Okay.¡±


    ¡°So! You and Hazel!¡± Derek said. Rafael frowned, trying not to feel uncomfortable. He looked out at the empty vastness of Texas. ¡°Oh, come on. We are about to stop for dinner. We¡¯ve been riding in the car for hours together on a life-or-death mission to save Ezekiel! The bros hanging out again. You¡¯re seriously not going to talk about Hazel? At all?¡±


    Rafael sighed as Quetzal crawled into his lap. ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t talk about her because¡­¡± Derek waited, fingers bouncing on the steering wheel in anticipation. Rafael rubbed his forehead. ¡°Because I don¡¯t¡­¡± He didn¡¯t quite know how to phrase it.


    Derek swallowed his sunflower seeds, shell and all. ¡°Is it about Evelyn?¡±


    Rafael kept his gaze out the window, though his eye twitched. ¡°No. I mean, yes. Well¡­¡±


    Derek¡¯s eyebrows rose, excited. ¡°Am I stumbling on something here?¡±


    Rafael grumbled, petting Quetzal. ¡°You were the worst at sniffing out drama.¡±


    ¡°On the contrary. I¡¯m the best at sniffing it out,¡± Derek said. ¡°But from what I observed, you clearly don¡¯t like Evelyn anymore in that way.¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± Rafael kept his eyes on the open country. ¡°I ruined that for myself.¡±


    ¡°Well, if it helps, I doubt Evelyn ever had feelings for you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Rafael absently rubbed his jaw. ¡°Kind of figured that out too.¡±


    Derek, a blessing of a friend that Rafael deeply missed, did not let silence last and changed the subject. ¡°How long have you been dating Hazel?¡±


    ¡°Four months, now,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Sick! For high school, that¡¯s practically a forever commitment,¡± Derek said. Rafael said nothing as he scratched under Quetzal¡¯s chin. Silence finally descended. For two seconds. Derek really was great at not letting it last. ¡°So¡­ are you forever?¡±


    Rafael sighed as Quetzal¡¯s leg twitched. ¡°I¡¯d like to be.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the issue?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s Hazel Jones,¡± Derek finished for him.


    Rafael didn¡¯t realize it, but Derek was right. That was the main issue he¡¯d have every time he thought of his girlfriend. ¡°Exactly. What the hell is she doing with an idiot like me? I¡¯m nothing special. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m the star quarterback.¡±


    Derek shrugged. ¡°Linebacker is still pretty damn important.¡±


    Rafael sat up a little straighter. ¡°Still. Rodrigo L¨°pez exists. And is single again.¡±


    Derek grunted. ¡°Six-foot two guy? Full of muscle?¡±


    His shoulders gave a defeated slump. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Hazel choose him?¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean¡­ she¡¯s Hazel Jones. She has to settle with whatever guy she chooses no matter who it is.¡±


    Rafael couldn¡¯t help it and snorted. ¡°I¡¯m serious, Derek.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you, man. I¡¯m being serious, too.¡± Derek shrugged. ¡°She¡¯s the most popular girl in school, and the kicker is, she doesn¡¯t know. That lack of realization has skyrocketed her popularity into legend status. She¡¯s kind. Compassionate. Has a body that would make Aphrodite jealous.¡± That time, Derek did pause long enough for Rafael to shoot him a look.


    ¡°We both agreed to wait six months to make sure this even lasted before doing anything too physical,¡± Rafael said.


    Derek nodded. ¡°Which makes sense, considering who Hazel Jones is. Seriously, dude. You absolutely do not deserve her. None of us mere mortals do.¡±


    Rafael shook his head. ¡°You are the worst person to talk about this with.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Derek turned on his blinker as they eased off the freeway. ¡°You should really talk to Hazel Jones about it instead.¡±


    He sighed, knowing his friend was right. He had spent every day with her, waiting for her to change her mind. Waiting for her to realize the scum he was. And yet she remained. After listening to his insecurities, his fears about dating her when he was so poor. Then to have her stick by his side as everything about Evelyn came out. That¡¯s what it all came down to. He spent all of their dating months waiting for her to be disgusted by him. Now that everything was out, now that she witnessed all his dirty secrets, he was trying to understand why their relationship remained.


    Was it out of the goodness of her heart? Could people be that good? Was there something else? Could there be some strange, sinister motive? Was Hazel capable of being sinister? He doubted it. He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but he always had a sense of unease around Hazel from his own insecurities. Now that everything came out, it frightened him that he still felt that unease.


    His phone started vibrating with Tyler¡¯s incoming call, which meant he probably found a place to eat.


    ¡°Hey, Tyler,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Hey! We¡¯re here at a gas station. Evelyn¡¯s gone to get dinner, and she said she¡¯s more than happy to go somewhere else while you have time with Derek and I to eat.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Oh, that¡¯s¡­ kind.¡±


    ¡°It is. She said she had lunch. You can have dinner,¡± Tyler said.


    Quetzal jumped off his lap to scuttle toward the back seat. Rafael struggled with his phone as he pulled it away, hitting the speaker phone button with his thumb. ¡°Tell her I¡¯ll go somewhere else. I don¡¯t want her out alone somewhere two states away from home. I don¡¯t mind eating dinner alone, too. Where are you at?¡±


    ¡°There looks like a mom and pop burrito place here connected to the gas station, and everyone raved about it, so Evelyn¡¯s going to get some food. It¡¯s called The Burrito Barn,¡± Tyler said.


    Derek made a face. ¡°Look, guys, are we sure about this? A burrito place? As part of the gas station?¡±


    ¡°Not all restaurants connected to a gas station are shady.¡± It was Evelyn. It sounded like she got back into the car. Rafael shut his mouth, done talking for the duration of the phone call.


    ¡°Everyone at the gas station raves about it because they need to. To keep their job,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Are you afraid? Too spicy for you?¡± Evelyn asked in her overly innocent voice.


    Derek¡¯s nostrils flared. ¡°Goddammit, Evelyn, you know how to get me to eat food, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Evelyn laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve got a mild one and a spicy one. You tell me which one to leave in the bag.¡±


    ¡°You know what, Evie? I might take the mild one to see you eat your words,¡± Derek said.


    Evelyn laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later, Derek.¡±


    Rafael let Derek say goodbye before he hung up. He dropped the phone in his lap, then folded his arms and kept his gaze out the window.


    Derek turned onto a road. ¡°I¡¯m actually quite proud of Evelyn for talking with you on speakerphone. She didn¡¯t sound scared at all.¡±


    ¡°She probably didn¡¯t know I was listening,¡± Rafael said.


    They rode in silence. A silence that was uncomfortable. Derek gave him a side eye, but said nothing. Rafael said nothing, either.

 Chapter 112

    Nick hardly made it a few steps into his house when Walt was there, red faced. ¡°Where are they?¡±


    Exhaustion washed over Nick. He didn¡¯t want to fight, but Walt was already having one with whatever version of Nick he concocted in his head. ¡°Where are who?¡±


    ¡°Not who. What. Don¡¯t be smart with me. Where are my car keys?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know. Why would I know where they are?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Because they¡¯re gone.¡±


    Nick took a minute to untangle his father¡¯s logic. ¡°So¡­¡± He shifted his weight. ¡°I¡¯ve been gone all day. Your keys go missing. And¡­ you¡¯re blaming me?¡±


    ¡°I know it was you. Who else could it be? Your mother¡¯s still at work, and Evelyn¡¯s on a road trip with her friends.¡±


    Nick took the time to wonder what Evelyn said to Walt. Did she mention which friends she was going with? Nick was half asleep when Evelyn asked Walt. Somehow, he doubted his father would have let Evelyn go with three boys, one being a college student, and one being the guy who tried to assault her once before.


    Once he thought of it that way, he had to seriously consider why he thought this was a good idea himself.


    Nick focused again on the present. On the now. On Walt, about to burst a vein in his neck from holding back his rage. ¡°I was at work all day, too. It wasn¡¯t me.¡±


    Which was apparently the wrong thing to say. ¡°I know it was you.¡±


    ¡°Then how? How could I possibly steal your keys?¡± Nick said.


    ¡°I have errands to run, and I¡¯m already late. You have three seconds to return my keys.¡± Walt ignored everything Nick said and held out a hand.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me!¡± Nick said, raising his voice. ¡°It¡ª¡± Floating keys appearing from out the hall cut him off. He stared, wide eyed.


    ¡°Give them back!¡± Walt said.


    He tried to focus on his dad, but dangling keys had his attention. The keys floated toward them, and Grizzizzik appeared by the hall, his hand a dark green color.


    ¡°I need them. Now. Give them to me.¡± Walt waved his open palm in front of Nick¡¯s eyes.


    Nick said nothing. He wasn¡¯t sure how. Grizzizzik moved his fingers, and the keys floated toward them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have them,¡± Nick said again.


    Grizzizzik magically moved the keys in front of Walt¡¯s face, shaking them, but Walt didn¡¯t see them. Nick glared at his character, trying to get him to stop. To do anything but this. Grizzizzik was pushing buttons he shouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Where are they!¡± Walt demanded.


    With a flick of the wrist, the keys dropped to the ground. Walt and Nick both glanced at them before his dad shot him a glare. The anger disappeared from Walt¡¯s voice, which always made Nick nervous. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± It was pointless. Walt would always compare Nick to the troublemaker he created in his own head. Nick would always lose. Nick thought about Mr. Morgan¡¯s suggestion, but he knew why Walt got mad at him this time. He couldn¡¯t go running to Mr. Morgan, he needed to talk to Grizzizzik.


    Walt scooped up the keys, not even looking at him. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this when I get back from running errands. The bank better not be closed when I get there.¡±


    Nick remained rooted at the spot. He folded his arms, glaring at Grizzizzik, trying to give his character the benefit of the doubt. The cool way he dropped the keys irked him. He didn¡¯t dare talk until he heard the garage door close, with Walt pulling out of the driveway. ¡°What the hell, man? What were you thinking?¡±


    Grizzizzik folded his arms as well, leaning against the wall. ¡°I¡¯d rather practice my magic away from the princess.¡±


    ¡°And so you chose to irritate my dad?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°I killed two birds with one stone.¡± Grizzizzik moved his wrist around again, and an invisible mage hand pulled the keys out of Nick¡¯s pocket. ¡°I figured out how much Walt notices our magic. It¡¯ll also helps to make your old man know he¡¯s not in charge.¡±


    ¡°Leave my dad alone. I don¡¯t want him knowing about any of this,¡± Nick said. Grizzizzik had the audacity to look amused. Nick tried to get his keys, but the mage hand jerked them out of reach. ¡°I¡¯m serious. He can¡¯t know anything about this. If he found out, if he sees all of you, he¡¯ll¡­¡±


    Grizzizzik raised an eyebrow. ¡°Want to get involved? Shove you to the side? Demand he knows a better way to do it?¡± Nick glared at Grizzizzik. ¡°Or breathe down your neck while you¡¯re doing these things and fight with you on every little thing. Or keep you from it all together? It kind of makes you wonder, doesn¡¯t it? What would Walt¡¯s reaction be.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Nick tried to reach for the keys again, but Grizzizzik was being obnoxious and lifted them to the ceiling. Nick glared at him. ¡°We don¡¯t want to know, so we¡¯re not going to push it.¡±


    Grizzizzik shrugged. ¡°How¡¯s your sister and the others doing?¡±


    It was a weird topic switch, but Nick allowed it because he didn¡¯t want to remain on Walt. ¡°Fine, as far as I can tell. They¡¯re at the town where they think the tigers are. They just need to find them.¡± Grizzizzik nodded, glancing out the window. There were all of two seconds of silence before Nick realized what Grizzizzik wanted. ¡°You want to see the other characters?¡±


    Grizzizzik said nothing. Nick didn¡¯t expect an answer. Instead, he held out his hand. It didn¡¯t take long for the keys to drop there. Nick placed them in the key bowl. ¡°I¡¯m already in trouble with my father.¡±


    Grizzizzik watched, frowning, as Nick walked past him toward his room. ¡°Really? That¡¯s your reply?¡±


    ¡°I appreciate that in a roundabout way, you are warming up to the people you refuse to call your friends, but I cannot risk it.¡±


    Grizzizzik gave him a look. ¡°What¡¯s Walt going to do? Ground you?¡±


    Nick¡¯s mind went through the multiple things Walt could do. ¡°For one, he could take away my ability to play CCNC all together.¡±


    ¡°Impossible. You¡¯ve been rolling the dice the entire time. Nothing¡¯s changed,¡± Grizzizzik said. ¡°Besides. It¡¯s an excuse to see Alejandra without Rafael being there.¡±


    Nick pursed his lips into a line. He didn¡¯t realize Grizzizzik¡¯s hand was a dark green again until the keys were floating toward him. Nick stared at the keys as they got closer before they pressed themselves into his palm. He sighed, circling his fingers over the keys. ¡°You¡¯ll have to walk back here. You realize this, right?¡±


    Grizzizzik shrugged. ¡°Fine.¡±


    Nick headed toward the front door. This was a stupid idea, but mostly because Walt would give him hell if he ever found out.


    They drove in silence. It was a ten-minute drive to Alejandra¡¯s house. Nick glanced down every so often to make sure he was driving the speed limit. He could not get pulled over.


    ¡°You¡¯re awfully afraid of your dad,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°You are, too. Of your dad,¡± Nick shot right back.


    Grizzizzik chuckled. ¡°Well, I mean, mine has the capabilities of hunting me down and driving me insane. It seems like you have laws here in this country that would punish your father if he ever tried that.¡±


    Nick sighed. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Must be nice.¡±


    ¡°Those same laws also keep you from beheading your father and creating your own crime empire here,¡± Nick said.


    Grizzizzik traced something on the window. ¡°Yeah. I guess there is that, too. Unless Akshi gains control of this realm and implements his own laws. So I just have to kill him before he does that.¡±


    Nick shook his head, amused. Once Alejandra¡¯s house came into view, he fell silent again. He couldn¡¯t deny he was nervous. They already had a plan in place for this. Arrive, drop Grizzizzik off, then leave. Nick had no intention of staying.


    He pulled into her driveway and turned off the car before unbuckling himself. ¡°Come on. The sooner you get inside, the sooner I can go home.¡±


    Grizzizzik responded by getting out. Nick was out of the car before he wondered if his character ever buckled up. To be fair, Grizzizzik never buckled himself anyway, even in the minivan, since he was always in the back. It would take a lot of convincing for him to follow the basic rules of driving.


    Nick walked to the front door, and before he talked himself out of it, he rang the doorbell. He heard some scuffling inside before Alejandra opened it.


    ¡°Hey.¡± There was the faintest hint of a smile on her face, which Nick took as a good sign. A kind of sign he didn¡¯t want to mess up, nor make disappear.


    ¡°Hey. Just wanted to drop off Grizzizzik. He was missing his friends and wanted to check in on them.¡±


    A scaled hand gave the side of his head a surprisingly gentle shove. Nick smirked at Grizzizzik¡¯s back as the rogue walked past Alejandra and deeper into the house. As soon as Grizzizzik disappeared, Nick found he couldn¡¯t look Alejandra in the eyes.


    ¡°Thanks for bringing him over,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Yeah. If he becomes too much, kick him out. He knows the way home.¡±


    Alejandra let out more breath from her nose, and the faint smile became more of a flicker. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine. Hraktar¡¯ll keep him in line.¡±


    ¡°No doubt.¡±


    The silence could have only been a second, but it stretched on for an eternity. Nick glanced back at his car, more than willing to use any excuse he could to get back home.


    ¡°So, was it as hilarious as Evelyn made it seem when Princess Clarissa came out in just a shirt?¡± Alejandra asked.


    It was a simple enough question, but Nick¡¯s mind slipped into some sort of basic male survival mode. A girl he liked was asking him about what he thought about another woman wearing nothing but a shirt. His survival brain screamed at him not to answer, because it was a trap.


    Nick tried to smile. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Trap. Trap. Trap. Trap.


    Alejandra smiled, and Nick panicked. Why was he panicking? Was it because he answered her question? He didn¡¯t need to panic. There was no reason for it.


    Nick cleared his throat. ¡°Princess Clarissa and Ezekiel¡­¡± he trailed off, trying to smooth things out. ¡°Honestly, they¡¯re¡­ great for each other.¡± What was he doing?


    Trap. Trap. Trap. Trap.


    ¡°They are.¡±


    Nick checked his phone. ¡°Hey, I better get back. My dad doesn¡¯t know I¡¯ve left.¡±


    Alejandra¡¯s smile disappeared. ¡°Um, yeah. Yeah, get back. I don¡¯t want you to get in trouble.¡± Nick did nothing more than nod as he walked back to his car. ¡°Nick?¡±


    He paused, glancing over his shoulder as Alejandra stepped outside the house and took a few steps toward him. He stopped on his way to the car, waiting for her to answer. She wrung her hands; the smile gone from her face.


    ¡°Yes?¡± He was afraid to prompt her. Every time he was around Alejandra, he remembered the betrayal on her face that night. The one he never wanted to put there, but had. It only took a week of dating before he betrayed her. He also, deep down, knew he couldn¡¯t apologize for what he¡¯d done.


    Alejandra dropped her hand to her side, shaking her head. ¡°Never mind. You need to get back. I¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    She turned around and headed into her house. Nick watched her go, though he reached into his pocket for the keys. He needed to leave. Who knew how long Walt would be gone?


    It wasn¡¯t until he started up the car and was back on the road that he felt the crushing weight of it all. Something was on her mind. Something she wanted to tell him. She practically said as much. She didn¡¯t say anything because she didn¡¯t want to get him in trouble. Not knowing what she wanted to say was almost harder.


    Derek was right. Nick was sociably awkward. He didn¡¯t know how to talk to Alejandra.


    Nick drove back, going the speed limit. His heart hammered the entire time. He was terrified something would go wrong. Terrified he¡¯d get pulled over. Terrified Walt¡¯s car would be waiting in the garage when he got back. Terrified he¡¯d never play CCNC again.


    Nick parked the car in the driveway. He opened the garage door, Walt¡¯s car still missing. He slipped inside the house to the silence he had forced himself to get used to. No one was here. Walt would never know.


    In the silence, Nick breathed a sigh of relief.

 Chapter 113

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡± Rafael glanced behind his shoulders as their cars got smaller the farther they walked. ¡°What if we need to make a quick getaway?¡±


    ¡°Tell Ezekiel to run straight for the cars.¡± Derek checked his phone.


    It amazed Rafael how calm Derek sounded. There were no higher level creatures anywhere, which had to be a good sign. Then again, they might all be waiting in the shadows. Or invisible. Who knew with higher level creatures. Rafael again glanced at the disappearing cars, hoping Quetzal would be fine in there. They wouldn¡¯t be too long.


    When Evelyn stopped and closed her eyes, Rafael waited patiently. He wouldn¡¯t interrupt. Both he and Evelyn pretended like neither one was there. Rafael was on the end, with Derek next to him. Tyler was a few paces away from Derek, and Evelyn was on the other side of him. They were figuring this out. And for now, that looked like quiet acceptance that bordered on ignoring each other.


    Evelyn opened her eyes, scanning the horizon. ¡°Not far now. Just¡­ there. That building. They¡¯re all eating a deer.¡±


    ¡°Is this close enough to teleport Ezekiel?¡± Rafael asked Tyler.


    Their game master shrugged. ¡°I think so. I¡¯m waiting to sense a warning, but so far, nothing.¡±


    Rafael gave a noncommittal shrug before he closed his eyes. He tried to concentrate, like Tyler had coached him. Sense the connection. Despite him being two states away, Rafael sensed Ezekiel. Despite his closed eyes, Ezekiel¡¯s character sheet popped into view.


    Ezekiel landed on the ground with a grunt. Rafael opened his eyes, feeling the worry in an instant. They were outside the bubble, and though they didn¡¯t see any creatures, Ezekiel was still in danger. True, the bubble gave little protection to his lower-level cleric, but Rafael tried not to think about that.


    Ezekiel got to his feet, brushing himself off. ¡°You found them?¡±


    Evelyn pointed to the abandoned house. It looked like something built in the eighteen hundreds and hadn¡¯t been lived in since. ¡°There¡¯s four of them in there.¡±


    Tyler turned to Ezekiel. ¡°Saber-tooth tigers are pack animals. It might be advantageous to have another friend by your side.¡±


    Ezekiel placed his hands on his hips, squinting at the house. ¡°I¡¯d always appreciate some friends, but it makes me uncomfortable to put them in danger.¡±


    Derek turned toward Evelyn. ¡°Don¡¯t bring in the princess. She¡¯s too important.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what I can do on my own, first. I just need to kill one and take its tooth, right?¡± Ezekiel asked. Tyler nodded, and Ezekiel lifted his hands into a thumbs up position. ¡°Should be great.¡±


    Rafael wasn¡¯t sure what that meant. None of this seemed great, but it was also Ezekiel.


    No, wait. He saw it in the slight drop of Ezekiel¡¯s smile. The way the cleric¡¯s hand shook as he ran it through his curly hair. Rafael would¡¯ve chalked this up to pre-fight nerves, but something was nagging at him. Ezekiel started toward the rundown house when Rafael caught his arm. Ezekiel glanced at him, which was enough for him to realize what this was. The anticipation, the anxiety. Wererat. It was taking hold of his overly optimistic character, and for the first time in Ezekiel¡¯s life, he was anxious about the outcome and pretended like he wasn¡¯t. This wasn¡¯t Ezekiel in the slightest.


    Rafael turned to Derek. ¡°Get Milo here. The two of them together have a better chance.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Rafael stared at his character, and the cleric sighed, then studied his hands. His fingernails had turned the color of a decayed corpse. Ezekiel curled his fingers into a fist and glanced at Derek. ¡°Perhaps if Milo gets here sooner, we won¡¯t need to call in my princess. I¡¯d rather not have her outside the bubble.¡±


    Derek nodded, then closed his eyes. It didn¡¯t take long for Milo to appear. The mana fusor braced himself, glancing around. ¡°Ah. Fascinating. Princess Clarissa might get angry.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°She wanted to keep the meditation going to watch Ezekiel, but I don¡¯t know if she can with me not there,¡± Milo said.


    Evelyn smiled, shaking her head. ¡°You underestimate Princess Clarissa.¡±


    Ezekiel pointed to the house. ¡°There are three saber-tooth tigers in there. I just need one of them. Can you distract the other two?¡±


    Milo pulled out his crossbow. ¡°I shall drown myself in yarn and become a toy for those kitties.¡±


    Ezekiel frowned. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Keep walking. I¡¯m only sort of good at badass lines,¡± Milo said.


    The two headed toward the abandoned house. When they got close enough, time slowed down, and words appeared.


    Make a stealth check.


    The d20 didn¡¯t last long in his palm. Rafael wanted to get this over with, but perhaps he should have rolled it better. Horror filled him as the die landed on a two. The +1 did nothing to ease his fear.


    Derek¡¯s swearing helped him realize time had resumed. Derek turned toward him. ¡°Please tell me you got better than a six.¡±


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Rafael¡¯s face dropped, and he didn¡¯t need to answer. Ezekiel froze on his way to the house before waving his hands in front of his nose.


    ¡°Eze-¡± Milo was cut off as Ezekiel let out a sneeze so loud it caused a flock of birds to rush out of a tree. Rafael winced, then glanced at Derek. His friend stared right at him, the slightest smirk on his face.


    ¡°Less than a six, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Rafael said.


    Derek shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s the chance of it all. We¡¯ll figure something out.¡±


    Rafael was so used to Nick¡¯s scathing critiques that this was different. A nice different. Tyler gave him a thumbs up. ¡°It was one bad roll. Let¡¯s see what the others bring.¡±


    This one brought three saber-tooth tigers to the broken window, their jaws covered in blood from a recent kill. Their fur was a golden brown, though Rafael was far more focused on their teeth. It was in their name, after all, but seeing the long teeth in real life brought a different experience.


    Rafael didn¡¯t know how the others got so used to this. He hated waiting on the sidelines while someone else fought battles.


    Milo whipped out his materials to make his cannon. ¡°This might take me a minute.¡±


    Ezekiel had one hand on his medallion. ¡°I just need to kill one.¡±


    Time slowed down again.


    Roll for initiative.


    Rafael gave the dice a good shake before letting it drop. It landed on a sixteen. He should have gotten that roll at the beginning.


    When his weapons and spells showed up, he realized he must have rolled the highest. He needed a lot of damage right from the get go, because he wasn¡¯t sure how well Derek rolled.


    Rafael mentally picked spiritual weapon, a spell he missed while at a lower level. He could cast it with his action, and use it for his bonus action, so he picked the saber-tooth tiger closest to him and rolled the dice. Thirteen with a +4 on the first one. He pumped his fist in the air when a d8 appeared. Thirteen hit. Though, with the +4 that was seventeen. He¡¯d have to keep that in mind.


    The d8 landed on a five. The +2 gave it a nice seven points of damage, but he missed Hraktar.


    Time resumed, and Ezekiel held his hands out in front of him and gave a low chant as a burst of light filled the open air. Light formed into an astral projection of a book. The lead tiger leapt out of the window, snarling right before Ezekiel pushed his hand forward. The book shot toward the tiger.


    ¡°Knowledge is power!¡± Ezekiel shouted as the tiger yelped in pain.


    ¡°Let me know when you want Princess Clarissa to come,¡± Evelyn said, looking nervous.


    Rafael couldn¡¯t look at her. ¡°It¡¯s the first round of fighting. We¡¯ll see.¡±


    The tigers rushed Ezekiel. Rafael winced. He watched almost in awe as the cleric dodged the first two tigers, who tried to jump at him. The last tiger caught him with their claws, cutting into his arms. Rafael grimaced as Ezekiel¡¯s hit points plummeted to fifteen.


    ¡°How about now?¡± Evelyn asked. Rafael didn¡¯t answer her, and he felt Tyler¡¯s eyes on him.


    Milo was busy preparing his cannon, glancing at Ezekiel. ¡°Hold on, buddy. I¡¯ve got this!¡±


    ¡°Take your time!¡± Ezekiel tried to sound calm, but something about having three cats surrounding him made him uncomfortable as he gripped his bleeding arm.


    Time slowed down, and Rafael already knew he would use his bonus action for his spiritual weapon as long as that thing was floating around. For his main action, he mentally scrolled through his options. He couldn¡¯t do range attacks with all of them this close. He didn¡¯t think a command spell would work, since the tigers didn¡¯t know the language. Instead, he looked at his health points and knew he needed more. He was a cleric, after all.


    He chose cure wounds for himself and a bonus action of his spiritual weapon. For curing his wounds, he rolled the d8 and felt lucky to have it land on eight. With the +2 for his modifier, and the added three bonus for being a life domain cleric, he was pleasantly surprised to see Ezekiel¡¯s hit points fill all the way back to twenty-eight. Sometimes he forgot why he loved being a cleric.


    He then grabbed the d20 and was happy to see it land on thirteen again. Though his luck ran out when the d8 landed on a one. The +2 bumped it to a three. Well, it was better to get all his hit points back. Maybe.


    Time resumed, and gold mana filtered into Ezekiel¡¯s arm as he searched the tigers for the one he hurt earlier. Ezekiel moved his hand to make the astral book smack down on the lead tiger¡¯s head. The creature, distracted, didn¡¯t notice the book bonk his head. With a hiss and a spit, the tiger glared again at Ezekiel.


    The three tigers again attacked with teamwork. One tiger missed, but two tigers bit down, breaking both Ezekiel¡¯s arms as he shrieked in pain. Rafael hissed in sympathy as Ezekiel¡¯s hit points dropped to five.


    ¡°Rafael?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Wait. Just¡­ wait.¡± He was glad Ezekiel had healed himself.


    ¡°Alright, kitties.¡± Milo held his cannon and his crossbow. ¡°Mommy¡¯s ready for you.¡±


    Evelyn glanced at Derek, who shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s what my character would say.¡±


    Tyler rolled his eyes. The crossbow wasn¡¯t glowing, but the cannon was. A burst of energy smacked into the unhurt saber-tooth tiger. His crossbow shot true, smacking the other unhurt saber in the butt. Both yelped, then turned around, snarling at Milo. He lifted his cannon and the crossbow. ¡°Kill that one fast. Okay?¡± Milo said.


    ¡°On it,¡± Ezekiel rasped with his two broken arms. Time again stood still, and Rafael mentally chose the cure wounds option. Those five hit points made him nervous. The die landed on a five. With all the modifiers, as well as his class, he got an additional ten, making fifteen hit points total. He could never accomplish this without being a cleric. That much was certain. He then attacked with the spiritual weapon. Nineteen was bound to hit the leader of the saber-tooth tigers.


    The d8 bounced a few times before landing on a six. The +2 gave a nice eight points.


    Time resumed, and Ezekiel once again caused golden mana to flow through him. Hopefully, with the other two sabers distracted, he wouldn¡¯t need to heal himself every round. His mana points were running low. The saber snarled before the astral book smacked the tiger across the face. Ezekiel panted, but smirked. ¡°Knowledge is still power.¡±


    The leader snapped at Ezekiel, but he dodged it. The other two sprinted toward Milo, who was prepared. He dodged the one, though the second gave him a nasty claw mark against his back. Milo dropped from twenty-eight hit points to thirteen.


    ¡°Milo?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    ¡°Just kill that creature!¡± Milo steadied his cannon and crossbow at the two tigers. The crossbow missed one, but the other got a face full of white mana blast. It yelped in pain, pushing it back five feet.


    On Ezekiel¡¯s turn, Rafael rolled for spiritual weapon and got a seven. With the bonus, he was pleasantly surprised to see a d8 pop up in his vision. Even less so when the d8 landed on a two. With the +2, it was at least something.


    He chose sacred flame, hoping he could double damage this turn, but the roll of the die was not in his favor. The tiger must have rolled a better dexterity save.


    Time resumed, and the book smacked the tiger in the face. It snarled. Ezekiel created a fist full of flames and shot it toward the tiger. The creature dodged it at the last second, growling at Ezekiel. Faster than anyone could notice, the creature slammed his paw into Ezekiel¡¯s face. The cleric stumbled, his hit points again plummeting to five as blood poured down his face.


    ¡°Rafael?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Milo dodged one tiger, but the second smashed his claws into Milo¡¯s chest. He was bleeding badly, his hit points stabilizing at one.


    ¡°Call in Princess Clarissa,¡± Rafael said. Part of Ezekiel¡¯s skull looked cracked, the entire right side of his face bleeding. Milo tried to shake off multiple stab wounds to the chest. Evelyn closed her eyes and concentrated.

 Chapter 114

    Milo lifted his crossbow at a tiger and shot, but it dodged the bolt. Milo followed up by lifting his cannon and shot the tiger in the face once again. It yelped, part of its fur catching fire as the blast forced it five feet away. That tiger looked the worst of all of them.


    Clarissa materialized into existence, looking prepared. She waltzed in before throwing her hands up, her head toward the sky. A bear roared, and everyone was up eight hit points.


    Rafael wasted no time. He picked spiritual weapon again to attack the saber-tooth tiger.


    The d20 landed on a fifteen, and he waited for the d8 to appear. Once it did, he gave it an extra loving shake for the hell of it, and it landed on a seven. He made a mental note not to tell Derek, in case he introduced him to other dice superstitions.


    The tiger snarled at the book before it smacked its jaw, cracking it. The tiger tried to claw at Ezekiel, but the cleric dodged it easily.


    One tiger snarled at Clarissa. She waited, almost patiently, as it made its claw attack. She backed away, and it smacked into a cactus. It shrieked in pain as Clarissa smirked.


    The tiger Milo damaged the most snarled at the cannon before pouncing and biting down hard on Milo¡¯s wrist. With a crunch, the mana fusor¡¯s arm broke, which was enough to make his eyes roll up into his head and collapse to the ground, his hit points falling to zero.


    Derek sighed. ¡°Well shit. At least Princess Clarissa got here in time.¡± Which was immediately followed by a scream of happiness as Derek threw his hands in the air. ¡°Nat twenty!¡±


    Milo groaned as his eyes fluttered open. He didn¡¯t look as excited about waking up, but at least he was conscious.


    Clarissa pulled out her scimitar and tried to stab the tiger nearest her, but it dodged her attack, snarling.


    On his turn, Rafael tried to hit the creature with sacred flame, but once again the roll must have been too good. Instead, he rolled for the spiritual weapon, which managed to hit. He got five all together, which wasn¡¯t bad, but Ezekiel really needed to kill this thing fast.


    With another smack on the face, the saber-tooth tiger finally staggered. Blood oozed from multiple wounds. Rafael couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for the creature.


    Until another saber-tooth tiger appeared out of nowhere, snarling at the group. Derek shoved his hands in his hair, eyes wide. ¡°Ah, shit. Another one?¡±


    ¡°If we play our cards right, once Ezekiel kills his, Princess Clarissa can cast entangle on the rest and we can make a break for it,¡± Evelyn said.


    With renewed energy, the hurt saber-tooth tiger pounced on Ezekiel, biting on his shoulder in the same place the wererat bit. Ezekiel¡¯s hit points dropped to two. Rafael winced, glancing at how much mana he had left for spells.


    ¡°Ezekiel?¡± Clarissa¡¯s voice was pitched higher.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Ezekiel grabbed his shoulder, staggering. Rafael winced, seeing the grey-colored fingernails growing.


    The new saber tooth snarled at the three saber tooths. The last two tigers tried to claw Clarissa and Milo, but both missed, causing the new saber-tooth tiger to snap at them again.


    Milo touched his stomach, and his hit points lifted to nine. It wasn¡¯t a lot, but it was far better than one.


    Clarissa ran over to Ezekiel, gold mana weaving in and out of Ezekiel¡¯s shoulders. His hit points lifted to twelve, and he seemed to take a deep breath. He reached out, touching Clarissa¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡­ should marry you.¡±


    Despite time freezing, Rafael could not waste a moment. He chose his mace, then rolled to attack. It was a nine, and he held his breath, hoping for damage. A d6 appeared, and he let it out. It landed on a five, which wasn¡¯t bad. It was hit points. He then rolled for his spiritual weapon and stared wide eyed at the number five. That wouldn¡¯t be enough to hit. He felt crushed, desperate to kill this creature.


    Time resumed, and Ezekiel pulled out his mace, slamming it against the tiger¡¯s shoulder. It shrieked, stumbling away enough for the book to sail by his face. The creature was still standing, barely. Another attack by the book would have helped. He was eager to leave. Having that fourth saber-tooth tiger wasn¡¯t something to mess with.


    The incredibly injured tiger tried another swipe, but it was so weak Ezekiel could have stood in place and it would have missed. Rafael had his hands in his hair, feeling useless. He needed to be there, helping them fight.


    Clarissa didn¡¯t notice one tiger sneaking up behind until it had clawed her back. She gasped, stumbling forward with her torn dress. It was the first attack she received. All her extra hit points disappeared, and she dropped to twenty-three points.


    The new saber-tooth tiger pounced on Clarissa, biting her arm. She gasped in pain as she dropped to fourteen hit points. The other saber-tooth tiger pounced on Milo. He tried to dodge it, but the teeth on these creatures were large, and he got a nasty scratch across his leg. Milo staggered with three hit points. He scooped up his crossbow before using his other arm to aim his cannon at the saber-tooth tiger. The blast of energy just missed the creature, and Milo gasped, holding his leg.


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    ¡°I can¡¯t cast entanglement without us getting trapped, too,¡± Clarissa said.


    ¡°Focus on the new one. I¡¯ve almost got this one,¡± Ezekiel said.


    She nodded, then started chanting in a way that sounded like a wolf¡¯s howl before fire erupted from underneath the new saber-tooth tiger. It yelped as its paw got hit. It did not look happy.


    Time slowed down, and the d20 appeared again in Rafael¡¯s vision.


    ¡°Come on. Come on, please. Give me a good double hit with the mace and the book.¡±


    He laughed in joy as the ten plus three dissolved and gave him a d6. He then pumped his fist again as it landed on a six. The +2 would give him a nice eight points of damage. But would it be enough?


    He rolled for the book and sighed when it landed on a seventeen. This could be it. This had to be enough. He rolled the d8 and winced when it landed on a one. The +2 was nice, but he wanted it to be enough. Please, let this be enough.


    Time resumed, and Ezekiel smacked the mace down on the tiger¡¯s jaw. It stumbled, blood pouring from the open wound. It turned back on Ezekiel, dazed, but growling, when the astral book dropped from above and bonked it on the head. The saber-tooth tiger yelped, then collapsed to the ground.


    ¡°Dead? Dead!¡± Ezekiel said. ¡°It¡¯s dead!¡±


    No one heard Rafael¡¯s cheer. It blended way too well with a different creature¡¯s shriek from behind them.


    They whipped around to see something coming in fast from the air. It was black, with thick, leathery wings. The body, though far away, looked as though it was sucking the light from the air.


    Tyler let out a breath. ¡°Shit. A shadow lycos. Ezekiel, get the tooth, then we¡¯ve got to leave. We¡¯re not surviving this encounter if we stay.¡±


    Evelyn winced. ¡°What level is it?¡±


    ¡°Way past level three,¡± Tyler said.


    The other tigers were distracted with the shadow lycos headed straight for them. Ezekiel knelt and grabbed the tooth of the dead saber-tooth and pulled. Grizzizzik made this look so much easier.


    Make a medicine check.


    Rafael winced, then rolled the d20. It landed on a two.


    Ezekiel struggled with the tooth, but it wasn¡¯t budging. The shadow lycros got closer.


    Rafael turned to his friends. ¡°I rolled bad! Someone help Ezekiel!¡±


    Milo stumbled next to Ezekiel, dagger in hand, as they tried to extract the tooth. Rafael moved toward Ezekiel and Milo to see if he could help.


    Tyler held up a hand. ¡°Don¡¯t interact with their world.¡±


    The warning was strange, and Rafael put his hands in the air. ¡°He¡¯s getting out a tooth.¡±


    Milo was twisting with his tools as Ezekiel tugged.


    ¡°Oof, I didn¡¯t roll much better,¡± Derek said.


    Clarissa tried to distract the other saber-tooth tigers, though they were plenty distracted with the shadow lycros. The lead saber-tooth bore its fangs at Clarissa, and she kept a hand open, glaring right back at the tiger.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything you might regret.¡± Clarissa¡¯s voice was soft, staring at the tiger. It growled at her, and she kept her hand up, tears in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± With an incantation, Clarissa lifted a hand. Thorns and weeds shot out of the ground. All three saber-tooth tigers were caught in it, struggling and yelping.


    The shadow lycros slammed down on the saber-tooth corpse Ezekiel and Milo were working on. Wind whipped at their faces as the creature lifted into the air again, holding the corpse.


    Rafael stared, trying to see. ¡°Did you get the tooth?¡±


    Ezekiel held up a hand, a perfect tooth in his fist. Milo placed his tools behind him in his inventory. ¡°Let¡¯s call that a win and get the hell out of here.¡±


    ¡°Evelyn with me. Derek with Rafael. Go as fast as you can. Now.¡± Tyler didn¡¯t need to tell them twice.


    Rafael backed away, glancing at the sky as he watched the shadow lycros tear the carcass in half with its claws before flying around. The cleric placed the tooth in his inventory, scrambling to his feet. ¡°Go! Go now!¡±


    There were still three saber-tooth tigers and a shadow lycros. Thankfully, the entanglement would keep the tigers occupied, but the high-level creature was a different story.


    ¡°Princess! Change into a horse, take Milo, and run toward the car!¡± Ezekiel said.


    Clarissa turned her head to look at him. ¡°Why not you?¡±


    ¡°Come back for me. By the time you do, Tyler and Evelyn will be in the car!¡± Ezekiel said.


    Clarissa simply nodded, changing into a black war horse. Milo stumbled over to her. Of the three, the mana fusor looked the worst.


    Time stood still, and Rafael was confused. His options showed up, but this time Ezekiel chose them. Rafael raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh, yeah, that makes sense.¡± Ezekiel used his second to last mana slot for a guiding bolt. Ezekiel was aiming for the shadow lycros heading for them. All they needed was to distract the creature long enough to get away.


    Hopefully, that was all they needed.


    Rafael shook the d20, holding his breath. It landed on a nineteen, which made him relax. If he didn¡¯t get to roll for damage, he would have been scared.


    Four d6¡¯s appeared in front of him, and he grabbed them all, caging them in his two hands and giving them a good shake. He wondered if this was how Alejandra felt playing Hraktar sometimes.


    The four dice landed, and he watched the green numbers all add up. Nineteen. Nineteen hit points all together. There¡¯s no way it would touch this higher-level creature, but they were trying to distract. That was all. Make it to the cars.


    Time resumed, and Ezekiel whipped around to face the shadow lycros. Clarissa the horse galloped toward the car. Evelyn, Tyler, and Derek were not far behind. Ezekiel started an incantation, holding his hands out in front of him before slamming his wrists together. A huge, bright white energy shot out of his palms as he kept chanting, keeping an eye on the shadow lycros.


    The guiding bolt smacked the flying creature, making it stumble mid-air. Rafael and Ezekiel didn¡¯t even bother staying to see if it fell. They sprinted as fast as they could, the cars a good quarter mile away from them. Clarissa and Milo had reached the cars first. Milo got off and Clarissa was already back on her way toward Ezekiel as Tyler, Evelyn, and Derek almost reached their cars.


    ¡°You go with Clarissa,¡± Rafael shouted to Ezekiel. ¡°The three of you get in Tyler¡¯s car.¡± He glanced up at the shadow crossing the sky. ¡°Get in there and drive off as fast as possible. It¡¯s better for the three of you to stick together.¡±


    ¡°And you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right behind you in Derek¡¯s car,¡± Rafael said.


    Clarissa ran up to them, and Ezekiel climbed on. They were about to turn when the shadow lycros slammed into the ground, glaring at the three of them. Rafael skidded to a stop, wide eyed. The shadow lycros was a completely new creature from CCNC, not based on any earth mythology. It was the color of black shadow, from its wings to its body. There were way too many teeth in its jaw as it stood on four legs. A forked tongue flicked out, with four red eyes staring unblinkingly at them, two on each side of its face. It had the look of a demon dog, except there were no ears or tail. No floppy ears to make it cute, or tail to wag. It growled at them, and Clarissa gave a skittish whiney.


    Which is when something small and blue on the ground caught Rafael¡¯s attention, heading for the shadow lycros¡¯ back.


    ¡°Ah, shit. No.¡±

 Chapter 115

    If Clarissa and Ezekiel didn¡¯t have a chance in hell walking away from this fight, the shadow lycros just had to sneeze and Quetzal would disappear into oblivion.


    The shadow creature took a firm stance before it roared right at Clarissa and Ezekiel. Time stopping cut the roar off as words popped into Rafael¡¯s sight.


    Make a wisdom saving roll.


    Rafael grabbed the d20 out of the air. The roar was laced with infernal speech, meaning their characters might go mad with fear if they didn¡¯t roll high enough.


    Ten. With a +2, that was twelve. That seemed frighteningly low.


    Failure. Ezekiel is now afraid. All dice rolls will be at a disadvantage.


    ¡°Shit.¡± If Clarissa didn¡¯t roll high enough, she might bolt.


    Time resumed, and Clarissa snorted, backing away as Ezekiel grabbed her mane. The panic appeared on his face, his breathing sharper. Clarissa looked unaffected. ¡°Ezekiel!¡± Rafael shouted. ¡°Hold on to her! Don¡¯t let go!¡±


    Being terrified out of his mind, Ezekiel did as told. Quetzal came in fast, and there was only one thing to do. Rafael charged the shadow lycros. It was stupid. Tyler would give him an earful, but he couldn¡¯t look Alejandra in the face and say he didn¡¯t try everything to save the baby drake. He pretended this was a football game, and his job was to tackle the opponent.


    The shadow lycros didn¡¯t expect Rafael to charge him, which made him the center of attention. Clarissa took the distraction and galloped toward Tyler¡¯s car as Rafael closed the distance between him and the shadow lycros. At the last second, Rafael dodged the creature right as Quetzal made his bum wiggle and leapt.


    Rafael snatched the baby drake around the middle, then pulled him into his chest before his shoulder smacked the ground. He then scrambled to his feet and sprinted toward the car with Quetzal tucked under his arm like a football. Clarissa already changed back into herself and slid into the back of Tyler¡¯s car, leading Ezekiel inside. Rafael focused on Derek¡¯s car, the back door open. Derek was in the driver¡¯s seat, car on, waiting for him.


    Wings flapped behind him, dust kicking up into the air. Quetzal was much heavier than a football, but Rafael trained for moments like these. Enemies behind him, sprinting as hard as he could, goal in sight. Get in the car. Nothing else matters. Pump his legs until he made the goal.


    The shadow lycros¡¯ claws circled around Rafael¡¯s midsection. He held Quetzal away from the claws. Rafael couldn¡¯t get hurt. Quetzal could.


    His feet lifted ever so slightly, almost like the shadow lycros could lift him, before Rafael slammed back down and kept sprinting. The creature was surprised, but Rafael wasn¡¯t. And that¡¯s what saved Quetzal¡¯s life.


    He dove into the back of the car. ¡°Go! Go! Go!¡± He barely had time to shut the door before Derek slammed on the gas, screaming with laughter.


    ¡°Why am I laughing! This is not funny! Holy shit Rafael!¡± Derek was talking fast as they pulled onto the road.


    Rafael couldn¡¯t answer, gasping for air. There was no one on this back road, and Derek was gunning it to catch up with Tyler.


    He didn¡¯t realize the d20 was hanging in front of him and time came to a standstill. He used some time to regain his breath before grabbing it. It wasn¡¯t until the dice clicked across the invisible table that he realized it was a question about stealth. Eighteen. That was a good roll. The d20 popped up again, and he remembered Ezekiel was terrified and rolling at a disadvantage. He grumbled and rolled again, this time landing on a ten. Not as great. He saw the +10 and assumed Clarissa was casting the pass without trace spell. Good. Ezekiel needed the buff.


    ¡°Rafael! What the hell were you thinking!¡± Tyler screaming at him on speakerphone made him realize time had resumed. Derek¡¯s phone was on the passenger side of the car.


    ¡°Is Quetzal safe?¡± Evelyn asked.


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    Rafael was still out of breath, so Derek answered for him. ¡°He¡¯s fine. Both of them are fine.¡±


    Rafael should buckle up. He should also check out the window to see where the shadow lycros was. But he still needed air. That was an insane sprint.


    ¡°Clarissa just cast pass without trace, and it seems like the shadow lycros is ignoring us,¡± Evelyn said.


    Rafael felt a weight lift off his shoulders. The three characters were safe. It was enough for him to sit up and grab the seat belt. Derek sped by, well over the speed limit, kicking up dust. It wasn¡¯t exactly covert. There was a chance the shadow lycros could still hurt Quetzal.


    The baby drake climbed up on Rafael¡¯s lap, chattering away. Rafael scratched him under the chin. ¡°You owe me one, do you understand?¡±


    Quetzal kept chittering. There was something odd about his chatter. If Rafael could guess, the little guy sounded concerned about something. His body shook. Rafael kept petting him. ¡°Okay, okay. I know. We¡¯ve got to keep an eye out for the shadow lycros.¡± He glanced out the window, seeing the creature in the sky heading toward them.


    Tyler¡¯s voice came in calmer, though still worried. ¡°Ezekiel¡¯s having a panic attack.¡±


    Rafael winced. ¡°The shadow lycros¡¯ roar scared him. Talk to him about books. Lord of the Rings. Sherlock Holmes. Fairy Tales. Whatever is his favorite, talk him through it.¡±


    ¡°A shadow lycros has an eighty feet speed distance for flying,¡± Derek was saying to himself. ¡°Each combat is supposed to be about six seconds per turn, which if we divide eighty by six, that gives us¡­¡± Derek closed an eye as Rafael pulled out his phone, struggling with the calculator app.


    ¡°Thirteen point three three three,¡± Rafael said.


    Derek glanced out the rearview mirror as the shadow lycros receded from view. ¡°In miles per hour?¡±


    Rafael¡¯s fingers shook as Quetzal kept chirping at him. ¡°I know,¡± Rafael said, though he still didn¡¯t know what the baby drake wanted to tell him. He found a converter on his phone and plugged in the numbers. ¡°Nine miles an hour.¡± Rafael glanced out the window. ¡°Meaning you can stop speeding.¡±


    Derek let up on the gas, but only a little. Rafael watched as four hundred and fifty experience points tumbled into Ezekiel¡¯s bar. He¡¯d finally crossed two thousand total points. That was nice. Rafael scratched his side as he assured himself they¡¯d be fine. ¡°As long as we drive like this for a while, we¡¯ll lose the creature.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not stopping for an hour,¡± Tyler said. ¡°That¡¯s how long Clarissa¡¯s spell lasts.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like an excellent idea,¡± Derek said.


    Rafael¡¯s fingers brushed against Quetzal again, the drake chittering and shrieking. He glanced down to look at the drake, which is when he noticed his fingers were red. Actually, his entire hand was red and sticky. His heart plummeted. ¡°Shit. Quetzal? Did you get hit?¡±


    Derek glanced at the rearview mirror again. ¡°What?¡± Rafael tried to inspect Quetzal¡¯s body, but the only blood he saw was on his hand. But if Quetzal didn¡¯t get hit¡­


    Rafael reached behind him and realized the sensation he thought was a sweaty back from a fast sprint was, in fact, something else entirely. He lifted his arm, seeing his entire side streaked in blood, leading toward his back. He turned to see blood on the car seat. ¡°Oh, shit.¡±


    ¡°What? What is it?¡± Derek was panicking. ¡°Give it to me right now. What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m bleeding.¡±


    Derek¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re bleeding?¡±


    Rafael moved as best he could. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Derek. The seat, it¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re bleeding?¡± Derek asked again.


    ¡°It¡¯s on your car. I¡¯m sorry. I can give you money to rep¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut the hell up about my damn car, man. You¡¯re bleeding?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s bleeding?¡± Tyler demanded.


    ¡°Rafael¡¯s bleeding.¡± Derek shouted this partly for Tyler¡¯s benefit, but no doubt to process this.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Rafael shouted back. ¡°It¡¯s not a lot of blood.¡±


    Now that it came to his attention, he felt his heartbeat from his side and back as his side and back started to sting. He lifted his shirt to see his sides where the shadow lycros had grabbed him around the middle. He remembered how the creature couldn¡¯t get a hold and instead slid off. It reflected that on his skin, and yet there were no holes in his shirt.


    ¡°Okay. Okay. Okay. We can work with this. It¡¯s¡­ okay.¡± Tyler did his own sort of panicking.


    Rafael sighed, touching the wound. They weren¡¯t deep, but there were ten scratches now on his back. ¡°Alright, listen. I am fine. I¡¯m not passing out. The wounds aren¡¯t deep. We keep driving, like you suggested, to make sure that shadow lycros cannot follow us. We¡¯ll regroup in an hour. Derek, do you have anything I can press against the wounds to keep your car clean?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Derek mulled something over. ¡°There¡¯s a blanket in the trunk. You can lower that middle seat to access it.¡±


    Rafael nodded, grabbing the seat and pulling it down. ¡°Cool.¡± He reached in to find a blanket, then pulled it out. Quetzal sniffed it curiously, and Rafael closed the seat to make sure the drake didn¡¯t get in there. He pressed the blanket against his back, seeing the black creature in the distance.


    ¡°If anything changes at all, you call immediately, and we meet on the side of the road,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Alright. Thank you, Tyler.¡± Rafael said it because it was the polite thing to do. Give people peace of mind. Tyler hung up, and Derek met his gaze in the rearview mirror.


    ¡°You¡¯re stupid. You¡¯re insane. And you should have never done that. But it was totally, completely badass,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t actually want me to say thanks, but I will anyway to prove I¡¯m fine,¡± Rafael said.


    Derek chortled as they drove away.

 Chapter 116

    Alejandra kept checking her phone¡¯s contacts, scrolling past Nick¡¯s name, then scrolling back until it passed again. It was late. If she remembered right, Walt took his phone at ten. Or was it ten-thirty?


    She glanced at the clock. It was eight-thirty. She groaned, rubbing her head. She was overthinking this, without a doubt. Her finger kept scrolling through her contact list. She always picked out Nick¡¯s name whenever it scrolled by. It was quieter now that Milo, Ezekiel, and Clarissa weren¡¯t here. Hraktar and Grizzizzik were having a shooting practice with their bows. It wasn¡¯t a shooting practice between those two without plenty of trash talk and a healthy amount of competition. At least they weren¡¯t fighting each other. She had no idea what she¡¯d do if they fought.


    Milo, Ezekiel, and Clarissa were safe. No doubt that helped Hraktar and Grizzizzik have a more cordial attitude. They¡¯d all be more stressed if something was wrong. Now they had to wait the five hours until they got home, because Rafael was hurt.


    He attempted to explain over the phone how he was fine, but the two siblings never established a level of trust about injuries, even before this whole situation with Evelyn. Alejandra never believed him when he said he was fine. She knew he kept multiple cuts, bruises, and sprains hidden with a smile. She¡¯d never believed him until the wounds turned into scars, and even then, it was hard.


    She¡¯d wait up all night if needed. To make sure Rafael and Quetzal made it back. Until then, she had a lot of nervous energy. So nervous she considered doing something stupid.


    Like calling Nick.


    She scrolled by his name again, feeling the anxious energy. She didn¡¯t need to call Nick. There was no need to. In fact, he could get in trouble because of her call. Did she want him to get in trouble?


    And yet, despite all this, her finger tapped his name, then the phone icon, and she placed the phone against her ear, heart pounding faster and faster. This was a bad idea. She was getting Nick in trouble.


    ¡°Alejandra?¡± Nick asked.


    Why was she even calling him? This was stupid. ¡°Sorry. So sorry. I¡­ I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s fine. Is Grizzizzik behaving?¡±


    ¡°Fine. He¡¯s¡­ fine. I¡¯m¡­¡± She touched her forehead.


    ¡°Alejandra?¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have called. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°Hey. It¡¯s alright.¡± She had never heard his voice sound so warm before. It was so close to her ear, and she could almost see his face. One of his few expressions that wasn¡¯t glaring. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ nothing, I just¡­¡± Alejandra had tears in her eyes. What was wrong with her? Why did calling Nick terrify her so badly?


    ¡°Do you need me to come over?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°No.¡± That much she was certain of. ¡°No, I¡¯ve already gotten you in trouble with this phone call. I can¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡± He took on that same warm tone again. ¡°You¡¯re not getting me in trouble for calling. God, I¡¯d hate for you to think that. If you need me, call me.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ your dad¡­¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Let me worry about my dad.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Alejandra.¡± Why had she never heard this amount of warmth in his voice before? Why did it work exceptionally well? ¡°I never want you to be afraid to call me. Okay?¡±


    Her panic ebbed away. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Is there something I can do to help you?¡±


    She took a deep breath, then let it out. After half an hour of worrying about calling Nick, she¡¯d forgotten why she called to begin with. She closed one eye, dragging her hand across her face. Texting was so much easier, but she definitely couldn¡¯t do that. ¡°Um¡­¡± The lame reason jolted her memory. ¡°I wanted to make sure¡­ you got an update about everything.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Evelyn called me about forty-five minutes ago,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Right.¡± Alejandra closed her eyes. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m glad she did.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She looks out for me.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    There was a pause she didn¡¯t want to have. She clawed for some sort of conversation starter. Though maybe she should hang up. After sweating for a half hour, she wanted to keep talking to make it worth it.


    ¡°So how is everything going¡ª¡±


    She stopped as he said something at the same time. He stopped too, out of courtesy.


    ¡°Oh, sorry. You go ahead,¡± he said.


    ¡°No, no.¡± She had a generic conversation starter. It wasn¡¯t anything important. ¡°Please, you go ahead.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ heard Quetzal snuck aboard.¡±


    Alejandra sighed. ¡°Yeah. That drake has a mind of his own.¡±


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    Nick chuckled. ¡°Also an excellent hunter, from what I hear.¡±


    ¡°Hraktar and Ezekiel are quite proud of him.¡±


    There was another pause. ¡°And¡­ Rafael? I heard he got hurt, too?¡±


    Alejandra deflated. Nick sounded genuinely curious, as well as worried. ¡°He says he¡¯s fine. I¡¯m trying to believe him.¡±


    The silence did not last long. Nick didn¡¯t want to remain on that topic. ¡°Hey, was there something you wanted to tell me today?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± she asked. Then she remembered earlier today when he stopped by. How she wanted to talk to him. How she feared returning to her house with all their characters. Listening to them talk and plan, meditate and prepare. She never imagined herself as a leader of the group, and being the only one among the characters kind of felt like she was. She wanted someone to stay and was genuinely surprised when she thought of Nick.


    Like an idiot, she tried to say something to help him linger, but she couldn¡¯t. Not with Walt being a constant threat hanging over his head.


    ¡°I¡­¡± she let out a breath. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t remember.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Well, alright. If you do, let me know.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°You can even call me if you want.¡±


    Alejandra played with a lock of her hair. Her hair was so long. She really needed to cut it. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°And, um¡­¡± he trailed off. Alejandra waited, the smile dropping from her face. ¡°I¡¯m glad Rafael and Quetzal are alright.¡±


    Perhaps that was his way of apologizing for punching Rafael. The warmth she felt turned cold, then to ice. She would have rather he apologize for it completely, which helped remind her that there were still red flags with Nick. Even if he had an incredibly warm voice that helped calm her panic.


    ¡°I¡­ shouldn¡¯t keep you on the phone any longer,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Right,¡± he said, sounding cautious. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    Alejandra kept herself from saying anything for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll see you next week.¡±


    ¡°See you.¡±


    She turned off her phone, pressing the corner against her chin, and closed her eyes. She had many conflicting thoughts about Nick. There was still an enormous problem that he¡¯d been physically violent with her brother. She hated witnessing such violence. Especially against Rafael.


    Alejandra closed her eyes, then collapsed on the couch. Hraktar and Grizzizzik were having a competition to see who could shoot the arrow with their feet. Alejandra didn¡¯t know how to react to that. Instead, she faced forward, hands in her hair.


    Rafael assaulted Evelyn. As a female herself, Alejandra knew what Rafael did was horrible. More than horrible. It was every girl¡¯s nightmare.


    As she closed her eyes, the memory of Nick punching her brother appeared again. His foot crushing Rafael¡¯s ribs. The murder in Nick¡¯s gaze. Her brother¡¯s shouts of pain and the dazed look he had afterwards when Derek and Tyler literally had to drag Nick away.


    Everyone, herself included, expected Rafael to apologize to Evelyn soon. No one even hinted that Nick needed to.


    She opened her eyes, glaring at the phone. It was a stupid idea to call Nick.


    ***


    It was late. The sun had set, and they were in New Mexico again. Rafael had a blanket around his torso, his shirt off so it wouldn¡¯t get any more blood on it. Quetzal was curled up in his lap, sleeping.


    They were on a long stretch of highway, and it was mostly empty.


    ¡°So, we¡¯ve got a plan in case someone tries to be helpful, right?¡± Rafael said so Tyler could hear on speakerphone.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a plan. We¡¯ll check the wounds, clean them up the best we can, then be on our way again. We¡¯ve got to get home,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming that¡¯s your car on the side of the road? There haven¡¯t been many cars,¡± Derek said.


    In the distance, Rafael saw the car and someone waving, leaning against the truck. There were two other people outside the car.


    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s me. Evelyn¡¯s in the car now. She was willing to put things to the side for the battle, and now it¡¯s done, she needs some space again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay away,¡± Rafael said.


    This was better than cleaning his wounds in a gas station bathroom. It was the thing he kept telling himself. He hated stopping at all, but they couldn¡¯t ignore his back the entire ride home.


    Derek waved as he pulled in behind them. Tyler, Milo, and Clarissa were out of the car, waiting for him. Tyler had Rafael¡¯s luggage.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Ezekiel?¡± Rafael asked once they got out, holding the blanket around his torso.


    ¡°He¡¯s asleep.¡± Clarissa glanced in the back window. ¡°I think the fear the shadow lycros gave him was too much. He needed his rest.¡±


    ¡°We have flashlights.¡± Milo held up the flashlight and turned it off and on. ¡°Fascinating inventions.¡±


    Tyler remained quiet, though his face told an entire story as he studied the blanket around Rafael. Despite everything that happened between him and Evelyn, this was a different thing entirely, and Tyler would help clean the wounds to make sure they healed right. They headed toward the trunk of Derek¡¯s car to be far away from Evelyn. Rafael took his suitcase and found an extra shirt as Derek came over with a first aid kit. ¡°I have this, unless Milo or Princess Clarissa want to try healing him with mana.¡±


    Tyler shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to keep the two worlds separated as long as possible. If one of these characters can heal Rafael, that means Akshi can do¡­ worse.¡±


    A chill traveled up Rafael¡¯s spine. He finished zipping up his luggage, then stood with his extra shirt in hand. ¡°Look, Tyler, I¡¯m sorry¡ª¡±


    Tyler sighed. ¡°We knew this would start happening. Well, maybe not blood, but¡­ we couldn¡¯t keep pushing boundaries.¡± He glanced over Milo and Clarissa¡¯s heads. Rafael had rolled for hit points shortly before arriving, which helped him know when the hour was up. After the short rest, their hit points bumped back up. Not all the way, but they didn¡¯t look so haggard. ¡°We¡¯ve got to level up. Fast. I¡¯d feel much better if all of you reached level four by the time we did our heist mission.¡±


    ¡°We still have two weeks,¡± Derek said.


    Tyler nodded, then glanced behind him to make sure Evelyn couldn¡¯t see them. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s check this out.¡±


    Rafael nodded, then positioned himself beside the trunk before slipping the blanket off and folding it up. Despite trying his best, some of the blood still dried to the blanket, and it peeled off his wounds. The cuts weren¡¯t deep. They weren¡¯t in any way a threat. Might not even scar. But they were there. Tyler and Derek both hissed as Milo and Clarissa pointed the flashlights on his back.


    ¡°I guarantee it looks worse because it hasn¡¯t been cleaned for an hour,¡± Rafael said as he turned his back to them.


    ¡°No one enters a combat again,¡± Tyler said. ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Rafael couldn¡¯t help but mumble.


    Derek grabbed a rag and drenched it in some water. ¡°God, that looks so bad.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Rafael said.


    The two of them worked fast. Rafael did little more but leaned his arms against the trunk, letting them work.


    ¡°Do you think this will get infected?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°I hope not. How would we explain this?¡± Tyler asked.


    Rafael wondered what he¡¯d do at football practice. He¡¯d have to make sure his tank top covered the wounds, or else he¡¯d have to switch to his football t-shirt while in the locker rooms.


    Derek and Tyler worked fast, whispering as they bandaged him up with Derek¡¯s first aid kit. Rafael kept his hands on the trunk. They weren¡¯t bad. Considering the claws on that thing, it could have been much worse. Better him than Ezekiel or Clarissa.


    Something caught his eye. Quetzal scuttled up the car, then rested on the roof. Rafael made a mental note. Considering this creature¡¯s ability to be where he shouldn¡¯t, he¡¯d have to remember he was on the roof, so when they drove off¡ª


    Not resting. He¡¯d seen Quetzal when he was resting, and the drake would still glance around and chitter. Quetzal right now held completely, perfectly still. Rafael frowned, looking at the baby drake again. It had proved time and time again to be a skilled hunter, even as a baby. Quetzal was looking at something in the distance. Something worth hunting.


    Or something hunting them.

 Chapter 117

    ¡°Guys,¡± Rafael said. Milo and Clarissa were on their flashlight holding duty for Tyler and Derek to see. ¡°Guys!¡± It was sharp enough that Derek and Tyler stopped talking. Rafael glanced at Clarissa. ¡°Do you sense anything?¡±


    Milo and Clarissa finally noticed Quetzal and how perfectly still he was. Clarissa spun, looking into the distance. She scanned the area with her dark vision, her face dropping. ¡°I¡­ little dinosaurs.¡±


    Rafael¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What?¡±


    Clarissa pointed. ¡°Little dinosaurs. I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re called. The dinosaur island is far from the Shrouded Domain and I¡¯ve never visited. Those things I see are small and hunt in packs.¡±


    There were a few dinosaurs on the list. Rafael remembered seeing them and wincing because he knew those needed to be taken care of soon. People might notice dinosaurs quicker than a shadow lycros.


    Derek and Rafael both turned toward Tyler, who threw Rafael¡¯s clean shirt at him. ¡°We¡¯re outside the bubble. Get in the car. Now.¡±


    Derek nodded, moving around the car. Rafael threw his shirt on, seeing Quetzal shake his rebellious little hind quarters as he prepared to pounce. Rafael ran toward him right as he did. He grabbed the drake as it tried to attack, snapping at something in the dark. Tyler and Clarissa were already running toward the car when a bigger dinosaur leapt out of nowhere, smashing into Clarissa. The druid toppled to the ground as the dinosaur bit her arm.


    ¡°Holy Jurassic Park,¡± Derek shouted. Rafael stared at the six foot long dinosaur. He focused more on Clarissa¡¯s hit points, terrified she¡¯d be dead, but she only lost four points. This dinosaur must not be strong.


    Time slowed down, and Rafael panted, a panic building up inside.


    Roll for initiative.


    ¡°No, no, no.¡± Rafael looked at Ezekiel¡¯s character sheet. He had one more level one mana slot, and then cantrips. They couldn¡¯t fight dinosaurs right now. They needed to get home, but he had no choice. Time was frozen, and he needed to roll the d20.


    Seven total. His heart hammered as he kept Quetzal in his arms. Time resumed, and Milo pulled out his wrench, giving his crossbow a hard smack. It glowed blue. He then turned on the flashlight, smiling. ¡°I really like this tool.¡± He aimed the crossbow at the raptor and shot. A blue streak crossed the air before smacking the raptor in the shoulder. It shrieked, stumbling dangerously. Where the claws were, there seemed to be a bit of skin to give it wings the movies never showed, with a few feathers sprouting from it.


    Tyler pulled up the list on his phone, reading. ¡°That¡¯s a Huge Velociraptor. Or, in more local terms, a Utahraptor.¡±


    The situation did not warrant a logical conversation, but Rafael was too nervous not to ask questions. ¡°Sorry, but Utahraptor? Is that what they call it in the Shrouded Domain? A fantasy place that¡¯s never even heard of earth, let alone America?¡± Rafael asked.


    Tyler shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know if the locals call it that, but it¡¯s certainly what we call it.¡±


    Derek poked his head up from the car. ¡°You¡¯re asking the wrong question, Rafael. The real question is, what the hell is a Utahraptor doing in New Mexico?¡±


    ¡°God, Derek.¡± Tyler was staring at his phone, glancing at the velociraptor. ¡°That thing is a level one. Kill it, and let¡¯s get out of here!¡± Tyler said.


    Clarissa stumbled to her feet before backing away. Evelyn climbed out of the car as Clarissa tried to stab it with her scimitar, but missed.


    ¡°Evelyn, stay in the car!¡± Tyler held out a hand to her. ¡°Once this creature is done, we¡¯re making a fast getaway!¡±


    She nodded, wide eyed as she tried to get back in the car when a smaller velociraptor screeched, slamming into her.


    ¡°Evelyn!¡±


    Rafael¡¯s heart plummeted as Evelyn screamed in pain.


    ¡°No, no, no. Shit, no.¡± Tyler tried to dodge out of the way of the Utahraptor to get to Evelyn. The Utahraptor ignored Tyler and tried to bite Clarissa instead. Rafael was fighting the desire to run to her, too, but he needed to stay by Derek¡¯s car. Level one combat. That¡¯s what Tyler said. The Utahraptor sliced at Clarissa with its claws, and she groaned as her hit points dropped to sixteen. He tried to see past the chaos to where Evelyn was, but it was impossible with an enormous raptor in the way.


    Time froze, and Rafael closed his eyes. He needed a clearer head. He couldn¡¯t panic like this. Ezekiel didn¡¯t have many options left. Milo was here, which meant their stockpile of gold mana would be there when this battle was over. But his first level spells were more buffs than attacks.


    Ezekiel was near Evelyn. He could use this. His cleric¡¯s hand to hand was pretty good, so he chose that. The d20 landed on a nine, and he gasped. Would that be enough? For a low-level velociraptor?


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    He waited, his heart hammering, before the d6 appeared and he let out a breath. He rolled, pleased to see it land on a five. The +2 was nice, but would he be able to kill it?


    Time resumed and Ezekiel stumbled out of the car on Evelyn¡¯s side. He brought his fist down and punched the miniature velociraptor hard. It succeeded in the velociraptor changing focus from Evelyn to Ezekiel. Honestly, that¡¯s all Rafael wanted. He heard the firm slamming of a car door as the little velociraptor growled at the cleric. Alive, but haggard.


    Rafael was so caught up on Ezekiel¡¯s doings that Quetzal leapt out of his arms and pounced into the darkness. Rafael¡¯s eyes widened as a second little velociraptor appeared in the fields.


    ¡°Quetzal!¡± Rafael headed toward the fields.


    ¡°DON¡¯T!¡± Tyler pointed a finger at Rafael, causing him to stop. ¡°Don¡¯t take one more step near those dinosaurs. Stay. By. The. Damn. Car.¡±


    Rafael let out a breath, but stayed where he was. He understood Tyler¡¯s terror. They didn¡¯t know how many dinosaurs were out there.


    Quetzal¡¯s tiny roar sounded over the group as another mini velociraptor got his ass kicked. He felt a vibration in his pocket and he pulled out his phone to see Alejandra calling.


    ¡°Alejandra?¡±


    ¡°Who am I rolling for? Is Quetzal fighting?¡± She screamed so loud Rafael had to hold the phone a bit from his ear.


    ¡°We¡¯re getting away. I swear we¡¯re getting through this as fast as¡ª¡±


    ¡°STOP HIM! HE¡¯S A BABY!¡±


    Rafael stared, wide-eyed, as a small velociraptor stumbled out of the field, one of its wings torn off and its leg broken. ¡°Holy shit.¡± It tried to snap at Quetzal, but the baby drake slammed its claws into its face, and the velociraptor went down, dead. Rafael¡¯s jaw dropped. Quetzal killed a velociraptor in one move. Ezekiel couldn¡¯t even do that. What the hell did Alejandra roll?


    ¡°Rafael?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°RAFAEL!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ promise he¡¯s okay. I need to call you back.¡± He hung up, and his phone immediately vibrated again. He ignored it, knowing he¡¯d get an earful when he eventually would talk to her again.


    Another little velociraptor leapt out of the field, slamming into Ezekiel. It wasn¡¯t deep. A testament to the low-level creatures these were. Rafael didn¡¯t even want to think what would happen if they were larger. Ezekiel¡¯s hit points dropped to fourteen. Rafael tried squinting toward the bushes and saw a flickering green light above Quetzal¡¯s head. He was getting hit points.


    Milo aimed his crossbow at the Utahraptor. Another ice bolt slammed into the side of the creature¡¯s face, and it turned, snarling at Milo. It didn¡¯t look good. Which was great for them. Clarissa slammed her scimitar into the Utahraptor, and Rafael felt surprised the raptor was still standing. A smaller velociraptor bit down hard on Ezekiel, and he screamed in pain as his arm snapped. Clarissa looked over, wide eyed. The huge Utahraptor snarled before chomping Milo¡¯s shoulder and clawing his stomach.


    Derek gasped, and Rafael stood frozen at the spot as Milo¡¯s hit points plummeted to one. The mana fusor backed away, gripping his stomach as the blue aura around the crossbow flickered and went out.


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± Derek said.


    Time slowed down, and Rafael felt nauseous. He rolled the d20 and hissed when it landed on a two.


    Time resumed. ¡°Milo!¡± Ezekiel shouted, unable to do anything else but that. He was seriously weakened. They were getting destroyed by low-level creatures.


    Quetzal leapt onto the velociraptor that attacked Ezekiel, snarling before it chomped on its neck. Tyler still looked torn, ready to leap into the car, but he didn¡¯t want to get in the way of the fight. The velociraptor shrieked, then clawed at Quetzal.


    ¡°No!¡± Rafael said. Quetzal let loose enough for the velociraptor to chomp down and shake the drake before throwing him against the car. ¡°Shit. Quetzal!¡±


    The drake was in a bad state. Rafael¡¯s eyes widened as green lights flickered to life. Enough for him to see four hit points out of fifteen.


    His phone vibrated again with Alejandra¡¯s new call. If Alejandra was indeed rolling for Quetzal, then she could see his hit points, too. Rafael let out a breath, knowing he needed to stop Quetzal.


    Milo lifted his regular crossbow, holding his stomach as he took aim and missed the Utahraptor.


    ¡°Shit, he should have healed himself,¡± Derek shouted, hands in his hair.


    Clarissa tried to slam her scimitar into it, but it dodged that too, snarling at the two of them.


    Something deep and low roared across the planes. Rafael¡¯s eyes widened. He turned, seeing the black, clear sky. He couldn¡¯t see anything, but something more was out there.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to go.¡± Tyler shoved his hands in his hair. ¡°Shit, we¡¯ve got to go. Everyone get in the car! Forget killing them!¡±


    The velociraptor tried to attack Ezekiel, but he dodged both attacks, gasping. He held his shoulder, even though Rafael didn¡¯t recall any bites happening there. Ezekiel stumbled toward the car.


    The Utahraptor attacked Clarissa the same way it did Milo, snapping down hard on her shoulder and clawing her middle. Clarissa gasped, then her eyes rolled up.


    ¡°NO!¡± Ezekiel shouted.


    Clarissa¡¯s knees buckled before she collapsed, unconscious.


    Time slowed down, but Rafael knew exactly what his cleric would do. Milo was down to one hit point, Clarissa at zero. Ezekiel wasn¡¯t doing so great, either.


    Rafael slammed on the preserve life option. He was going to split it between Ezekiel, Clarissa, and Milo, then get into the car. Just as he was about to choose it, he hesitated. Time unfroze for only Ezekiel, and the cleric turned his gaze to Rafael. It was odd to have everyone else frozen except his character.


    ¡°Ezekiel?¡±


    The cleric said nothing, looked at Rafael, a hollowness coming to his eyes. That was new.


    ¡°I think¡­ something is...¡± Ezekiel glanced down at his fingernails. Rafael¡¯s pounding heart froze with everyone else¡¯s time. Something flickered in his view, and he glanced at it.


    Roll for nature.


    Rafael stared at the words. What did this mean? He didn¡¯t understand. He rolled, and it landed on a six. The +2 made it an eight.


    Failed.


    Rafael stared at those words, wide eyed. What did that mean?


    ¡°Ezekiel?¡± Rafael¡¯s gaze shot to his cleric. Ezekiel closed his eyes as time resumed. He clasped his religious medallion, trying to speak the words of the incantation for preserve life. Rafael took a few steps forward. ¡°Ezekiel!¡±


    Tyler placed a hand on Rafael¡¯s chest, his gaze bouncing between him and the cleric. Ezekiel stopped the incantation, something caught in his throat. A gargling noise that turned into a growl. His long fingernails covered his ears as he screamed.


    Time froze again. Rafael was panting, terrified. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± As though on cue, words appeared for him to read.


    Failed nature check. Wererat form appearing.


    Ezekiel¡¯s character sheet wobbled, then changed.

 Chapter 118

    Ezekiel¡¯s mana slots disappeared from the character sheet. A few options for fighting appeared, and someone else chose those.


    Roll to hit for bite.


    Tears pricked Rafael¡¯s eyes as the d20 hung in the air. He wanted to do something, but time was frozen, and it wouldn¡¯t let him go until he rolled the dice. Rafael panted, grabbing the die and shaking it. The die dropped out of his hands, and it landed on an eight.


    Failed.


    Roll to hit for claw.


    This time, the die landed on a fourteen.


    Success. Roll for damage.


    Rafael rolled a d6, and it landed on a two. The +2 bumped it to four. What was happening? What was Ezekiel going to do.


    With growing dread, Rafael wondered who Ezekiel was going to attack.


    Time resumed, and Ezekiel finished his scream. He opened his eyes to show a green tint to them as he snarled at the velociraptor. Ezekiel actually snarled. He dropped his hands, showing ears with a distinct point, and his fingernails got bigger and thicker. But that was it. He still looked human. Hopefully he still had some humanity left.


    ¡°Shit, shit, shit. What just happened?¡± Derek asked.


    Again, there was a roar in the distance, and Rafael felt the real danger of staying. But Ezekiel¡­ what was Ezekiel?


    The changed cleric tried to bite a little velociraptor, but the dinosaur backed away, startled. Instead, Ezekiel clawed at it, and it hit. The velociraptor got a face full of sharpened fingernails, gorging out its eyes before it stumbled and fell, dead.


    ¡°Ezekiel!¡± Milo shouted. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Quetzal slammed into the remaining small velociraptor, digging its baby fangs into that creature so hard the last little dinosaur collapsed to the ground, dead. Quetzal gave a chitter over its fallen prey before it took a chunk out of it, gulping it down.


    Milo grabbed gold mana from his inventory and downed it, adding four more health points. His wounds didn¡¯t look much better, and Derek looked beside himself with worry.


    Milo held his torn shirt against his stomach. ¡°Ezekiel, buddy? What¡¯s going on? Do you know who we are?¡±


    The Utahraptor shrieked, then swiped at Milo faster than the eye could catch. Him trying to heal himself didn¡¯t matter. Milo groaned, collapsing to the ground, his hit points dropping to zero.


    Derek stood up, pale. ¡°No!¡±


    The Utahraptor then ran. Ezekiel, the partial wererat, ran toward the raptor, shrieking. The raptor got the upper hand and slammed his jaws down on Ezekiel¡¯s shoulder. It snapped, his shoulder caving in on itself. Ezekiel¡¯s wererat eyes fluttered before they closed, and he collapsed.


    ¡°Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.¡± Derek slid next to Milo. ¡°I¡¯ll find some gold mana fast.¡±


    ¡°Level one. The goddamn creature was a goddamn level one!¡± Tyler shouted. The Utahraptor spun around, focusing on Tyler. He let out a shuddering breath. ¡°And¡­ Steven Spielberg was right to place you in the kitchen.¡±


    The Utahraptor growled at Tyler, and their game master stumbled back, eyes wide. The creature was ready to pounce, and Rafael remembered that dinosaur could in fact hurt Tyler.


    Quetzal started to chitter, short and angry, and both Tyler and the Utahraptor hesitated.


    ¡°No!¡± Rafael shouted, too far away to stop little Quetzal.


    The Utahraptor spun around, trying to find the enemy, but it didn¡¯t expect a baby drake. No one did. Quetzal leapt toward the Utahraptor, digging his teeth and slicing an artery, blood spraying everywhere. The Utahraptor roared before it stumbled. Quetzal stayed attached to that neck, biting down as hard as his baby jaws could. The raptor collapsed, the life snuffed out of its eyes, before Quetzal let go. He scrambled on top of the dead creature¡¯s head and let out the smallest roar Rafael ever heard. Rafael, Tyler, and Derek stared, jaws dropped.


    ¡°How¡­ how the hell¡­¡± Rafael honestly didn¡¯t know how to finish that.


    Quetzal started eating the raptor, wiggling his bum, his health points rising a few numbers. Rafael would have stared the rest of the night, his mind so scattered. How the hell did Quetzal take down a Utahraptor with three CCNC characters knocked out? The only thing that brought him out of his reverie was that time stood still.


    Make a death saving throw.


    Rafael let out a breath, seeing the d20 hanging in front of him. He grabbed it, not liking his current rolling streak. But he was relieved when it landed on eighteen.


    Success.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got them.¡± Derek held three glowing vials of gold mana. ¡°Feed it to them fast before we get any more of those death saving rolls.¡±


    Rafael took a vial and ran over to Ezekiel.


    Tyler held out his hand. ¡°Give me the princess¡¯s.¡± Derek gave the vial to Tyler. Rafael knelt next to Ezekiel. The cleric was breathing deeply and fast, like something was caught in his lungs. He didn¡¯t know what Ezekiel would do when he woke up, but Rafael didn¡¯t want to chance it to the death saving rolls.


    He opened the vial, forcing the gold mana into his mouth. Ezekiel at first didn¡¯t react, then coughed as the gold mana worked inside him. He coughed again, partially sitting up. Rafael backed away, still worried, and watched as eight health points trickled into Ezekiel¡¯s health bar. Rafael then studied Ezekiel¡¯s face, seeing his eyes return to their blue color. His ears were slightly pointed, and his fingernails were still long, like claws. Ezekiel groaned, holding his head. ¡°I¡¯ve got¡­ the worst headache. What¡­ happened?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember?¡±


    ¡°Everything until¡­ when I saw you holding the dice. Then it got¡­ fuzzy.¡±


    Rafael exhaled. Ezekiel was sort of back. He had the pointed ears and long claws, but he was still Ezekiel. It must have been a moment of weakness when the lycanthropy was triggered. Which didn¡¯t bring Rafael much comfort. Ezekiel was now a walking wererat bomb, and it might be dangerous bringing him to battles.


    Rafael watched as a hundred and fifteen experience points tumbled into the bar, giving his cleric two thousand, one hundred and sixty points. Rafael¡¯s heart fell. They couldn¡¯t just leave Ezekiel at home. He was the lowest level character of all of them. He needed to be in these battles.


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    Tyler helped Clarissa sit up. Rafael searched the ground, looking for Quetzal as he helped Ezekiel to his feet. All three of their characters stumbled with their low hit points. They barely survived a low-level creature with their terrible rolls and lack of mana.


    Quetzal climbed up on Rafael¡¯s shoulder, rubbing his head under his chin. The drake was heavy, and Rafael could barely support him on his shoulder, but he wasn¡¯t about to push the creature aside. Rafael placed his cheek on top of the little guy¡¯s head. ¡°I owe you the most expensive steak I can buy. Thanks for saving everyone¡¯s life.¡±


    The baby drake chittered. Behind him, Tyler¡¯s car door opened, and Rafael glanced over to see Evelyn step out of the car. Her leg had a claw mark on it that made him wince. It looked about as deep as the marks on his back. It covered half her calf as she climbed out. He almost turned to Derek to ask how many more bandages were in the first aid kit when Evelyn stood up. More importantly, he noticed her shirt covered in blood as she held it in place over her stomach. She looked paler. Rafael froze, staring at her stomach. The velociraptor never hit her stomach. Evelyn was hunched over, leaning against the car as she held out a hand.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to say first that it isn¡¯t as bad as it looks,¡± she said.


    The trees shook as a roar sounded, dangerously close.


    ***


    Evelyn knew what this looked like. She had spent half the battle going through a minor shock, but the wound on her stomach wasn¡¯t as deep as she thought. It was simply bleeding. A lot.


    Tyler leapt into action first, letting go of Clarissa and running over to her. She was still standing, clutching her stomach.


    ¡°How deep is it?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Not deep. It¡¯s¡­ one of my gray marks. From the javelin stab last month. It¡­ resurfaced and became a wound.¡±


    Tyler grimaced, then looked at the three characters. There was a vibrating sound in the ground, and Evelyn clutched the car, fearing she¡¯d stumble. A much bigger dinosaur was close.


    Tyler pointed to Derek. ¡°Give me the first aid kit. You, Rafael, Quetzal, and Milo get out of here. Fast. Ezekiel, front seat. Princess Clarissa and Evelyn in the back.¡± Tyler caught the first aid kit that Derek tossed to him. ¡°Evelyn, are you okay if Princess Clarissa wraps your wound in the back seat while I¡¯m driving?¡± She nodded. ¡°Then we go. Now!¡±


    It was a mad rush to the cars. Evelyn slid in the back, still holding her bunched up shirt to her stomach. She buckled herself in the middle as Ezekiel slipped into the front. Clarissa moved in next to her. Evelyn was breathing deeply, not sure if she could calm down until they were moving.


    Tyler¡¯s face was focused as he slid into the front seat. He started up the car, waving Derek and Rafael through. He shifted gears before reaching behind him, handing Evelyn the first aid kit.


    ¡°Clean it with water first, princess.¡±


    Evelyn took it, trying to say something, but a vibration shook the car. Like a very, very, very large animal started running. She turned, trying to see out the window as Tyler slammed on the gas pedal. She gasped.


    There, a mere mile away, outlined by the light of a few cars, was a dinosaur. The hairs on the back of Evelyn¡¯s neck stood straight up. A primal fear awakened, the kind where an apex predator had their eyes on her. It was tall. So ridiculously tall, even a mile away. Evelyn was quite sure it could squish their car with its foot.


    ¡°Is that¡­ a T-Rex?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Tyler focused on the road. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± He glanced in the rearview mirror at the dinosaur crouching in order to run before he focused on the road again, pressing down on the gas harder. ¡°It¡¯s a dinosaur I could never pronounce. Just nicknamed him T-Rex¡¯s big brother.¡±


    Clarissa opened the first aid kit, quickly pulling things out as Ezekiel handed her a water bottle. Evelyn got a nervous jitter in her legs. She needed to run. There was a dinosaur behind them. A huge, T-Rex looking dinosaur. But they were in the car. They could drive faster in the car, but it was still terrifying. She checked again, watching as the distance between the dinosaur and the car grew.


    ¡°What¡¯s the challenge level of that thing?¡± She needed to have a conversation.


    ¡°Twenty-two.¡± Tyler again glanced at the dinosaur behind them. ¡°He will eat all our characters. And the car.¡± He again focused on the road, his breathing irregular, zooming past the other cars.


    Clarissa held up a rag. ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    Evelyn nodded, lifting her shirt enough to show the cut in her stomach. Clarissa cleaned it as best she could. She tried to keep her mind off the huge apex predator chasing them. Tyler got onto the freeway, rubbing his face as he sped up. Clarissa was wrapping her stomach as Tyler pulled up next to Derek¡¯s car. Tyler gave a thumbs up, and across the way, Derek did the same.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be alright. Cars are faster than dinosaurs.¡± Tyler let out a long sigh, then glanced at the rearview mirror once again to see the dinosaur getting smaller.


    ¡°Right.¡± Evelyn glanced over her shoulder. ¡°As long as we don¡¯t get in a wreck. Or get pulled over.¡±


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯ll be fine.¡± Tyler kept his eyes on the road, then rubbed his head. ¡°Totally fine.¡± His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat.


    Clarissa tied the bandage around her middle, and Evelyn lowered her shirt. She lifted her leg, and Clarissa got to work on cleaning it. Ezekiel leaned over, hands in his hair. She wasn¡¯t sure what to think about that pose, but she knew this was not the optimistic to a fault cleric they always had.


    Tyler kept a hand on his forehead, trying to calm his breathing. Evelyn was worried, considering he was the one driving, and they definitely couldn¡¯t crash right now. Even as the space between them and the dinosaur grew, she still felt the unease of being low on the food chain of a much bigger predator in the area.


    Tyler placed his hand back on the steering wheel. ¡°Is everything alright back there?¡±


    ¡°The cut¡¯s not deep,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°I even think an hour''s rest will heal these wounds.¡± She finished tying the bandage, and Evelyn frowned.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not how it works here,¡± Evelyn said.


    Clarissa watched her. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°My leg is¡­ it¡¯ll be this way for a while.¡± Evelyn glanced at how long that cut was.


    Clarissa blinked, confused. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Your wounds¡­ remain? For longer than a day?¡±


    Evelyn shrugged. ¡°Yeah. We don¡¯t have¡­ whatever you guys have that helps you wake up at full health.¡±


    ¡°Mana. The mana heals us. Our world is rich with it. And there¡¯s some mana here, too. Perhaps it will heal your wound?¡± Clarissa asked.


    ¡°But what about in the beginning when you didn¡¯t have mana here on earth?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°We had enough filtering in our bodies to last us a week, I believe. After a week¡­¡± Clarissa¡¯s eyes traveled to Evelyn¡¯s leg. ¡°Perhaps we would have suffered for weeks, the same as you.¡±


    Evelyn paused, then glanced at Tyler. ¡°Is it possible this¡¯ll heal tomorrow? It was a velociraptor that got me, after all.¡±


    She noticed how slumped Tyler¡¯s shoulders were. How his hand went back to his forehead, staring ahead on the road. By the light of the passing cars, tears pooled in his eyes.


    ¡°Tyler?¡±


    ¡°We did this all wrong. Waited an hour after the stealth spell was used up before healing Rafael. We should have healed him ten minutes before the hour was up. We could have escaped unharmed. I wasn¡¯t thinking.¡±


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re alright,¡± Evelyn said.


    He sniffed, dropping his hand. ¡°Your wound won¡¯t go away tomorrow.¡± There was a deep pain in his voice. ¡°It¡¯s¡­. It¡¯s the two worlds colliding. You got hurt in this world by accident. But it awoke one of the dormant injuries you received on purpose. It¡¯s how this¡¯ll go from here on out. Every injury from a mythical creature will trigger a grey mark. Depending on how much the Shrouded Domain is affecting our world will determine how deep the cuts are. They won¡¯t go away. That¡­ that feels more like a quest for Milo to figure out.¡±


    Evelyn stared, wide eyed, right at the grey mark across Tyler¡¯s throat. ¡°Tyler¡­¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Tyler glanced at her through the mirror. ¡°You all have been stabbed way too many times.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean¡­ you too. Phantom stabbed you a ton.¡± With a horrifying thought, she spun to look at Clarissa. ¡°Does the bubble reach Tucson?¡±


    Clarissa frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°Tyler¡ª¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    ¡°Too late.¡±


    ¡°I only ever attended battles when I¡¯m in Elmwood. I hardly see any creatures,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°And we are in New Mexico, and have seen multiple.¡± Evelyn kept her eyes on Clarissa. ¡°Is there a way to stretch the bubble to Tucson?¡±


    ¡°When we get home, you¡¯ll have to show me on a map where this Tucson is in relation to us,¡± Clarissa said.


    ¡°No need to wait.¡± Evelyn pulled out her phone and tapped the map icon. Clarissa looked at it with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°These little boxes are incredible!¡±


    Evelyn found Elmwood. ¡°Here¡¯s us. Here¡¯s Tucson. Can your bubble reach here?¡± She pointed to the city.


    Clarissa frowned, looking at it closer. ¡°I¡¯m not powerful enough to reach there. And won¡¯t for a while.¡±


    Evelyn deflated, her eyes drifting to Tyler¡¯s neck. He kept his eyes on the road. ¡°Again, Evie, I don¡¯t enter battles until I¡¯m in Elmwood.¡±


    ¡°True, but we ticked off an apex predator. Can he hunt you down?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Tyler shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯ll be fine. T-Rex¡¯s big brother will stay here. No doubt confused about cars, and unable to pick up a scent.¡± Tyler tried to smile. ¡°Believe me, Evelyn. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He returned his gaze to the road. ¡°Let¡¯s get home.¡±

 Chapter 119

    Alejandra could not sleep. It was almost two in the morning, but she refused. Not until she knew Rafael and Quetzal were back. She could not stop pacing.


    Grizzizzik had returned to Nick¡¯s home once he knew everyone was on their way home again. Hraktar was asleep on the couch, and Alejandra didn¡¯t understand it. She had gotten into a long and heated conversation with Rafael once they were no longer battling. He assured her plenty of times that Quetzal was fine. But, like many things, she couldn¡¯t believe him. She never believed Rafael about pain or injuries. She was terrified that Quetzal was really dead, and he was protecting her despite the chittering she heard on the phone. She kept staring at the hit points on the new, smaller character sheet in her mind¡¯s eye, and still she was terrified Quetzal was dead. Mostly, she felt angry at Rafael. Angry he would hang up with her at the beginning of the battle, leaving her to roll from a distance, watching a baby¡¯s hit points trickle downward.


    The second she heard tires crunching gravel, she sprinted to the door, throwing it open. Derek¡¯s car pulled into the driveway. Alejandra ran up as it turned off. Rafael opened the door and Quetzal dropped to the ground, running toward her, chittering. She dropped to her knees, scooping up the baby and cuddling him. Quetzal yipped with excitement, and Alejandra felt sick to her stomach.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that again. Do you understand?¡± She brought Quetzal away, seeing the green number above his head. It matched a smaller character sheet. ¡°Fifteen hit points isn¡¯t a lot.¡±


    Quetzal climbed out of her grasp, chittering and hopping around like he experienced the best adventure of his life. Alejandra stood up when Rafael came around the car with his suitcase. She folded her arms, giving Rafael a soft glare.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± Rafael said again.


    ¡°He¡¯s a baby,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Being a baby didn¡¯t stop him from destroying the velociraptors,¡± Derek said.


    She was exhausted, and wasn¡¯t sure about another person being on Rafael¡¯s side. ¡°Derek!¡±


    ¡°All I¡¯m saying is everyone would have died if it wasn¡¯t for Quetzal, and Tyler might have been covered in scratches. It might have even woke up the injury on his neck,¡± Derek said.


    Rafael rubbed his eye. ¡°Go home, Derek. Get some sleep.¡±


    Their friend gave a thumbs up before getting back in his car and pulling out of the driveway. Rafael kept walking into the house, his shoulders slumped.


    ¡°Rafael!¡± Alejandra scooping up Quetzal so he wouldn¡¯t run off again.


    Her brother turned, the exhaustion clear on his face. ¡°Do you have anything new to talk about? Or can this wait until tomorrow morning?¡±


    Alejandra was annoyed. She shouldn¡¯t be, because his exhaustion was clear for her to see. It was two in the morning, after all. Alejandra held in a sigh. Held in annoyance, fear, and anger. They had their fight over the phone. Quetzal got hurt, and so did Rafael. Alejandra¡¯s gaze dropped to his torso, trying to see the injuries, to judge for herself if they were bad.


    ¡°Alejandra,¡± Rafael started to say.


    ¡°Is it bad?¡± She didn¡¯t want to say it, but it slipped out. Saying that phrase triggered too many memories of her asking him the same thing. Her way of saying she knew he was hurting, and he didn¡¯t have to pretend around her.


    A lump grew in her throat, her breathing becoming irregular. She wouldn¡¯t panic. Not about this. She needed to be stronger.


    Rafael took in her facial expression and let go of his suitcase. He knew that phrase, too. He then slipped off his shirt to show multiple hastily done bandages, lifting one to show her nothing more than a deep scratch. He kept his eyes on her. ¡°That¡¯s it. This is all they are. Scratches. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Tears spilled down her cheeks as she nodded, then she covered her face to hide. She couldn¡¯t stop the tears.


    ¡°Hey, Alejandra, I¡¯m fine.¡± He slipped his shirt back on.


    He was fine. This wasn¡¯t like before with Jack. Rafael wasn¡¯t learning how to walk without limping. Not asking for some makeup to hide a bruise. They were scratches. Ones he was hiding.


    If he got injured again though¡­ if they got deeper¡­


    She felt her brother¡¯s arms around her as she realized how much of a panic she was in. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Alejandra whispered between quiet gasps. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. So sorry.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t. You¡¯re getting hurt. People can get hurt. I hate it.¡±


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯ll be alright. Tyler¡¯s protecting us, and we know to keep our distance now.¡±


    Alejandra tried to calm herself. She wanted to be strong. No one else was panicking like this over scratches. Why couldn¡¯t she be stronger?


    She forced herself to be calm, faking strength as she eased her breathing. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said, wiping her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m¡­ scared.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Rafael patted her back. ¡°We all are.¡± He headed back toward his suitcase, and Alejandra swallowed another panic attack. Everyone was scared, but she was the one sobbing. She wasn¡¯t made for things like this.


    Rafael closed the door, no doubt crashing into his bed as soon as he could. Alejandra placed a hand on her forehead, her heart hammering. He told her about Evelyn and the grey marks over the phone. Nick had those marks, too. In fact, Rafael and Alejandra were the only ones who didn¡¯t have them.


    The only stop they made after the velociraptor fight was at a rest stop once they entered Arizona. Clarissa and Evelyn went into the bathroom to change Evelyn¡¯s shirt and disposed of the blood covered one. She also put on long pants to hide the cut. No doubt Walt would freak out if Evelyn came home injured, and they didn¡¯t need Walt freaking out. It was going to get harder to hide this.


    Alejandra glanced over, seeing Quetzal running up Hraktar before nestling on his shoulder. The fighter woke up, smiling. ¡°Hey, you. I¡¯m proud of you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Alejandra said, her voice steady. ¡°Don¡¯t encourage it. Please. He¡¯s a baby.¡±


    Hraktar scratched Quetzal under the chin. The drake half closed his eyes, his leg twitching. ¡°I understand your concern. But some creatures need to learn how to defend themselves. And soon.¡±


    Alejandra winced, then looked away. Hraktar¡¯s backstory came to her mind, and she ventured another glance at her fighter and the baby drake. Quetzal cuddled on the huge half-orc¡¯s shoulder, yawning. Hraktar settled into his spot on the couch. They were soon both asleep.


    Alejandra passed Rafael¡¯s room, hearing him already asleep too. She sat on her bed, covering her face as she tried to convince her anxiety riddled brain that Quetzal and her brother were fine.


    She didn¡¯t get to sleep for another two hours.


    ***


    It had to be one of the most insane fall breaks Derek ever had. It was almost weird to be back at school on Monday. There was a lot during the road trip that worried Derek. Higher-level creatures could kill Milo, but they discovered that now they, too, were in danger. Derek and Milo counted all the grey marks on his body and did some tests the rest of the weekend. Milo took some samples that he wanted to check in the lab, and he slipped in there, prepared for a solid day of work.


    Derek passed Evelyn, trying to explain to some of her friends that she went on a hike over the break and a branch got her leg pretty good. Derek was folding his arms, prepared to say that nothing happened to him over the fall break.


    The day was surprisingly boring, interspersed with some dice rolls. None of them were successful. Including the seventeen. He got the feeling he¡¯d have to roll a nat twenty for anything to be successful. Even then, he wasn¡¯t sure.


    Derek put every thought on hold as he got into his Wadsworth costume after school. They were running the entire play, which he tried not to believe would be a disaster. He¡¯d gone through his lines during fall break, except while they had the road trip. And then afterwards his mind was pretty shot, concerned about his friends and their grey marks.


    Maybe it would be better to get it all out now. Find a goblin and have them punch everyone while the marks would appear as deep scratches. But that wouldn¡¯t help. The more they interacted, the deeper they got. Their best bet was to never get hurt, as impossible as that sounded.


    Derek was impressed with himself as they proceeded through the play. Despite none of them practicing together the past week, they did well. This alone helped him discover they were more ready to open than he thought.


    The real test was the huge monologue Wadsworth did at the end, no matter the ending. Despite the crazy weekend, he was sailing through it, getting progressively more pleased with himself.


    In this ending, Emma¡¯s character was the murderer. She watched him with a slight smirk on her face. It was possibly in character for her as Scarlet, but Derek did his best to keep his focus.


    The ending was in sight. Not much longer now, and he could go home and eat. Emma walked up to him, doing her pouty lip routine. ¡°Wadsworth, you¡¯re not angry at me for wanting to shoot you?¡±


    Derek held up the prop gun. ¡°Frankly, Scarlett, I don¡¯t give a¡ª¡±


    Her pupils glowed red. Everything inside Derek froze. His mind scrambled, his eyes widening. Emma smirked, but¡­ but it wasn¡¯t Emma. Just like Mr. Stower wasn¡¯t himself with green eyes. But red. Red pupils. Green was associated with Akshi. Red was¡­


    There was a movement past the curtains. Derek¡¯s mind scrambled as his gaze fell on the person. The woman in the shadows. His heart dropped to his stomach.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Derek said.


    Eric snorted, and it helped him to come around to what was happening. Derek was gripping the prop gun in his hand as he realized what he said. Or rather, what everyone else assumed he said. After being nearly perfect in his entire monologue, he flubbed a line. Or a quote from a popular line.


    The woman slipped deeper into darkness, and Derek¡¯s eyes fell on Emma again. The red in her pupils slipped away, her smirk not turning nearly as dangerous, yet still a smirk.


    Derek stumbled through the rest of the monologue, which thankfully wasn¡¯t long. Once the play was done, Derek moved right into the curtains, into the darkness, where he saw that woman. He needed to make sure it wasn¡¯t who he thought it was. Because if it was her. If it was Pippa¡­


    This was stupid. They already established that they could get hurt now. But that was never Pippa¡¯s style. If it was her. Derek searched, trying to find her. Wanting to not find her. The place was empty.


    There was a shuffling behind him, and Derek spun around before giving a loud gasp that might have been considered a scream. Emma stood there, alone, still in her scarlet party dress costume.


    ¡°Hello, Derek,¡± she said.


    ¡°Emma.¡±


    ¡°Good job today. I¡¯m impressed that even after a long break, you remembered so much.¡± Emma¡¯s eyes glowed red again, and a woman appeared right behind her. Despite searching the entire place, she appeared. Derek roped every acting skill he possessed to keep a straight face.


    The woman¡¯s raven black hair had a hint of red in the stage lights. It was almost as signature to her look as was her brown-red eyes. For now, her eyes were more brown than red, but if she got angry enough, her eyes turned completely red. When they first met her, she had a more modest dress, but everyone knew about her allegiance now. Her black leather dress showing off cleavage was so ridiculously femme fetal that it would have been comical if this was Tyler explaining her return over the table. If it wasn¡¯t real life. If Pippa wasn¡¯t standing right behind Emma, controlling her.


    ¡°I¡­ need to get dressed. Mr. Jensen will start notes soon, and we better be there.¡± Derek¡¯s voice was steady.


    Emma smiled, almost seductively. ¡°Of course.¡±


    Derek grinned back as he stumbled away, heading for the men¡¯s dressing room. It was the size of a large walk-in closet. Derek got changed fast, as all the other guys had already changed. His mind was scrambled. It wasn¡¯t enough that they could now get hurt. No. Now Pippa was here.


    Pippa was definitely fae. Milo had his own thoughts about what other mythical abilities she had. Which they had to figure out. He¡¯d have to call Tyler. He¡¯d have called Tyler anyway, because Milo¡¯s toxic ex-girlfriend was now charming Derek¡¯s toxic ex-girlfriend, and absolutely nothing good could come of this.

 Chapter 120

    Derek opened the dressing room door to see Emma in her regular clothes right there, the red light glowing in her pupils. He slammed the door out of instinct. He let out a breath, then opened the door again.


    ¡°Emma, what the hell?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to wait for you.¡± Her eyes still glowed red. ¡°Thought we could sit together during notes.¡±


    ¡°Why? Why the hell would we sit together? You hate my guts,¡± Derek said.


    She paused, cocking her head to one side as the red in her eyes flickered. Mr. Anderson mentioned that trying to help Mr. Stower remember who he was made the charm not as strong. It was enough for Derek to slip past her and to power walk toward the first few rows of chairs. He motioned for Eric and Bailey to split. At first, they were confused until Emma appeared right behind him. Then they didn¡¯t question. Eric leapt into the empty seat next to him as Derek settled into the seat between them. Emma looked at them, narrowing her eyes, before moving to a seat that still felt too close.


    ¡°Ugh. Winning you back, I see,¡± Eric said.


    ¡°The fact that she hasn¡¯t tried yet really threw me off,¡± Bailey said.


    Eric glanced at him. ¡°How did you break up with her, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know. She¡­ crossed a boundary of mine. Said I¡¯d have to give up CCNC, and I told her simply that wasn¡¯t possible, and broke things off.¡±


    Baily gave him a strange glance. ¡°Who gave you that bright idea?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ a non-drama person?¡± Derek asked.


    Eric rolled his eyes. ¡°Obviously. We¡¯re a different breed, Derek.¡±


    Baily nodded. ¡°Emma, a different breed entirely. She¡¯ll keep stalking you.¡±


    Derek groaned, then glanced at Emma, who smirked at him. There was no red in her eyes. He rubbed his hands through his gelled hair. ¡°Okay, so, the logical thing is to¡­¡±


    ¡°Get back with her and break it off the correct way,¡± both of them said together.


    ¡°The correct way being¡­¡±


    ¡°Make her hate you so she breaks it off herself.¡±


    They said that together, too, which Derek was lowkey impressed by. He would have mentioned it, but something bigger weighed down his mind. He covered his face. ¡°That¡¯s what I was afraid of.¡±


    There was no way he could do that. Especially with Emma being charmed by Pippa.


    ¡°Dude, we¡¯ll totally help you,¡± Eric said.


    ¡°One hundred percent. Get her on a date, and we¡¯ll help you disgust her,¡± Baily said.


    ¡°I¡­ think I¡¯ll try avoiding her for now,¡± Derek said as Mr. Jensen stood up, looking through his notes.


    Eric raised an eyebrow. ¡°You can¡¯t avoid her forever.¡±


    ¡°Of course I can.¡± Derek lifted his hands, palms toward the ceiling. ¡°I¡¯m graduating this year. Last a few more months, then change cities.¡±


    Baily sighed. ¡°Oh, Derek.¡± Like he was some sort of child.


    ¡°You can try that if you want. But Baily and I will start planning operation reverse kiss the girl,¡± Eric said.


    Baily gave him two thumbs up. ¡°Love it.¡±


    There was no way he could get together with Emma. No. Way. Not with what he just saw. Derek tried to keep his breathing steady. Honestly, if their CCNC characters hadn¡¯t stumbled onto earth, and he didn¡¯t get caught up in trying to make sure they leveled up and got rid of monsters, he would¡¯ve been surprised Emma respected his wishes and left him alone. He broke up with her weeks ago, and she hadn¡¯t contacted him since. She even was cordial whenever he was around her, and acted as though she respected his decision and backed off. Saving Elmwood took so much of his focus, he didn¡¯t realize the warning bells screaming in his head that something was wrong.


    Derek half listened to Mr. Jensen as he went through the notes. He tried to focus on his drama teacher. Did everything expected. Nodded at appropriate times, smiled at someone¡¯s joke he only half listened to.


    ¡°Derek, it¡¯s ¡®give a damn¡¯, not ¡®give a shit¡¯. I don¡¯t want movie buffs down my throat,¡± Mr. Jensen said.


    Derek nodded. ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°Well, technically, the quote from Gone with the Wind is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. It¡¯s already a misquote¡ª¡± Mr. Jensen said, already sounding bored. Derek knew the end of notes was coming, so he glanced at Baily.


    ¡°Can you and Eric distract Emma as I make a getaway?¡±


    Baily nodded. ¡°We¡¯ve got you.¡±


    They held out a hand, and Derek squeezed them both. ¡°You are the best. I owe you one.¡±


    Whatever people say about drama kids, Derek loved that Eric and Baily would do their duty to distract Emma without question. He didn¡¯t have to explain the dire circumstance. An ex-girlfriend trying to get back in his life was enough for these two next to him to vow to make sure Emma stayed in the theater for the next thirty minutes.


    The second Mr. Jensen dismissed them, Derek grabbed his bag and bolted it out of there. He went through the doors, ran down the hall before bursting out the school. He sprinted the short distance, barely glancing for oncoming cars before crossing the road to reach his own. Milo was there waiting, checking his notes. Milo glanced up as Derek hit a button, unlocking his car. ¡°In the car. Get in the car, now!¡±


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    Milo was used to these kinds of demands, so he didn¡¯t question it as he opened the door and leapt inside.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Pippa,¡± Derek said.


    Milo took the news of Akshi being in the bubble with a twinge of fear. Watched a huge dinosaur chase them with an uncomfortable fascination. He took the news of the grey marks turning into scratches with an almost stoic realization and a determination to fix it.


    Hearing his ex-girlfriend¡¯s name, Milo¡¯s face grew in horror, his eyes shifting around, his breathing hitching. ¡°Here?¡±


    ¡°Here.¡± Derek started up the car and peeled out of the parking lot.


    ¡°Shit.¡± Milo covered his face. ¡°Oh, shit.¡±


    Once they were moving, Derek pulled out his phone. ¡°Call Tyler, stick him on speaker. We need to know what exactly Pippa is.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a damn succubus,¡± Milo said under his breath. He found Tyler¡¯s contact and called him. It rang for a bit before going to voice mail. ¡°There are some words that popped up saying he¡¯s at work. His next break is in a half hour.¡±


    ¡°Tell him Pippa has used charm person on Emma, and it looks like it¡¯s been that way for a while,¡± Derek said.


    Milo nodded, texting. It wasn¡¯t nearly as fast as if Derek did it, but Milo was learning.


    Derek tried to relax as the school receded into the distance. He wanted to get used to the idea that the gray marks littering his body were actually stab wounds in stasis, and could appear if ever he got hurt by a mythical creature. He was completely blindsided that Milo¡¯s ex-girlfriend was here.


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s calling.¡± Milo pressed a few buttons.


    ¡°Derek?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Hey! Milo¡¯s here too. We¡¯re on our way home from play practice.¡± Derek tried to pretend like everything was fine, even though it wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Pippa? As in Pippa Calypso?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Who else could it possibly be?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Okay, okay, it¡¯s just¡­ so Pippa¡¯s charming Emma?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But my big question is, why did you have Pippa in Torraq¡¯s lair?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. I swear I didn¡¯t. But five hundred miles is a lot of ground to cover. She must have been somewhere near.¡±


    ¡°It never touched the fae forest. I¡¯ve triple checked, just to sleep at night. Anyone from the fae forest would have been impossible to kill. Pippa shouldn¡¯t be here,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Is Pippa a succubus?¡± Milo asked.


    Tyler gave a long sigh on the other side of the phone. ¡°Yes. She¡¯s part succubus.¡±


    Milo¡¯s fingers tightened over the phone, his face turning angry. ¡°I knew it. I knew it. That woman is a demon succubus!¡±


    ¡°Part succubus,¡± Tyler corrected.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s be honest, Tyler. The other half of her being fae doesn¡¯t help much either,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°We need to leave. We need to pack and get out of here,¡± Milo said, turning to Derek.


    Tyler scoffed. ¡°Seriously, Milo? We escaped T-Rex¡¯s big brother, who was a level twenty-two creature last week. You want to face that threat instead of your ex?¡±


    Milo stared at Derek, his face as serious as ever. ¡°I can get packed in ten minutes.¡±


    Derek sighed, grabbing the phone from Milo. ¡°Tyler, she¡¯s charming Emma. Like how Akshi is charming Mr. Stower. How worried should I be about this?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Tyler?¡± Derek asked again.


    ¡°Okay, look. I homebrewed her, since there isn¡¯t exactly a half-succubus, half-fae creature. People online figured the fae part would cancel out the infernal, and I called bullshit on the whole thing, because fae are tricksters of the devious sort, so of course they could be part infernal¡ª¡±


    Tyler was rambling. Hard. It caused Derek¡¯s heart to pound. ¡°Dude, what did you do?¡±


    ¡°Some people figured that a fae-succubus combo would be too overpowered¡ª¡±


    ¡°Tyler?¡±


    ¡°But I tried it anyway. And¡­¡± Tyler groaned. ¡°They¡¯re right.¡±


    Derek let out a breath. ¡°Okay, so what does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It means I had her at a challenge level of three when you all first met her in our campaign. But if you noticed when she first battled alongside you, she was far stronger than she let on. I had to hide some of her abilities, but it worked out story wise, because she was still pretending to be something she wasn¡¯t. But now with the whole breakup and everything, she won¡¯t hold back. That woman has draining kiss, stunning glance, and has spells that should really be fourth level. All that together, she should be challenge level six. Whatever you do, don¡¯t engage with her.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not. I¡¯m absolutely not going to get engaged to her. I never want to marry that woman,¡± Milo said as Derek pulled into the driveway.


    ¡°No, dude, wrong engage,¡± Derek said.


    Milo didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he stumbled out of the car, sprinting for the house. Derek sighed, rubbing his forehead.


    ¡°She was kicked out of the fae forest for her succubus heritage. She wasn¡¯t in the fae forest when Milo blew up everything.¡±


    Derek turned the call off speaker phone and placed it against his ear as he got out. ¡°So she was in Torraq¡¯s lair?¡±


    ¡°No. Five hundred miles near it,¡± Tyler said. ¡°Which¡­¡±


    Derek didn¡¯t like how he was trailing off so much. ¡°Dude, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I need to do some research about how far the blast reached, and I need to cross reference it with some of my notes. I¡¯ll get back to you,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Is there something we should know?¡± Derek asked.


    Tyler let out a sigh. ¡°Princess Clarissa¡¯s brother might be here, too. And if he is, so are his captors. It was supposed to be a short campaign after we finished Torraq¡¯s lair. If my notes play out in real life, Prince Sylvar might be in trouble. And there¡¯s another MED that no one has faced before, and¡­ he¡¯s bad.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°You guys focus on this Pippa situation. Make sure Milo doesn¡¯t run out of the bubble.¡±


    ¡°Just to be certain, even though she¡¯s part fae, Pippa can be killed, right?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Yes. If you can keep her in one place before she escapes.¡±


    At least she was mortal.


    If a horrible part succubus part fae wasn¡¯t terrorizing her, Derek wouldn¡¯t bother asking about Emma, but he needed to. ¡°What about Emma? Is this¡­ hurting her?¡±


    In the silence, Derek could almost imagine his friend running his hand down the side of his face. ¡°We¡¯ve got to stop this charm, because it¡¯s causing the two worlds to interact. I¡­ don¡¯t know if it¡¯s hurting Emma.¡±


    He walked into his house, giving his mother a quick kiss on the cheek before heading into his room. ¡°How do we stop it? We¡¯ve been trying to stop Mr. Stower¡¯s for ages, and it isn¡¯t working.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll think of something,¡± Tyler said.


    Tyler didn¡¯t sound nearly as convinced as Derek wanted him to be. Derek watched as Milo stuffed his things into his void bag.  ¡°I¡¯ll see you later, Tyler.¡± He hung up, then pointed his phone at Milo. ¡°We¡¯re not leaving.¡±


    Milo¡¯s hands trembled. ¡°I cannot see that woman again. She is a seductress, a temptress, and I cannot trust myself around her. Every time I think I have self-control, I¡¯m back in her arms and she makes a fool out of me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good god, man, show some backbone,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Her charisma is off the charts!¡± Milo said, which caused Derek to make a mental note about asking Tyler what her charisma actually was. ¡°Every time I think I¡¯m strong enough to break her spell, I am lured back in. I am a weakness to the group.¡±


    Derek walked over. ¡°You are not a weakness. We need you to figure out about these.¡± He lifted his shirt to show many gray marks on his skin. ¡°This is a setback, nothing more.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t go to the lab tomorrow,¡± Milo said.


    Derek sighed. ¡°That¡¯s probably a smart idea. For now. I don¡¯t think you should, either. Not until we know for sure what her plans are.¡± Milo looked distracted, so Derek tried to change the subject. ¡°Hey, while you¡¯re here, you and the others can start watching heist movies so you can be prepared for stealing something from Akshi!¡±


    Milo ignored him, and instead stuffed his fingers in his hair, groaning. ¡°Of all the monsters in the realm, she had to be the one who followed me here.¡±

 Chapter 121

    Nick barely sat down for lunch when Derek popped out of nowhere and sat down next to him. Nick jumped. ¡°Dude, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming you heard?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°I did.¡± Nick picked up his teriyaki rice bowl. ¡°Tyler called Evelyn last night and told her everything.¡±


    ¡°Have you seen Emma or Pippa anywhere?¡± Derek¡¯s eyes darted around the lunchroom.


    ¡°Emma¡¯s right there, but no red eyes. I have yet to see Pippa,¡± Nick said. Not that he wanted to. Thankfully, Grizzizzik never caught Pippa¡¯s attention. ¡°Also, Evelyn heard about Tyler¡¯s plans for Prince Sylvar. She tried telling Princess Clarissa about him, but she couldn¡¯t hear Evelyn. Some enchantment must keep the characters from knowing spoilers.¡±


    ¡°M¡¯kay. Milo¡¯s got everyone at my house watching the Mission Impossible movies, so that¡¯s¡­ good. My guy shouldn¡¯t be alone right now.¡± Derek had his hands in his hair, staring at nothing.


    ¡°Derek?¡± Nick prompted.


    He tore his gaze to look at Nick, none of the certainty and excitement he once had. ¡°We can¡¯t have the two worlds mingling. Mr. Stower is an obvious example of that. We¡¯ve got to figure out how to break the charm on Emma.¡±


    ¡°By doing what, exactly?¡± Nick asked.


    Derek stared at him, a growing concern making his face fall into itself. He groaned, standing up. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡±


    Derek walked out of the cafeteria, and Nick watched him leave, taking a bite of his teriyaki bowl. This couldn¡¯t be good.


    ***


    Derek heard his own breathing the moment he entered school on Wednesday. Milo wasn¡¯t with him, which made him realize how familiar his mana fusor was to him the past month. This was dangerous. He hadn¡¯t seen Pippa since Monday¡¯s play practice, but Emma was everywhere. It was like how they were before, when he was avoiding her the entire week they became official. He tried to avoid her now, too. Despite never seeing Pippa since play practice, he was still alert, ready for anything.


    So, when he opened the double doors and noticed Pippa and Akshi on either side, Derek tried to shake out his nerves. He ignored the two of them as they followed him. He of course had a bad feeling Akshi and Pippa were working together, and this confirmed it. Akshi always recruited the worst kind of people.


    Derek pretended not to see them as he went to his locker, returning the textbooks he took home for homework before keeping hold of his AP Biology textbook. It was thick enough for a weapon if needed, though he figured this was a more psychological attack than anything. The door slammed shut, and he walked through Akshi to pretend he didn¡¯t see him.


    He walked through the halls, waving to some of his friends, scrambling to think of a plan. He couldn¡¯t do this for long. It was Wednesday, and Milo had gone catatonic at the thought of running into Pippa. It deterred any progress Derek hoped to make. Milo needed to figure out if they could cure the gray marks. It had been days since Derek did any rolling for a lab experiment. The characters finally watched the Lord of the Rings movies. Ezekiel loved it, though he had questions why some parts of the book were missing. Derek told him to get used to that feeling when watching anything based on a book.


    Milo needed movies for the distraction and also the excuse to stuff his face with all the junk food he could find. As far as Derek could tell, Milo hadn¡¯t used his kitchen once for experiments.


    The two evil beings from the Shrouded Domain followed him, and he tried to keep his face steady. He walked to a larger open area of the school where a ton of kids hung out, then did his best to weave through them before going back the same way, hoping he lost them.


    He walked back through the halls, going at an even pace, keeping up with the stream of students. He checked his phone, figuring there was a good five minutes before the first bell rang. Distracted, he slipped his phone back in his pocket before smacking into another person.


    ¡°Ah, sorry about that, Derek,¡± Mr. Anderson said, pocketing his phone. ¡°Don¡¯t text and walk, apparently.¡±


    Derek glanced up at him, eyes wide. ¡°Hey.¡±


    Mr. Anderson frowned, his eyes bouncing over Derek¡¯s face. ¡°You alright?¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± It sounded more like breath escaping his mouth.


    Mr. Anderson glanced around. With a slight quirking of his eyebrow, he must have seen them. ¡°So that¡¯s what Se?ora Florez meant.¡±


    ¡°Um, what?¡±


    Mr. Anderson said nothing. He simply gestured toward his classroom, and Derek followed. Mr. Anderson closed the door, pulling out his phone again. ¡°It¡¯s Se?ora Florez¡¯s turn to talk to Mr. Stower, but he¡¯s asleep at his desk and she can¡¯t wake him up. I¡¯ll tell her why,¡± he said, texting as fast as he could.


    There was a pull at the door that Derek instinctively braced against. ¡°Mr. Anderson?¡± He didn¡¯t know if he could keep leaning against the door.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    With a huge push, Derek found he couldn¡¯t hold them back. He stumbled a bit as Mr. Anderson sent his text. Derek forced himself into acting mode and pulled out his textbook.


    ¡°So, the test next week?¡± Derek walked to the table like this was all planned.


    ¡°Right. I¡¯ll show you what chapters it covers,¡± Mr. Anderson said, following him.


    ¡°What an absolutely delicious man,¡± Pippa said, approaching Mr. Anderson.


    Derek glanced at his teacher, whose eyes hardened ever so slightly. ¡°Chapters eight and nine would be good to review.¡±


    ¡°Desperate, too,¡± Akshi said.


    Goosebumps appeared on Derek¡¯s arm. He hadn¡¯t heard Akshi talk much since he came here, and his voice sounded like he was coiled for an attack.


    ¡°Ten and eleven would be great.¡± Mr. Anderson tried and failed to keep up the act. As far as Derek knew, they hadn¡¯t reached chapter eleven.


    ¡°What¡¯s this one¡¯s back story?¡± Pippa approached Mr. Anderson. ¡°Let me guess, divorced?¡±


    ¡°His wife is the one that divorced him,¡± Akshi said.


    Derek winced as every muscle in Mr. Anderson¡¯s body tightened. Pippa laughed. ¡°Oh, those are the beautifully desperate sort.¡±


    Akshi slithered to the table, gesturing at Mr. Anderson¡¯s face. ¡°And he can hear us. Both of them can. They¡¯re keeping up this charade like that will protect them somehow.¡±


    Derek cleared his throat. ¡°Any essay questions?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The AP test will have them, so you¡¯ll need to practice.¡± Mr. Anderson flipped random pages of Derek¡¯s textbook. It was a common phrase Mr. Anderson said, but it felt mechanical now.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the other teenagers talk about him. Pushes people away. Aloof. Mysterious,¡± Pippa said.


    ¡°He¡¯s a private person, but it wasn¡¯t hard to track down his life story,¡± Akshi said.


    Mr. Anderson moved his head until something popped in his neck. Derek scrambled to think of something. Akshi leaned over, closer to Mr. Anderson, his snake eyes brightening. ¡°His wife couldn¡¯t handle how unmotivated he was in life. Worked his job, day in, day out. She needed more excitement, more adventure. She needed, in a word, not Richard Anderson.¡±


    Mr. Anderson glared at the textbook. Derek forgot everything he was going to say. His teacher had always been a private individual. Derek got the feeling that him overhearing this was far more distressing to his teacher than anything Akshi could threaten.


    ¡°Yes, Richard. Your wife really lies about you to your son and daughter. It¡¯s what my reports say. Turns them against you. It doesn¡¯t take much for her to think of things to tell them. Just¡ª¡± Akshi stopped, because Mr. Anderson moved his glare from the textbook right to Akshi¡¯s eyes. A smirk crossed the crime lord¡¯s face. ¡°I knew it. I knew you could see me.¡±


    Mr. Anderson kept his glare. ¡°Leave my classroom.¡±


    Akshi laughed. ¡°And what if we don¡¯t? What can you honestly say to anyone to get us to leave? No one else can see us.¡±


    Mr. Anderson gripped the edge of the table. Derek felt Milo¡¯s character sheet coming into focus, but he forced it away. There was no way he¡¯d teleport Milo here. He¡¯d get killed. Or paralyzed with fear, then killed.


    ¡°It¡¯s for your own safety.¡± It was just unhinged enough that Derek almost believed Mr. Anderson. Akshi and Pippa clearly didn¡¯t. Pippa laughed as Akshi gave him a humorous look.


    ¡°Do you even know who I am?¡± Akshi asked.


    ¡°I know enough that when someone says that phrase, they¡¯re insecure about something,¡± Mr. Anderson said.


    Derek¡¯s eyebrows rose, not sure Mr. Anderson realized Akshi was¡ª


    ¡°I am the crime lord of Osvoroth,¡± Akshi said, as though annoyed Mr. Anderson didn¡¯t bother to look that up. ¡°Everyone knows this. I do not hide my face, because I own that city.¡±


    ¡°Make sure to file your taxes correctly,¡± Mr. Anderson said in a dry tone. Akshi frowned, confused. ¡°You¡¯re a far cry from Osvoroth. You¡¯re here at Elmwood High. It is a completely different animal all together. You may have figured out how to build a crime empire, but you don¡¯t know how to interact with teenagers.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to interact with them. I secretly invite chaos and then make sure I openly give them the answer,¡± Akshi said. ¡°In groups of youth like this, it¡¯s easy. After all, your wife does an excellent job of doing that with your own children. It¡¯s probably why you¡¯ve never seen either of them since the divorce.¡±


    Mr. Anderson¡¯s glare never wavered, and Derek didn¡¯t dare do anything else but stare at his teacher. ¡°You still can¡¯t touch this world. And before you ever can, I will shove you into a portal to return to yours,¡± Mr. Anderson said.


    Akshi folded his arms, chuckling. ¡°Earth isn¡¯t equipped with enough mana for such a thing. Not to my knowledge, anyway.¡±


    Mr. Anderson snorted. ¡°Necessity is the mother of invention. You don¡¯t know how far I¡¯ll go to cut assholes out of my life.¡±


    Akshi about said something, but stopped, his head turning slightly. Derek wasn¡¯t sure what was happening, but something distracted the crime lord. Akshi looked again at Mr. Anderson. ¡°This isn¡¯t over.¡± The snake slithered away toward the door. Pippa stayed, placing a sharp fingernail under Mr. Anderson¡¯s chin.


    ¡°What¡¯s your type? Blonde? Vivacious?¡± Pippa asked.


    Mr. Anderson straightened, moving his head away from her fingernail. ¡°Not you.¡±


    Pippa¡¯s eyes narrowed, then she turned around, following Akshi out of the room. Only then did Derek realize his jaw had fallen open. How long it had been that way, he wasn¡¯t sure. Mr. Anderson shut Derek¡¯s textbook and handed it back.


    ¡°Mr. Anderson?¡± Derek finally got his jaw to work again. His teacher said nothing as he moved around the table to get ready for class. Derek did little else but stare. ¡°You''re badass.¡±


    Mr. Anderson finally glanced at Derek, almost bored. ¡°Badass?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    Mr. Anderson grunted as the bell rang. He grabbed a few of his notes, shuffling them. ¡°Then I clearly conjure enough respect in you so I don¡¯t have to threaten anything to make sure you keep what Akshi said about my family to yourself?¡±


    Derek¡¯s eyes widen a little. ¡°Of¡­ course. Of course I won¡¯t say¡­¡± Derek cleared his throat. ¡°I won¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Students started trickling in. He gave Derek a look. ¡°Because I hate being around people I don¡¯t like. A very close second is being around people who pity me.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Derek froze as Mr. Anderson gave Derek a stare, not smiling, before looking back at his notes. ¡°I don¡¯t know if anyone warned you but Pippa, the lady? She¡¯s part succubus.¡±


    Mr. Anderson¡¯s gaze shot up from his notes. The bored expression turned to disbelief. ¡°Of course she is.¡±


    Derek gave him two thumbs up because he didn¡¯t know what else to do since students started trickling in. He backed away, keeping his thumbs up. ¡°Thanks, Mr. A. I¡­ totally don¡¯t pity you at all.¡± Which came out so bad. Why did he even say that?


    Mr. Anderson grunted again as Derek returned to his desk. He sighed, placing his hands in his hair as he stared at his desk. He had no idea how Akshi figured out about Mr. Anderson. Clearly, he had his ways. Mr. Anderson didn¡¯t deny any of it. Derek glanced up to observe his teacher. Mr. Anderson shuffled his notes before standing up, beginning to write something on the board. His science teacher was bound and determined to stay his quiet, anti-social self, but he already proved he could go up against Akshi.


    Unconventional, but still badass.

 Chapter 122

    It was early evening, and Evelyn was braiding Moonsparkle¡¯s hair. Her ten-year-old self would be freaking out. Her almost sixteen-year-old self was still freaking out. It was a tradition now. Go to therapy in the evening, go for a quick run to find Clarissa and Moonsparkle, then have another chat with them.


    ¡°Moonsparkle won¡¯t let me talk about her with the others, will she?¡± Evelyn took the golden mane in her hand reverently and started another braid.


    ¡°No. She likes her privacy. Especially from men,¡± Clarissa said. Moonsparkle turned her head, seeing the cut on Evelyn¡¯s leg before resting her mane on it.


    ¡°Does¡­ she know she can¡¯t heal my leg? We can¡¯t have the two worlds mixing,¡± Evelyn said.


    Clarissa glanced up from brushing Moonsparkle. The unicorn blew out some air, and Clarissa smiled, shaking her head. ¡°She says ¡®too late.¡¯¡±


    Evelyn frowned, then pulled out her leg, seeing it perfectly healed. She winced. ¡°Well, at least it wasn¡¯t too deep.¡±


    Clarissa smiled, then went back to brushing Moonsparkle with a body brush she made herself. Evelyn went back to braiding. ¡°Do you¡­¡± Evelyn started before the idea formed in her mind. Getting it into words was hard. Evelyn sighed in defeat, focusing on Moonsparkle¡¯s mane.


    ¡°What is it, Evelyn?¡± Clarissa asked.


    She shook her head. ¡°Am I¡­ broken? Because I don¡¯t¡­¡± Clarissa raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to date anyone right now?¡±


    Clarissa seemed to take this in. ¡°Do you want to date anyone?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­¡± Evelyn shrugged. ¡°It¡¯d be nice. But when I think of actually applying the advice, there¡¯s not any guy here I want to date.¡±


    Clarissa kept brushing Moonsparkle¡¯s fur, a slight smile on her face. ¡°You¡¯re asking me this? Someone who¡¯s spent a century in her parents¡¯ home before ever leaving?¡±


    Evelyn smiled, grabbing the three braids she made and braided those. ¡°And yet you¡¯re married now.¡±


    ¡°I am. Because Ezekiel is¡­.¡± She trailed off, though her smile grew.


    ¡°See? That.¡± Evelyn gestured at Clarissa¡¯s smile. ¡°That concept, where you¡¯re ridiculously happy with a guy? I wouldn¡¯t mind that. I¡¯d love that, actually.¡± Her gaze went back to her triple braid. ¡°But I¡­ don¡¯t know if it could happen to me.¡±


    Clarissa kept her smile. ¡°You are not yet sixteen years old. And in a high school full of teenagers simply figuring themselves out as they go through crazy changes in their lives.¡±


    ¡°But shouldn¡¯t I at least give men a chance? Isn¡¯t the normal thing to experiment? Isn¡¯t it weird that I¡¯ve¡­ never had a boyfriend?¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t know why she was saying this. Part of her knew, deep down, this was her insecurities talking. ¡°It¡¯s like¡­¡± The finished braid dropped from her hand before she took her own hair out of its ponytail. ¡°I see everyone else pairing up. Rafael and Hazel. Nick and Alejandra for a bit. Tyler going on dates. Even Derek and Emma, though that was rather¡­ odd.¡± Moonsparkle snorted. Evelyn let herself smile. ¡°I see it all, and I¡¯m¡­ content. Content not to do it. Even though I wouldn¡¯t mind if it happened, but¡­¡± Evelyn sighed. ¡°But there¡¯s all this pressure, almost. To go on dates. To have a boyfriend or girlfriend. And¡­ I want it, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Evelyn,¡± Clarissa said. She glanced at her druid princess, who was listening with a smile on her face. ¡°You strike me as someone who knows what she wants in a relationship.¡±


    Evelyn bit her lip as her fingers traced through the golden mane. ¡°Do I? Or am I just¡­ broken? Because of what happened?¡±


    Clarissa shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re not broken.¡± It surprised her how certain her druid sounded.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t I?¡± There was warmth settling in her eyes. The kind she knew would turn into tears.


    Clarissa shook her head again. ¡°No. You placed standards in what you want, and at the moment, no one is meeting them. You keep showing grace to those around you, but will not settle for those who don¡¯t meet them. You have too much respect for yourself and the other person to know it¡¯s better to be single. Single, rather than miserable in a relationship neither one of you wants.¡± Clarissa glanced up at her. ¡°Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Evelyn had both eyebrows raised. ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re totally right.¡±


    Clarissa nodded. ¡°What I just described is not someone who¡¯s broken. I described¡­ me.¡±


    Evelyn smiled. ¡°A princess.¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± Clarissa¡¯s fingers brushed over her tiara. Moonsparkle nickered, nudging Evelyn with her nose. She smiled, placing her arms around the unicorn, resting her head against her neck.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°So, what qualities are you looking for? What standard have you created?¡± Clarissa asked.


    Evelyn sighed, going with the basics that always felt right. ¡°Someone kind. Mature. Loves kids and animals. Will treat me with respect and love. Wouldn¡¯t mind him looking hot.¡±


    ¡°Man, then?¡± Clarissa asked.


    ¡°Yeah, man.¡± Evelyn ran a hand through her hair. ¡°I¡¯ve never had a stronger recognition of my straightness than when Ezekiel walked into the kitchen shirtless.¡±


    Clarissa laughed, returning to brushing Moonsparkle. ¡°Ezekiel is¡­¡± Her smile twitched in a more devious way before her eyes closed.


    ¡°He meets your standards?¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Clarissa let out her breath. ¡°Often surpasses them.¡±


    Evelyn couldn¡¯t help it and laughed. Something in her changed. It was like she had bricked off something inside her. Keeping thoughts and insecurities trapped inside. She thought she was broken. That something was wrong with her. But as she laughed at the rare times Clarissa had a blushing face, that laughter broke down the wall in her mind. The insecurities of feeling like she was incomplete, that something was wrong with her, flew away into the night and didn¡¯t come back.


    ***


    Alejandra was half asleep when she heard something. Then heard it again. When the dregs of sleep dissolved enough, she realized it was her phone. She yawned, then reached for it, unplugging it. She placed her glasses on her nose and saw it was from Hazel.


    ¡°Morning?¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Alejandra?¡± Distinct panic in Hazel¡¯s voice made the rest of the sleepiness disappear.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡± Alejandra asked, her voice still exhausted, even though she tried to wake up the rest of the way.


    ¡°I¡¯ve crashed!¡± she said, sounding panicked. ¡°There¡¯s some sort of creature on top of my car, trying to get in. Someone¡¯s going to call the police to help, but I¡­ I don¡¯t want to get out of the car! I¡¯ve tried calling Rafael, but he isn¡¯t answering! He¡¯s usually working out, and he doesn¡¯t have his phone with him.¡±


    Alejandra threw the covers off her bed. She understood, on a personal level, the desire to stay in a car when a creature is escaping. ¡°Do you have any idea what kind of creature?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t. Its skin is grey. At first, I thought it was a zombie, but it¡¯s way too fast for one. Unless CCNC has fast zombies.¡±


    ¡°No, they don¡¯t. Keep trying Rafael. Maybe he¡¯ll hear it. Is there just one creature? Is your AC working?¡±


    ¡°Yes, just one. And yes, my air is still running.¡±


    ¡°Good. Don¡¯t get out of the car. Lock yourself in if you have to. Text me and Rafael where you are. I¡¯ll make sure the others know. We¡¯ll get there as fast as we can.¡± They said their quick goodbyes before she started texting the group chat, making sure it was the one without Nick in it.


    Hazel¡¯s in trouble. Some creature is trying to attack her. More information soon. She can¡¯t contact Rafael. Everyone blow up his phone.


    Alejandra sent that, then threw on some clothes. This was such an odd start to a Friday, but Hazel was in trouble. And if the mythical creatures of the Shrouded Domain were interacting with the real world, Hazel needed to stay in the car. She didn¡¯t have a half-orc fighter to protect her.


    ***


    Nick woke up with a sense of drudgery, yet antsy. He felt like he was going insane, knowing so many things were happening with Derek and Milo, and yet feeling helpless. He grabbed his bowl of cereal, not even bothering to sit down to eat it. Walt was out of the door without a suggestion about how Nick could be better, so the day started out nice.


    Evelyn walked out of the bathroom, shoving her phone into Nick¡¯s hand. Nick placed his bowl to one side before looking at the messages as she finished her final¡­ whatever thing she sprayed on her face. He made sure she wasn¡¯t anywhere near his cereal bowl before reading the messages. Nick frowned, his stomach dropping the more he read. Some sort of creature, trying to attack Hazel. Police were coming. Police here. Hazel locking every door and ignoring the police. No one could get a hold of Rafael.


    The last bit was two pictures, one of the street signs where Hazel was, not too far from the school. The other was the creature trying to break into her car with the police oblivious to the grey creature beside them.


    That¡¯s a low-level ghoul, Derek texted.


    Tyler and Derek took turns giving information about the ghoul, how it was like a zombie, but quicker, more intelligent. Capable of paralyzing creatures.


    I¡¯m going after her. It was from Alejandra, the last text in the group, and Nick¡¯s stomach dropped.


    ¡°Like hell she is.¡± Nick pushed the phone back to Evelyn.


    ¡°Nick?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re practically ready to go, right?¡± Nick asked.


    Evelyn glanced at her phone, frowning. ¡°We¡¯re nowhere near South Gentry Street. Alejandra really is closer. Especially for such a low-level creature.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Nick opened the back door. ¡°Grizzizzik, we¡ª¡±


    Nick stopped short, taking in the sight of Grizzizzik. His rogue was sitting in a chair, reading. But not just any book. It was the player¡¯s handbook for Choice, Chance, and Consequence. Nick¡¯s eyebrows shot up in surprise as Grizzizzik shut the book, meeting his gaze, daring him to comment on it.


    Nick dared. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Reading.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Nick trailed off, raising a finger. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Again, Grizzizzik remained silent, waiting for Nick to be done. If this wasn¡¯t such a dire case, he would have remained on this. Instead, he pointed at Grizzizzik. ¡°Be ready for anything. There¡¯s a ghoul trying to attack an innocent girl right now, and I might need to portal you.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Grizzizzik said as though Nick commented about the weather. Nick waited for him to say anything else, but he kept that book in his hand, waiting. Nick furrowed his brow, then backed away, closing the door. Grizzizzik returned to the book, and Nick wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about this.


    ¡°Oh, hey Ezekiel,¡± Evelyn said, sounding surprised.


    Nick turned to see Ezekiel hiding in a corner. No, not hiding. He had a huge blanket over his entire body with plenty of blanket for the hood. His face was in shadow, and he was curled as small as possible, reading a book. The cleric glanced up, exhausted. ¡°Oh, hello.¡±


    Evelyn and Nick exchanged glances before she took a step forward. ¡°Hey, so you know, if we get in contact with Rafael, you might be teleported to fight a ghoul.¡±


    The bags under Ezekiel¡¯s eyes were heavy, but his smile reminded them of who he always was. ¡°Right. I¡¯ll be ready.¡±


    Once again, Nick and Evelyn exchanged glances. Nick tore his gaze to look at Grizzizzik out the back window, who was reading the player¡¯s handbook. He was stuck in this plane of not sure what he should think about either of these scenarios, but he knew Hazel needed to be saved.

 Chapter 123

    Rafael stepped out of the shower after his swim. There was a good twenty minutes before school started, which was excellent. He hated feeling stressed about arriving late to school.


    His phone went off, and he had to wonder how long that was going on. He thought he turned off all the alarms. At least it was before the pool opened, so no one had to suffer with listening to it in the locker room.


    He shoved his shirt on, noticing that he had a shockingly large amount of missed calls. And a ton of texts. Rafael frowned, checking them, his frown disappearing into horror.


    ¡°Shit.¡± He grabbed the rest of his stuff and ran. He didn¡¯t even check to see if he had everything. All he really needed was his bike and helmet.


    Calling Hazel now. He texted that to the group messages, so they¡¯d stop calling him. Everything else he stuffed into his backpack before climbing on his bike. He placed Hazel on speakerphone before putting the phone in the bike basket.


    ¡°Rafael?¡± Hazel asked. There was a panic in her voice Rafael yearned to calm.


    ¡°I¡¯m on my bike, but I¡¯m coming. South Gentry Street?¡±


    ¡°The police are here, trying to get me out of the car.¡±


    ¡°Do not get out of the car!¡± he shouted, wishing he had his own car. The sweat collecting on his back reminded him of his own cuts from the mythical world touching the real one.


    ¡°The ghoul is going crazy.¡± Hazel sounded terrified.


    Rafael pedaled as fast as he could, the houses whizzing by. ¡°I¡¯ll get there. Don¡¯t leave the car.¡±


    He flew past the school, past the streets. A ghoul was after his girlfriend, and there was no way he would let that creature bite her.


    Hazel¡¯s car appeared into view, and he winced. The front was smashed against a tree, and the ghoul tried to split open the already cracked windshield. Rafael skidded to a stop, seeing a police car nearby.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± the policeman asked.


    ¡°Rafael Walker. Hazel¡¯s my girlfriend,¡± he said, out of breath.


    The ghoul spun around, staring right at Rafael. There was no wonder Hazel was panicking in the car. He hung up his phone, closed his eyes, and concentrated. Which was difficult, considering the officer kept talking to him.


    Ezekiel collapsed to the ground next to him, and Rafael opened his eyes, seeing the officer staring at Rafael as though expecting an answer to a question he didn¡¯t hear. The officer didn¡¯t acknowledge Ezekiel at all. Right then, time froze.


    Roll for initiative


    Rafael rolled, surprised when it landed on a nat twenty. That¡¯d be good.


    As expected, options for first combat showed up, and he glanced through all his undead protection. He used sacred flame. He rolled the d8, and let out an annoyed breath as it landed on one. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was something.


    Time resumed, and Rafael again stared at the officer as Ezekiel stood up, clutching his medallion as he began a quiet prayer, pointing at the ghoul.


    ¡°Sorry, officer, did you¡­ say something?¡± Rafael asked.


    The ghoul shrieked, backing away from Ezekiel, and therefore, the car Hazel was hiding in. A burst of flames slammed into the ghoul. The creature was too far away to attack and looked more terrified of Ezekiel.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± the officer said. ¡°I¡¯m concerned about¡ª¡±


    Once again, time came to a standstill, and Rafael scanned the options. Would anyone else show up?


    Rafael cast spiritual weapon before opting to use it as a bonus action. He rolled, but the d20 landed on a two. He tried to hold in his groan.


    ¡°¡ªyour girlfriend panicking. Perhaps from some¡ª¡±


    Rafael half listened. The ghoul did its best to shuffle away from Ezekiel as he conjured a bright light that formed into a book. Ezekiel tried throwing it at the ghoul, but it was too nervous that the book didn¡¯t hit. The ghoul tried to swipe at Ezekiel, but the fear was too much, and he missed completely.


    Rafael glanced back at the officer, who stared at him.


    ¡°Sorry, um, what was that?¡± Rafael asked.


    The officer said nothing, because he was frozen in time. This was the worst way to have a conversation. Too many things were going on. He sighed, trying again with spiritual weapon. He rolled an eighteen, finally, and got a six. With a +2, he was happy to get that much damage on the ghoul, before optioning again to use sacred flame.


    No dice showed up, which he assumed meant he wouldn¡¯t get a hit. But at least he got a hit with the book.


    ¡°Your girlfriend might be¡ª¡±


    Rafael glanced again, seeing Ezekiel raise a hand to throw the book at the ghoul, who shrieked as it got smacked on the face. He tried hitting it with sacred flame next, but from sheer luck alone, the ghoul missed it.


    ¡°¡ªcan you call her?¡± the officer said.


    Rafael tore his gaze from the fight, up at the officer, with the nametag Hendricks. The ghoul tried to swipe at Ezekiel, but he backed away, dodging the ghoul¡¯s bite as well.


    Rafael took the scene in. Another officer was trying to pry the doors open, and Hazel was in the back seat, watching Ezekiel with a flicker of hope.


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    Rafael once again used sacred flame and the book. The book didn¡¯t hit, but he got to roll for sacred flame. Five total wasn¡¯t a lot, but the ghoul didn¡¯t look too great.


    A burst of white flames slammed into the ghoul, who shrieked again, and Rafael had to wonder where the others were. His phone was still vibrating like crazy, but no one showed up.


    ¡°So¡­¡± Officer Hendricks trailed off. Rafael again looked at the officer, feeling frustrated with himself. He could not for the life of him figure out how to follow this conversation. Too many time freezes, and too much battling an undead behind the officer for him to have a normal conversation. He would no doubt laugh about this later, but right now he struggled to remember what question the officer asked. ¡°Wait¡­ Rafael Walker?¡± the officer asked.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Time froze again, and Rafael went with the same combination of spiritual weapon and sacred flame. He needed to deal as much damage as possible. Sacred flame was unsuccessful, but the book got a hit. He was pleased when it landed on a seven. That had to be good, even without the bonus.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Officer Hendricks said. Ezekiel raised a hand and brought it down hard, the spine of the book caving in the ghoul¡¯s head. It shrieked before falling over, dead, and he sighed in relief.


    ¡°Rafael Walker.¡± His gaze was torn between Ezekiel and the officer, but once the officer said his name, his gaze remained there. ¡°Didn¡¯t you used to hang out with Nick Larsen years ago?¡±


    Rafael wasn¡¯t sure how to take this statement, but since the ghoul was dead, it was easier to focus on Officer Hendricks. ¡°Um¡­¡± Didn¡¯t make him much better at conversations.


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re the one that isn¡¯t hanging out with him anymore, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡­guess so? Wait, how do you know Nick?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Everyone on the force knows Nick. Need to monitor that troublemaker.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ no. Nick¡¯s fine. He doesn¡¯t do that stuff anymore,¡± Rafael said.


    Officer Hendricks grunted, but said nothing. Hazel opened the door, stumbling out. The officer trying to pry the door opened glanced up, shocked. Rafael used the valid distraction to break away from the conversation and run to her. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    She nodded, saying nothing more than that. Rafael wrapped his arms around her, feeling her shuddering against him. He kept a hold of her. ¡°It¡¯s gone. It¡¯s dead.¡± He kissed the top of her head.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to check for injuries, to be certain,¡± the other police officer said, straightening.


    Rafael nodded, releasing Hazel and letting them go through the checks. Rafael rubbed his forehead as two hundred experience points tumbled into Ezekiel¡¯s XP bar, bringing it to 2,360 points. That felt nice.


    He pulled out his phone, scrolling through all the texts he missed. Once he assured them he got their messages, he forgot the rest of his friends entirely. Alejandra was talking about helping, ready to go, when Tyler told her to wait.


    What? Why? Was Alejandra¡¯s text.


    Think about it.


    Ezekiel¡¯s a cleric.


    Ghouls are undead.


    He¡¯ll wipe the floor with that creature, and he needs the XP.


    Ezekiel¡¯s got this.


    Rafael glanced at Ezekiel. He tried to think of the cleric as wiping the floor with the ghoul. It sort of happened. Ezekiel still standing with full health had to mean something.


    Rafael skimmed the rest of the texts, mostly ones of concern from Evelyn that Ezekiel wasn¡¯t in great shape, huddling in a corner reading a book. Tyler asked about everyone¡¯s XP, and he saw a variety of numbers. Princess Clarissa had 2,455. Milo had 2,620 points. Grizzizzik had 2,465, and Hraktar had 2,560. Rafael was surprised to see Milo with the most experience points. They all needed 2,700 points to reach level four, which Milo was eighty points away from.


    If we can all get to level four before next week, that¡¯d be awesome. Was Tyler¡¯s latest reply.


    Rafael texted quickly. 2,360 points for Ezekiel after taking care of the ghoul. How did Milo get so many? I thought Hraktar had more.


    A few of them started to text as an ambulance pulled in to check Hazel. Rafael was worried about a possible concussion, but at least the ghoul was gone.


    Milo¡¯s been getting experience points for creating mana. It¡¯s been nice. That was from Derek.


    Really glad Ezekiel survived that. It was from Evelyn.


    That ghoul isn¡¯t the only one on the list. There should be two more. Keep an eye out. Tyler texted.


    Rafael glanced around again, not seeing any more ghouls, though he saw Ezekiel on the ground, resting against the shade the car gave. He finally noticed what Evelyn was worried about. His cleric, at full hit points, had bags under his eyes and a far off look.


    Alejandra pulled up behind them, the tension leaving her body. The two police officers were talking to Hazel as an ambulance worker checked her eyes. Rafael wanted to talk to Ezekiel. The cleric stared off into the distance, like he was recovering from something even though he never got hit.


    ¡°Do we have time to take him home?¡± Rafael asked as Alejandra ran to him.


    ¡°Hello to you, too,¡± Alejandra said.


    He gave a sheepish grin. ¡°Hi.¡±


    She looked at Ezekiel, still resting against the side of Hazel¡¯s car, holding his medallion as he took steady breaths. ¡°Is he okay?¡±


    Rafael wasn¡¯t sure how to answer. He walked over to Ezekiel, holding out his hand. He wasn¡¯t sure what the others saw with this, but they were busy making sure Hazel wasn¡¯t injured. Ezekiel glanced up, seeing Rafael. He then took his hand to help himself up. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Once this lycanthropy gets out of me.¡±


    Rafael nodded, keeping the usual fears from hitting him. All they had was a tooth of a tiger and a solid brick of silver that they had no way to pound into bits. The real test would be next Thursday, when they tried to steal something of Akshi¡¯s. ¡°It¡¯ll get out.¡±


    Rafael did not believe himself in the slightest, and Ezekiel didn¡¯t catch it. He was too busy steadying his breathing.


    ¡°Speaking of which, if I can glimpse Akshi from a distance, I could deduce what I need from him,¡± Ezekiel said.


    ¡°That sounds like a great thing to do,¡± Alejandra said, glancing at Rafael.


    Rafael studied his exhausted cleric. ¡°You just fought a ghoul all by yourself. Give yourself the morning to rest from that. I agree it would be easier to know beforehand what we need to steal.¡±


    Ezekiel nodded. ¡°I like that plan.¡±


    Alejandra and Ezekiel talked to each other quietly as Rafael walked over to Hazel. He kept an eye on any open spaces, to make sure there wasn¡¯t another ghoul hanging around, but for the most part, he didn¡¯t see one. Tyler¡¯s warning was clear, though. There were two other ghouls out there. The two policemen were talking by their car.


    Hazel smiled as she reached out and took his hand. Rafael took it, but also placed a hand around her shoulder. Hazel looked up at him, smiling. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. You go to school.¡±


    Rafael gave her an incredulous look. ¡°No.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Yes. Really. At this point, it¡¯s nothing but paperwork and insurance. My mom¡¯s on her way with everything, and you don¡¯t need to stay.¡±


    Rafael did not believe her, and it must have played on his face. ¡°There might be other ghouls out there,¡± he whispered.


    She just smiled, then kissed him. ¡°Keep your phone on you this time. I¡¯ll let you know if anything more comes up.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your bravery,¡± Rafael said, the memory of her trembling all too recent. ¡°But I¡¯m going to stay.¡± He again glanced around where they were. ¡°I can¡¯t leave you alone right now.¡±


    Hazel squeezed his hand. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll talk to my sister then be back.¡± He gave her a final kiss before walking over to Alejandra. He dropped his voice. ¡°Take him home. Make sure Hraktar is near him. He needs to be surrounded by friends right now. Can you do that and get back to school in time?¡± Rafael glanced at the clock on his phone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Alejandra said.


    He felt slightly better about his sister¡¯s assurance than his girlfriend¡¯s. Mostly because his sister could teleport a huge half-orc in her time of need. He nodded, even if he didn¡¯t feel it.


    ¡°Fine. I hate all of this, but fine.¡±


    Alejandra smiled, patting Rafael¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Thanks for believing in us.¡±


    Rafael shook his head before returning to Hazel. She took his hand, and Rafael grabbed it, feeling like he was holding a lifeline. There was a chance Hazel could get hurt, and it was a chance Rafael was not willing to take.

 Chapter 124

    Derek tapped on his desk, nervously fidgeting as he tried not to look at Emma in drama. It was the last hour of the day before they had to run the play again. Derek saw Pippa plenty of times throughout the week, but he¡¯d never seen Emma¡¯s eyes glow red like they had at the beginning of the week. The whole situation made him uneasy. They specifically planned for him to see her eyes. This was the slow set up Akshi always planned before bringing down psychological turmoil.


    The drama classroom was behind the stage. The back door of the classroom opened, and Derek glanced behind him, freezing his emotions as Mr. Stower walked in with Akshi trailing behind. It affirmed to him again how odd this was. Pippa was free to walk through the school, yet Akshi seemed tethered to Mr. Stower. And also, what the hell was Mr. Stower doing here in drama?


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Jensen. A word, if I may?¡± Mr. Stower asked.


    They had split into groups, going through different one-acts, trying to settle on one to perform. Derek wasn¡¯t paying attention at all, and instead stared at Mr. Jensen, who looked as confused at this personal conversation. ¡°Sure. In my office?¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    The conversation was short, yet enough for sweat to form on Derek¡¯s hairline. Hazel and Rafael had come to school late. They were fine, so that had to be a good thing, but he wasn¡¯t sure what this was. He had a bad feeling about it all.


    Mr. Stower and Akshi soon left Mr. Jensen¡¯s small office. Derek shouldn¡¯t have stared, but considering a few other students were, he found it odd if he didn¡¯t. He then saw Mr. Jensen leaning against the wall, motioning him over.


    Derek wasn¡¯t ready for this. He walked past some kids, specifically Emma, who gave him strange looks as he met Mr. Jensen. Perhaps it should have surprised him that Emma didn¡¯t know the plan, but maybe it eased the stress off him. Emma wasn¡¯t in that deep with Akshi. That had to be a good thing. Right?


    ¡°Mr. Stower wants to see you after school. I don¡¯t know why he wanted to give me a message, then to have me give it to you. He assures me it won¡¯t be long, just a few minutes, then you can come back and we¡¯ll start play practice. We¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    Derek nodded. ¡°Yeah. Okay.¡±


    This was ominous, and his mind spiraled, thinking of the worst possible things this could mean. He took his sweet time returning to his desk, and thought of a million horrible things that could happen between now and the end of school. His mind remained on the ghoul attack. Did Pippa control the undead? Did being part succubus grant her that? Was she somehow the leader?


    His mind lingered on Milo, still a couch potato, eating through his food, crying. Derek needed to figure out how to inspire Milo to start researching again, maybe using the kitchen for now.


    Going back to a kitchen after experiencing a lab would not bring the successes they needed. The longer Milo wasn¡¯t in a lab, the longer the grey marks stayed on their skin. Specifically, a few on his own body near his gut and heart. Let alone the obvious mark across Tyler¡¯s throat. Milo needed his lab back. They needed Pippa out of the school.


    Why was he thinking about this?


    Right. Mr. Stower wanted to visit with him. The vice principal who was being charmed by the crime lord of Osvoroth.


    Derek shoved his hands in his hair. The last ten minutes of class fell into that hellish occasion of going ridiculously fast, and molasses slow at the same time. When the bell finally rang, Derek was ready, even as his steps struggled to follow. The main office wasn¡¯t far from the stage, but his heart pounded so hard he was terrified of a heart attack.


    Derek walked into the office, the door to Mr. Stower¡¯s room propped open.


    ¡°Mr. Stower wanted to see me,¡± Derek said to the secretary, impressed by how steady he kept his voice.


    ¡°Yes, of course. Go on in.¡±


    Derek was slightly relieved to see Se?ora Florez sitting in one of the three seats across from Mr. Stower. Only slightly, because Akshi was there, too, right behind the semi empty chairs. Se?ora Florez and Mr. Stower were talking, almost laughing. It was an odd sight.


    ¡°Ah, yes. Derek. Come in, have a seat.¡± Mr. Stower¡¯s pupils were a sickly green color.


    Derek smiled, sitting next to Se?ora Florez. ¡°Hello, Mr. Stower.¡±


    Mr. Anderson walked in soon after, seeming to take in the line-up before resigning himself to the seat next to Derek, going back to ignoring Akshi.


    ¡°Mr. Anderson, pleasure as always,¡± Mr. Stower said.


    He did nothing more than smile, though everyone could tell this wasn¡¯t genuine. Akshi remained behind the three of them, hardly moving. Gathering information, forming a game.


    ¡°Now, I know Derek has certain obligations after school, so I won¡¯t take much time. I¡¯ll be honest. I¡¯m intrigued about the Choice, Chance, and Consequence after-school club.¡±


    It was odd hearing the name spoken in full, each syllable enunciated. Derek and Se?ora Florez exchanged glances.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ glad,¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    Mr. Anderson folded his arms, placing his left ankle on his right knee as he stared at the door.


    ¡°In fact, I¡¯m so intrigued that, since Mr. Anderson is clearly the second adult leader of the club, I¡¯d like to become a member myself. To join the campaign you¡¯re in,¡± Mr. Stower said.


    There was silence. Silence that lasted so long Derek knew he needed to say something, but he couldn¡¯t figure out what. It was so incredibly odd, having the vice principal of the school requesting to enter a CCNC campaign.


    Mr. Anderson rubbed the bridge of his nose with two hands, closing his eyes, and looking about four seconds away from bolting to the door.


    ¡°That¡¯s certainly¡­ unusual,¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    ¡°I¡¯m fascinated by the game. That¡¯s all.¡± Mr. Stower opened a drawer and pulled out the player¡¯s handbook. Derek stared at it, eyes widening. He¡¯d never seen a player¡¯s handbook look so full of sticky notes covered in tiny scrawl, and he¡¯d seen Tyler¡¯s handbook. Akshi had done his homework, and Derek felt a dread at the thought of anyone being charmed by the crime lord of Osvoroth playing a campaign.


    Which is when he really thought about the implications. If Mr. Stower started playing, if Akshi tried playing, would he set up another portal dimension to bring more creatures to earth? To bring his empire here? It wouldn¡¯t work, right? They themselves happened upon a chance situation. All campaigns weren¡¯t like that.


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    But if the one Akshi played just so happened to be the one that existed¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s¡­ wise. I appreciate your¡ª¡± Derek gestured toward the handbook, ¡°¡ªenthusiasm, but CCNC is one of those games that you¡¯d benefit more from a beginners¡¯ campaign. Since you¡¯ve never done one of these in your life, it might be confusing to jump in as a level five¡­ whatever character you choose. And¡­ we don¡¯t do beginner campaigns in our after-school club.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, I appreciate the consideration.¡± Mr. Stower steepled his fingers. ¡°How¡¯s this? What if I get a few more beginners to join me, and we¡¯ll have two campaigns going?¡±


    Emma. That was who Mr. Stower meant. Not only would Akshi be playing, but Pippa, too. Mr. Stower smiled at Mr. Anderson. ¡°There are, after all, two adult members of the campaign. If Molly is the game master of the one, you could be game master of the beginners.¡±


    Mr. Anderson lowered his hands, his face bracing for impact. ¡°Um¡­¡±


    Derek straightened in his seat. ¡°How many other beginners are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming we shouldn¡¯t have too big of a group,¡± Mr. Stower said.


    ¡°If¡­ we even agree to this at all,¡± Mr. Anderson said. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is a good idea. You are, after all, the vice principal, and this is an after-school club for students.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. I said so at the beginning of the year that I want to be more involved in our schools¡¯ clubs, and there is no better way but to join this campaign. The club is, after all, quite small. We need more numbers.¡± The green in Mr. Stower¡¯s eyes swirled, his voice taking on a far-off quality. ¡°I¡¯d hate to shut it down.¡±


    Derek rubbed his forehead, stumbling into another situation he didn¡¯t want to handle. On the one hand, shutting down CCNC club. But if the only other option was to have Akshi¡¯s puppet play a campaign where he does whatever he wants in a campaign?


    ¡°Perhaps we can do another boost of our numbers.¡± Se?ora Florez turned toward Derek. ¡°I know you have play practice all next week, what with your play opening next Friday. It might be easier to take a week off and build our numbers. I would love to run three different campaigns, a beginner, a mid-level, and advanced.¡±


    ¡°Who would lead all these campaigns?¡± Mr. Stower asked.


    ¡°There are some qualified game masters among the student body. They just need a little more push,¡± Se?ora Florez said. ¡°And, of course, Rick could lead the beginner¡¯s campaign.¡±


    Mr. Anderson glanced at her, a flicker of betrayal in his eyes, then at Mr. Stower, not hiding the unease. ¡°Yeah. Fine.¡±


    Derek glanced again at Mr. Stower, who nodded. ¡°Then we shall work hard on upping CCNC club¡¯s attendance.¡± Mr. Stower smiled, the green deepening in his eyes. ¡°This has been most informative. Let me know when the next session of your club is, and I will happily attend.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t what Derek wanted, but what could they do? If they went to anyone saying Mr. Stower was being charmed by a being from a different planet, they would undoubtably stare at Derek like he was crazy. Or not hear him at all, like how Se?ora Florez acted at the beginning.


    Mr. Anderson stood up, leaving the office. Derek and Se?ora Florez took the hint and followed. Akshi thankfully remained behind.


    ¡°Rick,¡± Se?ora Florez said, noticing Mr. Anderson heading toward his classroom. ¡°We¡¯ve got to think of a plan.¡±


    He sighed, rubbing his forehead. ¡°To do what, exactly?¡±


    She pointed toward the office. ¡°Figure out what he¡¯s planning.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s rather obvious. Pippa has charmed Emma, and Akshi has charmed Mr. Stower. If those two come together on a basic campaign, they¡¯ll try to open another portal to bring more monsters into this realm. Or create some sort of havoc in the Shrouded Domain while they¡¯re away. Like make a campaign to kill the king of Osvoroth or something. I don¡¯t know. But we can¡¯t let them do this,¡± Derek said.


    Se?ora Florez sighed. ¡°No, we can¡¯t.¡± She glanced again at the main office, taking a few steps away.


    Mr. Anderson folded his arms. ¡°I¡¯ll watch Mr. Stower like a hawk. If he role plays anything that makes a student uncomfortable, we are perfectly within our bounds to kick him out of the club. I doubt Akshi has that rule written down. I don¡¯t like him near the students at all, but we could get him out of CCNC club the first session on a technicality.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds like something that might happen quickly. Though I hate the idea of him making students uncomfortable, even once.¡± Se?ora Florez sighed. ¡°It still wouldn¡¯t hurt to lift our numbers. If we can get enough people to attend CCNC club, then we really can make sure Mr. Stower and Emma aren¡¯t in the same campaign.¡± She turned toward Derek. ¡°You go to play practice. This is another one of our responsibilities you shouldn¡¯t worry about.¡±


    Derek groaned as he headed backwards toward the theater room. ¡°Too late. I¡¯m already worried.¡±


    ***


    The bumps and bruises on Rafael¡¯s body didn¡¯t hurt too bad, but he¡¯d certainly feel them tomorrow morning. True, they lost the game, but it was a close call. Perhaps he should have felt disappointed they¡¯d lost, but it was always the adrenaline rush he looked for, and he got it tonight.


    Tomorrow would be busy. He planned on spending the entire day with Hazel. They were planning on doing their homework together before going to Jos¨¦¡¯s for a dinner meeting with everyone. Tyler sent out the text in the group chat. Not just the usual group, but Mr. Anderson and Se?ora Florez would be there, too. Tyler requested Hazel come as well, and Rafael was fine, as he really didn¡¯t want her out of his sight. She was one of the few people right now who could see the mythical creatures, and with no character to protect her, she had every right to know what was going on. Sometimes he wished she couldn¡¯t see them.


    Rafael knew he had to put aside everything that had happened between him and Evelyn. The secret was out, but he could not look at Evelyn without feeling a deep sense of shame. He hated being with Hazel while Evelyn was in the same room.


    Rafael dressed quickly in shorts and a football tank top. If he was in bed before midnight, he wouldn¡¯t be too exhausted tomorrow morning. Getting a chunk of homework done now would feel nice.


    He sat at the table, doing his homework in the still house, checking his phone for any call from Hazel. She was probably asleep, but the attack was too fresh on his mind. After a good ten minutes into math, he heard a sniff. He glanced up, confused, but saw no one, and returned to his homework. Once he finished a math problem, he heard it again. There was no doubt about it. Someone was crying. It sounded like Ezekiel, but he couldn¡¯t see the cleric anywhere. Rafael got up, following the sound until he stumbled on his character, huddled in the blanket on the floor. His head was covered, and he rocked back and forth with his feet, an open book on the ground. Rafael squinted, seeing the title.


    ¡°Re-reading Lord of the Rings?¡± Rafael asked.


    Ezekiel wiped an eye. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    Rafael lowered himself to the ground. ¡°Hey, um¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡±


    The cleric shook his head. ¡°I feel it. Warring inside me.¡± Under the blanket, Ezekiel reached up and took a hold of his medallion. ¡°It¡¯s as Calawit says. There¡¯s two parts of me at war. And night times are¡­¡± He trailed off, glancing out the window. ¡°Night times are when the rat feels the strongest.¡± The cleric glanced at Rafael. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to worry. I¡¯m holding it back well enough. Reading helps me.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Princess Clarissa?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°She needs her sleep. When she wakes up in another few hours, she¡¯ll come visit. We both agreed that would be safest. I need to be around Hraktar in case something happens. But I need her to sleep. I get nightmares without her next to me.¡±


    Rafael stared at him. ¡°How long has this been going on?¡±


    ¡°A few days.¡± Ezekiel glanced back at the book. ¡°Full moon is in two more weeks. I can hold on.¡±


    Rafael let out a defeated sigh. Ever since Ezekiel came to earth, he never wanted to be around him. He distracted Ezekiel with books and pop culture. Alejandra begged him to level Ezekiel up, but Rafael was ashamed to admit it would be easier if his cleric died. Die, rather than let Rafael¡¯s secret out.


    But the secret was out. They were working through things. He wasn¡¯t sure if they¡¯d kick him out of the group, and he still wouldn¡¯t blame them if they did. But things didn¡¯t feel so sharp. They still hurt, but Derek had gone back to talking to him like he¡¯d always done. Hazel stayed by his side. Alejandra hung out with him more. Tyler had set strong boundaries, and Rafael followed them. Tyler was still more than willing to help clean his cuts. He avoided Evelyn and went out of his way to make sure she felt comfortable when she was around him. And most surprising of all, Nick had stopped glaring at him.


    All that happened while Ezekiel died inside. His character morphed and changed to a degree. The bags under his eyes, the anxiety threatening to take the last remaining hope from him. This was a slow, torturous death. They needed to cure him.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll be ready to steal something from Akshi next week?¡± Rafael asked.


    Ezekiel nodded, not even hesitating. ¡°I will. I must. These are my friends, and they will help me. I¡¯m going to succeed. I¡¯ll stay who I am for my friends.¡±


    Rafael saw the way Ezekiel was rocking back and forth. The heaviness weighing on his shoulders. The nervous tapping, and how his hair looked far more matted than the soft curls it once had.


    Rafael nodded. ¡°I¡­ want you to go back to who you were, too. On Monday, after football practice, I¡¯ll portal you to my side, and we¡¯ll spy on Akshi to figure out what we need to steal at the session.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be ready.¡±

 Chapter 125

    On Saturday afternoon, Derek walked into their TV room. Milo was sobbing on the couch, an empty bag of tortilla chips next to him. Derek pulled himself short, studying the scene before him. There were various containers of salsa and guacamole around him, as well as half empty containers of cheez-its, fried pork, and sugar donuts.


    ¡°You, uh, okay, buddy?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I be like him?¡± Milo pointed at the screen. Derek glanced at the movie, recognizing Sean Connery¡¯s James Bond. ¡°Effortlessly cool. Sex with all the ladies. Has no problem murdering people he needs to. So many women betray him, he has a moment to feel bad, but it never gets in the way of doing his job. Of murdering so many people with badass one liners.¡± Milo sniffed, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. ¡°Effortlessly. Cool. I¡¯m not effortlessly cool. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m Q!¡±


    The way Milo talked made Derek more than a little uncomfortable. ¡°You know¡­ Q is pretty¡­ he¡¯s a lot more¡­¡± Derek studied Milo. ¡°When¡¯s the last time you spoke to someone?¡±


    Milo rubbed his eyes. ¡°Yesterday. Was it yesterday? What day is it?¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s¡­ not use James Bond as a role model of how you¡¯ll deal with Pippa.¡± Derek walked in and turning off the TV.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to kill Pippa, right?¡± Milo asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, of course,¡± Derek said. ¡°You know, we¡¯ve got to figure out how to make her stop running away every time, so that¡¯s a job for Q. Not James B¡ª¡± Derek grabbed the bag of fried pork, then lifted the empty box of sugar donuts. ¡°Come on, man. These were Camilla¡¯s. There¡¯s a good chance she¡¯ll notice they¡¯re missing.¡±


    Milo grabbed a pillow, curling up on the couch. ¡°She¡¯s got mythical powers, you know. Seductive powers I can never overcome.¡±


    For half a second, Derek thought Milo was talking about his little sister, but remembered Milo was only thinking about Pippa right now.


    ¡°You¡¯re obsessing about this woman. You haven¡¯t even seen her,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°It¡¯s the power she has over me,¡± Milo said.


    Derek stared at his character, still curled up. ¡°We¡¯re going to dinner at Jos¨¦¡¯s tonight. Maybe you should talk to Ezekiel. Find¡­¡±


    ¡°Religion?¡± Milo asked, then uncurled, a light of hope shining in his eyes. ¡°She¡¯s part demon. Maybe I¡¯ll get a buff ability against demons by making a vow of chastity or something. I need all the help from the deities above when I face that woman.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get you out of this room.¡± Derek grabbed Milo¡¯s wrist and dragged him out of the TV room. ¡°We¡¯re about to see a lot of your friends, and we need to remember what we¡¯re doing here.¡±


    Milo groaned. ¡°Of course. Ezekiel. Two weeks until the full moon.¡± He brushed the crumbs from his shirt. ¡°I can focus on that.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Because you¡¯re worrying me, and leaving you home alone is a bad idea.¡± Derek pressed a finger to Milo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Also, don¡¯t watch the Home Alone movies until we¡¯ve taken care of the Pippa problem. I don¡¯t want to be scared to enter my house.¡±


    Milo made eye contact. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ I¡¯m not going to school. Not with her there. It¡¯ll never work.¡±


    Derek used a finger and tapped Milo¡¯s forehead. ¡°You have the highest intelligence of everyone in the group. Change your perspective, as you tell anyone else. If you already think it¡¯s impossible, then it¡¯ll be impossible. You can do this.¡± Derek gave an awkward fist pump. ¡°We can figure out how to stop your ex-girlfriend from ruining your life.¡±


    Milo groaned again, rubbing his forehead. ¡°I suppose.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. Come on. You¡¯ve watched enough TV.¡±


    ***


    The sun had set when Nick finally saw Grizzizzik on the back porch. It hadn¡¯t been as hot as the last few days had been, and fall was finally approaching. When he walked outside into the dying light, it was a comfortable mid seventy degrees.


    Nick sat across from Grizzizzik and folded his arms. ¡°I see you¡¯ve been avoiding me the past few days.¡± Grizzizzik barely acknowledged Nick before turning his whole focus back on sharpening his rapier. ¡°Does it have anything to do with how I saw you reading the player¡¯s handbook?¡± The rogue continued to ignore him, the only sound coming from the blade sliding across the whetstone. Nick rubbed his forehead. ¡°I¡¯m not a mind reader.¡± Grizzizzik¡¯s snake eyes remained on the blade. ¡°You need to tell me why you did that.¡±


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    After a final stroke with his rapier, Grizzizzik turned his not so friendly gaze toward Nick. ¡°I¡¯m trying to keep count of the strokes. If I don¡¯t, the balance will be off.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± Nick said.


    Grizzizzik slammed the tip of the rapier into the dirt, still staring at Nick. ¡°And what do you know about sharpening swords?¡±


    Little. Whenever they got to this portion in the campaign, Nick offhandedly told Tyler that Grizzizzik sharpened his tools. The rapier remained stuck in the ground, the rogue¡¯s fingers over the hilt. Nick stared at his character, returning the glare. ¡°We can¡¯t keep secrets from each other.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I don¡¯t have secrets. You just don¡¯t like that I read your instruction manual.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more your instruction manual, and if you were reading it for pleasure, you wouldn¡¯t have slammed it shut when I confronted you about it. Your guilty face gave you away, and you need to tell me what you were doing,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to tell you anything.¡± Grizzizzik¡¯s teeth lengthened. Coupled with the rogue¡¯s hand tightening over the rapier, it was a terrifying sight, but Nick held his ground. It meant he was onto something. ¡°You are not any sort of parental figure over me, and I have no responsibility to you or your pathetic friends.¡±


    ¡°You always threaten when you¡¯re scared. Whatever it is, we can help. You¡¯re not meant to do this alone. But I can¡¯t help unless¡ª¡± The rapier appeared an inch away from Nick¡¯s throat. His eyes widened, and his heart made itself known by beating wildly against his ribs, but he forced himself to keep calm. He thought he had a bonding moment with his character when talking about friends. He realized Grizzizzik was taking a dangerous path, and he had to lead his character away from it. Somehow. ¡°I¡­ am here to help you, Grizzizzik. What has you so scared?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s help.¡± Grizzizzik got closer, and Nick held perfectly still. This was a total overreaction. One he knew came from an outrageous amount of stress Nick wasn¡¯t aware of. ¡°I heard about the grey marks on your body. More importantly, I heard if a creature from the Shrouded Domain ever hurts you, it¡¯ll manifest by causing a mark to become a wound.¡± Grizzizzik reached over with his hand and lifted Nick¡¯s shirt enough to see the marks on his body. Nick wanted to fight, but there was a recently sharpened rapier against his throat, and it could hurt him now.


    There were eight gray marks. Nick counted the moment he heard about what had happened to Evelyn on the road trip. Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes landed on each one, taking them in before looking at Nick. ¡°As the rules say, I am from the Shrouded Domain, and I can hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Grizzizzik¡ª¡± Nick was cut off as his character placed the rapier deeper against his throat. He could feel it, the warm blade resting above his Adam¡¯s apple.


    ¡°Let me make myself perfectly clear. You will leave me alone, and if you do that, I won¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    Nick closed his eyes, his fingers gripping the armrest. It didn¡¯t take a genius to know his rogue was up to something. As his creator, he thought of the only thing that would cause this much stress. ¡°Are you that afraid of stealing something from Akshi next week?¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s face didn¡¯t budge from his brooding, angry look. Nick stared, trying to pry the answer out of the rogue¡¯s eyes; there was no other way to get it.


    The back door opened.


    ¡°Hey, Alejandra said they¡¯ll bring Princess Clarissa, so¡ª¡± Evelyn froze at the sight before her. Nick didn¡¯t dare look at his little sister, the blade still against his throat, but he could feel the air shift. ¡°Back away from Nick. What the hell is wrong with you?¡± She grabbed the hilt of the rapier, making sure it was away from Nick¡¯s throat before she shoved Grizzizzik. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever do that to him again.¡±


    ¡°Or what?¡± Grizzizzik still held his rapier. ¡°Really, girl, what could you possibly do to threaten me?¡±


    Evelyn glared as Nick stood up, grabbing his shirt and making sure it covered the grey marks again. ¡°Don¡¯t do that again, and you won¡¯t have to worry about what I¡¯d do.¡±


    There was a surprising bite in Evelyn¡¯s tone. Nick raised an eyebrow, then glanced at Grizzizzik, who looked at Evelyn like she cracked a joke. He sheathed his rapier. ¡°Tell your brother to butt out of my business, and I won¡¯t have to threaten him.¡±


    Her eyes narrowed. ¡°What do you have planned?¡±


    Grizzizzik rolled his eyes before turning around and grabbing his sword sharpening tools, placing them back into his inventory. ¡°Not you, too.¡±


    The back door opened, and Walt was there. ¡°Evelyn? You coming?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Coming.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait in the car for ten minutes again,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°I said I¡¯m coming,¡± she said.


    Walt sighed, then closed the door. Evelyn turned her glare back at Grizzizzik, who chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s almost cute, how you think you can scare me.¡±


    ¡°I am Princess Clarissa¡¯s creator. I know what she can do. Moreover, I know what all of them will do if they ever caught you threatening Nick like that. I¡¯m telling them what happened tonight, and they can knock some sense into you. So, get in the damn car or I will make you,¡± Evelyn said.


    Nick covered his mouth, trying to hide his smile. Evelyn was pissed, and he wasn¡¯t sure how this would play out.


    ¡°What could you possibly do to¡ª¡± Grizzizzik was cut off as Evelyn grabbed the hood of his cloak. She then dragged him toward the house as Grizzizzik coughed. Nick smiled, seeing a flash of the princess in his little sister.


    ¡°Nick, are you okay?¡± Evelyn called over her shoulder.


    He gave a thumbs up. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡±


    ¡°Great. I will see you after the dinner meeting and tell you about what we¡¯ve decided,¡± she said, dragging Grizzizzik behind her.


    Nick smiled as Grizzizzik struggled with his cloak hood. The garage door opened, then closed again. He didn¡¯t know why it was so funny. Grizzizzik had placed a rapier against his throat, after all. But even as he thought about it, the threat drifted away. There was no way his rogue would ever hurt him like that. They were threats. Threats of a scared rogue who was losing control. Still finding his place among his friends.


    Nick found his player¡¯s handbook and flipped through the pages, checking if Grizzizzik marked anything, but there was nothing. He eased himself onto his bed, placing a finger against his forehead. Despite all the threats shot back and forth between him and Grizzizzik, the fact remained that his character was keeping secrets from them and wouldn¡¯t let anyone find out. It was dangerous to keep secrets, especially now. No doubt Grizzizzik was quite scared about the heist mission. Perhaps it was something specifically about the heist. Either way, it was now Nick¡¯s job to get Grizzizzik to spill his secrets.

 Chapter 126

    Alejandra and Hazel chatted up a storm as Rafael drove to Jos¨¦¡¯s, remaining quiet. Alejandra was happy to know Hazel didn¡¯t have any lasting injuries from the accident, and it looked like most of her mental stress was put at ease, too. Alejandra knew what it was like to be attacked by a creature from the Shrouded Domain. At least she had Hraktar. She noticed Rafael had been quiet ever since the attack, almost like he blamed himself for it.


    Quetzal was in Alejandra¡¯s arms, enjoying the extra pats and scratches under his chin. It was a tight fit with Hraktar, Clarissa, and Ezekiel there, too. They pulled into the parking lot of Jos¨¦¡¯s, and it was crowded. It was Saturday night, after all. They walked inside before being directed upstairs to the private balcony overlooking the small town and the desert. Alejandra walked to the tables and saw Tyler, Se?ora Florez, and Mr. Anderson talking together. It was an odd experience to see her teachers in a situation outside of school. It shouldn¡¯t be that much of a surprise to see Se?ora Florez at Jos¨¦¡¯s. Maybe most of it came from seeing Mr. Anderson outside of school. She was pretty sure that guy lived there.


    Tyler glanced up and smiled as they walked through the door that gave them a semblance of privacy. ¡°Hey, come on over.¡±


    Mr. Anderson and Se?ora Florez both glanced above them, which is when Alejandra realized neither one of them had seen her six and a half foot fighter before.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Mr. Anderson said to Hraktar.


    ¡°Hello,¡± he said back.


    ¡°Did Rafael create you?¡± Se?ora Florez asked.


    Hraktar frowned. ¡°No. Alejandra did.¡±


    The two of them glanced at Alejandra, clearly not expecting it, then noticed the baby drake in her arms. She wasn¡¯t sure what to do with their attention. Se?ora Florez stood up, gesturing toward the second table as she smiled at the characters. ¡°Anything you buy will be my treat.¡±


    Hraktar gave a small bow. ¡°If you¡¯d like, we¡¯d be happy to set up a trading system. Ezekiel, Quetzal, and I could hunt for deer or other meats in exchange for a cooked meal.¡±


    Se?ora Florez seemed surprised by this, even a little touched. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s quite alright.¡± Hraktar bowed again before settling at the table. Se?ora Florez glanced at Alejandra. ¡°How thoughtful!¡±


    Alejandra smiled as she sat down in the seat next to her teacher. ¡°Even though he doesn¡¯t know it, Hraktar¡¯s always been self-aware of his -1 charisma.¡±


    Tyler took his seat next to Mr. Anderson. ¡°I¡¯ve finished explaining everything to Mr. Anderson and Se?ora Florez. We¡¯ll wait for everyone else to show up before we discuss some ideas about what to do.¡±


    ¡°What do to about what, exactly?¡± Hazel asked.


    Tyler sighed. ¡°Everything.¡±


    ¡°So do you have the elf princess character?¡± Se?ora Florez asked Hazel.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have a character. I¡¯m like you two. I can just see them,¡± Hazel said, taking Rafael¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Princess Clarissa is Evelyn Larsen¡¯s character,¡± Alejandra said. ¡°Ezekiel and the Princess are always together now because they got married a few weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh, did they really?¡± Se?ora Florez asked, glancing at the two characters holding hands. ¡°Congratulations.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Clarissa said.


    The door opened and Alejandra couldn¡¯t see who opened it. ¡°No one is listening to me,¡± came Calawit¡¯s gravelly voice. ¡°Honestly, sometimes these humans can be frightfully unaware.¡±


    ¡°No one can see you but us, Cal,¡± Tyler said.


    She scoffed, sitting at the table with the characters. Her chair had a few books stacked on them so she could see.


    The door opened again, and Derek and Milo walked through. Derek¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°It¡¯s a party!¡±


    ¡°If by party you mean us trying to figure out how to keep you and Milo¡¯s ex-girlfriends from gaining any more power over the student body, then sure. It¡¯s a party,¡± Tyler said.


    Derek patted Mr. Anderson on the shoulder before sitting next to him. ¡°I had nothing to do with it.¡±


    Tyler rolled his eyes as he picked up the menu. Se?ora Florez glanced at Rafael and Alejandra. ¡°Are you two ordering tonight?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± she trailed off, glancing at Rafael. Hazel smiled, squeezing Rafael¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got Rafael, Se?ora,¡± Hazel said.


    ¡°Great. Then I¡¯ll cover Alejandra¡¯s,¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Alejandra started with more power behind it. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough, Alejandra. I know times can be tough. I don¡¯t want you sitting here while the rest of us eat,¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    ¡°But I really don¡¯t think¡ª¡±


    ¡°If it makes you feel better, I can take up Hraktar¡¯s offer to start a trading system. Though I doubt the FDA would allow uninspected venison to grace my husband¡¯s restaurant.¡± Se?ora Florez picked up the menu and smiled at Alejandra. ¡°Go ahead. It¡¯s no trouble.¡±


    Alejandra sighed, then picked up the menu and glanced through it.


    ¡°Ow! Ow! Ow!¡±


    Evelyn walked up the stairs with Grizzizzik in tow. She looked furious. Grizzizzik had both hands on his cloak, which Evelyn was holding in order to drag him onto the balcony.


    ¡°Ah, that must be Nick¡¯s character,¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Alejandra said.


    Mr. Anderson stood up to open the door as Evelyn marched right on through. She gave Grizzizzik a shove, then turned her glare toward Clarissa.


    ¡°This idiot thought it was okay to place his rapier against my brother¡¯s throat and threaten him. Grizzizzik¡¯s been a real pain in the butt recently, and you guys know how to get him to behave better than we can.¡±


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    Grizzizzik sighed. ¡°That wasn¡¯t a threat. Seriously, you¡¯d know if I threaten someone.¡±


    ¡°Hraktar?¡± Clarissa said.


    The chair scrapped against the floor as the fighter stood up. ¡°On it.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s face dropped. ¡°Okay, seriously? Aren¡¯t we passed this?¡± He backed away as Hraktar moved forward. ¡°It was a joke. That¡¯s all it was. A harmless little¡ª¡± He was cut off as the fighter grabbed the front of his vest, turned him upside down, then grabbed his ankle and let him hang there. The rogue sighed. ¡°I hate you.¡±


    ¡°The feeling¡¯s mutual.¡±


    Tyler glanced at Evelyn. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure. All I know is I went to get Grizzizzik to bring him here, and he had his rapier against Nick¡¯s throat. Grizzizzik¡¯s teeth were long and everything,¡± Evelyn said.


    Alejandra was surprised. ¡°Is Nick okay?¡±


    ¡°Your lover is fine,¡± Grizzizzik said, upside down.


    Her face flushed red. ¡°He¡¯s not my¡­ no.¡±


    He snorted, folding his arms, his cloak brushing against the floor.


    Ezekiel stood. Even though his fingernails were longer, his ears more pointed, and his shoulders hunched, he still had an air about him that made the group listen. ¡°Putting any sort of weapon against a child¡¯s throat is not a joke, Grizzizzik. You can¡¯t do things like that. Especially to your creator.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sorry, I¡¯ll never do it again,¡± Grizzizzik said, none of the feeling behind it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother lying to them. I will call Nick to make sure you¡¯re telling the truth,¡± Evelyn said, hands on her hips.


    ¡°You and I both know that communication with your brother is limited. There¡¯s no way he could check my story until later, and¡ª¡±


    Evelyn whipped out her phone. Alejandra glanced at Rafael, not sure why. She hadn¡¯t seen Nick in a while, and she didn¡¯t know about hearing him so close.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Evelyn placed the phone to her ear. She paused only for a moment. ¡°Hey, Nick, tell dad I called to see if I left my mascara at home then found it again while searching my purse. I¡¯m going to put you on speakerphone.¡± She dropped her hand, pushing a few buttons.


    ¡°¡ªkay, what¡¯s going on?¡± Nick asked.


    Alejandra distracted herself by looking at the menu, covering her face.


    ¡°Hraktar¡¯s got Grizzizzik upside down. What was your conversation with him tonight?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so I caught Grizzizzik reading my player¡¯s handbook a few days ago, and he was acting super guilty about the whole thing. I confronted him about it tonight, and he told me that if I ever butt into his business again, he¡¯d hurt me to see if any of the gray marks turn into wounds.¡±


    Grizzizzik winced. Clarissa gasped, a hand around her mouth. Milo stood up, a grim look on his face, and Ezekiel sighed, shaking his head. The plastic menu crinkled as Alejandra tightened her fists around it.


    ¡°Well, that sounds like a toxic roommate,¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    ¡°What the hell, Grizzizzik,¡± Milo said.


    The rogue unfolded his arms and gave an upside down shrug. ¡°It¡­ was a joke?¡±


    ¡°Thanks Nick. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± Evelyn hung up and placed her phone back in her pocket. Alejandra watched the whole thing, wondering if she should try that. Try having an excuse thought of before calling Nick.


    But then she realized she didn¡¯t want to call Nick. Ever.


    Though the thought of checking up on him, especially if Grizzizzik was hanging around him¡­


    She shook her head, distracting herself with the menu again.


    Calawit climbed onto the table, holding out her hands. ¡°If you want, I can force him to talk.¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡± Tyler grabbed the sorcerer¡¯s wrists and forced them down. ¡°We don¡¯t need to torture him.¡±


    ¡°Not torture, just a certain number of spells to hit his brain into thinking we¡¯re trustworthy enough so he can¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Tyler said again. ¡°The others will handle it.¡±


    Jos¨¦ walked in, oblivious to the scene behind him. With his loud, sunny personality, he started taking everyone¡¯s orders. Alejandra scanned the prices, seeing which was the cheapest item on the menu as the characters bickered back and forth.


    ¡°What are you up to, Grizzly Bear?¡± Clarissa asked as Evelyn took her seat between Derek and Hazel.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°All you had to do was not threaten a child and we wouldn¡¯t think you were up to anything,¡± Clarissa said.


    ¡°He¡¯s not a child. He¡¯s practically an adult. Be one faster if he¡­¡± Grizzizzik trailed off, running his tongue over his teeth.


    ¡°If he what?¡± Milo prompted.


    ¡°He¡¯s clearly miserable in his situation, and things would go much smoother if he got rid of his father,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Evelyn was taking a sip of water, and Grizzizzik¡¯s words caused her to let some of the water back out as she covered her cough. Se?ora Florez looked far more alarmed at this revelation, and Mr. Anderson shook his head, taking a small drink. In fact, everyone was reacting quietly to Grizzizzik¡¯s statement. Derek rubbed his nose. Rafael tried to hold still as Hazel gave him a curious look. Alejandra winced, but kept trying to find the cheapest dinner option on the menu. Jos¨¦ was approaching.


    ¡°Repeat after me, Grizzizzik. We do not kill people in this realm,¡± Milo said. Grizzizzik sighed, rolling his eyes. ¡°Say it. We do not¡ª¡± Milo waited for the rogue to follow.


    ¡°We do not kill people in this realm,¡± Milo and Grizzizzik both said. Milo was a bit more energetic than Grizzizzik. Mr. Anderson rubbed the bridge of his nose.


    ¡°What were you doing reading the player¡¯s handbook?¡± Milo asked.


    Grizzizzik said nothing as Jos¨¦ smiled at Alejandra. ¡°And you, Se?ora?¡±


    Alejandra swallowed. ¡°Um¡­I¡¯ll have the half nacho?¡±


    Jos¨¦ smiled. ¡°That is an appetizer, no? What meal do you want with it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, um.¡± The two conversations distracted her. Grizzizzik remained silent, and no amount of prodding from the others would get him to talk. Se?ora Florez leaned over.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get a plate of nachos to share. Go ahead and chose something else.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Panic forced her to choose something, even as her mind got more scrambled. She was holding everyone up. She again ran through the list of options, trying to find the cheapest one. ¡°The¡­ beef burrito, please.¡±


    ¡°Of course! Ground beef okay for you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine.¡± She then thought of something, mostly because Quetzal was running around chasing mosquitoes. ¡°And¡­ could I possibly have a little extra ground beef on the side?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡± Jos¨¦ then said something in super fast Spanish. Alejandra, already listening to another conversation, couldn¡¯t understand what he said. Instead, she gave a nervous smile, hoping that would work. Jos¨¦ laughed in return, then looked at his wife with adoration. The two of them spoke fast Spanish, and Alejandra tried to settle her pounding heart. Why was ordering food so hard for her to do? And why were the Florez¡¯s so adorable?


    Ezekiel walked over, talking about something she couldn¡¯t quite hear. He placed a hand on Hraktar¡¯s shoulder as he spoke.


    ¡°You want to let Grizzizzik go?¡± Milo asked.


    ¡°Grizzizzik isn¡¯t ready to tell us. Forcing it out of him won¡¯t help. As you can see, the only thing it accomplished is him clamming up. None of this solves our problem. When he¡¯s ready, he¡¯ll find us. As he always does,¡± Ezekiel said. ¡°Won¡¯t you, Grizzizzik?¡±


    There was a pause, one that was almost overly dramatic as Grizzizzik opened his mouth. ¡°Of course.¡±


    Ezekiel nodded as if the matter was settled. Evelyn covered her face, trying not to groan. Clarissa, Milo, and Hraktar didn¡¯t move. Grizzizzik was hiding a smile that made Alejandra deeply uncomfortable. Hraktar lifted Grizzizzik as high as he could go. ¡°I will know if you threaten Nick. And it better not happen again.¡±


    ¡°Or what, big guy?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you. At all. You can¡¯t bully Evelyn and Nick into keeping your secrets. They will tell me. Whatever you¡¯re going through, fine. Take your time. But you do not threaten my friend. Is that clear?¡± Hraktar asked.


    Grizzizzik glared at the fighter. Alejandra winced. Calling Nick a friend had come to Hraktar surprisingly fast. She didn¡¯t think he or Nick hung out much.


    ¡°You and Nick? Friends?¡± Grizzizzik asked, as though reading her mind. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re to survive this, we¡¯ve got to learn to lean on each other. Someone who has my trust is all I need to consider them my friend. Something you, after almost a year, still don¡¯t have,¡± Hraktar said.


    Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°I see nothing unfortunate about that.¡±


    Hraktar slowly grabbed the front of Grizzizzik¡¯s shirt before turning him right side up, making sure Grizzizzik¡¯s feet still dangled inches from the ground. ¡°Then I strongly suggest you don¡¯t threaten Nick again.¡±


    Words appeared in Alejandra¡¯s vision as time slowed down.


    Roll for intimidation with advantage.


    Alejandra grabbed the d20 and rolled. The first one was a six, which made her wince. The second landed on a ten, and the +1 added little. She watched to see how it¡¯d play out.


    Grizzizzik didn¡¯t look intimidated, though he narrowed his eyes enough to be distrustful. Hraktar set him down, and Grizzizzik straightened his vest. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll leave the kid alone.¡±


    Hraktar gave one more glare before finding a seat at the character¡¯s table.

 Chapter 127

    Jos¨¦ finished taking everyone¡¯s orders and slipped away again. Tyler rubbed his temples, staring at the table. ¡°Right.¡± He glanced again at the door, assuring they had privacy before pulling out his phone. ¡°So, to drive home what we¡¯re up against, we¡¯ll go through what happened this last week.¡± He tapped a few things on his phone, then held up one finger. ¡°Creatures can now hurt us, and if someone with gray marks gets hurt, one mark turns into a wound. The wounds are not deep, more like scratches. But they will undoubtably get deeper as time goes on.¡± Tyler glanced at Rafael. ¡°How¡¯s your shadow lycros scratches?¡±


    ¡°Fine. Practically healed at this point.¡±


    Tyler glanced at Evelyn. ¡°And your scratch?¡±


    ¡°Same.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Tyler lifted a second finger. ¡°Pippa has made herself known, and is charming Emma. Emma, for those that don¡¯t know, was Derek¡¯s girlfriend for¡­ a week? Is that how long you were dating?¡±


    Derek absently took a drink of soda before setting it down, swallowing. ¡°Yep.¡±


    Mr. Anderson raised an eyebrow at him. Derek''s smile was overenthusiastic. Rafael rubbed his forehead. Guilt trickled into Alejandra¡¯s stomach. Everyone gave Derek a hard time for dating someone for a week, but it was the same time she and Nick were dating. Even less, if she was being honest.


    ¡°And third.¡± Tyler raised a third finger. ¡°Mr. Stower is trying to attend CCNC club while being charmed as Akshi. What his motivations are currently, we don¡¯t know, but the whole thing is dangerous. Possibly attempt to bring more creatures to earth. Se?ora Florez believes that more kids in CCNC club would help.¡±


    Se?ora Florez nodded. ¡°If we can make sure Mr. Stower and Emma are not in the same campaign, that would ease my fears. Mr. Anderson has a plan to kick Mr. Stower out if necessary, but we need more students.¡±


    ¡°What we need is to cut off the ability Pippa and Akshi have to charm people of this world,¡± Clarissa said, before turning toward Calawit. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a way?¡±


    ¡°Depends. Akshi? It will be nearly impossible to keep that snake from charming who he wants. Especially earthlings. Because they can¡¯t see us, they¡¯re surprisingly easy to manipulate if you have the desire to.¡±


    No one said anything for a few beats after Calawit¡¯s information.


    ¡°To be clear¡­¡± Milo said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done nothing to these earthlings,¡± Calawit said, brushing her hand toward Alejandra¡¯s table. ¡°I¡¯m not the manipulative sort.¡±


    ¡°Alright, well, explain to me the two differences.¡± Se?ora Florez turned to face Calawit. ¡°On the one hand, you have Mr. Stower, who Akshi is always hanging around. We¡¯ve discovered if one of us is talking to the vice principal, Akshi has to remain near in order to make sure nothing slips. And yet with Emma, I¡¯ve only seen a few instances when Pippa is around her and her eyes are glowing red.¡±


    ¡°Is Pippa really that much stronger than Akshi?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    Milo nodded, but Calawit shook her head. ¡°No. It¡¯s the desire level of the person being charmed. It seems clear to me that this Mr. Stower has a personality shift whenever Akshi isn¡¯t charming him. Whereas Pippa perhaps doesn¡¯t need such a tight hold in order to¡­ what is it this girl wants to do?¡±


    ¡°Uh, as far as we can tell, ruin Derek¡¯s life with petty revenge for making a fool out of her,¡± Tyler said.


    Everyone¡¯s gaze landed on Derek, who had his soda glass up against his forehead, his face was far more alarmed as he stared at nothing.


    ¡°Seems like an interesting girl you picked up and then dropped on the side of the road there,¡± Calawit said.


    Derek made a noise of equal parts terror, desperation, and fear. Jos¨¦ walked in with two plates of nachos, setting it on the table. When he left again, Se?ora Florez picked up one of the plates and set it on the table for the characters.


    Grizzizzik chuckled as he reached for a chip. ¡°That Derek kid acts more and more like you, Milo.¡± He turned his snake eyes toward Milo. The mana fusor, too, had a far off, terrified look.


    Hraktar patted Milo on the shoulder. ¡°You alright?¡±


    ¡°No. Pippa¡¯s terrifying, and I cannot trust myself around that woman.¡±


    ¡°So, I think I missed something here,¡± Rafael said. ¡°How did Milo even meet Pippa?¡±


    ¡°Were you there when Pippa Calypso was part of the group?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Um¡­ no.¡± Rafael did not look at her.


    ¡°Grizzizzik was imprisoned when¡­¡± Clarissa trailed off as Grizzizzik made a series of noises before motioning with his hand, pretending to cut his neck before glancing at Ezekiel. The cleric was happily looking at the view of the desert. Alejandra understood the hesitancy. Grizzizzik was often thrown in prison in many towns, and Milo often got him back out using his disguises and his status as a private investigator. Though no one ever told Ezekiel.


    ¡°I saw Pippa imprisoned in the cell house in a town. I used my alter ego, Inspector Recker, and got her out of prison. We¡­ dated soon after,¡± Milo said.


    Grizzizzik folded his arms. ¡°That¡¯s because the only way he can get a girl is with his corrupted ring of charisma.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a total catch, even as myself.¡± Milo sounded like he was trying too hard to convince himself.


    Hraktar patted his head, which made Milo¡¯s head bop every time. ¡°Yes, you are.¡±


    Alejandra leaned over to her brother and dropped to a whisper. ¡°Milo¡¯s ring of charisma gives him a crazy bonus if he also pairs it with disguise self. He uses it a lot to get Grizzizzik out of jail whenever he¡¯s arrested for doing stupid rogue things. He and Pippa were in opposite jail cells when Milo freed them both.¡±


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t he always have that persona if it gives him such an excellent boost?¡± Hazel asked.


    ¡°Because if he stays in it for a long time, he forgets himself. In that session, we nearly lost Milo because he kept up Inspector Recker¡¯s persona for too long to impress her. Only Pippa pulled him out, except we didn¡¯t realize she was evil at the time. We¡¯re pretty sure if he uses that persona again, he¡¯ll lose himself completely,¡± Alejandra said.


    Hazel raised an eyebrow, then glanced at Milo. ¡°This game can be dangerous.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just figuring that out?¡± Rafael asked.


    Se?ora Florez again turned toward Calawit. ¡°I know there¡¯s no charm to protect Mr. Stower entirely from Akshi, but could there possibly be a charm or artifact that can protect him for the hour or two while we have CCNC club?¡±


    Calawit closed one eye. ¡°Possibly. As long as you write exactly how I write it and don¡¯t deviate one inch from the inscription.¡±


    Se?ora Florez nodded. ¡°We will take anything we can get. If we have that charm and a room full of students, we could foil their plan for a bit.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ more student involvement in an after-school club? That¡¯s struggling with its attendance already?¡± Mr. Anderson asked.


    There was a pause as everyone thought. Jos¨¦ came in with some helpers to dish out the food, giving everyone time to think. Alejandra said her thanks to the helpers. Se?ora Florez gave her husband a quick kiss as they left, and Alejandra took a bite of her burrito. Whatever secret sauce he put in it was to die for.


    Derek placed his glass back down, a small smile on his face. ¡°Got it.¡±


    Mr. Anderson glanced at him. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Hazel Jones?¡± Derek asked.


    Hazel was gathering some of her salad on a broken piece of tostada shell when she looked up at Derek. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°What measures would need to be in place for you to attend the CCNC after-school club?¡± Derek asked.


    Hazel frowned. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything after school because of cheer. But¡­ if it was before school, I could.¡±


    ¡°Seven in the morning?¡± Mr. Anderson glanced at Derek. ¡°You expect teenagers to wake up before seven in the morning to attend a CCNC club?¡±


    ¡°If Hazel Jones will be there, you¡¯ve all but guaranteed a dramatic increase of attendance.¡± Derek then glanced at Evelyn. ¡°Could you make it at seven in the morning?¡±


    Evelyn nodded. ¡°I think I could. And, honestly, if we get it that early, I could give my dad a reason to have Nick drive me there, and then he can attend too. We just don¡¯t have to tell my dad he¡¯s part of it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. That¡¯d be great.¡± Derek didn¡¯t sound nearly as interested in Nick being there, even though it made Alejandra¡¯s cheeks burn. ¡°What about those two other cheerleaders you were showing the game to?¡±


    ¡°We could ask them,¡± Hazel said.


    Derek tapped the table. ¡°Then that¡¯s our answer.¡± He said nothing more, picking up his fork and knife and cutting into his enchilada.


    Evelyn blinked a few times. ¡°Care to elaborate?¡±


    Derek took a bite. ¡°I just did. Hazel Jones and three of her cheerleading friends are attending CCNC club. In two weeks, CCNC club will have at least twenty-five members. I give my word as President.¡±


    Evelyn looked as though she was resisting the desire to roll her eyes, but she didn¡¯t disagree with him, either. Hazel was still confused and bowed her head toward Rafael enough to give them some privacy. ¡°Why does he call me Hazel Jones?¡±


    Rafael made that face where he pretended he didn¡¯t know, when he actually did. Hazel hadn¡¯t been around him long enough to tell the difference and shrugged, returning to her tostada salad.


    Alejandra tried to take small bites, but so far, no one was involving her in the conversation, and she was perfectly happy to focus her attention on the burrito.


    ¡°That solves that,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Does it?¡± Hazel asked.


    ¡°Yep. Sure, it doesn¡¯t solve the injuries issue, but if we have something to keep Akshi and Pippa from the room, and Mr. Stower and Emma on different campaigns. I feel confident about that plan,¡± Tyler said.


    Quetzal rubbed against Alejandra¡¯s leg, and she gathered the extra ground beef before dropping it near him. He chirped in excitement, diving for it.


    ¡°And what¡¯s this about injuries?¡± Se?ora Florez asked. ¡°I don¡¯t like the sound of that at all. You¡¯re a bunch of teenagers. You shouldn¡¯t be getting into fights.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Mr. Anderson said.


    ¡°You¡¯re all children from my perspective,¡± Calawit called from the other table.


    Rafael snorted at that.


    ¡°We¡¯re not fighting, it¡¯s¡­ sometimes the creatures get too close to us,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°You can roll from a distance. Can¡¯t you do that the whole time they¡¯re here?¡± Mr. Anderson asked.


    Tyler sighed, defeated. ¡°It¡¯s what we¡¯re doing next week when we steal something from Akshi. But¡­ I don¡¯t think we can do that every time.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Se?ora Florez asked.


    ¡°Because¡­¡± Tyler trailed off, staring ahead. ¡°Because¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you even tried it?¡± Mr. Anderson asked.


    Tyler winced. ¡°I mean, Nick¡¯s practically done that for a month.¡±


    ¡°I enjoy being there with Princess Clarissa,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°I know I¡¯ve been apart for a bit this month, but I miss it.¡±


    Se?ora Florez furrowed her brow, watching all of them. ¡°But is it worth it? Come on, everyone. You¡¯ve got to think of your safety.¡± Her eyes drifted to the grey mark on Tyler¡¯s neck.


    Calawit drained her glass, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. ¡°If you want, you can watch them fight. There¡¯re about four undead creatures outside your town limits, then you can decide.¡±


    Everyone turned to look at Calawit.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± Se?ora Florez asked.


    The sorcerer gestured over her shoulder. ¡°They reek. Like, really bad. I could sense them once they entered. Good thing this food is so good, or I¡¯d have lost my appetite.¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you talking about the ghoul that attacked me?¡± Hazel asked.


    ¡°That must have been the fifth creature I sensed die. Good going, girl,¡± Calawit said.


    Her eyes widened. ¡°Oh, no. I didn¡¯t kill it. Ezekiel did.¡±


    Calawit glanced at the cleric. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not nearly as impressive.¡±


    ¡°You sense these monsters?¡± Mr. Anderson asked.


    ¡°The undead, yes. Especially these creatures. They stink, and they shuffled way too close to my tent last night.¡±


    Rafael glanced at Hazel, then at Tyler. ¡°We¡¯ve got to get rid of them before we have another incident.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡± Tyler¡¯s gaze bounced between Mr. Anderson and Se?ora Florez. ¡°Do you want to come along to see what happens?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    ¡°Finish dinner first. Those creatures will still be there when you¡¯re done. They¡¯re stupid.¡± Calawit took a huge bite of a chip loaded with shredded beef.


    Mr. Anderson glanced at Tyler. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to step on anyone¡¯s toes. I just want to make sure everyone else is safe.¡±


    ¡°They are. As long as we stay in the bubble. As long as there are more characters fighting the creatures. The creatures are more likely to focus on the characters than on us. You¡¯ll see,¡± Tyler said, finishing his dinner.


    Mr. Anderson sighed, then returned to his food.


    ¡°Calawit, you¡¯re not coming with us, are you?¡± Alejandra asked, as Quetzal finished eating the meat.


    ¡°No. I can watch your little drake for you.¡± It was all the invitation Quetzal needed as he bounded over to the gnome woman. ¡°Yes, yes, we¡¯ll see what organizing we can get done in the shop. No! This is my chip. Get your own!¡±


    ¡°Are we sure that¡¯s a good idea? That drake saved our asses last time,¡± Milo said.


    Alejandra couldn¡¯t help it and glared at Milo. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a good idea to leave him somewhere safe. He¡¯s a baby.¡±


    Milo shrugged as he offered a loaded chip toward Quetzal on the table. ¡°Alright.¡± The drake was more than happy to eat the food offered.


    ¡°You needed a baby to save you?¡± Grizzizzik asked, his voice almost dull.


    ¡°You know what?¡± Milo said before eating another chip and never finishing his sentence.


    ¡°Oh, wait.¡± Calawit sat up. ¡°I guess they¡¯re ambling around because they¡¯ve turned some earth creatures and are learning how to control them.¡±


    Tyler choked on his horchata and spun around. ¡°What!¡±


    Calawit blinked. ¡°What part didn¡¯t you understand?¡±


    Tyler rubbed his forehead. ¡°Okay. This is fine. Everyone¡­ finish up now. We need to check this out.¡±

 Chapter 128

    Alejandra was anxious. She was always anxious, but it got worse when she sensed other people feeling anxious. By the time they paid for dinner and were on their way, it felt like they¡¯d taken too much time, and who knew what undead they¡¯d see? Mr. Anderson and Se?ora Florez followed behind the group.


    ¡°Can you sense the undead like Calawit?¡± Rafael asked Ezekiel.


    ¡°Um¡­ no? I don¡¯t even know how Cal does that.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea what kind of undead they are?¡± Clarissa asked.


    ¡°If Calawit is right, which she usually is, there¡¯s probably a lesser wight or something out there who¡¯s building their animal undead army,¡± Tyler said, scrolling through a list on his phone.


    The silence was long enough that Tyler glanced at everyone looking at him. ¡°It happens. They probably couldn¡¯t turn humans here on earth, which is great, but I still hate that the animals are getting turned.¡± He rubbed his jaw, his eyes on the list of monsters. ¡°The two worlds shouldn¡¯t be colliding like this.¡±


    ¡°We also better kill them before they join forces with a Vampire Lord or a Wight Lord. I¡¯d rather kill the minions before getting the big boss,¡± Derek said. There was more silence as the gazes shifted to Derek. He kept his eyes on the road. ¡°You¡¯re seriously telling me no one else studied and color coded the list of monsters we¡¯re facing?¡±


    ¡°Oooh, color code? Care to share?¡± Tyler asked.


    Derek pulled out his phone. ¡°I got you.¡±


    Alejandra rubbed her forehead, trying not to stress out as her pre-fight jitters appeared. It had been a while since everyone fought together. Sure, Nick still wasn¡¯t here, but all five of the CCNC characters were together. They should be okay. It was a while, even, since Hraktar was in a fight.


    They split up into separate cars, all agreeing to follow Derek¡¯s van. Alejandra climbed in, trying not to prepare for the worst, as Derek started the van.


    They needed to level up. That¡¯s what it all came down to. They had planned for a heist mission to Mr. Stower¡¯s house to find Akshi and steal something valuable of his. They couldn¡¯t possibly do that at level three. Even level four was pushing their luck.


    Derek pulled the van into a dirt parking lot. It was fully dark as Alejandra pulled out her phone, turning on the flashlight.


    ¡°Now can anyone sense them?¡± Derek asked.


    Grizzizzik folded his arms. ¡°Is that your way of asking politely if you¡¯d like me to scout ahead?¡±


    Derek glanced at him. ¡°I suppose.¡± Grizzizzik didn¡¯t smile as he headed into the darkness. ¡°Ugh, I miss not having Nick here to tell me what he rolled for stealth. Makes this far less stressful.¡±


    Alejandra glanced at Hraktar, her character that had dark vision. ¡°Can you still see him?¡±


    The fighter shook his head. ¡°He disappeared behind a boulder.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re sure he¡¯ll do what he¡¯s supposed to and not lead us on a false trail, right?¡± Rafael asked.


    Derek sighed. ¡°Another reason I miss having Nick here.¡±


    Se?ora Florez and Mr. Anderson met up with them, catching the tail end of the conversation. ¡°Rogues, huh?¡± Se?ora Florez asked.


    Derek gave her a knowing look.


    ¡°Hey, um, Hraktar?¡± Milo asked.


    Hraktar had his arms folded as he glanced at Milo. The mana fusor reached behind him, pulling out his void bag. ¡°We¡¯re about to face undead.¡±


    At first Hraktar was confused, then his face fell. He touched his great sword as he stared at the void bag. ¡°Um, give me a moment.¡±


    Milo nodded. ¡°Take your time. Hopefully, before we face the wight.¡±


    Alejandra glanced down at her shoes. The silvered great axe. It would be a tremendous help, since a lot of the undead couldn¡¯t be touched by anything that wasn¡¯t magical. Meaning they wouldn¡¯t get hurt by the great sword. Hraktar would choose the great axe, but as he said, he needed a moment to come to terms with it.


    Her thoughts drifted to the session next week at Nick and Evelyn¡¯s house. Maybe Rafael was more nervous, but the whole idea created a pit in her stomach. She didn¡¯t want to see Nick again. She was still processing what had happened. Maybe processing was the wrong word. Perhaps, instead, she was shoving the image of Nick pulverizing her brother to one side and pretending that was processing what happened.


    It took all of ten minutes before Grizzizzik returned, pulling out his hell dagger to inspect it. ¡°This kid is right. I spotted the lesser wight. There¡¯re a couple of ghouls, and a creature I was pretty sure looked undead.¡±


    Tyler rubbed his forehead, giving Grizzizzik a worried look. ¡°You¡¯re pretty sure it¡¯s undead?¡±


    Grizzizzik shrugged. Derek glanced at Evelyn with a prolonged grimace on his face. She sighed, pulling out her phone. Alejandra folded her arms, looking away.


    ¡°Hey, pretend it¡¯s my pink chap stick this time. What¡¯d you roll?¡± Evelyn asked into the phone.


    Grizzizzik rolled his eyes. ¡°Does nobody trust me?¡±


    ¡°Can you blame us?¡± Hraktar¡¯s question caused Ezekiel to give him a gentle shove with his shoulders.


    Grizzizzik leaned against the van, his arms folded. Evelyn and Nick talked some more, this time thankfully off speakerphone. Rafael noticed her fidgeting, giving her a curious look, which surprised her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you nervous about next week? Seeing¡­¡±


    Rafael glanced at Evelyn, who had her back to him. He then shrugged. ¡°I mean¡­ a little.¡±


    Alejandra folded her arms, feeling the anxious jitters. Maybe she was more nervous about it than Rafael was.


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    ¡°Bye, Nick.¡± Evelyn placed her phone in her back pocket. ¡°It all checks out.¡±


    ¡°Can we go now?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    ¡°You brought this on yourself.¡± Evelyn pointed at the rogue. ¡°Become trustworthy and maybe we won¡¯t have to triple check everything you do.¡±


    Grizzizzik said nothing as the group moved toward the undead.


    ¡°So, this is what you do?¡± Se?ora Florez asked. ¡°Walk toward monsters?¡±


    Alejandra nodded. ¡°Our characters always keep the monster¡¯s focus. We¡¯re not in any danger.¡±


    Her teacher shook her head, looking toward the horizon. ¡°It¡¯s still really unsafe.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re serious about this?¡± Derek asked, turning slightly. ¡°You expect us to stay home while our characters fight every time?¡±


    ¡°I expect you to be safe. We know about this, too, and if any harm were to come to you, we¡¯d¡ª¡±


    ¡°Forget,¡± Derek filled in for Se?ora Florez.


    Tyler poked Derek with an elbow as they walked. Mr. Anderson and Se?ora Florez turned their attention to Derek.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Mr. Anderson asked.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Derek started to say.


    ¡°So, Neal, the founder of CCNC, he told us if any of us were to die in the next year, we¡¯d all forget their existence,¡± Evelyn said.


    Mr. Anderson and Se?ora Florez stopped short. It took a lot more of a trickle for everyone else to stop.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Milo jerked his thumb over his shoulder. ¡°Can we focus on the undead trying to turn some earth creatures into zombies?¡±


    ¡°This is¡­ incredibly dangerous!¡± Se?ora Florez rubbed her forehead. ¡°How can any of you not see this?¡±


    ¡°We do see it,¡± Derek said, his palms open. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ you know.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I know, Derek. Enlighten me,¡± Mr. Anderson said.


    ¡°In my defense, we didn¡¯t realize how bad it was until recently. The creatures couldn¡¯t touch us before,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°And now they can. So, we take the proper precautions to¡ª¡±


    Tyler¡¯s hand came up, his eyes widening, cutting Se?ora Florez off. ¡°Wait.¡±


    Se?ora Florez looked surprised. ¡°Tyler, this is not¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shh.¡± Tyler¡¯s gaze bounced around the pavement, then he closed his eyes real tight. ¡°We¡­ need to do this. We need to be there near the fight.¡± He opened his eyes, not looking at Se?ora Florez and Mr. Anderson, placing his hands around his head. ¡°Their pull is always so exhausting, but I sense it. Chaos and Order. If we don¡¯t do this¡­ if we fight the battle from the comfort of our car, Chaos will make it impossible for us to stay at Nick¡¯s home to control them when we steal something from Akshi. And of the two battles, it¡¯s far more important to stay inside for next week¡¯s mission than it is for this one.¡±


    Se?ora Florez deflated. ¡°But you are kids.¡±


    Tyler tried to straighten his shoulders, making the gray line across his neck more visible. ¡°I¡¯m twenty years old.¡±


    Mr. Anderson shook his head. ¡°Again, Tyler¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know, Mr. Anderson. I know I¡¯m still a kid in your eyes. But the fact is, if we don¡¯t attend this battle, we won¡¯t be able to stay at Nick¡¯s house next week. Chaos, Order, they need balance. By respecting this balance, we get through it. Do Chaos¡¯ X, we get Order¡¯s Y. Refuse both to choose our own Z, we¡¯ll be forced to choose Chaos¡¯ X, and¡­ and Chaos is¡­¡±


    ¡°Not someone we want to cross?¡± Rafael suggested.


    Tyler sighed. ¡°He¡¯s fine, as long as we don¡¯t cheat him.¡±


    ¡°He seems rather toxic,¡± Hazel said.


    ¡°What do you expect from someone who¡¯s the personification of Chaos? At least there¡¯s Order to keep him in line.¡± Tyler turned around, moving toward the battle.


    ¡°Have you met them?¡± Se?ora Florez asked.


    Tyler almost laughed. ¡°Hell no. Almost feels like it with how much they occupy my mind, though.¡±


    Alejandra folded her arms, feeling uncomfortable. Talk of the overarching game masters of their lives never left her with a comforting feeling. They started walking again. Grizzizzik, Hraktar, and Clarissa lead the way with their dark vision.


    Derek jogged to catch up with Tyler, his flashlight bouncing in the light. ¡°You once said Order allowed Chaos to put Akshi in the bubble. One favor to cash in another later.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Has she cashed in on the favor yet?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Derek raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are we allowed to petition her for suggestions on how to cash it in?¡±


    Tyler gave him a look. ¡°I¡¯d rather leave that up to her to decide.¡±


    ¡°I know, but¡­¡± Derek gestured toward Ezekiel. ¡°How are we getting a deity or minion to crush the bar of silver Milo has? Gods and Goddesses really don¡¯t walk around on earth. Unless we get creative with the interpretation, we¡¯re at a standstill with that.¡±


    Tyler sighed. ¡°I know. And¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Derek¡¯s face dropped. ¡°Thanks, Tyler.¡±


    ¡°Hey, if you think you can do better, I¡¯d happily give you responsibility and I can take over Milo.¡± Tyler tapped the side of his head. ¡°They¡¯re exhausting.¡±


    Alejandra was struck with an idea. ¡°Can Order crush the silver?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Tyler said, folding his arms. ¡°She¡¯s order. She¡­ doesn¡¯t destroy. But you can¡¯t petition Order for something and not have Chaos eventually show up. Despite how opposite those two are, they are a packaged deal. And Chaos might not grind it to powder. He might turn it into flowers instead, because he can.¡±


    Alejandra felt defeated, but there was no point in arguing further. Of course the person who was the personification of order wouldn¡¯t be able to crush something to powder.


    ¡°The biggest thing right now is next week,¡± Rafael said. ¡°We get what we need to from Akshi, then we can look again at the text and figure out what it means.¡±


    ¡°If we can get what we need from Akshi,¡± Grizzizzik said quietly.


    That caused a silence to fall over everyone as they continued to follow Grizzizzik. Alejandra glanced at Rafael, and was surprised to see her brother looking about as pessimistic as the rogue.


    They kept walking, with Hraktar and Ezekiel especially looking lost in their own minds. Alejandra wanted to talk to her character, but wasn¡¯t sure what to say.


    Grizzizzik pulled to a stop, glancing behind his shoulders. ¡°This is as good a place as any to split off. Stay here, we¡¯ll go on ahead.¡±


    ¡°Okay Milo,¡± Hraktar said. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Milo nodded and stopped, pulling out his void bag as Derek held out a flashlight for him to see. There was a flicker of determination on Hraktar¡¯s face, but it was almost smothered by grim acceptance. He walked over to the void bag as Milo struggled to get the great axe out of the bag.


    The two of them were silent as Hraktar unbuckled his great sword and dropped it in Milo¡¯s hands, the mana fusor¡¯s knees knocking together under the weight. Hraktar pulled out the silvered great axe, resting it on his shoulder.


    ¡°I want my sword after this battle,¡± Hraktar said.


    Milo struggled to get the great sword into the bag. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it safe.¡±


    Alejandra turned her attention toward Ezekiel, who had been quiet this entire time. He had a hand around his stomach, looking ahead. There was clearly a battle going on in his head between himself and the lycanthropy, but it didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d connected the dots as to why Hraktar had a silvered great axe. Ezekiel reached out until he found Clarissa. She took his hand, rubbing his arm as they walked forward, with Clarissa leading the way in the darkness.


    ¡°I¡¯m really close to creating dark goggles,¡± Milo said, placing his void bag in his inventory. ¡°But until then¡­¡±


    Hraktar grunted. ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll lead you.¡±


    They walked forward into the darkness. Alejandra somehow found herself by Evelyn, and she wasn¡¯t sure how. The pit in her stomach grew, and she tried as coyly as possible to distract herself with her phone as she walked over closer to Rafael and Hazel.


    Tyler squinted into the darkness. ¡°I wish I had dark vision,¡± he mumbled.


    As he said that, the battlefield lit up with light. All of them looked over to see Milo chanting something as some sort of scrap metal in the trees was infused with light, giving the two humans the ability to see enough of the battle. They weren¡¯t far. In fact, they must have practically stumbled on the undead.


    A burst of radiant light exploded from Ezekiel¡¯s hands, giving off a light that almost made the battlefield light up like it was noonday. There was a tall, thin creature completely ghost white. At first Alejandra thought it was a ghost, but the armor was real, and there wasn¡¯t any sort of transparency to this creature. It had long white hair, and the long, sharp teeth were on display as it snarled. This must be the wight.


    There was another creature, even thinner than the other. It was a mummy, almost skeletal, with rotten wrappings clinging to its dehydrated, blackened body. The final two creatures were hunched over, grey skin pulled tight over their thin frames. They gnawed on some raw meat, shrieking at the sudden light.


    The wight shrieked and leapt out of the way of the radiant burst of light before turning toward Ezekiel, snarling.


    ¡°Yeah, um¡­ he missed that one,¡± Rafael said.


    Time slowed down.


    Roll for initiative.

 Chapter 129

    There were a lot of monsters in this battle. Alejandra closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to keep her panic away. ¡°We need to reach level four.¡±


    She rolled a nine. Not a large number, but at least Hraktar now had a weapon and could do something this battle.


    Time resumed, and Ezekiel clutched his medallion, muttering something as he moved his other hand around. His spiritual book appeared, and he slammed it into the wight. The jaw became disconnected, and it let out a shriek. The creature moved his jaw around before it snapped back into place. One thing was certain: Ezekiel was not making friends with that wight.


    Clarissa began chanting in her native elvish as she walked forward, holding out her hand with a leaf in her palm. The wind picked up as the leaf burst into flame. The light grew until a full scimitar blade made of fire appeared in her hand. She glared at the mummy before slamming the flame blade down. Some bandages lit up with fire, and the creature shrieked as it backed away.


    Derek nodded. ¡°Nice.¡± Milo pulled something out, and in the light of magic and Clarissa¡¯s flame scimitar, he got to work making his cannon.


    The mummy patted the fire out of its wrappings, but his head bobbed around before finding the druid, snarling. Clarissa held her sword out, her eyes narrow. The mummy then slammed his fist into Clarissa¡¯s stomach, and she screamed in pain. Alejandra winced as a few ribs crack, and blood pumped out of a fist size hole in her stomach.


    ¡°Princess!¡± Milo shouted in alarm.


    Alejandra gasped as Clarissa¡¯s hit points zoomed from twenty-four to three.


    Derek grabbed his hair, eyes widening. ¡°Holy shit. Stay away from that mummy¡¯s fist.¡±


    Alejandra was now relieved Hraktar had a silver weapon, because they couldn¡¯t have their tank sitting on the sidelines for this one. She could almost sense the same realization hit Hraktar. Whatever hesitancy he had with using a great axe disappeared. They needed these monsters dead.


    A ghoul shrieked as it sprinted toward Milo. The mana fusor barely had time to glance up before the ghoul slammed into him, its teeth sinking down into the flesh. Milo let out a scream of surprise, then of pain as his hit points dove before stabilizing at sixteen.


    The wight, who never took his eyes off Ezekiel, pulled out his sword and sliced it across Ezekiel¡¯s gut. He gasped, stumbling back, but then the wight grabbed his throat, snarling as the cleric let out a garbled scream. Alejandra watched, wincing, as Ezekiel¡¯s hit points plummeted to sixteen. Then, to her absolute horror, she watched the base number of his hit points go down.


    16/28


    15/27


    14/26


    All the way to 9/21. That wight sucked away Ezekiel¡¯s hit points.


    ¡°Tyler?¡± Rafael patted Tyler¡¯s arm, staring at the numbers above Ezekiel¡¯s head. ¡°Tyler, Tyler, Tyler?¡±


    ¡°It will come back to your original full health after a long rest.¡± Their game master sounded exhausted.


    ¡°As long as they make it out of there,¡± Mr. Anderson whispered.


    The wight dropped Ezekiel. The cleric gasped for air, his breathing ragged. He rubbed his throat, blood dripping from his mouth as he shivered.


    Alejandra had her hands in her hair as time slowed. Her fighter pushed aside his worry about the great axe, and since that was the only option they had, she mentally chose it. Everyone was a concern, and Hraktar needed to do as much damage to these creatures as possible.


    There was another ghoul near the mummy, so she targeted the mummy with her great axe, as well as a sweeping attack to hit the ghoul.


    She rolled, worrying she deliberated far too long on a roll that might miss. The tension left her body as it landed on nineteen. It hit. It had to hit. From looking at the barely hanging on cloth holding the mummy together, it couldn¡¯t have a strong armor class.


    This time, a d12 floated above her, and she relaxed. Until it landed on a one. She frowned, but remembered her options. Because of Hraktar¡¯s great weapon fighting, the great axe was two handed, so she could re-roll anything that landed on a one or a two. She definitely was re-rolling this one.


    On a stroke of luck she almost couldn¡¯t believe, it landed on a twelve. She used time standing still to give a huge whoop of excitement as the +4 bumped it up to sixteen. They needed this.


    She then rolled the d8 to hit the ghoul with the same attack, and it landed on a six. She was breathing deeply, glancing up to watch it unfold.


    Hraktar took two steps toward the mummy, bringing his great axe up like it was a baseball bat before slamming it into the mummy¡¯s chest. It shrieked in surprise as part of its rib cage broke open. With the momentum, Hraktar let it slam into the arm of the ghoul next to it. Black ichor dribbled from the cut on the ghoul¡¯s arm, and it spun to Hraktar, furious.


    ¡°Hraktar, I love you,¡± Milo said.


    ¡°Right back at you, friend.¡± Hraktar tightened his grip on the great axe. ¡°Thanks for the shiny weapon.¡±


    Grizzizzik tried to stab the ghoul, but it dodged the attack, snarling.


    ¡°Does Nick know we¡¯re fighting undead, and weapons might not work?¡± Derek asked.


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    Evelyn shrugged.


    ¡°Ghouls can get hurt with regular weapons.¡± Tyler was checking something on his phone. ¡°So as long as he keeps targeting the ghouls, we should be fine.¡±


    The ghoul tried to bite Grizzizzik¡¯s hand, but the rogue brought it back fast. At least Clarissa was protected behind Hraktar and Grizzizzik.


    Ezekiel grasped his medallion and started muttering a prayer, his voice starting out quiet, then got louder as a golden glow emanated from his palm that clasped the medallion.


    ¡°I should¡¯ve done this sooner,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°We all forget sometimes.¡± Alejandra wasn¡¯t even sure what she was comforting him about.


    The golden glow slammed into each of the four undead, and they gave a shriek of complete fear.


    ¡°Sick! You turned all of them!¡± Derek punched the air.


    Ezekiel was panting. ¡°That should keep them all busy for a minute! Let the mummy and the wight run while we take care of the ghouls. I don¡¯t know how long this will last, but it will distract the more powerful ones as we kill the smaller minions.¡±


    ¡°That saved all our asses. Thank you, Rafael,¡± Evelyn said.


    He didn¡¯t look at her. ¡°I should¡¯ve done it sooner.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s done now. That¡¯s all that matters,¡± she said.


    Clarissa stumbled to her feet, her blue dress covered in red blood. She let out a cry as she tried to hit a ghoul running away, but she missed. She curled into herself before she let out a shout, the spirit of the bear coming out of her and running around the group.


    Grizzizzik and Hraktar got an added eight health points. Milo, Clarissa, and Ezekiel got the healing they needed to not look so ragged.


    ¡°Alright. Payback.¡± Milo stood up with his newly formed cannon. A white blast smacked the ghoul that bit him. The ghoul who was in the process of running away shuddered before turning toward Milo with a look of hatred. ¡°And¡­ we can all focus on this ghoul now.¡±


    The mummy and the wight both, thankfully, started shrieking as they did their best to move away from Ezekiel. Everyone else let them move away as they turned toward the ghoul that had awoken from the fear.


    The ghoul shrieked, running straight at Milo with its claws out. It slammed down hard, and three claw marks appeared on Milo¡¯s chest, oozing blood. He shouted, stumbling back.


    ¡°Ooh.¡± Derek rubbed his arm. ¡°Something tells me he barely saved that constitution saving throw.¡±


    Milo was panting, ready for another fight.


    Time slowed down, and Alejandra chose the great axe again. It landed on a seven, which she wasn¡¯t sure would hit, but felt pleasantly surprised when the d12 showed up again. She rolled it, and it landed on a one. Again. She sighed, rolling it again and deflating as it landed on a two. Her luck couldn¡¯t last every time.


    The +4 made it a six total. Hraktar ran over and gave a large swipe with the axe. The back of the creature sliced open. It turned around, shrieking with hatred. Grizzizzik tried to follow suit, but missed completely.


    Ezekiel brought his spiritual weapon down hard on the top of the ghoul¡¯s head. The spinal cord snapped, and the light from its eyes dimmed as he collapsed to the ground, dead. The cleric picked up the book and dusted it off. ¡°Knowledge will set you free.¡± He then chucked it at the other ghoul. It smacked the creature in the back and it threw out its arms, shrieking. It was only a moment¡¯s pause before it whipped around, snarling.


    It didn¡¯t snarl for long. Clarissa ran forward, and with a shout drove the fire scimitar into the chest of the ghoul. It squealed like a slaughtered pig before dropping to the ground, dead.


    ¡°Let¡¯s destroy dear ol¡¯ mummy, shall we?¡± Milo pointed his cannon at the mummy. White energy smacked the decayed and split open chest, and it stopped in its tracks. No one could see the mummy¡¯s eyes, since it was covered with bandages, but the rotten teeth were still nothing to mess with.


    The mummy turned toward Hraktar, and something underneath the bandages glowed.


    ¡°Shit. Look away, Hraktar!¡± Milo said.


    But it was too late. Everything froze, and Alejandra saw the d20 hanging in front of her.


    Make a wisdom saving throw.


    Hraktar¡¯s wisdom modifier was sitting at a big fat zero. Nothing about this comforted her.


    ¡°Come on. Big number, big number,¡± Alejandra said, shaking the d20 before letting it drop. It landed on a six. She grimaced. That couldn¡¯t be good.


    Fail. Hraktar now paralyzed.


    ¡°No!¡±


    Everything on her character sheet was locked.


    The mummy let out a grunt before shoving his fist into Hraktar¡¯s gut. It broke the skin, half of its fist in the fighter¡¯s innards. Alejandra let out a cry of sympathy pain. Hraktar grunted, incapable of stumbling, but the pain was clear. The eight bonus hit points from Clarissa disappeared in a flash. The numbers kept dropping until they landed at twenty.


    Enemy rolled a natural twenty. Hraktar infected with mummy rot.


    Alejandra gave Tyler a wide, terrified look. ¡°What¡¯s mummy rot?¡±


    ¡°Shit.¡± Tyler rubbed his hand across his jaw. ¡°No healing potion or cure wounds will have any effect on him until we cure mummy rot. Try not to get knocked out.¡±


    Rafael jerked his head toward Tyler. ¡°How do we cure it?¡±


    ¡°Calawit. We must kill these creatures first and get back to her,¡± Tyler said.


    The wight kept scrambling from Ezekiel, which was fine. They needed to be ignored by a creature who could drain the life out of someone.


    Hraktar paralyzed. Incapable of taking a turn.


    Alejandra assumed that meant she wouldn¡¯t roll the dice for anything. She watched her fighter, saw how frozen he was, the wound in his gut trailing black marks toward his heart.


    Grizzizzik started chanting something, and a dark aura filled his palm before he shot it in the mummy¡¯s direction. The creature grunted, then used a bandaged hand to touch its head, moaning.


    Ezekiel slammed the book against the mummy¡¯s head, and it grunted. Ezekiel then grabbed Milo¡¯s shoulder, giving a quick prayer.


    ¡°What¡¯s that for?¡± Hazel asked.


    ¡°Milo¡¯s closest to him, and Ezekiel doesn¡¯t want his best friend to end up like Hraktar.¡± Rafael glanced at Derek. ¡°Milo rarely survives what Hraktar can.¡±


    ¡°You are the best. Thanks Rafael,¡± Derek said.


    Milo lifted his cannon, aimed directly at the mummy¡¯s chest, and another white ball of energy burst out of the cannon.


    Many of its rotten wrappings started to unravel as the mummy looked at Milo; the gaze glowing under the wraps. Milo held firm, and Derek lifted his two hands to give a thumbs up to Rafael. ¡°Thanks.¡± The mummy slammed his fist toward Milo, who leapt out of the way, and Derek nodded. ¡°Double thanks.¡±


    Hraktar gasped as the wight cowered in the background. Alejandra didn¡¯t even want to think about how this would go if they had to fight both a mummy and a wight at the same time. Hraktar grunted, holding his stomach as the paralyses wore off.


    Once prompted, Alejandra picked the silvered great axe and rolled the dice. Sixteen. That was even before the boost from the modifier.


    She got a two on the first roll, which she decided to re-roll. She groaned in frustration as it landed on a three. The +4 made it a seven.


    Time resumed, and Hraktar lifted his great axe, glaring at the mummy. He brought it down hard; the axe cutting the mummy right down the middle.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Derek shouted, fists in the air.


    Good. It was enough to kill it. Alejandra heard something snapping in the bushes dangerously close to them. She turned, curious.


    Grizzizzik shot a black spell at the wight, who lifted a hand to stop it. To actually stop the black mass from hitting it.


    ¡°Wait, I thought it was turned,¡± Derek said.


    Tyler took a small step back. ¡°Not anymore.¡±


    ¡°Guys,¡± Alejandra said, almost breathless.


    Two deer stumbled into the light behind them, right up to their group. At least, they seemed like deer. There was black blood coming from their glowing eyes, and some of the flesh melted from their bones. Alejandra¡¯s breath caught in her throat. She thought the battle was almost over. But now these zombie deer were staring right at her, once a part of this planet, and there was an excellent chance they could hurt her worse than a creature from the Shrouded Domain.

 Chapter 130

    Alejandra¡¯s heart rate skyrocketed.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Mr. Anderson said, grabbing Derek, Rafael, and Tyler, pulling them behind him.


    Rafael turned to his character, alarmed. ¡°Ezekiel!¡±


    The spiritual book rushed past them, missing the deer wildly. One deer stumbled toward the group, groaning.


    ¡°Get away!¡± Se?ora Florez shouted at the deer, standing in front of Hazel and Alejandra.


    There was a howl, and the group turned. A zombie wolf stumbled forward, baring its rotten teeth. Its fur was matted and bloodstained, a deep, dull white glow in its eyes.


    ¡°Well shit. How many of these creatures did that wight turn?¡± Tyler asked. The wolf tried to snap at Tyler, but he jumped back. It actually tried to attack Tyler.


    Mr. Anderson held out a hand, still trying to make himself the bigger target. Clarissa ran with her flame blade, ramming it into the wolf¡¯s body. It shrieked, but not the usual shriek of a living animal. This was a groan escaping from a rotten esophagus.


    ¡°I have eyes on two deer and a wolf.¡± Tyler lifted his two arms to keep tabs on the zombies. ¡°Does anyone see any other creatures?¡±


    Alejandra shook her head, too terrified to say anything. Thankfully other people spoke in the negative.


    Mr. Anderson grabbed Rafael and pulled him toward him right as something large landed where he once stood.


    ¡°Rafael!¡± Alejandra and Hazel screamed.


    It was a mountain lion, zombified. The once golden fur was matted, rotting off at the joints of its shoulders and thighs. It turned, growling at Mr. Anderson and Rafael. Mr. Anderson gave it a firm kick with his foot. The mountain lion shrieked, some of the bone in its skull caving in, but it didn¡¯t kill it.


    Evelyn let out a scream that cut across the desert. Everyone turned to her as she scrambled back.


    ¡°Ev¡ª¡± Mr. Anderson was cut off as she leapt onto his back to get off the ground. ¡°Evelyn, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Tarantula! Tarantula! Tarantula!¡± She was flailing around too horribly as Mr. Anderson stumbled back. Tyler grabbed both of them to keep them in one spot. Evelyn covered her face and screamed. Alejandra noticed the large tarantula on the ground, zombified with the rest of them.


    Se?ora Florez shuddered. ¡°The wight¡¯s been busy.¡±


    Milo turned his cannon on the wight and shot. The wight barely side stepped the blast, turning toward Milo and giving a smile that inspired dread.


    Faster than Alejandra could catch, the wight slashed Milo across the stomach. Milo gasped, trying to stop the blood when he reached to grab Milo¡¯s throat. A golden protection knocked the wights hand away, causing a bit of its flesh to hiss. The wight growled at Ezekiel.


    Time stood still, and Alejandra heard the chaos around her. There were zombie creatures coming after them, but they needed to kill the wight first. She chose her great axe and rolled. Six. A miss. She mentally chose action surge because they needed a hit.


    The d20 landed on an eight, which made her hold her breath. Would it be enough with the +6 bonus she got for the great axe?


    The d12 showed up, and she let out her breath. Ten. Ten was superb. The +4 would be what they needed.


    Time resumed, and Hraktar came down hard on the wight¡¯s head. The wight sidestepped it, but did not expect Hraktar¡¯s second attack. Black liquid oozed from a deep cut, and the creature¡¯s left arm hung uselessly at its side. The wight snarled at the fighter, and he snarled back.


    Alejandra tried to focus on the fight with the wight, but the zombie deer gave a decomposed bleat as it scampered toward Hazel. She backed away, with Se?ora Florez pulling her away from danger. Se?ora Florez searched the dark horizon for the van. ¡°We¡¯ve got to get out of here.¡±


    Derek shook his head. ¡°Not with that wight still standing.¡±


    Grizzizzik ran next to Clarissa and slammed his rapier into the zombified wolf. Despite its haunches getting a beating, the wolf was still alive, a gravelly pant coming out of it.


    A zombified desert fox stumbled into the light, trying to snap at Se?ora Florez.


    ¡°How many of these things are there?¡± Mr. Anderson still kept a hold of Evelyn as she was in no state to be set down. Not until that tarantula was an unrecognizable pulp.


    Ezekiel once again clasped his medallion and said a quiet prayer. His hand warmed with light before flying out of the medallion and smacking into the undead earth creatures. She tried to see where they had all gone, to keep track of the zombified earth creatures, but there were too many. To her delight, once the light hit, many of them shrieked and tried to get away. The mountain lion still eying Rafael stumbled back.


    The spiritual book zoomed back into Ezekiel¡¯s hand. ¡°Leave them to us.¡± He brought it down against the wight¡¯s head. It shrieked again, more black liquid streaming from its wounds.


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    Clarissa slammed her flame scimitar against the wolf. ¡°We¡¯ll start with this creature.¡± The wolf shrieked, but as soon as Clarissa brought the scimitar out, the creature snarled at her, no longer trying to escape.


    Milo pointed his cannon again at the wight. The blast of energy sparkled past the creature, and he snarled with delight before slashing at him. Milo thought he got out injury free until he noticed the nasty cut across his arm. Alejandra winced as Milo¡¯s hit points dropped to three. Once again, the wight tried to grab the mana fusor¡¯s throat, but another shield of light knocked the wight¡¯s hand out of the way.


    Alejandra grabbed the d20 as soon as it appeared. She shook it good, hoping for a nice number. It landed on a fifteen, and she let out a sigh of relief.


    The d12 landed on a one, and she grabbed it again, pumping her fist as it landed on eleven. The +4 was always a welcome relief.


    Time resumed, and with a final grunt, Hraktar slammed the silver great axe into the wight¡¯s throat. It didn¡¯t have time to shriek. The ghostly eyes went out, and Hraktar pulled the axe out as the wight collapsed to the ground, dead.


    ¡°Alright, everyone focus on those earth animals.¡± Ezekiel pointed to the creatures surrounding Alejandra and her friends. ¡°We cannot let them escape, and they must be destroyed! Does anyone else have spells that do radiant damage?¡±


    Milo patted Ezekiel¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s all on you, buddy.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get them down enough for you to bring their souls to peace,¡± Clarissa said.


    Alejandra noticed Evelyn, still sobbing and hyperventilating. Tyler and Mr. Anderson were trying to comfort her, but she was in a bad state of panic.


    Grizzizzik tried to hit the deer zombie but missed. Ezekiel held out a hand toward the wolf, and a beam of white fire exploded out of his palm, completely missing the wolf. Ezekiel raised his hand, blinking. ¡°Right. Um¡­ my bad.¡± He lowered his hand again and tried again, this time smacking the wolf in the stomach. It let out a growl before collapsing to the ground, dead. ¡°Got it.¡±


    Clarissa slammed her flame sword on the tarantula, and Evelyn¡¯s feet finally touched the ground. There were about four people between her and the arachnid, but she refused to look. The zombie spider was cut in half. It stilled before half of its body crawled toward Clarissa, the four rotten legs trying to function without the other pair.


    Milo stepped forward with his cannon, pointed it right at the spider, and gave it a blast of so much energy, it should have killed the thing. Instead it shuddered, more of its exoskeleton shredding away before again crawling toward them. Evelyn shrieked.


    ¡°You¡¯re alright. You¡¯re alright,¡± Mr. Anderson said.


    ¡°Oh my god. I can¡¯t watch.¡± Evelyn kept her eyes closed, clutching Tyler¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s focused on them. It¡¯s not coming toward you.¡± Tyler tried to pry her fingers off his shoulder, but he struggled against her grip.


    Time slowed down, and Alejandra chose the great axe. The die landed on a seven, and the +4 had to mean something.


    Hraktar lifted his axe and brought it down on that tarantula. It mushed it to a pulp, and Hraktar lifted his axe, giving a nod of approval. Until something cracked, and part of the pulpy spider snapped back to place, continuing to crawl toward Clarissa.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Derek shoved his hands in his hair. ¡°That thing will not die!¡± Evelyn whimpered, covering her ears as Mr. Anderson shot Derek a dry look. Derek¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°It¡¯s going to die. It¡¯s absolutely going to die.¡±


    Grizzizzik poked it with his rapier, and the tarantula lost another rotten leg, but it still tried desperately to get to Clarissa.


    ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s all you could do?¡± Milo asked.


    Grizzizzik kept an eye on the tarantula, a slight smile crossing his lips. ¡°I¡¯m absolutely fascinated by the thing¡¯s tenacity.¡±


    ¡°Now is not the time,¡± Ezekiel said. ¡°People of this realm get behind us. I¡¯m about to wake them all up from their trance.¡±


    Alejandra didn¡¯t need to question it. All of them clambered behind the characters as Ezekiel walked forward, a pure white light gaining in power. Ezekiel lifted his head. ¡°Peace.¡±


    The light smacked all the zombified animals, some of them getting hurt worse than others. The tarantula finally collapsed, no longer moving.


    ¡°It¡¯s dead,¡± Tyler said.


    Evelyn shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s still there, though. Isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah. But definitely dead,¡± Tyler said. She whimpered, moving as far away from the others as possible.


    Ezekiel lifted a hand at the mountain lion, trying to hit it with sacred flame, but the zombified creature dodged it. From the remaining light, Alejandra could see four zombified creatures left. Two deer, a mountain lion, and the desert fox.


    One deer tried to slam into Grizzizzik, but he dodged the creature. Clarissa drove her flame blade into the deer¡¯s rotting flesh, and it shrieked. The mountain lion tried to take a bite out of Ezekiel, but he dodged it well enough.


    Milo aimed his cannon and his crossbow at the deer and the mountain lion. A bolt stuck into the deer, as a blast of energy smashed into the mountain lion¡¯s face.


    Alejandra grabbed the d20 and gave it a roll, disappointed when it landed on a three. But then completely surprised when a d12 popped up. These guys had a terrible armor class.


    Once Alejandra rolled nine damage, Hraktar grabbed his axe and slammed it into the second deer. It shrieked, but the broken rib cage snapped back into place.


    ¡°This is getting insane,¡± Mr. Anderson said.


    Derek shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s always been insane.¡±


    Despite the deer getting smacked by Hraktar, it instead bowed its head and shuffled forward, smacking into Ezekiel. Whatever intelligence these creatures had, they could tell Ezekiel was the guy to take out, though his hit points remained the same.


    Grizzizzik dove his rapier into the fox, who let out a bark. The fox took the hit before slamming into Grizzizzik. Which is when Alejandra noticed no one had touched Grizzizzik. The eight hit points he got from Clarissa ages ago finally flickered to three, but he did not look hurt at all.


    Ezekiel grabbed his medallion again, closing his eyes. ¡°Peace.¡± The light glowed, pushing toward the creatures. The first deer slammed into Ezekiel. His hit points dropped to eight. Ezekiel started gasping, blinking as he touched his head.


    ¡°Ezekiel?¡± Clarissa asked.


    He didn¡¯t answer. Clarissa strode forward with her flame sword, giving a wide swipe and completely cutting the deer in half. The two halves collapsed, no movement. Another zombie dead. Clarissa touched Ezekiel¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Answer me. What¡¯s wrong, my cleric?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer, simply moving his other hand to massage his forehead. With a pounce, the mountain lion whacked Ezekiel, causing him to fall over.


    ¡°NO!¡± Clarissa shouted.


    The zombie mountain lion took a bite out of Ezekiel¡¯s neck, and the cleric sputtered, blood pooling.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Rafael started backing away, panting. ¡°I rolled a three. The last time they asked for a nature check and I rolled low¡ª¡±


    There was an unearthly, guttural growl, and it was coming from Ezekiel. The cleric kicked the mountain lion off him, and the creature went flying. Alejandra gasped, backing away with everyone else.


    ¡°Is¡­ he still a cleric? Can he still cast radiant damage?¡± Hazel asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Rafael stared at his character with wide eyes. ¡°No, he can¡¯t.¡±


    Ezekiel¡¯s eyes gleamed green. His nose was more pointed, his front teeth longer, but sharper. A chunk of his hair came out as he snarled at the mountain lion.


    ¡°Well, shit,¡± Derek said.

 Chapter 131

    ¡°Ezekiel? Buddy?¡± Milo asked. ¡°Do you still know we¡¯re friends?¡± Milo¡¯s crossbow bolt smacked into the deer, going straight through the rotting flesh. It shuddered, looking dead, but honestly, they all looked dead. Its neck snapped back into place, shrieking at Milo, who pointed his cannon at the fox. ¡°I don¡¯t want to shoot you, Ezekiel.¡± Milo was too distracted to focus on aiming, and the energy beam did nothing more than sheer the ears off of the undead fox.


    ¡°This is bad. What are we going to do?¡± No one answered Alejandra¡¯s question, but then she realized time had frozen when she asked her question. Alejandra let out a breath, wanting to discuss strategy with everyone else. She chose the fox, since it was the closest. A part of her wanted to believe Ezekiel wouldn¡¯t attack anyone.


    It was no longer a surprise for her to hit the creatures no matter what she rolled, and she was happy to get ten damage total. Time resumed and Hraktar let out a yell before slamming his axe, splitting the fox¡¯s skull. Matter tumbled out, and the fox didn¡¯t move. At least that was easier than the tarantula.


    The last deer stumbled toward Ezekiel, but the changed cleric grabbed the creature, picked it up with unhuman strength and slammed it to the ground. Ezekiel shoved his hand through the rotting, zombified flesh, grabbed the spinal cord, and jerked it out. Alejandra gasped, watching as the deer gave a final jerk before it died.


    ¡°We might make it through yet,¡± Tyler said.


    Alejandra took a few steps back. ¡°As long as Ezekiel doesn¡¯t turn on us.¡± Being so near to the wererat cleric made her uneasy.


    With a shout, Grizzizzik ran forward before bringing his rapier down hard against the mountain lion¡¯s skull. Grizzizzik hardly had time to celebrate before Ezekiel¡¯s mace swung toward him. The rogue barely dodged it, spinning toward the cleric and holding out a hand. ¡°Stop. I¡¯m your¡­ friend.¡±


    Ezekiel lifted the mace again before smashing it across Grizzizzik¡¯s face. The rogue shouted in pain as blood and teeth landed on the ground.


    ¡°Ezekiel! Stand down!¡± Milo said.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing!¡± Rafael shouted. ¡°He¡¯s in a frenzy mode! Talking won¡¯t help!¡±


    Ezekiel punched Grizzizzik, and the rogue stumbled back. Alejandra gasped. She made eye contact with Hraktar right as time froze.


    Roll for athletics.


    Hraktar was going to tackle Ezekiel. The d20 landed on a four. Alejandra winced, gripping her hair. The +6 brought it to a ten, but if she remembered the rules right, it would be pointless if Rafael rolled higher.


    Time resumed, and Hraktar sprinted toward Ezekiel. The cleric was not himself, losing more chunks of hair as he raised a fist to hit Grizzizzik again. With that distraction, Hraktar wrestled Ezekiel to the ground, successfully pinning him.


    ¡°Knock him out, Hraktar!¡± Tyler shouted.


    Time froze at that.


    Roll with advantage.


    The first one was a twelve, the second a nineteen. A d6 appeared, and she rolled them, the total adding up to six. She glanced again at Ezekiel¡¯s hit points.


    Hraktar grabbed the back of Ezekiel¡¯s head before slamming it against the ground. Ezekiel¡¯s snorting stopped cold, and Hraktar let the cleric go. As Clarissa knelt down to make sure the cleric was alright, Hraktar detangled himself and crawled away from everyone, his hands trembling.


    Clarissa looked at Rafael, keeping a hand on Ezekiel. ¡°Should we bring him back to consciousness?¡±


    Rafael shrugged. ¡°Your guess is as good as mine. According to my roll, he¡¯ll wake up naturally in two hours.¡±


    ¡°Might be a good idea to make sure he¡¯s properly restrained before we try anything.¡± Grizzizzik wiped the blood from multiple wounds on his forehead.


    ¡°Anyone who doesn¡¯t magically heal themselves from mana, are you all okay?¡± Se?ora Florez asked.


    ¡°Thanks to you two, none of us got hurt,¡± Rafael said, glancing at their teachers.


    Mr. Anderson covered his face, taking a huge breath in before letting it out through his fingers. ¡°This is so unsafe. So incredibly unsafe.¡±


    ¡°If it makes you feel better, this is the first-time zombie creatures have tried to attack us,¡± Derek said.


    Mr. Anderson dropped his hands. ¡°That does not make me feel better. At all.¡±


    Everyone glanced at Tyler. He had his arms folded, looking off into the distance. Evelyn, who was still getting over her panicking, was backing away from the carnage.


    Hraktar gave a dry heave, and everyone¡¯s attention was on him. The fighter¡¯s back arched before he vomited a tar like substance. Alejandra¡¯s eyes widened. It was like with Ezekiel and the wight. As Hraktar vomited the black tar, his overall hit points went from thirty-four to twenty-four.


    Hraktar¡¯s vomiting had pulled Tyler into the present. ¡°We¡¯ve got to take Hraktar and Ezekiel to Calawit¡¯s. If we don¡¯t get that mummy rot cured in three days, he¡¯ll shrivel to dust.¡±


    Alejandra knelt beside her character. ¡°We¡¯re going to Cal¡¯s. She¡¯ll fix you. Do you need help getting up?¡±


    Hraktar shook his head, then stumbled to his feet. He pulled out the axe and dropped it next to Milo. ¡°When Calawit fixes me, I want my sword back.¡±


    Milo nodded, then started struggling to get the great axe back in the bag. Rafael and Derek helped.


    ¡°Um¡­ what about these things?¡± Mr. Anderson asked, nudging what was left of the tarantula.


    ¡°What about them?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re¡­ from earth. Can other people see them?¡± Se?ora Florez asked.


    There was a pause, then Alejandra¡¯s gaze dropped to the fox with an axe wound through its head.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Derek started to say.


    Mr. Anderson sighed. ¡°Better safe than sorry. Molly and I will stay behind and bury them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds good,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Milo, Grizzizzik, you get Ezekiel,¡± Clarissa said.


    Grizzizzik pulled out some rope. ¡°Not before I get my own peace of mind.¡± It was almost scary how fast Grizzizzik had Ezekiel¡¯s ankles and wrists bound. As he did that, Alejandra watched as four hundred and twenty experience points filled Hraktar¡¯s bar, making a grand total of 2,980.


    Hraktar ready for level four.


    Alejandra sighed, looking at her fighter, who trembled as he walked toward the cars. She needed to do something, so she walked over, her hand around his waist as she tried to steady him. There was no way she was actually helping him, but he didn¡¯t push her away. Instead, he placed his hand on her shoulder.


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    ¡°Did everyone get to level four?¡± Tyler asked.


    Everyone muttered yes as they moved as a group toward the vehicles.


    ¡°Actually, Tyler?¡± Mr. Anderson asked.


    Tyler turned around. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Could you stay behind? We could use some help, and we¡¯d like a word,¡± Mr. Anderson said.


    There was a silence that perhaps lasted a few seconds, but Tyler¡¯s face dropped. ¡°Yeah.¡± His second yeah was not nearly as confident.


    The group split up, and Alejandra walked next to Hraktar.


    ¡°Do you need a bucket or something?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    It was the response he always said when he hated being a burden. Despite everything he did, doing massive damage against the undead, it disappointed him how he didn¡¯t come out of the fight uninjured.


    Alejandra eased Hraktar into the minivan as Derek opened the back of the car. Alejandra sat next to Hraktar, who was leaning his head against the window. His skin was clammy and cold. Grizzizzik and Milo placed Ezekiel in the back, and Grizzizzik climbed in with him as Milo walked around the front.


    Alejandra remained by Hraktar, who had his eyes closed, gripping his stomach. Alejandra didn¡¯t know what to do, other than to mentally go through the attributes for level four. For a fighter, she could now add two points to whatever of the six abilities she wanted. This would have to take some deliberation between her and Hraktar.


    They must have been a sight, stumbling into Calawit¡¯s tent after a long drive. Hraktar gripped his bleeding stomach with thin ribbons of black spreading across his body. Grizzizzik and Milo trailed behind, carrying a bound and unconscious Ezekiel.


    Calawit watched, an eyebrow raised. Quetzal ran over to Hraktar, rubbing his body against Hraktar¡¯s leg, chittering worriedly. Ezekiel was pale, his fingernails sharper and harder, his nose more pointed. Chunks of his hair were missing, and every time he breathed, he sounded like he was growling.


    Calawit placed her hands on her hips. ¡°Well, something tells me you¡¯re going to ask me to be a healer.¡±


    ¡°Hraktar¡¯s got mummy rot. And Ezekiel changed a bit into a wererat at the end.¡± Milo wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.


    ¡°Ezekiel might be okay.¡± Calawit touched the cleric¡¯s chin, moving his head to one side. ¡°Ah, pity. He¡¯s losing some of his gorgeous locks.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a chair we can tie him to?¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Clarissa frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit of an overreaction?¡±


    The rogue pointed to the wound on his head, the dried blood giving him a far more threatening and terrifying look. ¡°No. I don¡¯t think it is.¡±


    Clarissa sighed. ¡°Cal, where¡¯s your chairs?¡±


    ¡°Take the one from behind the desk.¡± Calawit waved in the general direction of the front of the store.


    Clarissa frowned, glancing at the tent. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ find one.¡±


    Calawit moved toward Hraktar, placing her hands on her hips. ¡°Alright, big guy. Kneel, I can¡¯t reach you.¡±


    Alejandra helped him get to his knees. Calawit studied it closer with her glasses before touching it with a glowing hand. The light entered Hraktar¡¯s body, following the ribbons of blackness. Hraktar shuddered as the blackness disappeared. Gold mana left Calawit¡¯s hands, weaving through Hraktar as the wound in his stomach closed. The hit points returned to the full thirty-four. Hraktar blinked, touching his stomach.


    ¡°Do you need me to pay you for that cleansing?¡± Hraktar asked. Calawit shook her head, and he changed tactics, already reaching behind him. ¡°Please let me pay you?¡±


    Calawit grabbed his wrist. ¡°No. I will refuse. We¡¯ve stumbled on this world, and my best payment is for you all to be healthy to destroy the monsters as fast as possible. I need to live in peace.¡±


    Hraktar sighed. ¡°Well, thank you.¡±


    ¡°So, um¡­¡± Milo trailed off, studying Calawit. ¡°Exactly how far does that charity go?¡±


    Calawit¡¯s face dropped. ¡°Don¡¯t even try it, Milo. I¡¯m not giving you stuff for free.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but¡­ here¡¯s the thing. We need to sneak up on Akshi and steal something from him. You have an entire store of gadgets we could use to aid us. Akshi is so much stronger than all of us. We need the advantage.¡±


    Calawit narrowed her eyes, but she didn¡¯t burst into hysterical laughter. She studied Ezekiel closer as Clarissa brought over a chair. Grizzizzik eased Ezekiel into it before he wrapped the rope over the cleric¡¯s torso to keep him in place. Calawit climbed onto the armrest. ¡°So, he morphed into a wererat?¡±


    ¡°Toward the end of the battle,¡± Milo said.


    Calawit grunted. ¡°The closer it gets to the full moon, the harder time he¡¯ll have controlling himself. Especially if he¡¯s been weakened.¡±


    Derek glanced at Rafael. ¡°How many hit points was he at when you were prompted to roll?¡±


    ¡°Four,¡± Rafael said.


    Derek let out a sigh. ¡°Okay. So¡­ if Ezekiel is creeping toward the single digits of health, there¡¯s a chance he might turn into a wererat.¡±


    ¡°My rolls have sucked for those checks,¡± Rafael grumbled.


    Grizzizzik gave a second knot to the rope. Clarissa reached over, taking Ezekiel¡¯s hand as she whispered something in elvish. Ribbons of gold mana came out of her wrists, weaving into Ezekiel¡¯s arm. Five hit points filled the bar above his head as Ezekiel moaned, struggling to blink.


    ¡°What happened?¡± His voice was slurred.


    ¡°You started attacking Grizzizzik,¡± Clarissa said.


    This woke Ezekiel even more. He studied her before his gaze shot around. ¡°Grizzizzik? Grizzizzik, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± The rogue folded his arms. ¡°Hraktar was there to stop you.¡±


    Ezekiel about said something when he realized he was bound to a chair.


    ¡°The wererat is gone,¡± Milo said. ¡°Grizzizzik, untie him.¡±


    The rogue gave Ezekiel a once over before obeying Milo¡¯s instructions.


    ¡°I have the worst headache,¡± Ezekiel said.


    ¡°That might be my bad,¡± Hraktar said.


    ¡°Hraktar gave your head a good pounding to knock you out,¡± Milo said.


    ¡°Good.¡± Ezekiel closed his eyes. ¡°You have my permission to do that every time.¡±


    ¡°Cal?¡± Milo asked. ¡°Have you thought any more about my offer?¡±


    Calawit pursed her lips. ¡°My tent is not a place to stock up for a heist. It¡¯s a few odds and ends. And¡­¡±


    ¡°Enchanted items? Which we need?¡± Milo said.


    Calawit grumbled. ¡°I will search through my inventory and see if there is anything that might help you when you infiltrate Akshi¡¯s headquarters. Most of my items won¡¯t work if they sense too many of the same kind on you, so you can¡¯t go in there too overpowered. I want you to understand that if it was for anyone else but Ezekiel, you¡¯d be out of luck. Also, this is not permanent. You get it the night before your mission, you do your little heist, and if you survive, you bring the trinkets back. If any become lost or stolen, you will pay for them. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Calawit.¡± Milo already looked excited.


    She replied by grumbling again.


    Tyler walked back in, and Alejandra picked up on his sulkiness immediately. ¡°Mr. Anderson and Se?ora Florez send their regards. They¡¯ve got to get back home, but they dropped me off here when they saw the van.¡±


    Derek raised an eyebrow. ¡°Dude. What did they say to you?¡±


    Tyler said nothing, though he folded his arms as Clarissa helped Ezekiel to his feet.


    The cleric touched his hair, an arm around Clarissa¡¯s shoulder. ¡°My hair.¡± He brought his hand down, seeing a fresh clump falling off. ¡°What is happening to me?¡±


    ¡°Lycanthropy,¡± Calawit said, standing on the chair Ezekiel previously occupied. ¡°You have less than two weeks until the full moon. The wererat personality will get stronger. But¡­ you already know this, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Ezekiel stared at Calawit, then rubbed his forehead. ¡°Yeah. I know.¡±


    ¡°Come on, guys. We¡¯ve got to get everyone back home. It¡¯s late,¡± Tyler said.


    Milo raised a hand. ¡°Actually, would it be alright if I stayed behind? I need to go check the undead again and extract enough substances for black mana. The ones we didn¡¯t bury. The hell hound essence is incomplete, and I need more ingredients.¡±


    Everyone stared at Milo. He met all their gazes with a smile. ¡°Do you know how to get back?¡± Derek asked.


    Milo gave two thumbs up. ¡°Absolutely. I will see you back at your house.¡±


    Derek sighed. ¡°Alright.¡± Milo slipped out of the tent, heading into the darkness. ¡°I don¡¯t know what Milo expects when he hasn¡¯t been in the lab all week.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Come on, guys.¡± Tyler motioned toward the door.


    They all filed out of the tent. ¡°So, are you going to tell us what Mr. Anderson and Se?ora Florez said?¡± Derek asked.


    Tyler grumbled as they climbed into the minivan. ¡°Just¡­ giving suggestions.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Derek turned on the van. ¡°Suggestions to keep us safe?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And I felt like a child the entire time.¡± Tyler had a hand in his hair.


    ¡°I get their concern. This one was a bit more violent than normal. We rarely have to fight the creatures,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Yeah. They did help. Honestly, they did¡­ a lot better protecting you all,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°You protect us all the time,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Do I? Sometimes I can¡¯t tell if being your friend makes you all a little more reckless,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°You do, Tyler. Mr. Anderson and Se?ora Florez can¡¯t hear the game masters.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes I wish they did.¡± Tyler let out a breath. ¡°Alright, we survived, no one¡¯s got any¡­¡± his eyes lingered on Ezekiel¡¯s thinning hair, ¡°¡­horrible side effects. And we¡¯ve all reached level four.¡± Tyler shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s still not as high as I¡¯d like, but I doubt we have time to get everyone to level five before then.¡±


    ¡°Cal promised to give some trinkets from her store for free to help us on the mission,¡± Clarissa said.


    ¡°Every little bit helps.¡± Tyler didn¡¯t sound convinced.


    Silence descended. Alejandra thought about facing Akshi at level four. She glanced at Hraktar, how he was recovering from their fight with the undead. Akshi was so much stronger than the wight and the mummy. She had a terrible feeling about this.


    They needed to steal something from the crime lord. That was all. Sneak in, steal something, then slip out. They weren¡¯t actually going to face him.


    But if something went wrong¡­


    Alejandra closed her eyes. Somehow, they were going to do all of this while she sat across from Nick, with Walt not that far away. The thought made her nerves triple.

 Chapter 132

    Nick was working hard on his essay in English. His essay on Frankenstein was pretty bad, but first drafts were supposed to be. He was at the dining room table, since it was Walt¡¯s new rule about using anyone¡¯s electronics. Nick didn¡¯t care.


    His parents were watching TV upstairs, and it was getting late. Nick received the notification that Grizzizzik was ready for level four. His character sheet was in front of his vision, even as he tried to mentally move it. It was obnoxious, making it difficult to write his essay. Being level four, he could add two points to any ability. He tried to choose one, but it blocked his attempt. He tried to see if Grizzizzik wanted any feats, but nothing showed up there, either. Nick even tried rolling for hit points, but that, too, was blocked. And so, he remained for a good hour, working on his essay around the character sheet in his mind¡¯s eye.


    The door opened, and Evelyn and Grizzizzik walked in, with his rogue a bit more bloodied.


    ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± Nick asked.


    Evelyn glanced at Grizzizzik, folding her arms and tapping her foot. At first the rogue was surprised, but then he let out a sigh, glaring at her. ¡°You are insufferable.¡±


    ¡°Say it, or I¡¯ll tell Hraktar you didn¡¯t,¡± Evelyn said.


    Grizzizzik grumbled. He didn¡¯t even look at Nick, instead distracted himself with something on the wall. ¡°Sorry for threatening you.¡± It was the quietest voice ever.


    A corner of Nick¡¯s mouth lifted into a smile. ¡°I forgive you.¡± Grizzizzik grunted as he moved toward Nick¡¯s room. ¡°Hey, wait, wait, wait.¡± Nick lowered the laptop screen. ¡°We need to talk about level four. It¡¯s been blocking my view for an hour, and I need to get homework done.¡±


    Grizzizzik kept grumbling as he turned back around and plopped himself in the chair across from Nick. His rogue glanced at Evelyn, but she already had her phone out, inspecting herself as she walked into the bathroom.


    ¡°Princess Clarissa stayed with Ezekiel, I take it?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°That cleric isn¡¯t doing so good,¡± Grizzizzik said. ¡°He attacked me while in his wererat form.¡±


    Nick raised an eyebrow, noticing the dried blood on the side of his face. ¡°Oh.¡± He missed a lot when he wasn¡¯t at these things. He¡¯d wait to get the rundown from Evelyn when she was done with her nightly skin routine. ¡°So, um, do you want to choose a feat or special skill? Or would you rather put two points into an ability?¡±


    Grizzizzik said nothing, and Nick waited. The longer the silence lasted, the more Nick felt like he was dying inside. ¡°Come on, man. You know how I feel about pulling information from you.¡±


    ¡°Which you¡¯ve never successfully done,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°You realize the only person this is hurting is you, right?¡± Nick asked.


    Grizzizzik stood up again. ¡°I¡¯m willing to take the risk.¡±


    Nick couldn¡¯t help it and felt confused. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°When I¡¯m ready, I¡¯ll come to you,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Nick didn¡¯t know what to say. In his speechlessness, Grizzizzik slipped away and headed toward his room. The door shut, and Nick could only look at it.


    The request to start level four stopped and forced itself to the side. Nick blinked again, then looked at the door to his room. How long, exactly, would Grizzizzik put this off? It wasn¡¯t like they had a ton of time before the heist. Grizzizzik certainly wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to wait until then.


    ***


    Milo wasn¡¯t back, but Derek didn¡¯t mind. He was studying things out, making sure he made the best choice he could. When it came down to it, he understood that as a mana fusor, Derek should dump the two points in intelligence. It was Milo¡¯s spell casting ability, and a +4 intelligence modifier felt drool-worthy. But he needed to make sure he was making the right choice. Because he could also choose a feat if he wanted to.


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    Derek had a lot of tabs open on his laptop, searching through the different feats.


    ¡°¡ªof course I¡¯m going to take it. It¡¯s a slight pay cut, but what I¡¯ll lose in pay, I¡¯ll save in other expenses from not having to travel so far.¡±


    Derek glanced over his shoulder, realizing his door was open. As was the door to his parents¡¯ room. They were speaking quietly in Spanish.


    ¡°Alright. I guess we¡¯re doing this,¡± Amanda said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll let the kids know in another couple of weeks,¡± Miguel said. ¡°Once things are officially signed.¡±


    Derek stared at the computer, trying to get back to concentrating as he struggled to understand that it was official. His dad had a new job, and they were moving after he graduated.


    He closed his eyes and took a steadying breath. Real life was so boring, which is why it was strange that it had such an impact.


    Derek sighed. He shouldn¡¯t make this choice when he had a blow to his anxiety, but he didn¡¯t need to research anymore. He wasn¡¯t checking if these feats were good for his character. It was more a refresher for potential characters. He grabbed the d8 and rolled for hit points. All in all, thirty-seven hit points and a +4 intelligence modifier were pretty good. None of his spells changed, but he could last longer in the fight.


    Derek settled into bed. It was almost one in the morning. Tomorrow he could sleep in, which was good because he wouldn¡¯t get much sleep now.


    He spent a restless sleep tossing and turning, so when Milo walked in a few hours later, Derek felt himself fully waking up.


    ¡°Oh, hey. Sorry,¡± Milo said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back, and you didn¡¯t run into Pippa.¡±


    Milo shuddered, as he always did. ¡°Thankfully, no.¡±


    There was silence between the two of them, but Derek no longer felt like he could sleep. Milo sat on Derek¡¯s desk chair, folding his arms, lost in thought.


    Derek pulled up Milo¡¯s character sheet, then shifted over to the side quests, seeing gold mana checked off. Milo had collected a lot of different things, and black mana was getting close. Once black mana was complete, he¡¯d most likely move on to red mana, as he had most of the ingredients for that. Green mana would probably be the hardest, but also one they should have. Ezekiel was strong enough to cast revivify, and it was always good to have a stock pile of gold and green mana if Ezekiel ever found himself out of mana to cast that particular spell.


    Derek wetted his lips, hands in his hair. In late spring, they¡¯d put their house for sale. They¡¯d probably move sometime in the summer. Right before the supposed apocalypse. He would probably attend school with Tyler, so he could use the excuse to stay with him for the summer. To make sure they killed of the last of the monsters. Because they couldn¡¯t have an apocalypse. They¡¯d figure it out. They could kill all the monsters before August.


    Right?


    ¡°How bad do you think this will get?¡± Derek whispered.


    Milo kept his arms folded, staring out into the distance. ¡°The rock is at the top of the hill, and us arriving has given it the nudge it needs to start rolling.¡± Milo kicked his feet up. ¡°The real question is how fast will the rock accelerate, and can we save this realm in enough time before it''s crushed?¡±


    Derek sighed. ¡°And how long can you procrastinate going to the lab?¡±


    Milo winced, then looked down. There were a few seconds of silence, and it didn¡¯t look like Milo was going to say anything more.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re terrified of Pippa, but it¡¯s as you say. The rock is falling, and we¡¯ve got to save earth. You¡¯ve got to face your fears. We need you in that lab because some of us have gray marks on our bodies that are getting more dangerous if we get hurt.¡±


    Milo pulled out a beaker of black sludge he most likely got from the undead. He swirled it around, looking dejected. ¡°I know I¡¯m supposed to muster some sort of inner strength to face my demons, and by demon, I mean my succubus ex-girlfriend, but¡­¡± He rubbed the side of his face. ¡°But holy hell. That woman ripped my heart out and then ate it in front of me.¡± Milo paused, then glanced at Derek. ¡°Metaphorically. Though she might be capable of literally doing that. I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Derek nodded. ¡°I was there.¡±


    Milo sighed, placing the black sludge into his inventory. ¡°Let¡¯s just say I¡¯m not the guy in the group known of his courage.¡±


    ¡°Oh stop. You¡¯ve got to be the bravest guy I know,¡± Derek said.


    Milo frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You walk into the same battles Hraktar does. Everyone knows Hraktar should fight, but then there¡¯s you next to him, the scrawny, nerdy guy you are, and you¡¯ve survived. Every time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, bruises and cuts heal. The poison left by that succubus is as potent as ever. That can¡¯t truly heal until we cut off the source of poison,¡± Milo said. ¡°But how can I possibly cut off the source when every time I do I lose my mind?¡±


    Derek sighed. ¡°You can¡¯t use my mom¡¯s kitchen forever. She¡¯ll start noticing.¡±


    Milo massaged his head, groaning. ¡°I need my lab. We can¡­ think of something.¡± He got up, letting his suspenders drop around his waist before climbing into the sleeping bag on the floor. ¡°Later.¡±

 Chapter 133

    Derek waltzed into school Monday morning with an old-fashioned clipboard and pen. He made sure Hazel Jones was the first signature, followed closely by Evelyn, Annie, and Brandi. It was all he needed to work his magic.


    ¡°Oskar!¡± Derek shouted, waving as his friend turned around. ¡°Hey, man. CCNC is changing times.¡±


    Oskar was confused. ¡°Changing times? How do you change times of an after-school club?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not having it this week to spread the word. It¡¯s no longer after school. It¡¯ll be at seven in the morning.¡±


    Oskar laughed. ¡°Good joke, man. Seriously, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Just a move that will be talked about for generations.¡± Derek handed Oskar the clip board. He took it, glancing at it before he noticed her name. His entire face froze, staring at it for a good thirty seconds.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ what?¡± Oskar asked.


    ¡°Seven in the morning is the only time Hazel Jones can make it.¡±


    ¡°You know what? Even if you are trolling, I¡¯m going along with it.¡± Oskar signed his name. ¡°If this is one big lie, I can mock you for thinking you could involve four cheerleaders in CCNC. But if you aren¡¯t lying¡ª¡± Oskar shrugged, ¡°¡ªthen four cheerleaders are coming to CCNC. This is a win-win in my book.¡±


    Derek patted his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll announce what day we¡¯ll have it.¡±


    He filled an entire page in the first fifteen minutes. He let them have their laugh about coming to school at seven in the morning before showing them Hazel Jone¡¯s name at the top.


    ¡°I¡¯m just as mad I can¡¯t do after school,¡± Brian said as Derek explained the time change. ¡°But I¡¯m also not waking up at six-fifteen for CCNC club. Not all of us are as obsessed with it as you are.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the only time Hazel Jones could be there,¡± Derek said.


    From the moment Derek said Hazel Jones to the end of the sentence, Brian signed his name and wrote his phone number.


    ¡°What!¡± Joaqu¨ªn shouted when Derek talked to him. ¡°Dude! You know I have jazz band in the morning! Why would you torture me like this? No!¡± He headed toward the band room. ¡°I¡¯m talking to Mr. Lopez right now. I could miss a day, right?¡±


    Derek had no answer as Joaqu¨ªn headed toward the band door. Evelyn walked up to him, smiling. ¡°Hey, how¡¯s it going?¡±


    ¡°Great.¡± Derek showed the page and a half of names he already filled. ¡°I think one guy almost wanted to lick her name. I stopped him, though.¡±


    Evelyn made a face. ¡°That¡¯s gross.¡±


    ¡°I understand the worship, though.¡± Derek counted all the names again.


    ¡°Seriously Derek?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re humans to, you know.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know.¡± Evelyn responded by rolling her eyes. ¡°Hey, how do you feel about being game master to the middle group?¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m ready for something like that?¡±


    ¡°Totally,¡± Derek said. ¡°We¡¯ll need three groups now, and I don¡¯t want to pull my character out of the advance group in order to game master. You¡¯ve done this with Hazel Jones, Annie, and Brandi. You can totally do this with a bunch of guys who, I guarantee, will be in awe of whatever you do.¡±


    Evelyn gave him a playful shove. ¡°We¡¯re human, too.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re here to witness four cheerleaders playing CCNC. It¡¯ll blow their mind when one of them is the game master,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Oh, hey wait. There were two guys who wanted me to join their campaign. Maybe they¡¯d be interested in CCNC club?¡±


    ¡°Who are they?¡± Derek asked.


    Evelyn frowned, glancing around at the students meandering the halls. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t actually know. I never got their names. One was a guy who never spoke, just sort of stared at me, and the other was¡­ pretty obsessed with CCNC.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Derek layered on the sarcasm. ¡°That narrows it down.¡±


    She gave his shoulder another playful shove. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re theater nerds, necessarily. I think they¡¯re more into¡­ general pop culture. Gaming and stuff.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the gaming nerds. I haven¡¯t gotten them yet. Come on, they¡¯re usually hanging out near the cafeteria,¡± Derek said.


    He and Evelyn walked to the cafeteria, and Evelyn tugged on his shirtsleeve. ¡°You¡¯re totally right! It¡¯s those two right there!¡±


    ¡°Ah, Noah and Reed. Yeah, that makes sense.¡±


    Total gamer nerds, trying to start their own gaming channel. They had some pretty good stuff. Derek had seen a few of their videos. They hit a level of game nerd that even he wasn¡¯t capable of. Outside CCNC, of course.


    ¡°Here, let me take this one.¡± Evelyn took the clipboard from him.


    Derek smirked, following her into the crowd. He needed to see this. The two boys were there, talking and laughing with their friends, but the change was obvious when they spotted Evelyn. They grew silent, eyes widened. Evelyn walked up toward Noah, sticking her hand out. ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t think I ever caught your name.¡±


    ¡°Oh uh, right.¡± Noah stared at her hand like he didn¡¯t know what to do with it, then looking at Evelyn like he forgot his name.


    ¡°I¡¯m Evelyn Larsen,¡± she prompted.


    ¡°Noah,¡± he said, as though just remembering. Derek bit the side of his cheek to keep a smile from appearing.


    ¡°Noah, hey. You talked to me before about playing CCNC with me, but I¡¯ve been too busy. My friend Derek is president of the CCNC club, and we had a chat over the weekend that maybe more of my friends could come if we changed the time. I know seven in the morning might be a hard ask for some people, but it¡¯s the only time my friends and I could make it. Do you think you¡¯d be interested?¡± Evelyn held out the clipboard to him.


    Reed stared at Evelyn, his mouth gaping. Noah stared too, though he had a bit more emotion on his face. Mostly shock. Evelyn kept the clipboard out to him, waiting for him to take it.


    ¡°Your¡­ friends? Which friends?¡± Noah asked.


    Derek took a step forward, keeping his head low. ¡°Hazel Jones.¡± He then took the clipboard from Evelyn and placed it in Noah¡¯s hands. When Noah still stared at Evelyn like he was in a dream, Derek lifted the pen and placed it in his hands before setting it on the paper. Noah wrote his name and number, not on the line at all. Derek nodded, and gave it to Reed, who wasn¡¯t paying attention either.


    Evelyn smiled. ¡°I¡¯m so excited you¡¯ll play CCNC! We just need a week to get things organized, then Derek will let you know when session zero starts. We might organize into a few groups, because there¡¯s a lot of new people coming.¡±


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Evelyn said all this while every single gamer in the group stood up and made a line, writing their names. Derek was hiding a smile the entire time. Evelyn was positively beaming. ¡°I¡¯m so excited you¡¯ll play!¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Noah said, still staring at her.


    Evelyn and Derek waited as the gaming nerds wrote their names.


    ¡°See? I knew this would work,¡± Derek said.


    Evelyn shook her head. ¡°Just remember we¡¯re human, please.¡±


    ¡°You all rarely interact with us on the social hierarchy. It¡¯s hard to remember,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit scary for us to interact with you all,¡± Evelyn said.


    Derek frowned, glancing at her. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re human, Derek. It¡¯s what I keep telling you.¡± Evelyn played with a lock of her hair, giving him a look. ¡°We like to be respected, not worshiped. In worshiping us, you still, in your own way, don¡¯t consider us having human emotions. That we get embarrassed. Cry. Get hurt. Break.¡± Derek noticed the slight trickle of fear in Evelyn¡¯s eyes as she looked out among the gaming nerds, her hands dropping. ¡°Despite the respect you think your worship is, it¡¯s still an almost¡­ inhumane way to look at us. We all keep guarding ourselves from boys who will undoubtably high five each other if they even catch a glimpse up our skirts, because that¡¯s all we are. Statues to be worshiped. Admired. Looked at. Touched. Not humans who have a panic attack because of how unsafe we can sometimes feel at nights.¡±


    Derek wasn¡¯t sure what to say, though he did feel like all the air left his body. Evelyn sighed, folding her arms, one of her hands over her shoulders. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t mean to be a downer. But I don¡¯t think you quite realized what you were asking when you asked me and my friends to attend this club. I agreed to this because I want Noah and Reed and everyone else to see me as human.¡± She smiled, though it didn¡¯t seem genuine. ¡°I hope it works.¡±


    She walked off, leaving Derek to collect the clip board. Derek frowned, his mind racing. He did sort of suggest they do it without asking their permission. He got the clipboard back in time to notice a few of the gamer nerds staring at Evelyn¡¯s butt as she turned a corner. A brotherly protectiveness came over him.


    ¡°Stop, guys. She might be your game master,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°She¡¯s more than welcome to,¡± someone said as another boy snickered.


    ¡°Oh, my god, no. That¡¯s not what this is about,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Why else did you invite cheerleaders?¡±


    The casual phrase struck Derek. True, in a way, he wanted Hazel Jones there to bring more attendance, but not that kind of attendance.


    Derek started flipping the pages of names on his clip board. ¡°What¡¯s your name again?¡±


    ¡°Aaron Summers?¡±


    Derek found the name on the list and crossed it out. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to attend CCNC club.¡± He tucked the clip board under his arm and walked away, not caring to see their reaction.


    ***


    Nick unloaded his textbooks into his locker. Everyone else, as usual, ignored him. He got things organized in his bag, then closed his locker. He tucked his reading book under his arm and headed down the hall, trying to find a place to read before school started.


    He found a wall in a quiet area and opened his book, starting to read. He didn¡¯t get far.


    ¡°There you are!¡±


    Nick only looked up because he recognized Derek¡¯s voice. Derek smiled as he walked over to him, clipboard in hand.


    ¡°How goes the recruiting?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Fantastic! We might even have to break this up into four groups. You¡¯re coming too, right?¡± Derek flipped through the two and a half pages of signatures.


    ¡°Sure. As long as no one tells my dad,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡± Derek wrote Nick¡¯s name down. ¡°Your dad is terrifying.¡± Nick wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that, but judging by how Derek plowed on to the next conversation, he didn¡¯t have to. ¡°Speaking of scary, Milo¡¯s got a plan to sneak into school to use the lab. It involves using disguise self to look like you.¡±


    Nick blinked. He wasn¡¯t sure how that segue worked, but he ignored it. ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He couldn¡¯t change into me, because that¡¯s a dead giveaway if two of us are walking down the hall. He¡¯ll pretend to be you, sneak into Mr. Anderson¡¯s lab, and then set up defenses and what not to make sure Pippa can¡¯t discover him.¡±


    ¡°Right. And¡­ what do you need me to do?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be startled if you see yourself in the hallway. We¡¯ll get to school somewhat early tomorrow to¡ª¡± Derek stopped short, horror flickering across his face as he glanced down at the book Nick was reading. ¡°What¡¯s that about?¡± It was almost too casual, and the hair on Nick¡¯s neck stood up. He lifted the book, showing it as he refused to turn around.


    ¡°Oh, you know. Demonic possession. Portals to hell. Halloween¡¯s getting close. Figured I¡¯d get in the spirit,¡± Nick said.


    Derek¡¯s eyes lit up with humor as Mr. Stower came into view, with Akshi not that far behind. Derek nodded at the vice principal. ¡°Hey, Mr. Stower.¡±


    ¡°Hello! I see you¡¯ve been canvasing the neighborhood!¡±


    ¡°I guess you could say that,¡± Derek said.


    Mr. Stower held out his hand, and Derek reluctantly gave him the clipboard. The vice principal raised an eyebrow, flipping a page to scan the names. ¡°I¡¯m impressed. And to think it¡¯s only Monday.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± Derek said.


    Mr. Stower handed the clipboard back. ¡°Keep up the good work.¡± The vice principal continued down the hall, and Nick and Derek both ignored Akshi following close behind.


    ¡°How¡¯s play practice going?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Ugh. It¡¯s tech week, also known as hell week. Meaning we practice every night before the start of the show on Friday. Kinda bummed I¡¯ll be missing the dance on Saturday.¡±


    Nick frowned, his brows furrowing. ¡°There¡¯s a dance on Saturday?¡± Derek gave Nick another humorous look before pointing at a huge handmade banner above the lockers, announcing the Halloween dance on Saturday. Nick blinked, then glanced back at Derek. ¡°I guess I block out social things now, since I can¡¯t go.¡± Nick paused, seeing a familiar face walking down the hall. Alejandra held her textbooks, looking ahead. She must have felt the weight of his gaze, because she turned, noticing him. He didn¡¯t know what else to do but lift the corners of his mouth in a polite smile and wave.


    Her brows furrowed together, and ice trickled into her gaze, freezing Nick¡¯s hand in place. He stared at her, his hand still up, watching her turn a corner and disappear with other students as the bell rang.


    ¡°Well, that was certainly cold,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s forgiven me,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Pity. I think my mom is trying to set you two up,¡± Derek said.


    Nick froze. ¡°She can¡¯t be serious.¡±


    Derek shrugged. ¡°She¡¯s my mom. She sets everyone up. Alejandra hasn¡¯t gone to a dance yet, and my mom wants her to have an enjoyable high school experience.¡±


    Nick stared at Derek. ¡°Then tell your mom to find someone else for her, because as you clearly saw, Alejandra hates me.¡±


    Derek shrugged again. ¡°I mean¡­¡±


    Nick waited, but Derek didn¡¯t look like he wanted to finish his thought, so Nick continued. ¡°I clearly destroyed her trust, and she¡¯s not interested in dating someone who punched her brother.¡±


    Derek shook his head, double checking his clipboard. ¡°All I know, man, is that you two have a super long history of not communicating with each other. And dancing around hard conversations. Just have the damn conversation where you ask her why she¡¯s being so cold and be done with it.¡±


    Nick had nothing to say to that. He adjusted the straps on his bag before starting toward his first class of the day. ¡°See you later, Derek.¡±


    ***


    Rafael finished the workout and gave himself a moment in the bathroom to talk himself into this. It felt like a Monday, with school piling on the homework and football practice pushing him even harder. Now he could go home, but not before he fulfilled a promise.


    This was dangerous. Deadly, even. He was putting Ezekiel¡¯s life at risk. He didn¡¯t tell the others he was doing this, and it felt reckless.


    Rafael took a deep breath, then walked out of the workout room bathroom. He took a long walk through the empty school, passing the main office. He glanced inside, seeing Mr. Stower at his desk, reading a book. It looked like the player¡¯s handbook, and Rafael felt another knot tie itself in his stomach.


    He stepped outside, then stopped, trying to breathe easily. He walked down the steps, heading toward the parking lot. His car was in a different parking lot, and he wanted to make sure he could make a fast getaway if he needed to as he jogged to his car.


    Rafael hated this. This was spontaneous. This was not him. He liked schedule and order. The last time he tried doing something spontaneous he hurt Evelyn.


    He swallowed the lump forming in his throat as he slid into the car and closed the door. He cleared his throat, then closed his eyes, concentrating. He sensed Ezekiel, and the portal connected.


    The weight of a body made the front seat squeak. Rafael opened his eyes to see Ezekiel sitting there, a blanket over his head. He glanced around, patting around the car. ¡°I guess my book didn¡¯t follow me.¡±


    Rafael reached behind him and grabbed the binoculars. ¡°Here. I¡¯ll drive to the other parking lot. See if you can figure out what we need from Akshi.¡±


    Ezekiel nodded, tightened the blanket over his head, letting it shade his eyes. Rafael pulled out of the parking lot, driving near the school before pulling into another empty lot. Rafael was terrified something would go wrong. Even bringing binoculars made him feel ridiculous. He watched as Ezekiel placed them against his eyes, resting them on his pointed nose. Rafael drummed against the steering wheel, glancing around. The office window was there, and he could make out Akshi reading something else. Something would go wrong. Things always went wrong. He waited for the dice to appear, some sort of prompt, but there was nothing.


    Ezekiel lowered the binoculars, a thoughtful expression on his face. ¡°Got it.¡±


    The knots in his stomach loosened. ¡°You know what to get?¡±


    The cleric nodded, handing back the binoculars. He grabbed the blanket, pulling it closer. ¡°One of his swords.¡±


    Rafael frowned, then grabbed the binoculars. He searched and saw Akshi, noticed the two swords. The swords currently sheathed on his back. The weapons that never left his back.


    Rafael slowly lowered the binoculars, his eyes wide. He grabbed his phone, texting the information to the group chat.


    Sometimes nothing had to go wrong. Sometimes, figuring out what they needed was horrible enough.

 Chapter 134

    Derek was in the car Tuesday morning, with Milo folding his arms tightly around his chest, hugging himself to keep a panic attack at bay.


    Derek pulled into the parking lot, and Milo tapped his forehead with his wrench, the light shimmering around him. He grew taller, his hair changing to Nick¡¯s light brown hair and blue eyes, complete with the scar cutting across his eyebrow. ¡°How¡¯s this?¡± Milo asked, sounding like Nick.


    ¡°Good. Uncanny. Creepy, actually.¡± They got out of the car, with Milo now disguised as Nick, still looking sick to his stomach. ¡°We¡¯ll do this fast. You¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    They walked into the school, the halls crowded. Milo was hyperventilating, his gaze bouncing around to find Pippa, his gaze even lifting to the ceiling like she crawled up there like a spider. For now, Pippa was nowhere in sight.


    ¡°Hey, Derek!¡± Eric said.


    ¡°Oh, hey man.¡± Derek glanced around. ¡°Where¡¯s Baily?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, we¡¯re not talking to each other. She¡¯s being dramatic.¡±


    He mentally started a timer, wondering how long this one would last. ¡°Okay. Have you seen Emma?¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Hanging around the main office.¡±


    Derek raised an eyebrow. ¡°The main office?¡±


    Eric shrugged again. ¡°I don¡¯t understand it.¡±


    It was all Milo needed. He let out a shuddering gasp before heading straight for Mr. Anderson¡¯s room. Derek watched his friend heading down the hall, worried, before noticing Eric giving him a strange look. ¡°Is Nick okay? He didn¡¯t look good. Did you carpool with him today or something?¡±


    Derek stared at Eric, his heart rate picking up. ¡°Oh. You¡­ saw him?¡±


    Eric frowned. ¡°Of course I saw him.¡±


    Derek paused, giving himself a second to panic, before he moved forward. ¡°¡¯Scuse me.¡± He raced after Milo, thinking about the implications. People could see Milo if he used disguise self as someone from this world. Did that work with enemies too? If Akshi disguised into an earthling and tried to gather a group together? His gut said no, but he¡¯d have to double check with Tyler.


    He pulled out his phone and called Evelyn as he tried to reach Mr. Anderson¡¯s room.


    ¡°Derek?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Are you and Nick at school?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Why?¡±


    ¡°Tell Nick to stay away from Mr. Anderson¡¯s room, okay?¡± He dropped his voice. ¡°People can see Milo if he¡¯s disguised as Nick. If they¡¯re spotted together, it¡¯ll not only be confusing, but people we¡¯re trying to hide from will notice.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Okay. I¡¯ll find him and let him know.¡±


    Derek had an eye on Milo, still disguised as Nick. It was clearly Milo, because he was a well-placed jump scare away from a full-blown panic attack. Derek saw the change immediately. People were actually bumping into Milo, and his mana fusor, in his panic, didn¡¯t notice. He plowed through the halls, stuck in his own head, one focus on his mind.


    Derek caught up with him. ¡°Milo, people can see you.¡±


    He tried to be as casual as possible, but Milo was as nervous as someone with a heart problem defusing a bomb. He was glad he didn¡¯t touch Milo¡¯s shoulder, because the guy had already jumped.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sneak up on me!¡± Milo said.


    ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly easy to sneak up on right now. Get to Mr. Anderson¡¯s room fast. People can see you as Nick, and we don¡¯t want to cause any confusion if we run into the real Nick.¡±


    Milo glanced around before Derek grabbed his arm to pull him toward the side as Mr. Anderson¡¯s classroom came into sight. Derek scanned the crowd before they slipped into the classroom and shut the door. ¡°Get your barrier in place.¡±


    Milo nodded before grabbing a string and placed it at the bottom of the doorway. Mr. Anderson glanced up from his coffee and notes, taking off his reading glasses. ¡°Um, Milo, I presume?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Just setting a trap.¡± Milo pulled the string across the door.


    ¡°And what does that do?¡± Mr. Anderson asked.


    ¡°No one else can touch this string unless they¡¯re a succubus. If she does cross the string, a blast of holy water smacks her in the face while I make my getaway,¡± Milo said.


    Derek blinked a few times. ¡°Did you do anything for Akshi?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No? Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because if Akshi kisses me, he can¡¯t suck my soul out of my body,¡± Milo said.


    Derek exchanged a glance with Mr. Anderson before studying Milo disguised as one of his closest friends. ¡°Right, man. Um¡­ Akshi¡¯s still a concern.¡±


    Milo grunted as he got up and moved toward the lab, placing the same safety measures against that door.


    ¡°Do you have any students who need the lab today?¡± Milo asked.


    ¡°Not today. Friday I will,¡± Mr. Anderson said.


    The Nick disguise melted off as he finished placing the protection. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll set up more precautions in the lab itself.¡±


    Mr. Anderson sipped his coffee before turning his head slightly. ¡°What ¡®precautions¡¯ are these?¡±


    ¡°Nothing that will explode. I learned my lesson from last time.¡± Milo opened the door and slipping through.


    The closing of the door seemed more ominous as Mr. Anderson sighed, grabbing his mug. ¡°I¡¯ll check on that after I finish drinking this,¡± he mumbled, placing his reading glasses back on.


    Derek pulled out his phone, texting Evelyn fast.


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    Got things settled. No mishap.


    He tried to be vague, in case Akshi tracked Evelyn down and tortured her for information. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t happen like that, but for Milo¡¯s sake, Derek didn¡¯t want to leave any trace of where he was while Pippa was in the vicinity.


    ¡°Thanks again, Mr. Anderson. Milo might be more of a basket case today than usual. Pippa¡¯s scaring him,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame him. Wounds of the heart rarely heal right.¡± Mr. Anderson took another sip of his coffee.


    Derek couldn¡¯t help it and studied his teacher. Mr. Anderson had his notes on the desk, glancing through them. Derek had done as Mr. Anderson requested. Divulged nothing of his teacher¡¯s past to anyone. The only confirmation he got that anything Akshi said was true was a request from Mr. Anderson to not tell anyone. Mr. Anderson had been teaching at Elmwood High for over five years. A grumpy curmudgeon like him had his own category of gossip about why he was how he was. The most extreme cases ranging between an abusive widower to ex-CIA. Mr. Anderson had it all. The truth, if Akshi was to be believed, was far more humanizing. And, as Evelyn pointed out, it was important to treat people like they were human.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think they heal?¡± Derek found himself asking.


    Mr. Anderson didn¡¯t even glance up. He instead crossed something out on his notes and scribbled something in the margins. ¡°I¡¯ll see you when the bell rings, Derek.¡±


    Derek wasn¡¯t sure what to expect, though he should have figured Mr. Anderson would deflect the conversation. ¡°Mr. Anderson¡ª¡±


    His teacher¡¯s gaze shot up to meet his. ¡°Derek. I¡¯ll see you when the bell rings.¡±


    He sighed, shaking his head. ¡°This really isn¡¯t healthy. You know this, right?¡± Mr. Anderson picked up his coffee, returning to his notes, saying nothing, so Derek filled the silence. ¡°I totally respect that you¡¯re an introvert, and I understand showing vulnerability to others can be hard, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t pity me. Don¡¯t give me relationship advice. The only thing the two of us are, are teacher and student,¡± Mr. Anderson said.


    ¡°And both of us also see mythical creatures trying to destroy earth,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Which has nothing to do with my personal life. I¡¯m capable of helping out where I can in a strictly professional matter. We don¡¯t need to hold pity parties or share sob stories,¡± Mr. Anderson said.


    ¡°Oh, come on Mr. Anderson. When was your last CCNC session? Seriously? We are a team. We support each other to get the job done. You need to know we have your back, and we need to know you have ours.¡±


    Mr. Anderson shook his head, a finger to his forehead. ¡°This is strictly unprofessional.¡±


    ¡°Sharing backstories is the backbone of CCNC. They both start with the word back,¡± Derek said.


    Mr. Anderson stared at him, confused. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t understand you.¡±


    ¡°Few people do.¡±


    Mr. Anderson took off his reading glasses and placed them on the table before he stood up, heading for the door. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Derek. And I¡¯d hate to think of the level of desperation I¡¯d reach to get relationship advice from a teenager. It¡¯s not needed, it¡¯s not wanted. I am fine.¡±


    Derek sighed as he watched Mr. Anderson open the door and motion for him to get out. He started walking toward the door. ¡°To clarify, I¡¯m not suggesting you get relationship advice. God knows I wouldn¡¯t be the one to give it.¡± He approached Mr. Anderson, dropping his voice. ¡°But introvert or not, you put up a prickly barb anytime someone tries to be your friend, and it can¡¯t be healthy for anyone.¡±


    ¡°I. Am. Fine. Now get out of my classroom until the bell rings.¡±


    Derek grumbled as he stepped over Milo¡¯s trap. Mr. Anderson shut the door, and Derek stuffed his hands in his pockets as he walked down the hall.


    ¡°Oh, hey Derek!¡± Baily said.


    He turned around, smiling. ¡°Hey! Is everything okay with you and Eric?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t get me started on that narcissistic jerk. He had the gall to call me a diva. Me! A diva! I got the part of the singing telegram girl. I say a sentence and then die! I need to be comfortable when they drop me behind the couch! Is it seriously too much to ask for an air mattress?¡± Baily said.


    Derek¡¯s smile flickered. Eric appeared next to him, looking annoyed. ¡°We¡¯ve got to hear the thunk. It¡¯s part of the hilarity of it all. If you¡¯re on an air mattress¡ª¡±


    She spun on Eric. ¡°No one asked you.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Jensen agrees with me. The fact that you¡¯re hanging onto this is exactly why it makes you a diva,¡± Eric said.


    ¡°Are they back to bickering?¡± said a familiar voice.


    Every muscle inside Derek froze. He spun around to see Emma standing right behind him, with Pippa behind her.


    Keep calm. Keep calm. Keep calm.


    He wasn¡¯t sure how well the chant could work, but it kept his mind from thinking of the worst-case scenario.


    Emma cocked an eyebrow, smirking. ¡°Cat got your tongue?¡±


    Had he not spoken yet? ¡°Hey, Emma.¡±


    She kept her gaze on him. Derek tried, but noticed Baily and Eric had moved around to see his situation. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you,¡± she said, picking up a lock of her hair.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Derek asked.


    Baily and Eric started acting something out behind Emma¡¯s back, distracting him.


    ¡°Did you miss me?¡± she asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Of¡­ course,¡± Derek said.


    Eric and Baily started miming that they were getting married or something. Eric was on one knee, and Baily was fanning herself, pretending to silently cry as she nodded. Seriously, how was he supposed to focus when those two did that right behind Pippa?


    Emma chuckled. ¡°Hey, I heard you¡¯re still looking for more recruits for your CCNC club.¡± Derek said nothing. His two drama friends pretending to be in a boat distracted him. ¡°Is there room for one more?¡±


    Derek swallowed, feeling Pippa¡¯s gaze on him. ¡°There¡¯s always room for someone at CCNC club. As long as you¡¯re not a jerk.¡±


    Emma took a step closer, and Derek was still confused what Eric and Baily were doing. ¡°Am I a jerk?¡± Emma asked.


    He blinked as Baily went in to kiss Eric. Eric placed an exaggerated hand to his chest before he pretended to slap Baily. Baily stomped her foot before leaving. Then she returned to Eric, and both of them looked at him expectantly. Derek realized he was staring at them before he forced himself to look at Emma.


    ¡°That cat really has its claws dug into your tongue, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Emma was way too close. One step and she¡¯d be up against his chest. ¡°Kinda makes me jealous of the cat.¡±


    It dawned on him what was happening. Emma was flirting aggressively with him, and Eric and Baily were trying to get him to hook back up with her so they could do their reverse kiss the girl. To get Emma to hate him so she could break up with him the proper drama way.


    There was no way in hell he¡¯d do that. Not with a literal fae succubus standing right behind Emma as his mana fusor was a few doors down huddling in the lab.


    ¡°I need you¡­¡± Derek pulled out the clipboard from his backpack, keeping an eye on Emma because he was too scared to look away, ¡°¡­to write your name and number, and I¡¯ll add you to the list.¡±


    Emma smiled, grabbing her bejeweled pen. Despite having the clip board right there, she placed the board against his chest. She wrote her phone number, then looked up at him as she signed her name. ¡°When are you thinking of having it?¡± Emma asked.


    Derek wetted his lips before attempting to smile. ¡°I¡¯m thinking Monday. Seven in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡± She grabbed his wrist and placed his hand against the clipboard to keep it in place. ¡°I will see you Monday, then.¡±


    She turned around and walked off. It took everything inside him not to look at Pippa. The fae succubus watched curiously, and Derek walked in the opposite direction of where Emma was going. Eric and Baily ran up to him.


    ¡°Dude, missed opportunity!¡± Eric said.


    ¡°You had her. You could have gone on a date tonight and been done with her by this weekend!¡± Baily said.


    Derek shook his head. ¡°You honestly think you two could have helped me get rid of her that fast?¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe not that fast,¡± Eric said.


    ¡°Definitely by the time you graduate,¡± Baily said.


    Derek turned to look at her, alarmed. ¡°When I graduate high school? Or college?¡±


    ¡°Emma is extremely concerned about herself. It would be difficult to get her to break out of herself long enough to realize that you¡¯re horrible, but¡­ yeah.¡± Eric nodded, glancing at Baily. ¡°Getting her to hate you by the time you graduate from high school is a good goal.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Derek stuffed the clipboard back into his bag. ¡°Bad idea. Whole thing bad. Human. Must treat people like human.¡±


    Eric scrunched his nose in confusion. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m not sure where that came from.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Derek. She won¡¯t let this go until she realizes for herself you¡¯re no good,¡± Baily said.


    But Pippa was involved. That alone meant he needed to get an outside opinion. He needed Rafael¡¯s way of sorting through the situation with charity and a heavy dose of reality. Hell, he¡¯d even settle for one of Nick¡¯s judgmental looks. There was no way he could do this.


    And yet what if he should? They talked about it at dinner on Saturday. Pippa wasn¡¯t controlling Emma as much because she didn¡¯t need to. Emma, in her own way, wanted to destroy Derek¡¯s life and didn¡¯t need too much of a push from Pippa. But what if he could make it so Emma hated him and wanted to actually give him some space? What if he could make it that much more difficult for Pippa to control her? If Pippa had to hang around Emma as much as Akshi hung around Mr. Stower, wouldn¡¯t that benefit everyone?


    It was making sense. Too much sense. For his own safety, he needed to talk to Rafael or Nick.

 Chapter 135

    Nick was on his way to math class, holding his textbook in one hand. He had a light glare on his face, the kind he wore when he¡¯d have to return home soon. He¡¯d have to work on a nicer demeanor, because the CCNC session at his house was coming up.


    That did not help ease his glare at all. If it was Tyler and Evelyn, it would¡¯ve been fine. Even Derek being there wouldn¡¯t be too bad. But Rafael and Alejandra were going to be there, too. He had no idea how this would go, both with the session at his house, or the actual heist. He couldn¡¯t believe they were stealing a sword off Akshi¡¯s body. That wasn¡¯t a heist. That would undoubtably start a battle. And worst of all, Grizzizzik was still at level three and going out of his way to avoid Nick.


    ¡°Hey! Nick!¡±


    He broke out of his thoughts to see Derek. His friend sounded way too chipper, and he noticed him talking to Rafael. Rafael glanced at his shoes once Nick¡¯s gaze fell on him.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°I need a little advice, that¡¯s all,¡± Derek said.


    Rafael shook his head, sighing. ¡°He¡¯s considering getting back with Emma so she hates him, making it more difficult for Pippa to control her.¡±


    Nick froze. He stared at Rafael, eyes widening, then shot his gaze toward Derek. ¡°You¡¯re thinking about what?¡±


    Derek shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s an oversimplification.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t actually done it, have you?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Well, no.¡±


    ¡°Good. Don¡¯t.¡±


    Derek nodded, raising a hand. ¡°And¡­ I understand why you might think that.¡±


    Nick rubbed his forehead. ¡°What the hell are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Will you listen to my side of the story?¡± Derek asked.


    Nick took a deep breath, then let it out. ¡°Fine. Explain it.¡±


    Derek cleared his throat. ¡°Right. Well¡­¡± He started gesturing with his hands. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ true. If I can get Emma to hate me, then Pippa will have to be around her more often, and it¡¯ll give the distraction Milo needs to cure our gray marks.¡±


    Nick gave it a nanosecond of thought before his face settled into a deeper glare. ¡°You are a goddamned idiot.¡±


    ¡°Insults don¡¯t solve anything.¡± Rafael moved his textbook to the other hand before patting Derek on the shoulder. ¡°As¡­ noble of an idea as it is, you¡¯ve got to think of the danger it puts you in. Puts us all in. Emma, therefore Pippa, would be in your life. We can¡¯t have Pippa hanging around you with Milo in the state he¡¯s in.¡±


    Derek let out a breath. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. We want to be far away from Pippa right now.¡±


    ¡°Especially with the sesh in two days.¡± Nick ran a hand through his hair. ¡°And the full moon next week. God, Derek, you seriously think making Emma angry will make her decide to leave you alone? That she won¡¯t try something else like get revenge. There are too many things happening, and a fae succubus sneaking into our ranks is not what we want.¡±


    Derek sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± He closed his eyes, backing away. ¡°God, you¡¯re totally right. I knew talking with you two would help. Okay.¡± He gave two thumbs up. ¡°No one worry about me. I¡¯m fine. I won¡¯t do it.¡±


    Rafael and Nick watched him meld in with the river of students, leaving the two of them alone. Tension trickled back in. Rafael was distracted, running a finger over his textbook. ¡°Right, well, thanks for knocking some sense into Derek,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Yeah. You too.¡±


    They were both silent for a second. Perhaps Nick should have said something else, but he still couldn¡¯t apologize for hitting him. The guy deserved it.


    For that reason alone, Nick headed toward math without another word.


    ***


    Rafael folded his arms as he watched the five characters settle into the minivan. Derek and Rafael sat in the front. Alejandra was in the middle, with Hraktar to the left of her, and Grizzizzik on the other side. She didn¡¯t look pleased being by Grizzizzik, but Hraktar kept shooting the rogue looks to make sure he didn¡¯t do anything. The rogue kept his arms folded, staring out the window.


    Milo, Clarissa, and Ezekiel chatted up a storm in the back. Ezekiel had his arm around Clarissa, and she cuddled up, holding his other hand. Milo was explaining to Ezekiel and Clarissa about creating black mana. The two lovebirds were far more interested in holding hands and cuddling, but they were being gracious.


    Derek buckled up, glancing behind him. ¡°We ready?¡±


    ¡°Ready,¡± Rafael said.


    The drive was quiet except for Milo¡¯s chatter. There were too many nerves to deal with. Tomorrow night, they were going to Nick¡¯s house to play CCNC. Like the old days, except so much had changed. Rafael would have to be around Nick. Around Evelyn. And Walt would breathe down everyone¡¯s neck while they attempted to steal one of Akshi¡¯s long swords off his back.


    ¡°I wonder how the dice situation will work,¡± Derek said.


    Rafael frowned before glancing at Derek. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow. When we roll dice. Will we roll like we have done? Where the dice won¡¯t appear until we need it? Or can we roll with other dice? Because I have some charging at home. I bet they¡¯re ready to roll nicely for a heist.¡±


    Rafael tried to hide a smile. ¡°Yeah, uh¡­ I¡¯m not sure.¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯ll bring my other dice, just in case,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°It would be weird if you didn¡¯t.¡±


    Derek chuckled as they pulled off the side of the road near Calawit¡¯s tent. Everyone got out before walking toward the tent. Rafael fell in step next to Alejandra.


    ¡°This is insane, right? A long sword off Akshi¡¯s back? That all but guarantees a fight,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Not necessarily. If the rolls are high enough, one of them could ease it off his back,¡± Rafael said, glancing at Ezekiel. The cleric wore a cloak with the hood up, holding it tight against him. His front teeth were poking out of his mouth. He looked haggard, and the heist wasn¡¯t until tomorrow.


    ¡°If the rolls are high enough?¡± Alejandra asked. ¡°The rolls never listen.¡±


    They walked into the tent. Two petals fluttered down and attached themselves to the back of Grizzizzik¡¯s hands. ¡°I¡¯m here to get stuff.¡± He raised his hands. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you take these off for the time being?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Calawit appeared on top of a bookshelf. She glanced around, folding her arms. ¡°Where¡¯s your creator?¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s bump of a nose twitched. ¡°He¡¯s not my creator.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Where¡¯s the boy in charge of your fate?¡± Calawit asked.


    The rogue gave Calawit a glare Nick would be proud of. Or, rather, would probably make him uncomfortable with how similar it was to his own.


    ¡°Nick¡¯s grounded. We¡¯re trying to reverse that so he can come to sessions again,¡± Derek said.


    Calawit frowned. ¡°Grounded?¡±


    Derek glanced at Rafael before returning his gaze to the sorcerer. ¡°It¡¯s when a parent doesn¡¯t like what their kid is doing, so they take away things they enjoy for a while to get them back in line.¡±


    Calawit blinked as she straightened her spectacles. ¡°Does it work?¡±


    ¡°On Nick? Not in the slightest,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the same principal as these.¡± Grizzizzik held up his hands again.


    Calawit snorted. ¡°Nice try.¡± She leapt off the bookshelf and landed on the ground. ¡°I¡¯d like to stress that the reason I¡¯m lending these items to you is because Ezekiel is a kind soul and doesn¡¯t deserve what happened to him. Not only that, but if he turns into a wererat forever, your little team won¡¯t recover.¡±


    Grizzizzik snorted, but said nothing more. Calawit gave him a look, but didn¡¯t press it. They followed the shopkeeper to her desk. It was littered with trinkets and clothing. ¡°If you break it while out there, you buy it. And some of these are four hundred gold.¡± She climbed on her desk, grabbing a velvet bag. ¡°I¡¯ve got a list of everything I¡¯m giving you. If you break it, and you can¡¯t afford it, I will give you a specific curse that will be lifted once you pay me back.¡±


    ¡°I guess Ezekiel¡¯s goodness only gets you so far in means of charity,¡± Milo said, leaning over to examine the potions.


    ¡°This is the most my charity can give. I¡¯m still a business, after all.¡± Calawit opened the bag and pulled out five bracelets with a smooth gem in the middle, each with a different gem.


    Clarissa picked up the sapphire one. ¡°This is gorgeous!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not wearing that,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°They¡¯re modified speaker stones, all connected to each other. You can talk to each other if you get separated.¡± Calawit grabbed the biggest bracelet with a diamond in the center and handed it to Hraktar. ¡°That¡¯ll be for you, big guy.¡±


    Hraktar took it, examining it before trying to get it on his wrist. Alejandra walked over to help buckle it on.


    Calawit held up one with a ruby toward Grizzizzik, but he grabbed the one with the opal instead. Or at least tried to. The petals on his hand kept him from doing anything.


    ¡°You can only take the one I give willingly.¡± Calawit still held the ruby bracelet out to him.


    Grizzizzik glared at the bracelet. ¡°I don¡¯t wear red.¡±


    The sorcerer snorted before picking up the opal. ¡°Don¡¯t want to look like your father?¡±


    Grizzizzik swiped it out of her hands, saying nothing as he buckled the opal on his wrist.


    ¡°So, these work as speaking stones?¡± Milo tapped on his newly placed emerald bracelet as Ezekiel took the discarded ruby.


    ¡°Yes. As long as you¡¯re within three thousand feet of each other. So don¡¯t wander off too far,¡± Calawit said, keeping her eye on Grizzizzik as he turned his back on the desk and walked into the shop.


    ¡°That should give us plenty of room,¡± Ezekiel said.


    ¡°How much is that, exactly?¡± Derek asked.


    Rafael pulled out his phone and converted it. ¡°Little over half a mile.¡±


    Calawit stood over a pile of random items. ¡°Most of this will give you a small boost in things needed for your mission.¡± She held up a pair of boots. ¡°These help you sneak around.¡± She held up a small magnifying glass. ¡°This¡¯ll help you find things better.¡± She gestured toward the pile. ¡°If you have questions, ask me.¡± She then gestured toward the potions. ¡°These are different. Take as many as you want, but if you bring them back empty, I expect you to pay for them.¡±


    Milo smiled. ¡°Calawit?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will tell you what they are.¡±


    Rafael felt like he was observing something he should have a bigger part in, but this was their characters acting it out. It was they who needed this. Derek helped Calawit identify most of the items. From what Rafael could understand, a lot of it was a simple +1 to stealth, sleight of hand, or deception rolls. There was a cloak of weaving, which they handed to Hraktar for blending in with surroundings if needed. It wouldn¡¯t be a perfect replica, but it was something. Considering Hraktar didn¡¯t have magic, and the cloak didn¡¯t need attunement, Hraktar would get a nice boost to his stealth. Calawit and Milo were discussing potions. Milo had his elbows on the desk as he examined a bottle of oil. Calawit explained how quickly oil spreads across the path to make it difficult to walk.


    Ezekiel was examining the items, listening to Derek as he explained what they did. Rafael approached his character, folding his arms.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Rafael asked. Ezekiel jumped, spinning around. ¡°Sorry, man, didn¡¯t mean to startle you.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­ fine.¡± Ezekiel blinked at the orbs of light placed throughout the store. ¡°It¡¯s insanely bright, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Rafael frowned, then glanced at the lights. It was about as bright as any other time they¡¯ve come. ¡°Turn from the light, if that helps.¡±


    Ezekiel turned his back to the bright orbs. ¡°I don¡¯t like to.¡± He scratched his head, and a few more strands of hair tumbled from his scalp.


    ¡°We¡¯ll make it,¡± Clarissa said, slipping her hand into Ezekiel¡¯s.


    Derek handed Ezekiel a wooden coin. ¡°Take this.¡±


    Ezekiel took it, turning it around with his long, gray fingernails. It had some sort of paw print on both sides. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Wildlife coin. Squeeze it and it¡¯ll give you a d4 bonus roll on nature checks for an hour.¡± Derek turned his gaze toward Rafael. ¡°That¡¯s the check required when he drops to single digit health points, right?¡±


    Rafael nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Derek gave a reserved sigh. ¡°A d4 isn¡¯t a lot, but then again, we need anything we can get at this point to keep you from turning. It¡¯s close to the full moon, and we need you focused.¡±


    Ezekiel studied the coin. ¡°And to keep the others safe.¡± He slipped the coin into his inventory. ¡°Thank you, Derek.¡±


    Milo had his void bag out, showing Calawit the potions before placing them in the bag. He was taking all of them, and Calawit, with a flick of her wrist, had a scroll and animated quill marking it all down.


    Milo gently placed the potions in the void bag, glancing around the store. ¡°Hey, what about dark goggles?¡±


    Calawit raised an eyebrow. ¡°You want dark goggles?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I haven¡¯t figured out how to make my own, and it¡¯d be great if Ezekiel and I didn¡¯t have to light a torch while on this heist,¡± Milo said.


    Calawit glanced around her store before focusing back on Milo. ¡°I have a fair collection of them. But if they¡¯re broken, they¡¯re three hundred gold a piece.¡±


    Milo winced, but nodded. ¡°We need them. Light will give us away.¡±


    Calawit shrugged, then climbed up on the bookshelf and hopped over a few before collecting them. Rafael watched as Derek kept offering trinkets to the characters, describing what they did. Alejandra helped Hraktar organize them, since Hraktar was afraid of breaking them.


    Rafael started wandering the store. He was surprised the pile on the desk didn¡¯t put a dent in the disorganization in the rest of the tent. He had no idea how Calawit kept track of this stuff.


    He turned a corner and noticed Grizzizzik leaning against a bookshelf, his stiff shoulder against the board and his arms folded. Rafael pulled to a stop. Grizzizzik stared at something on the shelf, but his eyes snapped to Rafael.


    ¡°Uh. Hi,¡± Rafael said.

 Chapter 136

    Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes traveled over Rafael¡¯s face, taking in his unease before glancing away. Rafael wasn¡¯t sure what to do. It was always easier to interact with Grizzizzik as Ezekiel while roleplaying. Interacting with the actual person was a different experience. The silence that trickled between them had barbs.


    ¡°So, um¡­ how are you?¡± Rafael asked because he hated the silence that much.


    Grizzizzik glanced at him again, raising an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t have to talk to me if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Rafael needed to stop thinking of this rogue as Nick¡¯s character. It made it worse. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­¡±


    The rogue¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You created Ezekiel?¡±


    Rafael wasn¡¯t sure how to take that. It wasn¡¯t necessarily a statement. It seemed more like Grizzizzik didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    He blinked. ¡°You¡¯ve got none of his na?ve confidence.¡±


    ¡°Not¡­ no.¡±


    The rogue glanced back at the shelves. ¡°And yet you want it?¡±


    Rafael frowned. ¡°What makes you think that?¡±


    ¡°Because you want to be happy like him, and you can¡¯t,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Rafael glanced around, mostly to make sure no one else could overhear. ¡°Seriously? You think you know me well enough to analyze me like this?¡±


    ¡°Not completely. Just enough. I only gather information about others I can exploit. A skill I picked up from Akshi. You would be¡­ terrifyingly easy to control.¡±


    Rafael¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Think about it, kid,¡± Grizzizzik said. ¡°One terrible choice had you in a choke hold for years.¡±


    Warmth pricked Rafael¡¯s face. ¡°I¡­¡± he trailed off, unsettled. ¡°We¡¯re not talking about this.¡±


    ¡°No. Of course not. Because the choice still has you on a tight leash. All Akshi has to do is take you to a tall mountain, talk to you for three minutes, and you¡¯d willingly throw yourself off it.¡±


    Rafael almost choked on the sudden intake of air that rushed into his mouth. The calm way Grizzizzik said all this, with such a surety, made him troubled, but he wouldn¡¯t walk away from Grizzizzik. That, too, felt like a mistake. ¡°I¡¯m not going to¡­ god, Grizzizzik, we don¡¯t talk about killing yourself so lightly here.¡±


    Grizzizzik kept his arms folded, not looking at him. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about it lightly. You think he wouldn¡¯t do it? That he hasn¡¯t already done it to people? It was one of my first lessons as a child, watching him do that. I¡¯m giving you information to guard yourself against Akshi. Grow a backbone, cultivate some self-respect, and Akshi won¡¯t have power over you.¡±


    Rafael frowned, his brows furrowing. ¡°I don¡¯t think you get it. I¡­¡±


    Grizzizzik waited, keeping his arms folded. ¡°You made a choice so horrible that you¡¯re ashamed to even talk about? And you don¡¯t think a ruthless psychopath who enjoys watching people suffer won¡¯t use that?¡±


    ¡°It was horrible,¡± Rafael said, his voice quiet. ¡°I hurt people. My friends. My family. I¡¯m trying to do the best I can, but for some people, it¡¯ll never be enough.¡±


    Grizzizzik narrowed his eyes. ¡°Some people. As in¡­ you.¡±


    Rafael dropped his gaze, feeling his breathing getting faster. He closed his eyes, embarrassed he was reacting like this. It had been a month since the news broke, and Rafael still felt the deep shame from his choice. Felt it like it happened yesterday. As much as his friends seemed to accept him, he realized Grizzizzik was right. It was never going to be enough for him.


    Grizzizzik used his chin to point toward Ezekiel. ¡°Look at him. Look at the guy you created.¡± Rafael glanced at the cleric, but only for a moment. He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but he was nervous about keeping his gaze off Grizzizzik too long. ¡°He¡¯s got lycanthropy. Accident of the situation. Has already hurt his friends. Hurt me. What did he do you failed to do?¡±


    Rafael studied Grizzizzik¡¯s bored face, frowning. ¡°He¡­ didn¡¯t run away?¡±


    ¡°No. He didn¡¯t. And that¡¯s the fundamental difference between you two.¡± Grizzizzik straightened. ¡°That¡¯s what na?ve confidence gets him. He¡¯s in trouble. Life dealt him a bad hand. He made choices where he hurt us. Instead of running away to deal with it himself and throw himself off the nearest mountain to keep his friends safe, he turned to us instead.¡±


    Rafael frowned, feeling nauseous. ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡±


    ¡°Because Akshi will hit this group soon, if he hasn¡¯t already. And if I were him, you¡¯d be one I¡¯d watch with interest. You are the guy who used to be their leader. Perhaps he¡¯s waiting for this sorry lot to welcome you back in, for them to care about you again before snatching you and dragging you to the mountain. The literal one or proverbial one. It doesn¡¯t matter. All that matters is you must grow the self-respect you need to not leap off. And soon.¡± Grizzizzik rubbed his chin, glancing at the group. ¡°He might even take your sister to watch the whole thing. Just for giggles. Then continue to break her before sending her back to us. The whole thing would take less than a day.¡±


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    Rafael hated this. Hated how much it made sense. Hated how the nerves in his stomach turned to nausea. ¡°I¡¯m doing the best I can,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± Grizzizzik said. ¡°You won¡¯t look Evelyn in the eye long. You dance around the topic with Nick. Waiting for shit to hit you in the face is a horrible way to live life. Go in there with a shovel and clean it out first.¡±


    Rafael frowned. ¡°Why don¡¯t you turn to your friends? Why do you always run away?¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Because I don¡¯t have that na?ve confidence. If I had lycanthropy, I would¡¯ve slipped away to deal with it on my own.¡± Grizzizzik finally looked away, folding his arms tighter across his chest. ¡°Would you like to end up like me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Rafael didn¡¯t stop to consider whether that answer was going to hurt Grizzizzik¡¯s feelings.


    Judging by the slight chuckle the rogue gave, Rafael assumed it didn¡¯t hurt him one bit. ¡°I don¡¯t know what was more unbelievable, that Ezekiel asked for help from this group who hadn¡¯t spoken to each other in years, or that you¡¯re actually doing what he expected by working together to solve it.¡± The rogue shook his head. ¡°I¡¯d rather keep everyone at arm¡¯s length.¡±


    The conversation was done. Rafael could almost see the wall Grizzizzik threw in front of him. If Rafael prodded anymore, Grizzizzik would start threatening him. He should leave, but this whole conversation brought about a burning question. ¡°You say my sister and I are an interest to Akshi. Where¡¯s Nick on this list you have?¡±


    Grizzizzik continued to look at him, frowning. ¡°Fluctuating. Like his sister. Though Evelyn is far stronger than I expected. It¡¯s to where I can see Akshi stealing Derek before he steals her.¡±


    Rafael frowned. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question.¡±


    Grizzizzik unfolded his arms, pushing away from the bookshelf. ¡°Weak. Very weak. Almost as weak as your sister. But I¡¯m going to change that soon.¡±


    That did not ease the nausea in his stomach. ¡°Nick? Or my sister.¡±


    ¡°Nick, obviously. Your sister has a brutish half-orc protecting her. Though even that won¡¯t be enough if Akshi really wants her.¡±


    ¡°What are you planning with Nick?¡± Rafael asked.


    Grizzizzik lifted a hand, rubbing his thumb around the nail of his pointer finger. The wall he threw in front of him turned titanium, and sniper lights roamed around him. Before he could ask anymore, Calawit climbed to the top of the bookshelf, seeing the two of them there. She folded her arms, looking bemused.


    ¡°Not interested in my stuff?¡± Calawit asked.


    Grizzizzik gave her a soft glare. ¡°I can¡¯t touch anything, remember?¡±


    Her smile appeared. ¡°I remember. It only means you¡¯ll have to ask nicely for my help.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes shot toward the pile of trinkets on the desk before looking back at Calawit. ¡°I don¡¯t want any of those.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± She placed her hands on her hips. ¡°Then tell me, Mr. Dark and Brooding. What item in my shop do you have your heart set on?¡± Grizzizzik paused, then his eyes flickered toward the shelf he had stared at when Rafael first approached him. Rafael tried to identify something there, but there was a lot. Calawit tapped her foot. ¡°I will cast detect thought if I have to, but I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Grizzizzik walked over to the shelf. ¡°I need a tattoo.¡±


    Calawit¡¯s eyes lit up with delight. ¡°Do you, now?¡±


    ¡°A powerful one. That can absorb poison and leave me safe from its damage,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Calawit snorted, then climbed to the shelf he was looking at before picking up the tattoo needle and holding it up. ¡°You need to attune to this. It¡¯s a lesser form of the tattoo you¡¯re talking about, and a temporary one. You¡¯re not strong enough for the permanent one, nor rich enough. If you suffer from poison damage, the small tattoo will absorb it before disappearing. As in, it will only save you once.¡± Grizzizzik reached for the needle, but Calawit held it back, studying him. ¡°Fifty gold.¡±


    His fingers curled into themselves as he narrowed his gaze. ¡°So, this isn¡¯t part of your charity?¡±


    ¡°It disappears when it¡¯s used.¡±


    ¡°If I never use it, I can bring it back,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Calawit gave a slow shake of her head. ¡°This is for your group¡¯s safety. You waltz into my store, ignoring my items that help your stealth, and chose the object to protect you when you get attacked by your father.¡± Her gravely voice turned serious. ¡°You are not on a mission of stealth with the rest of your group. Yours is a mission of revenge.¡±


    Grizzizzik didn¡¯t look at her, his gaze remaining on the needle. ¡°It¡¯s for my safety and wellbeing. If I¡¯m safe, I can focus on the mission at hand.¡±


    Calawit narrowed her eyes. ¡°Fifty gold pieces.¡±


    Grizzizzik paused as Calawit studied his every facial tick. The rogue reached behind him and pulled out a small chest, then started counting out gold in tens. Rafael frowned, wondering where he got all the coins. Gold tumbled into the air above Calawit, a hefty sum, before Grizzizzik snapped his chest shut.


    She glanced at the coins beside her. ¡°This is a hundred gold.¡±


    Grizzizzik held out a hand. ¡°I need two.¡±


    Calawit straightened her glasses, then glanced at Rafael. With a flick of her wrist, the coins disappeared, and the shopkeeper picked up a second tattoo needle. ¡°They both take attunement. Place the needle wherever you want the tattoo and concentrate on them. One at a time. If you¡¯re successful, the needle will disappear into the skin and become the tattoo. Each attunement takes about an hour, so prepare your time wisely.¡± She wrapped the needles in cloth before handing them to him. Grizzizzik took them, placing them in his inventory before walking away, pulling his hood up to brood. Rafael watched the rogue, nervous. Calawit met his gaze. ¡°I assume you¡¯ll use the information of Grizzizzik¡¯s purchase to warn the others, as I am sworn to customer privacy.¡±


    Rafael¡¯s shoulders sagged. He needed to tell the group. He needed to warn Nick. About everything.


    He glanced at Ezekiel, and for the first time noticed the cleric was losing weight. His eyes were sunken in. The teeth were such a distraction that he hadn¡¯t noticed everything else. Between the elongated front teeth and the bags under his eyes, it was clear how much Ezekiel suffered. But as Rafael approached, there was a happiness that lit up Ezekiel¡¯s eyes that had not dimmed.


    ¡°Hey, Rafael. It¡¯s good to see you,¡± Ezekiel said.


    ¡°Hey.¡± He moved up to him and folded his arms. Milo and Derek were talking about the different potions, but they paused their conversation to listen to him. ¡°Grizzizzik got two tattoo needles to absorb poison damage.¡±


    Ezekiel glanced over at Grizzizzik, who was against the wall and keeping his arms folded, hood up. ¡°Makes sense. His father has a dangerous bite.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not getting anything else, though,¡± Rafael said.


    Ezekiel shrugged. ¡°He is pretty great at stealth already.¡±


    Rafael stared at his character, then at Milo and Derek for help. Milo leaned against the desk, watching Grizzizzik. ¡°He¡¯s always been a bit of a loose cannon. Thanks for letting us know. We¡¯ll watch him.¡±


    Rafael glanced at Derek. ¡°Nick should know, too.¡±


    Derek pulled out his phone. ¡°On it.¡±


    Rafael watched as Derek texted Evelyn, and was reminded of his conversation with Grizzizzik. He ventured a glance in the rogue¡¯s direction and saw his eyes fixed on him. He tried not to react, but he couldn¡¯t help but force himself to turn away.

 Chapter 137

    Evelyn was with her friends, Annie and Brandi. Some other cheerleaders were there, but they trickled in and out. Jennifer and Beckah walked over, smirks on their faces, and Evelyn felt nervous. She didn¡¯t know why, but those two smirking always meant something.


    Jennifer leaned against the wall, watching someone come near. ¡°This should be good.¡±


    Evelyn turned to see Noah, with Reed not far with that same deer in the headlights look from before. Evelyn glanced at Brandi, who was uncomfortable being with more experienced CCNC players. Some teenage boys were all too eager to help.


    ¡°Hey.¡± Noah was looking right at Evelyn, overwhelmed. It made Evelyn¡¯s heart tug at the thought of being on edge. ¡°So, um, the dance on Saturday? Are you¡­ going?¡±


    Brandi glanced at her hands, and Annie chewed on the inside of her cheek. Evelyn closed her eyes, thinking of Clarissa. Of Moonsparkle. Thought of the hours of therapy she already took and still needing so many more. Evelyn forced herself to straighten her shoulders like a princess before she opened her eyes. ¡°Yes, I am. Are you?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Yeah. Did you want to¡­ come with me? As a date?¡± Noah asked.


    Evelyn eased her textbook to the side, making a conscience effort not to use it to cover her chest. ¡°It¡¯s the Halloween dance. They¡¯re not pairing off on dates.¡±


    Noah nodded. ¡°Yeah. I know.¡±


    When she searched for Noah to have him sign up for CCNC, she had an inkling something like this would happen. She mentally prepared for this moment, and her heart still hammered. Jennifer snickering behind her did not help. Noah ignored Jennifer, or was simply unaware, because he kept staring at Evelyn. The whole thing was rather pathetic. She hated this feeling, and she tried to think of something to put some sort of dignity back into the conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be at the dance. The Halloween dance is great, because there isn¡¯t the pressure of pairing off. I¡¯m not ready for a boyfriend yet, but it¡¯d be nice to get to know a few more of your friends before we have our CCNC session on Monday.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes wandered over to Reed, staring at her with wide, wondrous eyes. She waved, and he did nothing, so she focused back on Noah. ¡°Are more of your friends attending the dance?¡±


    Noah nodded. It was all he managed to do.


    ¡°Perfect! I¡¯d love to get to know them.¡±


    Noah still stared at her, and Evelyn waited, giving into the urge to cover her chest with the textbook. The silence remained, and Evelyn wasn¡¯t sure what to do. She¡¯d been as graceful as possible, and he still stared at her like a mythical creature. Evelyn shook her head, reminded of what she said to Derek. ¡°One of these days, Noah, you¡¯ll get to know me, and realize how human I am. I¡¯ll see you at the dance. I intend to dance with many people there. One dance can be from you. Another for your friend, Reed.¡± Evelyn waved again at Reed with his wide eyes. ¡°See you later?¡±


    Noah nodded, stumbling back. ¡°See you later.¡±


    He and Reed left, still in awe. There was a silence among the cheerleaders until Jennifer broke it with a scoff. ¡°It¡¯s almost pathetic, the hope you give those boys.¡±


    ¡°I was quite clear I wasn¡¯t looking for a boyfriend,¡± Evelyn said.


    Jennifer rolled her eyes. ¡°Like that ever gets through their thick heads. It turns their stalker mode on.¡±


    The bell rang as Evelyn shook her head. ¡°Maybe it does. Maybe it doesn¡¯t. But there¡¯s no need to be rude.¡± She gave in, bringing the textbook up to protect her chest.


    Annie walked beside Evelyn as they blended into the sea of students heading for their first hour. Brandi was on the other side, keeping her eye out for Noah. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid you¡¯ll¡­ get hurt again?¡± Brandi¡¯s voice was hushed.


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    Yes. It was a thought that often crossed her mind throughout the conversation. She hated that being nice could leave her so vulnerable. But she refused to become rude. However, being nice took a courage she wasn¡¯t sure she truly had.


    ***


    Quetzal curled up in Alejandra¡¯s lap, sensing her nerves. The drake was getting big. And heavy. She was almost sad that her time with Quetzal on her lap was numbered. It blew her mind that once she could hold Quetzal in her palm. He¡¯d be a month old next week. That much closer to adulthood. That much closer to attacking monsters.


    Not old enough to attend the heist tonight.


    Alejandra absently hugged Quetzal. He placed his head under her chin, making his growling noise that was once a purr.


    ¡°Nervous?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Quetzal will be fine,¡± Rafael said. ¡°Calawit¡¯s always been a good babysitter.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Alejandra kept her arms around the drake. He was about the size of a small Komodo dragon. ¡°I want to make sure Cal keeps an eye on him. The last thing we need is him escaping her tent and finding me or Hraktar.¡±


    ¡°Calawit¡¯s got enchantments that¡¯ll keep Quetzal in one place,¡± Clarissa said from the back of the car.


    Alejandra knew this. Her brain told her that because Quetzal snuck to school once, didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d sneak away from Calawit. No one could sneak away from her. It came back to the overall nerves of what they were about to do in another hour and a half. She was terrified for all the characters. What if, when the session was done, she¡¯d collect Quetzal without Hraktar? Or Ezekiel? Or any of them? What if Quetzal was the last hope?


    ¡°Hey.¡± Rafael kept his eyes on the road, but she knew he was talking to her. ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡±


    Alejandra frowned, then glanced at him. ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°Tunnel into yourself,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ nervous.¡±


    Rafael snorted. ¡°That doesn¡¯t even begin to explain it.¡±


    Tears pricked her eyes as she glanced behind her, saw Hraktar there. Her character had always been there, ever since he was created. Always in her mind, comforting her during hard times. Especially during hard times. She imagined, often, what Hraktar would¡¯ve done if he had been here in the real world while Jack was abusing them. He had become the silent protector in her mind.


    Now he was here. About to sneak into a place when he wasn¡¯t known for being stealthy. With Akshi, four levels stronger.


    Alejandra closed her eyes, clutching Quetzal until he squirmed in her hug and tried to escape. Rafael pulled to the side of the road near Calawit¡¯s tent.


    ¡°This is insane,¡± Alejandra said.


    Rafael sighed. ¡°It is. Completely.¡± He dropped his voice. ¡°But we can¡¯t lose Ezekiel to lycanthropy.¡±


    She glanced behind her again to see Ezekiel curled into a ball, leaning against Clarissa. A death would be horrible. Watching Ezekiel¡¯s character erode the past month was torture.


    ¡°None of you have to get out. I¡¯ll drop Quetzal off and be back. Quetzal, say goodbye to Hraktar, Ezekiel, and Princess Clarissa,¡± Alejandra said. Quetzal jumped into the back, nuzzling the three of them. Alejandra tried not to think about how this might be Quetzal¡¯s last time seeing them. She refused to linger on that thought for long. The drake climbed out of the car and scurried forward, heading for Calawit¡¯s tent. Quetzal crawled under the tent opening, receiving the flower petals on his four paws before getting much farther into the tent.


    ¡°Oh, hello, little one,¡± Calawit said. Quetzal ran up to Calawit, almost body slamming her in a hug. ¡°Yes, yes. I missed you too.¡± She climbed on Quetzal¡¯s back. ¡°Come on. There are some things in the storage room I haven¡¯t been able to reach.¡±


    Quetzal raced off with Calawit on his back. Alejandra rubbed her arm, trying to steady her breathing. Nothing more to do now but get to Nick¡¯s house and go on this mission that might end up in everyone dying.


    She turned around and was surprised to see the tent door open. She held in a gasp as Hraktar walked through.


    ¡°I¡­ thought you were going to stay in the car,¡± she said.


    Hraktar studied her closely. ¡°I have little wisdom. I have even less charisma. And maybe the only group of people who¡¯d be impressed with my level of intelligence is a bunch of orcs. But even with all that, I can¡¯t help but notice you¡¯ve been jittery all afternoon.¡±


    Alejandra let out a breath. She wasn¡¯t sure how to express herself. This was her character, someone she loved like another sibling. Throwing himself into danger. ¡°Hraktar¡­ if something ever happened to you¡­ if you¡­ die¡­¡±


    Hraktar said nothing. It was as he said. He had a +0 in wisdom, a -1 in charisma, and barely a +1 intelligence. The two extra points for reaching level four she stuck in strength, giving him a +5, with an already incredible constitution of +4. Hraktar could speak no words that would comfort her.


    To her utter surprise, he picked her up off the floor and wrapped his arms around her. Alejandra closed her eyes, leaning against her gentle half-orc with a heart of gold. She allowed herself this moment to cry, to get it all out. Hraktar didn¡¯t say a word, because he didn¡¯t need to. He was far more apt at strength and used it how she always imagined. He kept hugging her until she no longer felt like breaking, and that could only come from someone who had a +5 in strength.

 Chapter 138

    Nick paced in his room. Grizzizzik was there, checking, then checking again the two tattoos on the inside of each wrist. They were a glowing violet color in the shape of an empty jar. The closer it got to six o¡¯clock, the more nauseous Nick felt. There were so many variables that made him anxious, the scariest being that Walt situated himself on the couch soon after dinner with a stack of books. He¡¯d sit in the same vicinity while Nick roleplayed his rogue character, possibly facing Akshi.


    ¡°You won¡¯t attack him, will you?¡± It was the first thing Nick said to his character since the nervous silence settled over them.


    Grizzizzik stared at his wrists. ¡°Not unless he attacks first.¡±


    Which is what Akshi would do if he ever saw Grizzizzik.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s arriving in another half an hour. We still have time to level you up.¡±


    Grizzizzik traced a finger again over the empty jar tattoo. ¡°When I¡¯m ready, I¡¯ll let you know.¡±


    Nick finally stopped pacing. ¡°It¡¯d be easier if you told me what¡¯s going on.¡± Grizzizzik distracted himself by unsheathing his hell dagger and cleaning underneath his fingernails. ¡°Do you really think that makes you a badass? Because it¡¯s a stupid thing to do.¡± Grizzizzik remained quiet. ¡°Come on, man. You¡¯re about to sneak into some place to steal a sword from your father. You have twenty-five hit points, and you could use the boost from the two extra ability points to your dexterity.¡± Grizzizzik flicked off whatever was on his hell dagger, and Nick rolled his eyes. ¡°Or your intelligence, since that¡¯s your spellcasting ability.¡± Grizzizzik resumed cleaning his other fingernail. Nick tried not to grind his teeth. ¡°Please boost your intelligence. I¡¯m pretty sure Hraktar is smarter than you.¡±


    Grizzizzik shot him a glare. Nick matched it. The rogue made a point to run his tongue over his sharpening teeth. ¡°If I need your help, I¡¯ll ask for it,¡± Grizzizzik said, slow and clear. Nick narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re part of a team. Everyone is depending on you. We need to be strong. Unified. You can¡¯t go in there as a level three when everyone else is level four. You cannot drag everyone else down with you,¡± Nick said.


    Grizzizzik stood up, sheathing his dagger. Without another word, he slipped out of the room and down the hall. Nick rubbed the bridge of his nose with two hands, trying to calm his stomach. This was worse than Walt watching him play CCNC, but not by much.


    The doorbell rang, and Nick was grateful for the distraction. It was still a while before everyone else arrived, but he knew who it was.


    Nick walked down the hall, but Evelyn beat him to the door. Tyler stood there with two rolling suitcases. He was leaning against one as he checked his phone. ¡°Sorry, running a little behind.¡± He slipped his phone back in his pocket before grabbing the handle of his two suitcases. He moved into the house, and Walt watched him come in, a frown on his face. With the suitcases, it made it seem like Tyler was moving in.


    Walt checked his watch. ¡°You¡¯re actually early.¡±


    ¡°Game master late.¡± Tyler dropped his suitcases by the table and unzipped them. ¡°I¡¯ve got to get some visuals prepared, and a few back up ones just in case. You never know what path these characters will take.¡±


    Tyler pulled out four tubs of miniatures from the first suitcase. He opened the other suitcase and grabbed his mat before unloading three other smaller totes. Walt watched the whole thing with a confused and annoyed look on his face before he shook his head and went back to reading.


    ¡°Need any help?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll be fine. Shouldn¡¯t be too long to set up.¡± Tyler placed all the totes on the table and opened the lids.


    Nick didn¡¯t want to stay here. Not with Walt. It was already hard enough pretending enthusiasm to have a CCNC session with his father watching. He didn¡¯t want to stay a half an hour longer than needed.


    He walked outside, feeling the pleasant heat. It hadn¡¯t hit triple digit heat in a while, so it was nice not to sweat the moment he walked outside. He sat on the bench, calming his anxious mind. He tried to think about what they knew. Akshi was controlling Mr. Stower. There was a good chance he was at Mr. Stower¡¯s house. They needed one of Akshi¡¯s swords. They were all level four, except Grizzizzik. If his rogue hadn¡¯t already tried leveling up, there was little chance he¡¯d do it during the heist. Grizzizzik was planning something. That much was obvious.


    Nick remained on the bench, quietly rocking it, thinking of strategies. They needed stealth. Grizzizzik had the best stealth of anyone, even at level three. This was the first time in a while he¡¯d be a part of the session. Sure, he rolled from his room, but this was different. He wouldn¡¯t need an update from Evelyn. He¡¯d see Grizzizzik in action, even if Grizzizzik would be miles away.


    A car pulled up, and he realized he¡¯d been stewing in his own anxieties for a good twenty minutes. He watched as Derek and Milo got out of the car. Derek held four bags, three of which Nick knew were treats. The other bag contained his dice and everything he needed to prepare them for a session.


    ¡°Yo, Nick. How¡¯s it going?¡± Derek asked. Nick said nothing, though his shoulders drooped. Derek snorted. ¡°I get that. But the party can officially start! I come bearing food!¡±


    Nick smiled. ¡°Alejandra and Rafael haven¡¯t come yet, but you can go get organized in there.¡±


    Derek grumbled as he let Nick open the front door for him. ¡°Fine. The frozen pizzas take about fifteen minutes to cook, anyway. Your parents aren¡¯t using the oven, are they?¡±


    ¡°Nope. You¡¯re good.¡±


    ¡°Great! The party can start once the frozen pizzas cook! Also, the container of margarine has my abuela¡¯s salsa. The container of jumbo sour cream has mild salsa. Don¡¯t mix them up,¡± Derek said as he slid through the door.


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    ¡°Thanks for the warning.¡±


    Derek disappeared down the front entryway as Milo followed behind him. ¡°I bring snacks!¡± Derek shouted loudly.


    ¡°Yes! You¡¯re the best, Derek!¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first rule of pre-game preparedness. One must always feed the dealer of consequences. Starts the good karma rolling,¡± Derek said.


    Nick shook his head as he closed the door again, staying outside. He was left alone, staring at the road, thinking of calmer things. His heart continued to pound as he heard talking within. No doubt Derek getting the pizza ready to cook and his dice ready to roll.


    It wasn¡¯t much longer before Rafael and Alejandra pulled in. He could see Ezekiel, Hraktar, and Clarissa in the back. Nick tried to ignore them as he stared at a crack in the cement porch. These two, with his father, were the people he¡¯d never be prepared to see, no matter how much he psyched himself up. However, he needed to keep this from being a disaster before the session even started.


    The characters were the first to get out of the car, talking amongst themselves as Clarissa hurried Ezekiel into the house. The glimpse Nick got of Ezekiel didn¡¯t look great. Sunken eyes, sharper front teeth, hooded eyes. Rafael and Alejandra were far slower to leave the car. Clarissa opened the door and walked in, easing Ezekiel into the brighter house. Hraktar walked inside, shutting the door behind him. Rafael and Alejandra froze, and Nick saw the words appear.


    Roll for stealth.


    Nick wasn¡¯t sure what Grizzizzik was doing, but he didn¡¯t have a good feeling. He rarely had a good feeling about things when Grizzizzik was involved. Especially lately.


    Nineteen. With the +6 of his level three stealth modifier, whatever Grizzizzik was planning, no one would find out unless that rogue let them.


    Time resumed, and Alejandra walked toward the house. She didn¡¯t even acknowledge Nick as she knocked on the door. The loud chorus of everyone inside telling her to come in was enough for her to slip inside. She left the door open for Rafael to follow, but he grabbed the knob, the hinges squeaking as it closed. Nick raised an eyebrow as Rafael glanced at him, a slight frown on his face.


    ¡°This session will already be hard.¡± Rafael sighed, rubbing his neck. ¡°So I¡¯d like to apologize now. Out here. Before we go inside. I¡¯m sorry, dude. Really sorry. I was a jackass. Not just to Evelyn, but to you. While trying to hide what I did, I was overly rude to you. Afraid you¡¯d find out. And¡­ I never apologized for that yet.¡±


    Nick stared at Rafael. At his old friend. Rafael was right, of course. He had been a complete jackass to him. ¡°Uh¡­¡± he said, because he wasn¡¯t sure what else to say.


    ¡°I was scared. Insecure. I should have admitted what I did from the start.¡±


    ¡°I would¡¯ve still punched you.¡± That much Nick was certain of.


    ¡°And I would have deserved it then, too,¡± Rafael said.


    Nick was so confused by this conversation, mainly because he didn¡¯t expect it. This was a conversation old Rafael would have had with him. Before the ¡®incident¡¯. No, he realized. The ¡®incident¡¯ was different. It wasn¡¯t about him hanging out with Anthony and Eddy at all. This was about Rafael trying to hide what he did to Evelyn.


    His point of view shifted, realizing what Rafael truly meant. He was apologizing for being rude to Nick. For yelling at him for making stupid choices. For avoiding him and sticking his nose up at him when he couldn¡¯t. Not because of what Nick did with Anthony and Eddy, but because Rafael tried to hide what he did to Evelyn. Nick didn¡¯t know why it took until now to click into place, but his eyebrows slowly loosened. This whole time Nick thought Rafael was frustrated at him for hanging out with Anthony and Eddy. But it sounded like Rafael hadn¡¯t been frustrated with him at all.


    ¡°So¡­ that time you told me I was an idiot for getting into the car with Eddy?¡±


    ¡°Still an idiotic choice, but¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have yelled it. And I shouldn¡¯t have been such a stuck-up jerk. I didn¡¯t want to leave the game, but¡­ Evelyn threatened me. To leave her alone or she¡¯d tell you. She¡­ had every right to push me away after what I did. So I kept my distance while also making sure no one found out what I¡¯d done.¡± Rafael shook his head, staring at the door. ¡°I seriously cringe at how hypocritical I was to you. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Yeah, that¡¯s¡­ alright.¡±


    Did he believe it was alright? Maybe. He wasn¡¯t sure. Rafael acknowledging he was a jackass certainly helped. Rafael didn¡¯t actually care about Nick¡¯s choices like he thought he did. Rafael was covering up his own choice by insulting Nick and pushing him away. And here he was, apologizing for it.


    Nick continued to stare, realizing he should say something, but he was dumbfounded.


    ¡°The thing that hurt the most was that I left you alone to deal with your dad,¡± Rafael said.


    Nick couldn¡¯t keep Rafael¡¯s gaze with that statement. Instead, he stared ahead; the glare returning to his face. ¡°Honestly? The silver lining in all this was my dad couldn¡¯t constantly compare me to you. I don¡¯t think I would¡¯ve lasted the three years it¡¯s been.¡±


    Rafael deflated at that. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s still doing that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± Nick trailed off. His throat closed up, the emotions betraying him. He rubbed his scarred eyebrow with his palm, not looking at Rafael. ¡°He is.¡±


    Rafael kept looking at him, but Nick refused to meet his gaze. Silence came between them, but Nick didn¡¯t dare breech it.


    Rafael sighed, glancing at the door. ¡°What do you want me to say to him tonight?¡±


    Nick shrugged, his throat still tight. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I never know what to say. Just¡­ keep him distracted, I guess. We¡¯ll need that while our characters travel to Mr. Stower¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°How badly does it bother you that your dad treats me this way?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ nice to know you¡¯ve admitted you¡¯re a jackass. It makes it hurt less,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°But it still hurts?¡±


    Nick held in a sigh. Rafael took in Nick¡¯s slumped shoulders, the heat in his eyes that were moments away from forming into tears. For three years, Nick hid this version of himself from Rafael. Felt sickened at the idea of such vulnerability in front of his old friend. But now, though it was still embarrassing, he acknowledged it didn¡¯t hurt as much.


    ¡°I wish it didn¡¯t hurt,¡± Nick whispered. ¡°But it¡¯s not your fault that it does. It¡¯s my dad¡¯s.¡± That much was true.


    Rafael reached for the door, his hand lingering on the knob. ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to your dad to distract him while the characters leave. Please tell me if it hurts too much. I won¡¯t be that pretentious again. I understand you can¡¯t trust me, because I¡¯ve broken many people¡¯s trust. But¡­ I hope you go back to feeling comfortable calling me out if I¡¯m ever disrespecting you,¡± Rafael said.


    Nick couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°That I can do.¡±


    Rafael tried to smile, but it was a flicker. ¡°There¡¯s something else you should know. Grizzizzik¡­ he said he¡¯s got something planned for you. To strengthen you. I¡­ I figured you¡¯d want to be aware. I didn¡¯t want to text you, and I didn¡¯t want to worry Evelyn, either.¡±


    Nick frowned, not sure how to react. ¡°What does that even mean?¡±


    Rafael shrugged. ¡°Grizzizzik¡¯s got a list of who he thinks Akshi would go after. You¡¯re pretty likely on the list, and he wants to make you stronger. I guess. I figured you¡¯d want to be aware.¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t know what to do, other than to nod. Rafael said little else as he opened the door and slipped inside. The door, though left open for him, slowly closed. Nick knew it was time for the session and he should return, but he needed five more seconds to steady himself. He took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. He could do this. They could break into Akshi¡¯s place and get a sword for Ezekiel.


    Crunching rocks caused Nick¡¯s eyes to fly open. He saw Grizzizzik walking up to him, calm as ever. Nick stared at his character, his heart rate spiked.


    ¡°That kid is slowly building a backbone. It might save his life,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°What are you planning?¡± Nick asked.


    Grizzizzik walked up the steps. ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± The rogue slipped into the house. That statement alone made Nick close his eyes for another ten seconds, trying to calm his breathing as he mentally prepared himself for this session.

 Chapter 139

    Nick walked inside, closing the door behind him. It was a boisterous party. Rafael didn¡¯t make it far before Walt stopped him, and the two of them were catching up near the entryway. Despite needing Rafael to distract Walt, the less Nick heard their conversation, the better. He walked over to the table and noticed Milo looking at the minifigure of himself with his magnifying glass.


    ¡°Fascinating!¡± he said, holding it close before noticing the rogue. ¡°Oh, Grizzizzik, here¡¯s a pile of potions for you. I¡¯ve separated them all out into multiples, so we each have an escape if needed.¡±


    Grizzizzik made no move toward them, so Nick took it on himself to grab the bottles and force them into his rogue¡¯s hands, watching as he placed them into his inventory.


    Hraktar was studying his minifigure too, but he kept it on the table, no doubt afraid to break it.


    Clarissa straightened her tiara. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re all here. To keep up the masquerade, we¡¯ve got to leave now. Grizzly Bear? Milo? Are you ready?¡±


    Grizzizzik was away from the other characters, as usual. He simply nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The characters filed out of the house, some of the chaos leaving with them. Nick was by the table watching the characters go. Walt didn¡¯t see them at all, still conversing with Rafael, catching up on his life. Smiling.


    Nick¡¯s fingers found Grizzizzik¡¯s mini figurine, his stomach churning as he distracted himself with the minifigure. After three years of absence, Rafael returned as Walt¡¯s favorite teenager, as always. It wasn¡¯t as painful as before. Rafael admitting to being a jackass helped. His anger was no longer on Rafael but Walt.


    Once the door closed, velvet bags appeared on the table. Nick frowned, then recognized them as the dice bag Grizzizzik unwillingly handed to him back in August. He grabbed the one at his spot and opened the drawstrings, seeing the seven dice inside. Underneath was a character sheet, full of stats written in perfect handwriting. Nick frowned, flipping it over and seeing all the notes.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Derek said. Nick glanced up, seeing his friend checking out Milo¡¯s sheet. Derek opened the bag and let the dice tumble out, his eyes brightening. ¡°Finally! I can pre-roll!¡±


    Nick raised an eyebrow as he watched Derek started rolling the galaxy portal dice. The way he casually treated these as regular dice surprised Nick more than anything. He was terrified of taking them out of the bag. These dice held insane power, and Derek put it through his dice tower to check its energy charge, or whatever he did when he pre-rolled.


    Tyler gave Derek a bemused smile as he finished something behind his game master screen. Tyler had covered most of his build miniatures behind a sheet. Nick was in his seat because he wasn¡¯t sure what else to do. Evelyn was on the couch, reading a book. It looked like a CCNC tie in. He didn¡¯t know why it was so odd watching his sister reading a book. Maybe everyone was feeling anxious and doing things out of the ordinary.


    Alejandra was in the kitchen, folding her arms, not watching anyone. Nick wanted to wave at her, but she looked as though she didn¡¯t want to be here. Honestly, he¡¯d be surprised if anyone wanted to be here. Derek was the only one who looked comfortable with all of this, but he also took drama since middle school.


    Nick got up and situated himself next to Derek, who was also next to Tyler. He checked over his shoulder to make sure Walt was still chatting with Rafael, which he was. Happily. Nick turned back, dropping his voice. ¡°For my sanity, during role play, no one refer to Akshi as Grizzizzik¡¯s dad.¡±


    Tyler glanced at Walt before focusing again on building the miniature. ¡°Yeah, I can see that getting awkward.¡±


    ¡°What kind of relation should we refer to him as? Just so we¡¯re all clear,¡± Derek said.


    Nick shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Nemesis? Can we replace father with nemesis?¡±


    ¡°Fine with me.¡± Tyler finished building his miniature. ¡°Do you need us to help spread the word?¡±


    ¡°To Rafael and Alejandra, yes. I¡¯ll tell Evelyn,¡± Nick said.


    They said nothing, though they both glanced at Alejandra. Nick refused to, not sure he wanted to see her frosty gaze aimed toward him again. Nick stood up, heading toward his sister.


    Rafael proved to be a great distraction. He had the look of someone who¡¯d rather bathe in a river full of alligators, but he went through with it.


    Nick sat next to Evelyn, who had her nose stuck in a book. He dropped his voice. ¡°Hey, so, Akshi is Grizzizzik¡¯s nemesis, not his father. Make sure you don¡¯t mention any sort of relation while we¡¯re role playing,¡± Nick said, watching as Derek got up to talk to Alejandra.


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    He looked back at his sister, saw how rapidly her eyes scanned the page of the book. ¡°Um¡­ good book?¡±


    ¡°In the kindest way I can possibly word this, if you distract me from figuring out if Onik Underhelm retrieves the emerald, I will cut off your tongue and see if Pippa can switch it with a pig¡¯s.¡±


    Nick snorted. Evelyn did not. For that reason alone, he eased himself off the couch and returned to the table. He figured she got the message. If she didn¡¯t, he¡¯d make sure someone else told her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Rafael when he¡¯s done. How¡¯s Evelyn?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°I¡­ think she got it. She¡¯s pretty engrossed in her reading.¡± Nick gestured at the book.


    Tyler glanced in Evelyn¡¯s direction, then his face dropped. ¡°Did she tell you where she was?¡±


    Nick frowned. ¡°Something about an Orrin Underhelm getting an emerald?¡±


    ¡°Ooooh no.¡± Tyler checked his watch.


    ¡°You¡¯ve¡­ read it?¡± Nick asked.


    Tyler glanced at Nick, his eyes widening. ¡°You haven¡¯t?¡±


    Nick shrugged, because he didn¡¯t know how else to react. Tyler got up, walking to Derek. Nick, curious, followed.


    ¡°We have an emerald situation right now,¡± Tyler said.


    Derek frowned. ¡°Emerald situation? You mean there¡¯s something wrong with Milo¡¯s bracelet?¡±


    ¡°No. The emerald situation. Cost of Mana. Evelyn, right over there.¡±


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Derek turned to see Evelyn, with the book a few inches from her nose. Derek seemed to deflate. ¡°Totally my bad. I introduced her to that series.¡±


    Evelyn gave a loud gasp. One that even caused Walt to glance over. Tyler and Derek visibly relaxed.


    ¡°Okay, she¡¯s at that part,¡± Derek said.


    Tyler checked his watch again. ¡°Another five minutes tops. I thought she was at the beginning. This makes things much easier.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll make sure she ends at the break.¡± Derek slipped away before tiptoeing toward Evelyn and easing next to her. Evelyn didn¡¯t notice him. Tyler returned to the table, which left Nick and Alejandra in the kitchen. Nick glanced at her, receiving the frost from her gaze. There was nothing more he could do but be gracious, and not just because Walt was near. He genuinely didn¡¯t know how to interact with Alejandra when she was this cold.


    ¡°So¡­ things are going¡­ good? For you?¡± Nick asked. The memory of Derek bemoaning how socially messed up he was trickled into his mind at that exact moment.


    Alejandra didn¡¯t look at him. Instead, she focused on the oven like she was content to watch pizza cooking. ¡°Good. They¡¯re good.¡±


    ¡°Good. Good to hear.¡± The silence was five seconds long, but it was seconds of agony. Nick tried to think of something to say, but he was aware Alejandra didn¡¯t want to talk to him, and it was difficult to talk to people he knew were angry at him. ¡°So¡­¡± He didn¡¯t know what to say, but the silence was torture. ¡°How have you been?¡±


    That was the same variation of his first question. Alejandra watched him with that same amount of coolness. The coldness that brought heat to his cheeks. She remained quiet, pouring herself a glass of water before walking past him, not answering his question. Nick remained, leaning against the table, still wondering why Alejandra treated him like this. Even Rafael showed him more warmth.


    If this is how Alejandra was going to act around him, he was right to break things off so quickly. He sighed, feeling annoyed. He could stand only one person in his life holding things over his head.


    Evelyn shouting in surprise caused him to turn around. Derek had placed her bookmark in the crease and was slowly closing it.


    ¡°Derek! What are you doing!¡± Evelyn shouted.


    ¡°You¡¯re at the end of the chapter, and it is my duty to make sure you take a break before you get into another cliffhanger. We¡¯ve got a sesh ahead of us, and we need our princess druid focused.¡±


    Evelyn whimpered as he took the book away. ¡°This is all your fault.¡±


    ¡°I know. But here¡¯s my deal. I have books two through five at my house right now. You stop at this chapter, and I¡¯ll let you borrow them tomorrow, so you don¡¯t have to suffer through that cliffhanger at the end of book one.¡± Derek closed the book and set it aside.


    Evelyn grumbled. ¡°Fine.¡±


    Nick had his back to the table, folding his arms as he looked at the oven. There was nothing interesting about the pizza cooking in there, but it seemed like the thing to study when there was nowhere else to look.


    ¡°¡­which should take about four years to get a bachelor¡¯s, then another two for my masters,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Incredible. Simply incredible. That¡¯s a noble goal,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°Well, I find nutrition fascinating. Being able to help people with their diets to get healthier can only be a plus.¡±


    Nick kept staring at the pizza in the oven, his face hardening. He wasn¡¯t even sure what it was. It had been so long since he¡¯d had a conversation with Rafael that he didn¡¯t know what his life goals were. Didn¡¯t ask about college. Didn¡¯t ask about his future. But this was a different sort of pain. A pain that Walt had never asked Nick that question, either. Maybe Walt already knew about Nick wanting to get out of here as soon as possible, but no other questions. Nick didn¡¯t know whether he was going to college, let alone what he wanted to study.


    Absently, Nick grabbed a chip and placed it in some salsa before taking a bite. He knew it was abuela¡¯s recipe the second it touched his lips. Any more obvious, and he would have eaten a flaming piece of wood. Nick choked, turned around, and spit it in the sink.


    ¡°Nick?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Oh, shit. Uh, Nick, I moved my abuela¡¯s salsa from the container to the bowl!¡±


    If Nick¡¯s tongue hadn¡¯t touched lava, he would have given Derek a snarky remark.


    Tyler was already there, pressing a glass of milk into his hands. ¡°Drink it. It¡¯ll help.¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t need to be told twice. He downed the milk, then his entire body shuddered. ¡°Why?¡± Nick couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Why do you even bring that?¡±


    Derek shrugged. ¡°Because it¡¯s delicious. And Alejandra and I love it.¡±


    He shuddered again. ¡°Clearly labeled next time?¡±


    His friend snorted. ¡°You got it.¡±


    Nick fought the urge to grab his tongue and scrape his fingernails across it.


    ¡°Can¡¯t even eat a chip right.¡±


    The tone was quiet. Nick shouldn¡¯t have heard it at all. But he did. Walt¡¯s critical voice somehow always carried, and for Nick¡¯s own sanity, he pretended not to hear it. He noticed Rafael¡¯s face, though. The way his jaw dropped slightly, working overtime to keep it neutral, then the wide-eyed gaze at Nick. He forced himself not to acknowledge it.


    Derek gathered the bowl and the chips. ¡°I¡¯ll set this down near my spot.¡±


    Nick nodded as Tyler filled up his glass again with some milk. ¡°My tongue still has phantom heat from the first time I tried Abuela¡¯s salsa. And that was when Abuela herself made it. That woman openly flirts with Scoville and the rest of us get burned.¡±


    Nick snorted and regretted it. He took another swig of milk, swishing it around.


    ¡°So, Tyler, you going to start this soon?¡± Walt asked, entering the kitchen.


    The muscles in Nick¡¯s shoulders stiffened as he glanced again at the pizza cooking in the oven.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Larsen. Figured we¡¯d wait for the pizza. It¡¯s only got ten minutes left,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Now, are you at college?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°Yes. Getting my degree in electrical engineering at the University of Arizona.¡± Tyler placed the milk back in the fridge.


    ¡°Oh, really? I honestly didn¡¯t expect that,¡± Walt said.


    Tyler frowned, confused. ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Figured you¡¯d go to college and get some degree that teaches you how to make games or something. You¡¯ve always seemed like the obsessed gamer type to me.¡± Walt pulled out a drink from the fridge.


    Tyler stared at Walt, confused. ¡°Um, do I?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Thursday night, Tyler. You drove a half an hour from college to play a role-playing game with a bunch of high schoolers.¡± Walt shook his head, taking a drink. ¡°On that note, you better get this whole thing started. These kids have school tomorrow. And so do you.¡± Walt left the kitchen to return to the couch. Tyler watched him go, then his eyes flickered toward Nick.


    ¡°How do you survive here?¡± Tyler whispered.


    Nick¡¯s stiff shoulders drooped. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t.¡±


    Rafael walked into the kitchen, looking ragged. ¡°You okay?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Just¡­ talking with Walt.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s better? Him praising all your life choices, or him critiquing them?¡± Nick asked.


    Both Rafael and Tyler shuddered. He didn¡¯t know why, but a small smile crossed his face.


    ¡°What about you, Tyler? Are you okay? Being game master of this whole thing can¡¯t be easy,¡± Rafael said.


    Tyler shook his head, grabbing an Oreo, his eyes glazing over. ¡°I¡¯ve been having the same nightmare since CCNC con once or twice a week. We¡¯re in the middle of battling an enormous group of monsters when I realize I¡¯m completely naked.¡±


    Nick felt himself smile, with Rafael chuckling. ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s probably not funny,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°It¡¯s hilarious in the morning. At night, though?¡± Tyler shook his head. ¡°I wake up shaking, in a cold sweat.¡±


    Rafael smiled as he gathered up the other snacks Derek brought and took them over to the table. Nick grabbed his glass of milk, not sure he¡¯d be able to taste any of the other snacks even if he tried. He glanced up, noticing the table, seeing Alejandra and Derek talking. Alejandra was holding her character sheet and bag of dice. Derek was asking something, and they were being quiet about it all. Evelyn gathered up her sheet and dice bag.


    ¡°You can switch with me.¡± Evelyn wasn¡¯t quiet at all.


    Alejandra nodded, and Evelyn placed her things down on the spot next to Nick. He held in a sigh.


    ¡°Pizza¡¯s almost done,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Hey, Tyler?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Thanks for not abandoning us. For being willing to come on a Thursday night to help us out.¡±


    Tyler smiled. ¡°Hey, anytime. Earth¡¯s in danger, and it seems selfish not to do everything I can.¡±


    ¡°Well, thanks.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And you eat chips just fine,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Ah. You heard, too?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± Tyler glanced at Walt, who was giving Cost of Mana a skeptical look before picking up his own book. ¡°Sometimes I forget how shitty your dad is. Which reminds me. I need to tell Rafael about Akshi¡¯s new code word.¡±


    Nick stayed in the kitchen as Derek organized all his snacks on the table. Nick waited for the pizza to cook. He could sense it, right as Tyler came back and pulled on an oven mitt and brought the pizza out. Something deep in his senses told him that Grizzizzik and the others were close. He glanced at Tyler, who had a frown on his face.


    ¡°You feel that too?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Tyler quickly cut the pizza into slices before picking it up and heading toward the table. ¡°Let¡¯s start this session.¡± Tyler placed the pan in the middle of the table. ¡°You all have school tomorrow, after all.¡±

 Chapter 140

    Nick sat next to Evelyn, and Rafael took his seat across from him. Derek and Evelyn went after the pizza. Alejandra waited before she got her slice.


    Tyler situated himself at the front of the table by Derek and Alejandra. Rafael was busy examining his character sheet, and Nick felt the nerves of this whole situation. He knew what Grizzizzik would do. The moment Akshi came into sight, no one would trust Grizzizzik. That much he knew. In fact¡­


    ¡°Hey, Grizzizzik¡¯s still at level three. He¡¯s been fighting me with leveling, and refuses to go to level four. I figured everyone should know to be prepared.¡±


    There was silence. Not the silence of understanding, but something else. Tyler reached over to get a pizza slice, taking a huge bite. Evelyn was munching on her pizza, trying to keep it away from her character sheet that she was double checking. No one turned toward him, no one said anything. Nick frowned. ¡°Hello?¡± Again, silence from everyone. Nick blinked, then stared right at his sister. ¡°Evelyn, you heard me, right?¡±


    She didn¡¯t react, and Nick¡¯s gaze shot toward Derek, then to Tyler. ¡°Tyler? Derek? Please say someone heard me.¡±


    Tyler took a huge bite, nodding. ¡°Excellent pizza.¡±


    ¡°Hey, thanks,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Grizzizzik¡¯s at level three.¡± Nick made his voice louder than Tyler''s and Derek¡¯s. ¡°He¡¯s refused to move to level four. He¡¯s planning something.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fantastic,¡± Alejandra said at the tail end of what Nick said.


    Derek beamed. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t realize how hard his heart was pounding until he felt it almost burst out of his chest. He shot a gaze at Rafael. ¡°Rafael? Did you hear me?¡±


    His old friend kept his gaze on his character sheet, ignoring the pizza. Nick waved his hand in front of Evelyn, but she kept eating like nothing happened.


    Icy dread snaked up his spine as he watched his friends. He didn¡¯t want to do this session at all. What was going on? These were his friends. They were part of this journey with him. How could they not hear him? He would have screamed to get their attention, but he didn¡¯t want Walt questioning him, either.


    Nick leaned over, inches from Evelyn¡¯s ear. ¡°Grizzizzik¡¯s at level three! He¡¯s not at level four!¡±


    His sister still didn¡¯t react.


    ¡°Hey, Nick? Rafael? Want a slice?¡± Tyler asked. Nick had no appetite, and it wasn¡¯t his burnt tongue. He shook his head, the nerves too much as Rafael took a slice. ¡°Alright then. Are we ready to begin?¡±


    Everyone nodded, except Nick. He stared at Grizzizzik¡¯s miniature, unable to calm his breathing, but no one seemed to notice his panicking. What was happening?


    ¡°Alright. A little recap from last time. Ezekiel is attempting to cure his lycanthropy, and he¡¯s got two of the three ingredients. Time is swiftly ticking down until the next full moon, and your characters must steal one of Akshi¡¯s swords as the last piece for the cleansing ritual. Your characters have snuck up on a house you believe is where Akshi is residing. As it gets fully dark, the house comes into view.¡± Tyler opened his palm. ¡°What are your characters doing?¡±


    There was a pause. Everyone glanced at each other. Derek closed one eye. ¡°Milo¡¯s got his night goggles on and is in this state of nerves where he¡¯s making scientific notations in his mind about how the night goggles are working to implement them in his own invention.¡±


    Tyler smiled. ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    ¡°Ezekiel¡¯s¡­ sort of got his night goggles on,¡± Rafael said. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ worried because he¡¯s seeing better in the dark, and he¡¯s uncomfortable with it.¡±


    Alejandra quietly cleared her throat. ¡°Hraktar¡¯s staying by Ezekiel¡¯s side.¡±


    ¡°Princess Clarissa¡¯s on the other side,¡± Evelyn said.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Nick had his elbows on the table, resting his chin against them as he thought about his character. ¡°Grizzizzik¡¯s sneaking up to a window to peek inside, which he would do better if he was at level four, but he¡¯s at level three.¡±


    Tyler nodded, acting like he hadn¡¯t heard the last part. ¡°Roll for investigation.¡±


    Nick opened his bag of dice, and couldn¡¯t help but glance around to see everyone watching him. He was used to everyone being frozen. It was weird to pull out the mythical d20 from the velvet bag and shake it while everyone watched. It felt heavy in his palm. The d20 clattered on the table, and he winced when it landed on a nine. He almost waited for the modifier to add itself. When it didn¡¯t, he ran his finger down his sheet until it got to investigation and saw the +2.


    ¡°Eleven.¡±


    Everyone turned to face Tyler, who had his eyes closed. ¡°You observe a quiet house. Lived in, but¡­no.¡± Tyler furrowed his brow, eyes still closed. ¡°The house is nearly spotless. No dishes, no fast food bags. Or¡ª¡± Tyler cracked an eye open to glance in Walt¡¯s direction. ¡°No¡­ medieval equivalent to fast food. There is nothing here that makes one think anyone lives here, let alone a single man. The lights are all on, yet no one is inside the room you¡¯re looking in.¡±


    ¡°¡®I¡­ don¡¯t like this,¡¯¡± Derek said, using his Milo voice.


    ¡°¡®What do we do?¡¯¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t bother putting on her Clarissa voice.


    ¡°¡®They¡¯ve got to be in there somewhere,¡¯¡± Rafael said.


    Tyler scooted back, grabbing one of his miniatures. ¡°For reference.¡± He placed a miniature on the table. It showed a house that looked old timey, but Nick tried to imagine it as more modern. ¡°Everyone¡¯s¡­¡± he moved his finger around, concentrating, ¡°¡­there.¡± They all placed their miniatures by the house.


    ¡°¡®I say we look through other windows.¡¯¡± Nick tried to sound like Grizzizzik but felt ridiculous. Now that he knew what Grizzizzik sounded like, he doubted he could ever return to roleplaying his rogue.


    ¡°¡®I¡¯ll come with you,¡¯¡± Derek said.


    Rafael lifted a hand. ¡°¡®Wait, are we sure we want to split up?¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡®Do you have a better plan?¡¯¡± Evelyn asked.


    Rafael frowned, his brows furrowing. There was a stretch of silence as Rafael concentrated. ¡°¡®I¡­ can¡¯t think. It¡¯s¡­¡¯¡±


    Nick shook his head. ¡°Grizzizzik doesn¡¯t wait. He heads for another window in a different room.¡±


    ¡°¡®Grizzly Bear, where are you going?¡¯¡± Evelyn asked.


    Nick paused, staring at Grizzizzik¡¯s minifigure. ¡°¡®When you come up with a plan, let me know. I¡¯ll have Akshi¡¯s sword by then.¡¯¡±


    Derek snorted. ¡°Milo hesitates, but not for long. He rushes after Grizzizzik.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Tyler stood up, grabbing another miniature scene behind him and placing it next to the other one. This one gave them a closer look at the house. ¡°Which windows are you looking in?¡±


    Nick leaned over, following with a finger. ¡°Grizzizzik¡¯s going this way, and searching every window he can.¡±


    Derek nodded. ¡°Milo¡¯s following.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Milo, make an investigation check.¡±


    Derek let out a breath, picking up his dice, muttering something in Spanish before letting the d20 tumble on the table. He then pumped his fist in the air. ¡°Nat twenty!¡± He picked up the dice and kissed it. ¡°Good job, my friend.¡±


    Rafael scrutinized Derek, and Alejandra smiled, though rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Tyler said, studying the miniature. He grabbed Milo and Grizzizzik figurines, moving them around the house before placing them next to the front door. Tyler stared at it for a second. ¡°You look into this room and see a man there. A man you recognize as¡­¡± Tyler pursed his lips. ¡°Bob. The local leader of the area¡¯s school.¡± Tyler glanced at Walt before focusing on the game again. ¡°He is sitting at the table. There is nothing around him, no books, no¡­ entertainment. The man is sitting there, staring off into the distance with green in his pupils.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not doing anything?¡± Derek asked.


    Tyler shook his head. ¡°Absolutely nothing.¡±


    ¡°Does he look okay?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°Fine, fine. He¡¯s almost in a trance. It seems¡­ like this is what he always does. Whenever he gets home, he¡­ comes to this room. And is ordered to stay.¡±


    Nick winced. It was one thing for Tyler to explain this about a mythical creature, but quite another to hear this about Mr. Stower. Nick didn¡¯t know him well, but it made him squirm in his seat.


    ¡°Does Milo find anything interesting in the room?¡± Derek asked.


    Tyler closed his eyes again. ¡°Yes. There are¡­ enchantments around the room. You sense mana. If someone enters this room, it¡¯ll send an alert to the caster that someone is here with Bob.¡±


    Derek nodded. ¡°I share this information with Grizzizzik.¡±


    Tyler and Derek glanced at Nick, who stared at the figurine outside the room. ¡°Grizzizzik¡­ doesn¡¯t care. About the man. He¡¯s watching for his¡­ nemesis.¡±


    ¡°What about the front door?¡± Derek moved the Milo figurine to approach the front of the house. ¡°Any mana there?¡±


    ¡°None that you can sense,¡± Tyler said.


    Derek¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°I hate that phrase.¡±


    Tyler shrugged in reply. He grabbed a figurine to act as Mr. Stower and opened the house¡¯s roof, placing the figurine inside the room.


    ¡°¡®Hey, Grizzizzik. Can you pick a lock?¡¯¡± Derek asked as Milo.


    Nick snorted. ¡°¡®I am morally offended that you need to ask that question. Should we break in without the others?¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡®I want to see if I can diffuse the enchantments around that man,¡¯¡± Derek said.


    Nick furrowed his brow. ¡°¡®That¡¯s not our mission.¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡®Maybe I can break the link between Bob and Akshi. That¡¯ll help our friends immensely,¡¯¡± Derek said.


    ¡°¡®Also not our mission, and you think way too highly of your skills. We don¡¯t enter until we see Akshi,¡¯¡± Nick said.


    Derek sighed, staring at Milo¡¯s figurine.


    Tyler made a quiet noise of footsteps approaching before placing a second figurine in the room, small and feminine. ¡°Pippa appears in the room, walking toward Bob.¡±

 Chapter 141

    Derek covered his face. ¡°Shit. Shit shit shit. Milo drops to the ground almost too quickly, keeping out of sight.¡±


    ¡°Grizzizzik moves toward the side of the window, but enough to see what¡¯s going on,¡± Nick said.


    Tyler nodded, then glanced at his notes. ¡°Make a stealth check, both of you.¡±


    Nick picked up his d20 and rolled it. Eighteen was fantastic, and he even had a +6 for stealth. Sometimes it was nice being a rogue. ¡°Twenty-four.¡±


    ¡°Nineteen,¡± Derek said.


    Tyler nodded. ¡°Through a mixture of skill and desperation, you can decide which one has which, you blend into the night. You watch, Grizzizzik, as Pippa walks over to Bob and fills more traps with mana.¡±


    ¡°Can I tell what traps she¡¯s filling with the mana?¡± Nick asked.


    Tyler pointed at him. ¡°Make an arcana check.¡±


    Nick rolled the d20, and was pleasantly surprised to see it land on an eighteen, since Grizzizzik¡¯s arcana had a +0 modifier. ¡°Eighteen.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been studying hard as an arcane trickster, and you¡¯re picking up on some things. You understand everyone has a certain number of spells per day, and Pippa is taking a bottle of red mana in order to cast this spell for the enchantments. The most you know is red does sometimes deal with fire. With all this together, you¡­¡± Tyler hesitated, then rubbed his mouth before continuing. ¡°You realize they¡¯ve been waiting for you to try something like this, and this room is full of dangerous mana traps.¡±


    ¡°Shit. I¡­¡± Nick hesitated, not sure what Grizzizzik would do. Nick closed his eyes, concentrating. Would Grizzizzik tell Milo this? He could almost see it in his mind¡¯s eye. The rogue glancing at a cowering Milo, wondering if it would help the mana fusor to admit Pippa was waiting for them to do a heist. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t tell Milo anything.¡±


    Derek let out a breath. ¡°Probably for the best.¡±


    Tyler reached over, grabbing the miniature of Pippa and removed her. ¡°Pippa finishes what she¡¯s doing and leaves the room.¡± Tyler put the miniature back behind his game master cover, making footstep noises.


    ¡°¡®Come on, Milo. Let¡¯s get back to the others,¡¯¡± Nick said.


    ¡°¡®Is she gone?¡¯¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°¡®Yes, she¡¯s gone.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Milo whimpers like a child before avoiding every window as they journey back to the group.¡± Derek grabbed the two miniatures and moved them back. ¡°Milo tells everyone what they discovered.¡±


    Rafael rubbed his chin. ¡°¡®We should go save him.¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡®Not our mission,¡¯¡± Nick said.


    ¡°¡®I know what it¡¯s like to have little control,¡¯¡± Rafael said. ¡°¡®If we can break this enchantment, we should.¡¯¡±


    Nick rubbed his forehead. ¡°¡®Akshi is so much stronger than any of us. It¡¯s why we¡¯re doing a stealth mission instead of busting down the door and going after him ourselves.¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡®I understand, but¡­ it hurts that I can¡¯t help him.¡¯¡± Nick wasn¡¯t sure if Ezekiel said that or Rafael.


    Nick couldn¡¯t look at his old friend. ¡°¡®We heal you first. Then we help this man. The full moon is next week. You¡­ can hardly stand as it is.¡¯¡±


    Rafael still didn¡¯t look at Nick, instead distracting himself by grabbing a chip. There was another moment of silence as Nick waited. He sensed it. Everyone could. Ezekiel said something else, but Rafael didn¡¯t want to say it. He ate the chip, staring at Ezekiel¡¯s minifigure.


    ¡°Rafael?¡± Tyler prompted.


    He closed his eyes, sighing. ¡°¡®We¡¯re not here to attack Akshi, either. He may be your enemy, but he¡¯s also your¡­ nemesis.¡¯¡± Rafael winced, then glanced at Nick.


    Nick dropped his gaze. ¡°¡®Don¡¯t call him that.¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡®Have you ever thought that maybe you could¡ª¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡®No.¡¯¡± Nick knew Grizzizzik wouldn¡¯t want to hear whatever Ezekiel said.


    ¡°¡®You¡¯ve never talked about his¡ª¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡®I¡¯m not interested in your cleric bullshit.¡¯¡± Nick¡¯s voice morphed into his usual Grizzizzik voice. Hearing it out loud made him realize how eerily it sounded like the rogue. ¡°¡®The only value Akshi has is when he¡¯s dead. Permanently. But we¡¯re not strong enough for that yet, so we focus on getting the sword for you. Then we¡¯ll come back later.¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡®Grizzizzik, you need to rec¡ª¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡®He never looked my way unless I showed a skill he could later exploit.¡¯¡± Nick¡¯s voice dropped even though Grizzizzik¡¯s grew in volume. The rogue didn¡¯t scream because they were trying to do a heist, but his tone was still dangerous. ¡°¡®He was never there. Never any sort of¡ª¡¯¡± Nick couldn¡¯t do it. The code word was too ridiculous. Nick grabbed a d8, holding it between his middle finger and his thumb as he spun it with his pointer finger, trying to calm his anxiety down. The familiar ache between his eyebrows clued him into how dark his glare was getting. Grizzizzik kept ripping into Ezekiel, and Nick couldn¡¯t roleplay it. It was an unspoken rule among their characters. No one referred to Akshi as Grizzizzik¡¯s father unless they were ready to get an earful from the rogue. It was more dangerous than mentioning Hraktar¡¯s heritage.


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    Nick moved his jaw around, letting Grizzizzik finish his spiel for Ezekiel before he stared right at Rafael, giving the final insult. ¡°¡®Shouldn¡¯t your cleric self be turning into a monster this close to the full moon? To be honest, I¡¯d rather deal with the monster.¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡®Enough, Grizzizzik,¡¯¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Before Grizzizzik says anything more to aggravate the entire group, Ezekiel holds a hand up to stop him from insulting Hraktar,¡± Rafael said.


    Nick again spun the d8 in his hands. ¡°Grizzizzik complies, but still glares at Hraktar, the insult clear on his face, even if he doesn¡¯t say it out loud.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°We know Pippa and¡­ Bob are in there. But still no sign of Akshi,¡± Derek said. ¡°¡®Does Akshi have a nightly sword cleaning routine he does?¡¯¡± Derek asked as Milo.


    Nick winced, knowing that Grizzizzik was getting more nervous, and therefore more snappy. ¡°¡®He¡¯s the crime lord of Osvoroth. He doesn¡¯t have a daily schedule that people can keep track of. His schedule is unpredictable for this very reason.¡¯¡± Nick shook his head again, knowing Grizzizzik felt antsy. ¡°¡®We have five people on our team. We just need one stupid sword. I say we charge in there, alert Akshi to our position, and battle him. I¡¯ll sneak the sword away from him while he¡¯s distracted.¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡®How do you intend to sneak a sword away from someone while they¡¯re fighting a battle?¡¯¡± Milo asked.


    ¡°¡®Because he¡¯s an idiot who relies too much on spells and shit,¡¯¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn shook her head. ¡°Princess Clarissa, her annoyance at Grizzizzik growing the more she listens to his voice, finally snaps at this and gives the back of his head a slap.¡±


    Tyler smirked. ¡°Uh, okay. The smack was hardly anything, so you don¡¯t have to roll for it.¡± Tyler froze, then the smirk disappeared. He tapped a finger against the table before picking up his d20 and rolling it behind the screen. The silence was almost suffocating. Tyler turned a few pages in his notebook before running his finger down the page. He then glanced up, no smile on his face. ¡°What else are you doing?¡±


    Derek covered his head in his hands. ¡°Not even a clue to what that was?¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Tyler whispered. ¡°They won¡¯t let me.¡±


    Evelyn grabbed a bit of her hair and started playing with it. ¡°¡®Well, we¡¯ve got to do something. Let¡¯s track down Akshi. Grizzly Bear will be much happier if we figure out where his fa¡ª¡¯¡± Nick gave Evelyn¡¯s foot a soft smack with his own, ¡°¡®¡ªnemesis is.¡¯¡±


    Nick glanced at Walt, even though he didn¡¯t want to. It was the first time he acknowledged his father was listening in. Thankfully, he remained on the couch with his book.


    ¡°¡®Should we split up again?¡¯¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°¡®No,¡¯¡± Derek said. ¡°¡®No one splits up now that I know she¡¯s here. Also, Hraktar? If I ever start heading straight to that succubus¡¯ arms again, I need you to punch me as hard as you can.¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡®Um¡­ what?¡¯¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°¡®That woman makes me do things I wouldn¡¯t otherwise do. To save me from the embarrassment that will most likely happen, please knock me out.¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡®Uh¡­¡¯¡± Alejandra trailed off.


    Nick sighed, picking up Grizzizzik¡¯s minifigure. ¡°If we go around the other way, will we see different rooms?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s a top floor, too,¡± Tyler said, his eyes closed.


    Nick shrugged. ¡°I guess we start looking.¡±


    Tyler nodded, opening his eyes. ¡°Alright, so you go around, searching for Akshi.¡± He slowly moved their miniatures around the house. ¡°And¡­ you see much of the same in every room. Lights on, perfect furniture, perfect everything. Not a spot of clothing on the floor, nothing that looks like this house has been lived in for years. It is simply¡­ there.¡±


    Tyler stopped moving the miniatures, all of them congregating toward the front of the house. He sat back down, rubbing a finger against his forehead, glancing at the others.


    Nick covered his face, almost feeling how anxious Grizzizzik was.


    ¡°Did they check the top level, too?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°As best they could. Still nothing.¡± Tyler clasped his fingers together, looking like he was holding something back. Something paining him greatly.


    ¡°Alright, well,¡± Nick glanced at his figurine of Grizzizzik. ¡°My character paces, trying to think.¡±


    Tyler nodded, then pointed at him with his two pointer fingers. ¡°Make a wisdom saving throw.¡±


    ¡°For¡­ why?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out.¡±


    ¡°Shit.¡± Nick picked up the d20. He gave it a roll, then glanced at his sheet. ¡°Twelve, thirteen, fourteen. I rolled a fourteen.¡±


    Tyler checked something behind his game master screen, then nodded. ¡°Grizzizzik, you feel something at your feet, starting to lock you in place. You stumble in your pace, and it shakes off. But the feeling lingers, and a deep dread enters your heart.¡±


    Nick covered his face, his heart pounding. ¡°¡®He¡¯s here.¡¯¡± Nick rubbed his head, trying to hold in the terror before dropping his hands. ¡°Grizzizzik immediately pulls out his rapier, searching the darkness for Akshi.¡±


    ¡°Do we roll for initiative?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Tyler shook his head. ¡°Everyone make a dexterity saving throw.¡± He tried to act calm, but he was not calm at all.


    Nick winced. Akshi was so much stronger than them. It would not take much to be a total party kill. That was the last thing they needed right now. He picked up his d20, watching it tumble before landing on an eleven. He winced, doing a quick count on his fingers.


    ¡°Starting from the top of the table here, tell me your numbers,¡± Tyler said, pencil in hand.


    ¡°Twenty-one,¡± Derek said.


    Tyler wrote it down, then pointed at Rafael.


    ¡°Eleven.¡±


    ¡°Thirteen,¡± Nick said once Tyler pointed at him.


    ¡°Nat one,¡± Evelyn whispered, to hisses of worry around the table.


    ¡°Seventeen,¡± Alejandra said.


    Tyler finished writing them down. He then picked up a ton of dice and gave it a good shake. Evelyn covered her face, trying not to panic. The suffocating silence returned, broken by the many, many dice clattering on the table. Tyler did some quick calculations, then wrote something down on the notebook before sighing. ¡°Out of the shadows, Akshi appears. For the briefest moment, everyone sees something that makes your stomach drop. The sheaths on Akshi¡¯s back that usually hold his swords are now empty. As you take this in, he points his finger at Grizzizzik. Electricity slams into Grizzizzik¡¯s chest, then breaks off and hits Milo and Ezekiel, before finally hitting Clarissa and Hraktar.¡± Tyler shoved his hands in his hair, staring at his notebook. ¡°Ezekiel, Clarissa, and Grizzizzik take thirty points of lightning damage, while Milo and Hraktar take fifteen.¡±


    ¡°Shit, shit, shit,¡± Derek said.


    Nick watched as Grizzizzik¡¯s character sheet shifted. The hit points dropped to zero without him touching it. ¡°I¡¯m down.¡± Nick covered his face, keeping in a shuddering breath. ¡°Grizzizzik is already down.¡±


    Tyler¡¯s face crumpled as he flicked over Grizzizzik¡¯s figurine. ¡°Now we roll for initiative.¡±

 Chapter 142

    Nick wanted to curse his stupid character for thinking it was alright to not level up. He hoped Grizzizzik learned his lesson, and he seriously hoped his rogue survived long enough to do better.


    Tyler wrote everyone¡¯s initiative numbers, then wiggled his fingers, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. ¡°Alright. As the electricity leaves, some far more battered and bruised than the others, you all notice Grizzizzik has dropped to the ground unconscious. Grizzizzik, you¡¯re top of the round. Make a death saving throw.¡±


    Nick shook his head, picking up his d20. They did not need this right now. Grizzizzik was holding them back. The die clattered on the table. ¡°Seventeen. Success.¡±


    Tyler let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Hraktar, you¡¯re up next. What do you do?¡±


    Alejandra had her palms against her forehead, looking panicked. ¡°Hraktar does not hesitate. He shakes off the lightning, pulls out his great sword and goes straight for Akshi.¡±


    ¡°Roll to hit,¡± Tyler said.


    Alejandra did so. It was strange to see other people rolling. Nick could almost convince himself that this was nothing more than a session of regular CCNC, but the past couple of months had been too insane for him to go back to that.


    Alejandra counted on her fingers quickly. ¡°Nineteen.¡±


    ¡°Nineteen hits. Roll damage.¡±


    She picked up a d6, and another one appeared. She blinked, but picked that one up as well and gave both of them a good shake. They landed on the table, and she hesitated before picking up the other one and shaking it again. She swore under her breath before she again counted on her fingers. ¡°Eight.¡± She sounded disappointed. Tyler made a note of it.


    ¡°Hraktar picks up his great sword, and with a yell runs straight for Akshi. The crime lord of Osvoroth is expecting the brutality, and tries to sidestep it, but the sword causes a deep gash in Akshi¡¯s arm. Ezekiel? You¡¯re¡­¡± Tyler frowned. ¡°Make a nature check.¡±


    Rafael winced, pulling out his d20. ¡°I have my wildlife coin, therefore I get an added d4 bonus.¡±


    Tyler nodded. ¡°Please do.¡±


    Rafael rolled the d20 and d4. His stiff shoulders relaxed as he glanced at Tyler. ¡°Nineteen?¡±


    Tyler let out a breath. ¡°Success. You don¡¯t turn into a wererat right now. I will ask for another roll once you get hit again.¡± Everyone else breathed a sigh of relief, too. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I grab a hold of my medallion and cast preserve life,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Alright. You have twenty hit points to distribute wherever you¡¯d like,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°I bump myself up to ten hit points to test a theory,¡± Rafael said. ¡°And then I dump the rest on Grizzizzik.¡±


    ¡°It only allows you to heal as much as half your hit points. I can¡¯t take all seventeen,¡± Nick said.


    No one listened to him. At first he thought it was general nerves, but then remembered it was because no one heard him when he talked about Grizzizzik being level three. Grizzizzik didn¡¯t have the hit points like everyone else. Nick rubbed the back of his neck, trying to breathe deeply as his character sheet reflected fifteen hit points. Instead, he saw Clarissa¡¯s hit points bump up a little. At least they wouldn¡¯t go to waste.


    ¡°Grizzizzik gasps awake and takes a second to orient himself,¡± Tyler said. ¡°Is that everything?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡­ hmm, I guess I can do a cantrip,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Um, sacred flame.¡±


    Tyler rolled his own d20, failing to hide his smile. ¡°Seven. Not enough. Akshi fails the save.¡±


    Rafael relaxed, then picked up a d6 and gave it a roll before checking his chart. ¡°Um, seven.¡±


    Tyler nodded, writing this down. ¡°Nice. Milo?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to start with a bonus action of hitting Akshi with a firebolt.¡± Derek shook his d20. He let it roll, then winced. ¡°Twelve?¡±


    ¡°Misses. Akshi, getting into the rhythm of the fighting, finally dodges the bolt of fire headed for his face, sneering at Milo.¡±


    Derek grumbled. ¡°I take an action to start on my cannon. Though I look at Ezekiel and say, ¡®We¡¯ve got to find the sword. We can¡¯t fight him, we¡¯re not strong enough.¡¯¡±


    Rafael glanced at the minifigures. ¡°¡®There¡¯s just one of him. We distract him, and you get into the house to find a sword.¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡®I have no idea where it is!¡¯¡± Derek said.


    ¡°¡®You¡¯re an investigator. Use those skills,¡¯¡± Rafael said.


    Evelyn glanced at Tyler. ¡°Is Akshi hearing this?¡±


    A clattering sound behind the screen came as Tyler rolled one of his dice. ¡°He¡¯s pretty distracted by seeing Grizzizzik standing up and preparing to fight. In fact, Grizzizzik, make a constitution saving throw for me.¡±


    Nick grabbed his d20 and gave it a roll. It landed on a six, which made him wince. He checked the modifier. ¡°Eight.¡±


    ¡°Akshi reaches out, grabbing Grizzizzik¡¯s shoulder and biting down hard. You get poison damage, but¡­¡±


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    ¡°But he¡¯s got a tat for that,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°And I¡¯m so incredibly glad he does.¡± Tyler checked his notes. ¡°Alright, so the poison runs straight for his wrists, and a bright violet light comes up against the tattoo on his wrist, filling the jar with poison before¡ª¡± Tyler made a popping noise, ¡°¡ªit disappears off your wrist. Princess? You''re next.¡±


    ¡°She casts the totem of the bear, giving everyone an added nine points of health.¡± Evelyn shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll have to use the other totems sometime.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a pretty big fan of this one.¡± Derek lifted his character sheet, watching the added number appear.


    Grizzizzik was up to twenty-one hit points. Four points away from full health, which didn¡¯t seem as good, considering everyone else had over thirty health points. Evelyn picked up her paper, frowning, then glancing at Clarissa¡¯s miniature. ¡°That was a bonus action. Am I far enough away to use my bow?¡±


    Tyler glanced at the miniature battle. ¡°Yeah. Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I use my short bow to deal damage.¡± Evelyn picked up the d20 and got a hit. What was equally nice was landing on a six with her d6. With the +2, it was some pretty good damage with a short bow. Nick felt strangely optimistic about the whole thing, which couldn¡¯t have been good. He should never feel too optimistic when dealing with Akshi, but it was five against one.


    ¡°Alright, now we go to Grizzizzik again,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Goes with his rapier. As always.¡± Nick picked up the d20 and rolled it. ¡°Ah, shit. Four.¡± Nick didn¡¯t bother putting in the modifier. Grizzizzik was not Hraktar.


    Tyler had his eyes closed. ¡°Grizzizzik goes for a lunge, but Akshi dodges it, like he¡¯s almost expecting it. Grizzizzik realizes that his nemesis knows him far too well, predicting too many of his moves.¡±


    Alejandra picked up her dice. ¡°Am I next?¡±


    Tyler about said something, but then stopped. He held up a finger, the worried yet concentrated look on his face falling to one of terror. He glanced through his notes before wincing. ¡°Through the darkness comes a figure.¡±


    Derek covered his face and groaned. ¡°Oh shit. No, no, no. Not now.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s wearing a skintight black leather dress. Her eyes blazing red fixed on Milo.¡±


    Derek shook his head. ¡°Milo stops building his cannon, freezing in complete terror.¡±


    ¡°¡®Hello, sugar,¡¯¡± Tyler said as Pippa.


    Derek covered his face. Nick waited, not even sure what was going to happen. He shouldn¡¯t have been so optimistic.


    Tyler sighed. ¡°Any of your attack rolls against her will be at a disadvantage.¡±


    Derek mumbled his curses under his breath.


    Rafael had his hands over his mouth before he dropped them. ¡°¡®Hraktar, focus on Pippa. The rest of us, we¡¯ll take Akshi. Milo, break away and find the sword.¡¯¡±


    Tyler was writing something, then placed his pencil down. ¡°Akshi laughs. ¡®Please, Milo. Try,¡¯ he says.¡± Tyler picked up Pippa¡¯s miniature and moved it toward Milo¡¯s. ¡°She mutters infernal to her club, the spikes extending as she goes for Milo.¡± Tyler rolled the d20. ¡°Nineteen?¡±


    ¡°Obviously hits,¡± Derek said, covering his face with his palms.


    Tyler rolled some more dice, worried. ¡°She slams her club, causing a gash across your forehead.¡± Tyler lifted his arm, bringing it down with an emphasis of it smacking flesh. ¡°You stumble back, taking six points of bludgeoning damage. ¡®I¡¯ve missed you,¡¯ she says.¡± Derek dropped his hands long enough to reach for a pencil, but the character sheet made its own mark on the page. ¡°As long as Pippa is in sight, every attack roll Milo makes with her present is at a disadvantage.¡± Derek muttered another curse as Tyler moved his gaze toward Alejandra. ¡°Now it¡¯s Hraktar¡¯s turn.¡±


    Alejandra watched the whole thing with wide eyes. ¡°Hraktar sees what this is doing to Milo, and rushes after Pippa, his great sword ready, and makes a swing.¡± She picked up the d20 and gave it a roll and counted on her fingers. ¡°Eighteen.¡±


    ¡°Hits. Roll damage,¡± Tyler said.


    She rolled the two d6¡¯s, again doing more counting on her fingers. ¡°Twelve.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Tyler said, making a note of it. ¡°With a shout, Hraktar barrels toward Pippa, the great sword, a deep cut appearing across her shoulder. She laughs, turning toward Hraktar. ¡®I knew you¡¯d never let a silly thing like my gender stop your orcish brutality.¡¯¡±


    Alejandra¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh, that¡­ might have inspired him to action surge against her.¡±


    ¡°Go for it.¡± Tyler nodded toward her dice.


    Alejandra rolled the d20 and counted. ¡°Twenty-one.¡±


    ¡°Nice. How much damage?¡± Tyler picked up his pencil.


    Alejandra rolled again. ¡°Thirteen.¡±


    Tyler chuckled as he wrote it down. ¡°Never mess with a half orc, clearly.¡± He closed his eyes. ¡°And¡­ she laughs again as the sword slices against her black leather dress, blood leaking from a wound that¡¯s¡­¡± Tyler cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. ¡°¡®I¡¯ll have Milo check the wound later.¡¯ Ezekiel, you¡¯re next.¡±


    Rafael was scrolling on his phone, most likely checking the spells on his list. ¡°Ezekiel runs toward Milo,¡± he said as Derek moved the miniatures. ¡°He touches his best friend on the shoulder and says, while holding his medallion, ¡®Be at peace. The only good stories are the ones where the good guys escape their toxic exes and live glorious lives. You¡¯re a good guy.¡¯¡± There was the smallest smile on Rafael¡¯s face. ¡°He casts Protection Against Evil and Good on Milo.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± Tyler picked up his handbook and thumbed the pages, reading fast. ¡°Alright, so Milo, as long as the spell lasts, you no longer have disadvantage on attack rolls or checks. And you¡¯re protected from any of Pippa¡¯s attempts to charm you.¡±


    Derek let out an enormous sigh, reaching over and grabbing Rafael¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°Did Derek say that? Or Milo?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Both.¡±


    Tyler chuckled before glancing at the handbook again. ¡°And¡­ yep. That¡¯s a concentration spell. Just so you know. Milo? What are you doing?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Breaking away from the battle and running like hell into the house,¡± Derek said.


    Tyler picked up Milo¡¯s minifigure and counted quietly the amount of speed he could reasonably go. ¡°That gets you right into the doorway.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯d like to see if I can brain my way into finding the swords,¡± Derek said.


    Tyler closed his handbook. ¡°Make an investigation check.¡±


    Derek picked up the dice, muttering something under his breath. He let the dice roll, then shouted in absolute delight. ¡°Nat twenty! Yes! This is why you always pre-roll!¡±


    Tyler chuckled, shaking his head, before closing his eyes and concentrating. ¡°You¡­ remember that the room the man was in had a ton of traps and safety features. The crime lord of Osvoroth may be unpredictable, but he also knows when to place things under heavy protection. If the swords are anywhere, they¡¯d be in that room. You move up your night goggles as the lights are still quite bright in this house. As you turn your head, you see the room. But¡­ much to your dropping fear, you see the swords plain as day on the desk at the other end of the room. Ready for your taking.¡± Tyler opened his eyes to look at Derek. ¡°That ends your turn.¡±


    ¡°Trap!¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Totally a trap,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°You rolled high enough to understand this is absolutely a trap,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot.¡±


    ¡°You have high intelligence, right?¡± Rafael said.


    Derek groaned, looking at his character sheet. ¡°Probably the highest intelligence in here, but not high on wisdom.¡±


    Tyler pointed toward Rafael. ¡°Make a constitution saving throw.¡±


    Rafael picked up the d20, wincing. He rolled it, then checked his sheet. ¡°Fourteen.¡±


    Tyler let out a breath. ¡°Barely saved. Nice.¡± Rafael¡¯s shoulders relaxed. ¡°Which means you take fifteen points of poison damage.¡±


    The stress returned. ¡°Shit,¡± Rafael muttered, scrambling for his character sheet. ¡°I¡¯m down to four hit points.¡±


    ¡°And make another roll for your concentration spell on Milo,¡± Tyler said.


    Rafael grabbed the d20, giving it a roll. His face fell. ¡°Um, eight?¡±


    Tyler winced. ¡°The spell ends.¡±


    Derek rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Milo doesn¡¯t need to know that, right?¡±


    Tyler shrugged. ¡°At least he¡¯s away from everyone else.¡±


    Nick tried not to panic. Despite his fear for Milo, he felt a different sort of one. Ezekiel¡¯s next turn would start with another nature check.

 Chapter 143

    ¡°Akshi reaches forward and bites down on Ezekiel. Poison fills his body as he stumbles away from the attack. He is ragged, the bags under his eyes more pronounced under his night goggles he doesn¡¯t need anymore. His thinning hair grew greasy with sweat as the poison ran its course. Ezekiel looks bad, his sharpened nails touching his forehead,¡± Tyler said as Rafael swore again. ¡°Princess Clarissa, you¡¯re up next.¡±


    Evelyn nodded, concerned as she studied her spell list. Her brows furrowed, and she almost said something when she froze. She set the spell page down, her eyes widening as she stared at nothing. Her eyebrows kept rising up her forehead, then she shot a gaze at Tyler, who looked confused.


    ¡°Everything¡­ okay?¡± Derek asked.


    A slow smile crossed her face. ¡°Princess Clarissa speaks in elvish. ¡®My friend, you found us.¡¯¡± Evelyn¡¯s smile became surer as Tyler¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°¡®Please, help us! Attack Akshi. He¡¯s too powerful for us all.¡¯¡±


    Tyler still stared, slack jawed, at Evelyn before he blinked. It brought him back to himself. ¡°Roll to attack. With advantage. For the surprise attack and plain badassery that was.¡±


    Evelyn smiled as she picked up the d20, rolling it twice. ¡°Twenty-one.¡±


    Friend? Who did Evelyn mean? All her friends were here.


    Tyler smiled, turning around and searching through one of his totes. ¡°In the moonlight, you see a streak of pure white with a golden mane.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Derek said, excited.


    ¡°A spiral horn lowers as it heads right for Akshi.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Shut up!¡± Derek partially lifted himself from his chair in excitement. ¡°Shut the hell up! No way!¡±


    Alejandra covered her mouth, tears of relief in her eyes. Tyler turned around, placing a unicorn figurine on the battlefield, slamming into Akshi. Tyler rolled a d20, smirking. ¡°Moonsparkle gallops into the battle, head down, deadly horn ready. Akshi only has enough time to look up before the horn slams into his stomach, throwing him a few feet as he lands on the ground, prone. How much damage for a charged horn attack?¡±


    Another paper appeared next to Clarissa¡¯s character sheet. Evelyn rolled the three d8s that appeared. ¡°Twelve.¡±


    ¡°And the hoof attack?¡± Tyler asked.


    Evelyn rolled two more d6¡¯s, doing the calculations. ¡°Ten.¡±


    Nick felt himself breathe a sigh of relief. Holy shit, they might actually kill Akshi.


    ¡°Princess Clarissa then casts Flame Blade,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Roll with advantage, since he¡¯s prone,¡± Tyler said.


    Evelyn did so, smiling. ¡°Eighteen and a nat one.¡±


    Tyler sat back down. ¡°You are incredibly lucky. And incredibly badass right now.¡±


    Evelyn beamed as she picked up three d6¡¯s and gave them a roll. ¡°And that¡¯s another twelve points of damage.¡±


    Nick couldn¡¯t help but clap his sister on the back as Derek whooped, standing up and walking around, hands in the air. Alejandra was smiling at her, and Rafael was staring at the sheet, but didn¡¯t hide his huge smile.


    ¡°In the darkness, a flame blade appears in Princess Clarissa¡¯s hand. She walks forward to the prone Akshi trying to recover from getting a puncture to the gut. Clarissa slams the blade right where the horn entered. Akshi screams in pain as flames light up the night sky. The druid princess pulls the blade out, and a flickering blackness covers the wound back up. Akshi is looking very beat up and rethinking some choices he made tonight.¡±


    Evelyn lifted a hand. ¡°Moonsparkle saved everyone¡¯s asses again. I need you all to say it.¡±


    Nick smiled, shaking his head. Evelyn started waving her hand, leading them in the chant they always had to say when Moonsparkle dealt more damage than any of them in a round of combat.


    ¡°Everyone needs a unicorn in their life,¡± everyone said. A stipulation she made years ago when everyone rolled their eyes at her choice of having an elf druid with a pet unicorn.


    Tyler was still chuckling as he made a note on the page behind his game master sheet. ¡°Alright, well, that¡¯s a high I¡¯ll be chasing for a while. Grizzizzik, you¡¯re next.¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t even have to question it. There was no way his character would ever use magic in front of his father. ¡°Goes for the obvious hit with his rapier.¡±


    Tyler nodded. ¡°Akshi¡¯s still prone, so roll with advantage.¡±


    Nick picked up the d20 and rolled. It landed on a five. At least he had advantage. Until the die landed on a six. ¡°Seriously?¡± he grumbled. He wasn¡¯t getting any hits in, and he felt Grizzizzik getting frustrated, too. He did the calculations. ¡°Ten.¡±


    ¡°That does not hit,¡± Tyler said.


    Derek lifted his dice jail. ¡°Does it need a minute in here?¡±


    Nick tried not to roll his eyes. The idea of placing these dice in a jail felt weird. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


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    ¡°It¡¯ll help. I promise,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Derek has been rolling pretty spectac-¡± Rafael¡¯s words were cut off by Derek making a lot of shushing noises. Derek dropped his dice jail and started stroking the seven dice.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t mean it. Don¡¯t listen to him. He didn¡¯t say anything,¡± Derek said to the dice before glaring at Rafael, covering his dice with his hands and giving a strangled whisper. ¡°We. Do. Not. Acknowledge. The. Positiveness. Of. The. Rolls. Outside. The. Initial. Roll.¡±


    Rafael held in a smile until Derek was no longer looking at him. There was the smallest moment where Nick and Rafael made eye contact. It was the first time Nick wasn¡¯t glaring at Rafael, and he wasn¡¯t shrinking back from his gaze, and both of them wore small smiles on their faces at the crazy antics of their mutual friend that they didn¡¯t often understand. It lasted all of two seconds, but it happened.


    ¡°Grizzizzik moves forward with determination, slamming his rapier down toward Akshi¡¯s throat, but again, with a skill that is making Grizzizzik worry, Akshi dodges it. The crime lord gives a laugh, rougher with the battle¡¯s fatigue, but one that still causes hurt and anger to travel through Grizzizzik. ¡®I thought you¡¯d actually be a challenge.¡¯¡±


    Nick winced. ¡°Yeah, that makes him want to bite him.¡±


    Tyler gestured toward Nick to roll. ¡°You still have advantage.¡±


    He rolled the d20 twice. The first time landing on a nine. The last one on a seven. ¡°Goddammit,¡± Nick said. ¡°Eleven?¡±


    Tyler shook his head. Derek popped open the lid of the dice jail, shaking it toward Nick. Nick didn¡¯t know what else to do, so he surprised himself by dropping the portal dice in the jail. Derek gave a solemn nod as he closed the lid.


    ¡°Grizzizzik¡¯s teeth get longer as he tries to bite Akshi, but again, it¡¯s a miss. And again, Akshi laughs, beaten as he is, by Grizzizzik¡¯s attempts to cause him pain.¡± Tyler glances over at the miniature battlefield in front of him, placing a finger around where Pippa is. ¡°Uh, Hraktar, and Ezekiel, make a strength saving throw.¡±


    Alejandra and Rafael picked up their d20s before dropping them on the table. ¡°Twenty-three,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Uh, four,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°In the darkness, vines sprout out of the ground, entangling upwards under the feet of Hraktar and Ezekiel.¡± Tyler made a whooshing noise as he lifted his hands. ¡°Hraktar easily slices them before backing away from the entanglement, but Ezekiel cannot escape. Thick, thorny vines wrap around his ankles, keeping him pinned as they creep up his thighs.¡± Tyler rolled another d20. ¡°Hraktar? What¡¯s your AC?¡±


    ¡°Sixteen,¡± Alejandra said.


    Tyler winced. ¡°Right.¡± He picked up a couple more dice and rolled. ¡°Pippa says, ¡®I suppose I should have tried to seduce you. Your strength is more what I¡¯m looking for.¡¯ She then whacks Hraktar with the club. A nasty cut appears across his head, and you take seven points bludgeoning damage.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m down to thirty-four hit points,¡± she said in mock concern. That caused Derek to snort.


    Tyler pointed at Rafael. ¡°Ezekiel, make a nature check for me, please.¡±


    Rafael nodded, feeling worried. ¡°I still have my wildlife coin. It should work, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Go ahead,¡± Tyler said.


    Rafael picked up the d20, then slid the d4 off the table. ¡°You¡¯d think magical dice would be easier to pick up,¡± he muttered as he gave the two dice a good shake. They clattered to the ground. The tension in Rafael¡¯s shoulders stiffened, his eyes widening ever so slightly. Rafael slowly glanced up at Tyler. ¡°Six.¡±


    There was a low hiss from everyone. Tyler nodded, grim. ¡°In¡­¡± the game master trailed off, the grim look turning far more defeated. He glanced at Rafael, almost apologetically. ¡°In the moon''s light, your muscles grow.¡± Rafael glanced down at his character sheet, which Nick noticed was shifting and blurring. ¡°Your eyes turn green. Fur sprouts all over your body. Your mind dissolves into madness, and you are no longer Ezekiel Watson, cleric of the Great Lady of Light. You are an evil wererat, your choices not your own. In the darkness, Akshi laughs.¡± Tyler lifted his hand. ¡°Give me your character sheet. The wererat is now mine to control. I¡¯ll still ask you to roll for the attacks, but I get to choose what they are.¡±


    Rafael¡¯s face crumpled as he lifted his character sheet. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry, everyone.¡±


    ¡°Not your fault.¡± Derek popped open the dice jail lid. ¡°It¡¯s the roll of the die.¡± Rafael mumbled something, placing the d20 and the d4 in the jail.


    ¡°¡®Ezekiel!¡¯¡± Evelyn said, hands to her cheeks.


    Nick shook his head, knowing exactly what Grizzizzik would say. ¡°¡®We do not need this shit right now.¡¯¡± They couldn¡¯t survive this. They needed those swords, then they needed to run. But they couldn¡¯t leave Ezekiel behind, either.


    ¡°¡®Keep Akshi distracted! I¡¯ll¡­ take care of both!¡¯¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Can Ezekiel infect anyone else with his bite right now?¡± Derek asked, glancing at Tyler.


    ¡°I¡­.¡± Tyler took the sheet, glancing through it. ¡°Insight check.¡±


    Derek picked up the d20 and rolled it. ¡°Twenty-two.¡±


    Tyler raised an eyebrow. ¡°Uh¡­ no. No, it won¡¯t. Despite the wererat taking over, Ezekiel is not a fully formed wererat, since he has not experienced the first rising of the full moon.¡± He then glanced at the board before his eyes moved to Rafael. ¡°Make a strength check.¡±


    Rafael grabbed the dice back from jail, but rolled low. Tyler shrugged. ¡°The fully formed wererat is still pathetically weak, and though it gives a cry of strength, it¡¯s well entangled.¡±


    Rafael almost put the d20 back in jail when Derek closed the lid.


    ¡°Wererat Ezekiel is not supposed to roll well. So¡­ dice jail worked,¡± Derek said.


    Rafael shrugged. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± He set the d20 on the table before staring worriedly at the scene.


    Tyler glanced at Derek. ¡°What¡¯s Milo doing?¡±


    Derek let out a sigh, staring at the mini battle. He glanced at his chart, then at Milo. Tyler turned around, reaching into his stack of mini figures and pulled out another one. This one was the section of the house where Mr. Stower was in and placing it near Derek. Tyler set the Milo figure right outside the door. ¡°Does this help?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Derek¡¯s eyes calculated the room. He counted with his fingers. ¡°Okay, he¡¯s going to do it.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°Come on, Derek,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°He is rattled and wants to get out of here.¡± Derek picked up the figurine and counted, getting to the room. ¡°Milo picks up the two swords, placing them both in his inventory, and books it out of there.¡±


    Tyler gently slapped Derek¡¯s hand away as he tried to move the figurine too far. Tyler made a count, going from inside the room, picking up the swords, to partially away from the figurine of Mr. Stower. ¡°You are there, and that ends your turn,¡± Tyler said.


    Derek groaned, covering his face. ¡°I prepare for the worst.¡±


    Tyler gave a noncommittal nod, which inspired fear in Nick. Tyler sighed, glancing at the battlefield. ¡°Akshi gets up, smiling as a portal opens up beside Pippa and she slips through.¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡± Derek shouted. Tyler grabbed Pippa¡¯s miniature and moved her into the room, blocking the doorway and therefore Milo¡¯s escape. ¡°Milo¡­ is frightened all over again.¡±


    Tyler glanced at Nick. ¡°Make a dexterity throw, Grizzizzik.¡±


    The dice jail vibrated before the dice disappeared and reappeared next to him. Nick¡¯s hands shook. Akshi was ridiculously more powerful than him, and their cleric was currently a wererat. Nick picked up the d20, truly worried Grizzizzik would die.


    ¡°Do you have any buffs?¡± Derek asked, picking up on Nick¡¯s nerves.


    Nick shook his head. ¡°Nothing but the tattoos.¡±


    Derek watched with nerves as Nick rolled the die, trying to will it to be high. The die clattered before coming to a stop. Nick dropped his hand, not daring to look at anyone. ¡°Nat one.¡±


    Alejandra covered her mouth. Tyler gave a defeated sigh, then picked up a shit ton of dice.

 Chapter 144

    Nick winced as all the dice clattered against the table. There was a moment, giving Tyler the time to add it up, before placing his pencil down. ¡°With an anger and rage Grizzizzik was all too familiar with, Akshi turned toward his¡­ nemesis. He raised his hands, then shot a bolt of lightning into Grizzizzik¡¯s chest. You take thirty-five lightning damage.¡±


    Nick shook his head, hands in his hair. ¡°Grizzizzik¡¯s down. Again.¡±


    ¡°Dead?¡± Tyler asked.


    Nick did some quick counting, then the tightening in his chest loosened. ¡°Not yet.¡± But if Akshi doesn¡¯t kill him tonight, I will.


    ¡°Holy shit, Akshi¡¯s rage is not to be messed with,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Evelyn? Princess Clarissa and Moonsparkle are next,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Moonsparkle tries to stab Akshi again with her horn.¡± Evelyn picked up the d20 and rolled it before wincing. She did the math and glanced at Tyler. ¡°Thirteen?¡±


    Tyler shook his head. ¡°Misses. Moonsparkle tries to swipe at Akshi, but the delight at seeing Grizzizzik unconscious on the ground gives him the boost needed to dodge the horn.¡±


    ¡°Moonsparkle stands over Grizzizzik and heals him,¡± Evelyn said, picking up two d8¡¯s.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Nick muttered.


    She shook the dice. ¡°I can only do two more of these. Don¡¯t waste them.¡±


    Nick shook his head, wishing Grizzizzik was smarter. ¡°I¡¯ll try not to.¡±


    The d8s tumbled to the ground, and Evelyn did the math. ¡°Twelve.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you somehow,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Tell that to Grizzizzik,¡± Evelyn grumbled.


    He couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Tyler leaned back in the chair. ¡°With a brush of the golden tail, the electricity fizzling Grizzizzik¡¯s mind disperses, and with a gasp, the rogue wakes up, seeing the back of a unicorn and feeling quite vulnerable.¡±


    ¡°My elf princess would like to stab Akshi again,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°There¡¯s a list of people here who want to do the same,¡± Derek grumbled.


    Her smile was small as she rolled the d20 and deflated. ¡°Fourteen?¡±


    Tyler shook his head again. ¡°Sorry. Just Misses.¡±


    She pursed her lips. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°The sword gets dangerously close, but Akshi evades it, snarling at the elf princess,¡± Tyler said. ¡°Which makes it Grizzizzik¡¯s turn.¡±


    ¡°He is also on that list who want to stab Akshi.¡± Nick picked up the d20. It clattered to the table, landing on a seven. Nick hit the table with a fist, and from the corner of his eye, Alejandra flinched. He pushed the emotion he felt at her reaction to the back of his mind. ¡°Eleven.¡±


    ¡°That thing did not spend enough time in jail. Get it back in here.¡± Derek ushered the dice jail toward him. Nick dropped the dice in the jail, no longer caring. He folded his arms and leaned back enough to see Alejandra concentrating on her character sheet, making a point not to look at him.


    ¡°Akshi laughs as Grizzizzik stumbles to his feet, trying to swipe, but failing again to hit. ¡®You will never take my place as crime lord. I knew you were always weak.¡¯¡±


    Nick curled his fingers against the table as he closed his eyes, Grizzizzik¡¯s roleplay taking over. ¡°¡®I will be there when you take your final breath, because it will be me that plunges my fist into your chest and squeezes it out of your lungs myself.¡¯¡±


    There was a pause as everyone glanced at Nick as he opened his eyes. He returned no one¡¯s gaze, mostly because he could feel Walt¡¯s gaze among them.


    ¡°Alright then.¡± Tyler reached over and grabbed Pippa¡¯s figurine, moving it next to Milo.


    Derek rose a hand. ¡°¡®Okay, okay, look Pippa. We can talk about this. We¡­ don¡¯t need to resort to these kinds of things. We had a good run, but we just weren¡¯t meant to be. We can split amicably, right? No need for death and destruction.¡¯¡±


    Tyler rubbed one of his temples, closing his eyes. ¡°¡®Sometimes, sugar, a woman is placed on this earth to remind a man that he isn¡¯t nearly as good of a person as he thinks he is. It¡¯s been my absolute pleasure to be that woman for you, and it¡¯s time to send you to hell.¡¯ Which she then makes her torn and tattered dress drop right off her body.¡±


    The spine of the book hit Walt''s knee as he stared right at Tyler. ¡°What happens to her dress?¡±


    Sometimes it was jarring to remember Walt was there. Tyler seemed to freeze, his eyes snapping open, then glanced at Walt. ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s part succubus, dad. It makes sense for the character,¡± Evelyn said.


    Walt narrowed his eyes, and Tyler cleared his throat. ¡°As¡­ absolutely nothing happens to her clothes.¡± Tyler gave Derek a pointed stare. With Walt being the adult supervision here, nothing happened to her dress. But during the actual battle, there was no doubt Milo had a different view of Pippa. Tyler cleared his throat. ¡°Make a wisdom saving throw with disadvantage.¡±


    Walt gave Tyler a soft glare before returning to his book. Tyler¡¯s gaze darted toward Walt before focusing on Derek again.


    Derek picked up his d20, muttering something under his breath as he rolled. ¡°Shit.¡± Derek picked up the dice again and rolled again. He pursed his lips. ¡°Dammit, Rafael, you complimented the rolls. You never compliment the rolls! It throws everything off!¡± He covered his face. ¡°Four.¡±


    Nick shook his head, noticing Rafael was already terrified as it was. ¡°Come on, Derek, it¡¯s simple statistics. Disadvantage and what not.¡± Rafael¡¯s terror dropped, filling instead with surprise as he glanced over at Nick, who shrugged. ¡°Am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ guess not.¡± Rafael still sounded surprised. Nick kept his arms folded, realizing Rafael was more surprised Nick would defend him.


    ¡°You are now charmed by Pippa,¡± Tyler said.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Derek dropped his forehead against the table. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°¡®Give me the swords, sugar,¡¯¡± Tyler said.


    Derek sighed. ¡°With a hand that trembles only slightly, Milo takes out the two swords from his inventory and drops them on the ground.¡±


    ¡°And now it¡¯s Hraktar¡¯s turn,¡± Tyler said.


    Alejandra nodded, glancing at her character sheet. ¡°Hraktar touches his diamond bracelet and says, ¡®Milo! Pippa¡¯s gone! Is she with you? Where are you?¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡®Don¡¯t answer that,¡¯¡± Tyler said.


    Walt rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Hraktar doesn¡¯t wait for an answer. He¡¯s already running toward where he last saw Milo,¡± Alejandra said.


    Tyler nodded, grabbing Hraktar¡¯s mini and counting under his breath. ¡°That gets you here, where you see¡­ Pippa. And Milo with a red glow to his eyes.¡±


    ¡°I pull out my crossbow and aim for Pippa¡¯s back,¡± Alejandra said.


    Derek flinched. ¡°You sure? If you miss, you could hit Milo, too.¡±


    Alejandra picked up the d20. ¡°She¡¯s not¡­¡± she trailed off, shaking the die. ¡°Something tells me her AC isn¡¯t as strong as before.¡± Tyler gave a short nod as Evelyn snorted, the die clattering on the table. ¡°Fourteen.¡±


    ¡°Hits. Roll damage,¡± Tyler said.


    Alejandra did so. ¡°Eight.¡±


    Tyler wrote it down. ¡°A crossbow bolt digs into Pippa¡¯s¡­ shoulder. She turns her head, sneering at Hraktar, and¡­¡± Tyler picked up his phone, texting. ¡°You hit her.¡±


    Nick had the distinct impression that there was a lot more Pippa had to say, but due to Walt being there, they were getting the censured version.


    Tyler checked something behind his screen. ¡°Rafael, strength saving throw.¡±


    Rafael rolled the d20. ¡°Eighteen.¡±


    Tyler closed his eyes, giving a gentle shake of his head before he opened them. ¡°The wererat, with a boost of strength, tears itself from the vines and stumbles out. It blinks wearily, then spies Princess Clarissa. It takes out the mace, shrieking as it runs toward her.¡±


    Tyler pointed to Rafael, who rolled his d20, waiting for it to stop clattering before he glanced at her. ¡°Nineteen hit?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Evelyn mumbled.


    ¡°With a shriek, it brings the mace down hard.¡± Tyler again pointed to Rafael. Another die clattered to the table, and Rafael held up seven fingers. ¡°Slamming against her shoulder, bones cracking. You take seven points of damage.¡±


    Evelyn stared at her sheet, then winced before closing her eyes. ¡°¡®Ezekiel, please. I know you don¡¯t¡­¡¯¡± She froze, then opened her eyes to look at Rafael.


    Nick at first was confused until his mind filled in one of the logical endings of that sentence.


    I know you don¡¯t want to hurt me.


    The chair squealed against the ground as Rafael shoved himself from the table, walking away toward the kitchen. Nick watched him go, then glanced at Evelyn, who looked away. Tyler watched her and Rafael closely, then gave Evelyn a questioning look. His sister did nothing, still staring at her character sheet.


    Nick winced. ¡°¡®Ezekiel is gone, Princess. Kill the wererat. I¡¯ll take care of Akshi.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Is Ezekiel gone?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Make a history check.¡± Tyler unscrewed his water bottle.


    Evelyn did so, checking her list. ¡°Eighteen.¡±


    He finished taking a drink. ¡°Spending your time in your parent¡¯s house for so long, you recall a bit of information. Any were creature this close to a full moon can turn into the were form under stress. But if you kill the creature, you are certain it will turn back into Ezekiel.¡±


    Evelyn nodded. ¡°¡®Moonsparkle, we must kill the wererat inside him before we leave.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Milo¡¯s up,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Is there anything I can do?¡± Derek asked.


    Tyler sighs, then turns toward Derek. ¡°¡®I¡¯ve missed you.¡¯¡± Tyler was clearly trying to tone down the seduction, what with Walt being less focused on his book and shooting Tyler glares.


    ¡°¡®I¡¯ve missed¡­ I¡¯ve missed¡­¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡®Say it, sugar. You missed me, too,¡¯¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°¡®I¡¯ve missed you too,¡¯¡± Derek said.


    ¡°¡®That¡¯s a good boy.¡¯¡± Tyler reached over and patted Derek¡¯s cheek. ¡°¡®Now shoot Hraktar with your special little crossbow.¡¯¡±


    Derek winced, studying his sheet. ¡°Milo takes out his wrench and smacks it against his crossbow. It glows with a blue light.¡±


    ¡°¡®Milo,¡¯¡± Alejandra said, holding up a hand. ¡°¡®Milo, don¡¯t do this. It¡¯s me. Your friend.¡¯¡±


    ¡°He holds it up, aiming right between Hraktar¡¯s heart, and shoots.¡± Derek rolled the d20, then shook his head, glancing at Alejandra. ¡°Twenty-one?¡±


    Alejandra¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°Hit.¡±


    Derek rolled a d8 and a d6, doing the calculations. ¡°Eleven.¡±


    She gave a sigh. ¡°Okay, twenty-three hit points are feeling worrisome.¡±


    ¡°Hraktar realizes too late that Milo, his friend, isn¡¯t in his right mind. He tries to dodge the arrow, but the blue streak of ice digs into his shoulder as he lets out a grunt, stumbling back. Ice webs its way through his shoulder as Milo calmly lowers his crossbow,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Derek said, rubbing his chin.


    Tyler turned towards Nick. ¡°Akshi tries once again to bite Grizzizzik.¡±


    ¡°And my last tattoo takes it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Your last,¡± Tyler said. ¡°With poisonous jaws, Akshi clamps down on Grizzizzik¡¯s wrist, filling the tattoo until it blips out of existence.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to take a reaction and stab Akshi,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    The d20 appeared, and he rolled it. He wanted desperately to smack the table again, but resisted. ¡°Thirteen?¡±


    Tyler shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s close enough that Akshi doesn¡¯t notice, but you stab nothing but air.¡±


    ¡°Put ¡®er back in here,¡± Derek said, opening the lid.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking dice jail is pointless,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Believe in dice jail, and it will work for you,¡± Derek said.


    Nick gave Derek an annoyed look, and his friend sighed, closing the lid. ¡°Fair enough. Your unbelief will taint my jail, anyway.¡±


    Nick rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Moonsparkle and Princess Clarissa. What are you doing?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°My unicorn is slamming her hooves into the wererat and slicing him with her horn,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Roll to hit.¡±


    ¡°Hooves twenty-two. And horn¡­ thirteen,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Both hit.¡±


    ¡°Nice.¡± Evelyn picked up two d6¡¯s. ¡°Hooves¡­¡± the dice clattered to the table. ¡°Fifteen total. The horn¡­¡± she picked up a d8, and Nick raised an eyebrow as it landed on a seven. Evelyn quickly did the math. ¡°Eleven.¡±


    Tyler¡¯s eyebrows quirked up in surprise. ¡°Nice.¡± He did some math. ¡°With a glimmer in the frightfully bright moon, Moonsparkle slams her hoof into the wererat¡¯s chest.¡± Tyler made a noise like a dull thud. ¡°The wererat stumbles before also receiving a deep gash in the stomach by the horn. Since a unicorn is a celestial being, the bludgeoning attacks hit, and the wererat is covered in his own blood, feeling mighty weak.¡±


    Evelyn picked up the dice. ¡°And the princess picks up her flame blade to stab him.¡± She dropped the d20. ¡°Twenty-three.¡±


    Tyler momentarily closed his eyes. ¡°And¡­ yeah. Obviously hits.¡±


    Evelyn picked up the dice, giving it a good shake, before counting the numbers. ¡°Fourteen.¡±


    Tyler blinked, then glanced at his notes. ¡°The flame blade digs into the wererat¡¯s gut. It gives a rat squeal before it changes to a man¡¯s shout of pain.¡±


    ¡°I immediately take the blade out,¡± Evelyn said.


    Tyler nodded. ¡°The features change, the fur dropping off his body. The muscles changing. Blonde hair, far more matted and thin, come back, and the green eyes return to their normal brown. He is¡­ very much knocked out.¡±


    ¡°I hug him, holding him tight to keep him from falling. I¡¯m crying, repeating for him to forgive me,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°He can¡¯t hear,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I still do.¡±


    Tyler pointed to Nick. ¡°What¡¯s Grizzizzik doing?¡±


    ¡°Stabbing Akshi.¡± Nick picked up his d20. ¡°Again.¡±


    Tyler nodded, bracing himself for the roll. Nick picked up the d20 and rolled it. He paused long enough to understand the weight of the situation. Evelyn took care of Ezekiel in one turn. He needed to do this. He rolled the d20 again, watched it tumble to the table. It landed, the number staring up at him, taunting him. Evelyn hissed next to him as he rubbed his jaw. ¡°Nat one.¡± Nick glanced at Tyler. Two nat ones in a session. Judging by the look on Derek¡¯s face, Nick shouldn¡¯t have insulted dice jail, and he should have expected this punishment.


    Tyler placed his hands in his hair, staring at the things behind his game master screen. ¡°Grizzizzik goes for a stab, which Akshi easily side steps. With a strength Grizzizzik did not expect, Akshi grabbed his wrist, sneering at him. ¡®You are weak. You will always be weak. Always at someone else¡¯s mercy. You are stuck in a prison with a fellow prisoner, are you not? With Ni¡ª¡¯¡± Tyler pulled short. He looked at the table, at Akshi¡¯s figurine, eyes growing wide.


    Did Akshi just mention him? Emotion clawed at his throat as he exchanged a worried glance with Evelyn. The silence returned, and Nick wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to know the rest of Akshi¡¯s sentence. Tyler rubbed the thin gray mark across his neck, then picked up his phone, texting. ¡°¡®You are dead,¡¯¡± Tyler said. It was a long text. There was too much silence at the table.


    The silence made the vibration of Evelyn¡¯s phone all the louder as Tyler lowered his phone. Evelyn picked it up, then covered her mouth to keep in a gasp.


    ¡°Pippa¡¯s next,¡± Tyler whispered.


    Evelyn passed her phone to Nick.


    Stuck with Nick Larsen and his weak spine. He will be your undoing. I wonder what will happen if I kill that boy. Will it kill you too? It¡¯s almost worth a try, isn¡¯t it? Though I might kill you easily tonight. I guess we¡¯ll see, won¡¯t we? It is, after all, a roll of the dice.

 Chapter 145

    Nick¡¯s eyes shot toward Tyler, who had his hands covering his mouth, staring right back at him with the concern plain for everyone to see. Nick tried to keep calm, tried not to react. Evelyn passed the phone over to Alejandra and Derek. His chest heaved, even as he tried to calm it. He couldn¡¯t react, as Walt was right there. But holy hell, how was he supposed to sit there when the crime lord of Osvoroth threatened his life?


    There was something more than a feeling, almost a premonition. If Nick had gone with Grizzizzik tonight, Akshi would have tried to kill him.


    Derek¡¯s chair scooted back as Derek swiped Evelyn¡¯s phone, walking toward the kitchen. Alejandra looked at Nick with wide eyes. His gaze fell toward the Akshi miniature. It was just a threat. A threat by the crime lord of Osvoroth. A person known to break people to a shell of their former self.


    Rafael stifled a gasp, and Nick glanced at his old friend. Rafael had finished reading the text before grabbing Evelyn¡¯s phone. ¡°We¡¯ve got to get them out of there. All of them. They¡¯ll get slaughtered. We can¡¯t¡­ we¡¯ve got to¡­¡±


    Tyler winced. ¡°Derek. Constitution saving throw with disadvantage.¡±


    Derek was in the kitchen when the d20 appeared next to him on the countertop. He rolled it twice, then glanced up at Tyler. ¡°Thirteen.¡±


    Legitimate tears to form in Tyler¡¯s eyes. Derek leaned against the countertop, his knees no doubt losing their function. ¡°Shit, man. No. No, what¡¯s happening?¡±


    Tyler said nothing. Instead, he picked up a fistful of dice and let them drop. He did the calculations, his eyes red, writing numbers and calculating. Once done, he snatched Milo¡¯s character sheet, then let out a rattling breath. ¡°Oh my god, that was way too close.¡±


    ¡°What? What is it?¡± Derek stumbled toward the table.


    ¡°Pippa grabs Milo¡¯s face and kisses him, dark infernal whispers lifting around them. Milo, still charmed, allows her to kiss him long and deep. She is sucking his essence away, the demons laughing around them. You take thirty-five psychic damage, and not only that, thirty-five of your total hit points disappear.¡±


    Derek scrambled to the table, picking up his sheet. ¡°Two. When I wake up, I¡¯ll have two hit points?¡±


    Tyler rubbed his eyes. ¡°And if I rolled two points higher, you¡¯d be dead.¡±


    Rafael headed toward the table. ¡°Get everyone out. Everyone needs to get out of there. Ezekiel wouldn¡¯t want anyone dying for him. Get out!¡±


    Tyler dropped his hands, pointing at Alejandra. ¡°Hraktar¡¯s turn.¡±


    ¡°He takes his great sword and slams it into Pippa¡¯s back.¡± Alejandra sounded frightened.


    ¡°Out, Alejandra! Get him out of there!¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying! He won¡¯t leave without Milo or a sword.¡± Alejandra picked up her d20, let it clatter, then counted on her fingers. ¡°Twenty-six.¡±


    ¡°Roll damage.¡± Tyler kept his eyes on the battlefield. Alejandra rolled the d6¡¯s.


    ¡°Fourteen.¡±


    Tyler nodded. ¡°With a sheen of light, the great sword digs into Pippa¡¯s side, forcing her aside as Milo drops unconscious to the ground. She sneers at Hraktar.¡±


    ¡°I pick up one of Akshi¡¯s sword, put it in my inventory, and lift Milo onto my shoulders,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Carrying Milo limits your movement,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­.¡± Alejandra grabbed her hair, closing her eyes. ¡°Hraktar taps on the diamond bracelet and says, ¡®Princess! I have the sword, and I have Milo. He¡¯s unconscious! Moonsparkle knows us. Can she get us out of here like before? Without us having to touch her?¡¯¡±


    Tyler held up a hand. ¡°Evelyn, answer that at your next turn.¡± He pointed at Rafael and Derek. ¡°Ezekiel and Milo, you both need to make a death save.¡±


    The two of them rolled a d20, and both reported their failure.


    ¡°Shit.¡± Tyler grabbed another fistful of dice. ¡°Nick, Evelyn, dexterity saving throws, please.¡±


    Nick picked up the d20, trying not to think about it as he rolled. It landed on a six. Nick shook his head, standing up. ¡°Eight. Goddamn eight.¡± He was frustrated. Hurt. Grizzizzik got a horrible beating, and the rolls were not with him tonight. He had the worst streak of luck, and of course it had to be when they were going up against Akshi.


    ¡°Fifteen,¡± Evelyn said.


    Tyler nodded, doing the math. He sniffed, still trying to keep the tears at bay. Nick was panicking himself. This was bad. Milo was down, almost dead. Ezekiel was unconscious. They were all flirting with death right now. Rafael was right, they needed to leave.


    Tyler furrowed his brow, a bead of sweat running down his forehead as he did the math, his breathing growing far more ragged. Nick walked into the kitchen, grabbing a cup and getting a drink of water. Trying to calm himself down. Trying not to have a panic attack in his own kitchen. Aware his father was watching. Aware that Akshi casually tossed around his life like it was a bargaining chip.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Tyler finished writing the math down. ¡°Akshi pushes Grizzizzik toward Moonsparkle, then shot another bolt of lighting into Grizzizzik¡¯s gut. It passes through Grizzizzik and hits Moonsparkle. Grizzizzik takes twenty-eight lightning damage and Moonsparkle gets fourteen.¡±


    ¡°Grizzizzik is down,¡± Nick whispered. ¡°Again.¡± This was a suicide mission. It always was. Nick should have forced his rogue to level up.


    ¡°¡®Grizzly Bear!¡¯¡± Evelyn said.


    Nick didn¡¯t bother turning around. He glared at the sink as he took another drink, willing his pounding heart to ease.


    ¡°What are you doing, Princess Clarissa and Moonsparkle?¡± Tyler asked.


    Evelyn closed her eyes, sighing. ¡°¡®Moonsparkle, please. Take my unconscious friends home safely. You know the way. It¡¯s¡­ our special friend¡¯s house. Take them there,¡¯¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Moonsparkle¡­ heals the princess?¡± Her eyes flickered toward Tyler.


    Tyler nodded. ¡°Moonsparkle nickers before brushing her horn against Princess Clarissa¡¯s skin, giving her¡ª¡± Tyler gestured toward Evelyn, who rolled two d8¡¯s.


    ¡°Fourteen hit points.¡± She saw it marked on her sheet. Evelyn looked at the map in front of her. ¡°Princess Clarissa talks to Hraktar over the bracelet. ¡®Hraktar, put the sword in Milo¡¯s inventory. Let me know when it¡¯s done.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Can Hraktar do that now?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Tyler closed his eyes, then nodded. ¡°They¡¯ll allow it.¡±


    ¡°¡®It¡¯s done, Princess.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Moonsparkle uses her legendary action to take¡­¡± Evelyn frowned, studying the character sheet. ¡°Milo, Ezekiel, and Grizzizzik. She makes them appear¡­¡± Evelyn trailed off, glancing at everyone. She didn¡¯t need to answer. A dull thud outside said exactly where they were.


    Derek¡¯s eyes widened, then he grabbed his phone. ¡°Oh, look at that. My mom¡¯s calling.¡± He then bolted it out of their front door. Rafael hesitated before he got up and followed. Nick knew he should, but he had no desire to. He was frustrated with Grizzizzik, as well as himself.


    Tyler crossed out four names on his list. As he did so, the dice and character sheet at each spot disappeared. ¡°You still have a turn, Princess Clarissa.¡±


    Evelyn nodded. ¡°¡®Hraktar, it¡¯s you and me, my friend. Meet me inside.¡¯ And then¡­ Princess Clarissa runs, opening a bottle of oil behind her as she does so.¡±


    Tyler wiped the sweat from his forehead. ¡°Make a sleight of hand check.¡±


    Evelyn rolled the dice. ¡°Sixteen with my ring buff.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. Akshi doesn¡¯t see you do that. You run, the oil spreading across the way.¡±


    The front door burst open, and Derek and Rafael walked in carrying a barely awake Milo. He was at two hit points, and couldn¡¯t walk, mumbling something unintelligible. Grizzizzik limped inside, barely getting in before collapsing against a wall, holding his chest. Nick shot him a glare, but his character was purposefully not looking at Nick.


    ¡°Pippa twirls around to face Hraktar. She opens her hand, a flickering flame appearing in her palm before shooting it toward Hraktar¡¯s face.¡± Tyler picked up the d20, giving it a roll before snorting. ¡°Seven.¡±


    ¡°Miss,¡± Alejandra said.


    Derek eased Milo onto the couch, his eyes flickering, still red. Ezekiel knelt down at the front of the couch, placing his hands over Milo¡¯s ears as he whispered. The cleric looked horrible, his clothes tattered and covered with blood from changing into a wererat, but he started his prayer.


    ¡°The flame turns wide, smacking trinkets off Bob¡¯s shelf,¡± Tyler said.


    Milo gasped as the redness in his eyes flickered out. He grabbed his stomach before collapsing again, his eyes closed. Tyler winced, glancing at the mana fusor. ¡°Hraktar, your turn.¡±


    ¡°He runs,¡± Alejandra said. ¡°And slams the door shut behind him.¡±


    Tyler grabbed the miniature, counting as he moved Hraktar¡¯s figurine out of the room. ¡°You can see Princess Clarissa.¡±


    ¡°I give her a questioning look,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°I keep urging him deeper into the house,¡± Evelyn said.


    Tyler grabbed the miniature of Akshi. ¡°He makes his way toward you, but isn¡¯t aware the terrain has become slippery. He only makes it this far, but he holds his hand out. Princess, make a wisdom saving roll.¡±


    Evelyn nodded, grim as she picked up the d20. Grizzizzik got to his feet, limping over to the countertop, leaning against it as he watched Evelyn. The d20 clattered. ¡°Nat twenty.¡±


    Alejandra let out a breath.


    ¡°You easily shake off the paralyzing feeling in your legs and keep running,¡± Tyler said. ¡°And it is your turn. What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I try to catch up to Hraktar. ¡®Find a room. Quickly!¡¯¡± Evelyn said.


    Tyler moved the miniatures. ¡°For the purpose of this, you¡¯ll both use your action to get into this room.¡± He moved them into the room.


    ¡°I then cast pass without trace,¡± Evelyn said.


    Tyler pointed at Evelyn and Alejandra. ¡°Both of you roll for dexterity.¡±


    ¡°Twenty-four,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Twenty-nine,¡± Alejandra said. ¡°I have a lot of buffs.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. You¡¯re in the room, and Princess Clarissa casts the spell, both of you blending into the wall itself. Pippa¡­¡± Tyler cleared his throat. ¡°Finishes adjusting her AC back to where it¡¯s supposed to be, and gets out of the room, searching for them, but the house is quiet. Hraktar? You doing anything?¡±


    ¡°Waiting for the princess¡¯s signal,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Akshi¡ª¡± Tyler moved the miniature a few paces until the figurine got inside, ¡°¡ªmoves here, and has a quick conversation with Pippa. They split up and look for them. Akshi casts detect magic as he goes.¡± Tyler moved the figure closer to the door where they¡¯re hiding. ¡°And¡­ senses something here.¡± Tyler placed the figurine at the door. Derek and Rafael had sat back down, watching the whole thing. ¡°Princess, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I am slipping out the window. ¡®Hraktar, once I turn into a horse, get on.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Hraktar only nods, nervous,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Princess Clarissa gets out and changes into a war horse,¡± Evelyn said.


    Tyler grabbed Pippa¡¯s figurine. ¡°Pippa goes this way, searching the kitchen area. Hraktar?¡±


    ¡°He scrambles out and gets on Princess Clarissa¡¯s back, holding on, and trying not to be a burden.¡±


    Tyler nodded, grabbing the Akshi miniature and moving it through the door to the room, focused. ¡°There is a calming music emanating from Akshi¡¯s mouth. It is difficult to understand, but you can¡¯t help but listen to it.¡± Tyler again picked up a fistful of dice and gave them a shake, watching them tumble. He raised an eyebrow, surprised, then pointed to Alejandra. ¡°How many hit points do you have left?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­.¡± Alejandra picked up the character sheet. ¡°Twenty-three.¡±


    ¡°You lucky bastard,¡± Tyler muttered under his breath.


    Alejandra winced. ¡°Who? Who¡¯s the lucky bastard? Hraktar? Or Akshi?¡±


    ¡°The music is enticing, but Hraktar¡¯s strong half orc background shakes off the urge to sleep.¡± Alejandra covered her face, letting out a breath of relief. ¡°Princess Clarissa. It is your turn.¡±


    ¡°She runs. She runs faster than she¡¯s ever done before and trusts Hraktar is holding on,¡± Evelyn said.


    Alejandra nodded. ¡°He is.¡±


    Tyler set his screen down, taking Hraktar and Clarissa¡¯s figurines in one hand, and Akshi¡¯s in the other. He moved Clarissa and Hraktar, counting under his breath, then moved Akshi out the window and headed straight for Clarissa. Again, he counted with the Clarissa and Hraktar figurines, then with the Akshi one, falling a bit more behind. He did this three more times, Akshi always falling behind a good twenty feet before Clarissa and Hraktar disappeared from the board. ¡°Akshi falls behind, losing Princess Clarissa and Hraktar.¡± Tyler practically collapsed into his chair. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± He covered his face as tears of relief started to fall. ¡°We got it. It¡¯s done.¡±

 Chapter 146

    A collective sigh escaped everyone. Nick didn¡¯t realize how cold his sweat had gotten until he rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. He never wanted to do that again.


    Evelyn got up, heading for the front door. Ezekiel remained by Milo, his head bowed, looking worse in the light. His eyes were closed tight, no doubt the light hurting him. Milo was on his side on the couch, visibly ill. He was down to two hit points. He could only get two hit points, and a stiff breeze would knock him unconscious. Grizzizzik was leaning against the countertop, staring at nothing. Nick hoped he was rethinking his life choices, because they barely got out of that fight alive.


    Nick noticed the front door was still open, and he walked over to close it when he saw Evelyn in the front yard. He watched, curious, as his little sister held out a hand and Moonsparkle walked over to her. Nick raised an eyebrow, curious. This was not the first time Evelyn met the unicorn. That much was obvious. Evelyn ran her fingers through the unicorn¡¯s mane, whispering to her. Thanking her. Moonsparkle nickered before moving away from the yard. As soon as the unicorn was on the road, it galloped away, and Nick closed the door to not intrude on something private.


    He walked back into the kitchen, seeing Tyler leaning against the countertop. Nick grabbed his glass and filled it with more water.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Nick said.


    Tyler studied his face. ¡°Akshi just threatened your life, Nick. Are you okay?¡±


    Nick drained his glass of water, glancing at Grizzizzik. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ making it work.¡±


    ¡°You have school tomorrow. We didn¡¯t kill Akshi. He¡¯s going to be there,¡± Tyler said.


    Nick shook his head, gripping his cup. ¡°If you want to make me more frightened, you¡¯re doing an excellent job.¡±


    Tyler¡¯s smile was small. ¡°I can be in Elmwood in a half hour. Please call. Or get your sister to call. In fact, I need you to check in with me tomorrow after school, once you''re home safe. If you¡¯re going to school at all. I¡­ need to know you¡¯re safe.¡±


    Tyler¡¯s concern strangely touched Nick. ¡°I¡¯ll get Evelyn to check in tomorrow. I have work.¡±


    ¡°And earlier, if needed,¡± Tyler said.


    Nick nodded. ¡°And earlier, if needed.¡±


    Tyler looked as though he was trying to relax, but his gaze flickered over to Walt. Nick¡¯s dad was walking to the kitchen, a book under one arm. Out of instinct, Nick¡¯s shoulders straightened.


    ¡°That was certainly¡­ interesting,¡± Walt said, staring at Tyler.


    Their game master shrugged. ¡°That was one of our more action-packed sessions, no doubt.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ can I go back to attending CCNC sessions at other people¡¯s houses?¡± Nick asked.


    The pretend smile on Walt¡¯s face dropped. ¡°I suppose.¡±


    It was good enough for Nick. The next session was Ezekiel¡¯s lycanthropy cleansing. Even thinking about it made him deflate. Now that they did the impossible and got Akshi¡¯s sword, they had one more impossible thing to worry about. They still had an intact bar of silver.


    Walt turned his absent smile back at Tyler. ¡°That woman character going to show up again?¡±


    Tyler took in the lack of a genuine smile, the dry tone, and he straightened. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ whatever the story demands.¡±


    Walt scrutinized Tyler¡¯s face. ¡°Electrical engineering, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Larsen.¡±


    Walt grunted, unimpressed, and moved out of the kitchen, back toward the couch. Tyler watched, his eyes widening. ¡°I¡­ think I just got on your dad¡¯s bad side.¡±


    Nick sighed, tapping Tyler¡¯s glass of water with his own. ¡°Welcome to that lifelong sentence.¡±


    Tyler winced as Alejandra walked over, looking uncomfortable and dropping her voice. ¡°How much longer until Hraktar and Princess Clarissa get here?¡±


    Tyler shrugged. ¡°Princess Clarissa is moving pretty fast. They should get here in another ten minutes.¡±


    Alejandra picked at the skin by her thumb, glancing around. ¡°Can we possibly stay that much longer? The session is done, and Walt probably wants us to leave now.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no ¡®probably¡¯ about it.¡± Tyler glanced at Walt again, who directed a frown at Tyler before glancing at his watch.


    ¡°Go,¡± Grizzizzik whispered.


    Alejandra turned toward him. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Go.¡± Grizzizzik still didn¡¯t look at her. ¡°Akshi threatened Nick tonight. Knew the kid¡¯s name and surname. Probably knows his address, too. We need Hraktar here for protection. We need everyone here to protect him if Akshi retaliates. Go on home, leave us to protect Nick.¡±


    Nick listened to his character, struggling to keep the surprise off his face. Grizzizzik had been humbled tonight.


    ¡°I like that idea. You five stay here and protect Nick.¡± Tyler headed toward the table. ¡°I¡¯ll pack up and leave. Call tomorrow. Please.¡±


    Nick nodded as Tyler walked toward the table. Tyler grabbed his boxes and placed them on the table, putting away the miniatures. Grizzizzik stumbled toward the couches before collapsing on them. Nick wasn¡¯t sure if it was collapsing, so much as his character¡¯s knees gave out. In the bright light, Nick noticed a thin bit of fur covering Ezekiel¡¯s body. It wasn¡¯t thick, but it was an off-white color, and it was far more pronounced in his face. Ezekiel reached over for one of Lydia¡¯s throw blankets and wrapped it around his head, giving himself a small hood of shade from the light.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Do you guys have the Lord of the Rings books?¡± Rafael whispered.


    Nick glanced at him, then nodded. He slipped into his room and found the first book, then came back to hand it to Rafael. Nick watched as Rafael handed the book to Ezekiel. The cleric took it, tears filling his eyes as he curled into a fetal position and started at the beginning of the book.


    ¡°Is¡­ he going to be okay?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°He will now. And once Princess Clarissa gets here,¡± Rafael said.


    Nick nodded, the full brunt of the situation hitting him. They survived the heist for Akshi¡¯s weapon. Barely. Now they needed to last a week, and make sure Ezekiel got cleansed of lycanthropy.


    Rafael and Alejandra gathered their things. Walt walked over to Rafael, and Nick wasn¡¯t sure how much more he could take of his father¡¯s favoritism. Instead, he sat down next to Grizzizzik.


    ¡°So¡­ you going to level up now?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Shh.¡± Grizzizzik glanced at Derek. Nick doubted Derek could hear, since most of his friend¡¯s focus was on the mana fusor.


    ¡°Oh, I found out they can¡¯t hear me when I talk about your leveling.¡± The unsettled feeling returned. ¡°I can talk about it as openly as I want here.¡±


    Grizzizzik glanced at Nick, surprised. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really.¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t know what to expect after explaining that his friends couldn¡¯t hear him talk about the leveling. Complete silence and disinterest from his character should not have surprised him.


    ¡°Akshi wiped the floor with you. You need to get stronger. Fast. What the hell are you waiting for?¡±


    Grizzizzik rubbed his chin, tearing his gaze from Nick. Once again, his rogue shut down.


    ¡°Grizz¡ª¡±


    ¡°Later.¡±


    ¡°No. No later,¡± Nick said, anger flaring inside him. ¡°I refuse to roll another battle for you until you¡¯re at level four. Understand?¡±


    Grizzizzik studied Nick¡¯s face, the coldness in his eyes dangerous. ¡°Fine. You won¡¯t roll another battle for me until I¡¯m level four.¡±


    Nick wasn¡¯t sure what to say, but he did know that Grizzizzik calmly repeating his own words gave him no comfort. His character got up and walked toward the back door, slipping outside.


    What the hell was Grizzizzik doing. Still? None of it made sense. Why wasn¡¯t he leveling up? Why was he shutting down? Grizzizzik asked everyone to stay here tonight to protect Nick, yet he still refused to level up.


    Time froze, and words appeared. It was almost strange after having a regular session.


    Roll for perception.


    Nick took the d20 floating in front of him and gave it a shake. It landed on a nine. ¡°Well, it¡¯s certainly consistent,¡± Nick mumbled. A +4 appeared, making it a thirteen. It wasn¡¯t bad. It might be enough to check the perimeter of the house.


    ¡°Well, we better go,¡± Rafael said after a break in his and Walt¡¯s conversation.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s getting late.¡± Walt glanced at his watch. ¡°You all better get back home. It is school tomorrow, after all.¡±


    Tyler grabbed his suitcases, placing the totes inside. There was the sound of galloping hooves, and Nick headed toward the front door.


    Evelyn was already out there, watching the black war horse galloping toward the house with Hraktar holding on like his life depended on it. Clarissa the horse pulled to a stop and Hraktar got off, stumbling. Alejandra ran past Nick, throwing her arms around Hraktar. At least, she tried to. Hraktar had such broad shoulders, he doubted Alejandra could completely wrap her arms around him. The war horse shrank, and Clarissa appeared on her hands and knees, panting. She looked bone weary as Evelyn dropped to her knees and hugged her.


    Nick realized that these two were the only reason everyone else got out alive. The two sisters Nick fought to not join the campaign when they first started five years ago. He was reminded over and over how much they needed these two. He was glad, again, that his twelve-year-old self was outvoted and the two sisters were allowed to stay.


    ¡°Ezekiel. Where is Ezekiel?¡± Clarissa asked once her breathing had returned.


    ¡°He¡¯s inside. Come on.¡± Evelyn helped her princess to her feet before they all walked inside.


    Clarissa picked up her skirts and ran to Ezekiel, hugging him tight. ¡°Forgive me. Please forgive me.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    ¡°For¡­ when you were in your wererat form, I slaughtered you.¡±


    Ezekiel placed a hand against her cheek. ¡°Please do that. Every single time. And never ask me for forgiveness. I¡¯m fine.¡± He placed his forehead against hers. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Milo reached behind him, pulling out Akshi¡¯s long sword. It slipped from his fingers and clattered to the ground. ¡°Someone else take that. Please. I don¡¯t trust myself to have it. Not after¡­¡± He ran a hand through his hair.


    Hraktar picked up the sword, putting it in his own inventory. ¡°Sleep it off, Milo. You look like shit.¡±


    Milo didn¡¯t need to be told twice. It seemed like he was waiting for Hraktar to come before he fell back against the couch, already snoring softly. Derek moved around, grabbing his character¡¯s shoulders and easing him against the couch. Milo was out. They were lucky to still have him.


    ¡°So um, see you tomorrow,¡± Rafael said with Alejandra next to him.


    ¡°See you tomorrow,¡± Nick said.


    Rafael and Alejandra headed toward the door. Hraktar frowned, watching them leave.


    ¡°Akshi threatened Nick,¡± Ezekiel said. ¡°Everyone needs to stay here. To make sure he¡¯s alright.¡±


    Hraktar¡¯s eyes snapped to Nick. ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°I think Grizzizzik is taking the first watch, considering what I rolled,¡± Nick said.


    Hraktar got to his feet. ¡°I¡¯ll join him.¡±


    Nick nodded as the fighter walked outside. Derek gathered his things and walked toward Nick. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± Derek glanced at Milo, soft snores emanating from the mana fusor. ¡°Watch him. He¡¯s squishy, but valuable.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got his friends with him. He¡¯ll be fine,¡± Nick said.


    Derek patted Nick on the shoulder. ¡°Also, please consider blessing your dice. Or an exorcism of some sort. Or just buying new ones all together.¡± Nick couldn¡¯t help it and snorted. Derek waved at Walt. ¡°Bye, Mr. Larsen.¡±


    Walt waved, still watching Tyler. Nick walked over and grabbed a blanket, spreading it across Milo. Clarissa had her arm around Ezekiel as she helped him up the stairs to the guest room.


    Tyler finished zipping the suitcases and lifted the handle. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m all set. See you later, Nick, Evelyn. Bye, Mr. Larsen.¡±


    ¡°Travel home safe,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not have another session during the school week, okay?¡± Walt said.


    ¡°Well, I assure you, we rarely have them. But this was your idea,¡± Tyler said.


    Walt narrowed his eyes. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    Tyler grabbed his suitcases. ¡°I mean, we¡¯ll keep having them on the weekend. As we usually do. It was your specific request to have it tonight, so we obliged. Half the struggle of CCNC is scheduling.¡±


    Walt shook his head, the glare a fraction of one he gave Nick. Tyler kept Walt¡¯s gaze. ¡°Go back to college, Tyler. Focus on your studies. Do something actually worthwhile with your time.¡±


    Tyler had a response on the tip of his tongue, one he clamped behind his jaw. Nick knew, because he¡¯d been there so many times before. He even saw a muscle twitch in Tyler¡¯s jaw before he opened his mouth. ¡°Good night, sir.¡± Tyler grabbed the handles and dragged them behind him, leaving the house. Evelyn watched the exchange, frowning.


    ¡°It¡¯s late, you two. Go to bed,¡± Walt said.


    Nick shook his head, heading down the hall to his room.


    ¡°Does Dad hate Tyler?¡± Evelyn whispered.


    ¡°Seems like it.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Who hates Tyler? Like, seriously? What¡¯s wrong with Dad?¡±


    Nick opened the door. ¡°I gave up trying to understand him.¡± He slipped inside his room before putting on his pajamas. He rested on his bed, trying to unwind. Assuring himself they had what they needed. They took a beating, but were still standing.


    Nick closed the book he¡¯d been pretending to read for the past ten minutes. It was past midnight, and he needed to sleep. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then let it out, trying to imagine all the fear going out with the breath. There was no proof Akshi would come after him. He might have said that to throw Grizzizzik off. Nick was probably safe. But he also probably wasn¡¯t.


    There was a rustling right outside Nick¡¯s window. He leaned against it, trying not to panic, but saw Hraktar right outside. Nick made eye contact with the fighter, and Hraktar nodded. Nick nodded back, then climbed into his bed. He faced the ceiling before closing his eyes. It would be okay. A rogue and a fighter were keeping watch. The mana fusor was sleeping on the couch not that far, recovering. A badass druid with a compassionate cleric were upstairs. He¡¯d seen how they fought today. They wouldn¡¯t let anyone hurt him.


    With that thought, Nick allowed himself to drift off to sleep.

 Chapter 147

    Rafael figured he¡¯d receive a text or phone call if something happened last night. Even a roll suggestion or something. But he got nothing. He still refused to relax until he saw Nick walking by at school the next morning, book in hand. It seemed like his old friend was taking random walks throughout the morning to make sure he didn¡¯t stay in one spot. Though Rafael relaxed a bit, he still tensed at the sight.


    Nick shouldn¡¯t be alone. Why was he alone?


    Rafael watched Nick go, feeling uncertain. He was with his football buddies, holding Hazel¡¯s hand, but he¡¯d stopped adding to the conversation a while ago. If things weren¡¯t so messy between them, he¡¯d feel obligated to be by Nick¡¯s side. Just so he could call Ezekiel at a moment¡¯s notice if things turned sour.


    Things were messy, true. But he had to admit they were getting better. And after talking with Walt for an eternity last night, Rafael couldn¡¯t bring himself to let Nick walk alone while Akshi was somewhere in the halls.


    He squeezed Hazel¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± he said. Hazel glanced at Nick, but nodded as he pushed himself from the wall and headed toward Nick.


    ¡°Rafael?¡± James asked.


    He gave them a half wave. ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys later.¡±


    None of them responded. Rafael headed toward Nick, trying to be quiet. His heart pounded wildly, his nose and ribs aching from the too recent memory of Nick¡¯s fists. But he kept placing one foot in front of the other. He had avoided Nick long enough. Now all of them were in danger, Nick even more so. It was time to put things in the past and move forward.


    ¡°Hey, man,¡± Rafael said, falling into step with Nick.


    His old friend glanced up, and Rafael saw the shifting fear in his eyes. ¡°Hey, Rafael.¡± Nick closed his book. ¡°Everyone¡¯s staying at my house, recovering. Ezekiel¡¯s fine. Got a bit more fur than usual, but relieved they have the sword.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Rafael scratched his jaw. ¡°And¡­ you? How are you? Why are you alone?¡±


    ¡°Evelyn¡¯s hanging out around the main office. I promised her I¡¯d travel from Mr. Anderson¡¯s room to Se?ora Florez¡¯s room, but she¡¯d keep an eye on Akshi from a distance. She¡¯ll call if she sees anything.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Good. Uh, can I walk with you?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Yeah. I¡­ would love some company,¡± Nick said, still not looking at him.


    ¡°Great. How¡¯d you sleep last night?¡±


    Nick glanced around the full hall. ¡°You know? It¡¯s strangely comforting falling asleep with a half-orc standing guard outside your window.¡±


    Rafael smiled. ¡°Alejandra will be happy to hear that.¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t react. Honestly, Rafael wasn¡¯t sure what was going on between Nick and Alejandra. ¡°So, um¡­ dietician?¡± Nick asked.


    Rafael frowned. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Is that what you want to go to college for?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, it is. I won¡¯t lie and say food always fascinated me, because it hasn¡¯t. But¡­ I think it¡¯s a pretty cool thing to study. The way food fuels us. I¡¯d never be a doctor, but I could see myself helping people with what kind of food they eat. The¡­ food science of it.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Yeah. That¡¯s cool,¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°And you? What do you want to go to school in?¡± Rafael asked to make sure a silence never came between them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡±


    Nick shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a huge choice. I need¡­ to get out first. That¡¯s my first big decision to make.¡±


    Rafael again studied Nick, who distracted himself by looking at his book. ¡°Shit, that sucks.¡±


    Nick kept looking forward, the look on his face one that was ready to drop to a glare if anyone even mentioned Walt. ¡°April¡¯s coming. That¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    They kept walking through the halls, and Rafael wasn¡¯t sure how to define the silence that settled between them. It wasn¡¯t peaceful. That much was obvious. But Rafael wasn¡¯t scared of Nick strangling him, either.


    ¡°Rafael, if¡­ we¡¯re going to keep working together to save the world, there¡¯s something you ought to know,¡± Nick said. Rafael glanced again at him. Nick slowed down, his eyes darting around to make sure they couldn¡¯t be overheard before landing on Rafael. ¡°If you¡¯re expecting an apology from me for punching you in the face, I¡¯m not giving you one.¡±


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    Rafael shook his head. ¡°No, dude, I¡¯m not expecting one. Honestly, I¡¯d do the same.¡±


    ¡°You hurt my sister, and she¡¯s kind of the only family I have.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get that,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°I know I should apologize, but I honestly can¡¯t. And I¡¯m not about to¡ª¡±


    Rafael shook his head, holding out a hand to stop Nick from saying anything more. ¡°You still don¡¯t understand me.¡± Nick gave him a curious look, and Rafael stood up a little straighter. ¡°The reason I don¡¯t expect an apology ever, is because if you hurt my sister the same way I hurt yours, I. Would do. The same.¡±


    Nick¡¯s curious face froze, but then it disappeared as the realization hit him. Nick had always been the tallest one of the three of them. Rafael didn¡¯t consider himself short, but with Nick¡¯s height, his old friend almost towered over him. It really didn¡¯t matter. Rafael had thrown himself into sports for three years. Where Nick might have had the advantage of height, Rafael had him beat in muscle. And when it came down to it, that was where a flicker of fear hit Nick¡¯s eyes as his gaze brushed over how broad Rafael¡¯s shoulders had become, how much he pushed himself to make sure he had the physique necessary to throw himself at opponents every week. Nick finally understood what Rafael meant.


    Nick cleared his throat. ¡°This isn¡¯t you being pretentious again, right?¡±


    ¡°No. This is me assuring you I deserved what you gave me. I was wrong. Evelyn did not deserve that, and neither does Alejandra. You already know that, though.¡±


    Nick met Rafael¡¯s gaze again, a smile crossing his lips. ¡°I do. Something tells me if it you ever do that again to my sister, you¡¯d willingly walk into my fist.¡±


    Rafael winced. ¡°I want to disagree with you, but I honestly can¡¯t.¡± He rubbed his forehead. ¡°I can¡¯t believe how stupid I was.¡±


    ¡°And¡­ I don¡¯t think you have to worry about me and Alejandra. I doubt she wants to date me, let alone hang out with me,¡± Nick said.


    Rafael sighed. ¡°Yeah, I suppose you¡¯re right.¡±


    Nick about said something, but Evelyn appeared out of nowhere, folding her arms, a concentrated look on her face. Rafael felt his heart skitter with shame, but Evelyn wasn¡¯t looking at him. Instead, she grabbed Nick¡¯s arm and forcibly turned him around. ¡°Just keep walking this way,¡± Evelyn whispered.


    Nick didn¡¯t question it as Evelyn lead him away. Maybe Rafael should have kept walking with them, but he didn¡¯t want to. Not with her being there, too. Maybe Nick and he were on better footing, but he still waited for Evelyn to be the one to approach him first.


    Rafael kept walking, slower this time. Mr. Stower came around the hall, with Akshi not that far behind. Rafael dropped his gaze, the slithering of a snake distinct among the student¡¯s feet. The bell rang, the halls guaranteed to get more clogged. He kept his eyes forward, passing Mr. Stower, passing Akshi, then slowed down and moved to the side, glancing behind him to watch Akshi. Maybe they were over-exaggerating the seriousness of the situation, but even though Rafael hadn¡¯t played in years, he wasn¡¯t about to stop being cautious around Akshi.


    Once Mr. Stower and Akshi disappeared down the hall, Evelyn¡¯s head poked out of Mr. Anderson¡¯s room. Rafael relaxed. Sometimes he forgot how fiercely protective those two siblings were of each other. Honestly, after what he went through, he wasn¡¯t sure how he could forget.


    ***


    Alejandra did not want to go to the Halloween dance. School dances always made her nervous. Granted, a lot of things made her nervous. Like secretly trying to monitor Akshi during the entire dance while Hazel and Rafael did a quick trip with the characters to drop off their stuff at Calawit¡¯s.


    Now that she thought about it, most of her nerves came from her secret job of watching Akshi. She¡¯d gladly go to the school dance as long as Akshi wasn¡¯t involved.


    Alejandra got out of Hazel¡¯s minivan and waved to Rafael and Hazel as they drove off to pick up the characters. She walked into the school gym, the lights low and the music pumping. She went through her mother¡¯s closet again and picked a decade. It was the cheapest thing she could find.


    She walked inside and searched through students, trying to find Evelyn. It gave her a little comfort that she wouldn¡¯t be the only one who was monitoring Akshi.


    Mr. Stower was against the wall, staring at nothing. Akshi was next to him. Mr. Anderson wasn¡¯t that far, keeping his eyes on Akshi. Se?ora Florez was taking care of the refreshment table, but she, too, kept glancing in Mr. Stower¡¯s direction.


    Alejandra pulled out her phone and started texting.


    No sign of Evelyn yet, but Akshi is here.


    She sent it to Rafael before slipping the phone back in her pocket. The last text was from Derek in the group text. Pippa had been hanging around backstage of the play, so he was watching her. Alejandra really didn¡¯t think anything would happen, but if something did and she wasn¡¯t prepared¡­


    She wasn¡¯t sure. She didn¡¯t want Nick to get hurt, but she couldn¡¯t deny that she felt more relieved Akshi targeted Nick and not Rafael.


    Evelyn walked into the gym, dressed like a princess. Of course she was. She was with her cheerleader friends, smiling and laughing. Looking at ease in a social situation. Alejandra felt her phone vibrate and checked it.


    Heading toward Nick¡¯s house now. Shouldn¡¯t be long. We¡¯ll be there soon.


    Alejandra slipped it back in her pocket, counting down the minutes it would take for Rafael and Hazel to get back.


    Across the way, Evelyn noticed her and waved. Alejandra waved back. She was far enough away that they couldn¡¯t talk, though with the monster mash song coming on, she wasn¡¯t sure anyone could talk to each other. Evelyn gestured toward Alejandra¡¯s clothes before giving a thumbs up. Alejandra smiled, trying not to feel self-conscious that it was nothing more than her mother¡¯s old clothes. Instead, Alejandra gestured toward Evelyn¡¯s costume and gave two thumbs up. A wide grin split Evelyn¡¯s face as she gave the skirt a partial spin before tossing her curled hair over her shoulder. Alejandra couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. She wondered what it was like to feel that confident in a princess dress.


    Alejandra walked over to the refreshment table.


    ¡°Hola, Alejandra,¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    ¡°Hola, Se?ora.¡± Alejandra glanced at Akshi.


    ¡°No, no,¡± Se?ora Florez said, noticing Alejandra¡¯s gaze. ¡°Mr. Anderson and I are watching Akshi tonight. You have fun. I will let you know if he disappears.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. Go have fun,¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    She nodded, taking a bite of the cookie. Tyler had updated Mr. Anderson and Se?ora Florez about what happened at the session. More importantly, the threat Akshi gave Nick. Considering how close Mr. Anderson was to Mr. Stower right now and how often Se?ora Florez glanced in Akshi¡¯s direction, she felt herself relax. She still wouldn¡¯t completely relax until Rafael and Hazel got back, but for now, Akshi was going to be well monitored.

 Chapter 148

    Hazel pulled off to the side of the road by Calawit¡¯s tent. Rafael unbuckled himself and glanced behind him at the five characters, with Hraktar cradling Quetzal. ¡°Alright, we don¡¯t have a bunch of time. It¡¯d be nice to get this done and over with fast.¡±


    They walked into the tent, Rafael holding Hazel¡¯s hand. They were both dressed in complete white, with a black Oreo cookie on the back of their shirts. It was Hazel¡¯s costume idea, and Rafael was happy to tag along.


    Calawit climbed on the bookshelf, scanning the group. ¡°Well, Rafael said you were all fine when he picked up Quetzal, but it¡¯s good to see proof of it myself. Come to the desk. Return your items.¡± Calawit hopped over the bookshelves. Rafael didn¡¯t expect this to happen, but the five characters fell behind him and Hazel as they walked toward the desk. Calawit flicked her wrist as a parchment and quill lifted.


    ¡°Place the items on the desk, and the quill will mark it. Any items still on the list you¡¯ll have to pay for,¡± Calawit said.


    Rafael watched as Milo, Ezekiel, Clarissa, and Hraktar pulled things out of their inventory. Grizzizzik leaned against a bookshelf, watching.


    Calawit crinkled her nose before straightening her spectacles, looking at Rafael. ¡°What are you wearing?¡±


    Rafael gestured toward his clothes. ¡°It¡¯s the Halloween dance.¡±


    ¡°We dress in costumes and dance,¡± Hazel said.


    ¡°We¡¯re double stuffed Oreo¡¯s.¡±


    Hazel placed a hand on Rafael¡¯s waist and smiled, turning her body enough for Calawit to see her oreo cookie. ¡°See?¡±


    Rafael couldn¡¯t help but smile at Calawit¡¯s utter confusion at what they were doing. It was almost worth the trip to see the look on her face.


    ¡°I will never understand humans,¡± she muttered.


    Milo patted toward the small of his back, eyes widening. ¡°Ah, shit.¡±


    Calawit raised an eyebrow in his direction. ¡°What item of mine will you pay for?¡±


    Milo pressed his hands on the small of his back, turning his wide eyes toward Calawit. The shopkeeper snatched the parchment, reading over the list. ¡°Ah, you lost the goggles, did you?¡±


    Milo kept staring at her. ¡°The¡­ the last thing I remember is¡­ fingers. Fingers in my hair. She must have¡­ moved them off my head when she¡­.¡± Milo winced, rubbing his lips.


    Calawit did not look happy. ¡°Everyone else done returning your items?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Cal,¡± Clarissa said.


    ¡°Alright.¡± She read off the parchment. ¡°A bottle of oil, night goggles, and a health potion. That comes to three hundred and one gold, three silver, and two coppers.¡±


    Milo let out a shuddering breath, then pulled out all the money he had before dropping it on the table. He had a fair amount of coins, but nowhere near three hundred. Ezekiel glanced at Milo, surprised. Then he reached behind him and emptied every coin from his inventory, placing it on the desk. Ezekiel had far less money. It was fourteen gold and two coppers, but it was all he had. Clarissa and Hraktar followed suit, the coins clanging on the desk. Calawit snapped her fingers, the coins disappearing. She again looked at the parchment, her eyes hardening. ¡°You still owe a hundred and seventy-six gold and one silver piece.¡±


    Rafael couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for Milo, who squirmed under Calawit¡¯s gaze. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ do whatever I need to. Even¡­ make you a new pair of goggles. I¡¯m close to a breakthrough.¡±


    Calawit almost said something when Grizzizzik walked to the desk, reaching behind him. He pulled out his small chest, and it landed on the desk with a dull thud. He flipped open the lid, then reached inside, pulling out ten gold pieces at a time, dropping them on the counter. Everyone was silent, watching the rogue. There was a pile of gold coins by the time he reached in and pulled out the one silver, flipping it toward Calawit, who caught it in her palm.


    ¡°That enough?¡±


    Calawit snapped her fingers, and the coins disappeared. She looked at her parchment. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Grizzizzik grunted, shutting the lid of his chest and slipping it back into his inventory. He glanced at his team, everyone staring back with a variation of slack jaws.


    ¡°If any of you bring this up again, I will deny it.¡± Grizzizzik turned around and headed toward the opening. ¡°Come on, we¡¯ve got to get back.¡±


    ¡°Where did you get all that money?¡± Clarissa asked.


    ¡°I deny it.¡±


    Ezekiel raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re seriously not going to tell us?¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°I deny it.¡±


    ¡°How much do you have left?¡± Hraktar said.


    ¡°I deny it!¡±


    ¡°Grizzizzik!¡± Milo said. The rogue was almost out the door. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The rogue froze, not looking at anyone. ¡°Welcome.¡± It would have been impossible to hear, except no one spoke a word as the rogue slipped out of the tent.


    ***


    It was Sunday evening, and Nick was in his room, reading the Cost of Mana. Evelyn finished it, and Derek dropped off the rest of the series to her on Friday, so she happily started book two. Nick had nothing else to do, and at least it was captivating. It was the weekend, which meant his parents were home, and he had no genuine desire to leave his room if he didn¡¯t have to.


    Evelyn enjoyed herself at the dance. She wouldn¡¯t shut up about all the people she met, which made Nick happy and nervous for her. Some guys were a little too eager to be her friend. He needed to attend the morning session of CCNC club.


    The characters, too, were upstairs discussing what to do next. The entire weekend Akshi didn¡¯t appear, even when they dropped off their items at Calawit¡¯s. Maybe Akshi wouldn¡¯t follow through on his threat, but it was also Akshi. Eventually, he would. Even if it took days, or months, or years. He was a patient fellow. A man who tapped into immortality usually was.


    Clarissa suggested she remain with Evelyn now, and Ezekiel wanted to stay with her, since the full moon was approaching. Hraktar wanted to stay wherever Ezekiel was in case he needed to keep him pinned, and Milo didn¡¯t want to be left alone. Especially with Pippa out there.


    So, after a long conversation, they stayed. They would reassess the situation once the full moon happened. Which, according to the calendar, was Friday. And they still didn¡¯t know what to do with the bar of silver. Despite it happening a few days ago, Nick was still floored that they successfully stole Akshi¡¯s sword.


    Nick got up at a chapter break, feeling hungry. It was almost nine at night, and he forgot to have dinner. He walked into the kitchen, seeing Walt on the phone with someone, as Lydia was on her laptop. If he was quiet enough, they would carry on whatever they were doing without noticing him.


    Nick opened the fridge, deciding what to eat. There were a lot of ingredients, but not a lot of already made meals.


    Walt hung up the phone, placing it to one side. Nick tuned them out as he shuffled through the options of what to eat. He didn¡¯t want anything that he¡¯d have to cook, because he wanted to get back to his room. That narrowed it down considerably.


    ¡°Good god, Nick. Make a choice and close the fridge door. The point of a fridge is to keep the cold air in, not let it out,¡± Walt said.


    Nick shot the back of the fridge a glare before gathering some sliced turkey and condiments. Decision made, apparently. He closed the fridge and placed the items on the counter.


    ¡°So, everything¡¯s ready for the first?¡± Lydia asked.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll take the old car in on Tuesday night and do the switch for the new one,¡± Walt said.


    Lydia nodded. ¡°It¡¯s really nice of them to do this on Halloween night.¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean, your little girl only turns sixteen once.¡±


    It was that phrase coming out of Walt¡¯s mouth that made Nick pause in the middle of spreading the mayonnaise on his bread. He glanced up, setting the knife and the bread down. ¡°Car?¡± He realized the other big thing happening before the full moon. Not just Halloween, but Evelyn¡¯s birthday on the first of November. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ getting Evelyn a car?¡±


    They glanced at him. Lydia¡¯s eyes shot to Evelyn¡¯s room as Walt kept his gaze. ¡°Trading in the old one for a better one. Got it all scheduled. Actually, it¡¯s best you know. Once Evelyn gets her driver¡¯s license on her birthday, she¡¯ll be the one in charge of the car. You¡¯ll have to ask her for it, and it still must be approved by me.¡±


    Nick looked at Walt, not sure what he expected. Of course Evelyn would get a car. Walt¡¯s eyes darkened as though reading Nick¡¯s thoughts. ¡°As I recall, we also got you a car when you turned sixteen.¡±


    Technically, Walt was right. Nick got the keys to Walt¡¯s old car while he bought himself a better one. A car with the stipulation that Walt would still keep the keys whenever Nick wasn¡¯t using it. When Nick turned sixteen, he got his license and a job. One Walt was clear would be with Mr. Morgan, and he¡¯d be keeping track of everything he did. His first day of work was on his birthday, fresh after getting his driver¡¯s license. When he came home from his first day at eight-thirty at night, Evelyn gave him a cupcake and a card. It was his only other present. His parents were working late that night.


    The only reason he had a seventeenth birthday celebration at all was because Evelyn specifically planned one for him. It was obviously Evelyn¡¯s planning, as it was over the top and slightly ridiculous, though he secretly appreciated it. If Evelyn hadn¡¯t planned anything, he was certain nothing would¡¯ve happened that day.


    Nick dropped his gaze from Walt¡¯s, picking up the butter knife again. It trembled in his hand as he spread the mayonnaise on his sandwich.


    ¡°Are we clear about Evelyn¡¯s car?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°Crystal.¡± Nick dropped the knife and pulled out the sliced turkey. No one expected Evelyn to get a job. Her parents gave her the impression she didn¡¯t have to worry about it until she graduated high school. They had a lot saved for her college. They never talked about college with Nick.


    Nick moved his head around his neck, anger burning in his gut. He needed to stop. Stop comparing how he and Evelyn were treated. If he was going to survive until April, he needed to stop. He¡¯d drown if he didn¡¯t.


    Walt gestured toward the sandwich Nick made. ¡°Are you eating that in your room?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Nick grabbed some lettuce to put on it. He sure as hell wouldn¡¯t sit at the table and listen to them plan Evelyn¡¯s birthday celebration.


    ¡°Bring your dishes back to the sink this time.¡± Walt¡¯s focus returned to his phone.


    Nick did his best not to slam the other piece of bread on the sandwich. He picked up the plate and headed toward his room, pulling to a stop when he noticed Grizzizzik standing there, no doubt watching the whole thing. Nick stared at the rogue, seeing his yellow snake eyes studying Nick with annoyance.


    ¡°Coward,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Nick¡¯s eyes darkened, his voice dropping. ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°Deities above, do anything. It¡¯s better than allowing him to treat you like this. It¡¯s so painful to watch.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one doing nothing. You haven¡¯t leveled up in weeks.¡± Nick¡¯s face tingled with anger.


    Grizzizzik shook his head, turning around and walking up the stairs. Nick continued down the hall, passing Evelyn¡¯s room as he got to his own. Her door opened and Evelyn stepped out.


    ¡°God, yes, I was thinking the same thing. Crazy good book series, right?¡± Evelyn asked. Nick glanced at her, and the joy on her face evaporated. He probably didn¡¯t have the most approachable look on his face right now. ¡°Nick?¡±


    He opened his door, staring at his room. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± he muttered, slipping into his room and shutting the door behind him. He didn¡¯t know why he was so annoyed. Or surprised. His sister always got the princess treatment.

 Chapter 149

    Derek woke up early on Monday morning. He was nervous and excited about today. The first early morning CCNC session with everyone who signed up. He sent out the text on Friday and spent this first session making new characters. Derek already had a file folder of already made characters, so he brought a couple to look through. His job as president was to make sure things went smoothly.


    Derek walked into school at six-thirty in the morning. It was odd. There weren¡¯t as many students, and the smell of breakfast came from the cafeteria. He made his way to Se?ora Florez¡¯s room, finding her and Mr. Anderson there. As president of CCNC club, he wanted to make sure he arrived early.


    He opened the door and walked inside. ¡°Good morning.¡±


    Mr. Anderson grunted, clutching his coffee like it was a lifeline as he skimmed the handbook. Se?ora Florez had a paper in one hand and a marker in the other, making quick strokes on the whiteboard. ¡°Hey, Derek.¡±


    Derek watched his Spanish teacher bring to life an intricate design. ¡°Calawit teach you that?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And I hope it works.¡±


    ¡°I will leave you to it, then,¡± Derek said.


    Se?ora Florez said nothing, her pen flying over the board. Mr. Anderson was looking like he was desperately trying to wake up.


    ¡°Are you planning on being the GM for Mr. Stower?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Yep. Just need to familiarize myself with the rules. They¡¯ve changed since last I played.¡± Mr. Anderson picked up the player¡¯s handbook. ¡°It is ridiculously difficult to kill a player¡¯s character. Not like when I was playing it.¡±


    Derek deflated a bit. ¡°Easiest to kill them when they¡¯re lower level, though.¡±


    Mr. Anderson sighed. ¡°If Se?ora Florez¡¯s charm doesn¡¯t work, that¡¯s our backup. Hopefully it won¡¯t look too weird if I keep targeting Mr. Stower¡¯s character.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Stower can always make another one,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll keep killing them.¡± Mr. Anderson sipped his coffee.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re the only one who can get away with it. You always have the reputation of not being someone to cross,¡± Derek said, glancing at Se?ora Florez as she copied the spell as fast as she could.


    The door opened and Hazel, Rafael, and Alejandra walked through. Rafael glanced at his phone. ¡°Are we too early?¡±


    Derek shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here.¡±


    They talked, trying to keep the conversation light. Derek kept glancing at Se?ora Florez and the progress she made on the spell. He wondered if it would work. More importantly, he wondered what this would mean. Se?ora Florez was a human from earth, and she was trying to cast a spell. Would this even work? How much of the two worlds would clash with the success of this spell? He¡¯d rather have the spell work than not, though. But he still wondered about the implications.


    More people trickled in. Much of Derek¡¯s gamer nerd friends came to see if Hazel would appear, and when they saw her talking with Rafael, they were in awe.


    When Evelyn and Nick came, Evelyn walked over to give Hazel a hug, which caused both Rafael and Alejandra to take a step back. Derek watched, surprised, as Rafael found some excuse to leave the conversation all together and find a desk to sit in.


    ¡°Done,¡± Se?ora Florez whispered.


    Derek felt it, deep in his bones. He wasn¡¯t sure how he knew. Perhaps it was the time he spent with Milo. He felt the shift, the vibration, that mana had taken hold and this room was protected. Se?ora Florez set the pen down, covering the spell with another board before writing ¡®Welcome to Choice, Chance, and Consequence¡¯ on the other one. It worked. A human somehow cast a spell. He wondered how Tyler felt about all this. Neal said it was impossible. But then again, it was mostly Calawit¡¯s doing. Her spell, her pen. Se?ora Florez was just copying it.


    Derek walked toward the door, waiting. The room was filling up, and it was almost seven o¡¯clock.


    The door opened, and Mr. Stower entered. Derek watched from his peripheral as Akshi tried to enter, but an invisible bubble blocked him. Derek couldn¡¯t help it and smirked before giving Se?ora Florez a thumbs up. Mr. Stower walked in, then slowed. He blinked a few times, glancing around. Mr. Anderson got up, walking over toward the vice principal.


    ¡°Everything alright?¡± Mr. Anderson asked.


    ¡°What¡­ am I doing here?¡± Mr. Stower asked.


    ¡°You expressed an interest in attending CCNC club. You wanted to play a few sessions.¡±


    Mr. Stower frowned, rubbing his head. ¡°I have the worst headache. I should go back to my office.¡±


    Mr. Anderson grabbed his shoulder. ¡°No. You shouldn¡¯t. Stay a while, see how it is for an hour.¡± Mr. Anderson made a point to look right at Akshi. The crime lord had murder in his gaze. Akshi tried to cast a spell, but the barrier blocked it. Mr. Anderson grabbed Mr. Stower. ¡°Come on, toward the front. Sit at Molly¡¯s desk. Relax for once in your life.¡±


    Derek smiled as Mr. Anderson took the vice principal to the desk. That, at least, worked. The murderous gaze of Akshi pointed right at Mr. Anderson was a little concerning, though.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    More students trickled in as Derek checked his phone, staying by the wall so he wouldn¡¯t have to see Akshi. It was almost time to start. He about moved to the front when he heard the crime lord.


    ¡°They¡¯ve cast a spell. You can¡¯t go through.¡±


    Derek paused, staring at the wall as he heard Pippa¡¯s hiss. ¡°We were going to seduce Derek today.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait until he¡¯s out of the classroom,¡± Akshi said.


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t.¡±


    Derek stiffened, giving the wall a horrified look. That was Emma. Emma was talking to them. Talking like they were nothing more than conspirators. Holy hell, she was conversing with Akshi. ¡°I told you, I never needed you, Pippa. I can do this myself.¡±


    Derek slipped his phone back in his pocket, glad the wall took the brunt of his terrified look.


    ¡°You need me,¡± Pippa said. ¡°It¡¯s how we will get your revenge. To have him completely under our control.¡±


    ¡°If the human Molly could cast a spell, your influences could certainly work on Derek,¡± Akshi said.


    The memory of Milo, pale and barely alive after Pippa used draining kiss on him, trickled to the front of his mind. He did not want to be near Pippa.


    ¡°I can do this myself.¡± Emma sounded annoyed.


    The best course of action was to get back together with Emma, to trick her into thinking he was smitten. Pippa wouldn¡¯t use her powers. Then do operation reverse kiss the girl to get Emma to hate him, which would make it harder for Pippa to control her.


    It made sense, yet also this was a bad idea. He needed to talk to a non-drama person to check his logic. But he noticed Emma heading toward the door and he scrambled away, pretending like he hadn¡¯t overheard them.


    Se?ora Florez stood at the front. ¡°Hello, everyone! Welcome to CCNC club! It¡¯s seven, so let¡¯s get started.¡± Derek folded his arms, leaning against the wall, staring at nothing, pretending he hadn¡¯t scrambled away. ¡°For this first meeting, we¡¯ll get to know everyone while you¡¯re making your characters. If you need any help, Mr. Anderson and I are here to help you.¡± She opened a huge tote full of dice. ¡°And we have plenty of dice, in case any of you need them.¡±


    Emma walked in, going straight to Derek and leaning against the wall next to him. ¡°Hey.¡±


    Derek refused to look at her. ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll also be asking for your comfort level with the game. We have enough here to split into four groups. If you¡¯re here as a beginner, welcome! I¡¯m excited to have you.¡±


    ¡°What group are you in?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°Um¡­ advanced,¡± Derek said as Se?ora Florez kept talking.


    ¡°Mmm.¡± Emma¡¯s eyes never left his face. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll be in the beginners, then.¡±


    Derek tried to smile. Tried not to show he was nervous. ¡°Mr. Anderson will take care of you, no doubt.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. He¡¯s the game master for beginners?¡± Emma asked as everyone broke off in groups to make their characters. Mr. Anderson and Se?ora Florez were passing around character sheets for people who needed them.


    ¡°I like Mr. Anderson,¡± Derek said, his brows furrowing.


    ¡°You¡¯re literally the only one in this school who does. I heard he was ex-mafia or something. Has a dozen kills to his name and trying to keep a low profile.¡±


    Derek fought the urge to roll his eyes. Emma twirled a lock of hair around her finger, staring at Derek¡¯s lips. He tried not to focus on her. Instead, his eyes darted around, seeing Nick and Alejandra in a corner, having a quiet conversation that did not look peaceful. He needed Nick and Rafael right now. Needed to run this idea by them before he implemented it. But he didn¡¯t have time. Emma kept staring at his lips, and he had a bad feeling that if they didn¡¯t get together before the end of CCNC club, then Pippa would make it happen.


    Milo¡¯s pale, terrified face came back, causing his heart rate to increase. He didn¡¯t want Pippa to get involved.


    Operation reverse kiss the girl was a go.


    Derek steadied himself, turned toward Emma, and smiled.


    ***


    ¡°Can we just not do this?¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°What do you mean not do this? We haven¡¯t even done anything.¡± Nick said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to have this conversation with you.¡± She felt the familiar tugs of panic, causing her bravery to be more reckless than usual.


    Nick lifted his arms up. If he was trying to look defenseless, it wasn¡¯t working, because the familiar flickers of a glare were there. ¡°All I asked is if you wanted me to be in a different group than you.¡±


    ¡°And I walked away,¡± Alejandra said. ¡°Never follow me when I walk away.¡±


    ¡°This is getting childish, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Childish? You punched my brother in the face!¡± Alejandra tried to keep her voice down. ¡°I need time to process it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a month!¡± Nick also tried to keep his voice down, but there were some who glanced in their direction.


    ¡°You hurt my brother,¡± Alejandra seethed. ¡°Beat him in front of me. Sorry if I take longer than a month to get over it!¡±


    He turned away, rubbing the scar that cut across his eyebrow, the glare darkening. ¡°There¡¯s a difference between processing what happened and ignoring me so you can wallow in hatred. Believe me, I know the difference.¡±


    Alejandra folded her arms, trying to match Nick¡¯s glare. He had more practice. ¡°You¡¯re so immature.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That right there.¡± Nick pointed at her. ¡°You need time to process the hurt? Fine. Take time away from me to stop being so angry? Fine. Giving me cold glares in the hall? Sticking your nose up at me? Ignore all chances of conversation where I try to explain myself? Not okay, Alejandra.¡±


    ¡°Explain yourself?¡± She would have laughed, but she didn¡¯t want to draw any more attention to herself. ¡°You¡¯ve said for weeks you¡¯ll never apologize for hitting him. So no, Nick. I have no desire to sit here and listen to a boy I once dated say he¡¯s justified in punching someone. Not with my history. It makes me sick.¡±


    ¡°If you honestly think Rafael didn¡¯t deserve a punch in the face for what he did, we have a different problem to talk about,¡± Nick said, his voice dangerous.


    ¡°You sent him to the hospital, Nick,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Rafael and I both agreed that he could do the same to me if ever I made such an idiotic choice,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you and Rafael agreed on,¡± Alejandra said, her ears hot with anger. ¡°You will not touch my brother again, do you understand.¡±


    ¡°And what would you do if I did?¡± Nick asked, his voice cold. ¡°What if I ignored you and hurt Rafael again? What would you do?¡± His eyebrow twitched, the glare still on his face. ¡°Hit me?¡± Blood roared through her ears. ¡°I bet you¡¯d feel pretty justified in such violence, wouldn¡¯t you.¡±


    ¡°Stop it, Nick. This isn¡¯t funny.¡±


    Nick closed his eyes. If he rubbed his fingers against his face anymore, he might rub the glare right off. ¡°You know what hurts the most?¡± The calmness in his voice after such coldness made the hairs on her arms rise. ¡°You once told me I was a good man, and it made you sad that so many people had a hard time seeing it.¡±


    Alejandra¡¯s glare deepened. She remembered saying it, of course, when Calawit covered him in rose petals to keep him from stealing anything. Before they fought the demon rats. Before Nick punched Rafael in the face.


    ¡°Guess it hurts because you¡¯re one of those people who needs proof now.¡± Nick dropped his hands and glared at her. ¡°My dad already puts me through a damn obstacle course every day to prove myself, and I refuse to do this with you, too.¡±


    Alejandra was still glaring at him. Her eyes were in danger of forming tears, and she refused to cry in front of him. Not here. Not with two dozen people making characters. She wanted to walk away again. She was certain Nick wouldn¡¯t follow. A lot of things felt final with his last phrase.


    She forced herself to turn her head when something caught her eye. She glanced over; the anger evaporating. ¡°Oh, no.¡±


    Nick frowned, then followed her gaze. Every muscle in his body froze. ¡°Shit.¡±


    Derek and Emma were in a corner making out, not caring that everyone else could see. Nick covered his face and groaned.

 Chapter 150

    Derek left early from CCNC club to take Emma to her first class and Nick waited, vibrating frustration.


    Rafael eased his way to Nick¡¯s side. ¡°Hey, man. You okay?¡±


    ¡°Peachy.¡± Nick had a glare on the entire time he was making his new character for CCNC club, not putting much thought into it. Between the disastrous conversation between him and Alejandra to Derek making out with the enemy, he was fuming. He needed to make sure Derek¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t red and also fought the urge to shake him while demanding to know what he was thinking.


    ¡°Yes, we should talk to him,¡± Rafael said. ¡°And we need to¡­ not be angry. I¡¯m sure he has some reason for this.¡±


    ¡°Those who need to can leave for your first class! Bell should ring soon,¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    That was all the excuse Nick needed. He plowed through the door, heading for the math hall, which was Emma¡¯s first class. He knew that because Emma loudly proclaimed she needed to go to Mrs. Harris¡¯s class. She had wrapped an arm around Derek, who had his face covered in a sufficient amount of lipstick.


    Nick plunged into the sea of students, who were more than happy to step out of his way.


    ¡°Nick, wait!¡± Rafael said, catching up to him.


    ¡°This has to be the stupidest thing he¡¯s ever done. And considering his entire portfolio, that¡¯s impressive.¡±


    ¡°Just so we¡¯re on the same page, yelling at him won¡¯t help. In the slightest. He might be controlled,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°I¡¯m going in there and I¡¯m not coming out until he agrees to break things off. Emma is being charmed by a fae succubus,¡± Nick said as two students nearly threw themselves out of his way.


    ¡°No, we figure out his point of view before giving suggestions. He doesn¡¯t need our judgement.¡±


    Nick grunted as he kept walking. ¡°Who says I¡¯m judging him? I¡¯m making sure the goddamned idiot is safe.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to work on your bedside manners.¡± Rafael almost had to run to keep up with Nick.


    Derek was walking down the stairs right as Nick and Rafael reached the bottom. Derek saw them and froze. ¡°Oh. Um, hey guys.¡± Nick took the stairs two at a time. ¡°Nick, hey, yeah, I know this might¡­ it¡¯ll be a little¡ª¡±


    Nick grabbed the front of Derek¡¯s shirt. ¡°I may be friends with an idiot, but he wouldn¡¯t be this stupid. This better be Pippa¡¯s doing.¡±


    Rafael grabbed Nick¡¯s wrist, giving it a tiny shake. ¡°Shit, dude. Tone it down. Let¡¯s hear him out first.¡±


    Derek¡¯s eyes were slightly wide. ¡°I¡­ realize this might not make sense.¡±


    Nick let go of Derek¡¯s shirt. ¡°What the hell, man? This is dangerous.¡±


    Derek sighed. ¡°Look, I can absolutely explain.¡± Nick waited, watching Derek open and close his mouth, lifting a hand to gesture at something, then dropped it again. Saw him close his mouth, then nod. ¡°Yeah.¡± The bell rang, and Nick covered his face and fought the desire to scream.


    ¡°You can¡¯t blame us for being concerned,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°This is stupid,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°After all, we don¡¯t know the full extent of the charm Pippa has on Emma,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°If you die, I¡¯m going to insult you the entire time your casket is being lowered into the ground.¡±


    Rafael grabbed Nick¡¯s arm, shooting him a look before glancing back at Derek. ¡°We want to understand why you¡¯re doing this. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Derek shrugged, keeping his shoulders up. ¡°I overheard Emma talking with Pippa and Akshi. Pippa said she¡¯d use her powers on me if Emma couldn¡¯t get us back together, so I opted to do this instead to have a semblance of control. Besides, if I get Emma to hate me, she¡¯ll break up with me herself. It¡¯ll make it harder for Pippa to control her.¡± There was silence between the three of them. Rafael stared at Derek, slack jawed. Nick dropped his hands, glaring. Derek, who still had his shoulders up, raised his hands, palm toward the ceiling. ¡°It seems like a good idea!¡±


    Nick pointed toward Mrs. Harris¡¯ room. ¡°Go in there and break it off immediately.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°It is that simple.¡±


    ¡°Not for drama kids. I¡¯ve got to get her to hate me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the stupidest thing I¡¯ve ever heard,¡± Nick said.


    Rafael shook his head. ¡°This is dangerous. You and Milo have gotten the two extremes. Milo avoids Pippa to the point of being useless, and you dive headfirst into danger.¡± Rafael held up his two hands, knocking them together. ¡°Between the two of you, you¡¯ve got to find a middle ground.¡±


    Nick dropped his voice. ¡°We are four days away from the full moon. You can¡¯t be doing this. Pippa will find out.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on, guys. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d do anything stupid like give all our secrets,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Not willingly. But Pippa¡¯s part fae and part succubus. Fae are tricksters, and succubuses¡ªsuccubus¡ª¡± Nick¡¯s tongue tripped over the word.


    ¡°Succubi?¡± Derek offered.


    Nick ignored the word and pushed through. ¡°They¡¯re a subclass of demons. Are you a goddamn idiot!¡±


    ¡°Despite Nick¡¯s anger, I¡¯m sure it comes from concern,¡± Rafael said.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Derek sighed. ¡°I know this is dangerous. And I totally admit I jumped before giving it much thought.¡±


    Nick waited for Derek to say anything else, but that was it.


    ¡°So, what are you going to do about it now?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Either Emma seduces me, or Pippa.¡± Derek sighed, rubbing his head.


    ¡°And if Emma never ends up hating you?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Then¡­ we work on killing Pippa. She¡¯s at level four. Once Pippa is out of the picture, I can break it off with Emma,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Promise?¡± Rafael asked.


    Derek nodded. ¡°Promise.¡±


    Nick shook his head. ¡°No. No, I still hate this. Get out of the situation. That¡¯s what you can do.¡±


    ¡°Derek, you know I¡¯ve never understood your train of thought in anything,¡± Rafael said.


    Derek glanced at Rafael, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Thanks?¡±


    ¡°But if you¡¯re serious about this, don¡¯t cut us off, okay? Especially if she asks you to. If you¡¯re going to survive this, you need us, too. Please promise you¡¯ll keep a level head, and¡­ I trust you to leave the situation if the feeling in your gut tells you to,¡± Rafael said.


    Nick swerved his head over to Rafael. ¡°Are. You. Serious!¡±


    ¡°Hey thanks, man,¡± Derek said.


    Nick kept glaring at Rafael. ¡°Derek doesn¡¯t have a reasonable feeling in his gut. Ever.¡±


    Rafael shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ve established a deadline. Keep Emma thinking she¡¯s got things under control until we kill Pippa. Soon. Pippa¡¯s the real threat, here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve hit rock bottom.¡± Nick leaned over and gripped his knees. ¡°This is bad. This is so, so bad. Nothing can get worse than this.¡±


    ¡°Look on the bright side.¡± Derek placed a hand on Nick''s and Rafael¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You two are talking to each other! And Nick¡¯s glaring at me for once!¡± Derek clicked his tongue. ¡°Look at how much growth we¡¯ve gained in the past two months!¡±


    Nick shoved Derek¡¯s hand off his shoulder. ¡°So help me, Derek, if Pippa and Emma don¡¯t kill you, I¡¯m the next one in line.¡±


    ¡°Awe, from the creator of Grizzizzik to the creator of Milo, I understand the deep concern that went into that sentence,¡± Derek said.


    There was too much stuff to handle. Nick rubbed his fingers over his closed eyes, giving a final groan of pure annoyance as the warning bell rang. ¡°Rafael¡¯s right. Don¡¯t let her cut you off from us. Also, don¡¯t let her kidnap you. Or¡­ anything else she might do. I hate this. All of this. But I¡¯d also be the first to get you back if that fae succubus steals you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Nick,¡± Derek said.


    Nick headed toward the stairs, raising his voice, not caring who heard. ¡°And then I get a pass on slapping your face as hard as I want.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°Rafael, can you please take Derek to his class? He shouldn¡¯t be alone right now because he painted a neon target on his back. If I do it, I might punch him on the way to Mr. Anderson¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Rafael said, shaking his head.


    Nick showed Derek their favorite obscene gesture as he disappeared down the stairs. Akshi¡¯s threat on Thursday. Alejandra¡¯s conversation this morning. Derek hooking back up with Emma. The full moon on Friday. Grizzizzik still not leveling up. Even something as mundane as his parents getting Evelyn a car for her birthday in two days. He really wasn¡¯t sure how much more he could take.


    ***


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand this holiday,¡± Clarissa said, rubbing the small of Ezekiel¡¯s back. ¡°So, you dress up in costumes and get candy?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for the kids,¡± Evelyn said. She watched Grizzizzik flick through the movie suggestions with her hands on her hips. ¡°Adults usually party. Or stay in and have their own party. Scary movies included. And no, Grizzizzik, we¡¯re not watching The Exorcist.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Grizzizzik squinted as he read the summary on the tv. ¡°Sounds fascinating.¡±


    Nick stood up and grabbed the remote. ¡°Read the room, Grizzizzik. You have a highly devoted cleric here who is days away from performing his cleansing ritual to rid himself of lycanthropy. He doesn¡¯t need these images in his head while he¡¯s doing that.¡±


    Grizzizzik grumbled. ¡°Ezekiel can handle himself.¡±


    Ezekiel ran his fingers through his off-white fur on his cheeks. ¡°How scary is it?¡±


    ¡°Actually, um, can we not do a scary movie tonight?¡± Hraktar said. ¡°I don¡¯t do well with scary.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t surprise me,¡± Evelyn said.


    Hraktar shrugged, chagrined. ¡°These movies are incredibly lifelike.¡±


    ¡°Psycho?¡± Nick asked.


    Evelyn gave her brother a look. ¡°Psycho? Really? That¡¯s the least scary movie you could think of?¡±


    Nick shrugged. ¡°I mean, it was made in the sixties. It¡¯s not that scary.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re not a girl.¡± Evelyn snatched the remote and flipped through their scary movie collections.


    Nick stared at her. ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°All I¡¯m saying is I understand why a ton of people stopped showering for a while after seeing that movie.¡± Evelyn absently scrolled through their movies.


    ¡°Uh, is this why you always insist the shower curtains are open every time you use the bathroom?¡± Nick asked.


    Evelyn shot him a glare. ¡°Anyone could hide behind those things!¡± Nick lifted a hand, admitting defeat. Evelyn stopped flipping through the movies. ¡°Ah! Arsenic and Old Lace. Not too scary at all.¡± The smile on her face flickered. ¡°As long as you understand it¡¯s dark humor.¡±


    Nick shrugged. ¡°Yeah, alright. I¡¯ll be downstairs on door duty.¡±


    ¡°I thought Mom and Dad were on door duty,¡± Evelyn said.


    Nick shook his head. ¡°Nope, they went to a work party, remember? That¡¯s what this holiday is about.¡±


    Evelyn shook her head, smiling as she hit play. ¡°Alright.¡± She turned toward the characters. ¡°Arsenic and Old Lace is supposed to be funny. I watched this a lot when I was a kid at Halloween.¡± She settled on the couch next to Clarissa.


    Nick walked down the stairs as they started the movie. She wasn¡¯t sure who would watch this, and she wasn¡¯t sure if the humor would land, but it gave them something to do.


    The movie was punctuated by doorbells. There weren¡¯t many, but there were enough. The movie intrigued Milo, and Ezekiel was asleep in Clarissa¡¯s arms at the twenty-minute mark. He always got up early to read.


    Halfway through, Evelyn went to get more popcorn. Nick was at the table, reading.


    ¡°Are they enjoying it?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Yeah. You can come upstairs and watch it. We can hear the doorbell fine up there.¡±


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s easier to be down here. Don¡¯t have to walk as far,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn smiled as she opened the plastic wrap around the microwave popcorn. ¡°It¡¯s a good book, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Ridiculously good. No idea why I haven¡¯t heard of this author before.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a girl.¡± Evelyn placed the package in the microwave.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°The author. She¡¯s a girl. Thought you should know, so you¡¯re not surprised,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Oh. Cool.¡±


    The microwave beeped, and Evelyn got the bag out. She filled up the bowl again. Nick glanced up from his book. The look on her brother¡¯s face confused Evelyn. She couldn¡¯t read it, and she wasn¡¯t sure if she liked that.


    ¡°Happy birthday tomorrow,¡± he said.


    Her brows furrowed. ¡°Um, thanks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not jealous. You deserve it. I¡¯m glad it¡¯s happening to you.¡± Nick¡¯s eyes returned to his book.


    A frown appeared on her face. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    The doorbell rang, and Nick got up. ¡°You¡¯ll find out tomorrow.¡±


    Evelyn popped some popcorn in her mouth, watching as her brother went to the front door. She wasn¡¯t sure how to take that. It didn¡¯t seem ominous. Though it was Halloween. A lot of things seemed ominous on Halloween.


    ¡°Trick or treat!¡± she heard the young kids say as Nick opened the door. She walked up the stairs as her brother handed out candy, complimenting the kids¡¯ costumes before listening to a five-year-old girl explaining all the details on her princess dress. Evelyn glanced at her brother, seeing the slight smile on his face as the girl kept talking. Evelyn placed the bowl of popcorn on the table. Those still awake reached for it.


    Evelyn sat on the couch, focusing on the movie. Feeling something happening. She couldn¡¯t quite explain it. Maybe it was Nick¡¯s ominous-yet-not warning. To be honest, if she wasn¡¯t sitting in a room surrounded by characters pulled out of a TTRPG, she wouldn¡¯t have given his words another thought. Something about her birthday tomorrow. It was so weird.


    Was it warm in here? Yes, this was Arizona, but it was getting in the cooler months. This felt different. There was a weight in front of her head, almost lulling her to sleep. Something in her wanted to panic, but the push to sleep was there. She was tired. It couldn¡¯t be that late. But she wanted to sleep. Everyone else was asleep, after all.


    She¡¯d close her eyes for a minute. Only a minute. She¡¯d open her eyes soon.

 Chapter 151

    Nick kept reading his book. The doorbell was ringing less and less. Most of the little kids had gone to bed at this point. He wanted to turn off the porch light but kept it on for his parents. They didn¡¯t tell him what time they were coming home. He didn¡¯t know if they had a work party, or if it was an excuse to change the cars for tomorrow.


    Grizzizzik walked down the stairs, holding Evelyn in his arms. Nick frowned, getting up. ¡°Is¡­ she okay?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s asleep. Deeply, too.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Okay. Let¡¯s¡­ get her to bed.¡±


    Nick moved to her room and opened the door. He stepped out of the way as Grizzizzik moved inside. The rogue threw back her covers and placed her in bed before leaving the room again. Nick frowned, a memory triggered of two years ago when Walt tried to lead Evelyn to bed. She woke up, demanding to take her makeup off and do her full skin care routine. She hated going to bed with makeup on, and she forced herself to wake up and get it off.


    But Evelyn here was dead asleep. It didn¡¯t just trigger a memory. It triggered a warning in his gut. Something was off.


    He closed the door, frowning, before returning to the table. He paused, then climbed upstairs. The TV was still on as Grizzizzik placed blankets on everyone. Milo, Ezekiel, Clarissa, and Hraktar were all in the same dead-to-the-world sleep Evelyn was in. Hraktar was snoring, the kind that should have woken the others up.


    Nick picked up the remote and turned off the tv. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ going on?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re asleep.¡±


    ¡°It happens at night.¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean. They shouldn¡¯t be this out.¡± Nick gave Ezekiel¡¯s leg a gentle shake, a chill entering his spine. ¡°Is Akshi trying something?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°How are you so sure?¡± Nick asked.


    Grizzizzik said nothing, instead walking down the stairs. Nick frowned, then focused on the characters again. He tried to move Milo into a more comfortable position, but ended up making him more flopped over the side of the couch. He added another blanket to Hraktar¡¯s feet as he tried not to panic. Something was happening, and his character was way too calm about this.


    Nick went downstairs again when he felt it deep in his gut. Grizzizzik had left the house and was walking down the street.


    ¡°Goddamn rogues,¡± Nick muttered. He ran to Evelyn¡¯s room, turning on the light. ¡°Evelyn? Evelyn, I need your help. Grizzizzik¡¯s leaving. Help me bring him back.¡± His sister didn¡¯t react to the light or his voice. She kept sleeping. ¡°Evelyn?¡±


    She didn¡¯t move, and Nick realized it wasn¡¯t Evelyn he needed. Of everyone in the house, he needed Hraktar. He turned the lights off and headed for the stairs again when he stopped. The feeling was there, so deep he could almost translate it into words. Earlier in the evening, he was prompted to roll for sleight of hand. He got a seventeen while Grizzizzik was in the kitchen where Evelyn popped popcorn. Hraktar was in the same deep sleep as Evelyn was. Everyone was. Akshi didn¡¯t drug anyone. This was all Grizzizzik. But¡­ how? How did he drug Evelyn? She shouldn¡¯t be susceptible to sleeping potions from the Shrouded Domain.


    Grizzizzik was getting farther from the house the more Nick stalled. He swore under his breath and flew down the stairs. He grabbed his jacket before sprinting out the door.


    ¡°Grizzizzik!¡± Nick tried to whisper, but his rogue was already down the street. ¡°Get back here!¡±


    Grizzizzik didn¡¯t respond, instead walked down the sidewalk with his hood up. Nick swore under his breath and ran. Grizzizzik stepped into the park close to their house. Nick checked the roads before crossing the street. Grizzizzik sat on the bench, gripping his knees as he stared at nothing.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Get back home. Now.¡± Nick pointed toward the road. ¡°You drugged them, didn¡¯t you? What did you hope to prove?¡± Grizzizzik said nothing, the hood of his cloak over his head as he closed his eyes. ¡°How did you drug Evelyn? Answer me!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Nick. I¡¯m concentrating,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°Concentrate at home!¡±


    Grizzizzik cracked an eye open, glaring at Nick. ¡°Do you want me to level up or not?¡±


    ¡°Obviously yes,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Then shut up.¡±


    Nick wondered how well he could drag Grizzizzik by the hood of his cloak back to his house. Evelyn had done it before.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Nick Larsen,¡± a voice behind him said. ¡°Grizzizzik is here for me.¡±


    Every hair on the back of Nick¡¯s neck stood on end. There was something about that voice. It shouldn¡¯t have been English he heard. More like a cacophony of random noise that somehow came together to make sense.


    Nick whirled around to see a figure standing there in the lamplight. Nick blinked, not understanding what he saw. The figure¡¯s very essence was falling apart. Yet despite what looked like his clothes and body in a constant state of rot, he stood like he was perfectly healthy. The man dropped the hood of his robe to show a face, continuous boils of decay and swirling darkness. His body crumbled away somehow in a continuous motion that never rebuilt on itself.


    His eyes. Nick couldn¡¯t understand them. It was almost like the building blocks of random particles came together to form eyes. The longer he looked, the more this person¡¯s eyes shifted and changed, a continual rearrangement of particles that were somehow eyes.


    ¡°Careful, boy,¡± the man said. ¡°Stronger people than you have lost their mind keeping my gaze for as long as you have.¡±


    Nick turned away on instinct, trying to blink. Trying to come to terms with what was happening. But he only had one word to describe the person he saw.


    Chaos.


    The being walked over to Grizzizzik. Nick wasn¡¯t sure if the threat was true about losing his mind, but he didn¡¯t want to test it. His body shuddered in response. Every time the being¡¯s rotten foot touched the grass, the blades broke down, each individual shard cycling to different plants, a dandelion appearing in one, and a rose in another. Some even had plastic streamers in the blades of grass. It made no sense, but it returned to grass once the personification of chaos had passed.


    ¡°Do you recognize me in this form?¡± the being said, opening his arms.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Grizzizzik kept his eyes to the ground.


    ¡°Good. I hoped you would. I left my physical body up to chance, but it seems to fit with the discussion you wish to have,¡± Chaos said as the disease on his leg kept rotting away the flesh. Nick waited for it to heal itself, because things couldn¡¯t get that bad with no hope of getting better. Yet the leg continued to rot, a constant state of disease. Not even death could touch it.


    The being smiled at Grizzizzik. ¡°You have questions for me, yes?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Nick¡¯s chest heaved as he turned to face his character. ¡°Whatever it is, don¡¯t.¡±


    His rogue ignored him. ¡°You are the being, Chaos?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    Grizzizzik didn¡¯t look at Chaos. ¡°You¡¯re not on the list of deities I¡¯ve researched.¡±


    Chaos lifted a decayed hand. ¡°I¡¯m not one to tether myself with mortals. I¡¯d rather deal with the deities themselves, and many of them follow me or one of my children. However, since deities rarely walk this planet, I understand your predicament.¡±


    This was the being Neal signed a contract with. The being responsible for getting them in this situation.


    ¡°Grizzizzik,¡± Nick whispered. ¡°Please, don¡¯t listen to him. Nothing good can come from this.¡±


    Chaos turned his gaze to Nick, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Nothing good?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do,¡± Grizzizzik said, looking at Nick.


    ¡°If it involves Chaos, it¡¯ll never work. Not in your favor. This guy is the reason you¡¯re here. You cannot trust him,¡± Nick said.


    Chaos smirked. ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t say my deals don¡¯t work. There¡¯s always an element of chance to it.¡±


    Grizzizzik returned his focus to his foot. ¡°We are here on this mana deprived planet. There are no magical artifacts, and we can hardly interact with the world itself.¡±


    ¡°Grizzizzik, please,¡± Nick said.


    The rogue met Chaos¡¯ gaze. ¡°If you are who I think you are, and if I¡¯m doing what I think I¡¯m doing, I will pledge my service to you in exchange for a sword powerful enough to kill Akshi. Permanently.¡±


    Everything in Nick¡¯s body froze, to the point he couldn¡¯t even gasp. It lasted two seconds before his knees went weak. ¡°No. No, no, no, Grizzizzik, no. We¡¯ll find another way.¡±


    Grizzizzik dropped his gaze, staring again at the ground that seemed to grow socks. A smirk filled Chaos¡¯ decaying mouth. ¡°I love the desperate. They tend to do such chaotic things.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t pledge to you.¡± Nick stumbled forward. ¡°Grizzizzik doesn¡¯t do that. At all. He has friends he can rely on. He doesn¡¯t need you.¡±


    Grizzizzik glared at Nick. ¡°¡®Friendship¡¯ doesn¡¯t kill Akshi.¡±


    ¡°You need them, not him,¡± Nick said. ¡°Please, Grizzizzik. Don¡¯t do this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not bargaining my actual sword, as you don¡¯t have the mental fortitude to wield it without going insane.¡± Chaos lifted a hand, and a black essence appeared, hovering in the air. ¡°You seek this. This is my concoction of mana that, once fused with your rapier, becomes powerful enough to kill your father like he was any other mortal.¡±


    Grizzizzik reached out to catch the essence, but Chaos closed his hands, and the darkness disappeared. ¡°Ah, ah, ah. You¡¯ve clearly been studying, so you must know I don¡¯t enter contracts without terms.¡±

 Chapter 152

    ¡°Grizzizzik, please.¡± Nick¡¯s body trembled. Something about staying near Chaos weakened him. This being above the rules of nature. The rotting leg was in a state of decay Nick couldn¡¯t comprehend. It shouldn¡¯t go this fast, or this long, with a man talking as calmly as ever. They needed to get out, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to drag Grizzizzik away now.


    ¡°What are the terms?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    Chaos walked around the bench, his hands clasped behind his back. ¡°You don¡¯t get the upgraded sword until you¡¯ve leveled up. You must hit three levels in my class before you get this gift.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°In order to level up, you must do something for me. I¡¯m sure you already know, considering my first request.¡± Chaos moved behind the bench, smirking. ¡°Create chaos.¡±


    Grizzizzik stared forward. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m marking this day as the start of our partnership. You must create chaos for the experience points you gain to count toward leveling up in my class for that week. If a week goes by and you¡¯ve created none, your experience points will go toward your rogue class, and therefore won¡¯t level up in mine. I don¡¯t care how fast you do it. You can finish all three levels in a week, and I¡¯ll accept it. As long as you create something chaotic that I deem worthy of my attention.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s vague,¡± Nick said, staring at Grizzizzik. ¡°It¡¯s too vague. You could detonate atomic bombs and it wouldn¡¯t satisfy him. This is stupid. Don¡¯t do it.¡±


    Chaos chuckled. ¡°Oh, I¡¯d accept detonating atomic bombs. The weeks following would be absolutely¡­¡± Chaos took a deep breath, then let it out. ¡°Delicious.¡±


    Nick stared at Grizzizzik in horror. Horror that his rogue was considering it after what Chaos had just said. ¡°Don¡¯t. Dammit, Grizzizzik, don¡¯t! We¡¯ll find another way! There are other groups of people on earth with their own characters playing sorcerers and wizards! They will eventually learn the wish spell! We will defeat Akshi some other way!¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Chaos said. ¡°But it¡¯s not you making the killing blow. That¡¯s what¡¯s eating you, isn¡¯t it? You want to kill your father, not a random sorcerer or wizard. What remains is asking yourself how desperately you want to do it.¡±


    ¡°Stop it! Stop talking to him. You can¡¯t take this deal, Grizzizzik! Don¡¯t do it!¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Oh, and you want to know the best part?¡± Chaos moved through the bench. Each bar of the bench changed into something random, from a lampshade to a hair tie, until Chaos got to the end when a long, thin man formed, screaming at the top of his lungs before he, too, disappeared. Nick shuddered, fighting the urge to throw up. Chaos faced Grizzizzik again as the bench returned to normal. ¡°You can¡¯t touch this world. Not yet. To create chaos, Nick will have to do it.¡±


    Grizzizzik glanced up and met Nick¡¯s gaze. Nick was on the ground, shivering, but full of questions. ¡°How the hell is that the best part?¡±


    Chaos chuckled, then snapped his finger.


    Nick gasped. The anger was palpable. The pure frustration at not being able to control his destiny. Having a skinny little coward control the dice rolls, and not having a say in it. There were too many times he wanted to chop the hands off that coward so he couldn¡¯t roll the dice.


    Another snap of the finger and Nick was back to himself, gasping. Were those Grizzizzik¡¯s thoughts?


    ¡°Balance.¡± Chaos turned toward Grizzizzik. ¡°Something I am well aware of. Nick controls your destiny to a point. If you agree, you get to control his, to a point. Listen to my promptings for what kind of chaos I deem valuable. Because of the negative nature of this sword you require, much of my promptings will be negative, too. Have him challenge things. Partake in activities that create a ripple. Suggest he run through the halls of school. Force him to confront his father. Even rob a bank. All would satisfy me.¡±


    ¡°Grizzizzik, no. Please, god. No.¡± Nick thought of his carefully polished reputation on the line. ¡°This is evil! It¡¯s all evil!¡±


    ¡°Evil?¡± Chaos turned his gaze toward Nick, which caused him to stare at the ground, another shudder racing down his body. ¡°Running down the halls of Elmwood High is now considered evil?¡± Chaos chuckled. ¡°Me appearing in this form has placed a certain amount of negative emotions in you, Nick. It¡¯s hard to talk about the good I do when you cannot stop staring at my leg that will never get better. But try to understand me. Good and evil are mortal concepts. If you consider me evil, then you must also consider my sister evil.¡±


    ¡°How could Order be evil?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Honestly, Nick. Who do you think inspires your father to control you as he does? Forces you to stay in line? To obey? Gives unusually harsh punishments for things he considers a bit too chaotic? That has my sister¡¯s influence all over it. The only reason you think what I¡¯m doing is evil is because your father will force too much Order on you if you ever get caught. We are neither good nor evil. We simply are. It¡¯s how mortals react to us that creates this moral compass in you all.¡±


    Nick¡¯s stomach churned. He was too terrified to say no to Walt. To be chaotic. It wouldn¡¯t take much to make order-obsessed Walt angry at him. And now Chaos was asking him to do just that.  Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°If Nick refuses to do this?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    ¡°Then you do not create chaos, and you don¡¯t level up in my class. The best part will also be the hardest. You must convince Nick to do this.¡±


    Tears stung Nick¡¯s eyes as he scrambled to his feet. He couldn¡¯t agree to this. He didn¡¯t care if this being was the personification of pure chaos; this couldn¡¯t happen without a fight. Nick tried to tackle Chaos, but the being blipped out of existence and reappeared once Nick passed. Nick¡¯s shoulder hit the ground as he grunted.


    Chaos chuckled. ¡°A noble attempt, Nick Larsen. I can tell you will cause chaos well in this world.¡±


    ¡°Get out of here!¡± Nick screamed. ¡°We don¡¯t want you! We¡¯re not signing any contracts, we¡¯re not making any deals!¡±


    Grizzizzik grabbed Nick¡¯s arm and shoved him on the bench. Quicker than Nick could catch, his rogue had pinned his two arms and tied them to the bench. ¡°You¡¯re not a part of this conversation, Nick.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t do this, please!¡±


    Once the rogue finished tying the rope, he stood towering over Nick. For whatever reason, Chaos was not affecting Grizzizzik. Perhaps it was because Grizzizzik hadn¡¯t kept eye contact with the personified being of chaos for as long as he did. Nick felt like a bundle of nerves and nausea held together by a thin patch of skin. Grizzizzik looked as calm as ever. There was a chance that if Nick opened his mouth, he¡¯d vomit, but he couldn¡¯t let Grizzizzik do this. ¡°Don¡¯t make this deal! I have worked so hard to be where I am now!¡±


    ¡°Where you are now?¡± Grizzizzik shook his head, yellow eyes alight with anger. ¡°In a prison created by your father? No spine to do what you want? Always seeking his permission? It¡¯s pathetic.¡±


    ¡°Mmm,¡± Chaos said, nodding. ¡°It is as I said. There¡¯s far too much Order in your life, Nick. Let¡¯s pull the rug underneath you and have you embrace my child Uncertainty for a while.¡±


    Tears started streaming down Nick¡¯s cheeks, and Grizzizzik crinkled his snake nose at the display of weakness. Nick was gasping. ¡°I won¡¯t do it. I can¡¯t go back to that kind of recklessness. My dad¡¯ll kill me.¡±


    ¡°Or you¡¯ll grow a spine and figure out Walt is nothing to be afraid of. You¡¯ll find the courage to get out of your situation,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Nick shook his head, the worry and fear turning into anger. ¡°I¡¯m standing up to you instead. I¡¯m not doing it. Don¡¯t make this deal. Please, Grizzizzik. Please.¡±


    ¡°Oh, goodie,¡± Chaos said. ¡°I get to throw in my final twist.¡± Grizzizzik barely glanced at Chaos. ¡°You can still sign the contract, and if Nick doesn¡¯t cause chaos, you can let me create it for the week instead.¡±


    Nick let out a shuddering breath. He didn¡¯t know what the personified being of Chaos could do to the world, but he didn¡¯t want to find out. It would be left to chance whether the chaos was good or evil, and he really didn¡¯t like the idea of bad chaos.


    Which is when Grizzizzik smirked.


    ¡°Please.¡± Nick¡¯s tears turned into sobs. ¡°Please find another way.¡± Grizzizzik turned to face Chaos. ¡°I¡¯ll tell the others. So help me, the instant I¡¯m back I¡¯ll wake up Evelyn.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t hear you. None of them can. But you¡¯ve already noticed this, haven¡¯t you?¡± Chaos said. ¡°Another stipulation to our rules. The only one who can tell anyone about our arrangement is Grizzizzik.¡±


    Nick couldn¡¯t speak. His throat had swelled, blocking off his words.


    ¡°So, I must force Nick to do something chaotic every week in order to level up, as you say. And as soon as I get to level three, you will make my rapier capable of killing Akshi?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    ¡°Despite being Chaos, my sister¡¯s influence still binds me in some things. You earned the first level for accepting the test I gave you.¡±


    ¡°Test?¡± Nick asked, gasping. ¡°What test?¡±


    Grizzizzik said nothing, but Chaos smiled. ¡°The prompt where he felt a pull to enter a battle with his father without leveling up. It was quite¡­ chaotic.¡±


    Nick stared at Grizzizzik, eyes wide. How long had Grizzizzik received these prompts? Chaos continued. ¡°Once you reach two more levels, you can return to leveling in your rogue class and keep the benefits of mine. I¡¯m not an unfair master. You earned those levels, you may keep them.¡±


    ¡°And I can level quickly?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    ¡°Kill as many monsters as you want as fast as you can to earn those experience points. You might need to make it as fast as possible, considering who you¡¯re tethered to. I don¡¯t think this one has the stomach for causing much chaos, glorious though it might be,¡± Chaos said, motioning toward Nick.


    Nick couldn¡¯t speak, too afraid as he watched his future fading before him. Cause chaos, create confusion. Challenge the status. Don¡¯t listen to rules. Do what Grizzizzik suggested, which gave him a bad feeling that he¡¯d go back to committing minor vandalism and theft. Nick stared at Grizzizzik, shaking his head. His rogue stuck out his hand to Chaos. ¡°I agree to the terms.¡±


    Chaos smiled. Nick tried to break the ropes around his wrists, but they weren¡¯t budging.


    ¡°I don¡¯t touch mortals.¡± Chaos snapped a finger, and a dark energy exploded from Grizzizzik¡¯s chest, surrounding him and Nick. The ropes around his wrists changed into tomatoes as the energy lifted him into the air. Nick tried to keep in the sob. He couldn¡¯t be at Grizzizzik¡¯s whim. He couldn¡¯t put his future on the line for this.


    But at what cost? What would Chaos do to earth? The deed was done; the contract made. This was a being delighted at the prospect of multiple atom bombs going off and the proceeding nuclear fallout. Is that what to expect if Chaos took over for the week?


    Nick spun in the air, the black energy sucked into his body as the sob broke out of him. This couldn¡¯t be happening. Yet it was. He had no one to turn to. No one but Grizzizzik, who tossed his life, his reputation, into the contract to get what he wanted.


    Grizzizzik¡¯s character sheet flickered into view. The spell sheet vibrated and shifted. Charisma replaced intelligence for spell casting. More cantrips and first level spells trickled into their spots. Grizzizzik gained a leather pouch in his inventory to keep hold of spell components. A d8 appeared in front of Nick, but he refused to take it. It was his own rebellion.


    Refusal to roll for hit point. Automatic roll of 5 given.


    The +2 from the constitution made Grizzizzik¡¯s twenty-five hit points change to thirty-two.


    The blackness disappeared, and the two of them dropped to the ground. Chaos was nowhere to be seen. Nick still trembled in the night air, trying to control his sobs.


    ¡°We must get back. I need to take the sleeping potion, so they think I got drugged as well.¡± Grizzizzik was already heading down the street.


    Nick stumbled to his feet, feeling weak. Terror gripped his muscles, causing them to quake. He looked again at the character sheet and noticed at the top something he never wanted to get used to.


    Rogue level 3/ Warlock level 1


    End of Volume Three

 Chapter 153

    Evelyn sucked in a breath. That was the most incredible night¡¯s sleep she had. She opened her eyes, trying to remember what happened. How did she get into bed? This was so¡­


    Her alarm clock went off, and the beautiful feeling fled immediately. She felt it caked on her face, causing goosebumps to spread down her arms.


    ¡°No, no, no!¡± She slammed on her alarm clock and touched her face. Makeup was smeared on her pillow, the gels and powders still on her face. ¡°No!¡± She leapt out of bed, running straight for the bathroom.


    Ugh, it was so gross. She whimpered as she grabbed her cotton pad and cleansing water. She hated waking up with makeup. No matter how much she took off, it always felt like adding to the makeup already crystalized to her face.


    She tried not to rub, since she didn¡¯t want dry skin, but she wanted this off fast. Did she have time to take a shower? A shower, do her makeup, and her hair? It didn¡¯t matter. She needed one, because she didn¡¯t shower yesterday.


    She let out a whimper before locking the door and starting her shower, trying to make it fast. She had such plans for today. Full glamour makeup. Painted nails. Cute outfit. Gorgeous hair. She was sixteen now, after all.


    Once the shower was off, she sped through her morning routine, except now she had to blow-dry her hair, too. She was in her bathrobe, trying not to panic.


    There was a knock on the door. She didn¡¯t break eye contact as she unlocked it, going back to blow-drying her hair. There were fifteen minutes before they had to leave, and she wouldn¡¯t make it. She had to be fast, for Nick¡¯s sake.


    Nick opened the door, grabbing his toothbrush.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up!¡± Evelyn yelled.


    He gave her a curious look as he squeezed toothpaste onto his toothbrush. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up!¡± she yelled again over the blow-dryer noise.


    The curious look remained as he started brushing his teeth. Evelyn turned off the blow-dryer. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up? I¡¯m going to break out now! My skin care routine!¡± She yelled even though the blow dryer was off.


    Nick gave her a dry look before pointing to the toothbrush in his mouth, keeping him from speaking.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± She turned the blow dryer back on. Nick finished brushing his teeth and slipped out of the room as Evelyn finished drying her hair. She threw on her previously planned outfit of her cute shorts and top. Instead of gold sandals, she switched to flats. Her toenails weren¡¯t pained, so there was no point showing off her week-old painted toes.


    She whimpered again as she ran to the bathroom, grabbing her curling iron to give herself softer curls. She wanted to put her hair in heatless curls after her shower last night, but that never happened.


    Nick appeared at the door again, checking his flip phone.


    ¡°I know!¡± she said.


    ¡°Have you had breakfast yet?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°No! I¡¯ll skip it today.¡±


    A frown tugged at his lips. ¡°Evie, you shouldn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s either that, or do my makeup!¡±


    Nick blinked at her. ¡°Uh¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Nick.¡± She placed the last lock of hair in the curling iron. ¡°Can I trust you to drive steady to school while I do my makeup?¡± She gathered her things with her other hand and stuffed them in her makeup bag.


    ¡°You¡¯re seriously not going to eat breakfast?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time!¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t look at her. ¡°I tried. You were out.¡±


    The zipper was stuck, and she kept tugging harder. ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Nick eased her hands away before gently zipping the bag, handing it to her.


    Walt appeared behind Nick, smiling. ¡°Happy birthday, my girl.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, dad!¡± She gave herself one last look in the mirror. She desperately needed to do her makeup. The full glam look she wanted for her birthday was out of the question, but she forced herself to be fine about that. She could do her natural makeup look in the ten minutes it took to drive to school. She¡¯d done it before. It just hurt to do her everyday thing for her birthday.


    ¡°Running late?¡± Walt asked as Nick slipped out of the bathroom.


    She grabbed her makeup bag. ¡°I went to sleep without doing my nighttime skin routine.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Walt seemed to understand. Evelyn gave one more whimper, imagining the zits that would appear in the next few days. She turned and noticed Walt holding up a small gift. ¡°I wanted to give you your first birthday present.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Thanks dad!¡± She grabbed it, her hands shaking. They were going to be late to school. Nick was at the end of the hallway, leaning against the wall, waiting patiently. ¡°We¡¯re going to be late.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. This is important,¡± Walt said as Lydia walked up, her hands around her coffee mug, smiling.


    ¡°I just¡­ remember, we¡¯re late. Don¡¯t get on Nick¡¯s case about it,¡± Evelyn said as she unwrapped a small box underneath.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Walt didn¡¯t say anything. Evelyn had opened the lid of the box and saw a key inside. The nerves, the scrambling she¡¯d done this morning, it all stilled. At first, she couldn¡¯t believe it. It was a key. It could only mean one thing. She picked it up, staring at it wide eyed before her gaze shot to Nick. Her older brother was still leaning against the wall, making that face where he did his best not to glare. She knew that look. The one he gave her smart phone. Or her laptop. Or literally every other huge purchase her parents gave her and neglected to give him.


    Nick noticed her looking at him and pushed himself from the wall, turned around, and headed into the kitchen. The nerves returned, and her heart pounded as she looked at the keys. ¡°Oh my god,¡± she said, staring at them. ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    ¡°Happy birthday, Evelyn.¡± Lydia placed her hand around her shoulder and kissed her forehead.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡± Evelyn wasn¡¯t sure how else to respond. She almost couldn¡¯t believe it, but then again, she could. Walt led her toward the outside, showing her the car. It was a newer model, though not completely brand new. They weren¡¯t poor, but they weren¡¯t exactly Derek level rich, either. A gray, almost silver color car sat in their driveway. It was gorgeous. It was hers.


    Nick never got one.


    She smiled through it anyway, trying to show her excitement because she did feel excited. This was crazy! She had a car! But it felt tainted, like every huge purchase from her parents.


    ¡°Thanks, dad.¡± Evelyn was happy she hadn¡¯t done her makeup yet. There were tears of excitement and hurt running down her cheeks. Nick was nowhere in sight, and it made it easier to show a more genuine excitement. But her heart cracked. She shouldn¡¯t accept. She should demand her parents give something to Nick. It felt like a betrayal that she accepted anything at all.


    She hugged her parents, feeling both thrilled and heartbroken. These two emotions fought inside her, but she smiled the whole time, anyway.


    They were officially late. School had already started, but Walt assured them this was a special occasion. She wanted to make sure that meant he wouldn¡¯t get on Nick¡¯s case about this.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call the school and let them know,¡± Walt finally said, before getting into his car to go to work. ¡°Happy birthday, Evelyn.¡±


    She sighed, holding the key to her car. It felt surreal. She waved at Walt, then at Lydia as they drove off to work. Once they were gone, she stumbled into the house, leaning against the dining room table.


    ¡°Oh, hey Evelyn. Are you going to eat breakfast, then?¡± Nick asked, as calmly as ever.


    She didn¡¯t know why this, of all things, was the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. Nick was behind her as her shoulders shook and tears filled her eyes. She covered her face.


    ¡°Evie?¡± Nick asked, slightly alarmed.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t get you a car,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Yes, they did.¡±


    ¡°Dad gave you his old car so he could buy a new one. That doesn¡¯t count! I can¡¯t accept this.¡± She pulled the keys out of her pocket. ¡°I can¡¯t do it. A phone made sense. Laptop was extravagant, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Evelyn, stop,¡± Nick said. ¡°Seriously, stop. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    She turned around, not caring what she looked like because she still didn¡¯t have makeup on. It couldn¡¯t smudge if it wasn¡¯t on her face. ¡°I am worrying about you. How can I accept a car?¡±


    ¡°I told you last night. I¡¯m not jealous. Happy birthday,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn was shaking, rubbing her arms. ¡°It feels so gross.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m nothing more than a hypocrite. I keep trying to fight for you, but then they keep giving me gifts, and I accept them.¡± She placed her hands on her cheeks. ¡°This is too much. I¡¯ll have them return the car. It¡¯ll be my own rebellion. I¡¯ve got to show them I¡¯m on your side.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Stupid?¡±


    ¡°Come on, Evie. Think about it. The car from before was getting old. This is a nice model. I¡¯d rather drive a nice one than the one before. Seriously, don¡¯t worry about me. I knew this would happen, and I¡¯ve accepted it.¡±


    ¡°You can accept it all you want, but it¡¯s still not right,¡± Evelyn said.


    Nick shrugged. ¡°I told you I¡¯m not jealous. This is essentially a gift for both of us. It¡¯s just one they gave you on your birthday.¡± Evelyn tried to believe it. The icky feeling remained. Nick motioned toward the bathroom. ¡°Dad¡¯s already called us in and said we¡¯d be late. Eat breakfast. Do¡ª¡± he gestured toward her face, ¡°¡ªwhatever you wanted to do to your face. If we show up by lunch, it counts as being ¡®a little late.¡¯¡±


    Evelyn stared at her brother. ¡°Really?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Go on. Happy birthday.¡±


    Evelyn tried to relax. School had already been going for about fifteen minutes. It would be nice to not be rushed. Her curls were already flattening. ¡°You really wouldn¡¯t mind?¡±


    Nick picked up his book. ¡°You think it¡¯s an enormous sacrifice for me to miss a bit of school for once while you get ready? To drive a nicer car? Honestly, Evie, stop worrying about me.¡±


    She tried to relax, already thinking about what to do now that she had a bit more time. Nick motioned toward the kitchen. ¡°My only stipulation is you have breakfast first. You work way too hard at cheer to not eat anything.¡±


    Evelyn smiled. ¡°Well thanks, Nick.¡± She walked over and pulled out a small box of raisins and her bran flakes. Nick shook his head, almost rolling his eyes, but moving into the front room with his book.


    ***


    The bell rang, and Derek felt dread as he gathered his things from AP Biology. He¡¯d dodged Emma all morning, but he doubted he¡¯d have the same luck now. Emma had his school schedule memorized, and no matter how fast he got out of class, Emma was there.


    Mr. Anderson gave Derek a dry look. It was a common look he had ever since he saw Derek making out with Emma in CCNC club. He was pretty sure it meant Mr. Anderson cared, but was also annoyed that more work was needed to make sure his girlfriend¡¯s new part succubus, part fae friend wouldn¡¯t try anything.


    Derek walked out the door, hardly taking two steps before he heard Emma. ¡°Derek!¡± Arms circled around his middle, squeezing the air out of him. Her claws dug into him again.


    ¡°Hey Emma,¡± Derek said.


    She spun him around before kissing him. He tried to be courteous, waiting for her to notice. It didn¡¯t take long.


    She broke away, her nose scrunching up. ¡°Did you¡­¡±


    ¡°Totally forgot to brush my teeth.¡± His breakfast consisted mostly of garlic bread, too.


    Emma¡¯s brows furrowed, but she shrugged, pulling out her backpack. ¡°No matter.¡± Her container of mints clinked as she pulled it out. ¡°Open up.¡±


    ¡°I mean, isn¡¯t it gross how much bacteria is in a hu¡ª¡± Emma tossed a mint into his mouth, cutting off his speech. Derek coughed, feeling it sail down his throat.


    ¡°All better.¡± She leaned over to kiss him. Derek held up a hand, coughing.


    ¡°It¡­ it went¡­ straight down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a million of these.¡± Emma opened the container again and pulled out a mint. ¡°Open wide.¡± Derek stared at Emma, not sure what to think. He opened his mouth as she leaned over, placing the mint on his tongue before closing his jaw again. ¡°We¡¯ll be ready to go by the time you get to English.¡±


    Pippa walked down the hall with the students, and Derek kept staring at Emma. He swallowed, feeling another mint go down as he kept his gaze on Emma¡¯s eyes to make sure there wasn¡¯t a hint of red in them.


    ¡°Ready to go?¡± Emma asked, grabbing his hand.


    Derek pointed at his mouth again. ¡°It, uh¡­¡±


    Emma shook her head with a smile. ¡°God, Derek. You¡¯re such a dork.¡± She took out another mint. ¡°Stick out your tongue.¡±


    Derek did, watching out of his peripherals to see Pippa disappear down the hall. He was so focused on Pippa that he didn¡¯t fully comprehend that Emma had licked the bottom of the mint before placing it on his tongue. He held back a grimace.


    ¡°That should get it to stay. Don¡¯t you think?¡± Emma asked.


    Derek stuck his tongue back inside his mouth, scared about what Emma might do to him if he kept it out. He said nothing, feeling the mint on his tongue as he stared at Emma. ¡°Come on! Take me to my P.E. class. Ugh, Ms. Jones always demands I get dressed faster. Like she doesn¡¯t need a few extra minutes in front of a mirror herself.¡±


    He forgot she had her fingers wrapped around his hand as she dragged him forward. A lot of things slipped from his memory when Pippa arrived. Mostly, he was figuring out the proper way to react to someone licking the bottom of a mint and sticking it on his tongue.

 Chapter 154

    Evelyn was in the passenger seat of her new car, her face newly done up, her hair far more curled and hair sprayed. She was replying to her happy birthday messages on social media, feeling a little better about herself.


    ¡°How¡¯s Princess Clarissa?¡± Nick asked as they pulled out of the driveway.


    Evelyn paused, glancing up at her phone. ¡°Um¡­ fine. I think.¡± Something nagged at the back of her mind. ¡°She¡¯s back at the house. But I never saw her. I guess they¡¯re all at the house, aren¡¯t they?¡± She shook her head. ¡°They must¡¯ve been on some sort of hunting trip. I don¡¯t even know what they do while we¡¯re away.¡±


    Nick nodded absently, glancing behind his shoulder before shifting gears. ¡°This is such a nice upgrade.¡±


    Evelyn scrolled, her mind wandering. ¡°So¡­ what are your plans in April? When you move out?¡±


    ¡°Dad told me I can only take what¡¯s mine. I bought my bike, so I¡¯m taking it. That¡¯ll get me where I need to go,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°But¡­ what if you live in a place far away from school? From your work? Do you need me to help transport you?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve got my eye on a place that¡¯s pretty close to school and work.¡±


    Evelyn raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh. Already?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. As long as there¡¯s an opening in April.¡±


    Evelyn was silent at that. She didn¡¯t expect Nick to say everything about his life. She also never asked. But it was getting closer to April and Nick had found a place already. Things would change fast in a short amount of time. His birthday was five months away. Five months didn¡¯t seem like too long. Especially with something as big as Nick moving out. Of him avoiding his parents. Her parents.


    ¡°You¡¯ll still visit me, right?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Yeah. You can visit me at my apartment all you want.¡±


    Evelyn nodded. ¡°Yeah. Cool. That¡¯ll be¡ª¡± A picture on Instagram nabbed her attention. Tyler was in the picture, holding a woman¡¯s hand at a college Halloween party. Evelyn froze, then swiped over to see the other pictures. Hand holding in one and an arm around the shoulder in the other. The last picture was of them kissing.


    Finally making it official! I¡¯m glad he¡¯s mine! Said the post of a woman Evelyn had never met before.


    ¡°Oh, my god. Oh my god, Tyler¡¯s got a girlfriend,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Even though Nick was driving, she turned her phone. ¡°Who even is that?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Nick glanced at it before focusing on the road again. ¡°You¡¯re asking someone with limited access to the outside world a question about someone¡¯s social life?¡±


    ¡°God, sorry. I¡¯m¡­ surprised. That¡¯s all.¡± Evelyn clicked on Tyler¡¯s profile and searched for more pictures.


    Nick chuckled. ¡°I mean, he has more of a life than CCNC right now. It¡¯s kind of taking up everyone¡¯s lives, but we squeak out some sort of existence outside it. Tyler only sees us on the weekends, after all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re treating him like a divorced dad.¡± Evelyn scrolled through Tyler¡¯s pictures. There were pictures of his new girlfriend on his page, interspersed with pics of CCNC and college life.


    Evelyn swallowed, not sure how to pin down how she felt about this. She tapped on a picture of them together on one of their dates. Evelyn remembered scrolling through this picture before, but she hadn¡¯t stopped to consider it. Didn¡¯t think about the implications. There was something else warring inside her, but it was stupid. This couldn¡¯t be jealousy, because there¡¯s no way she had a crush on Tyler. Especially because she refused to be the girl who caught feelings for a guy after he was taken off the market.


    God, no. She didn¡¯t have feelings. Not at all. Tyler was a good friend. Nothing more.


    ¡°Charlette Thomas.¡± Evelyn squinted at the name. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ gorgeous.¡±


    Nick snorted. ¡°You don¡¯t think Tyler can get a gorgeous girl?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just¡­ surprised.¡±


    Nick chuckled again as Evelyn kept searching. Charlotte had short brown hair and hazel eyes. She had a far more laid-back appearance in many of their casual pictures, but she also had great style in the pictures of them attending a ballet. Did Tyler even like ballet? What did it matter? He was going with her. He¡¯d always try out something if the girl he liked was interested. Tyler was a great guy like that.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    She wasn¡¯t jealous, though. Right? There¡¯s no way this was jealousy. She¡¯d always seen Tyler as more of an older brother figure. Besides, she was fifteen years old. Newly sixteen. There was no way in hell Tyler would ever see Evelyn as a girlfriend. It was almost laughable even thinking about it. It¡¯s why he was such a great guy. He helped her, supported her, and didn¡¯t look for anything in return. Tyler was that great of a person, making sure everyone respected her boundaries. No doubt he saw her as a little sister. Which was totally fine, because she saw him as an older brother. Absolutely nothing else.


    She¡¯d stumbled back on the picture of Tyler kissing Charlotte. A girl dressed as some sort of medieval lady, and him as a medieval lord. What was happening to her? Why was it getting so warm in this car? Hot, almost. Evelyn furrowed her brow, getting annoyed at herself. She was not attracted to Tyler. Not at all. This was weird. She had no idea what to make of this. It wasn¡¯t any different than Nick kissing Alejandra.


    She never felt this warm when she saw Nick kiss Alejandra, though. And for that reason alone, she had to admit that maybe she hadn¡¯t seen Tyler as an older brother figure. But there was no way she¡¯d seen him as boyfriend material. That was stupid.


    Why was she still on this? She should be thrilled for Tyler. Charlotte looked like an adorable girl, and they looked so happy together. That was what was important. They were happy.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Nick mumbled.


    Evelyn glanced up, wondering what the last thing she said to him was. How lost had she been in her own thoughts? This had thrown her for a loop. One she wasn¡¯t sure she understood. Nick slowed down, and Evelyn was worried about some mythical creature popping onto the road when she noticed the red and blue lights.


    She glanced behind her and saw a police car. ¡°You weren¡¯t speeding, were you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The word was short and clipped. Evelyn winced, seeing the glare she expected on her brother¡¯s face as he pulled over. ¡°Some policemen enjoy making my life hell.¡±


    A policeman walked out of the cop car, and she squinted, recognizing him. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Officer Hendricks?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The word was dark as it escaped him. Nick kept his hands on the steering wheel, closing his eyes as he rolled his head around his neck. Evelyn clutched her phone, trying to keep her breathing steady. That officer seemed to follow Nick around a lot. Almost like he was waiting for the opportunity to nab Elmwood¡¯s most notorious criminal, which this officer thought was Nick.


    ¡°Say nothing. Officer Hendricks needs his power trip and then he¡¯ll be done,¡± Nick said as footsteps approached the car.


    Evelyn nodded as Officer Hendricks rapped on the window. Nick rolled it down, the glare on his face as dark as when he was looking at Walt. ¡°Morning, Officer Hendricks.¡±


    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t Nick Larsen.¡± The officer barely glanced in Evelyn¡¯s direction before focusing back on her brother. ¡°It¡¯s school time, Nick. Why aren¡¯t you there?¡±


    ¡°My dad already called and excused us for being a little late.¡± Nick¡¯s glare really did not help the situation. ¡°It¡¯s where we¡¯re headed right now.¡±


    ¡°Your dad?¡± Officer Hendricks asked. ¡°Really? Why would he call and excuse you for anything?¡±


    Nick¡¯s fingers curled around the steering wheel. ¡°It¡¯s Evelyn¡¯s birthday today. She was running late getting ready. I stayed behind to drive her to school.¡±


    Officer Hendricks gave the car another look. ¡°This seems new. Did you steal it?¡±


    Nick was practically strangling the steering wheel. ¡°It¡¯s Evelyn¡¯s sixteenth birthday.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Officer Hendricks finally rested his gaze on Evelyn. ¡°Happy birthday.¡±


    She said nothing. Maybe she smiled and nodded, but her focus was mostly on Nick. His glare he only gave Walt was now focused on Officer Hendricks. Officer Hendricks glanced back at Nick, a slight smile on his face at the glare.


    ¡°It¡¯s important to get to school, Nick. You need an education to make good choices in your life.¡± Again, Nick did nothing but glare at Officer Hendricks. ¡°Do you have anything you¡¯d like to say?¡±


    ¡°Only that if you weren¡¯t such a giant prick, we¡¯d already been at school by now, getting that education to make the right choices,¡± Nick sneered.


    Evelyn gasped, even as she tried not to. Officer Hendricks¡¯ smirk dropped, and he narrowed his eyes. Nick kept his glare, and Evelyn wasn¡¯t sure what to do.


    Officer Hendricks opened Nick¡¯s door. ¡°Get out slow and careful, kid.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s jaw slackened as Nick slammed his hand down on his seat belt to unbuckle himself. The glare was present as he moved out of the car. Officer Hendricks had him against the hood of the car as he patted him down, and Evelyn felt her heart in her throat as Nick took it with a deadly glare.


    She rolled down her window. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have anything! Just let us go to school!¡±


    ¡°Stay in the car, Evelyn. This will only take a moment,¡± Officer Hendricks said.


    ¡°It¡¯s unnecessary!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got a known criminal record. It¡¯s always necessary.¡±


    What hurt the most was the glare Nick had on his face, staring at the hood as Officer Hendricks patted him down.


    ¡°What¡¯s in the car, Nick?¡± Officer Hendricks asked.


    ¡°Nothing. Evelyn literally just got it this morning.¡± Nick spoke to the hood. ¡°You can¡¯t search it without probable cause, and I don¡¯t give permission.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got my eye on you, Nick Larsen,¡± Officer Hendricks said.


    ¡°You can do all your research while we¡¯re at school. Go ahead. Figure out that Evelyn just got this car today. Even call my dad if you want to. We¡¯re not doing anything illegal.¡±


    Officer Hendricks finished his search, straightening. ¡°You get in the car, and you get to school. If I see anything out of the ordinary in your story, I will ask you personally. If you¡¯ve fled the school, we will hunt you down and question you. Are we perfectly clear?¡±


    Nick said nothing. He brushed himself off before throwing the door open, sliding back in. Officer Hendricks headed back to his patrol car as Nick shoved the seat belt over him. Evelyn was terrified to talk to him. She hadn¡¯t seen him like this in a long time. Nick started up the car, moving onto the road, giving the road a death glare.


    ¡°Nick?¡± she asked, terrified to break the silence. Afraid he might snap at her. Nick closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again as they kept heading toward school, Officer Hendricks right behind them. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Nick sounded surprisingly gentle for how dark his glare was. ¡°It¡¯s Officer Hendricks¡¯ fault. All of it.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to say anything more. They made the short drive to school, Nick shifting into park a lot harder than necessary before getting out. Officer Hendricks¡¯ car kept going, pulling off to the side of the road. Nick rolled his eyes as he and Evelyn headed to school.

 Chapter 155

    Rafael took a deep breath to steady himself, then walked inside his health class. Coach Miller was gathering up tests. ¡°Hey, Rafael. Ready for practice today?¡± Rafael slowed to a stop, not sure how to say this. He didn¡¯t need to. Coach Miller read it on his face as he shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to punish yourself, kid. It was in the past.¡±


    Rafael glanced down at his hands. ¡°Yes, I do. Because no one else is.¡±


    ¡°We have rules for this kind of thing, and getting kicked off is too harsh a punishment for so light a crime,¡± Coach Miller said.


    Rafael sighed before shaking his head. ¡°No, coach. It wasn¡¯t a light crime. Evelyn¡¯s been attending therapy every week. We¡¯ve had to set up firm boundaries about when I can and cannot talk to her. Boundaries that are helping her. Boundaries that no one set up but me, her, and a group of our friends. They are working for her, helping her thrive, and they should have been implemented sooner. I¡¯m not playing anymore football. My heart hasn¡¯t been in it since everything came out, anyway.¡±


    Coach Miller sighed, ruffling the pages of the tests. ¡°It¡¯s two more games, Raf. Two weeks, then we¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°And I should have stopped a month ago,¡± Rafael said.


    This was his decision. Derek assured him he would have enough time to make it back for Ezekiel¡¯s lycanthropy cleansing after the football game finished. The thought made him uneasy, though. Everything involving football made him uneasy lately.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to do this,¡± Coach Miller said.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. You should have.¡± Rafael turned around, feeling the monster growling inside as he circled another length of chain around the cage and locked it tight.


    ¡°And the other sports?¡± Coach Miller asked. ¡°Swimming this winter? Track and field in the spring? You giving those up, too?¡±


    Rafael hesitated at the door. He couldn¡¯t imagine what life would be like once the winter months settled in. Or when spring came. His answer appeared when he thought about what it meant for Ezekiel and his friends rather than what it meant for him. He used sports to run away. Now he needed to stop running and work together with the people he betrayed to save the world. Swimming, track and field, they didn¡¯t hold the allure they once did. ¡°Probably, Coach,¡± Rafael said before slipping out of the room.


    He gathered his gear and turned it in, then walked home from school. Alejandra took the car home already. He usually rode home with one of his buddies, but they were at practice now. Elmwood High got smaller, and a weight lifted from his shoulders. Being at practice when everyone knew what he¡¯d done made him feel uneasy. Being in the games while Evelyn cheered on the sidelines felt gross. It was amazing how much better he felt about this.


    The warm breeze picked up, and he was happy to not drive. It was still hot, but he needed time alone. He wasn¡¯t reflecting, more like understanding that he made the right choice. No one could take this from him, and the walk home helped him realize it.


    Rafael opened the door, seeing Alejandra in her McDonald¡¯s uniform. She looked up, surprised. ¡°Oh. Hey, I thought you had practice today.¡±


    Rafael shook his head. ¡°Not anymore.¡±


    She took in his facial expression, her own turning to confusion. ¡°You¡­ quit?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I did.¡±


    ¡°The football game was a home game. You could have attended and come home well before moonrise.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Rafael sat down on the couch. ¡°It was the right thing to do.¡±


    Alejandra furrowed her brow even more. ¡°Is this about Evelyn?¡±


    He glanced at her. ¡°No one else was doing it, so I had to.¡±


    She again studied him, and it surprised Rafael to see her slight disapproval.


    ¡°You are too good,¡± Alejandra mumbled.


    Rafael frowned. ¡°No, if I was too good, I never would¡¯ve sexually assaulted Evelyn in the first place.¡±


    She winced at Rafael¡¯s language, but he found no need to censor it.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying¡­ you know,¡± she said.


    Rafael raised an eyebrow. ¡°No, Alejandra. I don¡¯t.¡±


    She sighed, her gaze flickering away. ¡°It¡¯s good of you to¡­ take on a punishment when the law wasn¡¯t giving it to you. Not everyone in this group would do that.¡±


    It was clear she meant a particular someone, and it was almost embarrassing that Rafael thought about it for more than a few seconds. ¡°Nick?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Nick,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°What did Nick do?¡±


    Alejandra¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You can¡¯t seriously forget he broke your nose! Broke your ribs!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± His furrowed brows loosened. ¡°Right.¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Oh, right? That¡¯s your answer to him committing a crime?¡± Alejandra asked.


    He could only stare at his sister. ¡°I deserved it.¡±


    ¡°No, you did not,¡± she said, emphasizing every word.


    ¡°Holy shit, Alejandra. How long has this been eating you?¡±


    ¡°Since it happened! He hit you!¡±


    Rafael stood up, shaking his head. ¡°Stop, Alejandra. Nick and I have talked about it, and we¡¯ve both come to an agreement.¡±


    Alejandra threw her hat on the table with more force than necessary as she went into the fridge. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one he hurt with that action.¡±


    Rafael rubbed his forehead, watching her take out an ice tray and fill her water bottle with ice.


    ¡°Do you honestly think if we ever kill Akshi, that we¡¯d have to apologize to Grizzizzik for it?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°You are not a villain.¡±


    ¡°I was in that moment. And I have been by keeping it a secret for as long as I have. Pushing everyone away as I¡¯ve delt with this privately. Maybe CCNC has moments of obvious black and white, but the world has never worked that way. Didn¡¯t you ever feel in the years I spent apart from you that you wished someone had knocked some sense into me?¡± Rafael asked.


    Alejandra glared at the sink as she filled her water bottle. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean literally.¡±


    ¡°I did. I don¡¯t want Nick to apologize for what he did. Ever. Mostly because that¡¯s all I needed. I mean, if he ended up murdering me, then yeah, but he didn¡¯t. So that¡¯s a plus.¡±


    Alejandra did not smile at his attempt at lightheartedness. Instead, she moved her glare from the sink to his face.


    ¡°We both agreed I deserved it. And we also agreed that if he¡­ you know, ever hurt you the same way, I¡¯d do the same to him. It helped us move past it all.¡±


    Alejandra snapped the water off. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about him ever touching me.¡± It came out as a sneer. ¡°I never want to see him again.¡±


    Rafael sighed. ¡°Yeah¡­ Nick got the impression you¡¯d say something like that. He¡¯s not the villain, you know.¡±


    She snatched her hat. ¡°I¡¯m closing tonight. Don¡¯t expect me home until late.¡±


    Rafael watched as she brushed past him, feeling a panic at how angry she was. ¡°Alejandra-¡±


    She forced her hat on her head. ¡°Bye.¡± She moved past him and walked out the front door.


    Rafael wasn¡¯t sure what to do. He didn¡¯t have much time to think before Milo appeared out of his room. Rafael frowned, glancing at him. ¡°Milo? What are you doing here?¡±


    The mana fusor shrugged. ¡°What I always do. Research. Ezekiel is more paranoid, and wanted to plan this without anyone else¡¯s knowledge.¡±


    Rafael¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Ezekiel is planning something in secret?¡±


    Milo nodded. ¡°Yeah. I thought so too.¡±


    The door opened again, and Ezekiel slipped out. The cleric looked awful. Even though his muscles looked far more pronounced, there was a thin covering of off-white fur all over his body. He looked in pain, his blue eyes a constant battle. His longer, pointed nose sniffed and twitched. ¡°As my creator, we should let you know about this. But we keep this between the three of us.¡±


    Rafael frowned. ¡°Do you think secrets are wise?¡±


    Ezekiel glanced down at his fingers nervously tapping each other. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But¡­ but Akshi¡¯s ears are everywhere. He knows when the full moon will rise, and he wants me in my wererat form. It¡¯s not a matter of if he¡¯s going to sabotage it, but when.¡±


    ¡°Is this about the silver?¡± Rafael asked.


    Ezekiel shook his head. ¡°I have a plan for that, too.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Good,¡± Rafael said.


    Milo gave a non-committed shrug.


    ¡°This is about Friday night. All I¡¯m asking is for two days where you withhold information from your friends. Once this lycanthropy is out of me, then we can tell them,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Rafael was far happier about his choice to quit the football team.


    ***


    Evelyn came home with her dad. She saw her mom finishing decorating the living room with birthday signs. She smiled as her parents sang happy birthday to her. Lydia gave her some car accessories that she loved, but also brought up the nagging thought that she shouldn¡¯t accept the car.


    The flowery vent clip that doubled as an air freshener smelled amazing, though, and once Nick got back with the car, she would put it in there. She loved the floral scent.


    She got her paper license and was nervous about driving Nick to school now. She wasn¡¯t sure she was ready to drive someone who had a few more years¡¯ experience. It wasn¡¯t the only thing making her nervous, though. She couldn¡¯t help but notice that Nick was at work, and therefore her parents were celebrating without him.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we wait to cut the cake until Nick is home?¡± Evelyn asked as her mother cut a slice of cake.


    Walt leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. ¡°He knows how to get himself food.¡±


    Evelyn gnawed on her bottom lip, feeling uncomfortable, but then went right back to smiling as Lydia brought over cake and ice cream.


    Once the festivities were done, Evelyn slipped away to her room, trying to make sense of her situation. Her parents never asked Evelyn if she wanted Nick there. She figured it was a given. She wanted him to be there. They somehow uninvited him without offering an invitation. Without consulting her. It was her birthday, after all.


    Annie and Brandi were texting her about their own celebration for her on Saturday. Evelyn was excited for it and knew it would be fun as long as they cured Ezekiel of lycanthropy. Evelyn didn¡¯t want to think about what might happen if Ezekiel wasn¡¯t cured. They didn¡¯t have the grounded-up silver. It was the last thing they needed. It was two days away, and they didn¡¯t have everything.


    Her phone chimed, and she picked it up to see a text from Tyler. It had a picture of a cartoon cake with Happy Birthday! written under it.


    Evelyn stared at her phone, remembering the conflicted feelings she had this morning. Why couldn¡¯t she pull herself together? This day was turning out horrible. It was her sixteenth birthday, and there were too many things on her mind to enjoy it. How was she supposed to respond to Tyler now that he had a girlfriend?


    ¡°Sit down, I have a few questions for you,¡± came Walt¡¯s voice, cool and even. It was then she heard the garage door close, and her heart leapt to her throat.


    Nick was grumbling about something before Walt cut in again. ¡°Why did Officer Hendricks pull you over today?¡±


    Evelyn couldn¡¯t take it. She opened the door and marched out. ¡°Don¡¯t dad. Don¡¯t blame him for that.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking you, Evelyn.¡±


    ¡°Obviously not, because we would¡¯ve talked about this already, and I would have told you it was my fault. We were running late to school because I was getting ready,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Then what rumors are true?¡± Walt tried to see past Evelyn to glare at Nick. ¡°Is it true you insulted an officer of the law?¡±


    Evelyn stood in front of Nick, forcing herself to look bigger to get Walt¡¯s attention. It was impossible, since Nick was so tall, but she tried anyway. ¡°You promised me this morning you wouldn¡¯t get on Nick¡¯s case for being late to school. We were late because of me. That¡¯s all that matters. Keep your promise. It¡¯s my birthday.¡± She said the last part with far more bite than she intended. It certainly didn¡¯t feel like her birthday. She had everything a girl could dream. A car. A license. Phone, laptop, earbuds. All this because Nick had nothing.


    A key clattered on the table in front of her. She turned to see Nick reaching into his pocket to pull out the flip phone and toss it on the table closer to Walt. He then headed straight for his room, holding his backpack. Walt didn¡¯t even offer cake.


    Evelyn headed toward the back door.


    ¡°Evelyn,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°I need a moment,¡± she said, opening the sliding glass door.

 Chapter 156

    Evelyn walked into her backyard, tired and exhausted. Clarissa was there with Hraktar, pushing a stick into the fire as they talked.


    Clarissa¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Oh, hey Evelyn. Happy birthday.¡±


    Evelyn sat down, covering her face. She couldn¡¯t lie in front of Clarissa, but she wasn¡¯t about to admit everything that had happened today. She wasn¡¯t even sure she was ready to unpack how she felt about Tyler getting a girlfriend.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Clarissa asked.


    Evelyn groaned. ¡°Have you ever had everything physically you could ever want, and yet it doesn¡¯t make up for the emotional things you need, but you feel ungrateful for complaining about the physical things, because they¡¯re actually really nice, but you feel like such a hypocrite because someone else has it worse?¡± The words vomited out of her. ¡°I mean, all this stuff is nice, right? Everyone always assumes I¡¯m materialistic, and¡­ I totally am. But there¡¯s always the intent behind the gift, you know? Like a simple card means so much more for me if I know they¡¯re giving it sincerely. Yes, I¡¯m happy with the car. I should, right? Obviously, yes. It¡¯s a car. I love it. God, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Clarissa and Hraktar stared at her, then glanced at each other. Evelyn kept her elbows on her knees, her fingers in her hair as she sank into the patio furniture.


    ¡°I¡­ should go,¡± Hraktar said.


    Clarissa placed a hand on his arm. ¡°You don¡¯t need to go, my friend. You¡¯re not a burden.¡±


    Hraktar didn¡¯t look at anyone. ¡°This isn¡¯t something I understand.¡±


    Evelyn massaged her face. ¡°I don¡¯t need someone to understand it. I just need someone to say, ¡®Wow, Evelyn. That¡¯s hard. You¡¯re totally justified in how you feel, and I agree, it sucks.¡¯¡±


    Hraktar hesitated, then opened his mouth. ¡°Wow, Evelyn. That¡¯s hard. You¡¯re totally justified in how you feel, and I agree, that sucks.¡± He winced, bracing himself for Evelyn¡¯s reaction.


    Evelyn couldn¡¯t help it and snorted. ¡°Thanks, Hraktar.¡±


    The fighter didn¡¯t relax until he saw Evelyn smiling. She broke a twig and tossed it into the fire. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt what you were talking about. I just couldn¡¯t stay in there any longer.¡±


    ¡°Understandable.¡± Clarissa glanced at the door and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not equipped to give advice, either. Except that when your parents are searching for a missing book, suggest that you be the one to gather a party together to fetch it. But on your way to retrieve it, it might be a wild adventure that makes you question your tradition in sight of the greater good. And you end up running away from home as you pursue more adventure with your little found family.¡±


    Evelyn chuckled as she reminisced about their first few sessions all those years ago. ¡°I¡¯ll think about that the next time my parents send me on an errand.¡±


    Clarissa smiled as she sipped her water from the mug. She glanced at the door again, her eyes brightening as it opened. ¡°Hello, handsome.¡±


    Evelyn turned to see Ezekiel walk through.


    ¡°Hello, beautiful,¡± Ezekiel said.


    The cleric did not look handsome. It almost made Evelyn wince as Ezekiel walked outside with a blanket around his head to help shade him from the setting sun. Milo followed him out.


    ¡°Where were you two?¡± Hraktar asked.


    ¡°We ended up at Rafael and Alejandra¡¯s house, since it¡¯s quieter. I wanted to study the effects of the sleeping potion on Ezekiel there.¡±


    Evelyn frowned, glancing at them. ¡°Sleeping potion?¡±


    ¡°We were all dead to the world.¡± Milo relaxed in the chair next to Evelyn. ¡°Princess Clarissa did not wake up for eight hours,¡± Milo added, glancing at the druid.


    ¡°It was awful. I don¡¯t know how you all feel about wasting so much time sleeping.¡±


    ¡°We need it for our survival.¡± Hraktar sipped from his own mug.


    ¡°Wait, sleep?¡± Evelyn frowned, sitting up straighter in her chair. ¡°I was asleep. Dead to the world, too.¡± Milo glanced at her, unsure. ¡°I¡¯m serious. I didn¡¯t even wake up to do my nighttime skin routine.¡±


    Clarissa slowly lowered her mug, alarmed. ¡°Milo, check her.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    The mana fusor was still confused, but brought out his magnifying glass. ¡°Sleeping potions shouldn¡¯t affect people of earth.¡±


    Clarissa pointed at Evelyn. ¡°Check. Her.¡±


    Evelyn wasn¡¯t sure what to expect. Milo muttered something and shook his hand with the magnifying glass, and it started to glow. When Milo placed his hand on her forehead and tilted it back, she didn¡¯t fight. He looked into her eyes with the glowing magnifying glass, then into her mouth. ¡°Yeah.¡± Milo¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s residual sleep potion alright.¡±


    Evelyn stared at him, wide eyed. ¡°But I¡¯m from earth. It¡¯s not supposed to work on me. What happened last night?¡±


    ¡°No idea.¡± Milo slipped the magnifying glass back into his inventory. ¡°We¡¯ve checked over everything, but nothing was stolen.¡±


    Ezekiel rubbed his chin. ¡°It couldn¡¯t have been Akshi. I doubt he¡¯s the person to kill us in our sleep. Maybe he would have killed Grizzizzik in his sleep, but not us.¡±


    Evelyn glanced around at the four characters. ¡°Where is Grizzizzik, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Sulking. As usual,¡± Milo said.


    ¡°It seems kind of odd, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Hraktar¡¯s voice dropped. ¡°Grizzizzik was asleep longer than us. Don¡¯t you think he did it, then drugged himself to hide the evidence?¡±


    ¡°What would be the purpose of Grizzizzik drugging us all?¡± Milo asked. ¡°There is nothing missing from our inventory. He didn¡¯t steal from any of us. There¡¯s no way he would have left to attack Akshi without us, because he¡¯s still alive. Why would he have done it?¡±


    Hraktar grunted, but rubbed his chin. ¡°I don¡¯t trust that snake.¡±


    ¡°I doubt you ever will. But we need proof before we throw around accusations,¡± Ezekiel said.


    ¡°I still have some leftover sleeping potion,¡± Milo said, glancing at Evelyn. ¡°I¡¯d like to test if you really can fall asleep to the sleeping potion, or if this is something else entirely.¡± He pulled out a small vial of deep blue liquid and handed it to her. ¡°If you do fall asleep again, Hraktar, Clarissa, and I will take turns watching your window so you¡¯re not in danger.¡±


    Evelyn reached out to take the potion, but her fingers slipped right through it. Milo, instead of looking disappointed, looked downright delighted. ¡°How fascinating! How did you fall asleep? You can¡¯t even touch this potion.¡±


    Clarissa shook her head. ¡°This is a strange mystery.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see if Nick slept through the night. Or¡­ any information in general.¡± Evelyn rubbed her face. She really needed to start her nighttime skin care routine if she hoped to counter sleeping with her makeup on last night. Milo looked like he was positively itching to do experiments on her, and Evelyn wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about that.


    Milo¡¯s gaze was far too excited for her to ignore. ¡°Just¡­ I¡¯ll tell you when to stop if you get too¡­ invasive,¡± Evelyn said.


    Clarissa smiled as Milo jumped up, magnifying glass in hand as he started to study her face again.


    ¡°I will make sure he stops,¡± Clarissa said as she rubbed Ezekiel¡¯s back. Ezekiel was on the ground, leaning against the druid¡¯s legs. He still had the blanket around his head.


    ¡°Give me the brick first, Milo,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Milo did not break his gaze as he pulled out the brick of silver and handed it to Ezekiel. The cleric stared at the silver, then reached forward with a hand covered in fur with his nails thick and sharp. ¡°Princess.¡± He glanced up at Clarissa.


    The druid still had her hand on the small of his back. ¡°Yes?¡±


    Those two were a good distraction from Milo studying her, so Evelyn kept her gaze on them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ been praying and meditating. About this situation with the silver. This world doesn¡¯t have deities that freely walk the world.¡±


    ¡°No. They don¡¯t,¡± Clarissa said.


    Ezekiel handed the silver bar over to her. Clarissa took it, a questioning look on her face. ¡°Moonsparkle is a celestial being, is she not?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    ¡°She¡­ is.¡±


    Ezekiel nodded, looking relaxed yet exhausted. ¡°It is the closest thing I can think of to fulfilling this portion of the cure.¡±


    Clarissa blinked, staring down at the bar of silver. ¡°Ezekiel, my love. I¡­ I am no deity.¡±


    ¡°You are to me,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Evelyn frowned, even as her eyebrows shot up in surprise. Clarissa tore her gaze from the silver bar to look at Ezekiel. ¡°No. This is too important to leave to something like this.¡±


    ¡°If you asked me to lie down and worship you, I would,¡± Ezekiel said.


    ¡°Do not insult the Great Lady.¡±


    ¡°I would, because I know you¡¯d never ask me to give up the Great Lady for you. But I have worshiped you in a way. Loved you, treated you kindly, sought what was best for you. And in return, you calm my fears. Ease the nightmares. You fight the wererat mentally alongside me. You have found value in my life and amplified it to a degree where I can spend an eternity thanking you, and it will never be enough.¡± Tears pricked Clarissa¡¯s eyes as Ezekiel placed his cheek against her knee. ¡°I need a deity who would fight tooth and nail to save my soul from the lycanthropy, and I have found her. I need your celestial being to grind this silver into powder, or I can never recover. This is how we cure the lycanthropy, I feel it.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ what if¡­.¡± Clarissa¡¯s voice wavered.


    ¡°It will work. I have found the substitute deity. The loophole in the suggestion. We are running out of time,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Clarissa¡¯s fingers tightened over the bar of silver as she looked at Ezekiel. He raised his head from her knee, giving her a soft smile. She placed the bar of silver in her lap before lifting his head, kissing him.


    Milo, his face inches from Evelyn¡¯s, dropped his gaze for a moment to stifle a groan before shaking his head. It was clear by his face that he didn¡¯t believe this would cure Ezekiel at all. Evelyn agreed it was rather foolhardy. But if they didn¡¯t try it, they had nothing. Ezekiel was right. Deities did not walk the earth as freely as in the Shrouded Domain. To go empty-handed was almost worse than trying this.


    Her phone vibrated, and she pulled it out, seeing one of her other friends texting her a happy birthday. It reminded her of Tyler¡¯s text. She glanced again at Ezekiel and Clarissa, who were still softly kissing each other. For a moment, her mind flitted to the possibility of her and¡­ but it was too weird. Way too weird. Tyler would never kiss her. She was sixteen years old. She knew for a fact she did not want Tyler kissing her. He should not be attracted to her in that way at all.


    She replied a quick text to her friend, thanking her. Then she let out a soft sigh, opened Tyler¡¯s text, and gave a quick Thanks! in return.

 Chapter 157

    Nick wrote a quick message to Evelyn on the card he bought. He refused to be sappy. This was a simple happy birthday message with a touch of humor. He slipped in the gift card he got from work before reaching into the bag and opening the container that held the small cupcake. He put this all in his backpack because he didn¡¯t want Walt to ask about it. He wanted to surprise Evelyn and he knew it would taint it if Walt interrogated him about it, too.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t enough,¡± Grizzizzik said from the door.


    Nick glanced over his shoulder. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Insulting a police officer. It isn¡¯t enough for this week.¡±


    Nick focused again on the card. He¡¯d tried not to think about Chaos all day, but he couldn¡¯t avoid it forever. It was always in the back of his mind. How could he possibly forget? Even imagining those eyes made the air leave his body. ¡°How¡¯d you figure that out? Was Chaos watching me? Are you and he buddies now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m understanding that Tyler kid. Thoughts and impressions that sort of feel like my own, but given information I shouldn¡¯t know.¡± Grizzizzik rested his hands behind his head. ¡°Insulting a police officer was chaotic, but not enough to please Chaos.¡±


    Nick sighed, placing the card and the cupcake on his desk. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t do this, Grizzizzik. It¡¯ll get worse. My reputation is already taking a hit.¡±


    ¡°I need that sword,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Nick didn¡¯t want any part of this. But he still remembered, vivid as ever, the slight smile on Chaos¡¯ face as he explained how he could do something chaotic for the week if Nick did nothing. Maybe he¡¯d be able to negotiate the things Nick needed to do. Keep it all low key. Get some good chaos instead of bad ones.


    After they cured Ezekiel of lycanthropy, and they would cure him of it, they could start grinding. Grizzizzik needed 14,000 experience points to reach level three warlock, and right now he had 2,885.


    Nick shut his mind off, refusing to think about it. If he did, he would get overwhelmed with it all.


    ¡°Toilet paper someone¡¯s house, whatever that means,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Nick didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he turned around, giving Grizzizzik a soft glare that probably wasn¡¯t as soft as he thought. Grizzizzik shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s the suggestion I¡¯m getting.¡±


    Nick rolled his eyes, his gaze back on the desk. ¡°My dad will kill me. And where does that leave you? What happens to you if I die?¡±


    ¡°I doubt your dad¡¯s killed anything in his life.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Nick signed his name, giving it an angry flourish. ¡°He¡¯s more the slowly-suck-the-life-out-of-you type.¡±


    Grizzizzik nodded. ¡°I can see that.¡±


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t bother you? At all? This should bother you!¡±


    Grizzizzik shrugged, and Nick hated him for it. His insides were still churning at the thought of Chaos. He was forced into a corner with no way out. One he¡¯d have to fight his way out of, but he was terrified of what it would cost.


    ¡°If not someone¡¯s house, a park, then. That¡¯d be fine, too.¡± Grizzizzik pointed over his shoulder. ¡°Like the one by your house where we meet Chaos. That would work perfectly.¡±


    Nick closed his eyes. He needed something to do. He grabbed the card and the cupcake and walked out of his room, moving toward Evelyn¡¯s. After checking to make sure the gift card was still inside, he knocked on Evelyn¡¯s door. Her soft footsteps moved toward the door before it cracked open. Half her make-up was off as she wiped her forehead, but she smiled at Nick.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡± He held up the cupcake and the card. ¡°Happy birthday!¡± Evelyn stared at his gift. Her eyes grew soft, then to Nick¡¯s utter surprise, they were swimming in tears. ¡°Uh¡­.¡±


    Evelyn wiped her eyes, taking the card and opening it. ¡°You¡­ got me a gift card?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± He won it at work during one of their Christmas parties, but he would never use it, since it was for music. He had nothing to download the music onto. Or a way to look it up. Let alone the fact that Walt would confiscate anything electronic in his room. He wasn¡¯t about to tell her that, though.


    ¡°And a cupcake?¡± Emotion strangled her voice, like Nick was the one who handed her a car key for her birthday.


    ¡°Uh, yeah.¡±


    Evelyn set the card and the cupcake down on her nightstand before she threw her arms around him. Nick grunted from the impact before hugging her back. He had learned long ago not to associate any strange emotion to PMS. He¡¯d done that when he was thirteen, once.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Never. Again.


    But with this level of emotion over a cupcake and a twenty-five-dollar gift card, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he needed to sneak her an extra bowl of ice cream.


    Nick awkwardly patted her back.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t need to!¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°It¡¯s your birthday.¡±


    ¡°You got me something, anyway? Using funds you were saving for your future? On me?¡± Evelyn¡¯s voice was still pitched high.


    ¡°I mean, sixteen is pretty special.¡±


    She was crying on his shoulder, and Nick did not understand this. At all. He did the only thing he could think of and kept patting her back awkwardly. ¡°Sorry.¡± She wiped her tears. ¡°Ugh! This day, right?¡±


    Again, Nick was confused. ¡°I guess so?¡±


    Evelyn grabbed a tissue, dabbing her eyes. ¡°First the car, then getting pulled over. At least I have my license now.¡± She threw away the tissue before clapping her hands. ¡°Right! I wanted to ask you. Did anything strange happen last night?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Grizzizzik made a contract with Chaos and is in his service to get a sword to kill his father,¡± Nick said casually, leaning against the door.


    Evelyn¡¯s face fell. ¡°Well shoot. I¡¯d hoped you knew something. Milo said I have traces of sleeping potion on me. Clarissa told him to stop studying me with that magnifying glass of his so I could go to bed. Something¡¯s going on, because someone drugged me last night.¡± She shivered. ¡°I don¡¯t like that. At all.¡±


    ¡°It was Grizzizzik.¡± Nick rubbed his chin. ¡°He wanted to make sure you were all asleep so he could make up a contract with Chaos in order to get a sword to kill his father.¡±


    Evelyn sighed. ¡°At least it narrows it down to someone from the Shrouded Domain. No one on earth knows how to make a sleeping potion. But I couldn¡¯t grab the sleeping potion. None of this makes any sense.¡±


    ¡°It was Grizzizzik. He drugged you all. I¡¯m assuming Chaos allowed you to get drugged so the two of them could sign this stupid contract. I¡¯ve got to do chaotic things to help him get the sword. It¡¯ll permanently kill his father. He¡¯s pretty sure I have to TP someone¡¯s house. Or the park. If I toilet paper the park by our house, Dad¡¯ll instantly think it¡¯s me.¡±


    Evelyn rubbed her arm, looking as though she hadn¡¯t heard him. Just like she did this morning when Nick told her repeatedly about last night. Or when on the ride to school he talked about what Grizzizzik had done while she was scrolling on social media, lost in her own thoughts. He said it to Derek, who used him as a momentary shield to hide from Emma before sprinting out the door. Said it to Rafael, who waved to him. Shouted it across the hall at Alejandra, while she gave him a disdainful look. His voice was getting hoarse at how much he talked today. No one listened to him. No one could. But he tried all the same.


    ¡°Ugh.¡± Evelyn shuddered. ¡°Do¡­ do you think anything happened to me? While I was under a sleeping potion?¡± The first trickle of fear entered her eyes.


    Nick shook his head. ¡°No. Nothing happened to you.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Because Grizzizzik did it in order to talk to Chaos to get a sword to kill his father.¡±


    Evelyn sighed. ¡°I guess that makes sense.¡±


    He doubted she understood what he said. She¡¯d react differently if she heard his words. Nick tried to keep a brave face, but the door to his room opened and Grizzizzik was there. Evelyn rubbed her arms again, looking nervous.


    ¡°Evie, please.¡± A heaviness entered his chest. ¡°Grizzizzik is telling me to TP the park. I don¡¯t want to do it.¡± His voice was quiet, aware that Grizzizzik was the only one who could hear.


    Evelyn dropped her hands. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Her face looked distracted as she pulled out her phone, scrolling. ¡°I should text Tyler, see what he thinks.¡±


    Nick closed his eyes, not sure how to take this. It unsettled him that no one could hear him. He went an entire day telling everyone what was happening. He wasn¡¯t sure how much longer he could keep telling them and having them not hear. A reminder that he was alone. Stuck with this horrible deal. Grizzizzik isolating him.


    ¡°Grizzizzik has me in a corner and I can¡¯t get out without a fight. I need your help,¡± Nick whispered.


    Evelyn nodded, texting on her phone. ¡°Alright. Good night, Nick.¡± She smiled at him. ¡°Thank you for your present. It means a lot. You helped me feel better.¡±


    She gave him one last hug before closing the door. Nick stood in the hallway, a dark feeling swirling in his chest. It was the numb feeling he got during the worst of the first year of his grounding, when few people trusted him. The dark feeling that promised he could survive through a day and not feel anything. Nick closed his eyes, steadying himself. He opened his eyes, keeping them downcast as he walked down the hall to his room. Grizzizzik followed.


    ¡°Why do you bother trying? You heard Chaos. I¡¯m the only one who can tell anyone.¡±


    Nick collapsed on his bed, head in his hands. ¡°Because this isn¡¯t right. You¡¯re dragging me under with you. You never should have made that deal.¡±


    Grizzizzik shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re getting that sword. It¡¯s the only way to kill my father.¡±


    ¡°You are forcing my hand,¡± Nick said, glaring at Grizzizzik. ¡°I don¡¯t like it when people force my hand.¡±


    ¡°You know what will happen if we don¡¯t do this,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Nick was breathing deeply, sick to his stomach. ¡°We? You¡¯re not doing anything.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a week. Two tops,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°A week?¡± Annoyance trickled into his voice. ¡°A week to get over ten thousand experience points? You¡¯ve been here for three months, and you¡¯ve managed two thousand eight hundred points!¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s lips disappeared as he thought. ¡°We¡¯ll¡­ do more fighting. I¡¯ll go solo if I have to.¡±


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t,¡± Nick said. ¡°You can¡¯t go solo and get two levels ahead of everyone. That puts everyone at risk. Everyone else can¡¯t be fighting level six creatures when they¡¯re still at level four.¡±


    Grizzizzik narrowed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll make it work.¡±


    Nick shook his head, not feeling the same enthusiasm. This was all feeling overwhelming. ¡°Just¡­ there¡¯s good chaos, right?¡±


    Grizzizzik scrunched up his bump of a snake nose. ¡°Good chaos?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s got to be something chaotic that leans more on the side of good. It can¡¯t all be vandalism and insulting police officers. There¡¯s got to be¡­ you know. Like Robin Hood.¡±


    Grizzizzik blinked, confused. Right. His rogue had never heard of Robin Hood.


    ¡°He stole money from rich people to give to the poor,¡± Nick


    His character blinked again. ¡°So, you¡¯d like to steal from a bank. Or Derek? I hear his parents are rich.¡±


    Nick deflated, horror growing in his chest. ¡°God, no.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Grizzizzik shrugged. ¡°So, we¡¯ll keep doing it the way I want you to.¡±


    Nick¡¯s scarred eyebrow twitched.

 Chapter 158

    Alejandra walked into school on Thursday, nervous. She was always nervous, but this time she could pinpoint why. The full moon was tomorrow. Ezekiel had a crazy plan that felt out there, but maybe it would work. From what she understood of Evelyn¡¯s text, Ezekiel was sleeping as long as he could. The cleansing spell would start tonight with a lot of fasting and prayer. The full ritual lasted twenty-four hours. Once the moon rose, the final part of the ritual lasted thirty minutes. Everyone would be there in support and to make sure no one interrupted it.


    So Akshi couldn¡¯t interrupt it.


    Alejandra sighed as she went to her locker to prepare for the day. So many things could go wrong, but they had to try. She hoped Akshi didn¡¯t show up. Derek and Milo discovered a great place that was private and promised to take them tomorrow night. Alejandra didn¡¯t want to know. She was almost too scared to attend. If something went wrong, if Ezekiel turned into a wererat, if Hraktar had to pick up a great axe to kill his friend in wererat form¡­


    Alejandra closed her eyes, steadying herself. If that happened, Hraktar would not recover. That was what scared her so much. There was so much between Hraktar and Ezekiel¡¯s history. Stuff Alejandra never talked about with him, because Hraktar was in danger of entering a depressive funk every time. She¡¯d roleplayed it so much she could feel the depression herself. Hraktar had caused Ezekiel so much pain. It was almost a cruel irony to ask Hraktar to kill him.


    ¡°¡­and then Nick forced Rafael to resign from the football team,¡± someone said.


    Alejandra¡¯s ears pricked up. She wasn¡¯t sure what happened, but she didn¡¯t enjoy hearing people saying Rafael¡¯s name. Rumors were always swirling around Elmwood High.


    ¡°Ugh, that guy will never get the revenge he seeks,¡± someone said.


    ¡°The question of how Evelyn still doesn¡¯t have a boyfriend makes sense now. Who would ever want to date her when she¡¯s got a psycho brother?¡±


    Alejandra vaguely recognized some girls, most of them in drama. She shut her locker and walked through the halls, confused. She had a guess where Rafael was.


    Her guess was right. He was with his football friends, holding Hazel¡¯s hand. He glanced at her and smiled. ¡°Hey, Alejandra.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡± Alejandra glanced at Hazel, then back at Rafael. ¡°Just to be clear¡­ your decision to resign from football¡­¡±


    Rafael waited, the smile on his face fading. She realized it was a touchy subject, and when she said it out loud, her ears pricked with heat. The more gazes that fell on her face, the more flushed she became.


    ¡°Oh yeah. I heard Nick threatened you,¡± one of his buddies said.


    Rafael blinked, his face morphing to surprise. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Did he?¡± someone else asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Rafael straightened. ¡°No, it was my choice.¡±


    ¡°Your choice? Why would you do that?¡± one of them asked. Rafael gave him a dull stare, and the boy shook his head. ¡°You can¡¯t get rid of your guilt by self-inflicted punishment.¡±


    Alejandra agreed, but Rafael folded his arms, glaring at the boy. ¡°I don¡¯t expect anyone to understand. But hell, if you go to a doctor with an infection and no one does anything about it, sometimes you¡¯ve got to do the procedure yourself to survive.¡±


    ¡°You can be quite melodramatic, Rafael,¡± someone else said.


    Rafael shook his head, pushing himself off the wall and walking away. Hazel frowned, then followed.


    ***


    Rafael walked down the hall, hands in his pockets.


    ¡°Rafael, wait.¡± Hazel moved quickly to catch up with him. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Just annoyed, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Annoyed? With Jorge?¡±


    ¡°With¡­ everyone.¡±


    Hazel grabbed his arm, stopping him. ¡°With me?¡±


    Rafael let out another breath. ¡°Sorta.¡±


    She frowned, but didn¡¯t look hurt. ¡°What does sorta mean?¡±


    ¡°I did a horrible thing to Evelyn.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did. Years ago,¡± Hazel said.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°And everyone acts as though me placing any sort of barrier is strange and unnecessary.¡±


    Hazel glanced at her fingers, shaking her head. ¡°You did do a wrong thing, Rafael, but you¡¯re fixing it.¡±


    ¡°Yet every time I suggest a boundary for myself, most of you act like I¡¯m making an outlandish request. There are practically no boundaries for me.¡±


    Hazel sighed. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant. I completely support you in your decision, and I¡¯m positive this will help Evelyn.¡±


    Rafael shook his head, staring at her. ¡°Why did you stick around, Hazel? I assaulted someone, and you¡¯re still by my side.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my decision too. It was three years ago, Rafael. You have done nothing to prove you¡¯d do it again.¡±


    Rafael touched his head, hearing the growl of the monster again. Terrified of that creature. Afraid it still wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°You don¡¯t know. We haven¡¯t even been dating for six months. You just assume I¡¯m good, because that¡¯s all you see in people. I thought it was admirable, but¡­¡±


    Hazel looked genuinely confused. ¡°Rafael, you won¡¯t do that again.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t I?¡± Rafael¡¯s breathing got more erratic. ¡°How can I know I¡¯ll never do it again when I never thought I¡¯d do it in the first place?¡± He flexed his fingers, trying not to curl them into fists. ¡°I can¡¯t trust myself, Hazel. And I¡¯m¡­ terrified too many people are trusting me, anyway.¡±


    Hazel looked confused, and a little worried. She about said something when Rafael heard Derek coming down the hall. Heard was the best way to describe it. Derek was doing his fast shuffle, his feet scuffing against the ground. As he got closer, they heard his panicked breathing.


    ¡°Hey, hey Rafael, my buddy,¡± Derek said as soon as he appeared around the hall.


    Rafael stiffened, prepared for some sort of fight. Derek was panicked. He was sort of dating Emma. If Pippa the part succubus came around the bend too, he¡¯d need to be prepared. Ezekiel¡¯s character sheet appeared, but he stopped from teleporting his cleric to his side.


    Derek rushed up to him, breathing deeply. He had lipstick all over his face. ¡°So good to see you, my friend.¡±


    Hazel glanced at Rafael, nervous, before she pulled out a makeup remover wipe and pointed to¡­ all over her face.


    ¡°Are you alright, Derek?¡± Rafael¡¯s voice dropped in volume.


    Derek sighed, eyes darting around as he wiped the lipstick off his face. ¡°You know? I¡¯ve had better days.¡±


    ¡°I think we all have,¡± Rafael said.


    Hazel looked at him again, her face falling. Rafael wasn¡¯t sure if he should acknowledge the look.


    ¡°I need your help. Desperately. You and Hazel Jones,¡± Derek said. ¡°Please, go on a double date with us on Sunday. I can¡¯t be alone with Emma, but she keeps begging to go somewhere.¡±


    Rafael deflated. ¡°Derek, are you sure you want to do this?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m positive I want to go on a date with my toxic used to be ex-girlfriend to make her think I¡¯m falling for her, so a part succubus, part fae woman who almost murdered Milo last week doesn¡¯t do anything worse.¡± Derek kept his eyes on the edge of the hallway.


    Rafael sighed, rubbing his head. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll iron out some details. Never be alone with her. Keep her off our tails, at least until after tomorrow. And¡­ seriously consider breaking things off with her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try, but¡­¡± Derek gave a defeated shrug. ¡°If I do¡­ will Pippa come after me?¡±


    Rafael didn¡¯t like it. Any of it. The thing he hated the most was that he didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Pippa¡­ can¡¯t hurt you. Not yet.¡±


    ¡°Not that we know of?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Derek!¡±


    His friend physically recoiled, even though he had his back to Emma as she appeared from the hallway, heading for him. She hugged him around the back, gripping him, and Derek closed his eyes, trying to smile. Rafael winced. This wasn¡¯t healthy.


    Derek patted her hand. ¡°Hey, babe!¡±


    It terrified Rafael how smoothly Derek transitioned into complete and total control.


    ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± Emma peeked her head around to see Rafael and Hazel.


    ¡°My friends,¡± Derek said.


    Emma¡¯s eyes fell on Hazel before they narrowed. Out of instinct, Rafael took Hazel¡¯s hand, squeezing it. She squeezed back.


    ¡°Ah, yes. Hazel Jones. I didn¡¯t know you and Derek knew each other,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Yeah. We do. You must be Emma. Weren¡¯t you in The Little Mermaid a couple of years ago?¡± Hazel asked.


    Emma smiled, straightening. ¡°I was, yes.¡± She flipped her hair. ¡°Ariel, in fact. I brought in such a crowd that they¡¯re doing Beauty and the Beast this year so I can do the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Yeah, I¡¯ll have to come see Beauty and the Beast. I wasn¡¯t able to see The Little Mermaid,¡± Hazel said. Emma¡¯s face dropped back into that dangerously narrow gaze. ¡°So are you Belle?¡±


    ¡°I will be,¡± Emma said. ¡°Try outs are next month.¡± She glanced at Derek, the narrowed eyes turning far more smirk-like. ¡°And you¡¯re trying out for beast, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ up to Mr. Jensen, of course,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Of course. But if he were smart, he¡¯d put us in the leads.¡± Emma pulled out her phone. ¡°Couple photo!¡±


    Derek smiled, relaxed. Rafael was seriously worried about Derek¡¯s acting ability. He looked fully invested in Emma, even as he was terrified of her moments before she arrived.


    ¡°Hey, Rafael and Hazel want to go on a double date with us,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Mmm, yes.¡± Emma looked back at Hazel. ¡°It¡¯ll be so good to get to know you, Hazel.¡± Right at that moment, Emma¡¯s eyes glowed a dangerous red color. Rafael cut the circulation to Hazel¡¯s hand by how tightly he squeezed it, not daring to look around to search for Pippa. Hazel let out a tiny gasp, glancing at Rafael, but he didn¡¯t look at her. He kept his gaze right at Emma, the redness in her pupils. They lasted for about three seconds before disappearing, and once they did, Rafael¡¯s gaze shot toward Derek. Despite his acting, Derek tried desperately not to react.


    ¡°Great! I¡¯m excited to get to know you on Sunday,¡± Hazel said.


    Emma just smiled, then returned to her phone. ¡°Yeah.¡± It was absent, as she brushed her hand through her hair and touched up her makeup. ¡°It¡¯ll be fun.¡± She walked away, holding Derek¡¯s hand. Derek clearly wanted to stay and talk, but Emma had him, and he shot them an apologetic look as she dragged him away.


    Hazel looked nervous, and Rafael felt obligated to ease her concerns. ¡°We don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I won¡¯t leave Derek to go on a date by himself.¡±


    ¡°Hazel¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know. I saw her red eyes.¡± She watched Derek and Emma merging with the other students. ¡°I doubt it had anything to do with me specifically.¡±


    Rafael wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to put that all to chance. He couldn¡¯t help it, bringing her close to hug her. Hazel saw the mythical creatures, but she had no character to protect her. Rafael wanted to call the whole thing off. Despite his confusion about what he wanted from a relationship with Hazel, he knew if anything happened to her, it would rival the biggest mistake he¡¯d already made in his life.

 Chapter 159

    Nick had his book open on the lunch table, but he didn¡¯t read it. He didn¡¯t even pretend to move his eyes. Instead, all Friday morning, he thought about how to escape his house for a while to TP a park.


    Walt installed a doorbell camera, but no other cameras were around the house. The camera would turn on if it sensed movement, so as long as he didn¡¯t go near the door, he¡¯d be fine. But he couldn¡¯t get his bike from the garage, since they also had motion detection lights above the garage door. That might trigger the doorbell camera.


    Which meant he¡¯d have to walk. He didn¡¯t dare toilet paper anyone¡¯s house, because he was certain everyone in his neighborhood had security systems. The park was the best option. As much as it made his stomach churn.


    God, he couldn¡¯t do this again.


    That evening at work, two hours into his shift, he took a bathroom break and brought his backpack with him. He grabbed five rolls of toilet paper and stuffed them into his backpack to unload them later into Evelyn¡¯s car. Toward the end of his shift, he grabbed six more before saying goodnight to everyone and slipping out the back door. He checked his watch. The full moon would rise in two and a half hours, and Ezekiel¡¯s cleansing ritual would be complete. They had to be prepared for anything.


    As he drove home, he formed a plan to get toilet paper into his house. To sneak it past Walt. There was no way he was keeping this in the back of the car, but he was also painfully aware that he¡¯d need to keep it somewhere under Walt¡¯s roof.


    Nick pulled into the garage and grabbed his bag with six toilet paper rolls inside. He walked inside, sliding the rolls under his bed before pressing his luck by doing it again, walking outside and gathering the last five toilet paper rolls before heading inside. He went to open his bedroom door when Walt opened the door down the hall. His father walked right up to him, and Nick¡¯s heart tried to leap out of his throat.


    ¡°You will pick up Evelyn at the football game in another hour, then you¡¯ll hang out with your CCNC buddies. You keep your phone on you, and when I tell you to come home, you will come home. Understand?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°Yep.¡± Nick kept his voice steady, despite his heart wanting to swan dive onto the carpet.


    ¡°Give me the key until then.¡± Walt held out his hand.


    What would I do with a car key in my room for an hour? It was a phrase he left unsaid, because he needed to be on his father¡¯s good side. A question said with annoyance could cause Walt to search his room again, and there were currently six rolls of toilet paper under his bed.


    Nick didn¡¯t dare sigh as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the key. In the two days since Evelyn owned this pair of keys, there was already an Elmwood cheer key chain and some pink poofy thing. It was definitely Evelyn¡¯s car key. He dropped it in Walt¡¯s open palm before walking into his room.


    ¡°Nick.¡±


    He froze, taking a second to control his face before glancing over his shoulder. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Once you pick up your sister, she¡¯s the one who¡¯s driving. You need to get used to this.¡±


    Nick had nothing to say. It was almost laughable that Walt was micromanaging this when they were about to make sure Ezekiel got the protection he needed to do his cleansing ritual to keep him from becoming a wererat. Even if they weren¡¯t about to do this, he had a bag full of toilet paper he stole from Mr. Morgan¡¯s store to TP a park to upgrade Grizzizzik¡¯s sword to help murder his father permanently. He was far more nervous about that than the cleansing ritual, if he was being honest.


    Nick walked into his room, shutting the door and shoving the toilet paper under his bed. He then sat down, cradling his head as he tried not to think. It never worked. He was a ball of nerves. He stole from Mr. Morgan. Of everything on his plan, this felt the worst. He didn¡¯t dare take toilet paper from school, because there were cameras everywhere. Mr. Morgan trusted him, and for that alone, Nick felt nauseous. If he ever got caught, if Mr. Morgan fired him¡­


    Nick rubbed his head, holding back a sob. It was the possibility of Mr. Morgan¡¯s disappointment in him that almost made him risk returning the toilet paper. To tell him everything. About CCNC, about Grizzizzik¡¯s stupid plan, but it would be pointless. Evelyn couldn¡¯t even hear him. How could Mr. Morgan?Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The door opened, and Grizzizzik slipped through. It caused Nick to jump, prompting Grizzizzik to roll his eyes. ¡°You act like you¡¯ve never done a horrible thing in your life.¡±


    ¡°There are times I regret creating you. I¡¯ve been in a constant state of regret since Halloween.¡±


    Grizzizzik grunted, sitting at the desk. ¡°I am who you wished you were if you possessed a spine.¡±


    ¡°I never want to be you.¡±


    ¡°I am you.¡± Grizzizzik jerked his head toward the door. ¡°Life dealt us horrible cards. We both have shitty fathers who micromanage every aspect of our lives. And when we try to do our own thing, they throw us in a prison. Humiliate us in front of our peers.¡±


    The words slipped out of Nick. ¡°I wasn¡¯t ¡®doing my thing¡¯. I was committing a crime.¡±


    ¡°And do you deserve the punishment he¡¯s given you for the crime?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    Nick couldn¡¯t look at him. Grizzizzik said what everyone else secretly knew. Walt was too strict. He saw it in the pitiful glances of his friends. The winces as he described what Walt did to him. The frowns as they concluded what he¡¯d known all along. There was nothing anyone could do to stop Walt.


    ¡°You know what Akshi did to me. He dragged me to the dungeon, starving me for three days. Brought me out among his peers to humiliate me. I outsmarted every single one of them and escaped.¡± Grizzizzik walked toward Nick. ¡°You have it worse. You caved.¡±


    Nick stood, because he didn¡¯t want Grizzizzik towering over him. Talking about this with his rogue exhausted him, but he tried again. ¡°If you don¡¯t get it now, you never will. The laws here are different. My dad can¡¯t do to me what Akshi did to you, and I can¡¯t do what you did to Akshi. It. Is. Illegal.¡±


    Grizzizzik gave a nonchalant shrug, which gave Nick a powerful urge to punch his character. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s almost nicer to have that more brutal existence. It¡¯s easier to weed out the assholes in your life. You¡¯re experiencing a much slower death. So slow you don¡¯t even realize how much it¡¯s hurting you.¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s hurting me. God, I¡¯m taking a year off from school to recover.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± Grizzizzik pointed toward Walt¡¯s room. ¡°He¡¯s got you contained, but you need to assert your dominance. You need to show you will not take his shit.¡±


    ¡°By killing him?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°No. Not by killing him. There are other ways.¡±


    Nick glanced at his character, his eyes narrowed. ¡°If you honestly think you have any credibility in making my life easier, then maybe you shouldn¡¯t have made a deal with Chaos.¡±


    Grizzizzik smiled, shaking his head. ¡°This will help. It will strengthen you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to commit a crime to get what I want,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°No one who commits crime actually does so because they have another choice. Laws and rules. They¡¯re not meant for people like us.¡±


    There was a dark feeling in Nick¡¯s gut. Almost a righteous anger. He¡¯d placed it away for so long that he almost forgot what it felt like. Nick closed his eyes.


    ¡°There are always people who fall through the cracks,¡± Grizzizzik whispered, placing a hand on his rapier. ¡°Always people the law can¡¯t quite help. Everyone else lives in a beautiful, lawful society that helps them, but not for us. We live in a far more barbaric world, you and I. Survival of the fittest. You can either rise to the top yourself, or you can die with the weak.¡±


    Nick glared at the floor. ¡°I refuse to believe that I am among the lawlessness you describe. I still have a choice. If you hadn¡¯t made this ridiculous contract, I could have happily waited these next five months until my birthday. That is where the law can help me. My dad has no more power over me the second I turn eighteen.¡±


    Grizzizzik sighed, almost disappointed. ¡°Ezekiel is not yours, you know.¡±


    Nick thought of the many directions this conversation could go. Bringing up Ezekiel was not one of them. ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°In the beginning, when we came here. You tried taking on Ezekiel as your character. He isn¡¯t you.¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Then stop acting like him. Stop it with your naivety. Stop this battle of who you think you are. That stupid cleric would already be dead if he had my life.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡±


    It was far more of a challenge. The truth was, Nick wasn¡¯t sure what to believe. He couldn¡¯t imagine Ezekiel as the son of Akshi, because he didn¡¯t have to. Ezekiel had his own trials to overcome, and he did so in a way true to his character.


    ¡°Ezekiel isn¡¯t¡­ Akshi isn¡¯t his father,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°And that¡¯s the difference, right?¡± Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes were cool and calculating. ¡°I am the son of Akshi, crime lord of Osvoroth. I hate that he¡¯s my father, but at least he¡¯s given me the skills needed to survive. You¡¯ve got to realize that, too. Remember who your father is, and use that to your advantage.¡±


    The door opened, and Walt walked in. ¡°Go get Evelyn. She¡¯ll watch you, but I still want you home before eleven.¡±


    Nick wasn¡¯t prepared for the jarring difference in conversation. He stared at Walt, almost confused. Walt held out the keys to Evelyn¡¯s car, and Nick stared at them. He¡¯d been talking way too long to his character. Things were making sense. It scared him when Grizzizzik made sense.


    Nick walked over to Walt, hardly glancing at him as he grabbed the keys. Grizzizzik followed with a smirk as they walked outside and got into the car. Nick situated himself, then placed the key in the ignition, the engine breaking the silence.


    Grizzizzik glanced at Nick. ¡°You know I¡¯m right.¡±


    Nick shifted gears, glaring at the road as he pulled out of the driveway. ¡°We¡¯re done talking.¡±


    In reply, Grizzizzik leaned back in his seat and smirked.

 Chapter 160

    Nick got out of the car and didn¡¯t walk far before seeing Evelyn sprinting toward him with her cheer bag. Despite her street clothes, she was still done up in her cheerleader makeup, which was always over the top and ridiculous.


    ¡°Moonrise is in forty-five minutes.¡± She stuffed her bag in the back. ¡°I¡¯ll stick the directions on my phone and then we can go.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Sure. Here you go.¡± Nick tossed her the keys.


    Evelyn almost dropped her phone trying to catch them. ¡°Wait, what?¡± She stared at the keys like they weren¡¯t hers.


    ¡°Dad¡¯s rule, remember? When we¡¯re both in the car, you need to drive.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Evelyn tossed the keys back to him. ¡°I need you to drive, because I need to get some of this makeup off.¡±


    ¡°And if dad asks you about this?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll lie.¡± Evelyn slid into the passenger seat.


    Lie. A small crime, because Walt was unreasonable. Like what Grizzizzik said. Except this wasn¡¯t nearly as big as toilet papering the park.


    Nick settled in as Evelyn hit something on her phone and the navigation speaker came on, giving them instructions. Nick started the car as Evelyn brought down the visor. Grizzizzik remained quiet in the back, though he shot confused looks at Evelyn¡¯s face.


    ¡°Do you need me to drive carefully?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°I hope you always drive carefully.¡± Evelyn touched the edge of her glitter fake lashes before easing them off her eyelashes. ¡°But we¡¯ve also got to get there fast. Just in case.¡±


    Nick shrugged as he put the car in reverse and backed out of the parking lot. Once the glittery fake lashes were out, she went to work taking off the glittery eyeshadow.


    ¡°Why do you even put on that stuff?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s fun.¡± Evelyn got another wipe ready. ¡°Cheerleaders go all out for school spirit, Nick. It¡¯s in our contract.¡±


    Nick wasn¡¯t sure what to do other than keep his focus on the road. Though he noticed when she pulled out her mascara and applied a fresh coat on her glitter free eyelashes. ¡°I doubt anyone in the group cares if your lashes didn¡¯t have as much makeup.¡±


    Evelyn shot him such a glare. He half expected her to wield the mascara wand like a dagger. ¡°I care.¡±


    Nick shrugged, logging this in as yet another thing he wouldn¡¯t understand about his little sister.


    She whimpered. ¡°Dammit, there they are. I¡¯m never sleeping in makeup again!¡± She rubbed her chin, whimpering. ¡°Stupid cluster of zits.¡± She said it so harshly Nick wondered if she made up a new swear word. But he realized she was being truthful. There were three zits on her chin, and a few on her hairline that she covered again in makeup.


    It took them fifteen minutes to get there, leaving less than a half an hour before moonrise. Nick pulled into a dirt parking lot. There was another hiking trail, but they saw their friends not that far.


    Evelyn still kept her hair in a tight ponytail covered in glitter, but not only did she make her eyes not as glittery, but she got the EH off her cheek, and the wolf off the other. She picked some rhinestones off her temples as they walked over to meet their friends. Grizzizzik remained behind them, hands in his pockets.


    ¡°Everything go okay?¡± Nick asked, moving toward Tyler.


    ¡°Yeah. Rafael got here early and helped set up. Ezekiel¡¯s still praying, so we¡¯re trying to give him a semblance of privacy.¡±


    Nick saw Ezekiel kneeling in the dirt a few yards away. There were three objects in a triangle with him in the center. Nick shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s got to be exhausted.¡±


    Tyler checked his phone. ¡°He¡¯s approaching twenty-four hours of no food or water. At least he¡¯s got his friends. They¡¯re preparing a huge feast once this is all over.¡±


    Nick watched Grizzizzik move toward Clarissa and Hraktar. The rogue didn¡¯t get too close, folding his arms and standing at a distance. Milo sat cross-legged on the ground, his wrench out as he fiddled with some sort of mask, strings of red mana weaving in and out of the wrench.


    Alejandra and Derek were talking to each other. Considering the cold look Alejandra shot him, he did nothing more than wave. Derek returned his wave with enthusiasm as Alejandra dropped her gaze.


    ¡°Hey, Evelyn. Everything alright?¡± Tyler asked.


    Nick glanced at his sister, seeing her holding her hand over her chin, covering her zits. ¡°Yep. Fine.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Yeah, cool.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s got some¡ª¡±


    ¡°Everything! Is! Just fine,¡± Evelyn said, cutting Nick off.


    His sister was weird.


    ¡°But what about you, Tyler! You got a girlfriend,¡± Evelyn said.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Tyler smiled, glancing over at where Ezekiel was praying. ¡°Yeah. Charlette¡¯s pretty great.¡±


    Evelyn lowered her hand enough to show a smile. ¡°Where¡¯d you two meet?¡±


    ¡°My alien class. I love that class.¡±


    Evelyn scrunched up her face. ¡°Alien class?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what we call it. It¡¯s a science class that talks about the possibility of aliens.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡± Evelyn sounded confused. Tyler just chuckled.


    ¡°Yeah, we went on a few dates, then we¡¯ve been hanging out a lot during the week. She¡¯s getting her degree in nursing, and she¡¯s working each weekend at a nursing home as part of the support staff. She¡¯s the most wonderful girl, and I am the luckiest guy.¡±


    ¡°Aww, that¡¯s so sweet.¡± Evelyn found an excuse to keep her hand against her chin, glancing away.


    Nick folded his arms. ¡°Does she even know what you¡¯re doing over the weekend?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve tried to explain it to her. Pretty sure if she actually heard me, she¡¯d freak out more.¡± Tyler rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°I certainly did when I heard. I hate that I¡¯m keeping a secret from her, and it almost hurts worse that I don¡¯t have a choice about it.¡±


    That statement hit a bit too close to home. He glanced at his phone again as Tyler and Evelyn started a conversation about the football game. Rafael was standing as close to Ezekiel as he could, watching him while also scanning the area to keep him safe. Ezekiel really didn¡¯t look that great. His off-white fur was thicker. He had a pointed rat nose and big front teeth, but he remained in fervent prayer.


    A hand grabbed Nick¡¯s hair, even if there wasn¡¯t much there to grab. He was about to fight when a blade pressed against his throat and every muscle in his body stiffened.


    ¡°Every single one of you take three steps away from me.¡± Akshi never spoke loud, but everyone heard. Alejandra covered her mouth as she moved back, grabbing Derek on the way, her eyes wide.


    ¡°No, Nick!¡± Evelyn moved toward them instead of back. Tyler grabbed her arm, moving her back with him. Milo and Clarissa leapt into action by throwing themselves in front of Ezekiel, weapons in front of them. Ezekiel kept on mumbling his prayer, which was good. He couldn¡¯t lose his concentration. Grizzizzik already had his short bow out, looking delighted to have a chance at hurting his father. Hraktar kept his body stiff, ready for anything.


    With a clinking sound, Akshi pulled out a pair of old manacles, linked with a short length of chain. ¡°Put those on slow and careful.¡± Akshi handed them to Nick before grabbing the back of his head again.


    ¡°You can¡¯t hurt me,¡± Nick muttered as he placed the first manacle on his wrist.


    ¡°Yes, I can.¡± Akshi¡¯s voice brought a chill down Nick¡¯s spine. ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing with Robert Stower. True, I can¡¯t go too deep into the skin, but you don¡¯t need to plunge far into the neck before you find an artery.¡±


    Nick had a sinking feeling in his gut as he put on the second manacle. If Akshi tried to hurt him, even a punch, the gray marks on his skin would react. He wasn¡¯t too keen on having Akshi find out about those. The conversation was more to distract Akshi from making sure he didn¡¯t ask Nick to manacle his hands behind his back, because he was already thinking of something reckless. Perhaps even chaotic.


    Grizzizzik nocked one of his arrows on the string. ¡°Let him go.¡±


    ¡°You stole a weapon from me.¡± Akshi forced Nick forward. He had no choice but to comply. ¡°I¡¯d like it back, please. And for your lesson, I¡¯d like your cleric in his wererat form, so you know never to steal from me again.¡±


    In reply, Clarissa held out a hand, something burning in her palm before it lengthened into a blade and she grabbed the hilt, swinging it around to get a better grip as she glared at Akshi. ¡°You will let the boy go.¡±


    ¡°Or what?¡± Akshi sounded genuinely curious. ¡°I¡¯ve already defeated you once. Would you like a rematch?¡±


    ¡°Deities above, yes.¡± Grizzizzik lifted his bow and pointed it right between Akshi¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Grizzizzik,¡± Alejandra whispered, terrified.


    The rogue did nothing but smirk.


    ¡°Where is Pippa?¡± Milo asked, his crossbow out.


    ¡°With Emma. As always.¡± Akshi kept his eyes on Grizzizzik.


    ¡°Believe nothing he says.¡± Grizzizzik kept his arrow pointed right between Akshi¡¯s eyes.


    Nick kept his gaze downcast, doing his best not to bring attention to himself. He could almost feel his heartbeat against the blade as it pressed tighter against his throat.


    ¡°We are wasting time. Give me my other weapon,¡± Akshi hissed.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. We are wasting time,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Time froze.


    Roll to hit.


    Nick let out an uneasy breath as he had a moment alone to process that Akshi was here with a sword against his throat.


    ¡°You alright, kid?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    It took a lot more out of him to not jump, but having a blade to his throat helped in his desire not to move a muscle. His stomach still clenched at someone else observing him. He looked over at Grizzizzik, who was busy staring at Akshi. The rogue held himself so still that it took Nick a second to realize he wasn¡¯t frozen.


    ¡°Yeah. Just figuring out how to get out of this.¡± Nick attempted to push against Akshi¡¯s frozen hand holding the blade. It was harder than moving a boulder.


    ¡°If you return home with blood on your shirt, it won¡¯t be chaotic enough,¡± Grizzizzik whispered.


    ¡°Good to know. I still hate you for that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware. It¡¯s why I don¡¯t make friends easily.¡±


    Nick closed his eyes, feeling grumpy. ¡°You make friends fine. It¡¯s keeping them that you struggle with.¡±


    Grizzizzik snorted. ¡°Agree to disagree.¡±


    ¡°Now is not the time for this.¡±


    ¡°I know. Because we need to kill him.¡± The bow tightened. ¡°Can you move?¡±


    Nick had been trying the entire time. Akshi¡¯s grip was like stone. He didn¡¯t like that a sharp long sword was placed against his throat, because it made moving difficult. Instead, Nick grabbed the excess chain and circled it around the blade before holding onto the chain again.


    ¡°I can try this, but I need you to not hit me,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one rolling the dice.¡±


    ¡°That gives me no comfort.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes remained on Akshi, cool and calculating as he kept one of his tooth arrows pointed between his father¡¯s eyes. ¡°Once you get down, run straight for me. Or Hraktar. Stay close enough to be within arm¡¯s reach, but far enough that you¡¯re not getting blood splattered on you. Once we¡¯re done protecting Ezekiel, I¡¯ll pick the lock of those manacles.¡±


    Nick nodded, opening his palm as the d20 flew into it. The chains clinked as he shook the dice, then watched as it bounced and spun on the invisible table. The twelve +4 was more to ease his anxiety, as a d6 appeared.


    ¡°Thank god, you¡¯re going to hit,¡± Nick mumbled.


    Grizzizzik kept his eyes trained on Akshi. ¡°I know.¡±


    Nick rolled the d6, and it landed on a one. Despite the +2, he decided not to let Grizzizzik know about that.


    Nick used the surprise of time unfreezing to pull with all his might on the chain, making sure the sword jerked away from him. Once it was gone from his throat, he dropped to the ground, the manacles almost bringing the long sword down with him. Grizzizzik shot his arrow, and despite the jostling Nick caused Akshi, the arrow sliced through his arm. Akshi hissed as Nick got free, running straight for Hraktar. The fighter was closest to Grizzizzik, and Nick felt safer running toward a half-orc than anyone else.


    Hraktar pulled out his great sword, waiting for Nick to get closer before stepping in front of him and snarled at Akshi. The crime lord, holding his shoulder, simply smiled at the group. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll kill you all, then my prize will be the cleric in wererat form.¡±


    Time froze again.


    Roll for initiative.

 Chapter 161

    This time Grizzizzik was frozen with everyone else, though the look of revenge was clear on his face. At least he was level four now.


    Nick grabbed the dice and gave it a good shake. Nat twenty. He hoped that was a good omen for how he would roll for the future. Nick glanced at his clock on the phone and saw it was a minute to ten o¡¯clock. This would be a long minute. He glanced at the horizon, seeing it lighten where the moon was ready to peek over.


    The d20 appeared back in his vision.


    Roll to hit.


    Nick shook it, taking a deep breath. Grizzizzik would be the first to attack. He was also an idiot, and would run right up and use his rapier when he no longer had poison protection tattoos. They weren¡¯t ready for this. Not like before.


    Nick rolled, his hands still manacled, and saw it clatter on nineteen. He tried not to get too excited, but Grizzizzik could finally hit his father. He grabbed the d8, rolled it, and was happy enough to see it land on a three. The +2 was always welcome, but he was no Hraktar.


    Time resumed, and as expected, Grizzizzik ran right up to his father and slashed him against his already injured shoulder. Akshi let out a grunt before facing him, his teeth lengthening.


    ¡°Grizzizzik,¡± Nick couldn¡¯t help but say. Akshi packed a punch with his bite, and they were down one healer. Ezekiel could not join this fight until he was cleansed.


    Akshi reached out, trying to bite Grizzizzik¡¯s shoulder, but he dodged it, snarling. Nick¡¯s shoulders relaxed. For now, Grizzizzik was fine. Akshi was about to say something when another arrow sailed through the air and smacked his shoulder. Soon after, Hraktar let out a shout, bringing down his great sword toward the crime lord. It made a deep gash in his snake body that made him stumble back, snarling at Hraktar.


    ¡°You think you¡¯ve¡ª¡± One of Milo¡¯s crossbow bolts not only cut off Akshi¡¯s phrase, but his shoulder, too. He went to sneer at Milo when he got cannon fire right to the chest, throwing him back five feet.


    Milo rested his cannon on his shoulder. ¡°You were saying?¡±


    Akshi gripped his chest, glaring at Milo. One round, and Akshi looked haggard. They might actually kill Akshi. Or, rather, they might kill him before he resurrects himself in a few days.


    Nick was so focused on the battle that he didn¡¯t notice Evelyn approaching until she threw her arms around him. She whimpered before backing him further from the fight.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± Nick watched the battle as she pulled him closer to Tyler.


    ¡°You stay with us until he¡¯s dead,¡± Evelyn said.


    Tyler glanced at her. ¡°If he dies.¡±


    His little sister¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°If they don¡¯t kill him, I will.¡±


    Tyler and Nick exchanged worried glances.


    Akshi pointed a finger at Milo. ¡°I will have your throat.¡±


    Grizzizzik lifted his rapier, bringing it down hard on Akshi, but he raised his long sword, blocking it easily. He sneered, then shot his hand forward, a bolt of lightning escaping him. Nick ducked to be certain it wouldn¡¯t hit him.


    Roll a dexterity save throw.


    Nick closed his eyes, reminding himself that Grizzizzik was at level four now. He might survive. Hopefully.


    Eight. That wasn¡¯t good. Not good at all.


    Failed save.


    Nick winced, prepared for the worst.


    Time resumed, and the bolt of lightning shot through all the characters. Grizzizzik got hit the hardest, with his hit points dropping to ten. Everyone else rolled a save, with them losing about ten hit points each. Not bad, but he was pretty sure Akshi could do that spell again.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it!¡± a new voice shouted. Nick spun around, seeing Pippa behind him. Pippa had snuck up behind them all to get Ezekiel. She scooped up the sword from the triangle and held it up to Akshi. ¡°Set up the spell! I have it!¡±


    She then paused as the sword flickered and turned into a rock. Nick frowned, glancing at the rock in her hand. She wasn¡¯t the only one. Some characters, too, were confused.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Pippa asked.


    Milo partially raised his hand. ¡°Yeah, that one¡¯s on me.¡±


    Pippa stared at Milo, then looked at Ezekiel kneeling in prayer in the middle of the triangle. Pippa threw the rock at the cleric, and it sailed right through. Ezekiel, or the copy of the cleric, went right on praying. Though he flickered before disappearing. Pippa snarled at Milo. ¡°Where is he!¡±


    Milo gave her a look. Pippa would have to do more than that to get her answer. Clarissa raised her hand, the spirit of the bear circling around the group, giving everyone an added nine hit points, which made Nick more relieved.


    Evelyn lifted Nick¡¯s arm, tugging at the manacles around his wrists


    ¡°Grizzizzik will pick the lock when he¡¯s not so busy.¡± Nick held up his wrists.


    Evelyn frowned, but nodded. ¡°Fine.¡±


    Clarissa tried to attack Pippa with a thorn whip, but the woman dodged it, snarling.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    With a loud shout, Hraktar raised his great sword. Akshi was distracted with Pippa¡¯s discovery, so he didn¡¯t pay attention to Hraktar¡¯s first strike, which was a wide swing into the gut. Akshi shouted in pain as the sword went in deep. With an almost flourish, Hraktar swung the great sword around before slamming it down against Akshi¡¯s head. Grizzizzik raised a hand to block the blood that splattered across his face before he took a few steps back, eyes wide. Akshi gurgled, then his scales turned to dust as his body disintegrated. Nick¡¯s jaw dropped open as the dust flew through the wind and Akshi disappeared. Nick couldn¡¯t help it and looked at Alejandra, who was beaming.


    ¡°I love nat twenties.¡±


    Clarissa spun around, picking up her flame blade and heading for Pippa. Pippa, who now had a turn at being distracted by Akshi¡¯s disintegrating body, didn¡¯t notice until it was too late. The sword buried into her shoulder, and she shrieked, backing away. Milo picked up his cannon and shot a ball of energy into Pippa¡¯s other shoulder. She snarled at him, the red in her eyes distinct.


    Grizzizzik tried shooting with his short bow, letting the arrow loose, but it smacked the ground behind her. Pippa spun, watching Milo.


    ¡°Milo.¡± Her voice dripped in seduction.


    Derek took a few steps forward, worried. He must have failed the save. Milo grunted, moving his head as his cannon dropped from his hands, his pupils glowing red.


    ¡°Where is the cleric, sugar?¡± Pippa asked.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know.¡± Milo¡¯s voice shook. ¡°We knew this would happen. We knew I had a weakness for you. Not even Rafael knows. The only person who does is Ezekiel. And he¡¯s not here.¡±


    Pippa¡¯s eyes widened. Clarissa slammed her again with the flame blade, and a scorch mark appeared on her side. She snarled at Clarissa before Hraktar brought down his great sword. She leapt out of the way as it hit the ground. The sword was too close, and she barely glanced at it before turning around and sprinting into the desert.


    ¡°Do we go after her?¡± Hraktar asked.


    ¡°No. We have our victory. Akshi¡¯s dead for now, and Pippa will not find Ezekiel in the next fifteen minutes.¡± Clarissa frowned, then glanced at Rafael. ¡°Right?¡±


    Rafael shrugged. ¡°I seriously don¡¯t know where he is.¡±


    The flame blade disappeared as the druid kept her eyes on him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us your plan?¡±


    ¡°Ezekiel wouldn¡¯t let me. Akshi has the spell detect thought, and the best way to protect from that is if no one knows where he actually is. Even me.¡± Rafael sighed, then glanced at the rest of the group. ¡°The anxiety of the wererat was a lot, and he didn¡¯t want to put anyone in danger. Milo used his illusion spells to do what he did here, but he wanted to be on his own when he performed his ritual.¡±


    Grizzizzik walked over to Milo, tapping his cheek. ¡°Milo?¡± The mana fusor stared ahead, not reacting to Grizzizzik¡¯s taps.


    Time froze, and words appeared next to a d4.


    How hard was the slap?


    Nick winced, then grabbed the d4, giving it a shake before letting it fall on a two. Time resumed when he heard the sharp smack of Grizzizzik¡¯s palm against Milo¡¯s cheek.


    Milo didn¡¯t react. His head simply moved, and he went back to staring at nothing.


    Derek rose a hand, excited. ¡°Slap him again! I got a prompt for a wisdom saving roll when you hit him. If I get another, I might succeed it.¡±


    Clarissa went to grab the rogue. ¡°Wait.¡±


    Grizzizzik didn¡¯t wait. Time slowed down as Grizzizzik¡¯s hand was in the air. Nick suppressed a smile as he grabbed the d4 again. This one landed on a three.


    Grizzizzik smacked him hard. Milo let out a shout of surprise, backing away. ¡°What? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Pippa charmed you, but she ran away. I had to shake you out of it,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Milo rubbed his cheek, his face scrunched in pain. ¡°Yeah. Yeah, okay. Thanks. I think?¡±


    ¡°Did you want to stay under the charm of Pippa?¡±


    ¡°Deities, no.¡±


    Grizzizzik turned around, heading toward Nick. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡±


    Nick took in a steadying breath, looking at the place that Akshi¡¯s body once was. A thousand experience points trickled into his bar, and he sighed in relief.


    3885/6500 XP


    There were still almost three thousand more points they needed to get before they got to the next level, but it was set. He needed to do his chaotic thing for it to count toward the warlock level.


    Grizzizzik picked the lock on his manacles, which was thankfully successful. Grizzizzik only had to fiddle around with the lock pick for a minute before they popped open. Nick rubbed his wrist, refusing to thank his rogue, as he was still angry with him. Grizzizzik, in turn, walked a few paces away to study the manacles from his father.


    Evelyn wrapped her arms around him again and squeezed him so tightly he grunted.


    ¡°Oh my god, never do that again,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°I mean, it wasn¡¯t like I had a choice.¡± Nick patted the top of her head.


    Derek walked up, giving him a once over. ¡°You alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Nick rubbed his neck. ¡°Better, now that he¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t stay dead for long,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°Are you going to be okay at school?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t dared try to attack me at school,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s felt like he¡¯s had the upper hand,¡± Alejandra said. She was rubbing her arms, but kept glancing at Nick. ¡°So¡­ we can¡¯t be sure.¡±


    Grizzizzik grunted at that. ¡°Alejandra¡¯s right. When at that school, never be alone.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Nick tried to figure out how to say that he was always alone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay with him,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°So will I,¡± Derek said.


    Rafael glanced at his shoes. ¡°As long as everyone else is okay with it, I can be there too.¡±


    Nick stared at his friends, surprised. ¡°I¡­ have classes. You can¡¯t all be in my class.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to set up a code system through the phone,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Dad¡¯ll-¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll cross that bridge when we get there.¡± Evelyn pulled out her phone. ¡°Akshi threatened your life. Twice. If he does so again, say where you are in the group text. We¡¯ll come running and teleport our characters in.¡±


    Nick nodded, feeling his old flip phone weighing in his pocket. ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Evelyn said.


    Alejandra glanced at Tyler, nervous. ¡°How many days does it take for Akshi to return?¡±


    ¡°Whatever number a d6 lands on,¡± Tyler said.


    Alejandra¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not a lot of days.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. He could very well be there Monday morning,¡± Tyler said.


    Alejandra glanced at Nick, and for the first time in a long while, her look wasn¡¯t sharp. It didn¡¯t last long, and she focused on a bush, but it was nice to know Alejandra was more worried than angry.


    Tyler glanced at the moon peeking over the horizon, then at his phone. ¡°Should we head back?¡±


    ¡°I need to know about Ezekiel,¡± Clarissa said.


    ¡°Dad¡¯s not expecting us for another twenty minutes,¡± Evelyn said, still staying by Nick¡¯s side.


    ¡°Oh, alright. Should we plan another session next weekend?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Tyler raised an eyebrow. ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°We should plan another session for tomorrow.¡±


    Nick glanced at his character, but he didn¡¯t return the gaze.


    ¡°We are still at level four. We need to get stronger. All these monsters need to be gone by next August, and we can¡¯t afford to do a session every week. The more we level up, the more monsters will trickle into Elmwood. We barely defeated Akshi because Hraktar got lucky.¡±


    Hraktar¡¯s already thick shoulders stiffened at that. ¡°Not luck. Skill.¡±


    Grizzizzik ignored him. ¡°If Nick really is in the danger we all feel he is, we¡¯ve got to keep leveling up.¡±


    There was a pause, and the longer it lasted, the more Nick realized it was because time had stood still.


    Make a persuasion check with advantage.


    Nick glanced at everyone¡¯s face frozen as they looked at his character before he grabbed the d20. He sort of hoped he could roll low and for them to figure something out. But this wasn¡¯t deception. It was persuasion.


    The first one was a nine. The second roll was a three. With a +4 bonus, it might be enough.


    Clarissa sighed as time resumed. ¡°You¡¯re probably right, but I¡¯d like to wait until we cure Ezekiel from lycanthropy before making a final decision.¡±


    Milo nodded. ¡°Agree. Which¡­ shouldn¡¯t be too long.¡± He glanced at the full moon in the sky.

 Chapter 162

    Rafael remained quiet, keeping his character sheet open. More importantly, he kept Ezekiel¡¯s hit points at the front of his mind. He would know if Ezekiel got hit at all, and so far, he was at full health. Rafael refused to think about what might happen if Pippa or another creature discovered Ezekiel. He didn¡¯t know where his cleric was, and there¡¯d be nothing more to do but roll the dice and hope for the best.


    It was a risky move to do it this way, but he agreed they needed something more than the characters¡¯ protection. With Akshi now dead, it brought him more relief. He was reminded once again that everyone else got experience points from that fight except Ezekiel. Grizzizzik¡¯s offer to do another session became more tempting every minute.


    Time slowed down, the opposite of what Rafael¡¯s heart rate was doing. He was terrified a creature was attacking the cleric, but words appeared in front of him, almost like boxes of text appearing and disappearing.


    Claw, accepted.


    Sword, accepted.


    Silver¡­


    Rafael waited, his stomach churning, too afraid to look at anything else.


    Accepted.


    He let out a breath, even if his heart rate didn¡¯t ease at all.


    Roll one d6 to determine the strength of the silver.


    He swallowed, grabbing the d6. He wasn¡¯t sure what that meant, but he rolled it anyway. It landed on a two, and he winced.


    Claw, +5 to roll.


    Sword, +5 to roll.


    Silver, +2 to roll.


    +12 to total roll. Anything lower than twenty will result in a partial cure of lycanthropy, past twenty will make a total cure. A nat one, two, or three will result in total failure. Please roll for the cleansing ritual.


    Rafael stared at the d20. His fingers trembled as he wrapped them around the die. Get an eight or higher. Statistics were on his side. He tried to steady his breathing as he wiggled his wrist, refusing to panic.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s fine. If it fails, it won¡¯t be my fault. It¡¯s chance.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t do this. If it failed, he¡¯d be a complete mess. But he couldn¡¯t put this off anymore, either. He needed to know.


    The dice clattered on the invisible table and he stared at it, not daring to look away.


    Ten.


    His chest exploded with relief.


    10+12


    22.


    Number higher than 20 reached.


    Lycanthropy cured.


    Rafael wanted to collapse; the relief was that much. That was close. But close enough.


    Time resumed, and Alejandra noticed his elevated breathing. ¡°Rafael?¡±


    He closed his eyes, concentrating. He felt the connection, the link, and he grabbed Ezekiel and teleported him to where they were.


    Rafael opened his eyes as Ezekiel stumbled next to him, patting his face. The pointed nose shrank. His ears returned to normal. His teeth shrank inside his mouth, and a full head of hair grew back on his head, curly and blonde. There was almost a sheen to it. He turned to look at the full moon rising, then saw his friends and smiled. He about said something, but Clarissa had already barreled toward him. She slammed into him, and Rafael doubted she would ever let go.


    ¡°You¡¯re alright,¡± Milo said, mostly in relief, but also to be sure.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± Ezekiel kept his arms around Clarissa. ¡°I felt it leave. It¡¯s gone for good. I knew the silver would work.¡±


    Clarissa was covering her face in his shoulder, sobbing with relief. Milo was hugging him too, and Hraktar walked over, scooping all three of them up and lifting them off the ground in a hug. Alejandra snorted at the action, not bothering to hide her smile. Ezekiel was alright. He was fine. The dice was in his favor tonight.


    Rafael leaned over, gripping his knees. Five hundred experience points filled Ezekiel¡¯s bar. It was nice, but everyone else probably got experience for killing Akshi.


    Ezekiel was cured. That was the big thing. Rafael now had the time with Ezekiel they needed to get more experience points.


    Ezekiel was hugging Grizzizzik, because of course he was. The rogue did nothing more than pat his back, muttering a few words. Nick pulled out his phone, checking the time. ¡°Really glad you¡¯re healed, Ezekiel. I¡¯ve got to get back.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Evelyn deflated a bit. ¡°Princess? Are you staying at Ezekiel¡¯s place?¡±


    ¡°Yes, if that¡¯s alright,¡± Clarissa said.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Grizzizzik held up a finger. ¡°What about tomorrow?¡±


    Ezekiel frowned. ¡°What about tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°We need to do another session. Akshi¡¯s gone. We could use this time strategically to level up,¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    The cleric rubbed his chin, then nodded. ¡°Actually, yeah. As long as there are monsters to fight, we should get rid of them.¡±


    And just like that, it was decided. Everyone agreed to Ezekiel after him saying a simple phrase, and Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes hardened ever so slightly before he rolled his eyes, heading toward the car. Evelyn reached into her pocket and pulled out the keys. Rafael frowned, trying not to stare, but he couldn¡¯t help it. He watched Evelyn, Nick, and Grizzizzik leave as Evelyn got into the driver¡¯s seat. He forgot that Evelyn¡¯s birthday this week was her sixteenth, but it still surprised him that she was driving now.


    Granted, he had bowed out of her life for three years.


    Rafael shut his eyes, turning his head away as he tried not to shudder. He didn¡¯t open them again until he heard her car pulling out of the dirt parking lot. When he did, he saw Ezekiel standing there, facing him. Rafael looked up at his character and tried to smile. ¡°Hey.¡±


    Ezekiel wrapped him in a hug that Rafael did not realize he needed. The stress from the past month, the worry, the ache, it melted away as he felt this assurance that Ezekiel was okay. Rafael hugged his character, closing his eyes. He remembered a month ago when he saw that dice land on a failure. He remembered how much it crushed him. It was all up to chance, but it didn¡¯t matter, because it was all his fault. Some sort of karma for abandoning his friends and doing what he did to Evelyn. Ezekiel suffered a decay of character as he struggled to stay true to himself despite the monster wrestling in him. Something Rafael felt was another stark reminder of himself.


    Ezekiel¡¯s monster was gone. Rafael knew it would never be like that in real life. He couldn¡¯t magically wave himself away from the consequences of his own actions, but when he remembered how crushed he was a month ago, he also reflected on how much he¡¯d grown. He and Evelyn were attending sessions together, even if they kept their distance. They still ignored each other¡¯s existence, but this was something he assumed wouldn¡¯t happen for another decade, if it happened it all. To think it happened in a month felt surreal.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Rafael was afraid if he opened his eyes, the tears he was trying to hide would leak out. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±


    ¡°I rolled the dice. It¡¯s all up to chance.¡±


    Ezekiel let go of him, smiling. ¡°You were here to roll the dice. You¡¯re not running away anymore.¡±


    Rafael tried to scratch the corner of his eyes to hide that the tears were coming. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ trying.¡±


    ¡°And that means everything to me.¡±


    Rafael nodded, his throat closing in on itself.


    ¡°Everyone, get some rest. We¡¯ll stop by Calawit¡¯s to pick up Quetzal, then ask her if she¡¯s heard any rumblings lately to prepare for tomorrow,¡± Tyler said.


    ***


    Alejandra walked in with the others before she knelt as Quetzal ran to her, lifting his body enough to rest his front paws around her neck.


    ¡°Oof! Quetzal, you¡¯re getting so big!¡±


    Calawit straightened her spectacles as Quetzal nuzzled Alejandra¡¯s neck. ¡°How old is the drake now?¡±


    ¡°Over a month.¡±


    Quetzal was about the size of a smaller cocker spaniel, if the dog breed was blue and looked more like a lizard. But Alejandra could no longer lift Quetzal without grunting. The drake was packing muscle, and his jagged teeth were coming in far sharper and longer.


    Calawit nodded, taking this in. ¡°I give him another month or two before you can start taking him on your missions.¡±


    Alejandra¡¯s eyes widened, her mind flooding with fear. ¡°A month or two?!¡±


    ¡°He is eager to help protect you and his friends,¡± Calawit said.


    ¡°He¡¯s still a baby! I¡¯m not taking him with us while we fight monsters. They¡¯ll snuff him out.¡± Alejandra again looked at Quetzal¡¯s fifteen hit points, shuddering.


    ¡°You can¡¯t stop him from wanting to protect you. That much I know,¡± Calawit said.


    ¡°Please, just keep him here. He¡¯s not ready.¡± Alejandra rubbed her arms.


    Calawit sniffed, jostling her spectacles. ¡°You can¡¯t protect him by keeping him from a battle. That helps no one.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not ready yet.¡± Alejandra felt like a broken record, but it didn¡¯t make it any less true.


    ¡°Of course not. That¡¯s why I said another month or two.¡± Calawit climbed up a bookshelf to return to her desk. Alejandra still kept a hold of Quetzal, too afraid to let him go.


    ¡°Cal, a question, so we don¡¯t pester you tomorrow,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Yes, there are more creatures trickling into this town. I have a feeling you soon won¡¯t need me, because they¡¯ll be covering this place.¡±


    Tyler¡¯s face fell. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Really. I sense four other places in this realm that are producing mana that draw these creatures, but this is the one that alerts the more powerful ones. We¡¯ve been here for months, and many of the creatures are now finally approaching the bubble.¡±


    ¡°Well, now we¡¯ve approached a conundrum,¡± Derek said. ¡°If we level up too quickly, the new monsters will flood the town. But taking them out fast will level them up, anyway.¡±


    Tyler grumbled, hands on his hips. ¡°Yeah. My gut says we better take them out before they affect our world. Especially if there¡¯s still over a thousand.¡±


    Ezekiel approached Alejandra, then got on his knees near Quetzal. The drake sniffed, approaching a smiling Ezekiel. The cleric held out his hand. Quetzal gave one sniff before running up to Ezekiel and placing his head under his chin. Ezekiel chuckled as he gave the drake a hug.


    ¡°Yeah, little one. It¡¯s gone. Thank the Great Lady it¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°You say we¡¯re about to be flooded with creatures?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°This place already is flooded with creatures,¡± Calawit said.


    Derek frowned, then exchanged glances with Tyler.


    ¡°Where are they?¡± Alejandra stood up. ¡°We only fought Shelob and Bassie that one time in town. No other creature has stumbled far into town limits.¡±


    ¡°I sense them all in the bubble. There are a lot. It¡¯s just¡­ they remain on the outer edges of the bubble.¡±


    Tyler faced Clarissa. ¡°How big is the bubble now?¡±


    ¡°It can almost reach Tucson,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°I¡¯ve been maneuvering it so it can reach out there, bringing the base of the bubble closer to Elmwood.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thanks,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Have you seen any of the creatures while coming here?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Not too much.¡± Tyler shrugged. ¡°Though I haven¡¯t been looking.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re mostly here around the borders of the bubble nearest Elmwood, because they can sense the five of you,¡± Calawit said. ¡°They¡¯re keeping their distance from others, but I don¡¯t like that they¡¯re staying over there. Monsters in groups larger than three always unsettle me.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a common feeling,¡± Rafael mumbled.


    Ezekiel kept a hold of Quetzal as he remained on his knees. ¡°Why are they staying at the edges of the bubble, though?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± The shopkeeper adjusted her spectacles. ¡°And I hate that I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°We could go check for you tomorrow,¡± Ezekiel said.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t die,¡± Calawit said.


    Ezekiel shrugged. ¡°Haven¡¯t so far.¡±

 Chapter 163

    It was a dream come true for Derek to go to sleep after finishing a successful CCNC session to wake up the next morning and start another. He still had a date with Emma on Sunday, and Pippa would no doubt retaliate. He hoped Akshi wasn¡¯t alive by then, or he definitely would retaliate.


    Almost everyone was here. Even with Alejandra and Rafael stopping to drop off Quetzal, they were happily talking with Milo and Hraktar. The doorbell rang, and Derek went to answer it. He smiled as he noticed Nick behind Evelyn. ¡°You came! Two times in a row!¡±


    His friend shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m as surprised as you are.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t take that much convincing. I told my dad Rafael thought of a cool session for CCNC. Honestly, dropping his name anywhere near my dad has its advantages, even if it makes little sense,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Because you were the one who suggested it,¡± Nick muttered.


    ¡°Well, we were waiting for you guys. Should we head out?¡± Derek glanced behind him to see everyone hanging out on his couch.


    Tyler texted something on his phone. ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a drive. Rafael, do you want to just follow us?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±


    Alejandra didn¡¯t look at anyone as she tucked some hair behind her ears. ¡°I can go with my brother. It¡¯ll make more room in the van.¡±


    ¡°Okay, go ahead.¡± Tyler slipped his phone in his pocket.


    They split up between Rafael¡¯s car and Derek¡¯s minivan. Grizzizzik remained in the trunk, perfectly happy to be by himself without a seatbelt.


    The ride was quiet. No doubt pre-battle nerves. Despite doing this right after Ezekiel cured himself of lycanthropy, they didn¡¯t know what they were up against. It felt amazing knowing Ezekiel wouldn¡¯t randomly change into a wererat at a bad dice roll. No doubt they needed the experience, but this felt far more like a mission for information. They needed to discover what the creatures at the bubble border were doing while trying not to stumble out of the bubble.


    ¡°Is¡­ there a way to make sure the bubble is more solid where we¡¯re going?¡± Derek asked.


    The druid glanced up, frowning. ¡°A solid bubble?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. If what Calawit said was true, there¡¯ll be a few higher level monsters frightfully near us, protected only by a flimsy bubble. I don¡¯t want us to roll bad and end up stumbling out there,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good point.¡± Tyler glanced behind him, meeting Clarissa¡¯s gaze. ¡°Can you do anything about that?¡±


    Clarissa shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. This is a strange manifestation of mana to create this bubble, but if we are close to it, I can study the property of the bubble closer.¡±


    Milo¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°I can join you!¡±


    Derek leaned forward, glancing toward the sky. He half expected a dragon to be circling the sky, but he didn¡¯t spot one. The group fell silent again.


    He heard something, he wasn¡¯t sure what, but it sounded like someone said something. ¡°What?¡± he asked.


    Tyler glanced over at him. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°Did¡­ someone else?¡± Derek glanced in the rearview mirror.


    Evelyn frowned, exchanging glances with Clarissa. ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Not me,¡± Nick said.


    Derek sighed. ¡°Alright, well, sorry. Must have misheard.¡±


    The silence settled again, and Derek kept driving. They were well beyond town limits. Grizzizzik jumped, and Derek was pretty sure if Grizzizzik inherited any characteristics of earth snakes, a thin layer of his skin would have settled onto the ground.


    Ezekiel glanced over at his shoulder as Grizzizzik clutched his heart, breathing deeply. ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± It came out of Grizzizzik more like a grunt than anything.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Milo asked.


    ¡°Nothing. Nothing.¡±


    Derek frowned and glanced in the rearview mirror again. He couldn¡¯t see Grizzizzik since he was sitting in the trunk, but he noticed Nick had a smirk on his face.


    ¡°Slow down. We¡¯re approaching the bubble,¡± Clarissa said.


    Ezekiel peered out the window. ¡°Can you see it?¡±


    In response, Clarissa lifted a hand and pointed toward the sky. There was an opaque quality to the sky that took Derek a few seconds to get used to. Once the seconds passed, he realized he wouldn¡¯t get used to it, but he could pretend.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    He pulled off to the side of the road. He had specifically chosen a road that people rarely used, and if anyone did, they would figure a group of kids were hiking.


    ¡°Hey, do you see that?¡± Tyler asked.


    Derek followed Tyler¡¯s gaze until they saw an enormous pile of rocks a quarter of a mile away from the road.


    ¡°Are your game master abilities sensing anything there?¡± Derek asked.


    Tyler gave him a dry look. ¡°Game master abilities?¡±


    ¡°Still pretending you don¡¯t railroad us occasionally?¡±


    Tyler snorted, then glanced again at the pile of rocks before his small smile vanished again. ¡°If I am railroading you all, then please understand that the more I look at this, the more dread I feel. Something¡­ terrible is happening over there.¡±


    That was all the lead Ezekiel needed. Rafael and Alejandra had barely pulled over when Ezekiel moved forward, ready to search this out. They moved forward as a group as the sun warmed them up.


    They got close to the pile of rocks before Derek hesitated and let the characters go ahead.


    ¡°There is a magic here,¡± Clarissa whispered.


    Evelyn frowned, then glanced at Derek and Tyler. ¡°I don¡¯t have detect magic prepared for her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s also a lot of stone.¡± Derek glanced at the pile. ¡°The spell doesn¡¯t work for a lot of stone.¡±


    Ezekiel turned toward Hraktar. ¡°Can you move these rocks?¡±


    The fighter nodded before picking up a few rocks like their weight was only a slight inconvenience. Hraktar placed a hand on the main pile as he kept working through them before a hole revealed itself. Darkness was within.


    Hraktar glanced up at the others. ¡°Anyone claustrophobic?¡±


    ¡°What do you see down there?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°A tunnel that leads off to somewhere.¡± Hraktar touched the insides of the tunnel. ¡°Some sort of creature made this recently. Possibly magic, but that¡¯s not my area of expertise.¡±


    Clarissa knelt next to Hraktar, frowning. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t like what I feel in here.¡±


    Grizzizzik folded his arms. ¡°Would you like me to scout ahead?¡±


    ¡°Take a buddy with you,¡± Ezekiel said, glancing at him and Milo. ¡°Just in case.¡±


    ¡°Do you feel an evil?¡± Milo asked Clarissa.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ not happy.¡± Clarissa hugged herself.


    ¡°You want to take the lead on this one?¡± Milo asked Grizzizzik.


    The rogue lifted his hood, not looking at Milo. ¡°I should always take the lead on stealth missions.¡±


    Since Derek didn¡¯t get prompted to roll, it meant Grizzizzik¡¯s roll would be for both of them. Grizzizzik slipped into the hole, and Milo followed him. Once they were gone, Derek glanced at Nick. He held up a one and a three, which he assumed meant thirteen. It would hopefully be good enough for what they needed. Derek didn¡¯t feel anything at all from this development, so he wasn¡¯t sure what to expect. Clarissa was quietly pacing, keeping her eye on the opaque bubble covering the sky.


    Make a perception check.


    Derek grabbed the d20 and shook it. It felt odd shaking a die without giving it a healthy pre-roll, but he could only hope for the best in this case.


    It landed on an eleven, and with a +3 from his bonus, it gave him fourteen. It might be good enough, but he also didn¡¯t know. Once again, he glanced at Nick, holding up a one and a four. Nick held up a one before raising nine fingers. Derek raised an eyebrow, impressed.


    From below, they heard Grizzizzik¡¯s voice. ¡°Come on down. You might want to see this.¡±


    Ezekiel dropped down the hole. Clarissa followed, then Hraktar soon after. There wasn¡¯t too much of a drop, and it looked like they had to do a bit of crawling.


    Derek glanced at his friends. ¡°Should we follow?¡±


    ¡°How big is it? Do you think it¡¯ll get too crowded?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°Some of us should stay up here, just in case,¡± Tyler said.


    Rafael looked at the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll stay up here.¡±


    ¡°So will I,¡± Alejandra said.


    Derek was far too curious. He moved forward, dropping the few feet into the hole. He shimmied down a passageway that moved onto the top of the stairs that lead down into a ginormous room. If he had to compare it, it looked like some sort of mad scientist¡¯s lair. He could already see Milo checking out some gizmos on the table.


    Derek started walking down the stairs, trying to be careful. The stairs were jagged, and there was no handrail to hold, like someone carved them out of the rock. He was certain magic was the only thing holding this room up, which gave him an uncomfortable thought. If the creature casting the spell decided to stop, the room might come crashing down.


    Despite that thought, Derek still moved forward into the room. Tyler, Nick, and Evelyn walked down the stairs carefully as everyone else spread out in this evil lair.


    Roll for investigation.


    Derek glanced at his character, who had pulled out his magnifying glass. He grabbed the d20 and gave it a good shake, trying to will all the good energy of a nice pre-roll into the dice without actually doing it.


    Four. Even with the +6, he wasn¡¯t sure what Milo could get from a ten.


    Milo brought his magnifying glass closer as he picked up a piece of metal. He turned it over, frowning as he tried to sense what it was. Derek waited, arms folded, as he watched his character.


    The metal piece glowed. Milo frowned, flipping it back around as he tried to study it. ¡°This is mana infused.¡±


    ¡°What kind of mana?¡± Derek asked.


    Milo frowned, watching it grow brighter. ¡°An attempt at black mingled with green. Whoever did this stabilized the necrotic powers into something¡­ living. Not undead. I¡¯m thinking¡­ poison? Poisonous.¡±


    The metal plate vibrated, glowing with a dark green aura. Milo frowned, holding it an inch from his face.


    ¡°Drop it, Milo,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°Please, just drop it!¡±


    Milo didn¡¯t listen. ¡°It¡¯s not poisonous itself. Look at me, I¡¯m not sick.¡±


    Derek glanced above Milo¡¯s head to see his hit points still at full. The metal plate continued to vibrate until it leapt out of Milo¡¯s hands. Metal from all over the room came together, forming a pile in the middle.


    ¡°Ooooh shit,¡± Tyler said, backing away.


    ¡°What? What is it?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Derek clawed his mind for the answer, remembering the large list of monsters they had left. A metal pile coming together would have to mean some sort of construct. That narrowed the list down considerably.


    Metallic clinking filled the air as the pieces formed together, starting at the base, creating a thin tail. Derek¡¯s eyes widened as he backed away from the middle of the room. It started out slow, then got faster as the metal pieces clicked into place, forming a huge snake-like body. Black and green flames filled the place where the eyes were supposed to go, and it opened its mouth to hiss, revealing sharp fangs, it¡¯s hood shimmering. It was a three-foot-long snake, completely made of magical metal, which meant one thing.


    ¡°Hraktar can¡¯t hit it,¡± Derek whispered, glancing at the fighter.


    ¡°Shit.¡± Nick rubbed a hand down the side of his face. ¡°Grizzizzik¡¯s spells only do small amounts of damage.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just one creature,¡± Tyler said.


    Panic seized Derek¡¯s chest as he gave Tyler a horrified look. ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it.¡±


    That was all he could get out before time froze.


    Roll for initiative.

 Chapter 164

    Derek watched the dice clatter on the invisible table. Eight total. Derek closed his eyes, already wishing for a dice jail to stick this thing in. He was not rolling well, and that wasn¡¯t good. With Hraktar out of the fight and Grizzizzik limited, they needed all the help they could get.


    The cobra hissed, sounding like a leaking car as it slithered toward Ezekiel, pouncing to bite. Ezekiel easily leapt out of the way, and Derek sighed in relief. Clarissa muttered an incantation, holding a plant in her palm as it lit on fire, growing into a blade as she moved forward toward the snake. She slammed the fire blade into the metal, sliding it easily into the snake. It shrieked in pain.


    Grizzizzik moved forward, chanting an incantation that sounded different. It was dark and more chaotic. He shot his hand forward, and a spike hit the snake¡¯s forehead. It shrieked as it curled into itself.


    Hraktar moved forward, no doubt figuring out what he could do with attacking the snake. He was studying the creature when the wall next to him moved. Hraktar spun around, facing the wall, and watched as a huge rock that would have looked like a boulder to anyone else but Hraktar leapt out of the wall. Faster than Derek could react, the rock formed into a human with two enormous fists, two legs, and another rock for a head. It slammed a fist into Hraktar¡¯s gut, and the fighter grunted as he was thrown, landing flat on his back. His hit points went from forty-seven to thirty-four.


    ¡°Shit. There¡¯s another one,¡± Tyler said.


    Derek fought the desire to grind his teeth. ¡°I told you not to jinx us.¡±


    Evelyn pointed at the uneven stairs. ¡°We need to get back up the stairs. If we need to make a quick getaway, that¡¯s the best way to do it.¡±


    Tyler nodded. ¡°I like that idea. We¡¯ve got to remain out of the battle.¡±


    For Milo¡¯s turn, Derek had him building a cannon and use a bonus action to make his crossbow a magical, arcane weapon. He wouldn¡¯t be able to hit anything this round, but the next round he¡¯d be a powerhouse. Hopefully. He chose ice type damage, as he was pretty sure the constructs were immune to poison.


    Milo tapped his crossbow as Derek ushered Nick and Evelyn up the stairs. They needed to be careful on those stairs. Milo started working on making his cannon. Ezekiel held his hands out, and light appeared, creating a book. With a flick of his wrist, the book shot toward the creature made of stone, smacking it across the face. The creature didn¡¯t have a mouth, but bits of rock fell off its face.


    The cobra leapt forward, digging its metallic fangs into Clarissa¡¯s forearm. She grunted, stumbling back as her hit points dropped to twenty-nine.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not too bad. That attack is, what, six hit points?¡± Derek glanced at Evelyn.


    ¡°I also succeeded a constitution saving throw. I don¡¯t want to know what might happen if I failed it.¡±


    Clarissa tried to stab the cobra, but it hissed, metallically slithering away from the flame blade. Grizzizzik ran next to Hraktar, doing the same mind spell he performed on the snake. Once again, there was a touch of chaos to Grizzizzik¡¯s words.


    ¡°Does his incantations sound different to anyone else?¡± Derek asked.


    Evelyn shrugged. ¡°A little.¡±


    ¡°More¡­ crazy sounding, right?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Derek glanced at Nick, who said nothing. He simply rubbed his chin, staring at his character. The sliver entered the creature¡¯s mind, and it stumbled, but not too far. Hraktar scrambled to his feet, then tried to punch the creature. Derek didn¡¯t know if Alejandra realized the creature was literally a rock, or if Hraktar didn¡¯t have a high enough intelligence to figure it out himself, but Hraktar grunted as his fist contacted stone, and it wasn¡¯t a good grunt. Derek kept his eyes on Hraktar¡¯s hit points, but they didn¡¯t budge. At least they had that going for them.


    The rock man grabbed two rocks from the ground and threw them at Grizzizzik and Hraktar. Both of them, though surprised, caught them. The second the rocks settled into their palms, they blinked out of sight.


    Derek¡¯s stomach churned. ¡°What were those?¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Tyler stared at the place where the fighter and the rogue were. ¡°Jump stones?¡±


    That couldn¡¯t be good. ¡°Shit.¡±


    ¡°The distance shouldn¡¯t be far. They only have a range of five hundred feet, and they can¡¯t be teleported into solid stone.¡± Tyler glanced around.


    ¡°Five hundred feet?¡± Nick slowly turned his head toward Tyler. ¡°Would that be¡­ outside the bubble?¡±


    Tyler¡¯s gaze shot in his direction. The rock man tried to go for Milo, but Ezekiel stood in front of him to give the mana fusor more time to make his cannon.


    Clarissa held out a hand. ¡°Nobody catch any stones he throws!¡±


    The rock man tried again to throw a rock at Ezekiel, but he dodged it, and it missed Milo, too.


    Tyler had his phone out, tapping something before plugging one ear as he placed the phone against the other. ¡°Rafael? Can you hear me?¡± Derek was by Tyler as they stood on top of the stairs. He could hear Rafael cutting in and out. ¡°Can you see Hraktar and Grizzizzik? Are they outside now?¡±


    The rock man slammed his fist into Ezekiel, and he dropped to the ground, gripping his shoulder.


    Time froze, and Derek grabbed the dice. These were just minions. It¡¯s what he kept telling himself. They probably had low hit points, though considering they were metal and rock constructs, their AC had to be high.


    He chose his cannon, and it landed on a twelve. The +5 was an enormous help, and he was relieved to see two d8s hovering above him. He wanted to get that rock man and hit him hard. He pumped his fist when he got a seven and a five. That was a lot, and he wasn¡¯t done yet.


    He chose his crossbow again and rolled for the bonus action. The crossbow expert feat was the best. He rolled, and it landed on a sixteen. He smiled, seeing the number reach past twenty, and waited for the d8 and the d6.


    He rolled and got eleven total. That indeed felt nice.


    Milo stood up, holding his crossbow in one hand and the cannon in the other. He shot the cannon first, the ball of white mana smacking into the construct¡¯s chest, forcing him back five feet. A streak of blue smacked the rock man in the shoulder before he had time to recover from the first attack. The rock man buckled. Some rock that made him look bulky and intimidating tumbled off. Milo had hit him hard, which was what they needed, considering two of their companions were missing.


    Tyler sighed, turning off the phone. ¡°Rafael and Alejandra can¡¯t see them anywhere. Can you sense Grizzizzik?¡±


    Nick shook his head. ¡°No. He¡¯s not fighting, though. I haven¡¯t been prompted to roll for anything.¡±


    Evelyn rubbed her upper arms. ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡±


    Ezekiel snatched his book out of the air before slamming it down on the snake¡¯s head. Derek was pretty sure if the snake was actually alive, it would¡¯ve given it a good smack. Instead, it was metal, and it made a clanging noise with a small dent in the hood.


    ¡°Well¡­ great.¡± Ezekiel stumbled back enough to be within range before he lifted his hands, muttering an incantation as he touched his medallion. The iron cobra hissed at him, prepared for anything, except for an ass whoopingly large amount of radiant fire to smack into it, severing the lower half of its body from itself.


    Derek nodded. ¡°Nice.¡±


    ¡°They look to be on their last leg. Once they are dead, we¡¯ve got to find Hraktar and Grizzizzik.¡± Tyler¡¯s eyes darted toward the opening.


    The cobra tried to bite Ezekiel, but it was an easy dodge for the cleric. Clarissa went in with her flame blade, chopping off more of the cobra¡¯s body. It hissed and vibrated as it struggled.


    The rock man slammed his hands into the ground before giving Milo a shove that knocked him across the room. Milo hit the wall before collapsing to the ground, coughing as he lost twelve hit points. Derek winced in sympathy.


    Time stood still, and he rolled for his concentration, which he passed. That was good. He liked arcane weapon. It gave him a lot of damage, and they needed that.


    The constructs were almost dead. He picked the cannon for action, then the crossbow for bonus action. The cannon he landed on a natural one, which made him wince. The roll for his crossbow was on a nineteen. At least something of his would hit.


    He grabbed the d8 and the d6, giving them a good loving shake. Five and three. Not too bad. Would have been better if his cannon hit, but they couldn¡¯t have everything.


    Time resumed, and Milo scrambled to his feet. His breathing was far more labored, but he shot off a ball of white mana that smacked into a bookshelf, immediately incinerating the books in a perfect ball shape. Ezekiel gasped at the sight of burnt books, clutching his medallion before spinning on Milo with gigantic eyes.


    ¡°My bad.¡± Milo blew his hair out of his eyes before he shot the rock man again with an ice bolt. It smacked into his gut, lodging there. The rock man would not like that. Derek doubted many people did.


    ¡°Nick!¡± Rafael shouted down the hole. ¡°Grizzizzik and Hraktar! They¡¯re outside the bubble! There¡¯s a creature there trying to kill them!¡±


    ¡°Shit.¡± Nick ran down the tunnel. Derek¡¯s heart rate spiked as Tyler ran after him. Tyler would know how high a level the creature was. They had to be almost done with these constructs.


    Ezekiel, still shooting Milo a glare, forced his book down hard on the cobra. It gave a final hiss before the black and green fire left its eyes. He then pointed his hands toward the rock man, muttering a quiet prayer before completely incinerating him with holy flames. Ezekiel dropped his hands, turning toward Milo. ¡°Once we get Hraktar and Grizzizzik back, you¡¯re atoning for this grievous mistake.¡±


    Ezekiel headed toward the stairs as Milo stared at the bookshelf. ¡°We don¡¯t even know what books those were.¡±


    Derek and Evelyn walked into the tunnel so it wouldn¡¯t get too crowded. Milo followed. ¡°Considering what this place was, it might have been some dark magic or mana manipulation that would have been better to be destroyed.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re talking about this later,¡± Ezekiel said.

 Chapter 165

    They climbed out of the hole, and Derek was glad Evelyn went first, since she found a ladder stuck into the wall that made things so much easier.


    Rafael, Tyler, and Nick were waiting at the base of the bubble that was now transparent.


    ¡°Are they okay?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Nick pointed at something not that far. Derek recognized that look. The black clothing, the black cloth covering his face as he hovered in the air. That was a black mage, one that already had his mage armor on. That higher level creature was ready for battle.


    Evelyn dropped her voice. ¡°What combat level is he?¡±


    Tyler already had his phone out. ¡°Black mage. Level six.¡±


    Nick glanced between his character and the black mage. ¡°That¡­ could work. Akshi¡¯s a level eight and they beat him.¡±


    Tyler¡¯s face screwed up, like Nick¡¯s words brought him physical discomfort. ¡°I don¡¯t like it. Get them back into the bubble.¡±


    ¡°Hraktar¡¯s trying.¡± Alejandra had her hands cupped over her eyes to see better. ¡°Grizzizzik looks like he wants to fight the creature.¡±


    Nick rolled his eyes before he placed his hands on his hips and sighed. Derek couldn¡¯t help but notice. ¡°Something going on with Grizzizzik?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s caught the leveling bug. Wants to kill so he can level up fast. He wants to get strong enough to kill his father.¡±


    Derek winced. ¡°That could be dangerous.¡±


    Nick glanced at him, but said nothing.


    Tyler cupped his hands around his mouth. ¡°Get back here, you two! We don¡¯t know what else is out there!¡±


    Ezekiel ran by without another word. Milo and Clarissa glanced at each other before following the cleric. Tyler groaned as he dropped his hands. ¡°This is hopeless.¡±


    Grizzizzik slammed his rapier into the black mage, piercing through the armor and burying into his shoulder. The mage growled, but Hraktar followed up with a swipe of his great sword, burying it into the mage¡¯s side. The mage¡¯s eyes glowed green in anger. Milo, Ezekiel, and Clarissa were still running, though as Clarissa ran, she morphed into a war horse, her speed picking up.


    ¡°Ugh, get back in the bubble!¡± Tyler raced after them, passing the bubble base and searching the sky. Derek wasn¡¯t about to remain behind. Technically, he wasn¡¯t in nearly as much danger, but the moment he crossed the bubble, a weight pressed against the gray marks on his skin.


    Time froze, and Derek realized Milo was within range with both his cannon and his crossbow. He seriously considered this and hoped Milo could hang back and let the tanks take the damage. The image of him getting flown back by the rock man¡¯s push returned to his mind.


    Derek went with his cannon and crossbow shot. The cannon failed, but the crossbow at least would hit.


    Time resumed, and Milo slowed down to lift his cannon. The white mana went wide, and the ice bolt sailed by, nicking the mage¡¯s shoulder. He barely even glanced in Milo¡¯s direction.


    Ezekiel caught up with Grizzizzik and Hraktar. ¡°Come on, Grizzizzik! We¡¯ve got to get back!¡±


    Grizzizzik prepared for an attack. ¡°We can take this one.¡±


    Ezekiel tried to hit the mage with his book again, but it simply tumbled off his armor. Ezekiel needed to get closer.


    The black mage turned to Grizzizzik, then lifted its hand. It began speaking a black language, a black ring of fire appearing in his hands.


    Tyler was still running, gesturing with his hands. ¡°Back away. Damn it, back away!¡±


    The black mage threw the ring of fire at Grizzizzik. It grew to engulf him. Derek¡¯s chest tightened and turned toward Nick. ¡°Please tell me you rolled a save on that.¡±


    Nick nodded, slight relief in his terrified eyes. ¡°It was a save.¡±


    Grizzizzik shouted in pain that no doubt hurt like hellfire itself, but at least it was this once. Derek had a sneaking suspicion the black mage tried to hit him with his strongest spell, one that could continually burn him on a failed save. Grizzizzik backed away as the flames died down, panting, his hit points stabilizing at thirteen.


    Clarissa the war horse reached the mage, and even with him hovering in the air, she slammed into him. The mage was thrown from the air and hit the ground. Clarissa smacked him with her hoof, and he grunted in pain, blood pooling on his forehead from a deep gash.


    Grizzizzik took the advantage of the mage already on the ground and struck with his rapier. Hraktar walked up, holding his great sword held high before slamming it into the black mage¡¯s rib cage. The mage groaned before he fell limp. The battle was over.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Tyler caught up to them, pointing back at the pile of rocks as he panted. ¡°Please. I am begging you. Get back in the bubble.¡±


    Grizzizzik sheathed his rapier. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re so worried about. We got him easily.¡±


    ¡°Get in there before anything else thinks to attack.¡± Tyler kept his finger pointed at the bubble.


    ¡°Yes, actually, we need to go check the status of that bookshelf Milo hit,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Milo stiffened. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault.¡±


    The emotions left Ezekiel¡¯s face as he stared at his best friend. ¡°You literally hit a bookshelf with a cannon. How is that not your fault?¡±


    Milo waved his hands around. ¡°The rock man wasn¡¯t there where I needed him.¡±


    Tyler did not relax until everyone was within the bubble again. Once they were again in the secret lair of the black mage, it felt more relaxed. It was rather cool, and Derek rested on a chair as the characters went to work.


    ¡°How was this room even possible?¡± Alejandra asked, looking around.


    Derek glanced at the room. ¡°As far as I can tell, the mage created the constructs, and since they were of a lower level, they could enter the bubble. Which meant they were here, right at the border, creating this under the black mage¡¯s instructions. They set up a trap with the jumping stones to get our lower-level characters out of the bubble. It was pretty smart.¡±


    Milo and Ezekiel examined the bookshelf while Grizzizzik checked how much stuff he could put in his inventory. If Milo had been paying any attention, he probably would¡¯ve helped with the void bag. Clarissa, who had changed back to her human form, was still pacing, her elf features revealing how nervous she was.


    Nine hundred experience points bumped Milo¡¯s bar up. Between the thousand last night and the nine hundred today, it was no wonder Grizzizzik was catching the leveling bug.


    XP: 4,940/6,500


    Milo was a mere 1,560 experience points away from level five. This was possibly the most successful weekend for their CCNC session. Derek started imagining the things he could do with level five. He wanted to get Milo some dark goggles. Those would be essential. He¡¯d finally get some level two spells, and his arcane firearm. Level five wasn¡¯t for a bit, though, but it seemed more achievable now.


    Ezekiel was flipping through some books, figuring out the type of books Milo partially destroyed. Though, to be fair, that was a bit of an overstatement. Milo hit maybe four books. The mana burst was small, but it certainly packed a punch.


    Clarissa walked up to the bookshelf, frowning. ¡°What is that?¡±


    Milo and Ezekiel both glanced at her. ¡°A destroyed shelf. I know it¡¯s hard to look at, but we¡¯re trying to figure out what to do,¡± Ezekiel said.


    ¡°No, I mean¡­¡± Clarissa trailed off, carefully placing her fingers against the burnt part of the shelf to check for herself it had cooled. She placed a few fingers through the hole, then pulled. The entire bookshelf shivered. Clarissa pulled again, and the bookshelf swung on a hinge.


    Grizzizzik glanced over when the bookshelf gave a squeak. ¡°Typical. You were looking for the wrong thing, Ezekiel.¡±


    Clarissa moved the bookshelf, and another tunnel revealed itself.


    ¡°Who wants to go down the second secret tunnel of an already secret base of a black mage?¡± Milo¡¯s eyes were simply alight with excitement.


    ¡°Not without some healing. Who knows what¡¯s down there?¡± The worry was still on Clarissa¡¯s face.


    Milo stopped Ezekiel from grabbing his medallion. ¡°No. We need to save our mana slots, just in case.¡± He then reached behind him, pulling out five vials of gold mana. They all took it, their hit points returning in full. Mana healed bruises and stitched cuts together. Derek watched it happen, refusing to feel jealous. He broke his arm once when he was seven, right at the beginning of summer. He still felt deep pains from losing his summer. To heal a broken arm with a drink of gold mana? That would be amazing.


    Tyler stood on tiptoe, a frown on his face. ¡°This looks like it¡¯s heading toward Elmwood.¡±


    Hraktar¡¯s face fell. ¡°Yeah. It does.¡±


    ¡°We need to figure out where this goes. If it veers off in a direction that is outside the bubble, we need to stop. We can¡¯t go outside again,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll monitor our direction,¡± Clarissa said.


    Milo grabbed a piece of metal, casting his cantrip to fill it with light. Derek didn¡¯t mind saving the battery on his phone. Once the light was there, Milo took a step toward the tunnel before freezing. He then turned toward the fighter. ¡°Uh, Hraktar? Do you¡­¡±


    Hraktar had his arms folded, giving his resting face that was completely intimidating, and reminded everyone he was a half a foot taller than everyone. ¡°Yes. I can go first.¡±


    The fighter walked into the tunnel, which was a tight fit for him. It would make a tight pinch, and Derek had a bad feeling that if anyone actually tried to attack them, Hraktar might be on his own. Granted, Hraktar had the best chance of anyone, which is why Milo suggested him, but there was still some concern.


    The tunnel itself wasn¡¯t big, but with how slow they went, it felt a lot longer than it was. It was a straight tunnel, going toward Elmwood, so at least they weren¡¯t in danger of crossing the bubble again.


    The tunnel turned, and they didn¡¯t get far when Hraktar pulled to a stop, almost causing Grizzizzik to run into his back. ¡°Hraktar?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    The fighter froze, and Derek was afraid he got hit with a paralyze spell. But then Hraktar moved his head. ¡°Princess? I¡­¡±


    Clarissa stiffened. ¡°What do you see?¡±


    Hraktar moved out of the way. The tunnel had opened into another room, smaller than the main one, though Hraktar could stand more comfortably.


    Once Milo walked in, the room was bathed with light. Hraktar walked, then stood at the edges of some sort of symbol painted on the floor around the table. Blood red symbols floated around the table, and Derek had a bad feeling they were actually created using blood. The stench smacked Derek¡¯s nose before his sight registered there was a person on the table. Derek gagged, grabbing his shirt collar and covering his mouth.


    ¡°Is that¡­¡± Milo started to say.


    Clarissa gasped. ¡°Sylvar?¡±


    Derek winced. Clarissa¡¯s brother. The prince of the elf druids and an incredible adventurer. That five hundred miles of Milo¡¯s explosion was an enormous area to cover. It looked like Sylvar traveled to earth as well. And got caught in the wrong hands.


    Clarissa gathered the skirts of her dress before trying to run to the table. Hraktar grabbed her arm before she got far. ¡°Let me go, Hraktar!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know what these runes mean.¡± Hraktar pointed to the floating runes and the ones on the ground. ¡°It could trap you in an enchantment.¡±


    ¡°The black mage,¡± Derek whispered to Tyler. ¡°Was he Prince Sylvar¡¯s captor?¡±


    Tyler shook his head, looking worried. ¡°No. A minion at best.¡±


    ¡°You know who did this?¡± Derek asked. Tyler glanced at him, one of regret. Derek¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Holy shit, you are railroading us.¡±


    ¡°I had¡­ no idea he would be here.¡± Tyler¡¯s eyes returned to the druid prince on the table as sorrow flickered over his face. ¡°I swear.¡±

 Chapter 166

    The crown prince of the elves did not look good. He wore a pair of simple shorts, revealing many bruises on his body. Where there were open wounds, black mana swirled right underneath. Derek was pretty sure that white part he saw in the leg was a broken bone. It made Derek¡¯s stomach churn. Sylvar¡¯s pointed ears poked out of his forest green hair. The slow rise and fall of his chest meant he was still alive.


    The cleric fell to his knees, uttering a prayer. As he prayed, the runes puffed out of existence as his medallion let off a holy light. A wind, invisible to others, swept the symbols off the ground. The smell of rotting flesh lessened, but not by much.


    ¡°Go ahead, my princess. You are safe to approach.¡± Ezekiel took Milo¡¯s hand as he climbed to his feet.


    Clarissa was already at the table, holding Sylvar¡¯s shoulder and trying to wake him. Her eyes held a pleading in them as she faced Ezekiel. ¡°Can you heal him?¡±


    Milo walked forward toward the table, tearing his gaze from Sylvar to Clarissa. ¡°I know this can be distressing, but I must inspect what happened. Someone has tortured your brother, and there¡¯s black mana at play.¡± Milo pointed to the skin. ¡°If Ezekiel used his healing, it might make it worse.¡±


    ¡°How is that even possible?¡± Clarissa tried to hold herself as a princess, but she was terrified for her brother.


    Milo pulled out his magnifying glass. ¡°Ah, Princess.¡±


    There was a lot said in those two words. When Evelyn had first joined the game at ten years old, she had no idea what to do. They played that into her character. A recluse elf who stayed with her family for a century wouldn¡¯t know about adventuring or sleeping outside and keeping watch. She was sheltered, and some of Milo¡¯s heavy tone implied that as he leaned over to examine a cut oozing with black mana on Sylvar¡¯s arm.


    Roll for arcana with advantage.


    Derek grabbed the d20 and gave it a good shake. It landed on a natural twenty, which made him sigh. He rolled the other, and it landed on a four. The tension eased out of his body as time resumed. Only a little, because whatever Milo discovered couldn¡¯t be good.


    Milo went to work, holding his magnifying glass to his eye as he gathered bits of mana, experimenting with different cantrips. Clarissa had tears streaming down her face. Ezekiel moved to her side and wrapped an arm around her waist. Grizzizzik walked over to a table, searching there.


    ¡°Princess?¡± It was the quietest, most respectful Derek had ever heard Grizzizzik say her title. Clarissa turned and saw the rogue was pointing toward a wooden staff. Clarissa gasped, moving toward the table.


    Derek winced. It was the staff. It remained in the royal family of druids, which meant, for now, it was Sylvar¡¯s. Whoever was torturing Sylvar must have also attempted to uncover the secrets of the staff. Only the royal family could use it, and right now, it was bonded to Sylvar.


    The staff was a few inches taller than Clarissa herself. The staff, crafted from an aspen tree, had five thin branches at the top. Each glowed a different color of mana depending on the spell being cast.


    Milo set down his magnifying glass, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Sylvar had a steady, if small, rising and falling chest.


    ¡°What is it doing to him?¡± Clarissa placed a hand on Sylvar¡¯s shoulder.


    The mana fusor dropped his hands, tears in his eyes. ¡°This is¡­ this is¡­torture. It¡­.¡± Milo took a steadying breath before meeting Clarissa¡¯s eyes. ¡°Someone did this to him as part of a ritual. I sense the early signs of a ritual so dark that no one knows how to do it except those who seek it out. Those who are so malign, so twisted, that somehow evil is too good a term to use for them.¡±


    Ezekiel slowly sank to his knees, clutching his medallion, his eyes wide. ¡°Lichdom?¡±


    Milo nodded, looking at Sylvar¡¯s body. ¡°Lichdom.¡±


    Derek covered his face. ¡°Shit.¡±


    ¡°Is he still alive? Can we save him?¡± The first of the tears fell from Clarissa¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°From what I can tell, the ritual ended prematurely. Perhaps the necromancer got pushed out of his own lair because you kept making the bubble bigger as you got stronger,¡± Milo said.


    Clarissa¡¯s hands were trembling. ¡°Can. We. Save. Him?¡±


    Milo sighed. ¡°Enough black mana has entered his body under the surface and stayed there. He is straddling the definition of living and undead. He is a bit of both. I¡¯m afraid, in his extremely weakened state, if we tried a spell, the undead part of him would crumble and the rest of him would fall with it.¡±


    Clarissa brought out a gold mana bottle. ¡°Healing potion?¡±


    Milo raised a hand. ¡°Same principal. We don¡¯t know enough, and it might kill him.¡±


    ¡°Black mana healing?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    Milo shook his head. ¡°It might kill him the rest of the way and turn him undead permanently.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Clarissa replaced the gold mana into her inventory. ¡°Then we do this the old-fashioned way. Hraktar, get him off this table and into the other chamber. Ezekiel, douse this room with as much holy light as you can to cleanse it completely. We are not leaving this lair until my brother is back on his feet. I will heal him with my herbs and medicine kit.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Milo, go to that bookshelf and dump all the books from it into your void bag. I will do proper research of them further when we get back,¡± Ezekiel said.


    ¡°Do you think one of them has the ritual for lichdom?¡± Hraktar suppressed a shiver.


    ¡°No. I would have sensed it if it did.¡± Ezekiel headed toward the opening. ¡°A book that evil, the necromancer would¡¯ve taken it with him when he fled.¡±


    With the jobs organized, Hraktar walked over to the table. He unfastened Sylvar¡¯s metal cuffs before scooping him up and cradling him like a small child as he eased his way back to the main chamber. Derek noticed where the metal had touched Sylvar¡¯s skin. There were deep purple bruises. Clarissa grabbed the staff, and Derek waited until she went behind Hraktar before following them to the bigger room.


    Once they were in the main room, Hraktar eased Sylvar onto the floor as Clarissa took out a medicine kit, tending to his wounds with herbs and bandages.


    Tyler leaned against the wall, watching the whole thing. Derek joined him, scratching his chin. ¡°Is there some sort of Game Master help group? A place where people visit when their ideas get a little too dark? Like therapy? Pet puppies or kittens or something? Remember what it¡¯s like to be happy?¡±


    Tyler snorted, even though the humor wasn¡¯t in his eyes. ¡°I doubted we¡¯d get this far. I didn¡¯t think Prince Sylvar would be here on earth.¡± Tyler rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°To my credit, I didn¡¯t think this game was real.¡±


    Derek sighed. ¡°Yeah. I doubt anyone could have prepared you for that.¡±


    ¡°A character who has to live with the consequences of a failed attempt at the lich ritual was always intriguing to me, so I wanted to explore it. I just wrote the idea down in my notebook of ideas for a future character, then it turned into something that might happen to Sylvar. I didn¡¯t think¡­ I didn¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Creepy that Chaos and Order picked up on that small idea, but I¡¯m not judging,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    Both Derek and Tyler jumped before turning to see Grizzizzik right behind them.


    ¡°Goddamn rogues,¡± Derek mumbled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how else to prove I¡¯m innocent in this, Grizzizzik,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Kids. The lot of you are kids. And yet you hold our destinies. It¡¯s disgusting.¡± Grizzizzik moved away, pulling his hood up as he went to loot the room.


    Nick walked over, his arms folded, as he took Grizzizzik¡¯s place. ¡°Is Grizzizzik okay?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Thought not,¡± Derek said.


    Nick sighed, dragging his fingers down the side of his face before getting up. There was a heaviness to his eyes that wasn¡¯t there before. ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys later.¡±


    Derek and Tyler watched Nick leave. ¡°Do you think Nick is okay?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to find some way to help him.¡± Derek glanced over to see Sylvar¡¯s leg covered in herbs, then watched as Clarissa eased the bone back into place. Derek and Tyler both scrunched their faces in sympathy.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s gross,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°At least he¡¯s unconscious.¡±


    They were there for another twenty-five minutes. Milo had placed all the books on the bookshelf in his void bag before folding it up and returning it to his inventory. The metal fang from the cobra fascinated Grizzizzik. Hraktar sat cross-legged on the ground near Sylvar and Clarissa, watching the druid prince closely.


    Ezekiel walked out of the smaller room, his clothes misting with holy light before he collapsed on a chair to rest. Clarissa worked tirelessly as she bandaged her older brother.


    Rafael and Alejandra both sat on the stairs, whispering. Evelyn and Nick were on the other side of the room. Evelyn wasn¡¯t saying anything, and neither was Nick. Derek and Tyler were in the middle of the wall, waiting.


    The gasp brought everyone¡¯s attention. Sylvar sat straight up, gripping his heart, staring around wildly. He was panting, but Clarissa grabbed his shoulders, looking into his violet eyes.


    ¡°Sylvar? It¡¯s me. I¡¯m here.¡±


    Sylvar gasped in fear, but he studied Clarissa¡¯s eyes with a mixture of confusion and wonder. ¡°Clarissa?¡± He was the only one who could drop her royal title and not get a verbal lashing for it.


    She smiled, tears in her eyes. ¡°Yes. Yes, it¡¯s me.¡±


    He reached out, taking a lock of her blonde hair. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ desert.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Her weak smile dropped. ¡°And you¡¯re not. We must get you to the van quickly, before the heat of the day takes your strength.¡±


    Sylvar said nothing. Instead, he groaned, about to fall back again when Hraktar grabbed his shoulders to keep him up. Sylvar¡¯s head bobbed as he fell unconscious.


    ¡°A good, long nap will do him wonders,¡± Milo said.


    Clarissa nodded, taking a moment to wipe the tears from her eyes before pulling herself together. ¡°Then we return to the van and get back. We¡¯ve done what we came here to do.¡±


    Evelyn walked forward, looping her arm around Clarissa¡¯s before placing her head on her shoulder. Clarissa gave her a half hug, kissing the top of her head before the two of them made their way up the stairs. Ever so carefully, Hraktar picked up Sylvar and hoisted him over his shoulder. The elf prince was still unconscious. Derek tried to think that there was some color back in his cheeks, but he still looked quite pale, like death touched him.


    They made their trek out of the tunnel, and Derek felt unsettled. Sylvar had survived. Time could only tell what the remainder of his long life would look like.


    They walked out of the tunnel and into the blinding sunlight. Heat hit them all at once, and Derek could almost hear the small measure of life inside Sylvar getting sucked away.


    Derek pulled out his key. ¡°The van isn¡¯t far.¡±


    A loud roar pulled everyone¡¯s attention. Derek spun, seeing a young desert dragon in flight, heading straight for them.


    ¡°What combat level is a young desert dragon?¡± Derek whispered urgently at Tyler.


    Tyler already had his phone out. ¡°Six. Level six. It can¡¯t hurt us. It can¡¯t get into the bubble.¡±


    ¡°Can the flames hit us?¡± Hraktar asked.


    Clarissa shook her head. ¡°Not in the bubble.¡±


    ¡°Everyone just keep walking,¡± Rafael said. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the van.¡±


    Hraktar kept his walking steady as they all headed toward the vehicle. The desert dragon tucked in its wings and dove to the ground. Derek was too curious not to watch, even as he kept walking.


    Clarissa muttered her incantations again, and the bubble turned opaque, which helped Derek focus on what they needed. Sylvar was already weakened, and as a wood elf, he couldn¡¯t stay out here much longer. Clarissa could barely do anything her first week on Earth.


    The dragon slammed into the ground close to the base of the bubble. The ground trembled at the impact.


    Evelyn glanced at Clarissa. ¡°It can¡¯t dig its way under the bubble, can it?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Clarissa kept her gaze on the van. ¡°I created a bubble. That means no entryway for any creature who doesn¡¯t belong.¡±


    They heard the digging, and Derek slowed his step, frowning. The digging didn¡¯t stop. In fact, it was getting louder. The only way that could happen was if it was closer.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Derek wasn¡¯t sure how else to say it, but he was certain that dragon found a way into the bubble.


    The group all slowed, as though they, too, sensed it.


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Clarissa whispered.


    The dragon popped out of the ground, inside the bubble. It landed, his wings flared, as he roared at all of them. Derek¡¯s heart skyrocketed as he stared at a level six desert dragon within fire breath range of everyone.


    Roll for initiative.

 Chapter 167

    Evelyn screamed, mostly because she knew no one could hear it. The dragon roared when she started screaming, and then time froze as she let it all out. Except it didn¡¯t stop, and she started to hyperventilate. Panic made her mind scramble. Now there was a level six dragon inside the bubble. She couldn¡¯t have a panic attack when time was frozen.


    Clarissa had used up one mana slot for flame blade. Others had used up more. This was a young desert dragon, about ten feet long. It wasn¡¯t as massive as an adult or ancient dragon, but the group of adventurers were level four, and had already fought three creatures today.


    She grabbed the dice and gave it a roll, getting a thirteen total. Just like that, time resumed again and everyone could see her panic.


    Though she wasn¡¯t the only one. This was a dragon they weren¡¯t supposed to face until they reached level six or higher. Clarissa¡¯s bubble should have blocked it. Why didn¡¯t it block it?


    Grizzizzik strode forward with his short bow, an arrow already nocked. ¡°If this thing flies, we¡¯re all sitting ducks!¡± Grizzizzik shot the arrow, and it pinged off the dragon¡¯s muscular wing. ¡°Shit!¡±


    Ezekiel gestured toward Milo. ¡°Guiding bolt!¡±


    Milo reached into his inventory and pulled out a vial of gold and red mana, handing them to the cleric. ¡°I only have two more red mana left.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Ezekiel drained them before grabbing his medallion and ushering a prayer. Light filled his medallion before he channeled it into his arms. A blast of light rocketed toward the dragon. It slammed into the wing. The young dragon took the hit before snarling at Ezekiel.


    Hraktar eased Sylvar to the ground before looking at the group. ¡°Rafael, Derek. Take him back into the cave, away from the heat.¡±


    Rafael and Derek hardly reacted before Hraktar ran forward with his great sword. With a bellow of rage, Hraktar slammed his great sword into the base of the wing of the young dragon. With a power Evelyn almost didn¡¯t believe, the half-orc gave a snarl that could match the dragon¡¯s as it slammed the great sword into the dragon¡¯s shoulder. The red dragon shrieked in pain as Hraktar pulled it back out again, panting as it backed as far away as he could. Evelyn¡¯s mouth was slightly open as she glanced at Alejandra.


    Again, Alejandra beamed. ¡°Nat twenties are my favorite!¡±


    Rafael and Derek grabbed Sylvar between them and hoisted him up. Tyler ran over to help as they made their way into the shelter. The dragon didn¡¯t look as grand or intimidating as it did before. But they still had a long way to go before they could win this thing.


    Time stood still, and Evelyn glanced through her list of spells. Grizzizzik was right. If that dragon took flight, it would pick them off one by one. Evelyn mentally chose entangle.


    Time resumed, and Clarissa chanted something in elvish before shooting her hands forward. Thick briars shot out of the ground beneath the dragon. The creature nursed the wound on its shoulder and was taken by surprise. It roared as the vines wrapped themselves around its body.


    Tyler was at the start of the tunnel, ushering toward the others. ¡°Evelyn, Nick, Alejandra. Get in the shelter. We¡¯ve got to stay away from the dragon.¡±


    ¡°Pretty sure if the dragon breaths at the mouth of the cave, we¡¯d all be toast. Literally,¡± Nick said.


    Tyler¡¯s voice went dry. ¡°Humor me, please.¡±


    Evelyn moved toward the hideout opening.


    ¡°Okay, um, everyone cover for me, ¡®kay?¡± Milo sat on the ground and worked on his cannon again.


    The dragon screamed in rage as vines snapped off its body. It shook them away before taking a deep breath, electricity filling its body. Evelyn picked up the pace. She wasn¡¯t sure how much the dragon¡¯s breath could hurt, but she didn¡¯t want to find out.


    The dragon roared, and a shot of electricity slammed into Hraktar¡¯s chest, then Ezekiel¡¯s, then Grizzizzik¡¯s. Hraktar shouted in pain as he stumbled back, his forty-seven hit points dropping to twenty-seven. Ezekiel and Grizzizzik buckled before collapsing to the ground, their hit points at zero.


    Evelyn made it into the shelter, but everyone was crowded around the opening.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Tell me someone has cure wounds,¡± Rafael said.


    Derek rubbed his chin. ¡°Milo has a ton of healing potions.¡±


    ¡°Shit.¡± Everyone turned their attention on Nick who swore. ¡°Nat one on a save roll.¡±


    Tyler hissed as Derek leapt out of the rock opening. ¡°Milo! Grizzizzik¡¯s in critical danger!¡±


    Hraktar moved forward, panting as he gave the dragon another swipe with his great sword. The dragon shrieked and snarled.


    Time froze again, and Evelyn studied her list of spells. She hadn¡¯t prepared cure wounds ever since Ezekiel was back. None of them expected a level six dragon to down their cleric. She just wanted to cause as much damage to the dragon as possible.


    Since the dragon breathed lightning, it would most likely have an immunity to it, so her flame blade might be enough. They had the ingredients from her pouch, so she chose that one. It would also use up the last of her level two mana slot.


    She rolled the d20. Seventeen, that was nice. She then rolled a one, a two, and a three. What the odds of that were, she wasn¡¯t sure, but she wished it were slightly higher.


    Time resumed, and Clarissa grabbed a leaf from her inventory as she chanted. It turned into a blade before she walked forward and slammed it into the dragon. It skidded a bit off the scales, but it cut through enough.


    Milo sprinted toward Grizzizzik as he pulled a vial of gold mana out of his inventory, pulling out the stopper with his teeth and jamming it into Grizzizzik¡¯s mouth. The rogue sputtered and choked as he forced it away.


    ¡°You almost died.¡± It was Milo¡¯s only explanation before he aimed his glowing crossbow at the dragon. The ice blue bolt streaked across the desert before smacking into the dragon¡¯s eye. It shrieked, and Milo looked genuinely surprised that it worked so well.


    The dragon turned toward Hraktar and snapped at him. Hraktar leapt out of the way, right into the dragon¡¯s claws. He let out a bellow as a claw pierced his stomach and ripped across his chest. Hraktar panted before the dragon took flight, shrieking.


    ¡°We almost have it!¡± Clarissa shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t let it get away!¡±


    Grizzizzik scrambled to his feet, already taking out his bow. The dragon was in the air, but it was a large enough target. Grizzizzik¡¯s arrow flew, but missed. He grabbed his head, blinking back whatever had dazed him from the electricity hit.


    Rafael glanced at Derek. ¡°Ezekiel¡¯s got one success and one fail.¡±


    ¡°Better than a nat one, but we also don¡¯t want that dragon to pick up his unconscious body and drop him, either,¡± Tyler said.


    Hraktar pulled out his crossbow and took careful aim before letting the bolt loose. The bolt smacked the dragon in the throat, and it shrieked again, whirling on Hraktar.


    It was Clarissa¡¯s turn next, and she really only had the option of her bow. Clarissa grabbed her bow and tried to aim, but when she let the arrow go, it plinked harmlessly off the dragon¡¯s underbelly.


    Milo stood up, holding his cannon and his crossbow, shooting both at the same time. The ball of white energy smacked into the underbelly of the dragon, and the crossbow bolt entered its heart. The dragon shrieked before it stopped. Its wings tucked in as it fell.


    ¡°Yes! Kill shot!¡± Derek said.


    Tyler covered his face and let out a breath. ¡°If that dragon had gotten any higher.¡±


    ¡°How did this dragon even get in here in the first place?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Tyler sighed. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure.¡±


    The ground rumbled as the dragon collapsed. The characters were all panting, with Hraktar grabbing his stomach to keep the bleeding under control.


    The silence broke with Rafael¡¯s shout. ¡°Can someone get Ezekiel? That was a second fail.¡±


    Milo nodded, then sprinted toward Ezekiel, replacing his crossbow with a vial of gold mana. Milo slid next to Ezekiel, pulling out the stopper before easing it into the cleric¡¯s mouth. It was about a swallow¡¯s worth. Once it was down, the cleric gasped awake, glancing around.


    Milo waved. ¡°Hi! Glad you¡¯re back!¡± He got to his feet, looking excited. ¡°There¡¯s a desert dragon, and I¡¯m going to need at least three hours with its carcass.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait.¡± Clarissa climbed to her feet. Evelyn was relieved that she looked unharmed. ¡°A dragon entered the bubble when he shouldn¡¯t have. We can¡¯t stay here at the edge of the bubble when Calawit told us a bunch of other creatures are out there.¡±


    ¡°How did it show up?¡± Hraktar said.


    Tyler rubbed his temple, furrowing his brow. Evelyn watched him, ignoring all the other feelings that were too complicated to process. Tyler glanced at the characters, dropping his hand. ¡°Good question, Hraktar. Does anyone have any ideas?¡±


    Tyler¡¯s face froze, and words appeared in her vision.


    Make a perception check.


    Evelyn grabbed the d20 and gave it a good shake, realizing her eyes were still on Tyler and she focused on her hands. This was ridiculous. What was she doing? Nothing changed between the two of them. Tyler would be nothing more to her than a friend. Clearly. She was sixteen. He was twenty. Why was this so hard to grasp? Tyler had no interest. At all.


    Seventeen. Clarissa had a +5 on perception, bumping it up to twenty-two. Movement came back to everyone.


    ¡°Nice. Twenty-two.¡± Evelyn glanced at Tyler.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Tyler asked.


    Evelyn¡¯s cheeks grew warm. ¡°Right. Sorry. Force of habit. Forgot you¡­ don¡¯t actually need to know.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice to hear it¡¯s past twenty. Gives me hope.¡± Tyler glanced at Clarissa. It gave Evelyn the time needed to calm her blazing hot cheeks. What was wrong with her?


    Clarissa placed her hands on her hips as she turned toward Grizzizzik, a slight smile on her lips. ¡°Ah, I do believe my favorite phrase is in order.¡±


    Grizzizzik hesitated, then annoyance flickered across his face. ¡°Seriously, Princess?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grizzly Bear. This¡ª¡± she made a circular motion with her pointer finger toward the sky, ¡°¡ªis all your fault.¡±


    Grizzizzik ran his tongue over his sharpening teeth, pushing them back into place as the annoyance turned into a glare. Nick saw the reaction and unfolded his arms, giving Evelyn a nervous glance. Grizzizzik and Clarissa might enter one of their sibling fights. Obviously, they weren¡¯t siblings, but things might get dangerous.


    Nick held up a two and a one, which meant he rolled a twenty-one. Evelyn held up two twos. Clarissa was right, and Grizzizzik knew she was. This fight could get dangerous.

 Chapter 168

    ¡°I refuse to have this conversation with you,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°Why?¡± Clarissa folded her arms. ¡°Because I¡¯m right? And you¡¯re too stubborn to agree? You attacked a stronger monster outside the bubble, proving to the mana of this world that you can handle these creatures, and opened the path for them to enter! You altered the leveling of the bubble!¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s eyes widened as she stared at Clarissa. Level six creatures could enter the bubble now. She glanced at Tyler, her eyes still wide. Sensing the gaze, he glanced at her, though he didn¡¯t look as worried as she felt.


    ¡°So¡­ stronger creatures are coming into the bubble?¡± Hraktar asked.


    Clarissa kept her arms folded, glaring at Grizzizzik. ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡± Grizzizzik held a palm up to Clarissa and Hraktar as though prepared to fight them back, ¡°¡ªwe get stronger as we fight them. The bubble has only allowed a certain level of creature to enter. From my estimates, only level six. Once we ourselves reach level six, that doesn¡¯t mean level eight creatures will be allowed.¡±


    ¡°If we survive that long!¡± Clarissa shouted. ¡°Stronger creatures are entering the bubble, Grizzly Bear! We barely survived a dragon! What if we have to face three next time?¡±


    ¡°You did survive a dragon!¡± Grizzizzik shouted back. ¡°Look at you! You¡¯re practically untouched!¡±


    ¡°Thank the Great Lady,¡± Ezekiel mumbled for good measure.


    Clarissa unfolded her arms, balling her hands into fists. ¡°You do not attack things outside the bubble! Especially if they¡¯re stronger than you. Okay!¡±


    ¡°Quit pretending I knew this would happen.¡± Grizzizzik¡¯s teeth lengthened. ¡°We need to get stronger. All of us do. The deadline for the apocalypse is a mere nine months away, and we are weak. If this is the kick in the ass we need to keep leveling, I will not apologize for it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t force these things on us!¡± Clarissa pointed at the cleric. ¡°Ezekiel is still recovering!¡±


    ¡°Stop babying that cleric! He¡¯s a grown man and you¡¯re his wife, not his mother.¡±


    ¡°You need to stop turning my empathy and concern into something to belittle and disregard.¡± Clarissa took a dangerous step forward, her eyes burned with warning. Evelyn couldn¡¯t help but give Nick a worried look of her own. Nick was too busy rubbing his hands down his face to notice.


    ¡°No, you need to stop disregarding what you see as a lack of empathy as anything less than the reality check it is. We have no hope of ever returning to the Shrouded Domain. This is our home now, and we¡¯re some of the few that can take out these creatures before they destroy it. The billions of inhabitants here are depending on us, and we¡¯re taking our time getting stronger. So bring on the stronger monsters, I say, and let¡¯s wipe them out well before August.¡±


    Evelyn gnawed on her bottom lip. She hated to admit it, but underneath the bitterness and the anger, Grizzizzik had a point. A dangerous one. Here they were at the beginning of November, at level four. They were averaging about a level a month, and that wouldn¡¯t work. The highest they could get was twenty, and if they kept a level a month, they¡¯d reach thirteen by next August. They wouldn¡¯t survive an apocalypse that way.


    Clarissa placed her hands on her hips and glared at Grizzizzik. Evelyn could tell her character understood where Grizzizzik was coming from. Clarissa was convinced, but she had her own pride to struggle through.


    ¡°You do this every time.¡± There was a harshness in Clarissa¡¯s voice. ¡°Manipulate your way out of trouble.¡±


    Grizzizzik narrowed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, I didn¡¯t know killing the black mage would cause this. Placing blame fixes nothing. What will fix it is you getting off your high horse and helping us get stronger so we don¡¯t run around like chickens with our heads chopped off in August.¡±


    Milo had his hands behind his back, then slowly backed away, headed toward the desert dragon corpse. Clarissa shot him a dirty look, and Milo froze in place, then lifted his two hands in surrender. ¡°You two could argue like this for hours. Might as well do something useful during the time.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t be near the bubble,¡± Clarissa said.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. So as soon as you and Grizzizzik finish arguing, we can go.¡± Milo took a huge step back before he turned and jogged the rest of the way toward the corpse.


    ¡°Actually, let¡¯s keep this argument going while I get some of those claws.¡± Grizzizzik gestured for Clarissa to follow him. ¡°Dragon claws would make for excellent throwing daggers.¡±


    Clarissa¡¯s eyes darkened as Grizzizzik kept gesturing as he walked right past her to reach the dragon. Clarissa didn¡¯t move, but she was fuming. Ezekiel walked over to her, smiling. ¡°Let¡¯s go check on your brother. I¡¯d like to do more religious studies on him to make sure he¡¯s recovering.¡±


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be near the bubble,¡± Clarissa said.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Ezekiel glanced at the base, then back at her. ¡°Your brother¡¯s still a forest elf. He needs a good long rest to regain his strength before we head to Elmwood. We give him that time while I¡¯m watching him, then we all leave.¡±


    Clarissa did nothing. Ezekiel held out a hand to her, smiling. She took it, her eyes still fuming, as Ezekiel led her into the rock tunnel to where Rafael and Derek had Sylvar.


    ¡°It makes me uncomfortable when Grizzizzik is right,¡± Evelyn said.


    Nick kept a finger to his forehead, not looking at anyone. ¡°Everything about Grizzizzik makes me uncomfortable.¡±


    Tyler glanced at everyone. ¡°Did anyone level up in that fight?¡±


    Evelyn shook her head, and was surprised everyone else shook their heads, too. Tyler asked Derek and Rafael when they came out of the tunnel. Neither of them had leveled up, either. Two constructs, a black mage, and a young desert dragon, and they were still at level four.


    After everyone gave their total experience points, Tyler wrote the names down in order of who had the most. Milo had the most at 5,400. Hraktar was close with 5,340. Grizzizzik had 5,245, and Clarissa had ten points less at 5,235. To no one¡¯s surprise, Ezekiel had the least, at 4,640 points.


    Tyler rubbed his chin. ¡°As always, I¡¯d feel better if we leveled up, preferably before Akshi comes to seek revenge.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ tomorrow session too?¡± Derek raised his eyebrows in excitement.


    ¡°We have our double date,¡± Rafael said, not looking at anyone.


    The excitement drained out of Derek¡¯s eyes. ¡°Oh. Right.¡±


    ¡°Well, think about it, guys. Some of us don¡¯t need to be present when they fight the monsters. I haven¡¯t for a month. It still worked. Our characters could fight again on Sunday without all of us being here,¡± Nick said.


    Derek whimpered but said nothing else. He clearly wanted to be involved in everything, but eventually he¡¯d have to make this choice.


    ¡°Leveling up is the most important now. Between Akshi and this new threat of level six creatures entering the bubble, it¡¯s pretty ridiculous not to have the characters to fight again tomorrow. As long as they¡¯re all together, one level six monster shouldn¡¯t be bad.¡± Tyler let out a breath. ¡°Hopefully. We¡¯ve got to make sure they don¡¯t fight two level six creatures at the same time. And see if Ezekiel can take on a creature by himself during a fight. Maybe that¡¯ll give him the full experience points of that monster.¡± He pulled out his phone, scrolling through the list of monsters.


    ¡°How are we doing with the big list of monsters?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Between us and the other groups, we have a little less than seventeen hundred monsters left,¡± Tyler said.


    Nick rubbed his eyes and said nothing. Evelyn understood the hesitancy. Less than seventeen hundred did not comfort her at all. Grizzizzik was right. They¡¯d have to bump up their sessions a lot.


    ¡°To be on the safe side, I¡¯ll bow out on tomorrow¡¯s session,¡± Nick said.


    Tyler nodded, then glanced at Nick. ¡°It¡¯s been fantastic having you back, and we don¡¯t want to anger Walt.¡±


    Nick placed his hands in his pocket, glancing at his character near the dragon. Grizzizzik was using the hell dagger to pull out the dragon claws.


    ¡°Sylvar, you need to rest,¡± came Clarissa¡¯s voice from inside the secret lair.


    ¡°I will after I talk to him.¡±


    Evelyn turned to see Sylvar, Clarissa, and Ezekiel walk out of the tunnel. Sylvar recoiled in the sunlight, but he kept his eyes half closed as he staggered over to their group. Clarissa grabbed her older brother and steadied him. Sylvar sucked in a ragged breath before walking toward them. Tyler was still scrolling on his phone, looking at the different levels of the creatures, which meant he didn¡¯t notice Sylvar had stopped right in front of him until a few seconds later. Once Tyler met his gaze, Sylvar reached behind him and pulled something out of the small of his back. It was a familiar red velvet bag, and he held it out to Tyler. Their game master hesitated, then held out his hand as Sylvar dropped it in his palm.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it means, but I know it¡¯s you,¡± the druid prince said.


    Tyler¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at the red velvet bag. Evelyn covered her mouth to keep in a gasp. Sylvar turned around and used Ezekiel and Clarissa to help him back out of the harsh sunlight.


    Tyler froze for a good ten seconds, staring at the velvet bag. He opened the draw strings before seven CCNC dice tumbled into his palm.


    ¡°Duuuude,¡± Derek whispered.


    Tyler picked up the d20, staring at it in the sunlight before moving his head around, looking all over. ¡°Do you all see the words?¡±


    Derek shrugged. ¡°Yeah. You don¡¯t?¡±


    Tyler shrugged. ¡°Not until now.¡± He moved his head back, again looking all over. ¡°God, what is this? You guys live with this all the time?¡±


    ¡°You get used to it. You can mentally stop the chart, but you might have to roll for your character first,¡± Nick said.


    Tyler snorted, picking out a d6. ¡°Like I haven¡¯t rolled for a hundred thousand characters already.¡± He knelt on the ground and started rolling.


    It took perhaps five minutes of near constant rolling, but Tyler was looking at a character sheet only he could see. ¡°Not good.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s not good?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°First, I rolled horribly for his strength, but¡­ story wise, it makes sense. He survived something that should have killed him.¡± Tyler stood up, brushing himself off. ¡°He¡¯s starting at level two, which¡­ isn¡¯t bad, but¡­¡± Tyler trailed off again, studying the character sheet in his vision. ¡°Prince Sylvar will remain a wood elf. He can¡¯t change into a desert elf.¡±


    Evelyn flinched. ¡°That¡¯ll make things harder.¡±


    Tyler shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s meant to stay in the desert.¡±


    Evelyn frowned, trying not to think about what that meant. ¡°You expect them to separate again?¡±


    ¡°Prince Sylvar was never meant to be a constant in Princess Clarissa¡¯s story. He had his own adventures.¡±


    Evelyn swallowed, trying not to imagine how Clarissa would react to that.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the plan with Prince Sylvar?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°I get a strong enough bond with him to roll from a distance, then once I do, I¡¯ll see if the other groups need an extra person to help. Keeping a wood elf in the desert won¡¯t help anyone. Especially now that¡¯s he¡¯s in circle of spore.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°Not¡­ circle of moon?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Tyler rubbed the side of his face. ¡°The ritual made him weaker and changed a lot of his druidic powers, turning them more necromantic.¡±


    ¡°He¡­ could still stay,¡± Evelyn said as a last effort.


    Tyler shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s needed elsewhere. I¡¯m as certain of that as I am about us staying in Arizona and picking off the monsters here. I will reach out to the other groups and see if anyone needs him. Preferably somewhere in more forestry areas. He¡¯ll thrive there as he comes to terms with his new abilities.¡±


    Evelyn frowned, then looked at the shifted rock pile. She wasn¡¯t sure what to expect. Clarissa always knew her brother wouldn¡¯t remain in her life. They had such a deep bond; it was strange to see evidence of such a deep bond, and yet have them separated so long. They didn¡¯t even have cell phones to keep in touch with each other. It was something she couldn¡¯t comprehend, but perhaps it was because Clarissa and Sylvar didn¡¯t know any other way.

 Chapter 169

    Evelyn moved into the tunnel, feeling the need to see Clarissa and Sylvar interacting. It was such a rare occurrence. There were hushed voices as she walked further in, the cooler air a nice contrast to the outside. It wasn¡¯t August hot outside, but still no doubt uncomfortably warm for a forest elf. Though now that Sylvar was awake, he started to show his necromantic skills, and things around him were a cooler temperature.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Clarissa,¡± she heard Sylvar say. ¡°Thank you. You and your group undoubtably saved my life.¡±


    ¡°What of your own group of adventurers?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    Evelyn walked toward the staircase with no rail, keeping to herself. Sylvar sighed, shaking his head. ¡°They didn¡¯t make it.¡± There was a sadness in his eyes as he looked away. ¡°My friends fought till the end.¡±


    Ezekiel touched his medallion, bowing his head. ¡°May they find peace in the heavenly realm.¡±


    ¡°I should hope so. They were some of the finest people I served with,¡± Sylvar said.


    Sylvar must have found his clothes. That or Tyler rolling for him made them appear like how they worked on Clarissa. He had a simple shirt and trousers, with an earthy brown robe over him. The only indication that he was royalty was the crown on his head. It wasn¡¯t as garish as Clarissa¡¯s, as it hid in his curly, wild green hair, but it was there if people looked for it.


    ¡°You are stronger on your feet. Do you think you can walk with us to the van?¡± Clarissa asked.


    ¡°This van you speak of. It is a cart that can drive itself, yes?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Ezekiel said. ¡°Have you seen much of this new realm?¡±


    ¡°Sadly, no. It was far too hot, and we spent most of our time finding shelter and then staying in it. I saw these driverless carts, though. Very fast. Very loud,¡± Sylvar said.


    ¡°Yes. We can catch you up on a lot of this realm as you recuperate,¡± Clarissa said.


    ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡±


    Ezekiel¡¯s eyes practically lit up with excitement. ¡°Lord of the Rings! I must show you this trilogy!¡±


    Sylvar chuckled. ¡°Yes, I shall happily oblige. We can¡ª¡± Sylvar had grabbed the staff and was walking with it toward the stairs when he stopped.


    ¡°Sylvar?¡± Clarissa asked.


    The druid prince glanced down at the staff in his hands. ¡°It no longer speaks to me.¡±


    Clarissa¡¯s eyes widened as she covered her mouth. Sylvar looked at the staff again, then kept walking. ¡°The mana you have brought to this world is rich, sister. I will heal myself of what happened. Do not worry. And you must tell me about your marriage! There is much to tell me about!¡±


    The three characters went back to chatting, and Evelyn rested against the wall, looking again at Sylvar. He had appeared once in their campaign, but she remembered it vividly. It was after two experiences that had broken her. Nick was recovering after his crash, and Rafael had assaulted her. She was terrified of attending game night. She was twelve years old and scared. People looked at her and assumed she was heartbroken about her brother being in the hospital, and she didn¡¯t correct them. Nick¡¯s choice had already broken her heart. Her heart shattered with Rafael¡¯s.


    Lydia had dropped her off at Derek¡¯s house that night, and the noise of his family seemed so out of place. She wondered, watching Derek¡¯s siblings wrestling in the middle of the living room, if happiness could ever be hers again.


    Derek and Tyler were there, discussing some sort of lore. She couldn¡¯t remember. All she remembered was the way they stopped talking the moment she walked toward the dining room table. The gentle way Tyler broke the news about Rafael no longer attending any more sessions. Alejandra wanted to keep coming, but she couldn¡¯t find a ride this time, so it would be the three of them.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    They went on a side quest with Milo and Clarissa, where they ran into Sylvar. For the entire session, they hung out with him. Helped find someone for him and helped detain the man he was after. It was fun. It was happy. Evelyn had three hours of escape where she hung out with Clarissa¡¯s cool older brother. A brother doing good in the world. A brother not injured, laughing and happy. At the end, Sylvar and Clarissa parted ways. When Tyler said, ¡°Thanks, sister,¡± Evelyn broke down.


    The look of surprise on both Derek and Tyler¡¯s faces when she couldn¡¯t stop crying caused her so much embarrassment, but she couldn¡¯t pretend anymore. Nick had been in such a mood that she didn¡¯t know at the time whether he¡¯d go back to being a rebel. She was terrified of losing her brother, not just in the near-death experience he had, but in never seeing the brother she once knew again. That he¡¯d choose to do crime forever, and he¡¯d end up in prison. Her twelve-year-old mind was terrified, and luckily, they were having this at Derek¡¯s house. Amanda pulled her aside from Tyler and Derek¡¯s confused looks, making sure she was okay, before filling her with food and comforting words. Evelyn felt indebted to Amanda, because Walt and Lydia never did that.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡±


    Evelyn snapped out of her reverie and looked up to see Nick standing there. His eyes were dancing over her face, trying to pick up any facial cues, but her eyes remained on the scar cutting across his eyebrow from that crash almost four years ago.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Evelyn lifted a hand, brushing a strand of hair from her face. ¡°Yeah. Sorry. Just¡­ remembering the last time Prince Sylvar was in the campaign.¡±


    Nick glanced at Sylvar, then back at Evelyn. ¡°He¡¯s always sort of been there in the background.¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ physically. When Clarissa and he meet each other. You, um, you weren¡¯t there.¡±


    ¡°Wait, when was he¡­¡± The realization dawned on Nick¡¯s face. ¡°Oh. Yeah. Yeah, okay.¡± He glanced at the stairs. ¡°We¡¯re about ready to leave. I doubt Dad¡¯ll want me to¡ª¡±


    Evelyn didn¡¯t know what possessed her to do it, but she reached out and hugged Nick. Her eyes grew warm, so she closed them tight. She remembered the fear she had at twelve-year-old. How she¡¯d never hang out with her brother again. Terrified Nick would join the next dangerous gang and get murdered in the street before he graduated. She needed a physical reminder that he was here. That he was better. That her twelve-year-old mind was obviously overreacting.


    Nick patted her back in an awkward, brotherly manner. ¡°Evie, are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad you don¡¯t hang out with Anthony anymore,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Yeah. Obviously.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t obvious to me back then.¡±


    Nick hesitated, then placed his arms in a firmer hug. ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry. About that.¡±


    Evelyn shook her head, breaking away from the hug. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s complicated, that¡¯s all. I know dad is getting you down. You will tell us if you¡¯re having a hard time, right?¡± Evelyn asked. Nick stared at her, and Evelyn wasn¡¯t sure how to interpret his gaze. ¡°Nick?¡±


    ¡°What¡­ happened. Last time Sylvar was with Clarissa?¡± Nick asked.


    Evelyn was confused, but told him of helping Sylvar with one of his missions and hanging out with him. She didn¡¯t tell Nick about her breakdown and Amanda¡¯s heavenly coconut rice pudding.


    ¡°It was¡­ nice.¡± She shrugged as she tried not to remember how hot her tears were running down her face. ¡°Nice to have a session where Princess Clarissa was hanging out with her brother.¡±


    Nick still watched her with a face she couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°So¡­ it seems like in a time you needed comfort for what your actual brother was doing, Tyler made it so you were with Prince Sylvan?¡±


    Evelyn was confused. ¡°Nick, do you¡­ do you think Prince Sylvan was replacing you?¡±


    Nick¡¯s eyebrows rose in surprise. ¡°You heard me?¡±


    ¡°Of course I heard you. And it¡¯s a ridiculous thought.¡±


    ¡°Not ridiculous,¡± Nick said. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ the game¡¯s way of creating order. Order in a time of chaos. Or¡­ life. Life imitating art. Right?¡±


    Evelyn was so confused. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t get it. Life imitating art?¡±


    Nick was breathing deeply, like he was panic, yet his eyes were excited. ¡°Think about it. Think about what Sylvar just experienced.¡±


    Evelyn frowned. ¡°A horrific and traumatic ritual that caused the life powers in him to turn more necromantic?¡±


    This part of Nick¡¯s emotions she could understand. Hesitating, like he was trying to connect something in his mind. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s¡­ start with that.¡±


    Evelyn tilted her head, giving her brother a strange look. ¡°Nick, are you okay?¡±


    Nick sighed, almost like the excitement and hope in his eyes had deflated. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°You can tell me anything.¡±


    Nick glanced back behind his shoulder, giving a sigh. ¡°Later. Dad won¡¯t be happy if we¡¯re not home soon.¡±


    Evelyn shrugged. ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m hanging out with some friends tonight anyway for my birthday. Best to start getting ready for that.¡± She walked past Nick, doing her best to be careful up the stairs. Once she got to the top, she saw Nick was still at the bottom. ¡°Nick?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Coming.¡± He seemed dejected somehow as he stared at the wall. ¡°Just¡­ give me a minute.¡±


    His words seemed strange, but she turned around and followed the tunnel into the bright desert air.

 Chapter 170

    Nick was in bed, staring at the ceiling. It was two in the morning, and he¡¯d been tossing and turning ever since he climbed into bed at eleven. He wouldn¡¯t get any sleep. That much he knew. He brought the toilet paper home, and he needed to get rid of it fast before some snide comment of his caused Walt to tear apart his room again.


    It would happen tonight. He already formed his escape plan. Evelyn was asleep, and their characters were all at Alejandra¡¯s and Rafael¡¯s. Grizzizzik, too, decided to stay after giving Nick a look.


    Everyone was asleep. He could have climbed out his window an hour ago and already been back. He was simply enjoying this last night of freedom. Relative freedom. Even if he never got caught, Walt would still blame him. This first attempt at chaos would be the easiest. Even though they got a ton of experience points today, they were still at level four. The thought of getting level three in the warlock class in a week was laughable. Which meant he would have to do something else chaotic next week. This felt impossible.


    Nick closed his eyes, though sleep was far from him. This entire thing made him nauseous. He knew what this would do. He¡¯d be grounded all over again. Probably grounded from CCNC until he actually turned eighteen.


    He had a breakthrough today, though. Evelyn understood what he said if he didn¡¯t talk about it directly. Nick wouldn¡¯t tell Grizzizzik. He had tried everything he could think of on the ride there. He told everyone, twice, about what Grizzizzik had done. The rogue was the only one who heard, and the only thing he did was smirk. Nick had finally screamed his lungs out, and the only one who reacted was Grizzizzik. No one else heard his screams. Though seeing how badly he startled Grizzizzik, it was almost worth it.


    But this. If he could set down breadcrumbs and wait for his friends to follow? He could do that. He refused to tell Grizzizzik about this discovery. It wasn¡¯t something he wanted the rogue to catch on to. Grizzizzik frustrated him, anyway. Fighting all these creatures and never using eldritch blast. It almost felt insulting.


    Somehow, he knew Grizzizzik would never use his warlock powers, and that alone made Nick want to force his hand. He couldn¡¯t possibly give up three whole levels of a new class and only use the sword. He didn¡¯t know what story Grizzizzik was planning on telling the others when he finally got the sword. Grizzizzik was more of a seek forgiveness after the fact kind of guy. Which was incredibly annoying, now that Nick knew he existed in real life.


    Either way, he and his character were at odds. Grizzizzik was planning on telling no one, and Nick was making sure his friends knew about it. Right now, he had a plan, but he also was aware of the deadline. He had to do something chaotic, and it was better to do this now.


    Nick eased himself out of bed, slipping into darker clothes that he would have to put in the washer first thing in the morning to clean them. He kept coming back to that thought. Walt would always accuse him, and his father would be a better detective than the police force once news spread.


    Nick slipped on some gloves before placing the toilet paper in his backpack, carrying the extra in a plastic bag. He then eased the window open. His window had rarely been opened, so he did his best to clean off any residue that might show he¡¯d opened it. He then eased the screen open, placing it against the small rocks. He reminded himself to make sure the screen¡¯s impression wasn¡¯t left in any dirt, because Walt would definitely check.


    Nick grabbed his dark hoodie, easing it on before placing the hood over his head. He then grabbed his backpack and the plastic bag and eased out the window. With gentle hands, he partially closed the window before making his way across the small rocks that made up their yard. He thought about his bike, but he couldn¡¯t risk it. It was in the garage, and he didn¡¯t dare go past the front porch in case he activated the doorbell camera.


    Nick tightened his grip over his backpack and the plastic bag as he tiptoed off the front lawn. As soon as his feet touched the road, he started running. Every minute he spent outside his house was a minute he¡¯d more likely get caught. He hadn¡¯t done this in years. He didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever do this again. The adrenaline kicked in, the one that four years ago would have made him giggle. Now it filled him with dread.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    It took him ten minutes to run to the park. He grabbed his supplies and started throwing two at a time. It was not great. This TPing was far less impressive than even middle schoolers could come up with, but it didn¡¯t matter. All he needed was chaos, and him being outside, throwing toilet paper into the trees of a public park would be enough. Mainly because most of the chaos would come from his father finding out about it.


    It was hastily done, and over in less than twenty minutes. He used every roll he could, then dropped the wrappers into neighbor¡¯s garbage cans that were out. Perfect, they¡¯d be picked up tomorrow.


    The plastic bag he planned to put back under the sink once he was done, since it was where he got it from. He doubted Walt counted the plastic bags, but it was easier to leave as little out of place as possible.


    The run back was easier since he wasn¡¯t holding bulky things, but the adrenaline still made him nauseous. He had to get back home. He ran, almost done, forcing adrenaline to work for him, making sure he didn¡¯t get sloppy. It wasn¡¯t over until he was in bed asleep.


    No, he corrected himself. It¡¯s not over until my friends know what Grizzizzik did.


    Right now, he was forced to do something he didn¡¯t want to. Better him than Chaos, but he wouldn¡¯t go down without a fight. Grizzizzik would never stop until he had the sword, and Nick would never stop until his friends knew what Grizzizzik did.


    The second his foot touched his front yard, he slowed to a careful crawl. He crept forward, trying to still his breathing. Entering his room, panting like he was a druid changing from a racehorse, would be a mistake. His fingers eased the window open, and he eased through it. He used the ledge to lean down and brush off any dirt or rocks that might have his footprint before he lifted the screen, doing the same with the dirt there. He then eased into the window, getting the screen back on. It snapped back into place, and he grabbed a tissue to wipe away the dust that came.


    Nick threw off his clothes and stuck them in the hamper before throwing his pajamas back over himself. He then grabbed his notebooks and placed them back in his backpack, hastily zipping it back up again. His breathing had slowed enough that he grabbed the plastic bag and crept out of his room. The sky lightened in the east. He stuffed the plastic bag under the sink before grabbing a cup and filling it with water before downing it. He placed it gently in the sink before turning around and rammed into Evelyn.


    Nick¡¯s heart skyrocketed to such a fast pace that it took everything inside him not to scream. His mission was to do all this without waking up Walt, and screaming would absolutely wake him up. He gasped, though, as he stumbled back a few feet.


    ¡°Goddammit, Evelyn,¡± Nick hissed. ¡°Have you been taking stealth lessons from Princess Clarissa?¡±


    Evelyn rolled her eyes. ¡°Funny. Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Fine. Just fine. Go to bed.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not¡­ tunneling in on yourself again, are you?¡± Her voice was a whisper, but still far too loud.


    ¡°What?¡± He moved around her so he could head for his bedroom.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been acting really weird lately,¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯ve noticed?¡±


    ¡°Whatever it is, just tell me, okay?¡±


    Nick closed his eyes, trying to keep the wave of anger toward Grizzizzik at a minimum. ¡°I¡¯m trying, Evelyn. You just can¡¯t hear me.¡±


    Nick stopped in his tracks when the door to his parent¡¯s room opened. His skyrocketing heartbeat reached the stratosphere as Walt walked out of his room, tying a bathrobe around himself before he turned on the light. Nick blinked in the light, feeling exposed. Panic gripped his mind, and he was convinced he was still in his darker clothes.


    ¡°God, dad. Turn it off.¡± Evelyn raised a hand to cover her eyes. Nick was far too nervous to speak.


    ¡°What are you two doing up at this hour?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Getting a drink,¡± Nick said at the same time.


    Walt¡¯s eyes fell on Nick, the distrust evident. The word might not even have to spread, and he was already on Walt¡¯s suspect list.


    ¡°What kind of drink?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°Water.¡± Nick wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to know what Walt implied with that question.


    Nick felt dried sweat on his face. He wasn¡¯t sure what Walt saw, but he could feel every particle of dirt on himself. Every evidence that he¡¯d been outside doing something he shouldn¡¯t. All it took was Walt¡¯s overly critical eye, and his dad would figure it out.


    ¡°Well, then.¡± Walt¡¯s voice was low and annoyed as he stared right at Nick with narrowed eyes. ¡°Get to bed.¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t dare say anything else. He barely glanced in Evelyn¡¯s direction before he moved inside his room, closing the door softly behind him. He climbed into bed and pulled the covers over him. Nick needed to do laundry tomorrow. It needed to be cleaned and put away before Walt figured out what happened. If he started laundry now, Walt would get suspicious. Walt would always be suspicious. He needed to sleep. Exhaustion hit him as his adrenaline seeped away. He tried to will his heart stuck in the stratosphere to climb back down as he prepared for whatever would happen in the next couple of days.

 Chapter 171

    Rafael parked his car at the Bowling Pin, the local bowling alley in Elmwood. He glanced behind him at Derek and Emma. Derek was glued to his phone, and Emma was folding her arms, annoyance clear on her face.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go!¡± Rafael said. Emma grunted as Derek was texting someone. If Rafael¡¯s suspicions were right, it was Tyler. ¡°Derek?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Derek opened his car door without another glance toward Emma. Rafael and Hazel exchanged glances before Rafael got out to circle around and open the door for Hazel.


    ¡°Derek?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± He hardly tore his gaze from his phone.


    ¡°Emma¡¯s waiting,¡± Rafael said as Hazel got out of the car.


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Rafael dropped his voice to a whisper. ¡°Dude, are you going to be on that thing all night?¡±


    ¡°She needs to get angry at me, and I can stay in touch with what¡¯s going on. This is a win-win.¡± Derek¡¯s fingers flew over his phone.


    Rafael bit back a comment as Derek opened Emma¡¯s door with one hand while staring at his phone in his other. Emma climbed out, glaring.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me we were going bowling,¡± Emma hissed.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°You told me we were going hiking.¡± Emma pulled out her own phone. ¡°See!¡±


    Derek barely glanced up from his phone to see the text exchange. ¡°Huh.¡± He then went right back to looking at his phone.


    Rafael scratched right above his ear as Emma walked toward the Bowling Pin. Derek followed, distracted.


    ¡°This is going to be painful, isn¡¯t it,¡± Hazel said.


    ¡°Absolutely. I didn¡¯t think Derek would use us to help us in his scheme. I thought he just needed us for protection. Treating her like this feels¡­ horrible,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°There¡¯s got to be an easier way to get Emma out of Pippa¡¯s clutches. I agree. This feels cruel.¡±


    Rafael wrapped his hand around hers. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can contain this dumpster fire and make sure Derek treats her with respect.¡±


    Hazel nodded as they walked inside, seeing Derek had his phone in his pocket as he talked to the guy at the front. Rafael rolled the die for a few things on the way here, but nothing like combat. He¡¯d done some stealth and perception rolls, which meant the others were off doing something. Rafael was happy to sit this one out. They had a ridiculously busy weekend full of CCNC things, and he was fine letting the others take over for this. Everyone wanted to level up fast, but this was getting a little ridiculous and time consuming. Though maybe thoughts of the apocalypse would help him muscle through the monotony of CCNC every day.


    They wouldn¡¯t do this during school hours, right?


    Derek pulled out a credit card and handed it over to the guy at the main desk. The man grabbed it, giving it a swipe as Derek checked his phone again. He doubted Derek would let anyone go anywhere during the school hours, because he wanted to be there for everything. Heaven forbid they try this again tomorrow while at school.


    As it was a buy one get one free night, Rafael was more than happy to pay for his and Hazel¡¯s shoes. He was counting bills when everything around him froze.


    Roll for initiative.


    Rafael finished counting the bills before grabbing the d20 and giving it a shake. He dropped it, watching it tumble over the invisible table.


    Seven total. Not good, but he tried not to be worried.


    He handed the bills to the guy working at the front desk. The man had a small soul patch and looked bored.


    ¡°Two trolls,¡± Derek whispered as Hazel walked over to Emma for them to put their shoes on.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They were taking a hike through the outskirts of town and found two trolls that were pulling up some of the bigger trees.¡± Derek scrolled through his phone.


    ¡°Dude, we¡¯re on a date. Put the phone away,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°I have to figure out what creature it is. Trolls have a regeneration property that gives them ten points at the start of every turn, unless they take fire or acid damage, then it blocks their¡ª¡±


    Rafael elbowed Derek lightly in the rib as Emma walked over in her bowling shoes. Now that Rafael realized she thought they were hiking, her outfit made a bit more sense, but not much. Everything about her outfit looked brand new, as though she went out shopping specifically for this date. She had a loose shirt and a tank top underneath, with short shorts. She replaced her sandals with bowling shoes. Rafael was almost glad they weren¡¯t hiking, because she wasn¡¯t dressed for hiking, either. She might have twisted an ankle or something.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Buy me a snack!¡± she said, bounding over to Derek.


    ¡°Uh¡­ huh?¡± Derek asked.


    Emma wrapped her arms around him, getting uncomfortably close to his face. ¡°There¡¯s a candy counter over there. You know my favorite!¡±


    ¡°Right! Right.¡± Derek patted her shoulder. ¡°Totally know. Be back in a sec.¡±


    Derek moved away, and Emma watched him go with a slight smirk on her face. Rafael took off his street shoes. ¡°So, Emma, uh¡­¡± Emma glanced at him expectantly. ¡°Do you and Derek¡­ enjoy each other¡¯s company?¡± Rafael held back a wince. He tried to keep this as civil as possible, but wanted to make sure Emma could get out of this relationship.


    ¡°Enjoy? That¡¯s what we¡¯re supposed to be doing?¡± Emma played with a lock of her hair.


    Rafael blinked, not sure if she was being sarcastic or not. ¡°Yes?¡±


    Emma laughed as Rafael finished tying his shoes. ¡°And you¡¯re really dating the cheerleading captain because you simply enjoy her company?¡±


    He blinked again. ¡°Yes.¡±


    She didn¡¯t answer, which was when Rafael realized a d20 was hanging in front of him. He didn¡¯t know what to choose, but luckily Ezekiel did. Rafael rolled the dice when prompted, pleased that he was about to send some bad guys ten points worth of damage. Hopefully that would help in battle.


    Time resumed, and Rafael reached to finish tying his shoes. Emma positively cackled. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought.¡±


    He glanced up. ¡°What?¡±


    Emma simply shook her head and walked away. He thought about the conversation, then realized he didn¡¯t answer her. Or, rather, he did answer her, but she couldn¡¯t hear because time had frozen.


    Rafael sighed, standing up and walking over to Hazel. ¡°Hey.¡±


    She was looking at the bowling balls on display. She smiled as he approached. ¡°Hey, you.¡±


    Rafael placed his arm around her waist. ¡°I enjoy your company.¡±


    Hazel cocked her head to one side. ¡°Oh, um, okay. I enjoy your company, too.¡±


    He smiled as he looked at the display of bowling balls. ¡°Glad to hear that.¡±


    Hazel reached out and grabbed one bowling ball. ¡°You¡¯ll have to take me on a date without Derek and Emma sometime.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please. I already feel like this date is a disaster,¡± Rafael said.


    Hazel smiled as she grabbed the bowling ball and the two of them headed toward where Emma was loading in their names on the program.


    ¡°Done!¡± she said. ¡°Look! It even has one of those cool little Spanish accented e¡¯s for your name, Rafael!¡±


    Rafael glanced up to see Raf¨¦l on the screen. He opened his mouth to say something, then noticed she also spelt Hazel¡¯s name wrong, with an ¡®s¡¯ instead of a ¡®z¡¯. Emma didn¡¯t even try with Derek¡¯s name.


    ¡°Um¡­ ¡®hotbutt¡¯?¡± Hazel asked.


    ¡°Ugh, tell me about it. I guess they have a kid friendly program where you can¡¯t put any swear words, or I totally would¡¯ve put ¡®hotass¡¯ for Derek,¡± Emma said.


    Hazel and Rafael exchanged glances before they both shrugged in defeat. Ezekiel¡¯s character sheet popped into view, and he watched as the hit points raced down. Rafael held his breath until he saw it settle at twenty-four. Whatever it was, Ezekiel took a hit.


    Derek walked over with a small bag of peanut M&M¡¯s, tossing them in Emma¡¯s direction. Emma barely had time to catch it before she looked at them, frowning. ¡°No, not peanut M&M¡¯s. Those were my least favorite! Remember? I told you that!¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. I forgot.¡± Derek settled down on one of the plastic chairs.


    ¡°How could you forget? Seriously, I hate peanuts.¡± Emma threw them back at him.


    ¡°Are you allergic?¡± Hazel asked.


    ¡°No, I just hate them. Ugh, the people who are allergic to them aren¡¯t missing out on much.¡± Emma flipped her hair.


    ¡°Seems rather insensitive, considering you adore Reese¡¯s,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°I knew you knew what I liked!¡± Her eyes flared in warning.


    ¡°You¡¯re missing the point,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. You¡¯re missing mine. You knew what I liked and purposefully sabotaged it.¡±


    Time froze, and Rafael stared at the d20, giving a sigh. He wasn¡¯t sure what was going on at the battle with the troll, or the battle here. He didn¡¯t like either of them. Pippa was nowhere in sight, which meant she might show up at the battle. But she might also be here, hanging around to spy on them.


    Or she might be nowhere near these two groups, and Rafael would have to suffer all night with two drama nerds who disliked each other but were pretending to. He had to stop this conversation, and fast. Thankfully, he had a time freeze to get an idea.


    He quickly rolled for his turn as he thought about changing the subject. Once time resumed, Rafael glanced at the scoreboard. ¡°Hey, look at that! I¡¯m first!¡± He grabbed the bowling ball, and Emma and Derek stopped their conversation. It wasn¡¯t that great of an idea, though he figured if it didn¡¯t work, at least he could sort of run away.


    Derek and Emma glared daggers at each other as Rafael rolled the bowling ball. With his two turns, he got every pin but two.


    ¡°You¡¯re next, Hasel.¡± Rafael emphasized the ¡®s¡¯ in her new name.


    ¡°Thanks, Raf¨¦l,¡± Hazel said.


    He snorted as she picked up the ball.


    He sat down between Derek and Emma, who both had their arms folded and glaring at the world. Hazel took her turn, then Emma was up. The three of them were quiet as Derek massaged his forehead with his fingers.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve gone bowling. This is fun,¡± Hazel said.


    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever gone bowling,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°There was that one time at my house,¡± Derek said.


    Rafael raised an eyebrow. ¡°You mean on your TV? TV bowling?¡±


    Derek shrugged. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I guess, but it¡¯s also¡­ completely different.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll give you that,¡± Derek said.


    Emma returned, gesturing over her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re up, Hotbutt.¡±


    Judging by the look on Derek¡¯s face, that was the moment he realized what Emma programed into the computer, but shrugged. ¡°Glad you like it.¡±


    ¡°It is your best feature. Because you can be such a butt,¡± Emma said as she took Derek¡¯s spot.


    Derek went for a roll, but halfway through rolling the ball, he stumbled and got an immediate gutter ball. Emma snorted as Derek stared at the ball rolling in the gutter before turning and glancing at Rafael. It must have been something to do with CCNC, because he could detect a hint of fear in his eyes. As Derek walked over to the balls, he pulled out his phone to check it.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Emma asked. ¡°Do you need to take a picture of your failure?¡±


    Derek¡¯s reply was to grunt before slipping it back into his pocket. He grabbed another ball, and this one rolled marginally better, but not by much.


    Rafael saw his options pop up right when everyone froze in place. He hardly did anything at all. Ezekiel already chose cure wounds, which made him guess why Derek acted the way he did. Cure wounds at a second level spell gave the person fourteen hit points back.


    Time resumed, and Rafael studied Derek¡¯s face to see the relief there. It was definitely Milo. Derek gave Rafael a thumbs up, and he returned it.

 Chapter 172

    Rafael stood up to take his turn bowling once Derek was done.


    ¡°Thanks, man,¡± Derek whispered. ¡°Dropped to zero and two automatic failed death saves. Milo must have infuriated those trolls.¡±


    ¡°No problem. It¡¯s what clerics are there for.¡± Rafael grabbed his bowling ball and hefted it.


    ¡°Ugh, not that I helped much. Both my crossbow and my flame thrower just failed.¡± Derek checked his phone again as he walked over and took Rafael¡¯s spot. Meaning the seat next to Hazel, and away from Emma, whose eyes were ablaze with anger. Rafael sighed as he headed toward the lane.


    ¡°Hey! You¡¯re on a date with me!¡± Emma said.


    Rafael did his best to take his turn fast. Once he got his measly number of pins, Hazel got up to take hers. Derek was back on his phone, and Emma glared at him.


    Rafael hardly sat down when a worker came over with a pizza and an order of cheesy breadsticks.


    ¡°Oh, good! Food¡¯s here!¡± Derek said.


    Emma stared at the pizza and breadsticks and scrunched up her nose. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Cheesy and covered in grease, just how I like it.¡± Derek grabbed a piece.


    Emma turned her nose at the pizza. ¡°Tryouts for Beauty and the Beast are exactly a month away. If I eat this crap, my face will look like crap.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s, uh, a month is a while, Emma. You¡­ should be fine,¡± Rafael said.


    Emma turned her glare toward Rafael. ¡°It¡¯s still not good for you.¡±


    ¡°Sure, yeah. Granted, as long as you¡¯re not coming over to the Bowling Pin every day to eat it, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± Rafael took a pizza slice that was far larger than he expected. He took a bite that had a hint of bread with mostly greasy cheese. He tried to smile as he chewed. ¡°Definitely not something one should eat all the time.¡±


    Derek stood up. ¡°I wonder if they have any marinara sauce for the breadsticks.¡±


    Emma pursed her lips as Derek left. Emma was more than happy to stomp off and take her turn. Rafael placed his arm around Hazel as she took a piece. ¡°Goodness, this is dripping in grease.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s disgusting, is what it is.¡± Emma turned over her shoulder like she was afraid Derek couldn¡¯t hear her. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he bought it!¡±


    Hazel chewed on the cheese, trying to smile. Derek returned with a few containers of marinara sauce and ranch before it was his turn to bowl. Halfway through, Rafael rolled for Ezekiel. He healed with his preserve life before smacking something with his spiritual weapon.


    A silence had fallen over the four of them. Rafael thought it was because they were all focused on eating, but with the way Derek and Emma were sizing each other up, he couldn¡¯t assume that in the slightest.


    They each went another round, with Emma glaring at Derek as she ate her pizza. Derek ignored her as he enjoyed his slice, as well as two other cheesy breadsticks. Rafael and Hazel chuckled at each other¡¯s attempts at bowling, giving small words of encouragement, but Derek and Emma remained in a moody silence.


    Ezekiel had again hit preserve life, and he rolled a nat one on an attempted hit with his spiritual weapon. Sure, he was a cleric, but he didn¡¯t remember how many times he usually hit preserve life. He was tempted to check his phone himself.


    ¡°Ranch, Emma?¡± Derek asked as Rafael and Hazel switched spots.


    Emma looked ready to bite his head off. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want ranch. You know I think it¡¯s disgusting!¡±


    ¡°Oh, do you?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Ranch was created in bigfoot¡¯s armpit, and no one should trust it.¡±


    Rafael raised an eyebrow, then glanced at Derek. His friend shrugged. ¡°Honestly, Emma, you have a long list of things you don¡¯t like.¡±


    Emma stood up, and Rafael waited for the blow up to happen. ¡°You don¡¯t think I know what¡¯s going on? You don¡¯t think I know the gossip? I know Eric and Baily are putting you up to this. Their ridiculous reverse kiss the girl plot.¡± She placed her hands on her hips. ¡°I can play that game, too.¡±


    Derek stopped mid chew, staring at Emma. She glared at him. Rafael wasn¡¯t sure if it was his place to point out a dribble of grease running down Derek¡¯s chin or not. Ezekiel¡¯s character sheet came into view. Rafael forced himself not to react as he watched Ezekiel¡¯s hit points drop, then drop even quicker until they settled on four. The one silver lining in all this was Ezekiel wouldn¡¯t make a nature check after this. It was a relief that the lycanthropy was out of his system. But four hit points were still nerve-wracking.


    ¡°And you?¡± Derek stood up to face her. He wiped his chin, smearing the grease. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know the people you¡¯re talking to?¡±


    Rafael hesitated before reaching out and finding Hazel¡¯s hand. He wasn¡¯t sure what Derek was attempting with this tactic. He fought between wanting to interrupt and being too afraid to.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°You know exactly what I¡¯m talking about.¡± Derek¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Why the hell are you talking to Akshi and Pippa?¡±


    Emma blinked. There was a moment of silence that seemed to last for a while until Rafael realized it was because time had frozen and he needed to roll.


    Ezekiel was already casting healing wounds on himself. He tried rolling for the spiritual weapon, but didn¡¯t roll high enough to pierce the armor. Eleven hit points didn¡¯t make him as nervous, but considering he didn¡¯t know what was happening, he wasn¡¯t sure what to expect.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Time resumed, and Emma narrowed her eyes. ¡°Who the hell is Akshi?¡±


    Derek frowned. ¡°So¡­ you don¡¯t deny Pippa is talking to you?¡±


    ¡°Of course Pippa is talking to me. She¡¯s hilarious and has amazing ideas of how to get back at a man.¡±


    This caused Derek¡¯s eye to twitch. Emma kept her hands on her hips, daring Derek to respond.


    ¡°She¡¯s a succubus!¡± Derek blurted.


    Emma remained as still as ever, waiting. Rafael stared at her, expecting a reaction, when it dawned on him. Emma was still waiting for him to speak. She was acting like she had the high ground in this fight. Things clicked into place, and Rafael slowly stood and moved so he was next to Derek.


    ¡°She can¡¯t see them in their magical form,¡± Rafael whispered. ¡°She thinks they¡¯re regular people.¡±


    Derek kept staring at Emma, then realization hit him, too. ¡°Ohhhh.¡±


    Emma narrowed her eyes. ¡°What are you ¡®ohhh¡¯ing about?¡±


    ¡°Pippa, she has a¡­ friend? Co-worker?¡± Derek motioned with his hands. ¡°Who¡¯s the other person you see with Pippa?¡±


    Her brows furrowed. ¡°Asher?¡±


    ¡°Asher? Okay, okay. And¡­ what does this Asher look like?¡±


    Emma folded her arms. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°His¡­ eyes? What color are his eyes?¡± Derek asked.


    Emma looked at him like he was a child. ¡°Brown.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Okay. And¡­ nothing red or black on him at all?¡± Derek motioned over his entire body.


    Emma unfolded her arms. ¡°Why are you being so weird?¡±


    Derek seemed frozen in place, enough for Rafael to glance around to see if it was his turn to roll for Ezekiel again, but he didn¡¯t see any dice. Instead, Derek cleared his throat. ¡°No reason.¡±


    Emma rolled her eyes. ¡°God, I hate you sometime.¡±


    ¡°We should really break up,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me.¡± She pushed past him toward the restrooms.


    Derek turned around, watching her leave. ¡°So¡­ are we broken up?¡±


    She didn¡¯t answer. She kept walking, going down the hall and out of sight, though everyone in the building heard her slam the door to the women¡¯s restroom.


    Time froze, and Rafael rolled for cure wounds again. He must have taken a golden mana vial, because it didn¡¯t mark itself on the page. He rolled two d8¡¯s, though, which he remembered was a higher level slot. Someone got thirteen more hit points.


    Hazel quietly placed her bowling ball back on the rack, then brushed her hands as she headed toward the bathroom. Rafael panicked, reaching out to her. ¡°Hazel.¡±


    ¡°She went to the bathroom, Rafael.¡± Hazel said this as though this should all make sense to him. It didn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t realize what his girlfriend was doing until she turned toward the bathroom.


    ¡°Oh, god, is she going to talk to her?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Girl code,¡± Derek mumbled. ¡°If one goes to the bathroom, every girl who knows her must follow.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you understand.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Derek sank back into the plastic chair. The two of them were quiet for a moment. Rafael almost said something when he saw his experience bar filling up on the character sheet. He looked at it, seeing the numbers rise before coming to a stop.


    5,360/6,500 XP


    All that fighting, and still no level five. Of course, it would be a while before Ezekiel reached level five, since he hadn¡¯t been gaining the experience points like everyone else. He had a little over a thousand experience points to go before leveling up.


    ¡°Human.¡± Derek softly pounded a fist against his forehead. ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t treat her as a human.¡±


    Rafael glanced at him. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ an asshole, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°An uncomfortable question with an uncomfortable realization.¡± Rafael settled into the chair next to him. Rafael honestly didn¡¯t know how to sugar coat it. Derek had treated her horribly throughout this date. ¡°At least you¡¯re figuring this out now and can do something about it. I suppose it was ridiculous of all of us to assume Emma actually saw what we see.¡±


    ¡°No high schooler would willingly follow a snake person and a lady with glowing red eyes and do whatever they wanted without some sort of pushback. Or at least questions,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Maybe they both cast disguise self on themselves.¡±


    ¡°Which means Emma is in as much danger as us, if not more so. And I just made it so she never talks to me again.¡± Derek rubbed his face. ¡°Well¡­ shit.¡±


    Rafael glanced at the hall leading to the bathroom. Hazel was near Emma. Who knows what Pippa or Akshi told Emma. It made him uncomfortable enough to stand up. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ going to make sure¡­¡±


    ¡°Akshi or Pippa aren¡¯t sneaking in to kidnap them?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Rafael was relieved Derek understood.


    Derek stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you in a few minutes. I gotta go buy some Reese¡¯s.¡±


    Rafael waited in the hallway, hearing their muffled talk. At least there wasn¡¯t screaming or sobbing. They sounded okay, so he remained by the wall. Which is when he thought about all the spells to pretend like there was talking to mask that no one was in there. Like the spell Milo did to conjure up a fake Ezekiel as a distraction for Akshi and Pippa.


    He pulled out his phone, ignoring the missed group text and went straight to Hazel. You okay?


    He got a thumbs up emoji for that, and Rafael rubbed the side of his face. Derek returned, holding the Reese¡¯s behind his back. They sounded like they were going to be longer, and Rafael was fighting the urge to open the door and check.


    ¡°Did Milo reach level five?¡± Rafael asked, trying to distract himself.


    ¡°No. Close, though. 6,120 experience points. Most likely, the next session we have, he¡¯ll reach level five.¡±


    ¡°Nice. Ezekiel¡¯s at 5,360.¡±


    ¡°Not too bad. Ezekiel might have to do some solo adventures, though.¡±


    Rafael kept staring at the door. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m already thinking about him going with Hraktar and Princess Clarissa to kill some creatures to get experience points.¡±


    ¡°He could just go alone,¡± Derek said.


    Rafael shook his head. ¡°Too dangerous. If anything goes wrong, Hraktar and the princess could help. Pippa and Akshi are still out there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Derek nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a smart idea.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t too hard not being there during a battle, was it?¡±


    Derek¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°Yes, it was. I don¡¯t know how Nick does it.¡±


    ¡°Poor guy doesn¡¯t have any other choice,¡± Rafael said.


    They were quiet again as Rafael thought about Walt. He didn¡¯t like the man at all. Walt knew way too well what he was doing and toed the line far too close. It would continue to put pressure on Nick until their friend acted out. Then Nick would be the one getting in trouble. The entire situation made him feel helpless. He remembered what it felt like to be helpless. It was a nightmare.


    ¡°There¡¯s¡­ something we can do for Nick, right?¡± Derek asked.


    Rafael sighed, resting his head against the wall. ¡°All we can do is be his friend. Which feels insulting to say out loud, but it¡¯s also¡­ everything. If he doesn¡¯t have a support system outside of home¡­¡± Rafael again trailed off, thinking about his own growing-up years. He remembered when he was thirteen and had a fever while at school. He had quickly finished his homework in class, then set his head down on the desk and slept the rest of the time. It was incredibly selfish, thinking back, not to go home. He should have gone home and kept his other classmates safe from an illness. But the thought of returning home with Jack sleeping off a hangover terrified him so much, he stayed at school. Stayed with friends. Where he felt safe. He couldn¡¯t explain how desperately he needed Derek and Nick to do nothing more than be there.


    The bathroom door opened, and Emma and Hazel walked out, their arms looped together with Emma¡¯s head on Hazel¡¯s shoulder. Rafael felt the stress leave his body.


    ¡°Hey, you alright?¡± Rafael asked both of them.


    ¡°We¡¯re fine,¡± Hazel said.


    Derek lifted the package of Reese¡¯s peanut butter cups to Emma. Confusion came into her eyes before she glanced at Derek.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Take the Reese¡¯s and please don¡¯t talk to Pippa or Asher again. They¡¯re trouble, and¡­ I don¡¯t want you to get in trouble.¡±


    Emma nodded, taking the candy. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ need your assurance you won¡¯t. I don¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡±


    Emma sighed, opening the Reese¡¯s. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go bowling.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Rafael said.


    Rafael exchanged a look with Derek as the two girls passed them. Emma wouldn¡¯t understand. How could she? She was still in incredible danger, and Derek needed to watch out for her. Derek seemed to understand this at the same time. Derek glanced at the floor, rubbing his arm before following quietly behind Emma. They would have to keep watching Emma to keep her safe. At least until they got rid of Pippa.

 Chapter 173

    Nick was reading his book. He was waiting for Evelyn to return from the third session of CCNC. Third session, and they still hadn¡¯t reached level five. He checked Grizzizzik¡¯s experience again, seeing it at 5,965. He did the math in his head for the seventh time. Five hundred and thirty-five experience points until level five. They were close. With what he did at the park, the experience points he got would go toward the Warlock level. He was mostly annoyed Grizzizzik didn¡¯t use any of his warlock spells. Or anything, really. He was pretending he was still purely rogue. Which was a pity, because the damage of hellish rebuke for a first level spell was pretty incredible, let alone the fact that it was a reaction. Far more than the damage from his rapier, which he used constantly in this last fight.


    Nick turned the page of his book, hearing Evelyn¡¯s car pull up in the driveway. He was grateful Evelyn sought him out to tell him about the recent CCNC sessions, because it helped him feel less needy when she sought him out instead of him waiting at her door.


    When he heard the knock at the front door, he realized it wasn¡¯t Evelyn at all. He got up from his chair and glanced out the window to see two police officers waiting. Nick¡¯s heart dived into his stomach before pounding wildly as he returned to his desk, going over in his mind whether he left anything behind. He heard some murmuring at the door. He could no longer focus on his book.


    ¡°Nick! Get in here,¡± Walt said.


    Nick closed his eyes to give him two seconds to himself, then got up from his desk. He wasn¡¯t sure what to expect. With Walt, expecting the worst wouldn¡¯t help. Somehow, despite setting the bar on the ground, Nick was always shocked to find that the ground was made of water, and Walt brought his scuba gear.


    He walked down the hall, seeing the two officers in the front entryway. Lydia was talking with one officer, and Walt had his arms folded, glaring at Nick. The other officer in the doorway Nick had the unfortunate pleasure of recognizing. Of course Officer Hendricks would check in on their house.


    ¡°We don¡¯t mean to intrude on a lovely Sunday evening,¡± the other officer said with the name Officer Ritchie on his nametag.


    ¡°What were you doing from one to four in the morning?¡± Walt asked Nick, taking over the interrogation. Officer Ritchie glanced at Walt, surprised.


    Nick narrowed his eyes, trying to play this off as the first time he¡¯d heard of this. ¡°Sleeping. Obviously.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s been a minor vandalism incident near to your home,¡± Officer Ritchie said. ¡°We wanted to check if anyone had heard anything.¡±


    ¡°I know nothing.¡± Nick moved from the wall and headed toward his room again.


    A heavy hand fell on his shoulder, and he shot Walt a glare. ¡°You sit down out here.¡± There was no room for argument in his tone.


    Nick let out an annoyed sigh, then let his father drag him to the couches. Walt used a bit more force than necessary to make him sit. Nick¡¯s usual glare darkened as the policemen sat on the opposite couches.


    ¡°We simply want to cover all our bases.¡± Which meant Officer Hendricks suspected him, too. ¡°You mentioned you were sleeping between two and five in the morning?¡±


    ¡°The rest of the night too, if you can imagine,¡± Nick said. He would probably pay for that sarcasm later.


    ¡°And is there anyone who can confirm that?¡±


    Officer Ritchie frowned, glancing at Officer Hendricks. Nick straight up glared at him. Nick had a remark about how no one would notice unless his room had a camera in it, but he had a horrible feeling Walt might take that idea.


    ¡°Tell them the truth, Nick,¡± Walt said.


    Nick shot his glare at Walt. ¡°I already did.¡±


    ¡°You were up this morning. I saw you.¡± Walt¡¯s glare was just as dark. ¡°What were you doing?¡±


    Nick did everything possible to keep his face steady. ¡°I woke up thirsty. I got up to get a drink. Then I went back to sleep. Evelyn saw me, then you did.¡±


    ¡°What were you really doing?¡± Walt asked.


    Nick kept glaring at his father. He knew, of course, picked up on it almost right away that neither of the cops nor Walt mentioned what the incident was, so he wasn¡¯t about to trip himself up by mentioning toilet paper was involved. ¡°I said what happened. If you don¡¯t believe me, that¡¯s not my problem.¡±


    ¡°Give. Me. Your. Phone.¡± Walt enunciated every syllable as he kept staring at Nick. Nick did not break eye contact as he reached into his pocket and slapped his phone in Walt¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Oh, no, sir. We don¡¯t have a warrant.¡± Officer Ritchie waved a hand at the phone in Walt¡¯s hand. ¡°There¡¯s not enough evidence for us to get one to search your son¡¯s phone.¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to search it. I¡¯ll search it, then let you know what I find.¡± Walt flipped open Nick¡¯s phone.


    This shocked Officer Ritchie to silence. He then looked at Officer Hendricks, who was hiding a smile. Nick flexed his fingers, trying not to curl them into fists.


    Nick kept his arms tightly folded as he heard keys jiggling at the front door. Walt was searching through his phone, but Nick wasn¡¯t sure what he was looking for. No one had texted him in weeks, and Walt had already checked those texts.


    Evelyn walked in, taking in the sight. Nick refused to look at her. Clarissa, Ezekiel, and Grizzizzik were behind. Clarissa and Ezekiel peered inside. Grizzizzik held his face perfectly still.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t get in the garage. What¡¯s¡­ happening?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Nothing. Go in the kitchen,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°In the kitchen. Now.¡±


    Nick felt Evelyn¡¯s gaze on him, but he refused to meet it. He knew his glare was dark, and he didn¡¯t want Evelyn to see it.


    ¡°Come on, Evelyn,¡± Lydia said.


    ¡°Mom, what¡¯s going on?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Lydia placed an arm around Evelyn. ¡°To the kitchen. Come on.¡±


    Nick closed his eyes as his sister left. Clarissa and Ezekiel tiptoed upstairs, and Grizzizzik headed toward the backyard, his face hiding everything.


    Officer Ritchie rubbed his forehead before resting his elbows on his knees. ¡°There is no other reason for us to stay. If you remember anything else, let us know.¡±


    ¡°My son can help you clean the mess.¡± Walt was still maneuvering through Nick¡¯s phone.


    Officer Ritchie stood up. ¡°No need. It¡¯s already cleaned up. It took less than twenty minutes.¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, officer, it wasn¡¯t simply a harmless prank. This is vandalism, and those who did it must be caught,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t call it harmless. I stated the fact that it took less than twenty minutes to pick up,¡± Officer Ritchie said. ¡°If you¡¯ve seen nothing, then put this to rest, please. We simply stopped by because it looks like you had some doorbell technology that might help. Good day, Mr. Larsen.¡±


    Officer Hendricks stood up. ¡°You know how to reach us if you find anything.¡± Officer Hendricks stared right at Nick, and Nick glared right back.


    ¡°I will, thank you,¡± Walt said.


    The policemen left, and Nick went to get up from the couch when Walt grabbed his shoulder again, forcing him back down. ¡°You will stay here.¡±


    Nick glared as his father stood up and headed down the hall. As expected, Walt would tear his room apart. It didn¡¯t matter. His dark clothes were back in his closet. He had spent most of the morning and afternoon making sure there was nothing to tie back to him. Nick walked that perfect balance of being clean, but not too clean.


    He remained on the couch, arms folded, heart pounding, as Walt moved things inside his room. The police car pulled out of the driveway, and he closed his eyes, trying to keep himself calm.


    ¡°Evelyn, no¡ª¡±


    ¡°I need to move my car. I couldn¡¯t get in the driveway because that sorry excuse for a police officer was blocking it,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk to Nick. You know your father is in one of his moods.¡±


    ¡°Dad¡¯s always in one of those moods, Mom,¡± Evelyn said.


    Nick kept his eyes closed as Evelyn walked out the door. There was silence as Lydia sighed, then looked at Nick. ¡°Just cooperate, Nick. You don¡¯t have to worry if you didn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, mom?¡± Nick couldn¡¯t help it. It came out of him like bile. ¡°I¡¯ve cooperated for the past three years, and it¡¯s gotten me nothing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gotten you peace,¡± Lydia said.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t peace.¡±


    ¡°Your dad is protecting you. He didn¡¯t have nearly as many rules as you did as a kid, and wanted to make sure you were set up for life,¡± Lydia said.


    ¡°No one has as many rules as I do.¡±


    There was a space where neither he nor Lydia said anything. It was long enough for Nick to hear his books being tumbled out of the bookshelves. Nick¡¯s glare returned, staring right at his mother. Sometimes he wondered what it would be like to have a mom who took his side. Who stood up for him. Who didn¡¯t disappear whenever Walt talked to him.


    Lydia moved away from Nick, back into the kitchen. The garage door opened, and Evelyn walked right in, placing her keys in her pocket as she headed straight for Nick. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Some sort of vandalism. The police were seeing if we knew anything about it.¡±


    ¡°And Dad instantly thought it was you.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes darkened.


    Nick did nothing more than shrug, because he felt that painful feeling of what might happen if Evelyn discovered it was him. He desperately needed his sister to find out what Grizzizzik was doing, and soon.


    Evelyn turned around and marched down the hall. His heart stuttered to a stop, not sure what to expect. ¡°Evelyn,¡± he whispered urgently.


    Evelyn didn¡¯t hear him as she walked into Nick¡¯s room. ¡°Seriously, Dad? You think this is justified?¡±


    ¡°I told you to get back in the kitchen,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°Are you putting all this stuff back when you¡¯re done?¡±


    ¡°This is going to take at least an hour.¡±


    Nick remained away, knowing his presence wouldn¡¯t help.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question. You are destroying his room. Are you going to put it all back?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s brought this upon himself.¡±


    ¡°No, he hasn¡¯t! He¡¯s done nothing to deserve this! He didn¡¯t do it, Dad! Nick can¡¯t take responsibility for everyone else¡¯s stupid mistake!¡±


    ¡°I will only ask you one more time, Evelyn. Get back in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± His little sister was angry. It was clear by how short and clipped that word was. Nick remained at the other end of the hall. He didn¡¯t see Walt, but he could almost feel the air shifting to something dangerous. The danger that meant Walt seeing Nick¡¯s face would be like gasoline to a flame.


    ¡°Dammit, Evelyn, don¡¯t fight me on this. Your brother needs control, or he ends up doing stupid shit like this!¡± Walt said.


    ¡°Like what? No one¡¯s even told me what¡¯s going on!¡±


    The back door slid open, and Grizzizzik walked into the house. Nick¡¯s face dropped.


    ¡°Ask Nick! He knows more than he lets on!¡± Walt screamed.


    Nick shook his head at Grizzizzik. He didn¡¯t know why his character was here, but it made him deeply uncomfortable. Evelyn and Walt were still in his bedroom, while Grizzizzik was approaching him. Lydia had returned to the kitchen, getting some dishes done.


    ¡°Get out of Nick¡¯s room!¡± Evelyn shouted as Grizzizzik appeared, his hand grew green. Nick¡¯s heart hammered in his chest as the bathroom door opened on its own.


    ¡°Stop it,¡± Nick whispered.


    Grizzizzik said nothing, his hand still glowing.


    ¡°Get in the kitchen!¡± Walt shouted.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Nick hissed.


    A roll of toilet paper floated out of the bathroom.


    ¡°Sorry, Nick. Chaos asked that you get caught,¡± Grizzizzik said.

 Chapter 174

    Nick didn¡¯t have time to wait for the consequences. He ran to the bathroom door and grabbed the toilet paper. It was a bit of a struggle, one Grizzizzik would have won if he wasn¡¯t using magic. Evelyn was in Nick¡¯s room, not seeing them struggle, as she kept trying to talk to Walt. Nick glared at Grizzizzik the whole time, straining with the mage hand as he snatched the paper from the hand and threw it in the bathroom.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here!¡± Walt shouted, his head poking out of the bathroom.


    Nick slammed the bathroom door shut, his chest heaving. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    It was the wrong thing to say. It was always the wrong thing to say. Walt practically pushed Evelyn over to get to him, his glare dark. ¡°Why are you standing in front of the bathroom?¡±


    Nick forced himself to raise his gaze to look at Walt. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Move aside.¡± Walt emphasized every syllable.


    Nick, who had his hands behind him to keep the door shut, released the knob and stepped aside. Walt pushed the door open and saw the toilet paper drawer was open, some of them spilling out, with the one he threw in there on the ground. Walt shot him a deadly look.


    ¡°I knew it,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°Knew what?¡± Nick asked, his heart pounding.


    ¡°How much of our toilet paper did you steal for your little vandalism?¡± Walt marched into the bathroom.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Nick asked.


    Evelyn walked to Nick¡¯s side, hands on her hips. ¡°Seriously? That harmless prank that only a few people are talking about on insta? You think Nick did it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the park near our house, somewhere he can conceivably get to on foot. He was up, Evelyn. Nick was up during the time they assumed it happened,¡± Walt said.


    Evelyn looked at Walt, incredulous. ¡°That¡¯s all you''re going on?¡±


    ¡°The toilet paper is all messed up, and he was hiding it!¡± Walt said.


    ¡°That means nothing! Seriously, dad! Nick could have a small dirt smudge on his cheek and you¡¯d be blaming him for a school fire thirty years ago when he wasn¡¯t even born!¡±


    ¡°Why was he hiding the toilet paper, Evelyn?¡± Walt held a couple of rolls as he snapped at her.


    ¡°Because you are a dictator and Nick doesn¡¯t feel safe in his own home!¡± Evelyn shouted. ¡°I will not stand aside and watch you bully him.¡±


    Walt turned toward Nick, gesturing at him with the toilet paper. ¡°I¡¯m going to cross reference all my receipts with how much toilet paper we have. Then I¡¯m calling the school, and Mr. Morgan, to see if they¡¯re missing any toilet paper at their places. If I get so much as one roll less, then I will call the police.¡±


    Nick¡¯s heart, which had never calmed down since Grizzizzik appeared, slammed against his ribcage to escape. He said nothing. It was safer that way. He turned around and went back to his room, slamming the door.


    He didn¡¯t get far. In the short time Walt had been here, he had torn it apart. His mattress was flipped over, the contents of his dresser turned inside out and scattered across the floor. His clothes were off the hangers and scattered. Even the desk drawers were pulled out, his notebooks, pens, and other junk now scattered across the floor. It looked like Walt was pulling out every single book in his bookshelf when the noise stopped him. Nick worked his jaw, then started grabbing his hangers with his clothes and stuck them back in his closet. He certainly didn¡¯t expect Walt to clean up after himself.


    The door opened, and Grizzizzik walked through. ¡°It still wasn¡¯t enough.¡±


    ¡°Like hell it wasn¡¯t. Look at my room. The only way it could be worse is if Chaos himself came to visit.¡±


    ¡°You need to get caught, and the deadline is Tuesday,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Nick rammed his clothes back into the drawer before standing up. ¡°I refuse. We need to do something else.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve earned a lot of experience points that need to count toward getting a sword,¡± Grizzizzik growled. ¡°Get caught, so they¡¯ll count!¡±


    ¡°Chaos needs something chaotic, right?¡± Nick asked, his anger building.


    ¡°Yes. And getting caught is something chaotic.¡±


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t have to be getting caught, right? If I can find something else that can substitute for it, then Chaos will agree to that?¡±


    Grizzizzik narrowed his eyes. ¡°Something chaotic? You want to do something chaotic?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You really think someone like you, who has been struggling under Order¡¯s thumb, can do something spontaneous?¡±


    ¡°I think I can manage,¡± Nick said.


    Then he punched Grizzizzik with everything he had.


    Grizzizzik stumbled, catching himself on the wall, before his head snapped in Nick¡¯s direction, losing three hit points. The glare was deadly as Grizzizzik wiped a trickle of blood from his chin. ¡°Yeah. Chaos said that¡¯ll work.¡±


    Grizzizzik then attempted to punch Nick, but he dodged it, knowing the rogue would try something like this. He tackled Grizzizzik, his shoulder rammed into his sternum. They both hit the ground, with Grizzizzik banging his head against the end table and shouting in surprise. Nick punched him again, then tried again before Grizzizzik caught Nick¡¯s wrist. The rogue pushed him off, and he stumbled before landing on the ground. Nick knew he couldn¡¯t stay down. It was dangerous. But his rogue was already on top of him and punched him in the face. Nick shouted in pain, then something ripped open his stomach, causing him to scream even louder. Grizzizzik about punched him again when he stopped, glancing down at Nick¡¯s stomach. Nick¡¯s eye was on fire, but blood began to cover his shirt.


    Evelyn threw open the door, and she and Walt walked in. Evelyn gasped. ¡°Get off him!¡± She grabbed his cloak and forced him off, Grizzizzik choking a bit as he tried to release Evelyn¡¯s hold so he could breathe.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Nick, what happened?¡± Walt demanded, kneeling down next to him.


    ¡°He¡¯s bleeding. Oh my god, Nick. You¡¯re bleeding!¡± Evelyn said.


    Nick gripped his stomach, steadying his breath. It was more the shock, then anything. He could almost feel the javelin enter his stomach all over again, but it wasn¡¯t deep. At least, he was pretty sure it wasn¡¯t deep. His eye hurt a lot worse.


    Clarissa popped into existence right as Grizzizzik climbed to his feet, rubbing his throat. He froze, eyes wide, as he saw the druid princess.


    ¡°Nick, what happened!¡± Walt shouted.


    ¡°Grizzizzik attacked me,¡± Nick said, for the benefit of Clarissa and to keep his father from shouting. It wasn¡¯t bad, he just wasn¡¯t expecting it. Ezekiel appeared in the doorway, glancing in with worry.


    ¡°Who?¡± Walt asked.


    Nick¡¯s heart kept hammering, not sure what his dad heard. ¡°Grizzizzik. Grizzizzik attacked me,¡± Nick said, testing a theory.


    Clarissa grabbed Grizzizzik¡¯s cloak and dragged him away. ¡°Let Hraktar and Milo know what happened. I will have Grizzizzik tied up outside and we will sort this out.¡±


    Walt pulled out his phone, dialing as he moved out of the room. ¡°Yes. This is Walt Larsen. Someone just came into my house and attacked my son. He didn¡¯t get a good look at him, but the man escaped, and he can¡¯t be far.¡±


    Nick was breathing deeply, trying to get up.


    ¡°He hit me first!¡± Grizzizzik shouted as Clarissa kept dragging him out of the house. ¡°Ask him!¡±


    ¡°He is a child. You are a grown adult. Who do you think is more responsible in this situation!¡± Clarissa shouted back.


    Nick shook his head, struggling to get to his feet.


    ¡°Nick, wait,¡± Evelyn said, her phone out, texting. ¡°You¡­ shouldn¡¯t be up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s shallow.¡±


    He got to his feet, clearing his throat before heading toward the bathroom. He pushed past the toilet paper rolls on the ground to stumble toward the sink.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Evelyn asked, panicking.


    ¡°Grizzizzik keeps forcing me to do chaotic things in order to get enough experience points in his warlock class to get a blade powerful enough to kill his father. I snapped and punched him.¡±


    Evelyn groaned, covering her face. ¡°He can¡¯t keep asking you to kill dad! This is so messed up!¡±


    ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I said.¡± Nick lifted his shirt enough to see the cut across his belly. It was more than a scratch, but not deep enough for him to be worried. Evelyn scrambled to the cupboards, finding a rag before getting it wet, handing it to him. He grunted his thanks as he started washing it. The more he washed it, the more his mind cleared. No, it wasn¡¯t as deep as he thought.


    ¡°Did you¡­ when that dinosaur hurt you, did you¡­¡±


    ¡°Feel like I was getting stabbed and went into a bit of shock thinking I had actually gotten stabbed? But once I got a good look at it, it helped my brain realize it was just a scratch?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Nick said, almost relieved.


    Evelyn frowned, looking at the cut in his stomach. ¡°It¡¯s a little deeper than a scratch, Nick.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still nothing to worry about.¡±


    Evelyn shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m getting some ice, then I¡¯m going to need Clarissa and Ezekiel to stop me from punching that goddamn rogue.¡±


    ***


    The police arrived, and Evelyn folded her arms, watching them work. That horrible Officer Hendricks was back. Ezekiel sat across from Grizzizzik in their back yard, as Clarissa had gone to collect Hraktar and Milo in her horse form. Grizzizzik remained silent, glaring at Ezekiel who was reading the fifth Harry Potter lounged on the patio couch, looking like it was any other day. Practically unsurprised that Grizzizzik was tied to a chair.


    Walt and Lydia were inside with Nick as someone patched the stab wound on his stomach that wasn¡¯t deep while he held an ice pack to his eye, trying to answer questions. More like telling them exactly what happened and the police writing what they heard.


    Evelyn slipped outside, glaring at Grizzizzik. ¡°I think I¡¯ve done enough calming down that I can talk to you without punching you.¡±


    Grizzizzik raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is that supposed to be comforting?¡±


    ¡°Stop telling him to kill my dad,¡± Evelyn snapped.


    Grizzizzik¡¯s smirk, more than anything, brought all the anger back, and she curled her fists. ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡±


    ¡°I know you are.¡± He glanced up at her as she imagined how good it would feel to punch that smirk off his face. ¡°That¡¯s what makes it so funny.¡±


    Ezekiel caught her hand she didn¡¯t realize was already in the air. ¡°Evelyn,¡± he said.


    ¡°Let me go.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s getting under your skin. Don¡¯t let him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple for some of us,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°My dad is a horrible, rotten man, but he doesn¡¯t deserve to die.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t he?¡± Grizzizzik asked. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be so much easier if we went back to lawlessness? Survival of the fittest?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, because Nick won¡¯t do it. This is a civilized society,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Oh, of course. But think about it. Think how many months are left before the apocalypse. You might as well kill Walt now, because he most certainly will die once monsters run amok in this realm. And then you will curse yourself for ever wasting time putting up with that lowlife. He¡¯s holding you back from saving the world.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll stop the apocalypse from happening without killing my dad.¡±


    ¡°Are you?¡± It was so emotionless. So collected. It made her skin crawl.


    Evelyn¡¯s nostrils flared. Ezekiel moved her further into the backyard, away from Grizzizzik. ¡°Evelyn, you can¡¯t be back here if you fight him like this. He has a way with words.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not.¡±


    Her phone went off, and she sighed. Ezekiel let her go so she could reach inside her pocket and saw Tyler was calling her. She cleared her throat, glancing at Ezekiel, who took a step back to give her privacy.


    ¡°Hey, Tyler.¡±


    ¡°I just got to my apartment. Grizzizzik and Nick got in a fight?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. They did. Apparently Grizzizzik asked him to kill my dad, and Nick finally snapped.¡±


    Tyler sighed. ¡°Probably from way too many times. This is¡­ not good. I¡¯ve got to go back to checking in on Nick.¡±


    Evelyn shrugged, trying to force calmness into her voice. ¡°Yeah. Me too. It doesn¡¯t help that my dad tried to blame him for toilet papering the park.¡±


    There was a pause on the other end. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. Why would Nick do that?¡±


    Relief flooded her system, and she felt a smile cross her face. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you think that, too. Seriously, my dad is finding every little thing to blame on him. No wonder Nick snapped.¡±


    Tyler sighed. ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡±


    The question surprised her. ¡°Me? Yeah. Yeah, I¡¯m okay. Why?¡±


    ¡°Situations like these, they¡¯re hard. I¡¯ll check up on Nick later, but I wanted to check up on you, too.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s heart pounded, and it annoyed her. Had Tyler¡¯s voice always sounded so¡­ nice? Why was she even thinking about this? Tyler had a girlfriend. She didn¡¯t find Tyler attractive at all. She had no crush on him whatsoever. Except for she always felt incredibly safe in his presence. And warm. His eyes were really pretty to look at, too.


    ¡°Fine.¡± She blinked, forcing herself back into the present. ¡°Absolutely fine. Everyone¡­ everything¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡±


    What the hell was wrong with her?


    ¡°Good. Hey, you keep me updated. I don¡¯t care what time of night. Shoot me a text, call if it¡¯s urgent.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ you¡¯re a¡­¡± She closed her eyes, forcing herself to talk normally. ¡°Yes. I will. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll talk to you later, unless there¡¯s anything you want to tell me now?¡±


    Evelyn closed her eyes, clearing her throat. ¡°Nothing. There¡¯s nothing. See you later, Tyler.¡±


    They hung up, and Evelyn stared at her phone long after she¡¯d pressed the button. This was stupid. Why was she overthinking this? She didn¡¯t have a crush. At all. Not on Tyler. He was four years older than her. That¡¯d be absurd.


    She tucked her phone in her pocket and glanced up to see Grizzizzik staring right at her; the smirk growing wider across his face. Despite the pounding of her heart, Grizzizzik¡¯s face made it sputter and die. ¡°What?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Just¡­ fascinated,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Evelyn wanted to say something, but there was nothing to say to make things better. She just glared at him as she marched into the house, hearing Grizzizzik chuckling as she moved past her. She wanted to punch him so bad.


    She walked inside, seeing Walt in the kitchen, looking angry.


    ¡°Is Nick alright?¡± Evelyn asked, trying to think of a safe subject.


    ¡°Fine. A cut that doesn¡¯t need stitches and a black eye.¡± Walt grabbed his cup, filling it with water. ¡°That boy is hiding something. I know it.¡±


    Evelyn deflated, realizing this was not the conversation she wanted to have. ¡°Dad, come on. Give him a break.¡±


    ¡°What if this is exactly what he¡¯s doing?¡± Walt asked, taking a drink. ¡°What if this was all Eddy?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in prison,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°One of his gang members, then. Trying to get Nick back into the gang. What if Nick is just pretending he didn¡¯t see who it was?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t. I can¡¯t with you tonight.¡± Evelyn held her hands up as she stomped toward her room.

 Chapter 175

    Alejandra walked toward the school building Monday morning, remembering a time when she and Rafael used to walk into school together. Despite kicking himself off the football team, Rafael was hanging out with Hazel as much as he could.


    Today, she missed Rafael because she needed to know how Nick was doing. Check if the rumors were true. To see in real life what she read in the group text last night. Grizzizzik had attacked Nick, and she wanted to make sure he was okay. But she didn¡¯t want to be the one to approach him, because things had never really been the same since September.


    Alejandra went to open the doors when she paused, glancing up at the roof. It didn¡¯t take her long to find out why. There were three gargoyles on the roof, still as statues. Elmwood High never had gargoyle statues. She had a bad feeling about what they might do if she stared at them long enough.


    She threw open the doors and hurried into the school.


    Honestly, things had been weird for her in the group. Maybe she was the only one who noticed it, but Nick and Rafael were actually¡­ friends? Was that a word to describe what they were now? They certainly weren¡¯t enemies like they were the past three years. Both of them were far more relaxed around each other. They actually talked to each other cordially. A month ago, Nick kept looking at Rafael like he was imagining how to break his neck. Now they were working together, and Alejandra felt like she was out of the loop.


    Attending the sessions this past weekend was surreal. Rafael, Derek, Nick, and Evelyn had taken the steps to move on and work together. Alejandra was falling behind, and she was confused. Why had Rafael dismissed her concerns? He knew better than anyone how terrifying it was for her to witness Nick be violent. Rafael had excused it away, happy that Nick at least didn¡¯t murder him. How could Rafael think that was grounds for forgiveness? To not even accept an apology.


    That, she realized, was the core reason everyone else had moved on. No one else believed Nick needed to apologize. With Nick and Evelyn, she understood why they didn¡¯t think so. With Derek, she felt far more surprised. But Rafael? She was completely dumbfounded. How could he possibly think that Nick should get away with this? After everything they experienced with Jack? And then to go back to being¡­ friends? That was still such a weird word. She couldn¡¯t believe it. She didn¡¯t want to.


    Despite her anger and frustration, Nick was now hurt. She wanted to at least check on him, but she was also still mad at him. Maybe this was what she needed. Acknowledging that she didn¡¯t like that Nick got hurt. Perhaps this was the first step to move past the hate she felt.


    Laughter grabbed her attention, because she recognized that laugh. It was Rafael¡¯s and Derek¡¯s. She went down a less crowded hall and saw them together. Derek, Nick, and Rafael. Like old times. Talking. Laughing. Hazel walked out of a classroom, and Rafael reached out to hold her hand. Even Hazel didn¡¯t seem to mind being around Nick.


    An unease swirled in Alejandra¡¯s gut. She didn¡¯t belong there. But¡­ she wanted to. That ache made her wonder if she was still justified in her hate. Instead, she felt embarrassed. She should leave. She had her information, after all. Nick, despite his eye a deep purple, was cracking a joke with Rafael and Derek. He was fine.


    That deep purple eye moved, and Nick¡¯s gaze fell on her. ¡°Oh, hey Alejandra.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± she said, not looking at him. She was afraid the frost that had become too commonplace whenever she thought of him had entered her gaze again. She didn¡¯t want to point that frost at Nick anymore. Nick had a black eye. He had a horrible Sunday night with his father accusing him at every turn of something he didn¡¯t do.


    Rafael turned, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Alejandra?¡±


    She shook her head, feeling a part of her heart cracking. But perhaps it was the hardness over her heart. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay.¡± She didn¡¯t want to mention Nick¡¯s name. Yes, she was glad Nick wasn¡¯t hurt any worse, but that was about all she could do.


    Nick blinked. ¡°Yeah, um¡­ thanks. I am.¡±


    Rafael cleared his throat. ¡°Hey, Alejandra, Evelyn just left to check the front office. Can you go meet up with her?¡±


    Alejandra furrowed her brow. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We all promised to watch Nick this week, and we don¡¯t know if Akshi¡¯s back from the dead yet. If so, Evelyn shouldn¡¯t be alone.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± She didn¡¯t dare look at anyone else before heading toward the front office. For the first time since this entire thing started, she did not feel the flutter of fear in her gut when she headed toward the office. It was mostly hurt.


    Why was she hurt? It was a question she asked herself that somehow made anger pop in again. It had a simple answer. Nick showed a side of violence that she never wanted to see in anyone ever again. Maybe Rafael deserved a punch in the face. No doubt it was awful what he did to Evelyn. But a punch wasn¡¯t all Nick did.


    Alejandra closed her eyes, seeing Nick that night. The memory that burned into her mind with perfect clarity. Nick¡¯s livid look. The way he didn¡¯t hesitate when Rafael fell to the ground. Nick¡¯s foot stomped on her brother¡¯s ribcage, trying to crush it. Rafael¡¯s shouts of pain, even as he tried to muffle them. Derek and Tyler had to pull Nick away because he wasn¡¯t stopping. Why didn¡¯t he stop?


    ¡°Alejandra?¡±


    Her eyes flew open in a panic. She wasn¡¯t in trouble, but she knew the surprise was obvious on her face. She cleared her throat as Evelyn stood there near the front office. Alejandra felt far more shame about her anger in Evelyn¡¯s presence than in anyone else¡¯s. Alejandra stuffed her panic under a rock and tried to smile.


    ¡°Hey. Um, I was here to make sure¡­ Mr. Stower¡­ Akshi¡­ we didn¡¯t want you to be alone,¡± Alejandra said.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Evelyn smiled as she slipped her phone in her back pocket. ¡°Thoughtful, thank you. I¡¯ve already checked. Still no sign of Akshi. Thank god.¡±


    ¡°Good. Good.¡±


    ¡°I was going to tell the guys. Do you want to come?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alejandra said, again looking down. ¡°No, I¡¯ll¡­ go practice some Spanish with Se?ora Florez.¡±


    Alejandra started to turn toward Se?ora Florez¡¯s room when Evelyn took a huge step to be in front of her, blocking her path and smiling brightly. ¡°Hey. I just want to make sure you can come to us whenever. Or¡­ any one of us individually if you need.¡±


    Clearly Evelyn picked up on Alejandra¡¯s anger of Nick. Alejandra tried to hide her nerves, but she kept glancing at the floor, straightening her glasses. ¡°Yeah. I know.¡±


    ¡°Good. Because you can.¡± Evelyn reached out and patted Alejandra¡¯s arm. ¡°This is hard, and I want you to know you¡¯re awesome, and we¡¯re happy to have you as part of the group.¡± Evelyn then hugged Alejandra tightly.


    She had no idea what to do except return the hug. Alejandra closed her eyes, knowing the invitation was there. An invitation to not hurt so much. One she was very tempted to take.


    Evelyn broke away, smiling. ¡°Can I walk you to Se?ora Florez¡¯s classroom? Just to be safe.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. That¡¯d be nice. But¡­ then you¡¯ll be alone when you walk back to the guys.¡±


    Evelyn nodded. ¡°Guess I didn¡¯t think about that. Is it alright if I hang out with you in Se?ora Florez¡¯s classroom?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s always a party in her classroom.¡±


    Evelyn laughed as the two of them headed toward the math hall. Alejandra realized maybe it wasn¡¯t everyone she was supposed to start hanging out with. Maybe it would be easier to hang out with one person at a time. For whatever reason, she felt the most comfortable right now with Evelyn.


    It was a start.


    ***


    Derek had finished lunch on Wednesday and was talking with Jeff. Eric and Bailey were arguing about something, and Jeff and Derek had a secret bet going about whether they¡¯d take a break from their friendship or proclaim their friendship was stronger than ever. Since Beauty and the Beast auditions were still a month away, Derek was betting on the latter.


    ¡°Dude,¡± Jeff whispered, almost in awe.


    Derek glanced at Jeff, then noticed he was looking at someone down the hall. Derek craned his neck, then his eyes widened as he saw Hazel walking down the hall with Annie, specifically looking for someone.


    Derek moved back in Jeff¡¯s shadow, taking a few deep breaths. Be cool. Be cool. Be cool. They¡¯re human. Treat them like such. He then straightened and walked a bit out, knowing Hazel and Annie must have a reason for coming to where the drama students were.


    ¡°Hey you two. Need anything?¡± Derek asked.


    Hazel¡¯s eyes fell on him, and she looked relieved. ¡°You! We need your help!¡±


    Derek tried to smile, but not too brightly. ¡°Of course! How can I help you?¡±


    Hazel turned to Annie, shooting her an encouraging smile. Annie was wringing her hands, glancing at Derek. ¡°Sari, uh, my elf fighter, she¡¯s¡­ she¡¯s level three now. I¡­ I don¡¯t know what kind of subclass to choose.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Fighter subclasses!¡± He grabbed his backpack, pulling out his CCNC player¡¯s handbook. ¡°Those are fun!¡±


    The worry seemed to drain from Annie¡¯s face, and instead a smile flickered across her face as she looked at the player¡¯s handbook in Derek¡¯s hands. ¡°Do you¡­ carry that around with you?¡±


    ¡°Obviously.¡± Derek flipped it open. ¡°I am president of the CCNC club. I take my job seriously.¡±


    Annie giggled, and Hazel smiled as she leaned against her. ¡°See? I told you he¡¯d help.¡±


    Derek smiled, then something caught his eye. He glanced right between Hazel and Annie to see Emma walking down the hall. Emma had her arms folded tightly, and he fully expected her to glare. But she wasn¡¯t. In fact, she stared at Derek with one of the most miserable expressions he¡¯d ever seen. The Emma he knew would be right next to him, making passive aggressive remarks to Hazel and Annie, making sure everyone knew Derek was hers, and hers alone.


    But they weren¡¯t dating. Right? They had their miserable date on Sunday night, and now it was Wednesday. He had checked up with her on Monday, and they both agreed that this was an unbelievable level of toxicity that neither one of them wanted to continue. Derek reminded her once again that she needed to stay away from Pippa and Akshi, who she only understood as Asher. She agreed, and they parted ways. They never specified they weren¡¯t dating anymore.


    Also, helping Annie did not imply that he wanted to date her. Sure, she had gorgeous black hair and brown eyes. He didn¡¯t know her well, but they had CCNC in common. Despite his infatuation with cheerleaders, he wasn¡¯t about to ask Annie on a date right after helping her with CCNC. There was a certain amount of desperation to that he wanted to avoid.


    Derek tore his gaze from Emma and looked at Annie. ¡°Are you interested in any subclass in particular?¡±


    Annie, who was oblivious to who Derek was looking at, grabbed a lock of her hair and started running her fingers through it, stretching out the curl. ¡°Um, Eldritch Knight? I had some questions about it.¡±


    ¡°Perfect.¡± Derek flipped to the page.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t played CCNC, and Rafael suggested I start with a fighter, since it¡¯s the easiest. But I¡¯ve been curious about the magic system,¡± Annie said.


    ¡°Eldritch Knight is a killer build, no pun intended,¡± Derek said, finding the page he needed that described the Eldritch Knight subclass. Emma passed by him, and Derek forced himself to glance at her once again. Make sure her pupils weren¡¯t red. This was Emma. One hundred percent Emma. And she looked miserable.


    Hazel glanced at Emma, a slight frown on her face, then caught Derek¡¯s gaze. He forced himself to look back at Annie, smiling as he handed her the handbook. ¡°For now, I don¡¯t want you to worry too much about the entire magic system of CCNC. People get overwhelmed because they don¡¯t understand how a sorcerer uses mana when they¡¯re playing a bard, and things like that. Your GM will worry about the others. You just focus on your character.¡±


    Annie seemed to relax as her eyes bounced over the pages. Until the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. She looked up at him with those brown eyes. ¡°I know we had CCNC club this morning, but is there some time I can ask you questions about this? Because¡­ I have a lot of questions, and Evelyn suggested you.¡±


    May Evelyn be blessed with three nat twenties in a row, Derek prayed to the dice gods.


    ¡°Of course. I know you guys are getting super busy for the last football game of the season this week, but I¡¯m free tomorrow morning if you want to stop by here and chat,¡± Derek said.


    Annie closed the book, handing it over and giving him a smile. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow morning, then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be here,¡± Derek said with a smile. ¡°Also, I realize now I perhaps asked too much out of you two.¡± He glanced at Hazel specifically. ¡°CCNC nerds are lovely, but we can be a bit overexcited with cheerleaders. If you ever feel unsafe, let Se?ora Florez know. She¡¯s extremely protective of CCNC and is committed to making it a safe space for everyone.¡±


    Hazel nodded as Annie smiled. ¡°Thanks, Derek.¡±


    Derek watched the two of them leave, the cool, relaxed demeanor melting away to one of shock and awe.


    ¡°Duuuuude,¡± Jeff said.


    ¡°I¡¯m accomplishing my goal. Cheerleaders are attending CCNC club!¡± Derek said.


    ¡°See!¡± Eric moved up to him. ¡°Project reverse kiss the girl was a success!¡± He and Baily gave each other high fives, though Baily¡¯s was far less enthusiastic. She focused enough to give a high five, but glanced at Derek.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want this imploding in on you, you better make sure Emma is okay with it,¡± Baily said.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Eric asked, shocked. ¡°Those two are done. Their date on Sunday was a disaster, and Emma clearly hates him!¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Baily glanced down the hall of students. ¡°But if you don¡¯t play this right, she could go into full revenge mode.¡±


    Jeff gave Derek a side eye. ¡°Never. Kiss. Crazy.¡±


    Derek sighed, hanging his head as he moved forward to his next class. ¡°Learning through experience sucks.¡±

 Chapter 176

    Evelyn attempted to smile at Gemma as she marched through the door. Evelyn hardly greeted her therapist before collapsing on the couch. She kicked off her shoes, grabbed a pillow, and screamed into it as loud as she could. Every pent up emotion she felt, every confusion, every fear, it all came out as a scream muffled by the pillow.


    Once she finished, she clutched the pillow to her chest and ventured a look at Gemma. Her therapist¡¯s eyes were positively sparkling.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Ah, ah, ah.¡± Gemma raised a finger at her. ¡°What¡¯s the first rule we have?¡±


    Evelyn grumbled as she brought her legs up to her chest. ¡°Never apologize for feeling emotions.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Now, this looks like a fun bundle of emotions you¡¯ve brought me! Shall we pick through it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please. I have no idea what I¡¯m feeling, and I¡¯m so confused, and I don¡¯t even know what to say, and I don¡¯t know if this counts in therapy because it has¡­ absolutely nothing to do with Rafael. Well, that¡¯s not true. It¡­ sorta? No, I don¡¯t think¡ª¡±


    ¡°Evelyn?¡± Gemma asked.


    She took a deep breath. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Again, what¡¯s the first rule?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t feeling anything. I was rambling.¡±


    ¡°You were rambling because you felt something,¡± Gemma said.


    Evelyn rubbed the side of her face. ¡°Okay, okay. I just¡­ god, I don¡¯t even know where to start. I think¡­ I think I¡­ There¡¯s a possibility I¡­ I might¡­¡±


    Gemma waited, smiling encouragingly. Evelyn sighed, clutching the pillow to her chest. ¡°Is it possible for me to have a crush on a twenty-year-old?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Gemma said with no hesitation. ¡°Twenty is not that old.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s weird, right? I like, practically grew up with him. Sorta. I was ten when I met him, which made him¡ª¡± Evelyn frowned, then did the math on her fingers. ¡°Fourteen? Fifteen when I first met him?¡±


    ¡°And how does he feel about you?¡± Gemma asked.


    ¡°God, he doesn¡¯t know. Absolutely no idea. He¡¯s got a girlfriend. Not interested in me at all.¡± Evelyn pressed her hands against the side of her face. ¡°He¡¯s only ever seen me as a friend.¡±


    Gemma nodded, smiling. ¡°You¡¯re only sixteen. This knowledge only makes me admire him more.¡±


    ¡°I know. That somehow makes him more attractive, but it¡¯s also disgusting at the same time,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Disgusting?¡± Gemma tilted her head to one side. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I should not have a crush on him. Absolutely not. I don¡¯t even think what I¡¯m feeling is a crush. I do not want to date him. He shouldn¡¯t look at me that way at all. So why do I¡­ feel this way?¡±


    Gemma placed her notebook and pen on her desk before she got up, sitting down on the couch across from Evelyn before picking up her own throw pillow. ¡°So, how do you know this boy?¡±


    Evelyn sighed, hugging her pillow closer. ¡°I just¡­ Tyler, his name is Tyler, he¡­ he¡¯s actually the game master of our friend group. We¡­ play a game. Choice, Chance, and Consequence.¡± Evelyn started explaining Tyler, trying not to feel weird that she was talking about him in therapy. She explained what had happened when the news came out about her and Rafael. How Tyler reacted.


    ¡°He¡¯s just¡­ so incredibly sweet. Not just sweet. He¡¯s been one of the most supportive friends I¡¯ve had while I¡¯ve worked through this. Tyler listened to my concerns and placed boundaries between me and Rafael and made sure they¡¯re enforced. He¡¯s¡­ god, he¡¯s incredible. Such an incredible friend. He should only be a friend, right?¡±


    Gemma raised an eyebrow, not hiding her smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure he feels that way right now, yes.¡±


    ¡°This is ridiculous. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m only sixteen. I think I¡¯m confusing a crush with¡­ with feeling very safe in his presence. That¡¯s all this is, right? I just feel incredibly safe and enjoy being around him.¡±


    Gemma gave a slow nod, her smile turning into a frown. ¡°Evelyn, if you remember one thing from therapy, I hope you remember this.¡± She lifted a hand, pointing at her. ¡°Feeling safe is the absolute bare minimum you should feel in any relationship, familial or friend. Friend or boyfriend. Crush or love. Bare. Minimum.¡±


    Evelyn sighed. ¡°Yeah. Okay.¡± She glanced out the window, feeling how unsafe she felt Sunday when Walt stormed through Nick¡¯s room. How unsafe Nick must have felt. Just thinking about her family made her throat close up. She should talk about them. Therapy would only help. But she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it. Instead she bowed her head and kept talking about Tyler. ¡°Is my desire to feel safe somehow being misinterpreted into a crush?¡±


    Gemma shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s do a little experiment.¡± She kicked off her own shoes and cuddled with her throw pillow. This felt more like a sleepover than therapy. ¡°It¡¯s four years into the future. You¡¯re twenty years old.¡±


    ¡°Oh, god,¡± Evelyn muttered, already knowing where this was going.


    ¡°He¡¯s twenty-four.¡±


    Evelyn covered her face, keeping the pillow against her chest.


    ¡°He asks you on a date. You say yes. You go mini-golfing or something. Catch a movie. Play a board game. Whatever it is, you¡¯re there with him. You talk about anything; you laugh about everything.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s heart was pounding in her chest, her gut aching.


    ¡°He takes you home. You both cannot stop talking. You feel as you¡¯ve always felt. Safe. There, at the doorway, he leans in for a kiss. What do you do?¡±


    The first tears fell. ¡°Shit, I kiss him. I kiss him so hard.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡± Gemma gestured at all the certificates and awards on her wall. ¡°After almost a decade of schooling as a therapist, I can conclude with certainty that what you¡¯re feeling is indeed a crush.¡±


    Evelyn dropped her hands, showing her tears. ¡°Then why am I crying? Why am I scared? Why am I not happy?¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Gemma said, the smile flickering. ¡°Because it¡¯s four years in the future, and he has a girlfriend right now. You are at that age where four years is a long time, and so many things could change.¡±


    Like an apocalypse.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know if this experiment we had will ever come true, and it¡¯s okay to mourn that. It seems like this Tyler is quite the amazing guy. Take heart knowing you¡¯re able to pick out a good one. It honestly gives me a lot of hope for your future that you have a crush on such a sweet and safe boy. Perhaps in four years Tyler will be single again. Perhaps he won¡¯t. The thing is, you know what you want. You recognize and desire the feeling of being safe in someone¡¯s presence. Someone who respects you. Someone willing to do what he can to make sure everyone respects your boundaries. He seems like a regular knight in shining armor.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Evelyn¡¯s shoulders slumped as her fingertips moved over the fabric of the pillow. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve found one already, and you¡¯re only sixteen. If he¡¯s no longer available, take heart in knowing there are others out there.¡± Evelyn nodded, her throat tight. Gemma smiled. ¡°But it feels like Tyler¡¯s the only one, right?¡±


    Evelyn nodded, looking at her fingers. ¡°Yeah. It does.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s common.¡± Gemma leaned back, looking relaxed. ¡°And unfortunately, there¡¯s nothing I can do to speed time up. We¡¯ll have to live with uncertainty for a while.¡± She glanced at Evelyn. ¡°Since I get the feeling you don¡¯t want Tyler to notice you in that way right now.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Ugh, I might lose a bit of respect for him if he sees me that way.¡±


    Gemma smiled, nodding. ¡°Good. There¡¯s nothing wrong with how you feel about your friend, Evelyn.¡±


    Evelyn wiped the tears from her eyes. ¡°It¡¯d be easier if I didn¡¯t have it.¡±


    Gemma snorted. ¡°Crushes are rarely convenient.¡±


    They talked some more. Evelyn caved and showed Gemma a picture of Tyler, which made Gemma nod. ¡°What an absolutely adorable boy!¡±


    It made Evelyn giggle. She was pretty sure Tyler would have a hard time accepting the words ¡°adorable¡± or ¡°boy¡± described about a picture of him.


    They only talked briefly about Rafael, and that itself felt cathartic. In many of these sessions, she always came with a feeling of dread, and left feeling drained, but better. This time she came with dread, but felt almost light. She didn¡¯t mind that they only talked a bit about Rafael. She didn¡¯t need to. After bottling her feelings about Rafael for three years, she was certain she¡¯d never get better. And yet she was. Better than she could imagine. Tyler helped. And she had to admit, Rafael helped too. He, too, was making sure Evelyn was safe by keeping his distance.


    She had a bounce to her step when she walked out of therapy. Some of the bounce left when she saw Walt, smiling and waving in the car as he turned it on, the headlights coming to life. She remembered Gemma¡¯s remark about feeling safe. A part of her was nervous about returning home, because she was never certain what would happen. Walt was still counting toilet paper, making calls. Being ridiculous. All while Nick¡¯s black eye healed.


    Evelyn tucked some hair behind her ear as Walt pulled up to the edge of the curb. She smiled and opened the passenger door, climbing in.


    ¡°Hey dad,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Hey, Evie. I called them up and made sure your next session was on a Thursday. That way, you can drive here next week,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°Oh, uh. Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Pity we didn¡¯t think of this sooner. Now we have to juggle two driver¡¯s schedules.¡± Walt checked his watch. ¡°Nick should be done with work now. He better be home.¡±


    Evelyn closed her eyes, feeling the dread return. Which sucked, because the therapy session was so good today. She planned on doing another run and talk to Moonsparkle and Clarissa. She doubted she¡¯d talk about Tyler with them, though. It was easier to talk about Tyler with Gemma, because she didn¡¯t know him much. Her crush would remain hers only. Even if Grizzizzik had an inkling.


    Evelyn tightened her seat belt before picking up her phone, checking her face in the reverse camera as Walt drove out of the parking lot. Her make-up didn¡¯t smudge, which was good. She was about to place it down when it lit up with an incoming call. Her smile faltered, and horror gripped her heart when she saw it was Tyler. Her face flushed a deep red, and she closed her eyes. It was fine. He wouldn¡¯t see her face. She took a breath, though, to make sure Walt wouldn¡¯t get suspicious.


    She swiped and placed the phone against her ear. ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Hey! Just wanted to call and check on Nick. Is he there?¡± Tyler asked.


    She deflated. Right. Tyler had been calling almost every night since Grizzizzik attacked Nick to talk.


    ¡°Oh, um. I¡¯m not home yet,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Oh. Are you still at cheer? I know the final game is tomorrow, but they shouldn¡¯t be working you this hard.¡±


    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s, um, therapy. Just got out of a therapy session,¡± Evelyn said, glancing at Walt.


    ¡°Ah, good. Good. I hope it went well.¡±


    ¡°It did.¡± Her voice was pitched higher, swearing she would never reveal that Tyler was the main topic of her session tonight.


    ¡°Good. Excellent.¡±


    Walt frowned. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°You know what? I¡¯m just going to do it. I¡¯ll call Nick¡¯s phone. Your dad wouldn¡¯t think it too weird to have a friend check up on him, right?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Evelyn started to say, glancing at Walt. Her father¡¯s glare darkened.


    ¡°He got hurt, after all,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Evelyn, who is that?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Tyler. Tyler Clarke.¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡± Tyler asked.


    Walt snapped his fingers at her. ¡°Put him on speakerphone.¡±


    ¡°Dad, come on.¡±


    ¡°Evelyn?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s done talking with me, Dad.¡±


    ¡°Put that boy on speakerphone right now,¡± Walt said.


    Evelyn¡¯s stomach churned. Walt used the tone with Evelyn. The tone he only used on Nick. One that brought fear inside her. If she disobeyed, if she ended up as restricted as Nick¡­


    Tears blurred her vision as she cleared her throat, willing herself to sound in control. ¡°Tyler, just a sec. My dad wants you on speakerphone¡­¡± She brought the phone down, then tapped a few buttons.


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Tyler said.


    She waited until he finished before pressing the button. ¡°I already told dad there¡¯s nothing more you wanted to say.¡±


    ¡°Right. Just¡­ wanted to check up on everyone. I¡¯ll see you Saturday, then.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s Saturday again?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°CCNC.¡±


    Walt was glaring at the road. ¡°And that woman character? Is she going to show up?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really what the story¡ª¡±


    ¡°Will that woman character show up?¡± Walt asked.


    There was the briefest pause that felt like an eternity. ¡°No, sir. She won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I want to know the moment she¡¯s killed off. Understand?¡± Walt asked.


    There was another pause. ¡°Sorry, are you talking to me or Evelyn?¡±


    ¡°Both,¡± Walt said, spitting the word out.


    Evelyn shook her head, her brows furrowed.


    ¡°I¡­ will.¡±


    ¡°Sooner rather than later, yes?¡± Walt said.


    ¡°It¡¯s really what the story de¡ª¡±


    ¡°I want her gone sooner rather than later. I don¡¯t like this woman character, and I¡¯d hate to chaperone to all your sessions,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°Walt, I really don¡¯t think that¡¯s neces¡ª¡±


    ¡°You are twenty years old, Tyler. Practically an adult. You come over every week to play a game with my daughter, who is very much underage, dictating to her about situations that she has little control over.¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡± Evelyn shouted, feeling sick to her stomach.


    ¡°I¡­ no sir. That¡¯s not at all¡­ I have a girlfriend,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Girlfriend or not, you understand how this looks, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I assure you, sir, I have never seen your daughter as anything other than a friend. What you are obviously accusing me of is disrespectful, even nauseating.¡±


    The tears would not stop falling down her cheeks.


    ¡°Nothing will ever happen between me and Evelyn.¡±


    That really should not have hurt as badly as it did. Obviously, Tyler meant about now. Now when she was sixteen. Next year when she¡¯d be seventeen, then eighteen. Perhaps even nineteen. Now, when he clearly had a girlfriend he adored. It shouldn¡¯t hurt. It shouldn¡¯t. But her heart still cracked.


    ¡°I want you to understand, Tyler, that if Evelyn says you have done anything at all to make her uncomfortable, you will have my wrath to deal with,¡± Walt said.


    The silence stretched again, and Evelyn was glaring at the road, too afraid to glare at her dad.


    ¡°Good night, Walt. I¡¯ll see you on Saturday, Evelyn.¡±


    Tyler hung up before Evelyn could do anything. She should have hung up sooner. She could have. All she needed to do was hit that little red button to end the call well before Walt spoke a word. Why hadn¡¯t she done that? It was ridiculous that she didn¡¯t feel brave enough to press a button. Yet she stood there as Walt accused Tyler of being a creep.


    She was sniffling, tears coming down both in anger and embarrassment. ¡°You bully Nick too much. Now you¡¯re branching out to bullying Tyler?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your own good,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not!¡± Evelyn kept her gaze out the window, refusing to face Walt. ¡°He isn¡¯t a threat!¡±


    ¡°You really believe that? After watching you play that game, after hearing the things he said? He¡¯s a college aged boy, Evelyn, placed in a situation of power over you. You really think his thoughts are pure?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Evelyn said. Maybe there was more to say, but honestly, what difference would it make? Walt would never listen. Evelyn glared out the window, her heart pounding in her chest, when she realized why she didn¡¯t elaborate further. She was scared. Scared of what Walt might do, of how he might retaliate. Scared of bringing up how quickly Walt forgave Rafael, who actually hurt her. Terrified Walt might demand to attend one of their sessions again. So she kept quiet. She shied away from the fight.


    Walt shook his head, glaring at the road. ¡°Ah, Evie. There¡¯s much about the world you don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s a lot about the world you refuse to acknowledge,¡± Evelyn spat out.


    Walt turned, a glare he reserved for Nick on his face. ¡°What was that?¡±


    Evelyn brought her legs up, pressing them against her chest as she rested her head on her knees. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    They were silent the rest of the way home. She really should have talked about Walt in therapy. Evelyn couldn¡¯t wait until she could drive herself home next week. Then maybe her therapy sessions couldn¡¯t be undercut by Walt so many times.

 Chapter 177

    Nick paced the length of his room, folding his arms as he thought. He hadn¡¯t been rolling the dice since Sunday. He also hadn¡¯t seen Grizzizzik since Sunday. Everyone agreed Grizzizzik couldn¡¯t be around Nick. For punishment, Grizzizzik had now fallen under Hraktar¡¯s care. The fighter didn¡¯t let him out of his sight.


    Which created a problem. Nick needed to talk to Grizzizzik. His rogue also needed to be fighting and gaining experience points. But¡­ Nick really didn¡¯t want to see his character right now. This entire situation was complicated.


    No. It wasn¡¯t complicated. His rogue was being an idiot, forcing Nick into a corner that was quite abusive.


    He needed to figure out how to get out. As much as he hated it, Grizzizzik was stubborn and wouldn¡¯t change his mind until he got what he wanted. Especially since it dealt with getting revenge on his father. Which meant they needed to fight more battles. Every time Nick risked his reputation, he wanted it to count. The longer Grizzizzik stayed below 6,000 experience points, the more it hurt. Level five was a mere five hundred and thirty-five points away. It seemed like Grizzizzik punching Nick made everyone place a hold on their plans to fight a bunch of monsters.


    But, with a realization that made his stomach churn, this wasn¡¯t what Nick wanted to talk to Grizzizzik about. Somehow, despite his stomach being a ball of nerves ever since Grizzizzik made the contract, a new concern plagued Nick.


    Nick collapsed into his chair and concentrated. If he couldn¡¯t break the contract with Chaos, then he needed to at least share his concern with Grizzizzik. And if people got angry that Nick teleported Grizzizzik, then maybe they could do more digging and figure out why Nick wanted to talk to Grizzizzik so soon after getting punched in the face. Nick had been itching to try out a few phrases to see if he could help clue anyone into this.


    Grizzizzik¡¯s character sheet popped into his vision, and Nick didn¡¯t open his eyes until he heard Grizzizzik¡¯s stumbling footfalls. Nick¡¯s eyes snapped open as Grizzizzik righted himself. His rogue brushed his shoulder, glancing at Nick, lingering on the healing black eye before his gaze darted around the room. ¡°No battle?¡±


    ¡°No. A conversation.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. I¡¯d rather have the battle,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°Sometimes a conversation is a battle.¡±


    Grizzizzik sat on the bed, crossing his arms. ¡°Our last conversation battle went well for you, didn¡¯t it?¡± Nick¡¯s eyes narrowed, knowing Grizzizzik wanted to get under his skin. ¡°Is this why it took you a few days to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mr. Stower attended school the past three days, looking confused about where the time has gone.¡±


    Nick wondered if he needed to elaborate any more. The way Grizzizzik¡¯s face dropped told him he didn¡¯t.


    Ever since Monday, something was gnawing at him. He couldn¡¯t understand what was eating him until Tuesday, when he stepped into the part of his mind that he used for Grizzizzik. Sitting in math class, talking about averages, he realized the statistical likelihood of Akshi already being back was high. Very high. Not only that, but Akshi always prepared for the days he was gone. He always had things in place to keep the charade going and his crime empire under his control. Especially since he sometimes took days off to regenerate his cells or whatever he did to come back to life. Mr. Stower shouldn¡¯t be recovering from a charm.


    ¡°And¡­ Pippa?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    Nick shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her since, either.¡±


    Grizzizzik looked ahead, staring at nothing, lost in his thoughts. The rogue had come to the same conclusion Nick had. There was no way Akshi wouldn¡¯t be prepared for something like this, even on earth. If Mr. Stower was returning to normal, it meant Akshi had dropped him as a puppet. And if Akshi dropped him as a puppet¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s been five days since we killed him,¡± Grizzizzik said. ¡°He might still be dead, but he might not. He¡¯s moving on. Finding another puppet. Or someone to steal.¡±


    Nick rubbed his chin, feeling nauseous. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you been fighting? I haven¡¯t rolled dice since Sunday.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried,¡± Grizzizzik almost spat. ¡°Even tried getting everyone else involved. Every time something happens and we forget about it until that night.¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s at work here.¡±


    ¡°Is it connected with Akshi?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s connected to you bringing the perfect personification of chaos to mess with our lives.¡± The words came out harsh, but somehow not harsh enough.


    Grizzizzik rolled his eyes.


    Nick sighed, feeling the exhaustion he tried to hold back come crashing down. Akshi was planning something. Possibly kidnapping someone among the group. Everyone was a possibility, but he was mostly afraid about Alejandra. The frosty looks she gave, ignoring him. Alejandra might hand Nick over to Akshi. And by handing Nick over, she was essentially handing Grizzizzik over, too.


    ¡°Alejandra is in danger, isn¡¯t she?¡± Nick whispered.


    Grizzizzik nodded. ¡°Yeah. She is. Akshi will use her to get to you.¡±


    ¡°And then to you,¡± Nick said.


    Grizzizzik lowered his rogue hood, rubbing his snake head. ¡°I need that sword.¡±


    ¡°You need your friends. Stop hiding this from them,¡± Nick said.


    Grizzizzik snorted. ¡°Not going to happen.¡±


    Nick about said something when his phone went off, and it was such an odd experience that he stared at his pocket for a few seconds. He pulled out his phone and saw Tyler calling him. Perfect. Nick needed to talk to him, anyway. He flipped his phone open.


    ¡°Hey, Ni¡ª¡±


    ¡°Akshi¡¯s dropped Mr. Stower as a puppet, which means he¡¯s trying something else. Grizzizzik and I think he¡¯ll kidnap Alejandra to get to me, and therefore Grizzizzik. Also, our characters can¡¯t fight, and they really need to so they can level up again. They¡¯re so close to level five.¡±


    ¡°¡ªiiick.¡± There was a pause before Tyler cleared his throat. ¡°Well, um, alright then.¡±


    Nick sighed, leaning back a little. ¡°Sorry, you called?¡±


    ¡°Just¡­ checking up on you. Glad I called.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, it¡¯s been a rough week.¡±


    Tyler sighed. ¡°Alright, well, there¡¯s a slightly complicated matter with your dad we need to take care of first, but I have a plan to bypass it, as long as you¡¯re okay lying to your dad.¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ obviously fine. What does my dad have to do with anything, though?¡± Nick didn¡¯t think about the possibility of Akshi charming Walt. Holy hell, that would be so much worse.


    ¡°So, the idea has come into Walt¡¯s mind that I must be trying to seduce your sister,¡± Tyler said.


    Nick couldn¡¯t help but snort. ¡°Oh, god. Sorry.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°Yeah, well, I won¡¯t let Walt keep me from checking on you. And if Walt ever catches me calling Evelyn again, she might get in trouble, and I don¡¯t want that. What I need you to do is program my name into your phone as Rafael¡¯s instead. I¡¯ve got a feeling Walt won¡¯t dig into it too much if he sees Rafael¡¯s name calling you so much.¡±


    Nick raised an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s actually¡­ a genius idea.¡±


    ¡°I have them occasionally. Just say Rafael¡¯s been checking up on you since you got hurt. I¡¯ll let Rafael know so he can support the story. Hopefully that¡¯s all the lying you have to do, because I don¡¯t want Evelyn to get in trouble on my behalf. Especially with your dad. He¡¯s¡­ scary.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I know.¡± Nick glanced at Grizzizzik, who was watching him closely. ¡°Should I program Rafael as you?¡±


    ¡°No, in case Rafael really calls you sometime. Unless¡­ does your dad check your contacts?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure. I don¡¯t think so.¡± Nick had a very short contact list. It wouldn¡¯t be difficult to check it.


    Tyler sighed. ¡°I will leave that up to you. You¡­ understand Walt better than me.¡±


    Nick closed his eyes, nauseous. He needed to do it. He didn¡¯t need to think about it too hard. This had to be done. ¡°Okay, let Rafael know I¡¯ll be changing his information to Tyler, and he needs to be careful about calling me.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± He sighed again. ¡°As for what you mentioned before with Akshi¡­ I hate how much that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°You? Little, I¡¯m afraid. I¡¯ll call up Rafael and let him know about all this, and maybe between him and me, we can talk Alejandra out of her anger towards you.¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­. There¡¯s a chance Alejandra might not turn me over. Things may be rocky, but Alejandra doesn¡¯t hate me that bad. Right?¡±


    There was a large part of him that asked Tyler that question to hear his answer. Tyler seemed pretty good with people, and he¡¯d seen Alejandra interacting with Nick enough.


    The silence stretched for too long. Grizzizzik gave Nick a side look that told him everything he needed to know. All Akshi needed was a small, negative experience before he worked his manipulation skills to get people slitting each other¡¯s throats. Nick and Alejandra had more than a small, negative experience. And it was painfully clear how Alejandra felt about Nick.


    ¡°You know? I can¡­ work with her,¡± Tyler said.


    Nick rubbed his forehead, his heart sinking. The realization of it all hit him hard. Akshi dropped Mr. Stower. Akshi now realized the team was strong enough to kill him, and he wouldn¡¯t like them to kill him over and over. Whatever plan he had in motion would begin. And if Alejandra was involved¡­


    God, he hated it. Despite her frosty looks, despite the rocky relationship, he felt a powerful urge to stick by her side, just like Rafael and Derek were sticking by him. If a scaly hand even touched a hair on her head, he might lose it. Alejandra had gone through enough. She didn¡¯t need a crime lord hurting her. For once he understood why Grizzizzik was so desperate for a sword to murder his father.


    But Grizzizzik using Nick was abusive, and that needed to stop.


    Evelyn threw open the door to his room and stumbled inside, eyes wide as she had her phone up against her ear. Her eyes fell on Grizzizzik, who glanced at her, almost bored. Evelyn walked in further, placing herself between Nick and Grizzizzik. ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°Evie?¡± Nick asked.


    Evelyn moved the phone enough so she could talk to Grizzizzik, glaring at him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I was summoned,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Evelyn was confused, glancing at Nick, then back at Grizzizzik.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Yeah, Evelyn just got home. Someone must be calling her to say Grizzizzik disappeared from Hraktar¡¯s care, because I had to portal him here to talk to him,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn frowned, staring at Nick, but placing herself more firmly between him and Grizzizzik. The rogue¡¯s eyes narrowed, watching Nick distrustfully.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Grizzizzik is there? Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Not really, no. He¡¯s not punching me, though, so that¡¯s a plus,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn¡¯s head jerked around to look at Nick, her eyes widening.


    ¡°What?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Is¡­ is there a fight or something? Do you need help?¡±


    ¡°No fight, no. I teleported him here. I was concerned about Mr. Stower, which is why we both agreed something else is up,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°You teleported Grizzizzik to you by yourself?¡±


    Clarissa popped into view. She had been kneeling on the ground, but glanced up, confused, until she noticed Grizzizzik. She scrambled to her feet, her brows furrowed.


    ¡°What are you doing here, Grizzly Bear?¡±


    Grizzizzik rolled his eyes. ¡°Just teleport everyone here while you¡¯re at it, so I only have to explain myself once,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have him there by yourself,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°I know, but¡­ Grizzizzik won¡¯t punch me again. He¡¯s learned his lesson. Hopefully he talks to Ezekiel soon and gives a full confession about what he¡¯s done to make him feel better.¡± Nick stared right at his character. The rogue glared back. ¡°In fact, with Akshi planning something, we really need to keep leveling up.¡±


    Tyler sighed on the other end. ¡°Yeah. They should. Ezekiel and Prince Sylvar especially.¡±


    ¡°Grizzizzik¡¯s been trying, but they always fall asleep right before.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, let me hear the story from him. Maybe it¡¯ll clue me into what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Nick hesitated, glancing at Grizzizzik. The rogue had never taken his eyes off Nick, though he made sure Clarissa stayed out of arm¡¯s reach. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll¡­ hand the phone over to him.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s eyes narrowed as Nick walked over to Grizzizzik. Clarissa, too, straightened. Grizzizzik stared at the phone Nick offered him. ¡°Tyler wants to talk to you.¡±


    Grizzizzik gave the phone another few seconds of studying before he took it between his thumb and pointer finger, holding it against his ear. ¡°What?¡± Grizzizzik asked into the phone.


    Nick folded his arms, waiting. He heard Tyler talking into the other side as Evelyn walked over to him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you back.¡± She slipped her phone in her pocket. ¡°Are you okay, Nick?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn glanced at Grizzizzik. ¡°Is he hurting you?¡±


    ¡°Not physically,¡± Nick said, keeping Grizzizzik¡¯s eye contact as Grizzizzik explained the story. His rogue glared at him, even as he kept his voice even to tell the story.


    ¡°What the hell does that mean?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Exactly what it sounds like,¡± Nick said, keeping his eyes on Grizzizzik.


    ¡°He¡¯s hurting you?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Not physically,¡± Nick said again.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a time to joke, Nick.¡±


    He finally tore his gaze from Grizzizzik to look at Evelyn. ¡°I know.¡±


    Evelyn frowned. ¡°If he¡¯s giving you such grief, why the hell are you teleporting him to you?¡± she asked.


    Nick sighed. ¡°I¡¯m trying to get him to understand something.¡±


    A shadow crossed them as Grizzizzik moved toward them, moving Nick to one side. Evelyn slapped Grizzizzik¡¯s hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch my brother,¡± she said.


    Grizzizzik looked far more amused than in pain until Clarissa stood next to Grizzizzik, eyes dangerous. Tyler was still saying something on the other side while everyone glared at Grizzizzik.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll pass the word along,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Tyler sounded like he was trying to say something else, but Grizzizzik snapped the phone shut and handed it to Nick. Nick took it, holding it close as he kept staring at his character with narrow eyes.


    ¡°That Tyler boy believes the reason we can¡¯t battle is because we don¡¯t have anyone there to roll for us. We from the Shrouded Domain can¡¯t go off on our own like that. He doesn¡¯t think everyone from earth needs to be there. Maybe just one person would be enough to trigger everyone else to roll from a distance.¡±


    The silence that followed spoke much. Evelyn and Nick exchanged glances, and Nick already knew Evelyn would call Tyler to make sure Grizzizzik told the truth. Or maybe call Derek to make sure Tyler was telling the truth. He really didn¡¯t like that Walt¡¯s mistrust had trickled onto Evelyn and Tyler. Which reminded him he needed to switch the contact information.


    ¡°Checks out,¡± Nick said. ¡°Worth a shot, at least.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you back to Hraktar,¡± Clarissa said.


    Grizzizzik finally tore his gaze from Nick to look at Clarissa. ¡°The boy summoned me.¡±


    ¡°And now it¡¯s time to go back.¡± The warning was clear in Clarissa¡¯s voice. She lifted a hand. ¡°Do I need to drag you?¡±


    Grizzizzik narrowed his eyes. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    There was another moment¡¯s pause, then Grizzizzik unfolded his arms. ¡°Right.¡± He and Clarissa left out the door. Nick glanced out the window, waiting long enough to see Clarissa and Grizzizzik walking out of the house before Clarissa changed into a war horse. Grizzizzik made some sort of quip, which caused horse Clarissa to lift a hoof, threatening. Grizzizzik grumbled again and climbed on her back. She galloped off, with Grizzizzik gripping the mane like his life depended on it.


    Nick opened his phone and changed the contact information. He needed Grizzizzik to trust his friends. To tell them what was going on. The longer this went on, the more untrusting the other characters would be. The more untrusting, the more Grizzizzik would keep his mouth shut. It was a dangerous cycle.


    ¡°So that was Tyler,¡± Nick mumbled.


    Evelyn pulled out her phone, texting. ¡°I picked up on the context clues, thanks.¡±


    ¡°He also said Dad accused him of trying to seduce you,¡± Nick said.


    Despite laughing like Nick had, Evelyn¡¯s face went a deep red, and she looked flustered. ¡°God, Nick. I¡­ he¡­ I¡¯m just¡­¡± Nick glanced up at her, and Evelyn focused on texting someone. ¡°Ugh, Dad¡¯s awful.¡±


    ¡°Ah, shit, he accused him of it while you were in the vicinity?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Right out of therapy, in fact. He really likes to undo all the progress I make in those sessions,¡± Evelyn said, not looking at him, her cheeks still flaming red.


    ¡°Sorry about that. We¡¯ve got a system where Tyler will call me instead of you, and we¡¯ll use Rafael¡¯s name to hide any suspicion.¡± Nick finished changing Tyler¡¯s name in his phone to Rafael and moved to change Rafael to Tyler. The silence stretched on, and Nick glanced up to see Evelyn staring at nothing, phone in hand. Her brows were furrowed, and she was gnawing on her bottom lip. ¡°Evelyn?¡± Nick asked.


    That seemed to jolt her out of her trance. She looked back at her phone. ¡°I¡¯ll let Alejandra know Grizzizzik and Princess Clarissa are heading back to their house, so Hraktar doesn¡¯t charge over here.¡±


    She walked out of Nick¡¯s room, shutting the door behind her. Nick frowned before he finished changing Rafael¡¯s name in his phone.

 Chapter 178

    It was dark. It needed to be in order for Sylvar to fight. Sylvar was still a wood elf, and therefore still weak in the desert sun, even if it was a comfortable seventy degrees. It might drop into the fifties tonight, though.


    Rafael leaned against the counter, watching Alejandra shout at Hraktar. He didn¡¯t think those two would ever fight, and it didn¡¯t bode well for tonight. He understood what they needed to do today. Tyler would be here shortly, and the three of them would go with the characters to fight. It was the night of the last football game of the year, and Rafael was spending it with his sister and Tyler. With no school Friday, Tyler came home early to help, mostly because he wasn¡¯t sure if he could roll for Sylvar from a distance yet.


    And, of course, the two of them would have a nice long chat with Alejandra to make sure she wouldn¡¯t hand Nick over to Akshi.


    ¡°He is not even a month old!¡± Alejandra¡¯s voice was sharp. She had Quetzal in her arms, and the drake watched Alejandra and Hraktar like a tennis match. Rafael was pretty sure Quetzal couldn¡¯t understand, but maybe he did.


    Hraktar furrowed his brows. ¡°Yes, he is. Over a month. He has more than proven himself in battle, and this little guy is hungry for more. He¡¯s getting stronger.¡±


    Alejandra kept squeezing Quetzal as she glared at Hraktar. ¡°He isn¡¯t supposed to fight for another six months. Until he¡¯s considered an adult. He¡¯s still a baby!¡±


    ¡°Chunkiest baby I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± Ezekiel muttered from the couch.


    ¡°Shut up, Ezekiel!¡± Alejandra shouted.


    Ezekiel shrugged, returning to his Terry Pratchett novel.


    ¡°You can¡¯t keep holding him back from fighting. You even said so yourself. He¡¯s gotten a few more hit points.¡±


    Alejandra¡¯s eyes were blazing with anger. ¡°You overheard me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small house,¡± Hraktar said.


    Rafael glanced at Quetzal, seeing the glowing green numbers above his head.


    18/18 HP


    Not bad. In fact¡­


    Rafael glanced at Sylvar standing just outside the house, practicing a few swings with his long sword in the porch light. Rafael squinted, seeing the top of Sylvar¡¯s head.


    12/12 HP


    ¡°Hraktar¡¯s right,¡± Rafael said, glancing at Alejandra.


    His sister turned, her brown eyes dangerous. She practically smothered Quetzal as she glared at him. The drake started flailing.


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Alejandra shouted.


    ¡°Look!¡± Rafael jerked his thumb over his shoulder at Sylvar. ¡°Sylvar has less hit points than Quetzal.¡±


    ¡°So!¡±


    ¡°So, he could be an asset. Six characters, one drake, the probability of Quetzal getting hit is low. Hraktar and Ezekiel especially will be there, making sure the drake doesn¡¯t get hurt.¡± He glanced down at Quetzal. ¡°And for god¡¯s sake, Alejandra, let that poor creature breathe.¡±


    Alejandra glanced down, as though realizing how much she was squeezing him. Alejandra shot Rafael another glare, but loosened her grip on Quetzal. The drake responded by leaping out of Alejandra¡¯s arms onto the couch, stretching.


    Her hands balled into fists at her side. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to comfort me, maybe don¡¯t remind me that Quetzal has the second lowest hit points of everyone.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t see him fighting last month. Quetzal is incredible, and we¡¯d be stupid not to bring him,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Unless Akshi is there! If he does another one of those lightning spells that hits everyone, Quetzal is dead! He¡¯s not old enough!¡±


    Grizzizzik walked down the hall, hearing the last of the conversation. ¡°Does the baby steal any of our experience points?¡±


    Alejandra and Rafael both turned toward him. ¡°What?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°When we kill the creatures, the experience points are divided up among us all. Does the baby take any, too?¡±


    Rafael blinked. How did Grizzizzik know all this?


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think so. Quetzal just gets stronger with age,¡± Alejandra said.


    Grizzizzik shrugged. ¡°Then I don¡¯t actually care if he comes or not.¡± The rogue went to pat Quetzal on the head. The drake snapped his jaws toward Grizzizzik¡¯s fingers, growling in warning. Grizzizzik lifted his hand away, rolling his eyes. ¡°We¡¯re already losing enough experience points sharing with the prince.¡±


    Clarissa shot him a glare. ¡°Sylvar needs to get stronger. It¡¯s the only way he¡¯ll survive.¡±


    ¡°And I understand that, but it¡¯s still obnoxious,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Clarissa¡¯s eyes darkened.


    A knock at the door stopped their fight. Rafael pushed off the counter and walked toward the door, opening it. Tyler stood there, smiling once he saw Rafael.


    ¡°Hey, man, how¡¯s it going?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Good, good. Come on in.¡±


    Tyler didn¡¯t get far before Alejandra pushed past him, holding Quetzal again. She glared at Rafael as she approached. ¡°We are going to Cal¡¯s and dropping Quetzal off there before we go fight creatures. I¡¯m sick of explaining myself, and I¡¯m not changing my mind. See you in the car.¡± She pushed past Rafael, making a point of hitting her shoulder against his arm, causing him to move a bit. Tyler watched the exchange with a raised eyebrow.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Everything okay?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s angry at a lot of things lately,¡± Rafael said.


    Tyler let out a breath. ¡°Alright, well¡­ this should be interesting.¡±


    Rafael pulled the keys out of his pocket. ¡°Hraktar, Grizzizzik, and Ezekiel, with me. Prince Sylvar, Princess Clarissa, and Milo with Tyler. We¡¯ll meet back up again at Calawit¡¯s. Oh, unless the princess and Ezekiel want to ride together. Then Milo can ride with me. Your choice.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with Hraktar and Grizzizzik,¡± Milo said.


    Tyler patted Rafael on the back before the characters filed out of the house and into the cars.


    The drive to Cal¡¯s was silent, everyone feeling Alejandra¡¯s anger. Rafael was a little afraid to breach the silence because he was certain Alejandra would snap at him again. For a while now, Alejandra had been angry at the world. Rafael wasn¡¯t sure what to do. He wanted to help, but he didn¡¯t know how.


    Alejandra wanted to protect. Protect Quetzal, protect Rafael. But she didn¡¯t need to, and that made her angry.


    They pulled up to Calawit¡¯s tent, and Alejandra threw open the door before Rafael even got it in park. She marched up the worn path to the tent as Rafael turned off the car.


    Tyler pulled up beside him and parked. The characters spilled out of both cars, heading toward Calawit¡¯s. It was cooler, and it was good to see Sylvar not stumbling so much as he walked.


    Tyler fell in step with Rafael. ¡°How was the drive?¡±


    ¡°Silent.¡±


    Tyler rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying not to think it¡¯ll take a miracle for her to stop being angry, but¡­ definitely a nat eighteen at the highest,¡± Rafael said.


    Tyler snorted as they approached the tent. ¡°This won¡¯t be the only conversation we have with her, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a game plan?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Figure out the root of her anger,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s just Nick.¡±


    Tyler paused, then glanced at him. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. For whatever reason, she won¡¯t forgive him for punching me,¡± Rafael said. ¡°Whatever else she¡¯s angry about has to stem from that.¡±


    They waited by the tent opening as Tyler rubbed his chin. ¡°Alright, well, anger has the tendency to spread, so we¡¯ve got to make sure she¡¯s not angry at Evelyn, either.¡±


    ¡°I doubt Alejandra would blame Evelyn for what happened,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so either, but anger is rarely logical.¡±


    ¡°Above everything, we¡¯ve got to make sure she understands Akshi might convince her to hand Nick over to be tortured,¡± Rafael said. ¡°And we¡¯ve got to do it in a way that she doesn¡¯t search Akshi out and hand Nick over on the spot.¡±


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t seek him out, would she?¡±


    Rafael shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re the one that says anger isn¡¯t logical. She yelled at Hraktar tonight.¡±


    Tyler lifted an eyebrow. ¡°Well, shit. Yeah, we¡¯ll have to take this slow and careful.¡±


    Rafael nodded, then opened the tent door to see Alejandra glaring right at him. Rafael¡¯s face fell, and Tyler hissed. Alejandra could be downright terrifying when she was furious, and Rafael dropped the tent door without thinking.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Alejandra to snap them open again and walk out. ¡°You¡¯re seriously trying to convince me out of my anger?¡±


    Rafael stumbled back, too terrified to speak.


    ¡°Akshi¡¯s out there,¡± Tyler said, coming to the rescue. ¡°He¡¯s an incredibly skilled manipulator, and it wouldn¡¯t take much to¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that angry,¡± Alejandra snapped.


    Tyler and Rafael didn¡¯t say a word. They didn¡¯t need to. Alejandra¡¯s already glaring face darkened dangerously. ¡°What, you think I¡¯m a pathetic little girl who can¡¯t keep her emotions in check?¡± Alejandra¡¯s gaze shot toward Tyler.


    He instantly raised his hands in surrender. ¡°I never said that.¡±


    ¡°I know how dangerous Akshi is. He terrifies me. I won¡¯t hand Nick over!¡± She screamed this, making it difficult to believe her words. ¡°You want to know the root of my anger! Fine! I¡¯m sick and tired of people being more concerned about the feelings of that violent ex-criminal! Sick that I have to be the one to calm my anger when no one even cares about how I felt about all this!¡± Alejandra glared at Rafael again, and he was frozen at the spot. ¡°So keep telling me to stuff my anger under a rock, Rafael. Keep telling the image in my mind to stop playing over and over of you screaming in pain while he tried to crush your ribs! Let me remind you that dad¡¯s across the country while we¡¯re protected with a restraining order, but people like Nick cozy up to being your best friend again!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t deserve what dad did to me,¡± Rafael said, feeling defensive. ¡°And neither did you.¡±


    Tears were streaming down her cheeks. ¡°And you deserved everything Nick gave you?¡±


    A lump formed in Rafael¡¯s throat, and he couldn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Tyler and Derek had to stop Nick from crushing your ribs in.¡± She pointed behind her. ¡°Even Grizzizzik, Akshi¡¯s offspring, the person who wants to take over the crime empire of Osvoroth, knew when to stop punching Nick during their fight.¡±


    Rafael opened his mouth to say something, but he wasn¡¯t sure what to say. He glanced at Tyler, who still had his palms up in surrender and looking like he wanted to be anywhere else but here. Alejandra kept glaring at Rafael, daring him to say anything. The silence was almost as damning as saying something.


    ¡°Just¡­¡± Rafael wanted her assurance that she wouldn¡¯t hand Nick over, but that was the wrong thing to say, so he stopped. She already screamed at him how they talked too much about Nick.


    Alejandra shook her head, pushing past Rafael. ¡°I¡¯ll wait in the car.¡± She spat the words out like they were dirt in her mouth. Rafael said nothing as she walked away. Tyler flinched when the car door slammed shut.


    ¡°Akshi will take three minutes tops to convince her to hand Nick over,¡± Tyler muttered.


    ¡°I mean¡­. Perhaps a little longer.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t say that to demean your sister¡¯s emotions. I¡¯m simply stating, with what I understand of the crime lord of Osvoroth, that there¡¯s a lot he can do with how Alejandra feels right now.¡±


    Rafael sighed, his shoulders slumped. ¡°I¡¯m going to wait out here to make sure she¡¯s safe. You go check with Calawit about where we should go.¡±


    Tyler nodded and slipped into the tent. Rafael was reminded again of how small the tent looked on the outside. He kept watching the car, but it was too far away for him to see Alejandra inside. It might be better, because he was pretty sure she would be glaring at him.


    It made him uncomfortable. He didn¡¯t want to agree with Alejandra. Part of him still didn¡¯t. He did a horrible thing to Evelyn, and Nick retaliated. It was as he told Nick. Rafael would absolutely do the same thing if the roles were reversed. Nick knew that. It was why he felt like they could start rebuilding their friendship again. They found common ground.


    It was a bit before the characters trickled out of the tent again. Tyler walked out with Sylvar, looking dejected.


    ¡°A lot of the creatures are by the bubble wall. We don¡¯t want to get sucked to the outside again, but it¡¯s too overwhelming, especially for a level two druid like Sylvar,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°So¡­ what do we do?¡± Rafael asked, walking with Tyler toward the cars.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a risk,¡± Sylvar said. He used his staff as a walking stick. ¡°Every day we choose what risks to take.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, we also have to measure the amount of stupidity said risk might be,¡± Tyler said. ¡°We need you alive and stronger. Level six monsters are here, and we don¡¯t want to risk you getting pushed outside the bubble.¡±


    They were at the cars by this point, and Alejandra opened the door, leaning out. ¡°There are gargoyles on Elmwood High!¡±


    Tyler glanced at her, frowning. ¡°Gargoyles?¡±


    ¡°Still as statutes, and I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re monsters, because I don¡¯t remember gargoyles being there before,¡± Alejandra said.


    Tyler pulled out his phone, checking the list. ¡°Yep, three gargoyles were in Torraq¡¯s lair. They¡¯re low level enough that Sylvar can manage.¡±


    Rafael shrugged. ¡°If they¡¯re on the list, we¡¯ve got to kill ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Tyler slid his phone back in his pocket before pulling out his car keys. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ go back to high school.¡±

 Chapter 179

    The game was brutal. Derek figured they might lose, but it was embarrassing how much Elmwood High got squashed tonight.


    Derek sighed as he gathered his stuff. Last game of the season, last game of his senior year. He tried not to think of it as some ominous sign with a looming apocalypse on the horizon. Either way, that loss hurt.


    Derek kept checking his phone, but so far, nothing came in the group text. They were hunting for gargoyles. If he timed it right, he¡¯d probably get to Elmwood in another hour and help them.


    Who was he kidding? The battle would already be over by the time he got there. He didn¡¯t like this change of other people fighting battles without him there. Hated it on Sunday when he went on his date with Emma, hated it now. He had Saturday to look forward to, though. He was coming to terms with not being there all the time, but it was hard.


    ¡°Dude, that hurt,¡± Jeff said.


    ¡°Honestly, some of those football players needed to be humbled,¡± Bailey said.


    ¡°Harsh lesson, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Eric said.


    ¡°Derek!¡±


    He turned on instinct, mostly because the person saying his name was female. His eyes widened ever so slightly when he saw Annie, of all people, running toward him.


    Be calm. She¡¯s human.


    He waved. ¡°Hey, Annie!¡±


    Despite the game ending twenty minutes ago, she was already dressed in some sweatpants and a t-shirt. She ran up to him, smiling.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there Monday morning to ask you more questions about mana and what not, but I was wondering. Do you have a date for the winter ball next month?¡±


    Be still, my heart.


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Great. I just¡­¡± A flickering smile appeared on her face. ¡°It¡¯s my senior year, and I want to go to all the dances, but it¡¯s difficult when your boyfriend breaks up with you over the summer.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that makes things difficult. I¡¯ve recently broken up with a girlfriend.¡± Derek stuck out his thumb and pinky finger, bouncing between him and Annie. ¡°Shall we take on the winter ball as dates, then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to. As friends? Are you okay with friends?¡± Annie asked.


    ¡°It would be an absolute honor to be your friend.¡±


    Her face lit up with a smile. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll plan more details on Monday when we talk more about Eldritch Knight. See you later, Derek.¡±


    Derek smiled and waved, watching Annie running toward the cheerleader bus before slowly turning around, seeing Eric, Baily, and Jeff there.


    ¡°Duuuude,¡± Eric and Jeff both said.


    Baily rolled her eyes.


    Derek was walking on air. ¡°I knew senior year was going to be great.¡±


    ¡°Just as friends,¡± Baily said.


    ¡°Yep. Because she¡¯s human.¡± Derek knew that would confuse everyone, but Derek didn¡¯t care. It would be fun getting to know a cheerleader.


    ***


    Alejandra had her arms folded as they drove to the darkened high school. She was worried about cameras and other things. There were a fair amount of cars parked in the parking lot, since a lot of the football players and cheerleaders would come back on buses.


    ¡°There.¡± It was the first thing Alejandra said since suggesting the gargoyles. She¡¯d been pretty angry at Rafael, and part of her felt bad about screaming at him. But she also didn¡¯t feel like she¡¯d lied. She could put their argument on hold while they battled, though. Sylvar needed to level up.


    Rafael pulled into the parking lot and Alejandra kept her eye on the gargoyles, holding as still as statues. Alejandra got out as Tyler pulled his car next to them. Alejandra pointed.


    ¡°Do you see them?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Rafael stared. ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re there, but¡­ they¡¯re not moving.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they will until a battle is instigated,¡± Alejandra said.


    Tyler walked over to them, the six characters behind them. ¡°Yeah, Elmwood High did not have gargoyles when I was attending. Their defense mechanism is to stay as still as possible.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Milo was whittling his cannon. ¡°Give me a second and I can shoot it.¡±


    Alejandra glanced at him, then folded her arms, letting the silence descend over them. It was an uncomfortable silence. One she felt obligated to acknowledge, but also didn¡¯t want to.


    Milo lifted the cannon, aiming at a gargoyle. An explosion of white energy burst out of his cannon, sailing high over the roof of the high school and missing the gargoyles completely. Everyone glanced at Milo, who watched the mana energy until it disappeared into the night sky before meeting everyone¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°I mean¡­ try. I¡¯d try to shoot it.¡±


    Grizzizzik rolled his eyes and opened his mouth, but a rumbling cut his snarky remark off. Alejandra frowned. There were streetlamps around the school, and a few in the parking lot. They tried to see what the rumbling was about, but she had a bad feeling it was something under them.


    The enormous pile of dirt Alejandra assumed was a construction project moved. It was on the other side of the parking lot, but the mound stood up. Alejandra¡¯s jaw dropped. Huge legs formed from the mound, with broad shoulders that almost made it look like a mini mountain. A face formed in the dirt, with coals appearing for eyes. Alejandra was transfixed when she felt a hand on her arm. She turned and saw Tyler, who also grabbed Rafael, and pulled them behind the characters. Concern was written on his face as he stared up at the mound of earth.


    ¡°Does Hraktar have a magical weapon?¡± Tyler asked. Alejandra searched through her list, then shook her head. ¡°Shit.¡±


    Alejandra felt sick to her stomach. They were there in Calawit¡¯s tent. They could have exchanged something. But she was too busy being angry to think of it.


    Roll for initiative.


    Alejandra winced, taking the d20 hanging in the air. She hated going up against creatures that needed a magical weapon to fight. Hraktar didn¡¯t have a magical bone in his body.


    Eight. Not fantastic. But she didn¡¯t know what Hraktar would do this fight. They needed to consider what they should do with Hraktar¡¯s great sword.


    Ezekiel started chanting, which is what made her realize time had resumed. Tyler again grabbed them and pulled them even farther from the battle.


    ¡°Tyler?¡±


    ¡°Humor me, please.¡± Tyler kept his eyes on the huge mound of dirt.


    A streak of light lit up the sky before slamming into a gargoyle. The blast of radiant light hit a gargoyle and a chunk of its body fell off. Ezekiel did incredible damage in one go, and Alejandra tried to take heart in that.


    Sylvar moved forward, chanting something toward the humanoid earth mound, holding his staff. It was the druid and the mound, which Alejandra thought was incredibly stupid. That earth elemental had to be at least level four, and Sylvar was level two. There was no glow to his staff, but dark clouds gathered all the same. Electricity filled the air, and Alejandra felt her hair rise.


    Lightning slammed down on the earth elemental, a small chunk of his shoulder falling away as he was pushed back. Sylvar backed away, gasping for air. Clarissa placed a hand on his shoulder, making sure he was behind her.


    The earth elemental moved forward. It didn¡¯t walk, more like the legs feeding into the earth glided forward on the concrete sidewalk. It lifted two large hands shaped like clubs. Alejandra¡¯s stomach dropped. One arm slammed down on Grizzizzik, smacking his chest as he shouted in pain. His hit points dropped to fifteen. The other arm came down hard on Milo, who let out a scream as he hit the ground. His hit points dropped to twenty-five, which wasn¡¯t nearly as bad, but the mana fusor panted with pain. He still lifted his cannon, a ball of white energy slamming into the earth elemental¡¯s chest, throwing it back another five feet as more dirt shook off its shoulders.


    Milo didn¡¯t have long to celebrate his victory, though. A gargoyle landed in front of him, clawing at his arm. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t much, four points of damage total, but Milo still looked annoyed. A dim light outlined the gargoyle, and Alejandra realized it was the same gargoyle Ezekiel hit.


    Grizzizzik started muttering something. Alejandra felt the hairs on her neck stand on end. There was something off about Grizzizzik¡¯s muttering, and slivers of black fog appeared around him. That had never happened before. Did Grizzizzik learn a new spell?


    A black sliver of fog slammed into the earth elemental, who grunted. Its coal eyes blinked, trying to orient itself. Grizzizzik had done that spell before. It was just different this time.


    A gargoyle appeared in front of Clarissa, its stone fangs digging into her arm. She let out a gasp, then screamed as the claws dug into her stomach.


    ¡°Clarissa!¡± Sylvar said.


    ¡°Stay back, Sylvar,¡± Clarissa said, panting. ¡°You¡¯re not strong enough.¡±


    Alejandra felt helpless as time stood still and all her options came before her. All her options, meaning nothing. None of Hraktar¡¯s weapons were magical. She felt useless.


    Make an investigation check.


    Hraktar had chosen for her. He would use his tactical mind to figure out the battlefield.


    She rolled the d20 plus the d8 for the bonus. Sixteen total. Not bad.


    As though she was getting the information placed in her mind, she knew what Hraktar wanted to do. Hraktar had forty-seven hit points. If anything, he needed to place himself in front of Sylvar to protect him. Sylvar could actually do something, and Hraktar could protect him while he did it. There was another gargoyle studying the battle, ready to attack, and since Sylvar made himself a target by hitting the earth elemental, it would go for him.


    Time resumed, and Hraktar moved over to Sylvar, standing near him, ready to protect the druid prince from that final gargoyle. Alejandra hated that this was it, but at least it was something.


    The final gargoyle headed for Sylvar, but Hraktar made himself the bigger target. The fighter braced himself, and both the claws and the bite came down hard. Hraktar grunted, using the momentum of the fight to turn the gargoyle away from Sylvar as his hit points dropped to thirty-four. It was a lot better than having Sylvar getting hit.


    Tyler closed his eyes, nodding. ¡°Thanks, Alejandra.¡±


    She nodded in return as the gargoyle let go, snarling at Hraktar. The fighter snarled back to make the creature fixed on him instead of the druid prince.


    Clarissa pulled a leaf out of her pouch, whispering something in elvish as it extended, becoming sharper. She slammed the blade into the gargoyle who attacked her, and it shrieked as its shoulders blackened with the flame.


    A bear roared, and Alejandra relaxed as nine extra hit points appeared. No doubt it would help Sylvar immensely.


    Ezekiel muttered a spell, closing his eyes as a light appeared, forming into a shape of a book before he shot it toward the gargoyle attacking Clarissa. It shrieked, more stones tumbling away.


    Tyler¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°Ah, shit.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°This is¡­ probably going to scare him,¡± Tyler said, glancing at Sylvar.

 Chapter 180

    The druid prince was panting, and Alejandra saw dark green lights bounce around him. Sylvar backed away, frowning as he tried to contain his fear. Alejandra squinted, realizing they weren¡¯t lights at all. They were glowing spores. Sylvar, as an elf, tried to control his fear, but he stumbled away, eyes widening. The spores continued to glow, then disappeared, the light entering Sylvar¡¯s longsword. The druid prince unsheathed it, before his eyes shot to the gargoyle near Hraktar. Alejandra¡¯s eyes widened as she saw another +8 hit points join his +9, and regular 12 hit points. With all that together, Sylvar had twenty-nine hit points.


    With a shout, Sylvar brought down his longsword against the gargoyle. Despite the shout, the gargoyle didn¡¯t look too hurt. The creature at first didn¡¯t react, but then when Sylvar brought the sword back, part of the gargoyle¡¯s shoulder eroded away with age. The gargoyle snarled at Sylvar, and the druid prince gasped in surprise.


    The earth elemental focused on Grizzizzik, bringing its two arms down. Grizzizzik dodged the first one, but the second one broke across his head. The extra hit points Clarissa gave him blipped out of existence, and his hit points tumbled before stabilizing to ten. Grizzizzik spat out dirt from his mouth. He had a cut across his forehead, clotted with dirt.


    Milo tapped his wrench against his crossbow before pointing it at the gargoyle. It looked like the bolt would hit, but the gargoyle leapt out of the way at the last minute. It retaliated by biting his arm and shoulder. Milo grunted as Clarissa¡¯s extra hit points dropped to one, but he at least still had twenty-four hit points.


    Grizzizzik mumbled something, again that black fog collecting to his hands. Grizzizzik then unleashed it against the earth elemental. The creature grunted as it hit, then it looked around, confused and scared.


    One gargoyle slammed its claws into Clarissa, then tried to bite her. She shrieked, leaping out of the way, but there were claw marks gathering blood and running down her arm. Alejandra again didn¡¯t know what to do. She simply had Hraktar snarl at the creature again to draw its attention. Sylvar was no longer dangerously low, but Hraktar still felt a duty to protect him. The gargoyle tried to bite Hraktar, but it clanged off the chain mail, as did the claws.


    A shriek brought Alejandra¡¯s attention to the gargoyle in front of Clarissa, who slammed her flame blade again into its stomach, causing the blackened stone to give way. It was pretty battered.


    ¡°Go help Grizzizzik, my love. I¡¯m fine,¡± Clarissa said.


    Ezekiel nodded, then made his way toward the rogue. The spiritual book slammed against the earth mound, and it shrieked in surprise as dirt fell off it. It was still an imposing creature, though. A burst of radiant light hit against the creature, brushing off more dirt.


    Sylvar lifted his longsword, but he glanced around at the invisible spores around him and his sword point dropped. His eyes widened and Alejandra had the distinct impression he was having a moment of panic.


    The earth elemental grunted again, backing away as more dirt fell off. Milo pointed his cannon and his magical crossbow toward the gargoyle. A bolt of white energy smacked into the gargoyle, as well as an electric bolt jolting through its shoulder. The gargoyle shrieked in pain, its body crumbling. It was still standing, but did not look good. The creature shrieked before attacking Milo and adding to his cuts and bruises. The mana fusor grunted, his hit points stabilizing at four.


    Another bolt of black energy hit the earth elemental. It stumbled, bracing itself as it snarled at Grizzizzik, who was concentrating, his eyes never leaving the creature. Clarissa gave a shriek as her extra hit points disappeared. She still had nineteen hit points. Alejandra didn¡¯t have time to think about it. The gargoyle tried to bite Hraktar, and when that didn¡¯t happen, it clawed the fighter¡¯s face. Hraktar grunted with only one extra hit point left. It didn¡¯t matter. Hraktar was nothing more than someone to take the damage, so Sylvar wouldn¡¯t have to.


    Clarissa tried to slam her flame blade into the gargoyle, but it leapt aside, taking flight.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Tyler muttered.


    Ezekiel clutched his medallion, whispering. Grizzizzik glowed, the dirt from his wounds dropping off as it stitched together. Grizzizzik went back up to sixteen hit points, which felt a lot better than four. Ezekiel¡¯s eyes snapped open, and he pushed a hand forward. Radiant light slammed into the earth elemental. The creature roared, sounding like boulders falling down a mountain.


    Sylvar was panting as the green spore lights again appeared around him. Sylvar stared at them, confused, before he reached out and touched one. He hissed as he touched it, his knees buckling. Tyler almost moved toward him, but Rafael grabbed his shoulder.


    ¡°If we have to stay from the fight, so do you,¡± Rafael said.


    Tyler¡¯s shoulders slumped as Sylvar lost three hit points. The earth elemental shivered, chunks of earth falling off his shoulders as it bellowed, grabbing his head.


    Milo again shot white energy into the creature. The gargoyle bellowed before collapsing into a pile of rocks. Milo let out a breath of relief before turning toward the earth elemental and lifted his crossbow, aiming it at the creature and blasting it with an electric bolt. The earth elemental shrieked, mounds of dirt falling off it as it stumbled. It panted, turning its coal eyes on Milo. The mana fusor, to his credit, stared back at the creature.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    There was movement as Clarissa¡¯s gargoyle missed hitting her, when Alejandra¡¯s attention was again pulled into the time freeze. She kept Hraktar between Sylvar and the gargoyle, who did not look nearly as damaged as everyone else¡¯s. Alejandra tried not to worry about it. The gargoyle snapped at Hraktar, but the fighter just growled back.


    Things were happening fast. Ezekiel¡¯s book smacked the earth elemental again. It shrieked as half of its face fell away. That earth elemental was getting pummeled.


    Sylvar shouted, raising his longsword over his head before the gargoyle leapt out of the way, sneering at Sylvar as the sword missed him completely. The druid prince panted, looking nauseous.


    Milo ran between Ezekiel and Grizzizzik, holding up the crossbow and the cannon.


    ¡°Eat cannon!¡±


    The white ball of energy flew wild, smacking into the pavement, and the crossbow bolt went wild into the dark, missing the earth elemental entirely. Ezekiel and Grizzizzik both glanced at Milo, who sighed.


    ¡°I guess¡­ the pavement will eat cannon.¡±


    The gargoyle hovered in the air near Clarissa. She grimaced as the claws sliced her cheek and hitting her pointed ear; her hit points dropping to sixteen. The gargoyle moved away from Hraktar and swiped its claws against Sylvar. The druid prince grunted as the claw marks caught his forearms. Sylvar, despite being weak, was not in danger even now. But to Hraktar, he felt like a failure.


    Clarissa shouted as she slammed her flame blade into the gargoyle. It shrieked again, the smell of hot stone filling the air.


    Ezekiel hit the earth elemental again with his book and radiant damage, and the creature took them both, shrieking in pain. The creature looked like it was on its last leg, which was great, because Hraktar and Sylvar needed help.


    Sylvar again raised the longsword above his head before bringing it down, missing completely. The gargoyle cackled.


    Mounds of dirt fell off the earth elemental while it bellowed at them. It wasn¡¯t nearly as imposing as before. The coal eyes met Milo again and it brought down one of its enormous fists against the ground before punching Milo with the other one, slamming everything it could into it. Milo¡¯s shouts were muffled as earth filled his mouth. He started coughing, cuts appearing across his body like he¡¯d fallen down the length of a mountain, his hit points dropping to nine.


    Milo cleared his throat before pointing the crossbow at the mound of earth. ¡°Eat¡­ lightning.¡± The bolt slammed into the earth elemental, and it shrieked before everything that made it humanoid fell into a pile of dirt. Milo coughed again before turning around and facing Clarissa¡¯s hovering gargoyle in the air. A blast of white energy slammed into its chest, and it dropped to the ground, shrieking and somehow still standing. Milo coughed again, leaning over to spit some dirt from his mouth.


    Hraktar moved Sylvar away, standing between the druid prince and the gargoyle to make him the bigger target. It cackled again before trying to attack Hraktar. The fighter dodged each attack, snarling at the creature.


    Clarissa raised her flame blade, but again missed the creature. Ezekiel turned and threw his book at it, which made it collapse into dust.


    That just left the gargoyle Hraktar and Sylvar had. The radiant fire sailed past the gargoyle as it spun. The creature no doubt realized there were no more of its buddies around.


    Sylvar again raised his longsword and brought it down, missing the gargoyle completely. Milo ran forward, trying to hit it with his cannon and crossbow, but both missed. Grizzizzik muttered an incantation, and the gargoyle¡¯s eyes widened as he jerked around, terrified and confused.


    Hraktar grabbed Sylvar and moved him away from the group. ¡°Stay away, Prince. They¡¯re more than capable of handling this.¡±


    Sylvar said nothing, though he seemed pained at Hraktar¡¯s words. The gargoyle shrieked, clasping its hands over its ears, shuddering.


    Clarissa ran forward with her flame blade, slamming it into the creature¡¯s side. It shrieked in pain as its side blackened.


    Sylvar¡¯s breathing turned uneasy before he closed his eyes. Once again, the little green spores popped into existence, and the gargoyle spun, watching them. Sylvar, eyes still closed, moved them with a snap of his wrist, and the spores threw themselves into the gargoyle. The creature shrieked.


    Milo shot his cannon and crossbow, both smacking into the gargoyle as it writhed in pain before collapsing in a mound of dirt and rock. The only sound for a few moments was everyone¡¯s exhausted breathing. Then there was a clatter on the ground as Sylvar dropped his longsword and backed away before collapsing to his knees.


    ¡°Sylvar?¡± Clarissa asked, running over to him.


    Sylvar opened his hands, staring at them wide eyed. ¡°What¡­ am I?¡±


    Tyler rushed over, approaching Sylvar¡¯s side.


    ¡°My brother. You always will be,¡± Clarissa said.


    ¡°I¡­ am weak.¡±


    Grizzizzik quietly stepped away before sifting through the mounds of dirt. Grizzizzik had never been the touchy-feely kind of guy. Alejandra fought back the desire to roll her eyes.


    ¡°The ritual weakened you and changed some aspects about your powers,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Sylvar opened his eyes, then raised his hand. Alejandra gasped as a skeletal hand appeared out of the ground, and tears pricked his eyes. ¡°How can I do this? I¡¯ve never had this ability before.¡±


    Tyler glanced at the hand. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ chill touch. A cantrip you get as part of your circle. Circle of spores.¡±


    ¡°Spores.¡± Green spores blinked into existence around Sylvar again. ¡°Destruction. Decay.¡± His purple eyes flickered over to the skeletal hand. ¡°Death.¡±


    Tyler let out an uneasy breath. ¡°It¡¯s necromancy. Necromancy doesn¡¯t mean evil.¡±


    Sylvar said nothing, again staring at his hands. ¡°I am weaker. My longsword. I¡­ can¡¯t lift it like I could.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the dice¡¯s fault. I rolled terribly for that one,¡± Tyler muttered. ¡°Your strength modifier isn¡¯t the best, either. We could¡­ get a different weapon for you. Finesse or a simple weapon that calculates your dexterity instead of your strength.¡±


    Sylvar stared at Tyler. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Tyler gave a slow nod. ¡°Fair enough. Come on, we¡¯ll have Cal help out.¡±


    Five hundred and twenty-five experience points tumbled into Hraktar¡¯s experience bar. Alejandra¡¯s shoulders relaxed as a notification started blinking that Hraktar reached level five.


    Sylvar waved away the skeletal hand, then grabbed his staff. They got to their feet, quietly returning to their cars. Tyler watched as Sylvar slid into the back of the car before meeting Rafael and Alejandra¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you back at Calawit¡¯s.¡±

 Chapter 181

    Rafael walked through the tent, glancing around. The smells were as odd as usual, for once Rafael smelled Christmas cookies before they shuffled to banana bread.


    ¡°Did it go well enough?¡± Calawit asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re still alive, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking,¡± Milo said.


    Calawit sat down on the top shelf. ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±


    ¡°We have¡­ so many questions from the encounter we just had,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°You think I have answers for all of them?¡± Calawit asked.


    Tyler shrugged. ¡°You have a crazy amount of knowledge of the arcane. You¡¯re rather OP in that regard.¡±


    Calawit glared at him. ¡°It¡¯s a curse, more than a blessing. You should know that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well.¡± Tyler cleared his throat. ¡°Hraktar does not have a magical weapon, and he¡¯s been up against creatures immune to regular weapons.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. That poses a problem.¡± Calawit glanced at the fighter, who tried not to touch anything.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯m getting stronger, I need to make sure I can fight,¡± Hraktar said.


    A frown flickered across Grizzizzik¡¯s face. ¡°Stronger. Did you¡­ level up?¡±


    Hraktar met Grizzizzik¡¯s gaze. ¡°Is that what it¡¯s called?¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s gaze sought for Alejandra. Rafael glanced at his sister, who didn¡¯t know what to do with Grizzizzik¡¯s attention. ¡°Um¡­ yeah. Yeah, he¡¯s level five now.¡± Grizzizzik¡¯s anger reverted to Hraktar, who was unfazed by his look.


    Rafael glanced above Hraktar¡¯s head and saw it.


    57/57 HP


    Not bad. If only they could get Hraktar fighting now.


    ¡°Did anyone else level up?¡± Tyler asked, glancing around at everyone¡¯s hit points.


    The mana fusor raised his hand. ¡°Uh, I believe I did.¡±


    Rafael glanced at Milo, and was surprised to see forty-five hit points above his head. That was a fair chunk of hit points, especially for someone who Derek often called squishy.


    Grizzizzik started muttering to himself, and it didn¡¯t sound pleasant. He turned to Alejandra, Rafael, and Tyler. ¡°I wish to speak to Nick. Call him up on these cell phones you have.¡±


    The three of them glanced at each other, and Rafael didn¡¯t know how he felt about Grizzizzik¡¯s tone. Tyler shrugged, pulled out his phone, and started tapping on it.


    Calawit gestured toward Hraktar. ¡°Come on, big guy. Let¡¯s look at your great sword.¡± She moved on top of the bookshelves before jumping onto her desk, cleaning things off. Hraktar unsheathed his sword.


    ¡°Yeah, hey, Grizzizzik wants to talk to you,¡± Tyler said before handing the phone over to the rogue.


    The rogue was glaring as he took Tyler¡¯s phone. ¡°Have I leveled up yet?¡±


    Nick said something on the other end that Rafael couldn¡¯t hear. Alejandra folded her arms, trying not to react, but annoyance broke through her neutral gaze.


    Grizzizzik¡¯s nostrils flared. ¡°Ten points? I¡¯m ten points away?¡±


    Nick said something else as Grizzizzik tightened his grip over the phone. Grizzizzik then handed the phone back to Tyler, his gaze dangerous as he moved away. Rafael didn¡¯t know what to say as Tyler put the phone back to his ear.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me again. Is everything okay?¡± Tyler asked.


    Nick said something. Somewhere close, a bookshelf shivered as Grizzizzik punched it repeatedly.


    Alejandra jumped, and Rafael craned his neck to see the rogue, but couldn¡¯t. Maybe it was better that way.


    ¡°You¡­ sure everything¡¯s alright? Grizzizzik¡¯s throwing a tantrum right now,¡± Tyler whispered.


    Nick said something else as Calawit finished cleaning off her desk. Hraktar placed his great sword on the desk as Calawit fastened something to her glasses.


    ¡°Mmm, excellent sword.¡± She studied it closely. ¡°Well made, crafted beautifully.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Hraktar said.


    ¡°This can hold a magical attunement spell, however¡­¡± Calawit glanced up, searching Hraktar, ¡°you yourself cannot use mana.¡±


    ¡°No, ma¡¯am.¡±


    She grunted, then returned her gaze to the sword, tapping it with a finger. It glowed, then disappeared as soon as Calawit stopped chanting.


    ¡°Lucky for you, this is a simple thing to remedy.¡± Calawit took off her glasses. ¡°Unfortunately for you, it will cost money.¡±


    Hraktar winced. ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°Depends on how strong you want the sword.¡±


    ¡°How much is¡­ the cheapest option?¡± Hraktar asked.


    ¡°A gemstone worth five hundred gold, on top of the cost of casting the spell, which is around ten silver pieces.¡±


    Silence descended after her words.


    ¡°So¡­ five hundred gold and ten silver pieces?¡± Ezekiel asked. He then glanced at Grizzizzik. Everyone¡¯s gaze followed. Grizzizzik found a section of the tent to brood in. He glanced over when the silence was too much.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°What?¡± Grizzizzik¡¯s voice was as dark as the shadows he was brooding in.


    ¡°Do you¡­ have five hundred gold and ten silver pieces?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Grizzizzik almost spat. ¡°Even if I did, what makes you think I¡¯d give it up out of the goodness of my heart?¡±


    ¡°You did for Milo,¡± Clarissa said.


    ¡°I deny it,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Hraktar sighed. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯d rather not be in debt to a snake.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s yellow eyes flashed dangerously.


    ¡°Wait, we just defeated an earth elemental,¡± Milo said, straightening. ¡°They collect gemstones in their bodies.¡±


    Calawit crinkled her nose. ¡°Raw, uncut gemstones, yes. But if you find a valuable gemstone worth over five hundred gold pieces, I could cut it for you for a few more silver.¡±


    Milo clapped a hand. ¡°See! There¡¯s a way! Each gargoyle should have a lesser gemstone for a heart, too, so we can gather those up and split them evenly.¡± Milo was partway through the store.


    ¡°They did, yes. Turquoise,¡± Grizzizzik said, running his pinky finger over his thumb.


    The silence descended again, but this one felt one wrong look away from a brawl. Milo froze on his way out the door, then stared at Grizzizzik, who did not return his gaze.


    Milo narrowed his eyes. ¡°How many gems do you have?¡±


    ¡°I deny it.¡±


    ¡°You know the rules. Equal splitting of the earnings,¡± Milo said.


    ¡°Your right.¡± Grizzizzik gave a mocking smile. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go back to where we fought them and find those gemstones?¡±


    Milo¡¯s fists flexed, his glare deepening. ¡°I¡¯ve been studying some new spells on the way to Cal¡¯s. Do you want to see them?¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes narrowed, then shot a glance at the door before looking back at Milo.


    Ezekiel placed a hand on Milo and Grizzizzik¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Hey, everyone. We had a crazy battle today, didn¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Deities above, Ezekiel, if you try any more of your cleric bullshit, I¡¯ll strangle you,¡± Grizzizzik growled.


    Milo¡¯s wrench was out and glowing orange. ¡°I would love to see you try.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not exactly the favorite in the group, Grizzly Bear,¡± Clarissa said, appearing by Ezekiel¡¯s side.


    Despite creating him, Rafael watched in awe as Ezekiel used his superpower: not letting Grizzizzik get under his skin.


    ¡°Hraktar needs a magical weapon, Grizzizzik,¡± Ezekiel said. ¡°You know this. You saw this tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I also noticed Hraktar did nothing, so he doesn¡¯t get a cut of the share.¡± Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes shifted to the fighter. Hraktar glared at Grizzizzik, though glaring was Hraktar¡¯s default facial expression when looking at the rogue.


    ¡°Hey, yeah,¡± Tyler half whispered into his phone. ¡°Sorry for calling you again. The others are cornering your character, and I want a direct line to you to see if you roll anything.¡±


    Nick said something to Tyler. Rafael fought the urge to take a huge step back as Ezekiel took a step forward, dropping his hand from Milo and studying Grizzizzik closely.


    Time stood still, and a d20 appeared.


    Make an insight check.


    Rafael rolled it, watching it clatter across the way before landing on a sixteen. Rafael didn¡¯t even realize he had a +5 in insight until it appeared. Twenty-one would be nice.


    Time resumed, and Ezekiel watched Grizzizzik. ¡°Have you ever heard of the tale of the bees, the wasps, and the hornet?¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s face fell. ¡°Dammit, Ezekiel, we don¡¯t have time for one of your stories.¡±


    ¡°A group of bees and a group of wasps came up on a hallow tree covered in honey.¡±


    Grizzizzik groaned, dropping his head. Rafael¡¯s smile flickered as Tyler mentioned Ezekiel was about to tell a story and it might be a while.


    ¡°Both groups were certain it was their honey. So certain they would fight for it. But then they got the hornet, a judge for both groups, to decide.¡±


    Grizzizzik frowned, brows furrowing. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that insects have a system of government where a¡ª¡±


    ¡°If you ask questions, the story will get longer,¡± Milo said, his tone full of warning.


    Grizzizzik pursed his lips and stayed quiet.


    ¡°The hornet, taking his job seriously, listened to both sides, but didn¡¯t have enough information,¡± Ezekiel continued. ¡°Many of the witnesses said that they saw winged insects coming in and out of the trees. Yellow and black stripes. As you could tell, that fits both insects.¡±


    Grizzizzik closed his eyes, looking at though he very much wanted this story to be done.


    ¡°The hornet decided they needed to take a break to gather all the information they could. In six weeks¡¯ time they came back, and right as they were about to start up again with questioning an ant, a bee spoke up and said they should test the abilities. That whoever makes the honeycomb closest to the one in the tree would be the rightful owners of the honey.


    ¡°Now, the wasps hated this, because they didn¡¯t know how to make honey. So they made a bunch of noise, and the hornet decided. The honey in the tree clearly belonged to the bees, because they¡¯re the only ones who could have made it.¡±


    Ezekiel patted Grizzizzik on the shoulder, who was glaring at him. ¡°So, I¡¯m supposed to keep the gems since I can sneak them without you realizing it?¡±


    Ezekiel blinked a few times. ¡°I mean, no. But¡­ now I know you have the gemstones.¡±


    Grizzizzik closed his eyes again, looking like he had a long string of curses waiting the moment his lips cracked open. Milo snorted.


    ¡°What the hell kind of story was that?¡± Grizzizzik asked. ¡°Seriously.¡±


    ¡°Ability is often judged by deeds. Hraktar needs a magical weapon, and it benefits all of us if he can have it.¡±


    ¡°How¡­ how does that relate at all to bees and horne¡ª¡± Grizzizzik raised two hands in defeat. ¡°You know what? I don¡¯t actually care. I will give you every gemstone in my possession if you promise me one thing.¡±


    Ezekiel shrugged. ¡°Okay? What is it?¡±


    ¡°We battle every night for a week. No exceptions. No excuses,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Milo¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°Why are you so obsessed with getting stronger?¡±


    ¡°Because Akshi¡¯s planning something, and we need to be prepared to fight him.¡± Grizzizzik reached behind his back and pulled out a small bag. ¡°We need to be on our toes at all times, and we need to level up. We are the only hope this world has of escaping the apocalypse, and we need to kill as many monsters as we can. Now.¡±


    Calawit pushed up her glasses. ¡°In order to make Hraktar¡¯s sword magical, I¡¯ll need a day to do the ritual. As long as you have the gemstones I need. So¡­ no fighting tomorrow.¡±


    Grizzizzik mumbled something as he pulled the drawstring and dropped the gemstones into his palm. Tyler was whispering into the phone, giving a play-by-play to Nick about what was happening.


    Calawit dropped to the ground, walking over to Grizzizzik. She grabbed his wrist and forced him to his knees to get a better look at the gems. She muttered to herself as she picked one up, looking at it closely with that piece still on her glasses.


    Rafael noticed a fair bit of colorful rocks in Grizzizzik¡¯s palm. He didn¡¯t know his gemstones, but he noticed their color, even if they were dusty. There were a few amber colored ones, a jagged purple one, a pale shimmering one, and then what looked like three turquoises. He knew what that gemstone looked like.


    Calawit adjusted her glasses, picking up some and muttering to herself.


    ¡°Why, yes. These will do nicely. Give them all over, and I¡¯ll pull out my collection of gemstones that Hraktar can choose from.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s fingers twitched, then curled over the gemstones, bringing them closer as he stared at Calawit. ¡°All of them?¡±


    Calawit glanced up at him. ¡°All of them. That moonstone in particular is quite handy. Give them all over, and you won¡¯t even have to pay the extra silver.¡±


    Grizzizzik narrowed his eyes. Calawit placed her other hand on her hip, waiting. Rafael wasn¡¯t sure what to do, but clearly those two were having a conversation with their eyes, and it wasn¡¯t because they loved each other.


    Tyler tentatively walked forward, phone outstretched toward Grizzizzik. ¡°Nick would like a word.¡±


    Grizzizzik didn¡¯t take his eyes off Calawit as he took the phone and placed it against his ear. ¡°What?¡±


    Nick said something short, yet effective. Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes darkened, then flipped his hand over and dropped the gemstones into Calawit¡¯s palm. She smiled.


    ¡°Pleasure doing business with you.¡±


    Grizzizzik said nothing, simply thrust the phone into Tyler¡¯s chest, tossing his dark look toward their game master. ¡°I still expect my end of the bargain to be upheld.¡±


    ¡°Give me a day to make Hraktar¡¯s sword magical, then you may destroy all the monsters you want in the next week,¡± Calawit said.


    Grizzizzik grunted before moving away to find another dark place to brood. Rafael breathed easier once the rogue was out of sight.


    ¡°Come on, big guy,¡± Calawit said, climbing up a shelf before sitting herself down on Hraktar¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let me show you the gemstones I have.¡±

 Chapter 182

    They walked back to her desk. Calawit waved her hand and four gemstones floated above the desk. ¡°I have four gemstones that fit the criteria. These won¡¯t be powerful gemstones, as they are the cheapest you can afford, but they will work to make your weapon magical.¡± She pointed to the light blue stone. ¡°This is an aquamarine. It will grant you marginally better stealth while using it.¡±


    ¡°+1 in stealth,¡± Tyler whispered to Alejandra. ¡°Not a huge leap, but we can¡¯t afford the thousand gold piece gemstones that grant better abilities, let alone the five thousand gold for a diamond.¡±


    Alejandra nodded.


    Calawit pointed to the black sphere. ¡°This is a lesser black pearl. The imperfections make it impossible to protect from even the slightest necromantic powers, but it still will give you a boost from some deity if they feel so inclined.¡±


    ¡°+1 in a religion check,¡± Tyler whispered.


    Ezekiel¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°What kind of deity?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t attract Mavvius¡¯s attention, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re concerned about,¡± Calawit said.


    His brows loosened up. ¡°It is who I was concerned about, thanks.¡±


    Rafael almost asked who that was, but Sylvar answered for him. ¡°God of necromancy.¡±


    Tyler glanced at his character, who did not meet anyone¡¯s gaze.


    Rafael tried not to be too loud, but he hadn¡¯t played this game in ages, and he wasn¡¯t super familiar with the deities. He just wanted to ask Tyler, though, since Sylvar looked like someone told him his grandmother had died. Rafael cleared his throat, leaning close to Tyler. ¡°What¡¯s Mavvius¡¯s story?¡±


    Sylvar¡¯s ears twitched. ¡°Mavvius was a mortal who wished to become a god.¡±


    Damnit, he¡¯s an elf with really great hearing, Rafael thought.


    Sylvar still looked dazed, but kept a grip on his staff. ¡°When the deities judged his actions and deeds of his life, They deemed him too dangerous to become immortal.¡± Sylvar glanced at Rafael. ¡°So, he figured out how to become immortal himself by discovering necromancy. Caused havoc through the historic records of the Shrouded Domain until he was contained.¡±


    Rafael swallowed, then glanced at Tyler, who made no motion to correct him. ¡°But certainly all necromancy isn¡¯t evil.¡± Rafael said this to keep Sylvar¡¯s spirits up.


    ¡°No, but everyone agrees lichdom is.¡± Sylvar glanced at his pale hands tinged with death. The ritual that went wrong. Did Sylvar have a connection with Mavvius now?


    Calawit blinked, then pointed to the next gemstone to change the subject. ¡°This one is a yellow topaz, able to take a little damage from fire.¡±


    ¡°You roll a d4 whenever an enemy deals fire damage,¡± Tyler whispered. ¡°The sword will absorb whatever number on the dice before handing you the rest.¡±


    Alejandra shrugged. ¡°Not too bad.¡±


    ¡°Just a d4?¡± Rafael asked.


    Tyler¡¯s smile was small. ¡°It¡¯s a cheap gemstone.¡±


    ¡°And this is a peridot.¡± Calawit pointed to a light green gemstone. ¡°It¡¯ll make people like you a fraction more.¡±


    Rafael and Alejandra glanced at Tyler, who nodded. ¡°+1 on persuasion checks.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡± Alejandra glanced at her character sheet. ¡°The roll would give me a +0 instead of a -1.¡±


    Tyler chuckled. ¡°Not only do the gemstones give a small ability, but it also makes the sword magical. Hraktar can hit things he couldn¡¯t before.¡±


    Alejandra nodded, watching Hraktar. ¡°Alright, well, looks like Hraktar will pretend he¡¯s making a hard choice when he¡¯s already decided.¡±


    Rafael smiled as Hraktar furrowed his brow, glancing between the four gemstones. The silence was a bit much for the fighter, though, and he pointed to the yellow topaz. ¡°I¡¯ll have that one.¡±


    ¡°Thought so, you tank.¡± Calawit waved her hands again. The other three gemstones disappeared, and the storekeeper caught the falling topaz. ¡°I shall work on your sword tomorrow. Come back Saturday before you fight, and I¡¯ll have it ready for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll be here, because I¡¯ll have to drop off Quetzal again,¡± Alejandra said.


    Calawit turned, glancing at Alejandra, raising an eyebrow. ¡°And how many more times will my babysitting services be needed?¡±


    ¡°Until he grows up,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Grows up? Or reaches his juvenile stage?¡± Calawit asked.


    ¡°Grows up.¡± Alejandra¡¯s eyes grew dangerous. ¡°Because he shouldn¡¯t be fighting in his juvenile stage.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Calawit cocked her head to the side, genuinely confused. ¡°You¡¯re in your juvenile stage, and yet you fight.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t. I don¡¯t fight.¡±


    Calawit placed her hands on her hips, and Rafael felt his heart pounding. Calawit never had an issue telling people straight to their face what she thought. But that was when everyone was playing their characters. Calawit never interacted with Alejandra as herself.


    ¡°He¡¯s already growing stronger. By the end of December, he will reach his juvenile stage, or his teenage stage, if that¡¯s what¡¯s more familiar to you.¡±


    ¡°He isn¡¯t strong enough,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Not strong enough now, certainly. But he will by next month. Look at the poor creature. He¡¯s eager.¡±


    All eyes fell on Quetzal, who took the moment in the spotlight to stand on his hind legs and swipe at the air with his claws. He gave a small roar before swiping again, his claws gleaming in the glowing balls of light. He flashed Alejandra a smile, his teeth quite jagged and losing their cuteness factor.


    Alejandra shot a glare at Calawit, who shrugged. Alejandra shook her head, turned on her heel, and left the tent. Rafael wasn¡¯t sure what to expect. He was almost scared to follow her. Alejandra was closing herself off, and it was dangerous for everyone. And he felt like he¡¯d already blown up a chance to mend things with her.


    ***


    Nick had two goals for this session. One, freak his friends out with existential crisis so they¡¯d all be on their toes. Two, avoid Alejandra.


    Honestly, freaking out his friends would be so much easier.


    As Nick buckled himself in, he watched as Alejandra and Rafael got into Rafael¡¯s car. He wanted to drop the existential bomb with everyone, but maybe it would be better if Alejandra wasn¡¯t glaring at him the whole way to Calawit¡¯s tent. Ezekiel, Sylvar, and Clarissa joined in Rafael¡¯s car so there was more room in the van. Grizzizzik sat in the back, once again refusing to wear his seatbelt. Nick wondered if that rogue would ever wear it. His character enjoyed breaking rules when he wanted to.


    They started driving, heading toward Calawit¡¯s tent. There was silence as Derek focused on the road. Evelyn and Tyler were both on their phone. Evelyn scrolled aimlessly, and Tyler was texting someone. Probably his girlfriend. Milo glanced out the window, looking as though he was still processing Pippa being here and alive. Hraktar was folding his arms next to Grizzizzik, giving him distrustful looks that Grizzizzik ignored. There was no better time than the present.


    ¡°Neal warned us that if anyone died before the year was up, we¡¯d forget about them.¡± With Nick¡¯s words, he felt everyone give him half of their attention, so he continued. ¡°Do you ever wonder if we had a sixth friend in the group that died in the past month or so, and we all just forgot?¡±


    There was silence for three seconds before Tyler dropped his phone in his lap and covered his face. ¡°I will now. Thanks Nick.¡±


    Derek¡¯s eyes grew wider by the second. ¡°Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s brows furrowed, then glanced at Nick. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Nick shrugged. ¡°Just a thought. How powerful do you think it would be? Would we get glimpses of them before forgetting again? Would something feel off? Or would we go about our lives as normal? And with that thought, are there any lesser things that might happen? Phrases things that don¡¯t make sense as our brains force ourselves to live on as normal?¡±


    ¡°God, Nick! Please stop!¡± Derek shouted. Nick didn¡¯t think Derek¡¯s eyes could get any wider, yet they did.


    Tyler groaned, rocking back and forth in his seat. Evelyn stopped scrolling, staring at nothing. Nick glanced behind him and met Grizzizzik¡¯s dangerous glare before facing forward again.


    ¡°It makes you wonder, though, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°No! We¡¯re fine! Everyone survived!¡± Derek said in a panic.


    ¡°There was that time. It was just Akshi¡¯s spell, though. Making us unaware that he¡¯d been talking to Evelyn,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Okay, but¡­ but we¡¯d know, right?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Tyler had his hands in his hair, looking moments away from pulling it out. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Nick smirked. Evelyn was even more confused. ¡°Why are you smiling?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hoping everyone thinks about the phrases they hear from each other with a bit more care, that¡¯s all. I personally think there¡¯s an intriguing mystery here.¡±


    ¡°Are you having dreams of dead friends?¡± Derek asked in a panic.


    ¡°Um, no. Are you?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°I will now!¡± Derek¡¯s voice was in panic mode, a few octaves higher than normal.


    Tyler kept groaning, rocking back and forth. Evelyn shook her head, trying to return to her phone, but her eyes held a far-off gaze.


    Nick felt Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes burning a hole in his neck, but he didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°So, Grizzizzik, are you excited to level up?¡± Nick asked. Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes narrowed, but said nothing. ¡°I mean, I¡¯d be quite surprised if you didn¡¯t. You¡¯ve been obsessed with leveling up lately. It would be super odd if you suddenly didn¡¯t feel this same drive after, oh, I don¡¯t know, level six or something.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s teeth poked out, sharp and deadly. Nick smiled at him. His character was nervous, and more importantly, Grizzizzik realized Nick knew his teeth reacted like this when he was nervous.


    Evelyn glanced between Nick and Grizzizzik. Nick couldn¡¯t be certain Evelyn heard what he said, but the confusion was clear on her face, and he clung to the hope that she heard his cryptic message. ¡°Seriously, Nick. Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all a mystery, isn¡¯t it?¡± Nick struggled to keep a straight face.


    Evelyn kept staring at him, her nose scrunching up. ¡°I am¡­ so confused.¡±


    ¡°Odd, isn¡¯t it?¡± Nick asked.


    Derek pulled over near Calawit¡¯s and Grizzizzik leapt toward the door, purposefully knocking into Nick as he opened it. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    They got out of the car, and Nick kept watching his little sister as she tried to keep his gaze. He would make a breakthrough with her. He knew it. How long it would take, he wasn¡¯t sure, but hopefully before Grizzizzik got the sword. Hopefully soon. He couldn¡¯t keep doing this. Grizzizzik couldn¡¯t keep ruining his reputation.


    Evelyn got out of the car and headed toward the tent. Grizzizzik grabbed Nick¡¯s shoulder and forced him out of the van. ¡°Idiot.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was genius. Look how paranoid Derek is now.¡±


    They glanced at Derek, who stumbled out of the driver¡¯s seat. He shut the door, then leaned his head against the door, staring at nothing. Grizzizzik shook his head, moving away from everyone else. ¡°We¡¯ll fight this group of monsters here, level up, then we¡¯ll have to make sure Chaos accepts the leveling. Tonight. I¡¯m thinking some vandalism.¡±


    ¡°What was that? I couldn¡¯t hear you. Could you speak louder?¡± Nick asked.


    Grizzizzik took a breath to say it again, but froze. His eyes darkened. ¡°Idiot.¡±


    ¡°Not smart, insulting the guy who created you,¡± Nick said.


    Grizzizzik pushed past Nick, heading for the tent. ¡°Just be ready tonight.¡±


    Nick remained where he was, watching his friends heading toward the tent. Rafael pulled up behind Derek¡¯s van. They got out too, and Nick dropped his gaze, waiting for Alejandra to move past him. He didn¡¯t even notice if she was looking at him. Rafael¡¯s heads up about his sister¡¯s anger toward him was appreciated, but he didn¡¯t know what else he could do. His very existence irked her, even as he wanted to make sure she wouldn¡¯t get hurt.


    Because the probability of Akshi targeting her was one hundred percent at this point. She had to know that.

 Chapter 183

    Once Alejandra disappeared inside Calawit¡¯s tent, Nick walked up the path. When he entered the tent, something buzzed above him. He glanced up, curious, until a waterfall of flower petals rained down on him. He held in a gasp as the red petals forced his wrists together, then pinned them to his chest, cocooning his torso. It had been a long month since he¡¯d entered Calawit¡¯s tent. He almost forgot that this was the punishment for knowing thieves cant. Evelyn glanced over, frowning, then shot Calawit a look. She was busy tinkering with something, ignoring Nick as he walked up to join his friends. Milo left to examine the potions, and Ezekiel and Clarissa were talking about something near the book section.


    The conversation took a lighter tone. He could tell because Tyler was leaning against Calawit¡¯s desk, not nearly as stressed, and Derek was talking animatedly with his hands.


    ¡°Dude, seriously?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Yeah! She asked me! I¡¯m still in shock, actually,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Good for you, man. That¡¯s exciting.¡± Tyler then glanced at Nick as though noticing the cocoon of petals before shooting Calawit a look. Calawit pointedly ignored him.


    ¡°What is this winter ball you speak of?¡± Hraktar asked.


    ¡°Huge school dance. There¡¯s a few of them, and this one is in the winter,¡± Derek said.


    Grizzizzik frowned. ¡°This Annie girl. How well do you know her?¡±


    Derek matched his frown. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Did she have any glowing pupils?¡±


    There was a moment of silence, then Derek¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°Oh, come on. Don¡¯t take this from me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a fair question.¡± Grizzizzik glanced at the others. ¡°This seems like unusual behavior for a woman who, as you said, was completely out of your league and something you¡¯d never envisioned would happen to you in a thousand years. Akshi should be back by now, and you broke up with Emma.¡±


    Derek slowly nodded, his face morphed into one of pain. Nick felt obligated to ask the question he was positive everyone had on their minds right then. ¡°You¡­ did break up with her, right?¡±


    Derek gave a non-committed nod. ¡°I mean¡­ yeah.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°It means the two of us are definitely not seeing much of each other anymore.¡±


    Rafael rubbed his head. ¡°Okay, and how likely is it that Pippa moved on from Emma to Annie?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ no, never. Not¡­ come on, Pippa can¡¯t follow every girl I interact with.¡± Derek¡¯s eyes shot to Milo. ¡°Can she?¡±


    Milo said nothing, a far off and terrified look in his eyes.


    Evelyn patted Derek¡¯s arm. ¡°If Annie didn¡¯t have a glow in her eyes, then she wasn¡¯t controlled. I know Annie. She¡¯s a sweet girl. If Pippa was controlling her, it¡¯d look far more like Mr. Stower, with her hanging around Annie all the time.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it was her choice, but if Derek¡¯s interested, Akshi might make Pippa go after Annie now,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°But we¡¯re¡­ we¡¯re going as friends,¡± Derek said.


    Milo looked like he was in pain. ¡°It still feels like something Pippa might do.¡±


    Derek made a sound like a wounded dog, and Evelyn looked far more concerned. ¡°I can¡­ stay by her side at school. Make sure she¡¯s safe. Pippa will have a harder time controlling her, so I¡¯d know if Annie started getting charmed.¡±


    Derek sighed in relief. ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Not good,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Derek¡¯s shoulders stiffened up again. ¡°How is this still not good?¡±


    ¡°Because Akshi hasn¡¯t made an appearance yet, and if I know the guy, he has a flair for the dramatics,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°Must be a family trait,¡± Nick muttered.


    Grizzizzik shot a glare in Nick¡¯s direction before focusing back on Derek. ¡°When there¡¯s a threat, you don¡¯t split up the party. Your party. You and your friends.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve¡­ we¡¯ve totally split the party before,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°That was when we¡¯ve known exactly where Akshi is. Now he¡¯s disappeared. We need to stick together. Especially at a big event like a dance,¡± Grizzizzik said.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°That should be no problem,¡± Rafael said. ¡°It¡¯s a dance, after all. We¡¯ll make it a group date. Hazel and I can go with him.¡±


    ¡°I can go too. After all, Annie¡¯s my friend.¡± Evelyn then glanced over at Rafael. ¡°We can sort out details.¡±


    Rafael kept his mouth shut and nodded.


    There was a pause that Nick didn¡¯t understand. Grizzizzik glanced over at Nick, and he realized too late why the silence got so awkward so fast. At first, he was worried about Evelyn and Rafael in the same dating group, but they¡¯d proved time and time again that they did all right, as long as they didn¡¯t have to acknowledge each other.


    No, he realized as more and more eyes fell on him, that this was about a different matter entirely. Him being home alone. Him not being part of the group again. Getting permission from his dad to do anything. It would get progressively harder as the weeks went by if his reputation became increasingly unstable. The winter ball was early next month. There was no way he¡¯d get permission from Walt. Even if he did, who would he go with? If they needed to keep the group together, the first choice would be¡­


    Oh.


    Nick glanced over to see Alejandra two seconds away from steam leaving her ears. He quickly dropped his gaze, staring at the floor.


    ¡°Grizzizzik¡¯s right, Alejandra. At a school dance, a place we already know Akshi can infiltrate, we should all¡ª¡±


    ¡°No!¡± she shouted, cutting Rafael off. It was said with such vehemence that Nick recoiled. She spun around, heading for the door. ¡°I¡¯ll wait in the car.¡±


    She stomped out of the tent, and Nick didn¡¯t dare watch. He kept his eyes forward, not sure which sounded more impossible. Him getting permission from Walt to go to the winter ball, or Alejandra agreeing to go with him.


    There was a growling right by his ear, and Nick turned to see a mouth full of jagged teeth and yellow, dragon-like eyes locked onto his. Nick scrambled back, swearing under his breath. It had also been a bit since he¡¯d seen Quetzal, and that creature had grown. The drake had to be at least a hundred pounds, looking like an adult Komodo dragon. Quetzal had climbed onto a bookshelf to be eye level with Nick, and he crept forward, ready to pounce onto Nick¡¯s head again. Quetzal¡¯s claws were out, ready to attack. If he tried that, it would undoubtably cause another gray mark to resurface.


    ¡°Quetzal.¡± There was a slight chastisement to Hraktar¡¯s tone.


    The drake hesitated, keeping his eyes on Nick. Nick didn¡¯t dare move. Quetzal let out a snort before slipping off the shelf. Nick backed away as the drake ran out of the tent, no doubt heading for Alejandra. Nick didn¡¯t dare breathe until the drake was out of sight. Everyone was watching him, and he tried to get back to the subject at hand.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. I doubt my dad¡¯ll let me go.¡±


    Grizzizzik, who looked entertained by the entire exchange between Nick and Quetzal, dropped his smirk. ¡°Alright, fine. I suppose you and Alejandra will both stay home in separate houses while the rest of your friends are at the dance. I¡¯m certain Akshi will completely respect that decision and not exploit it.¡±


    Nick glared at his character. Glared, because he hated how much Grizzizzik was right. It was awful when Grizzizzik was right. ¡°What about all of you? What will you six be doing? No splitting the group, right? Will you be there too?¡± Nick glanced at their characters.


    Grizzizzik shrugged. ¡°Probably be together. Wait to be teleported in if something goes wrong.¡± The rogue let out a sigh, glancing at the tent door. ¡°So many things can go wrong.¡±


    ¡°Tyler? You¡­ shouldn¡¯t be alone either.¡± Evelyn¡¯s gaze dropped to the gray mark on his neck.


    Tyler¡¯s fingers scratched against the mark. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re probably right. Maybe I¡¯ll hang out with everyone¡¯s characters close to the school.¡±


    ¡°And if everyone¡¯s teleported in and you¡¯re not?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have my car and drive to Elmwood High. If everyone¡¯s teleported in, that means something big is happening and I need to be there.¡±


    Calawit set down the contraption she was working on. ¡°Are you all ready to be pointed toward the next monster? Because I actually have it trapped right outside my tent.¡±


    That brought everyone¡¯s attention to Calawit.


    ¡°You¡­ trapped a monster?¡± Milo asked.


    ¡°Yes. The obnoxious thing was trying to enter my tent. Sludge creature that would undoubtably dissolve all my precious things.¡±


    ¡°If you captured it, why didn¡¯t you just kill it?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    There was a silence as Calawit¡¯s eyes flickered back to the contraption. ¡°I will give you ten gold apiece if you don¡¯t ask questions.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s eyebrows shot up in excitement. ¡°Done. Where¡¯s the creature?¡±


    ¡°Well, Grizzizzik.¡± Milo walked toward the shopkeeper¡¯s desk. ¡°We at least need to make sure Calawit¡¯s not killing it because it¡¯s secretly an incredibly dangerous creature.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a question,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°Clarissa¡¯s bubble keeps the more dangerous creatures out. I¡¯m hiring you to get rid of the creature here. You¡¯re nothing more than professional exterminators. Do you want the experience points or not?¡± Calawit asked.


    ¡°And the ten gold pieces,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Calawit rolled her eyes, then stood up on her desk. ¡°Alright, follow me.¡±


    They started moving out of the tent.


    Rafael walked closer to Nick and dropped to a whisper. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to your dad. Maybe he¡¯ll let you go to the winter ball if I ask for his permission.¡±


    Nick was surprised and touched. ¡°Uh, yeah. It¡¯s all but guaranteed, unless my reputation becomes completely worthless soon.¡±


    Rafael nodded, and Nick got the impression his old friend didn¡¯t hear that last part. Derek fell into step with them. ¡°The harder part will be convincing Alejandra.¡±


    Evelyn frowned, glancing at him. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ you know¡­¡± Derek said. Evelyn¡¯s face clearly said she didn¡¯t know. Derek lifted his shoulders in a shrug and kept them there. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ angry. At Nick. You saw it yourself.¡±


    Evelyn took this in, then glanced at all of them. ¡°Yeah, I did. Who¡¯s going to check on her?¡± There was silence as they all looked at her. The longer the silence lasted, the more her smile disappeared. ¡°You¡¯re seriously going to let her stew in her own anger because you¡¯re all too scared to face her?¡±


    ¡°She might bite my head off,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°She¡¯s already bitten Rafael¡¯s head off,¡± Tyler said.


    Evelyn sighed, shaking her head. ¡°Oh my god, guys. You saw her tonight. She¡¯s hurting. What did you expect?¡±


    No one said anything. Nick just stared at her, brows furrowed. Evelyn shook her head again. ¡°Bunch of barbarians, I swear. Well, someone¡¯s got to tell her we¡¯re staying here for the fight, so she doesn¡¯t wait in the car all night. I¡¯ll volunteer for that and check in on her.¡±


    Evelyn walked out of the tent, not looking the least bit frightened.

 Chapter 184

    Evelyn grabbed her hair, running her fingers through it before pulling it up into a ponytail. It was dark, but she still pulled out her phone, checking her hair to make sure it looked right. She brought her phone down enough to see Alejandra in the passenger side of the car, with Quetzal¡¯s head resting on her lap.


    Evelyn placed the final touches on her ponytail, then tapped on the glass of the driver¡¯s seat, smiling in Alejandra¡¯s direction. Alejandra must have seen her and unlocked the door. Evelyn slid into the car, closing the door. Quetzal glanced over at Evelyn before laying his head back on Alejandra¡¯s lap. Time came to a standstill.


    Roll for initiative.


    Evelyn glanced over at the tent. They must have found the monster. She grabbed the d20 and rolled, ending up with twelve total. Not too bad, but it didn¡¯t surprise her when she didn¡¯t go first.


    Time resumed, and Evelyn smiled again.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Fire lit up the back of the tent. Milo must be using his flamethrower. ¡°So, Calawit caught a creature and they¡¯re killing it right now. It might be our fight for tonight.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Okay. That¡¯ll make traveling easier.¡± Alejandra straightened her glasses, then went back to scratching Quetzal underneath his chin.


    ¡°Quetzal¡¯s growing fast,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°He is.¡±


    ¡°Must be hard.¡± Evelyn glanced out the window again. ¡°Baby drakes grow so fast!¡±


    Alejandra sniffed. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Time froze, and Evelyn glanced at her options. Some options were locked, no doubt Clarissa seeing what was happening and refusing to use certain weapons. But that still left most of her magic spells.


    She chose flame blade, simply because it was always the badass option. The d20 appeared, and she rolled it, wincing as it landed on a nine. She was relieved to get three d6¡¯s, though. The creature must have a low AC. She rolled for damage before thinking about the conversation with Alejandra.


    Quetzal and Alejandra unfroze. Evelyn slid her phone in her pocket. ¡°Hey, I just want to check up on you. This whole thing with our CCNC characters, it can be stressful. You¡¯ve seemed distant, and I want to help. Are you okay?¡±


    Light illuminated the tent again, no doubt from the flame blade making its mark.


    Alejandra paused, her hand above Quetzal¡¯s head, then she covered her face and sobbed. Evelyn¡¯s eyebrows lifted in surprise. Maybe she shouldn¡¯t have been surprised. Alejandra was hurt, after all. Evelyn thought she¡¯d have to do more probing. But Alejandra looked like she was done. Evelyn put her arms around Alejandra, who covered her face as she kept sobbing. Evelyn didn¡¯t say a word. She honestly didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Alejandra said once the worst of her crying had come out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Evelyn. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°For¡­ crying. I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Evelyn stared at Alejandra, who slipped out of the hug to find tissues. A clarity hit her like a bolt of lightning. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize for feeling emotions. What we¡¯re doing is hard. You¡¯re allowed to cry.¡±


    Alejandra found the box of tissues and grabbed a handful before covering her face. ¡°I know, but¡­ but everyone else seems to handle this so much better than me.¡±


    Evelyn couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Oh my god, Alejandra. I¡¯ve sobbed so many times in front of Clarissa and Moonsparkle. In therapy. Even in front of Tyler. Seriously, never apologize.¡±


    She sniffed, taking off her glasses to wipe her eyes. ¡°I just¡­ um¡­¡± Quetzal lifted his head, brushing his head under her chin. ¡°I¡­ want you to know that¡­ that¡­.¡± Alejandra closed her eyes, sighing. ¡°God, if the end of the world wasn¡¯t coming next year, I wouldn¡¯t talk to anyone.¡±


    Evelyn chuckled. ¡°I get that.¡±


    Alejandra placed her glasses back on. ¡°I will be the first to admit I¡¯m angry. But¡­ but I hope you know it has nothing to do with you. What happened between you and Rafael¡­ that¡¯s different. I¡¯m¡­ disappointed that my brother did what he did, and I know it¡¯s caused you a lot of heartache. And therapy. And¡­ and¡­¡±


    Evelyn shrugged. ¡°Sobbing?¡±


    Alejandra sighed. ¡°And sobbing. I¡¯m sorry my brother caused you so much pain.¡±


    This confused Evelyn until she realized what Alejandra meant. After all this time, Evelyn didn¡¯t think that Alejandra would be angry at her. She almost forgot that it would be a very real reaction for Alejandra to be angry at Evelyn for what Rafael did. To blame her somehow and keep Rafael in the clear. Her reacting that way seemed strange, but at the same time, Evelyn¡¯s chest lightened at the admittance that her anger wasn¡¯t on her.


    ¡°Thanks, Alejandra,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°That means a lot to me.¡±


    Alejandra closed her eyes and froze on the way to retrieve more tissues. Evelyn quickly chose her options, remembering to give everyone more hit points. She then rolled for the flame blade. The dice landed on an even lower number, yet she still rolled for damage. Whatever they were fighting must have a ridiculously low AC if eleven still hit. Evelyn sent fourteen points of fire damage their way.


    Alejandra unfroze and gathered some new tissues. ¡°He¡¯s working on bettering himself. He¡¯s done a lot, and¡­ and perhaps it caused its own kind of rift in the group for me to trust him so easily, but¡­¡±


    Evelyn realized Alejandra meant Rafael. Having a conversation after time freezes were hard. Alejandra no doubt experienced the same.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Evelyn rubbed her shoulder. ¡°There is still a lot I need to work through, but your brother respecting my boundaries has helped immensely. I hope it hasn¡¯t caused a rift between us that my trust hasn¡¯t been as quick as yours.¡±


    ¡°God, no. No, you had every right to distance yourself from him. To still keep your distance. I¡¯m just as impressed as anyone that you and him are often in the same room together. You¡¯re really strong,¡± Alejandra said.


    Evelyn snorted. ¡°Again, you haven¡¯t seen how hard I¡¯ve sobbed.¡±


    Alejandra sighed, glancing out the window. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Nick. It¡¯s Nick I¡¯m mad at. But I don¡¯t want you to think that¡­ that it in any way excuses what Rafael did¡­ to you.¡±


    A small smile crossed her face. ¡°Yeah, this is a very complicated issue.¡± Evelyn glanced out the window. She folded her arms, catching Alejandra¡¯s gaze, her voice dropping. ¡°A few days after the news broke, Akshi came to me offering to torture Rafael to teach him a lesson. Akshi might do the same to you, but with Nick.¡±


    Alejandra glanced at Quetzal, distracting herself. ¡°I know.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s heart dropped, and her pulse quickened. ¡°Has Akshi¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. Not yet, anyway.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s eyes grew wet. ¡°Please don¡¯t hand my brother over to Akshi.¡±


    Alejandra winced and looked down. ¡°Of course not.¡±


    Evelyn held in a sigh, knowing it wouldn¡¯t be enough. She, of all people, knew. A simple request not to torture someone wouldn¡¯t erase the anger and hurt. And Alejandra was hurt. That was clear in the frosty glances she gave her brother. The anger at the thought of going to the winter ball with him. The inability to stay in the same room with him, even driving with Rafael to stay away from him. Alejandra might not hand over Nick to Akshi, but it was like getting a promise from someone with a broken leg that they wouldn¡¯t climb a tree in their state. They obviously wouldn¡¯t, but they still needed to address the broken leg.


    Alejandra let out a soft gasp, and Evelyn glanced over. ¡°Sorry. Um, Hraktar got hurt.¡± Her eyes traveled over to the tent. ¡°He¡¯s down over twenty hit points.¡±


    ¡°Ouch,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    They were quiet for another moment before Evelyn cleared her throat. ¡°If I may¡­¡± Evelyn started, causing Alejandra to shoot her a tentative glance. ¡°What exactly about Nick makes you so angry?¡±


    Alejandra blinked, more tears falling down her cheeks. ¡°He didn¡¯t stop.¡± She cleared her throat, the emotions straining her words. ¡°I get he was angry. Angry enough to punch him. But¡­ but Derek and Tyler had to stop him. That anger would have¡­¡± Alejandra couldn¡¯t look at her.


    ¡°Ah.¡± Evelyn rubbed her neck. ¡°Yeah. Honestly, Nick¡¯s reaction to the news is¡­ is partially why I kept it hidden so long.¡±


    Alejandra closed her eyes. ¡°It hurts. And it hurts worse that no one else is¡­¡±


    She trailed off, but Evelyn felt another jolt of clarification. ¡°Because no one else is holding him responsible for almost murdering your brother?¡±


    Alejandra covered her face in tissues again, another sob traveling through her body. Evelyn felt overwhelmed, and realizing she wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. Despite the healing she¡¯d done, there was still a prickly barb in her soul whenever she thought of Rafael. One she wanted to pluck out, but had to acknowledge was there before she could. But she couldn¡¯t deny that Nick hurt Rafael. Alejandra had already acknowledged her brother had hurt Evelyn, and she needed to dip into that bravery and admit the same to Alejandra.


    ¡°Nick¡­ was quite violent that night. And weeks after. And¡­¡± Evelyn sighed, then brought her knees up to her chest, admitting the thing they had talked about so often in her therapy sessions. ¡°Sometimes the people who hurt us the worst are those who are closest to us. Because we expect them to be better. We expect to be safe with them. When they falter and hurt us, it¡¯s so much harder to build that trust again.¡± Alejandra winced, glancing at Evelyn. Evelyn looked out the window. ¡°It¡¯s so much easier to stop Akshi, because he¡¯s evil. All these creatures we¡¯ve stuffed in an evil box. It makes it easier to kill them. But Nick. Rafael. It shouldn¡¯t be so hard, but it absolutely is. They hurt us. Life is far more complicated.¡± Evelyn reached out, letting Quetzal sniff her fingers before she ran them down his scaley head.


    Alejandra wrapped her arms around her drake and hugged him close. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do, Evelyn. I don¡¯t know how to forgive Nick.¡±


    ¡°Alejandra¡­¡± Evelyn started to say, then sighed. ¡°I still haven¡¯t forgiven Rafael. If I haven¡¯t forgiven your brother, what makes you think I¡¯m here to force you to forgive mine?¡±


    Alejandra glanced up at her, surprised. Evelyn glanced out the window again as the tent was backlit by Milo¡¯s flamethrower again. ¡°I might forgive Rafael. One day. It seems way more plausible now than it did a month ago. Don¡¯t feel obligated to forgive Nick. I could work through what I needed to because I didn¡¯t focus on forgiving Rafael. Working through my anger in healthy ways was my priority.¡±


    ¡°How? How did you get there?¡± Alejandra asked. ¡°It¡­ hurts. Hurts to see everyone else moving on. I¡¯m behind. I don¡¯t want to be weak.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not weak.¡± It was a knee jerk reaction, and yet she also knew it was true.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ angry. Everyone is holding their breath around me. They are warning me Akshi will convince me to hand Nick over, and¡­ and I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t want to, but Akshi is¡­ frightening. And manipulative. I want to let go of this anger, but¡­¡± Alejandra trailed off.


    ¡°But everyone is just brushing away your pain, and it makes you more angry,¡± Evelyn said. Alejandra¡¯s chest heaved, and Evelyn recognized the feelings of panic in her friend. Evelyn reached over and gave Alejandra a hug. ¡°You were dating Nick, in a relationship with him, and saw him use physical force to beat your brother. Violence that he couldn¡¯t contain it without help. You still feel like a part of your trust has shattered beyond repair, and you don¡¯t know how to pick up the pieces except to be angry.¡±


    Alejandra brushed away more tears. ¡°Why can¡¯t I get over this? Why can¡¯t the pain go away? Why am I so weak?¡±


    ¡°You are not weak, you¡¯re just hurting. They¡¯re similar in some areas, but vastly different in what matters. We are here for you. All of us are. Even Nick, though I am the first to admit he is stupidly stubborn. I guarantee that if Akshi tried to kidnap you, that he would have to go through Nick first, and¡­ well,¡± Evelyn sighed, glancing toward the tent. ¡°I doubt anyone in the group would hold him back from that.¡±


    Alejandra tried to smile, but there was a wince. It still hurt. It might have been too painful to bring up.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Evelyn said.


    Alejandra said nothing, simply hugged Quetzal tighter. Clarissa¡¯s experience bar filled her view, and she watched a hundred and eighty-three points fill the bar all the way to the top before growing bigger. A lot of suggestions filled her view about level five, but Evelyn forced it all to one side as she kept watching Alejandra.


    ¡°How do you feel about going to the winter ball with my brother?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°I hate it, but I understand why I have to.¡±


    ¡°Going to the ball does not mean you have to date my brother. No one is expecting that. And the last thing I want to do is put you somewhere you feel uncomfortable. If you don¡¯t want to go with my brother, we¡¯ll find another guy for the group date so you can stay with us. We¡¯ll find another girl, too. I have plenty of friends I can ask to go with Nick. It¡¯s truly not the end of the world if you don¡¯t want to go with Nick.¡±


    It was incredible to see the tension and stress melt from Alejandra. She glanced at Evelyn, surprised. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really. I thrived with boundaries. It helped me rebuild my trust. You have every right to ask for them, too. Despite Nick¡¯s stubbornness, I¡¯m sure he wants to help, and will agree to whatever you say.¡±


    Alejandra let out a huge breath, leaning her head back. ¡°I suppose¡­ maybe I will go with your brother. It would be easier. But¡­ boundaries. Let¡¯s set up some boundaries. If he agrees to follow them, I¡¯ll go with him to the winter ball.¡±


    Evelyn pulled out her phone. ¡°Love it.¡± She started up a text conversation with just Alejandra. ¡°Let¡¯s brainstorm some ideas and write them down. We can present them to Nick and see what he thinks.¡±


    Alejandra glanced at the tent. ¡°Oh, uh¡­ the battle is done, I think. They¡¯ll be waiting for us.¡±


    ¡°Let them wait. This is important.¡± Evelyn¡¯s fingers hovered over the keyboard. ¡°Alright, Alejandra. What needs to be in place for you to feel safe with my brother?¡±

 Chapter 185

    It was a good hour after the battle, but Nick leaned against the surprisingly sturdy tent wall as they waited. Grizzizzik had reached another level, but they couldn¡¯t do anything about it. His warlock levels were within reach. The message was obvious. Grizzizzik couldn¡¯t level up until Nick did something chaotic tonight. Nick almost wondered what would happen if he did something chaotic now, but he wasn¡¯t sure what. It was a thought, though. Do something chaotic with his friends, so they wondered. Get them curious enough to dig. Not too chaotic that he completely messed up their friendship, though. It was a tough thing to balance.


    The slime they fought was tough. Grizzizzik learned early on that slicing at it with his non magical rapier damaged his sword and also cut the creature cleanly in half, creating two new creatures. That was a tough thing to figure out, but at least no one got hurt too much.


    Nick glanced over at Hraktar and Calawit. Calawit was at her desk, reversing the slime¡¯s acidic effect on Hraktar¡¯s armor. That was a really strong piece of slime. Hopefully with Calawit¡¯s magic, it wouldn¡¯t give Hraktar any permanent damage, considering that a point might be taken off his armor class.


    Nick waited against the tent wall, watching his friends. Tyler and Sylvar whispered together. Sylvar was still coming to terms with his necromantic powers, and Tyler did a great job of helping him out. Sylvar also leveled up because the druid prince now had twenty hit points instead of twelve. Tyler had talked with Derek about another group was interested in taking Sylvar, but they wanted him to be level four at least. Sylvar was well on his way to reaching that, especially if they did sessions every day.


    Milo was tinkering with something Nick realized was night goggles. They looked absurd, but they also fit his character. There were strange baubles on the outside of the goggles, with some connected to springs and bouncing around with any slight movement. Derek craned his neck to watch Milo work.


    Hraktar had his arms folded. Nick was struck again by how solidly built Hraktar was. Even wearing a simple shirt and pants, it was like his muscles had muscles.


    Rafael walked over to Nick, gesturing over his shoulder at the tent opening. ¡°Should we go check on them?¡±


    ¡°No. Pretty sure we¡¯d hear screaming if the two started attacking each other.¡±


    Rafael snorted. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. Of anyone in the group, though, those two would be the least likely to fight each other.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Nick said.


    Movement from Sylvar grabbed Nick¡¯s attention. Sylvar had picked up the staff and walked over to Clarissa. Clarissa and Ezekiel were talking in the book aisle again, but their conversation stopped when Sylvar approached them. Sylvar glanced at the staff, then handed it to Clarissa. She made no move to get it. She ran her eyes over the staff before watching Sylvar with a curious stare.


    ¡°I¡¯m testing a theory. The staff will tell me if I¡¯m right. Take it, Clarissa.¡±


    Clarissa¡¯s face fell, then she reached out. Once Clarissa¡¯s fingers closed around the staff, all five branches glowed. The druid princess was lifted off the ground for a split second before gracefully dropping to her feet again. Tears filled her eyes.


    ¡°It is as I suspected. The staff believes I¡¯m dead,¡± Sylvar said.


    ¡°No.¡± Clarissa shook her head. ¡°You are not lost. When we get home, we¡¯ll have our people look into it.¡±


    ¡°How will we get home?¡± Sylvar asked.


    Clarissa could not answer. Sylvar studied the staff again. ¡°Perhaps, if we ever return, I shall take you up on that offer. But while we are here on earth, take the staff. Protect it with your life. It will help you focus your mana, and it will be a powerful tool to protect this realm.¡±


    Clarissa nodded, then threw her arms around Sylvar. ¡°I love you, Sylvar.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too, Clarissa,¡± Sylvar said.


    Nick raised an eyebrow, wondering how two siblings, emotionally reserved elves at that, expressed their love so easily. He couldn¡¯t imagine saying that to Evelyn, despite their closeness. It felt weird, somehow. Her calling him a dork and Nick rolling his eyes was about as expressive as they were about their love for each other.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    The tent door opened, and Evelyn and Alejandra walked in. Nick straightened his back, watching those two. Evelyn and Alejandra had looped arms together, and Nick tried to figure out why that terrified him so badly.


    Alejandra and Evelyn walked right up to Nick and Rafael, and Nick gave Rafael a look that he hoped didn¡¯t reveal how terrified he felt. Alejandra pulled out her phone, reading a note from there. ¡°Here are the rules and boundaries you must follow if you¡¯d like to take me to the winter ball.¡±


    Nick swallowed, not sure if he should say anything.


    ¡°You will not touch me unless I say you may. No dancing with me unless I ask you. Do not get angry at me or anyone in our group for the entire night. You will punch no one unless it¡¯s Akshi or one of his henchmen. Hopefully they don¡¯t show up, but you have my permission if they do. Us attending together is purely for the group to stick together, and it is not because there is anything between us. You have broken my trust by refusing to stop beating my brother in front of me that night, and that door has closed. If I feel at all uncomfortable being with you on the night of the winter ball, I shall instead hang out with Evelyn or Rafael or Derek, and you can go somewhere a safe distance away with whoever I¡¯m not hanging out with. If you do not agree to these rules and boundaries, I shall pick a different man to be with, and you may go to the ball with one of Evelyn¡¯s friends. We will all be in the same group date, but we will not be together. Do you agree with the rules and boundaries I¡¯ve set forth? I am open to discuss any point you wish.¡± Alejandra read that all off her phone, then glanced up at Nick.


    Every eye was on him. He cleared his throat. ¡°Um¡­ yeah. Yeah, I can¡­ uh¡­. Yep.¡±


    Alejandra glanced down at her phone again, scrolling a bit. Scrolling like she had every response he might say written out. In a completely different circumstance, he might even think that was cute, but he still felt dread at the sight of this.


    She scrolled before coming to a stop. ¡°Now that we agree, I shall write up the list of rules for you, and you may study them before the winter ball so you can be familiar with them.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± The shock of it all trickled away. ¡°Now¡­ to be clear, I¡­ don¡¯t have to apologize for that night, right?¡±


    Frost returned into Alejandra¡¯s gaze. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Nick,¡± Evelyn said.


    Was that chastisement he heard in Evelyn¡¯s tone? Nick raised an eyebrow as he looked at his sister. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± Evelyn said.


    He would have shrugged with his palms toward the ceiling, but his palms were currently stuck in petals. Instead, his shoulders raised. ¡°It¡¯s a fair enough question.¡±


    ¡°And I answered it,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Okay, fine,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    The silence that stretched seemed like an eternity, but it was about three seconds. Three seconds of waiting to see if Alejandra got any angrier. If she wanted to attack. Instead, a flicker of sadness shot across her face and she looked away, glancing at her phone. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ wait in the car.¡±


    She once again headed out of the tent, looking less angry. That had to be a good thing, right?


    Nick heard another growl and turned to once again see a mouth full of jagged teeth. ¡°Dammit, Quetzal. Seriously?¡± Nick asked.


    The drake stood on the desk to be at eye level, flexing his claws. Nick about said something else when Quetzal snapped his jaws in Nick¡¯s direction. He stumbled away, a flicker of fear making him wonder if Quetzal actually would. Something with that much teeth definitely would.


    ¡°Quetzal,¡± Hraktar said again.


    The drake snarled at Nick before he scuttled off to the fighter, who picked him up like he wasn¡¯t a hundred pounds, cradling him in his arms. Rafael and Evelyn still watched Nick. He didn¡¯t know what to do with the attention.


    ¡°What?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Alejandra¡¯s having a hard time,¡± Evelyn said.


    Since when was Evelyn on Alejandra¡¯s side? ¡°Okay,¡± Nick said, enunciating every syllable.


    ¡°You hurt her brother,¡± Evelyn said.


    Nick didn¡¯t know why he felt so defensive, but he felt it curling his soul. It was a lot easier to talk to Evelyn than Alejandra. ¡°Are you seriously suggesting I shouldn¡¯t have hit Rafael?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Evelyn¡¯s shoulders slumped. Her eyes flickered in Rafael¡¯s direction, and he backed away, giving them privacy. ¡°No, Rafael deserved to get hit.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Fine,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Alejandra agrees.¡±


    This surprised Nick, and his mouth closed. He always found it easier to close his mouth when information surprised him.


    ¡°From what I could figure, her biggest concern is you didn¡¯t stop. Which is where everyone also agrees you crossed the line,¡± Evelyn whispered. ¡°You made it clear to me you were in the wrong by doing that. Perhaps you also talked to Derek and Rafael about the same thing. But did you talk to Alejandra at all about it?¡±


    Nick stared at his sister, rethinking all of his interactions with Alejandra in the last month. He had talked to Derek. Talked when he wasn¡¯t nearly so angry, and they came to an agreement. He had also talked to Evelyn, and they were able to move past it. He tried talking to Alejandra about it, but when he thought back on that conversation, maybe it was a bit defensive.


    Okay, really defensive. He kept driving home the fact that he was justified in punching Rafael. The first one, at least. Maybe she assumed he meant all the punches.


    But¡­ if she had now come to terms with that first punch? Could they have another conversation? Try again, where he admitted he had been wrong, like he had with Evelyn, Derek, and Rafael?


    Nick closed his eyes, knowing what he had to do, but he hated it all the same. Honestly, sometimes he wished for a phone that wasn¡¯t watched by his father. He needed the safety of the screen because Alejandra was terrifying.


    But that would never work. Not only would Alejandra not take an apology over text, but it would make things worse. He sighed, then headed toward the tent door. Before he slipped out, he made sure Hraktar had a good hold of Quetzal.

 Chapter 186

    The flower petals disappeared from Nick¡¯s body as he kept walking. He saw Alejandra sitting in the passenger seat. He wasn¡¯t sure what he expected to see. Her stewing in anger or sharpening her nails into claws, possibly. Both were an exaggeration. Instead, he saw a far more humanizing depiction of her. She had her eyes closed, breathing steadily, easing herself out of a panic attack. Nick felt a twist of guilt. Most of it was from knowing she was hurt and she probably didn¡¯t want him to help.


    When Alejandra opened her eyes and noticed him, the panic changed to terror. Nick didn¡¯t like it, but he understood. He walked around the car, staying a distance away as he waved. He realized what this might look like; him coming to her when no one else was around.


    She opened the door a crack, and Nick knew that was all he would get.


    ¡°So, when you write up the rules, give them to me at school. I¡¯ll just¡­ keep them in my locker,¡± Nick said. Alejandra gave a quick nod. ¡°Also, um¡­.¡± Nick sighed, glancing away. ¡°I still will not apologize for that first punch. But I will apologize for¡­.¡± Nick had to pause, really thinking about how much of Rafael¡¯s pain he felt sorry about to be genuine with his apology. He then remembered what Rafael had said to him. If Nick ever hurt Alejandra the same way Rafael hurt Evelyn, they both agreed his old friend would be free to do the same thing. It was that common ground that helped rebuild their friendship.


    What about his actions would have been crossing the line if Rafael did the same to him? ¡°But I¡¯m¡­ sorry Tyler and Derek had to hold me back to get me to stop. And I¡¯m¡­ sorry I was so consumed in anger that I was furious with him for weeks afterwards. That I constantly thought about hurting him more. Despite my original belief that your brother absolutely deserved the first punch, everyone, including myself, agrees that I let my anger get the better of me for too long. And¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Alejandra blinked. ¡°Okay. Um¡­ thanks.¡±


    Nick nodded, then stuffed his hands in his pockets, turned around, and headed back toward the tent. There was a lot less ceremony with that apology, but he hoped she sensed the sincerity. He wasn¡¯t sure what he expected. Another assurance that she¡¯d never hand him over to Akshi was always welcome. But no. No, he just needed to apologize. It was as Evelyn said. Everyone agreed he crossed the line with being so consumed with anger. He didn¡¯t think he would have murdered Rafael, but¡­ he also wasn¡¯t in a good head space for a while, either. Alejandra needed to hear at least that much of an apology. In fact, he remembered he didn¡¯t stop being angry at Rafael until Tyler told him he was acting like Walt. It was the only thing that shook him out of it. Hopefully Alejandra would stop looking at him with such frost in her eyes. Maybe they could patch together a relationship that truthfully might only be friendship.


    He almost got to the tent when Grizzizzik walked outside, giving Nick a knowing glance. The message was clear. Once everyone was asleep, Nick needed to do something chaotic again. It was the only way Grizzizzik could gain this warlock level he earned.


    Nick let out a sigh, glancing behind him to see Alejandra again in the car on her phone. It took every ounce of strength to stay standing as he looked back at Grizzizzik.


    ¡°Please stop making me do this,¡± Nick whispered. It didn¡¯t matter if he whispered it or screamed it. Only Grizzizzik could hear, but he still felt the need to whisper. ¡°I¡¯m trying to gain her trust again. I can¡¯t do that if you force me to do something chaotic.¡±


    ¡°Get Walt¡¯s spray paint from his garage and spray the wolf mascot in front of the school. Do that, and we won¡¯t have to ask Chaos to do something to the world.¡±


    Nick closed his eyes, pressing his lips. Panic gripped him as he thought about it. ¡°I can¡¯t. The school is too far. I¡¯d have to get my bike.¡±


    ¡°Then get your bike.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in the garage. My dad has cameras. He¡¯ll catch me.¡±


    ¡°Then get caught, and you won¡¯t have to spray paint the wolf.¡±


    Nick¡¯s fingers curled into fists as he opened his eyes to glare at his rogue character. ¡°Tell everyone what¡¯s happening, and we¡¯ll figure out what to do as a group.¡±


    ¡°Never.¡± This was far sharper coming out of Grizzizzik¡¯s mouth. ¡°If there¡¯s even a chance they¡¯ll stop me, I will not ask them.¡±


    ¡°Once you get your sword, tell everyone. Please. I¡­ I am terrified of what this will do to my friends. With my relationship with them. They need to know there was a reason behind it, and you need to tell them.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Grizzizzik studied Nick closely. ¡°I¡¯ll let everyone know. Once I get the sword.¡±


    Nick stared at Grizzizzik. His mouth went dry, his breath caught in his chest. That was an obvious lie. Nick knew, as the creator, that Grizzizzik would keep this hidden for as long as possible.


    Grizzizzik''s smile was not friendly as he walked past Nick toward the van. Nick stared at nothing, his mind churning.


    How could Grizzizzik possibly keep all this hidden? He¡¯d get the sword eventually, and that was a pretty impossible thing to lie about. Or killing Akshi and having the snake not regenerate. They would know then. After it was all done. Grizzizzik had always been the kind of person to ask forgiveness rather than permission. Even asking forgiveness was a stretch.


    It left Nick feeling empty and frightened. He leaned against the tent, his eyes coming into focus enough for him to realize he was staring at the base. He was in over his head. Nick already knew this when Grizzizzik made that pact weeks ago, but this confirmed it. They had to level up fast. He could not let this go on much longer. It would ruin his relationship with his friends. With Evelyn.


    With Alejandra.


    Nick closed his eyes. He had half a mind to just not do it. To force Grizzizzik¡¯s hand. But he remembered how cold and calmy he felt in Chaos¡¯ presence. How horrible it would be to give the personification of perfect chaos free rein to do whatever he wanted to earth.


    ¡°Nick?¡±


    His eyes snapped open as he saw Tyler next to him. Nick stared at Tyler, perhaps the only other person in the group who could get impressions from Chaos.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Tyler asked.


    Nick let out a shuddering breath before he took in another, deeper breath. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°How can I help?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t sure what to say. No, he knew exactly what to say, but Tyler wouldn¡¯t hear it. ¡°I need¡­ to be away from Grizzizzik. For the next little while. He¡¯s¡­ messing with my head.¡±


    Tyler nodded. ¡°Consider it done. We¡¯ll keep him at Rafael and Alejandra¡¯s house under Hraktar¡¯s care until you feel ready to see him again.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Not a problem. Is there anything else I can do for you?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s multi-classed as a warlock. Leveling himself up. Trying to get a sword. To kill his father. I¡¯m doing illegal things for him to keep Chaos from doing whatever he wants to the world,¡± Nick said.


    Tyler patted his back. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. Come on, let¡¯s get home.¡±


    Nick let out another shuttering breath, making a mental note that it was almost freakier to tell them the truth.


    ***


    It was late when Alejandra finished writing the notes. Evelyn had texted her the list of rules and boundaries for Nick, and she took to heart what Nick asked. She definitely didn¡¯t want Nick to get in trouble with his dad.


    She wrote them all down when she leaned back in the chair, glancing through them like she hadn¡¯t already read through them a dozen other times. It was good. This helped her feel better about things. She had read all this to Nick, but it was before he apologized. Sort of apologized.


    No, it was still an apology. Nick punched Rafael, but he still apologized for everything else. And he seemed genuine about it.


    Alejandra read through the list one more time, then realized what she was missing. Or, rather, what she wanted to take out.


    She brought out her pen and hoovered it over the line, glancing at the wall as though asking for its permission. Her heart was at war with this. She should keep that boundary after what he did.


    But he did apologize.


    He still hit Rafael, though.


    He apologized for everything else.


    He was so angry. Did Alejandra really want to be around someone with such a short fuse?


    Short fuse? That¡¯s what it¡¯s called? His sister got sexually assaulted. He was right to be angry.


    No one should have a right to be angry. People getting angry was scary.


    Alejandra closed her eyes, hearing the ghosts of her parents fighting. Screaming. Things breaking. Rafael, muffling his shouts, standing in front of Mariana to make him the target.


    Hearing his muffled screams as he landed on the ground, Nick crushing in his ribs.


    She opened her eyes again and saw the list of rules. Maybe this would come back to haunt her. Maybe she was being a ridiculous teenager. It would absolutely make sense to keep that boundary.


    Yet the pen rolled over the words, and she couldn¡¯t stop it. The brief paragraph about how she was attending the ball with him to stay as a group was gone. All mentions of her feelings toward him as a shut door was gone. The two of them never having a relationship again was scribbled out.


    Alejandra stuffed her hands in her hair to look at the crossed-out paragraph. Did she still have feelings for Nick?


    Alejandra grabbed the sheet of paper and tore it out of her notebook, crumpling it up as she shook her head. This was ridiculous. She couldn¡¯t hand him this paper with that paragraph crossed out. It would give him ideas. That was the last thing she wanted.


    She started writing out the boundaries again. When she got to any chance of a relationship being securely closed behind a door, she hesitated again. Maybe she didn¡¯t want to give Nick ideas. But she didn¡¯t want to stop them from forming, either. Was this what giving him a chance was like?


    Alejandra finished up the boundaries. She did not place the paragraph about their relationship in there. It was big and bulky, anyway. These were more like bullet points. Easier to memorize. She already told him they wouldn¡¯t get back together, and he seemed fine with it. She gave a boundary, and he respected it.


    Alejandra covered her face in her hands. She did not have romantic feelings toward Nick anymore. But part of her had to admit that the door wasn¡¯t completely shut. There was a bolt on that door that she didn¡¯t fasten into place. It was time to admit Nick¡¯s apology had nudged it open.

 Chapter 187

    When Nick came home from the hospital almost three and a half years ago, Walt had gone through the entirety of their house and got rid of all the ski masks they owned. Nick thought it was a little extreme, but he eventually came to expect that level of extremity.


    Nick pulled out an old beanie that he¡¯d cut holes out of. It was enough. The school might have cameras, and he needed to not get caught. He stuffed it in his pocket and took a deep breath.


    Nick slipped out the window again, shivering. It had dropped into the fifties the past few nights, but this was the first time he¡¯d stepped outside intending to stay out. He¡¯d have to work fast.


    He circled around the house and grabbed his bike that he conveniently left outside, leaning against the garage with spray paint cans in it. He had the same thought about this as he did the moment before he went toilet papering. Walt would get stricter after this. His dad had finished checking the toilet paper, so his focus would undoubtably be on whatever punishment he deemed fit this once news went around.


    It didn¡¯t matter if Nick didn¡¯t get caught. Walt would punish him somehow. Just like toilet papering the park. He had to wonder if it was worth it to get caught now. Now, instead of succeeding in vandalism and getting Walt¡¯s wrath anyway.


    The thought made him shudder. Nick carried his bike out onto the road so there¡¯d be no marks on the ground before climbing on and buckling his helmet. He probably looked like an idiot, riding to commit vandalism while wearing a helmet.


    Vandalism. That would be quite the crime on his record if he got caught. No doubt his dad would force Nick to pay the fine out of his own earnings, as well as whatever else the police might force him to do.


    So, he¡¯d just not get caught.


    Nick rode by in the quiet evening. His house was getting farther away, and the park he¡¯d toilet papered was coming into view. It was incredible how fast he could go on a bike, but once his dad heard about vandalism at his high school, he¡¯d lock the bike up. Or sell it. He¡¯d not have his bike next time.


    No. No next time. He couldn¡¯t think about a next time. He didn¡¯t want to know.


    A roar reverberated around the park. Nick¡¯s stomach lurched, and he glanced behind him. There were only a few streetlamps, and he was human, meaning he didn¡¯t have dark vision.


    A completely different realization hit him. He was in Elmwood, where there were level six monsters all around that could cover his body in scratches.


    ¡°Shit.¡± Nick used his adrenaline to pedal harder. There wasn¡¯t much else he could do. He was sailing on his bike, hoping that whatever it was stayed in the park.


    There was a clopping sound, almost like a horse, but something was different. Nick was panting, the hooves getting closer. Whatever this thing was, it was fast.


    Something clipped his bike, and Nick shouted in surprise as it wobbled. He tried to keep his footing, but the bike toppled to the ground. At that same moment, Grizzizzik appeared out of nowhere. Nick must have teleported him here out of instinct, and it looked like Grizzizzik was asleep before he¡¯d been jolted awake by being teleported into the middle of a street.


    ¡°Nick?¡± Grizzizzik asked before something in the darkness caught his eye. ¡°Oh, shit.¡±


    ¡°It knocked me over,¡± Nick panted. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Minotaur.¡± Grizzizzik pulled out his rapier. ¡°Nothing I can¡¯t handle, even at a lower level.¡±


    Grizzizzik froze with his rapier out.


    Roll for initiative.


    Nick took the time to check himself for injuries. His arms had some road rash on them, and he cursed. He could not leave DNA evidence. That would get him caught. Why the hell was he still worried about this? There was a minotaur in Elmwood, and there was no one else to help fight it.


    Nick was lucky he wore his helmet, as it seemed like most of the injury was on that. He took it off and dropped it on the ground. Something was stinging his leg, but nothing was broken. None of his gray marks resurfaced, either. That was good. It looked like most of the injuries were from falling off his bike when it wobbled.


    Grizzizzik got a high number of seventeen, but he was surprised and worried when time resumed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this. You¡¯re only one person. Let me call Evelyn,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°No,¡± Grizzizzik said before leaping out of the way.


    Nick gasped, scrambling to his feet as the minotaur sailed past Grizzizzik. It was a dark brown creature, with hooves on his feet and a bull¡¯s head. Everything else was human. He realized what he thought was a galloping horse sounded odd to him because he was only hearing two hooves hitting the ground instead of four.


    Time froze, and Nick rolled for his turn. He was relieved to hit, and more relieved when the d8 landed on an eight. They needed way more of these lucky rolls, but chances were low.


    As the minotaur ran past Grizzizzik, his rogue sliced the creature¡¯s arm, and it bellowed in pain again.


    ¡°We can¡¯t keep doing this. You¡¯re not strong enough to take on a minotaur,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    Nick shook off the annoyance of Grizzizzik¡¯s words. A part of him acknowledged that if Grizzizzik died, a large portion of his problems would be solved. But the idea of that stung. If Grizzizzik was gone, that was one less person to help fight off the apocalypse. ¡°If it¡¯s just you, then don¡¯t hold back. Stop hiding your warlock spells and actually use them.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Grizzizzik glared, but focused again as the creature swung his great axe at him. The rogue leapt out of the way, holding his arms out. ¡°Fine.¡±


    Time froze again, and the spells that Nick couldn¡¯t choose before were freed. Nick sighed, then hit eldritch blast and rolled.


    The fifteen hit, and he grabbed the d10 floating in the air. ¡°Please be high. Please be high.¡± If Grizzizzik was going to be stupidly stubborn about all this, then he needed to at least do more damage.


    The d10 landed on an eight, which still felt pretty good.


    Dark light filtered into Grizzizzik¡¯s palm. A cacophony of odd noises filled the air around the rogue like a whisper. Nick scrunched up his face in confusion before Grizzizzik threw his palms out, the black light sailing toward the minotaur. The black light shifted and changed into a handheld radio, of all things, smacking the minotaur in the face. Nick frowned, starting at the radio as it clattered to the ground before blipping out of existence.


    Grizzizzik stared at the place where the old radio dropped. ¡°That was¡­ odd.¡±


    ¡°More like chaotic,¡± Nick said. ¡°It still did damage.¡±


    The minotaur shook his head, touching the small trickle of blood running down his forehead before he again focused on Grizzizzik. It shouted, picked up his great axe, and swung. Grizzizzik stumbled back, but the blade sliced him across the belly. The rogue shouted in pain. Nick almost screamed at him to reconsider getting more help when Grizzizzik pointed at the minotaur and time froze.


    Roll for hellish rebuke.


    Nick raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh, right!¡±


    He hadn¡¯t played a warlock before. Hellish rebuke was a reaction after getting damaged. Nick grabbed the two d10s and rolled.


    Sixteen total. This minotaur was powerful, but Grizzizzik was slowly chipping him down.


    Fire leapt in front of the minotaur, and he glanced at the flames until they rammed into him. He shrieked, trying to put it out as Grizzizzik¡¯s hit points dropped to sixteen.


    ¡°You need help! You can¡¯t do this on your own! That minotaur just cut your hit points in half!¡± Nick shouted. Which is when he realized the scene had frozen before him and Grizzizzik hadn¡¯t heard a word. ¡°Goddammit!¡±


    Nick chose eldritch blast again. It was a cantrip stronger than Grizzizzik¡¯s rapier. They needed every bit of strength they could get.


    Ten damage. That felt incredible, but Grizzizzik needed help. Their luck could only last so long.


    Grizzizzik threw both arms out, collecting the dark light, listening to the noise before he again shot the darkness at the minotaur. The darkness shifted until it became a large metal key that at first didn¡¯t seem too harmful until it slammed into the minotaur¡¯s eye. The creature howled in pain as the key dissolved into darkness. The minotaur grabbed his great axe and swung as hard as he could. It slammed into Grizzizzik¡¯s side, and his rogue screamed as his hit points dropped to seven.


    The scream was cut off as words appeared.


    Roll for hellish rebuke.


    Nick used the time to think. If he called Evelyn now, she wouldn¡¯t reach them in time. If he joined the battle, he risked getting hurt. He thought again about letting Grizzizzik die. That thought brought a lot of mixed emotions in Nick that he wasn¡¯t prepared to deal with.


    Not only that, what if Grizzizzik¡¯s death still didn¡¯t give him the opportunity to tell anyone? Grizzizzik was the only one. His death might not break the contract.


    Nick sighed, then grabbed the two d10s. Grizzizzik needed to live. For now. Grizzizzik still had seven hit points and no way to heal himself if he dropped to the ground.


    Dancing fire appeared around the minotaur before beating against him. Nick stumbled to his feet, grabbing his spray can and running close to the minotaur.


    ¡°Nick?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    He shot his character a dark glare. ¡°You owe me one.¡±


    Once the fire was out, the minotaur looked up to see Nick, and he sprayed the minotaur¡¯s face. It shrieked in surprise more than anything and stumbled back.


    Roll to hit.


    Nick grabbed the d20, assuming this was for Grizzizzik. He only had spray paint, after all. It wasn¡¯t that big of a weapon.


    The damage dice for eldritch blast landed on a four. After the nice rolls he got, this felt hard.


    Grizzizzik threw his hands out, backing away as more dark light entered his palm. When he threw it forward, the light turned into a playing card. It still sliced the minotaur¡¯s arm, but it didn¡¯t seem like much. But damage was damage.


    Nick waited, holding his breath.


    Let the minotaur come for me, Nick thought. Come on. The last time you damaged the snake guy, he hit you with fire. You don¡¯t know he can¡¯t do that anymore. Basic instinct, go for the weaker of the two.


    The minotaur turned toward Nick and raised his great axe. Nick did not let out a breath of relief until the minotaur slammed the great axe down near Nick, missing him. It wasn¡¯t even close. Instead, Nick tried to spray the creature¡¯s face again, but the thing got jammed.


    Grizzizzik threw his arms out again to collect the dark energy into his palm before throwing them forward. Nick expected the dark light to miss the minotaur, but a rubber duck appeared and bounced pointlessly off the minotaur¡¯s face. It confused the creature more than anything. Nick rolled his eyes and almost missed dodging the massive great axe that came a few inches from his toes.


    Out of instinct, Nick lifted the can, and the minotaur got another face full of spray paint. The creature shrieked again in surprise, hissing and sputtering.


    Grizzizzik¡¯s eldritch blast turned into a plate, shattering across the minotaur¡¯s head. Nick wondered if there was any pattern to these blasts, but quickly got rid of the thought. Of course there wasn¡¯t a pattern. This power was from Chaos himself.


    The minotaur stumbled back, blood from the multiple cuts of the shattered plate. It was looking bad, and Nick needed the creature to die soon. The longer he was away from home, the more likely he¡¯d get caught.


    The minotaur picked up his great axe and tried to hit Grizzizzik, no doubt angry after that plate attack. Nick hardly had time to think about how bad it¡¯d be if Grizzizzik got knocked out when his rogue dodged the attack with a smile.


    The smile didn¡¯t last long, though. Nick again rolled badly, and the minotaur got smacked in the face by a pair of wadded up socks.


    Grizzizzik shook out his hands. ¡°Okay, you know what? I hate this spell.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a cantrip, and it¡¯s the most powerful one we have now that you¡¯re out of your level one spells,¡± Nick snapped at him. He sprayed the minotaur¡¯s back to get its attention, but it was proving difficult.


    Nick rolled a nat one on Grizzizzik¡¯s turn, and he was frankly terrified of what it would do. Grizzizzik made a big show of trying to get as much energy into his hands as possible before shooting it forward. The black light did little more than immediately turn into a leaf and gently drop to the ground at his feet. Grizzizzik snarled at the leaf, making him unprepared for the horn attack from the minotaur. Nick gasped, then watched the hit points drop to three. Grizzizzik coughed, blood trickling from his mouth.


    ¡°Grizzizzik!¡± Nick shouted. The minotaur spun, and Nick held up his spray can, realizing just how futile this looked. The minotaur snarled at Nick before a random baby doll smacked the back of his head. If the minotaur wasn¡¯t already at death¡¯s door, it wouldn¡¯t have hurt, but it weakened the creature as the plastic doll hit the minotaur in just the right spot.


    Yet the minotaur was still standing. He started charging for Nick, and he leapt out of the way.


    Nick rolled for Grizzizzik¡¯s turn. This had to be it. The minotaur was already in terrible shape.


    A heavy wooden clock smacked the minotaur in the back of the head before dissolving into blackness. The minotaur shrieked, then collapsed to the ground, closing his eyes. Nick panted, staring at the creature who was now dead.

 Chapter 188

    Nick sat on the sidewalk, hands in his hair. Six hundred and fifty experience points tumbled into Grizzizzik¡¯s experience bar, as well as many suggestions for his rogue class.


    ¡°See! This is what we should do! Going out on our own! Defeating creatures by myself! I feel incredible.¡± Grizzizzik started flexing for some odd reason.


    The anger forced Nick to his feet. ¡°Get back to Hraktar. Now. Before I smack you so hard, the rest of those three hit points disappear.¡±


    Grizzizzik dropped his arms. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    ¡°Just get back. We¡¯re already risking too much with you being here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome for saving your life,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°My life wasn¡¯t in danger.¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡± Grizzizzik glanced around to get his bearings. ¡°Just go spray paint that wolf so I can level up as a warlock. I will see you later.¡±


    ¡°You do not have enough hit points in you to be mouthing off to me right now,¡± Nick limped over to his bike. He didn¡¯t want to have a limp, but he couldn¡¯t help it. Some muscle got pulled, and it stung to walk on it. His injuries would be difficult to hide. He didn¡¯t have many long sleeve shirts.


    Grizzizzik grumbled, but thankfully did nothing more as he disappeared into the darkness. Nick stood his bike back up, making sure the minotaur didn¡¯t break it. He tested the pedals, and the chain was still on. Nick shot one more glare at the darkness that swallowed Grizzizzik before climbing on his bike and pedaling away.


    He hated this. He doubted there was another emotion to convey what he felt. This was hatred. One week ago, he hastily threw toilet paper in a park, this week he was doing vandalism on his school mascot outside the building. He couldn¡¯t keep doing this. He needed to think of new ideas to get his friends to understand what was happening. Nick was the only person right now who could stop Grizzizzik.


    Red and blue lights lit up the night sky right behind him. Nick¡¯s heart dropped to his stomach as he felt the cold breeze on his uncovered face. ¡°Shit.¡±


    Adrenaline once again pumped his legs, the bike picking up speed. He couldn¡¯t get caught. He needed to get home.


    The lights were on, following him. He was on the sidewalk, but he needed to get off the road. He was on a bike. There was no way in hell he was faster than a car right now.


    Of course, they could also shoot him. Nick¡¯s heart hammered, the choice before him. Get caught now, or keep going and possibly not get caught later. How big of a possibility was there to not get caught? Could he risk it?


    He imagined what would happen if they called Walt.


    Nick glanced over his shoulder, seeing only one cop car. One for now. He kept pedaling into downtown. He kept going, faster and faster.


    ¡°Pull over! Pull over now!¡± The cop said with the megaphone.


    He was in such deep shit. Running was never the thing to do. Stop and do your best to look innocent.


    With a bag of spray paint in the middle of the night. He doubted anyone could look innocent after this.


    Nick stopped his bike, hopping off it before running. He undid his helmet and shoved his mask on. This gave him a bit of protection from being detected. Despite the fact that his bike was lying on the ground.


    He slid between the alleyway between the dance studio and the workout gym, appearing on the other side of the street. He needed to stop. There was the actual reality of him getting shot.


    And yet Walt. If there was a possibility of him not getting caught, he had to take it. It was a primal instinct at this point.


    Nick sprinted onto the new street, trying to get home as he clutched his helmet. He¡¯d worry about his bike later. He¡¯d think of an excuse when he was back home. There were still a few more hours until sunrise. He just needed to get home. Get home, then think of excuses. He could do this.


    Another police car turned on the street, lights flashing, and Nick screeched to a halt. He was gasping for air from the sprint and his sudden panic. Nick turned around, trying to run away.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Nick found himself frozen at those words. Those words, instead of the other officer, because these words were said by Officer Hendricks. How the hell did the universe line itself up so magnificently to bring this horrible miracle to him?Stolen story; please report.


    Somewhere in his mind, he heard laughter. The laughter that only made sense from the personification of pure chaos.


    ¡°Son of a bitch,¡± Nick muttered.


    ¡°Hands in the air! On your knees!¡± Officer Hendricks said.


    Nick followed orders, dropping his helmet. Despite his overwhelming fear of his dad, he would rather face him than get shot in the back. He raised his hands, getting to his knees, wincing as he did so. He really needed to check what was happening with his leg. If Walt didn¡¯t kill him first.


    Officer Hendricks pulled out a flashlight as his partner trained a gun on Nick. Nick tried to keep his panic down. Tried not to give into fear as advice came back to him.


    ¡°Say nothing. It¡¯s literally the easiest thing to do. Say absolutely nothing. They even remind you of this. Let the pigs run themselves in circles and get all worked up, but we don¡¯t have to say one damn thing.¡±


    Despite how heavy his breathing was, Nick clamped his mouth shut as Officer Hendricks reached out and pulled Nick¡¯s makeshift mask off. His heart pounded as the cool night air hit his sweaty face. Officer Hendricks shined the flashlight right into his face. Nick flinched from the sudden light.


    ¡°Good god, he¡¯s just a kid,¡± Officer Hendricks¡¯ partner said, immediately holstering his gun.


    Officer Hendricks, however, smirked. ¡°I thought I¡¯d be seeing you again, Nick Larsen.¡±


    Nick said nothing, blinking at the light still shining in his face. He said nothing. Not even a request for him to lower his light. As far as the rest of the night would go, Nick would not say another word.


    ¡°Do we take him home?¡± Officer Hendricks¡¯ partner asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Officer Hendricks pointed at Nick¡¯s sleeve, seeing the residue of spray paint there. It was from spraying a minotaur in the face, but Nick wouldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°There was spray paint in the bike basket. Nick must have done a criminal offense and tried to run from it. We¡¯ll take him to the station and wait for Walt to pick him up there. That¡¯ll give us some time to find out what vandalism Nick did. Report it in.¡±


    In Nick¡¯s eye, he saw Grizzizzik¡¯s character sheet pop up, and his level one warlock flipped to level two as Officer Hendricks pulled Nick up to his feet, leading him to the back of the car. ¡°Let¡¯s call your dad, shall we?¡±


    Nick¡¯s heart wanted to escape out of his chest, but he didn¡¯t say one word.


    ***


    Evelyn was asleep. Almost dead asleep. Nothing would have woken her up except for hearing Walt scream, ¡°WHAT!¡±


    Evelyn sat up, almost in a panic. Several dangerous scenarios rushed through her mind, driving sleep from her eyes. She heard thumping as Walt entered Nick¡¯s room, and Evelyn was afraid that Walt would start screaming at Nick. Evelyn scrambled out of bed, grabbing her bathrobe and wrapping it around her.


    ¡°What did he do!¡± Walt shouted.


    Evelyn opened the door, scrambling out of the hall, ready to tell Walt to leave Nick alone, when she noticed he was talking on the phone. The light in Nick¡¯s room was blinding. Walt was glaring at Nick¡¯s bed, listening to something on the phone.


    ¡°So you need me to pick him up?¡± The anger started to disappear from Walt¡¯s voice.


    Evelyn crept forward, peeking into Nick¡¯s room. It was empty. On his bed were strategically placed clothes to imitate someone sleeping there. At first, Evelyn was confused.


    ¡°I am going to take a shower, then I will come get him.¡± The anger from before changed to a far more cooled, controlled tone. Evelyn shivered, almost afraid to look at her dad.


    ¡°Thank you, officer. I will see you shortly.¡±


    Evelyn still stared at Nick¡¯s empty room, trying to understand what had happened.


    ¡°Walt?¡± Lydia asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s at the police station.¡± Walt returned to the room, shutting the door, but Evelyn could still hear. ¡°Tried to run when the police told him to stop.¡± Evelyn winced as she heard the dull thud of Walt punching their closet door. ¡°What the hell is that useless kid thinking?¡±


    Tears pricked Evelyn¡¯s eyes. Her mind couldn¡¯t settle. This made no sense. None of it. This wasn¡¯t Nick now, this was Nick before. Nick now would never do something like this. Something must have happened. Something was at play. Her brother didn¡¯t do things like this anymore.


    Lydia whispered something.


    ¡°No. You stay here with Evelyn. I¡¯m giving them a bit more time to find whatever the hell that boy did to this town, then I¡¯m going to bring him home,¡± Walt said.


    Evelyn¡¯s heart thumped in her chest, staring at Nick¡¯s bed. Trying to force answers out of it. None of this made any sense, but it hurt like an old wound had torn open again. All thoughts of sleep disappeared from her mind. A deeply unsettled feeling bloomed in her chest as the shower turned on. She had no answers right now. She had to ask Nick. But Nick was¡­


    Evelyn closed her eyes, unable to even think about it. Unable to put her brother back in that place he was once in. Nothing made sense. There was no way¡­


    Did he toilet paper the park?


    Evelyn¡¯s throat closed at the thought. He couldn¡¯t. Not Nick. That was before. Like¡­ like ending up at the police station.


    Tears welled up in her eyes as she turned off the lights and headed back to bed. She pulled up the covers, but sleep was gone. It was four in the morning. She needed someone. She needed Nick to explain himself, but she¡¯d have to wait. Wait at least an hour. She couldn¡¯t possibly wait an entire hour. It would drive her insane.


    She grabbed her phone, scared. She didn¡¯t want to tell anyone, and yet everyone. But everyone in CCNC, they should know. They needed to know. If Walt grounded Nick from ever playing CCNC again, they needed to be aware.


    It was early. No one would be up, but they would eventually. She tapped on the group message with everyone but Nick in it.


    Hey everyone. It¡¯s early, but I wanted to update you. My dad is leaving soon to the police station to pick up Nick. He might have done something. I don¡¯t know what. I don¡¯t actually know much more than that. But I¡¯ll keep you all posted on any new developments throughout the day.


    She sent it, tears in her eyes. The shower had been on for about five minutes. She placed her phone next to her on her bed, curling in her blankets. It had taken a while to create that draft. Many writing and rewriting to make sure the text sounded distant, devoid of emotions. It was what she wanted. She didn¡¯t want to sound freaked out. A cool, level head. She didn¡¯t have answers right now, but she would soon. Nick would be back. She¡¯d ask questions, and this would all be one big misunderstanding. There had to be a logical reason for this.

 Chapter 189

    Evelyn¡¯s phone started vibrating. She picked it up, seeing Tyler calling. She swiped her phone.


    ¡°Sorry, did I wake you?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Surprisingly, no. I was already up.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And, um¡­ what? What happened?¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s throat closed. She tried clearing it, but it hurt. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know.¡±


    Tyler sighed on the other end. ¡°Alright. So, it actually happened, then? Nick¡¯s at the police station.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. My dad¡¯s getting ready to pick him up now. Something about¡­ about finding something he did in town? Maybe?¡±


    ¡°This makes¡­ absolutely no sense at all.¡±


    ¡°I know. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Keep me updated, please. If Nick¡¯s in trouble, I need to know everything, and something tells me he won¡¯t have his phone on him.¡±


    Evelyn glanced at her door, dropping her voice just in case. ¡°My dad takes it every night.¡±


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡±


    She held the phone a bit from her to make sure Tyler couldn¡¯t hear her make a noise that sounded an awful lot like a sob.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m okay,¡± Evelyn said once she placed the phone against her ear again.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to pretend.¡±


    Hot tears fell down her cheeks. She didn¡¯t hold the phone away from her this time, but she still tried to keep her cry as quiet as possible. ¡°What¡¯s my dad going to do to him?¡±


    Of everything, this fueled her fears. She needed to know Nick would be safe, and Walt had already accused Nick of being worthless.


    ¡°Grizzizzik must be behind this somehow. Whatever it is, I hate it. I don¡¯t have to get back to Tucson until later today, and I¡¯ll pay him a visit before I do.¡± She heard some shuffling around. ¡°No better time than the present, actually.¡±


    ¡°You sure I didn¡¯t wake you up?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Nope. My reoccurring nightmare happened, and I unfortunately woke my parents. I rarely scream, but I did this time. My mom made me some chamomile tea, and I feel about seven years old.¡±


    Evelyn smiled, surprised she felt like doing so.


    ¡°What better way to feel like an adult than to go check in on a rogue? I am far more likely to believe that Grizzizzik did something than Nick.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, me too.¡± She felt the shift almost immediately. She was terrified that Nick was slipping into some bad habits, but with this realization, she was far more protective of Nick than before. Grizzizzik had to be behind this.


    Tyler sounded like he was ready to hang up, but Evelyn wasn¡¯t ready yet. She needed someone who understood. ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t know you had a reoccurring nightmare.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, it¡¯s pretty stupid. Usually starts with some variation of fighting a gigantic monster with everyone before discovering I¡¯m not wearing a stitch of clothing.¡±


    Evelyn felt her face flush with that mental image. ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Except this time, it¡­ it was a full-blown apocalypse. Buildings collapsing, monsters roaming, and I¡¯m running away from a group of orcs when, once again, I realize I¡¯m naked.¡±


    ¡°Dreams are wild.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t know why she said that.


    ¡°I looked it up while my mom was preparing chamomile tea. Apparently, my dreams have something to do about a fear of being judged, or anxiety about change and my insecurities. Also losing control or a huge life change was possible in my future. And honestly, my dreams need to stop telling me what I already know.¡±


    Evelyn couldn¡¯t help it and chuckled. This is what she needed, even as her face was flaming red. Someone to talk to. Someone to ease her uncertainty.


    The heavy footsteps of her father came toward her door. ¡°Oh, just a sec,¡± Evelyn whispered before stuffing her phone under her pillow and pretending to be asleep. Her door squeaked open, and Evelyn couldn¡¯t help it. She opened her eyes, glancing at Walt.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Nothing you need to worry about. I¡¯m bringing Nick home soon, and you will stay in here until I¡¯m done talking to him,¡± Walt said.


    Evelyn sat up, her brows furrowing. ¡°No, dad. Leave him alone.¡±


    ¡°Leave him alone? After he woke me up at four in the morning? By sneaking out of my home and vandalizing something? The police had to hunt him down, Evie. He will be punished, whether by the police or by me. Go back to bed.¡±


    Like that would comfort her enough to go to sleep. Evelyn let out a breath as the door closed, then she reached under the pillow to grab the phone.


    ¡°Tyler? I¡­ should go. I¡¯ll keep you updated.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll sort this out, Evie.¡± Tyler¡¯s voice sounded softer, like he¡¯d heard the entire exchange. ¡°Grizzizzik has to know what¡¯s going on, and it will stop today.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Let me know what Grizzizzik says,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°I will. And let me know what your dad does. It¡¯ll be okay. We¡¯ll get answers soon.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    She hung up, then leaned against the wall. She brought her legs against her chest, burying her head in her knees, and tried to process what happened.


    ***


    After fighting a minotaur, running from the police, and being up all night, Nick was exhausted when they placed him in the holding area of the police station. They had taken his black hoodie when Officer Roberts saw the blood on his sleeve. Once they saw the extent of the road rash on his arms, a first aid kit was brought in. Nick let them wash his arms and put gauze on them, but he refused to say a word. Maybe they were attempting a sympathetic angle, but he refused to talk. It didn¡¯t help that his arms looked pretty scratched up. They also assumed he pulled a muscle when he fell off his bike. As they healed him, Nick went through the options of a second level warlock and made his choices because he could. Grizzizzik wasn¡¯t stopping him, and his character had delayed leveling up enough.


    Nick was asleep the moment his head was on the bench. A part of him was terrified of Walt coming to pick him up, but he¡¯d been awake for almost twenty-four hours. The exhaustion was too much for him to stay awake worrying.


    He felt like he¡¯d barely closed his eyes when someone gently shook him.


    ¡°Nick? Your father¡¯s here to take you home.¡±


    Despite thinking his exhaustion was enough to help him sleep, now that Walt was actually here, all sleep fled. Nick tried to get up, but his body reminded him he was injured and stiff. He was not used to that much running and biking. His thigh was smarting, and as much as he didn¡¯t want to, he had a slight limp as he moved out of the holding area. Walt was there, signing something. They hadn¡¯t found what Nick had vandalized, because he hadn¡¯t done it. Nick was happier he got caught before he got to the high school, but he wasn¡¯t about to tell that to anyone.


    Nick forced his heart to stay calm. Forced himself to not show any fear at all on his face. He wanted to keep walking without a limp but couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. He knew from the look on Walt¡¯s face that he had spent his time being angry at home. Now it was time for Walt to strike Nick right where it hurt.


    Nick still kept up his silent act. Said nothing as he gathered his things from the front desk. Held the bag of spray paint, helmet, and hoodie in his arms as he headed toward the door. Walt grabbed his shoulder, and Nick froze, his heartbeat in his throat as he made eye contact with his dad. Walt¡¯s face was calm, but his eyes were burning with anger.


    ¡°What do you tell the police officers?¡± Walt asked.


    Nick said nothing, staring at the anger in Walt¡¯s eyes. Refusing to say anything. The silence stretched, and the anger grew. ¡°What do you say to the police officers who wasted their time and energy tracking you down? Wasted taxpayers dollars to keep you in line. When you should have been in bed. When you should have listened to me.¡±


    Nick¡¯s lips disappeared in a tight line. Walt wanted him to apologize. It wouldn¡¯t happen. Nick refused to talk in the police station. However, Walt was stubborn enough to keep him there until he said something. Nick tried moving again toward the front door, but Walt¡¯s hand tightened over Nick¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Say it, Nick,¡± Walt said.


    He stared right back at his father. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m saying nothing.¡±


    He pushed his dad¡¯s arm from his shoulder and left the police station.


    ***


    Someone was knocking on Rafael¡¯s door. Rafael sniffed, trying to wipe the sleep from his eyes as he simultaneously shoved some clothes on. There was a chance it was his mother. She sometimes forgot her house key, but that hadn¡¯t been for a while. Not since she¡¯d stopped drinking.


    Rafael opened the door, surprised to see Tyler. ¡°Good morning?¡±


    ¡°Morning. Where¡¯s Grizzizzik?¡± Tyler asked, moving into his house.


    Rafael was pretty sure he passed Grizzizzik when coming to the door. He and Hraktar usually slept on the couches. But from the urgency in Tyler¡¯s voice, it didn¡¯t seem like he was really waiting for Rafael to respond.


    ¡°Grizzizzik?¡± Tyler asked.


    Rafael closed the door and followed Tyler. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Check your messages,¡± Tyler said.


    Rafael was not prepared for that response. He was also not prepared for the gut punch that it was, despite not knowing what was happening. He grabbed his phone from his room as Tyler found the half-asleep rogue.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    ¡°What are you doing to Nick?¡± Tyler asked, arms folded.


    Grizzizzik rubbed his eyes. ¡°What?¡±


    Rafael felt a weakness in his knees as he read the simple response from Evelyn. Despite how devoid of emotion it sounded, Rafael could almost feel her terror. Nick was at the police station. Walt was going to collect him. Now waiting for him to come back.


    Hraktar stood up. ¡°Would you like me to hold him for you?¡±


    ¡°Tempting,¡± Tyler said.


    Alejandra¡¯s door opened. ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    Rafael gave a small shake of his head, which made Alejandra¡¯s eyes widen. Rafael wasn¡¯t about to lie to her, though. This was bad, and he wasn¡¯t going to hide it.


    ¡°Tell me what happened last night,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°Oh, really? Nothing? Wanna tell me why Nick¡¯s at the police station right now?¡± Tyler asked.


    Alejandra gasped, then covered her mouth. She looked at Rafael, as though begging him to contradict, but Rafael didn¡¯t. Instead, he pointed to his own phone, and Alejandra pulled out hers.


    Grizzizzik remained silent, watching Tyler with his snake eyes. Tyler folded his arms, the anger filling his gaze. ¡°Don¡¯t make me do it, Grizzizzik.¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡± Grizzizzik asked. ¡°Act your age? The age you want to be? Or the age you¡¯re too scared to be?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not getting under my skin,¡± Tyler said. ¡°And I won¡¯t have you tormenting Nick. You leave him alone.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s smirk appeared. ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m doing anything?¡±


    ¡°He told me he needed space from you. He¡¯s been struggling. You know why he¡¯s struggling. Tell me,¡± Tyler said.


    Grizzizzik said nothing, the smirk growing as he stood up. ¡°Feels good, doesn¡¯t it? Having power? Responsibility? Terrifying, too. So much on those young little shoulders of yours.¡±


    Tyler lifted a finger, glaring at Grizzizzik. ¡°You will tell me what you¡¯re doing to my friend.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s smile remained. ¡°And what exactly makes you think I¡¯m doing anything?¡±


    ¡°God, you can be obnoxious,¡± Tyler said. ¡°This is Nick¡¯s life you¡¯re playing with. Leave him alone. Do you understand?¡±


    Fangs started poking through Grizzizzik¡¯s lips. ¡°Stop making such childish assumptions that I¡¯m hurting him.¡±


    ¡°Ezekiel!¡± The fighter¡¯s voice echoed through the house as Alejandra stared at her phone in shock.


    Ezekiel walked in from outside, rubbing his eyes. Clarissa enjoyed sleeping outside, so they slept under the stars often. ¡°Hey. Tyler, this is a welcome surprise.¡±


    ¡°Grizzizzik¡¯s up to something,¡± Hraktar said.


    Ezekiel studied Grizzizzik, who was watching Tyler. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Grizzizzik?¡±


    The rogue tore his gaze from Tyler to rest on Ezekiel. ¡°I might¡¯ve decided to do a little extra combat to keep leveling up last night. The boy must have gotten caught by local law enforcement when we split ways.¡±


    Rafael covered his face with his hands. Oh, this was bad. He did not trust Grizzizzik in the slightest. There had to be more than that.


    Tyler studied Grizzizzik closely. ¡°No. That can¡¯t be right.¡± Grizzizzik stared right at Tyler again, and Tyler pushed through. ¡°You¡¯re forcing him to level up with you. Nick was¡­ he said you were getting to his head. Why would he go with you to level up. Unless you were forcing him to do this.¡±


    Grizzizzik kept his mouth closed, even as his snake fangs kept growing. Rafael was glad Hraktar and Ezekiel were there. Grizzizzik looked ready to bite Tyler.


    Tyler¡¯s sigh seemed to break the tension before the game master sat down on the couch. ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, Rafael, I¡¯d like to stay. Nobody text this story to the group chat. I¡¯d like Evelyn to ask Nick what happened, and she¡¯ll update us, eventually. I¡¯d like to see if the two stories match.¡±


    ¡°And if they don¡¯t?¡± Rafael asked.


    Tyler¡¯s gaze shot to Grizzizzik, who had his arms folded. The suspicion had never left Tyler¡¯s eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll cross that bridge when we get there.¡±

 The future of this series

    Hey all! Making a note as a chapter itself, because this is important.


    There¡¯s no way to sugar coat this, so I¡¯ll just dive right in. I¡¯m not going to see this story to the end.


    Why, do you ask? Though I¡¯m sure some of you think it¡¯s because of Nick (and I¡¯d be lying if I didn¡¯t say he does have a small part to play in this), it¡¯s actually because of Rafael. The main reason is because right now, a prominent fantasy author has been accused of sexual assault. Long story short, after reading the abusive things this person has done, I was horrified and left feeling empty. This is not the year I want to be working on this story. It might not even be in the next few years. It should feel nice to have a story where an abuser feels horrible about what they¡¯ve done, but I¡¯m not in the right headspace to write it. It feels wrong, somehow. Victims don¡¯t often get an ending where the assaulter feels guilty and full of shame about what they¡¯ve done.


    Writing this story has now become a chore, and that always burns me out fast. Since writing is still a hobby and not a job, I¡¯ve got to know when to stop a series and move on to another project.


    So what happens from here? I¡¯m going to do my best to tie up some loose ends in a shorter volume five. Yes, all of volume four is written, and yes, Nick still suffers. A lot. I¡¯m also not in the right headspace to go back and rewrite that to make it lighter in any way. I¡¯ll do my best in volume five to give these characters some much needed healing before I end this story prematurely (meaning before the apocalypse. I don¡¯t want to write that right now, either). I¡¯m going to drop my already finished chapters here as fast as possible so I can just be done. Instead of posting a chapter tonight, I¡¯m getting three chapters ready for tomorrow to post throughout the day. I¡¯ll still hit my three chapters a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, but I will be posting more. How much more depends on what writing I get done, but it will be more than 3x a week. I¡¯m not sure when I¡¯ll be done writing volume five. We still have a huge chunk of volume four to get through before we even reach volume five. Once I finish writing that last volume, though, I¡¯m dumping all the chapters here.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    It sucks. I know. I¡¯m mentally prepared for the mass exodus of followers from my story after this post. But I can¡¯t push through this empty feeling and write this story. I¡¯ve already tried that, and it hasn¡¯t been working.


    So thank you for following along for as long as you have. I hope the healing in volume five helps ease the pain of a premature ending. For those that want to leave now, I just want to say thank you for your support. It¡¯s been an interesting journey, full of ups and downs.


    I¡¯m off to write some healing now and prepare those chapters for tomorrow.

 Chapter 190

    The ride home was silent. Nick realized he had stumbled on the worst kind of Walt. The silent one. He could almost hope for anger, emotions, screaming. But the cool, levelheaded dad sorting through the perfect punishment was worse.


    Nick was on edge, even as he tried not to be. The ten-minute drive was a nightmare as he forced his mind to stay away from the flight or fight feeling. Nick fought the urge to go through every worst-case scenario. He tried not to imagine what it¡¯d be like to no longer play CCNC. To roll from a distance until April. He was certain that was punishment number one. There¡¯d be multiple punishments; that he knew. Being picked up at five in the morning from the police station would not go unpunished. Not by Walt.


    Walt opened the garage door before easing his car into it. Nick grabbed his things, pretending this was nothing more than a simple trip. If Walt wanted to terrify him by saying nothing, Nick needed to pretend nothing was wrong. Walt was no doubt trying out some psychological warfare, but Nick wouldn¡¯t bite.


    Nick left the spray paint in the garage. He grabbed his hoodie and headed into the house, limping as he went. He kept Walt behind him, refusing to be afraid. The exhaustion hit once he entered the kitchen, and he headed toward his room. If Walt wouldn¡¯t talk to him, then he¡¯d go back to sleep.


    ¡°Nick.¡±


    His legs froze. It was as terrifying as Officer Hendricks warning him he would shoot. All Walt had to say was his name, and Nick was rooted at the spot.


    Nick was so exhausted he didn¡¯t dare speak. At this level of exhaustion, he was bound to let a phrase slip he didn¡¯t want to. Any spark of anger would ignite the air around them, and Nick would be the one left burnt to a crisp.


    Nick turned his head ever so slightly, seeing Walt folding his arms and leaning against the kitchen island.


    ¡°You ready for your punishment?¡± Walt asked.


    Nick forced air into his lungs, keeping his breathing at a steady rate. Refusing to panic.


    Walt took Nick¡¯s refusal as an affirmative. ¡°For the next month, I have your phone.¡±


    Mild, but to be expected. There was no way that was it.


    ¡°Today, I shall write up a list of jobs you must do before you go to bed. It won¡¯t be long. No doubt you¡¯re exhausted. But they must be done before you sleep.¡±


    Nick¡¯s fingers curled into fists. Not letting him sleep seemed cruel, but Nick would have to see the length of the chore list. He truly believed Walt would only put a few jobs in there.


    ¡°Whatever desire you have to rebel five months before your birthday, I will not let it continue. So, I shall give you three options. For now, you may choose one.¡± Nick glanced behind him again, not meeting Walt¡¯s gaze, but noticing enough that Walt kept his arms folded, leaning against the island. ¡°First option, you no longer play that role-playing game with that Tyler kid.¡±


    Nick swallowed, already knowing he¡¯d have to choose a different option. With the end of the world, he had little choice.


    ¡°Second option, you quit your job.¡±


    Nick¡¯s stomach dropped. ¡°What?¡±


    There was no smile on Walt¡¯s face. ¡°Do you really need me to repeat myself?¡±


    Nick partially turned, opening his mouth. Ready to argue. The words stayed in his throat, choking him. Maybe he was ready to argue, but in his current state of exhaustion, it would turn into screaming.


    ¡°I gave you that job, Nick. I can take it away.¡± The danger in Walt¡¯s voice was clear.


    Nick closed his mouth. His own anger settled into him. His future. Walt wanted to take away his future. Nick would have to double check. There was no way the laws could support this. No way could a parent force a child to quit a job. But then again, parents had an insane amount of power over their kids. If Walt decided, Nick would have no choice.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Nick glared at his father. He¡¯d already said too much with the emotions on his face, and Walt studied him with an air of triumph. Triumph that he was getting through.


    ¡°And finally,¡± Walt said, his arms still folded. ¡°I take away the door to your room for as long as you¡¯re living here.¡±


    Nick flinched, and he hated that he did so in full view of his dad. It was the safest option. The option Walt no doubt assumed Nick would pick. It still hurt. God, it hurt. Nick lived in his room. It was his safe space. The only way he could survive under the same roof as Walt. A place he could shut the rest of the world out.


    Without a door, Walt could come and go as he pleased. There was no shutting out the world. Walt wouldn¡¯t even knock. He never did. This time there wouldn¡¯t be a door to stop him, either. Walt had already refused to respect his boundaries. And now, with a simple power drill, the illusion of boundaries was gone.


    ¡°Make your choice, or I¡¯ll make it for you,¡± Walt said.


    It spurred the words out of his mouth. ¡°The door.¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    Nick got the distinct impression that Walt heard. He just wanted Nick to say it louder. He stared his dad right in the eye. ¡°Damn you, take the door.¡±


    Walt did not smile. ¡°Let me make myself perfectly clear. I gave you three options. If this ever happens again, you may make another choice from the remaining options. If you keep pushing the envelope even after the options are gone¡­¡± Walt trailed off before shrugging. ¡°Then there¡¯s a good chance you¡¯ve landed yourself in juvie, and it¡¯ll be out of my hands, anyway. It will be a failure on both our parts, but god knows I¡¯ve tried.¡± Walt straightened, then patted the dishwasher. ¡°Start unloading. I¡¯ll get you the rest of the chores list after you¡¯ve had breakfast.¡±


    Walt went back into the garage. Nick placed his bandaged arm against the counter, breathing deeply. Trying to keep his cool. Walt reentered the kitchen, and Nick wasn¡¯t strong enough to pretend to be okay. Walt had his bag of tools, heading for Nick¡¯s room. Nick stared at the dishwasher. He couldn¡¯t do it. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to open the dishwasher and start unloading it. All the exhaustion, the adrenaline, it was gone from his body.


    His knees trembled, and the only thing keeping him up was his arm braced against the counter. He had done the math. Grizzizzik needed 6,677 more experience points to get his warlock¡¯s level three. Yes, they would fight more often, but the only way they could get that many experience points in a week was if they fought armies every day. Grizzizzik¡¯s experience points would only count for two more days, then Nick would have to do something chaotic again for the rest of the battles to count.


    Nick squeezed his eyes shut, trying to calm his nausea as the power drill turned on. Even if they found armies to fight every day, Nick would still have to do something chaotic. At least one more time.


    ¡°Nick?¡±


    He was too exhausted to jump, but he opened his eyes, blinking a few times to remind himself to stay awake. Evelyn stood there, her eyes wide and worried, the phone clutched in her hand.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°What¡­ what happened?¡± Her voice cracked with emotion. ¡°Nick, what did you do?¡± Her eyes lingered on his bandaged arms before looking back at him. ¡°Was this Grizzizzik?¡±


    Nick was too exhausted to think of a lie. Too exhausted to do much of anything. Instead, he turned his back on his sister and opened the dishwasher. ¡°Grizzizzik¡¯s made a deal with Chaos. In exchange for me doing chaotic things, Grizzizzik gets to level up in his warlock class. He¡¯s doing this to get a sword strong enough to kill his father.¡± Those same words, repeated time and time again, caused his throat to react like it had been cut. It closed up, and he felt so isolated and helpless.


    Nick gathered up the plates, moving them to the cabinet. Evelyn gave a shaky breath.


    ¡°Grizzizzik can¡¯t¡­ do this to you,¡± Evelyn said. Nick said nothing, having no idea what Evelyn thought he said. ¡°You can¡¯t keep letting Grizzizzik do this to you.¡±


    ¡°Obviously, but no one can hear me.¡± Nick¡¯s eyes grew warm. ¡°And if I don¡¯t do anything, Chaos will.¡±


    ¡°You have your friends here to support you. Lean on us. You can¡¯t¡ª¡± Evelyn stopped as the power drill stuttered, before starting up again. ¡°This is dangerous.¡±


    Nick gathered the cups, placing them all on the counter. Evelyn waited, looking distressed. ¡°Nick, are you even listening to me?¡±


    ¡°Way better than you listening to me,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn frowned, her eyebrows furrowing. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°That you can¡¯t hear what I¡¯m plainly telling you. I¡¯m stuck, and I can¡¯t get out of this situation unless I let Chaos do what he wants for a week.¡±


    Evelyn folded her arms, trying to hide the tears in her eyes. ¡°So you won¡¯t even say anything?¡±


    Nick felt another wave of exhaustion hit him. This was pointless. These conversations were circular. He was so tired. His eyes were already heavy as he stacked the cups and put them in the cupboard.


    ¡°Nick, please. You¡¯re scaring me again,¡± Evelyn said.


    It was so quiet, so vulnerable, that a part of his heart cracked. He knew this would happen. It wasn¡¯t just his reputation with his father he was worried about, but his reputation with his friends. His little sister. No one would trust him after this.


    Grizzizzik couldn¡¯t trust anyone, and he made it so no one could trust Nick.


    ¡°Please, Evelyn. I¡¯m really tired,¡± Nick whispered.


    Evelyn hesitated. She almost went to touch his shoulder, but stopped. Instead, she turned around and ran to her room. Nick was sure he heard her muffled cry. He closed the cupboard and finished putting away the utensils. Once the dishwasher was unloaded, he grabbed himself a bowl of cereal and collapsed at the table as he listened to his father pull his door off its hinges.

 Chapter 191

    Rafael made sure everyone was comfortable. When Mariana came home, Rafael thought of some excuse for Tyler being there. She simply greeted him with a tired smile before heading to her bedroom to sleep. Everyone was quiet. Their characters didn¡¯t need to be, since Mariana couldn¡¯t hear them, but they were. Grizzizzik was on one couch, while Ezekiel and Clarissa were on the other. Hraktar leaned against the wall, watching Grizzizzik like a hawk. Tyler paced back and forth, his phone in his fist. Alejandra was doing homework, but it was clear her mind wasn¡¯t in it. Rafael was supposed to be working out right now, but he couldn¡¯t focus on that, either. Nick was in trouble with his dad. Rafael was antsy, wanting to go over to make sure everything was okay. Maybe his own experience tainted his feelings, but he was genuinely worried Nick would get a beating.


    Tyler¡¯s phone barely vibrated in his hand before he swiped it, putting it to his ear. ¡°Hey, Evelyn. I¡¯m here at Rafael and Alejandra¡¯s place. Would you like me to put you on speakerphone?¡±


    Tyler heard her response, and he stopped pacing. Rafael folded his arms over his chest, staring ahead. ¡°Is he alright?¡± Tyler¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Evelyn, hey, it¡¯ll be okay.¡± He listened to her some more, and Rafael could hear her high-pitched panicking from here. ¡°I promise. I promise it¡¯ll be okay. Can you slip out of the house for a while? Make an excuse you¡¯re meeting up with friends? We can all meet at Derek¡¯s if you need.¡±


    Alejandra and Rafael exchanged worried glances. Evelyn wasn¡¯t one to panic. If anything, Evelyn held a lot in before collapsing under the weight. Judging by Tyler¡¯s deepening worry, Rafael had a feeling Evelyn had just collapsed.


    ¡°The door?¡± Tyler¡¯s voice grew in volume. He covered his mouth, glancing at Mariana¡¯s room as he dropped his voice again. The incredulousness, however, didn¡¯t drop. ¡°Walt took Nick¡¯s door?¡±


    Rafael winced, then glanced at Grizzizzik, who watched Tyler with a forced, bored expression. His fangs had never returned to his mouth.


    ¡°Okay, okay, Evelyn? Listen to me. Listen. Do you need to get out of the house?¡± He listened to her reply, his face dropping. ¡°This was Walt¡¯s punishment. Okay? Nick¡¯ll be fine for now. It¡¯s you I¡¯m worried about.¡±


    Rafael closed his eyes and hung his head as he heard Tyler keep trying to calm Evelyn down. Evelyn was no doubt having a panic attack. He¡¯d talked Alejandra out of plenty of panic attacks, and he knew what to do. But this was Evelyn. He had hurt her. If he talked to her, it might make it worse.


    ¡°I promise it¡¯ll be okay,¡± Tyler said.


    Rafael sighed, feeling defeated as he walked forward. Tyler was about three seconds away from telling Evelyn to calm down, and that would only make things worse. The only thing that was slightly better would be if Rafael talked to her, so he made his choice.


    Rafael gestured toward Tyler, holding out his hand. Tyler was confused, but handed his phone over. Rafael pressed a few buttons and placed Evelyn on speakerphone.


    ¡°Hey, Evelyn. You¡¯re on speakerphone. It¡¯s Rafael,¡± he said.


    ¡°Rafael?¡± Evelyn¡¯s voice was full of air. He could almost hear the sob she was letting out in gasps.


    ¡°Hey, are you sitting down?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°Sit down, Evelyn. Right where you are.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ I don¡¯t know if¡­¡±


    ¡°Tell me five things you can see,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Tell me five things you can see. Look around where you are right now and tell me five things you can see.¡±


    He kept his voice calm, coaching Evelyn through the grounding principles he¡¯d gone through with Alejandra when they were little. Evelyn, at first, was panicked and confused, but to his surprise, she¡¯d calmed down as she spoke about what was in her room. Her decorations on her bed, the feel of the fake leaves hanging around her room between her fingers, the smell of her lotions. All as her voice steadied and became calmer. Tyler had his hands clasped together, bouncing them against his lips as he listened, looking far more relieved as Evelyn got calmer.


    Evelyn¡¯s breathing was steadier after Rafael coached her through the techniques.


    ¡°He¡¯s¡­ Nick, he¡¯s¡­¡± her voice was weaker, but not as panicked. ¡°He said Grizzizzik wanted to level up, so they snuck out of the house and ended up battling a minotaur or something. When they split ways, the police caught Nick.¡±


    Tyler let out a hiss. Rafael glanced at the rogue, who had his arms crossed and stared ahead. The stories matched. Nick and Grizzizzik went and did some solo leveling. They split the party. Nick shouldn¡¯t be doing this. Grizzizzik didn¡¯t need any extra experience points. From what he understood, Grizzizzik had about the same points as everyone else.


    ¡°Evelyn? It¡¯s Tyler again. If we¡¯re serious about leveling up the group, we¡¯ll have to do some fighting all this week. Do you want to come with us to the fight today? Or do you want to stay home?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°I want to stay home.¡± It didn¡¯t sound like she had to even think about it. ¡°Nick won¡¯t have a phone all month, and I need to stay here. In case anything else happens that we¡¯ll need to contact you all.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Tyler kept rubbing the gray mark across his neck. Rafael wondered if it had a certain feeling. Was anything different, now that it had been a while since he got his gray marks?


    ¡°It¡¯s also for Grizzizzik¡¯s own safety. If I see that rogue¡¯s smug face today, I might gorge his stupid little eyes out.¡±


    Rafael glanced at Grizzizzik, who kept his arms folded. Clarissa, on the other hand, let out a snort of a laugh.


    ¡°Uh, you¡¯re on speakerphone. Grizzizzik heard that,¡± Tyler said.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Good. Let him hear it.¡± Evelyn¡¯s voice grew in volume. ¡°So help me, Grizzizzik, if you try this stupid shit again, I will rip out your throat! I¡¯ll tear off your appendages and beat your face with them before I stuff them up your¡ª¡±


    Rafael raised an eyebrow as Tyler quickly pressed a few buttons. ¡°You¡¯re now off speakerphone.¡±


    Rafael glanced at Grizzizzik, who no longer had a forced bored expression. He was blinking multiple times as though coming to terms with being threatened by a sixteen-year-old. Clarissa was covering her face, trying and failing to hide her laughter. Grizzizzik shot her a glare.


    Clarissa lowered her hand. ¡°She¡¯d actually do it, Grizzly Bear. And you better hope I¡¯m around to stop her.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t stop her,¡± Hraktar said from the wall.


    Grizzizzik rolled his eyes before he stood up. ¡°I¡¯m simply eager to get stronger. Akshi is planning something, and we must be prepared.¡±


    Grizzizzik about left, but Tyler appeared in front of him, hand out. His glare was dangerous.


    ¡°Okay. I won¡¯t call Nick, so we¡¯re back to you being the soul communicator between everyone,¡± Tyler said into his phone. He heard Evelyn¡¯s response, but he still kept his eyes on Grizzizzik.


    Ezekiel reached out and held Clarissa¡¯s hand and glanced at Grizzizzik. ¡°There are better ways to get prepared without endangering our creators.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll talk to you later,¡± Tyler said before hanging up. He glared at Grizzizzik. ¡°You will never do this again. Are we clear?¡±


    ¡°Crystal,¡± Grizzizzik said in the most manipulative, slithery voice Rafael had ever heard.


    Tyler¡¯s fists clenched, and for one moment, Rafael thought Tyler was going to punch Grizzizzik in the face. Rafael straightened, just in case he needed to hold Tyler back. Instead, Tyler closed his eyes, breathing in slowly as he rolled his shoulders and stomped away.


    ¡°Ezekiel, Hraktar, watch this rogue. Set up a watch at night, every night. No one is to keep their eyes of this snake. I don¡¯t trust him, and I do not want him near Nick. The second Grizzizzik disappears, I want to know about it.¡± Tyler glanced at Rafael and Alejandra. ¡°If one of the characters alerts to you that Grizzizzik is gone, you call Evelyn. Immediately. She will find and warn Nick. I will let her know of this plan.¡±


    ¡°Um, Tyler,¡± Rafael started to say.


    ¡°I will double check with Evelyn, but I¡¯m almost positive she¡¯ll agree to getting a phone call from you. If it¡¯s about keeping Nick safe, I doubt she¡¯ll care who the call is from. Plan on this unless I tell you otherwise. I¡¯ll check in with her later.¡±


    Rafael nodded, glancing at Grizzizzik. The rogue still had his fangs out, his eyes far more narrowed as he studied Tyler. Tyler met the rogue¡¯s gaze. ¡°I¡¯ll let Derek know, too. There¡¯s something more to this. I can feel it.¡± Tyler raised a finger, pointing toward Grizzizzik. ¡°Whatever power you think you have over Nick, we will find out, and we will break it. I know what I saw in Nick last night, and he would not do what you said he did without feeling threatened. You do not mess with one of my friends, Grizzizzik.¡±


    Grizzizzik let out a breath, his nostrils flaring, but said nothing.


    Tyler turned around and grabbed his jacket, stuffing his hands through the sleeves as he headed toward the door. ¡°I¡¯ll see everyone later at Derek¡¯s.¡±


    ***


    The rest of Sunday left Evelyn scared and confused, even as she tried not to be. She spent most of her time studying Tyler¡¯s social media, though she didn¡¯t realize how much she was looking at it. Nick had finished his chores well before lunch and crashed in his bed, sleeping soundly without a door.


    When Nick woke up later that evening, they were rolling dice for the battle that she later learned was a cyclops trying to enter Elmwood with his four demon sheep. There were a lot of creatures now outside the town limits, making factions and attempting to conquer a town of humans that couldn¡¯t see them. Or how they could conquer something they couldn¡¯t even touch.


    Their work was cut out for them. They¡¯d have to lure these creatures away to kill them.


    Evelyn tried to talk to Nick at dinner, but he closed himself off completely, giving vague, one-word answers. He was shutting her off, and it scared her more than she wanted to admit. When he finished dinner, he went back to his room with no door. Evelyn knew that if she wanted to, she could march right in there and confront him, but it wouldn¡¯t work. Nick would close himself off even more. A painful reminder that he had no door and couldn¡¯t shut out his little sister, who could be a pain in the butt.


    So, despite her better judgement, Evelyn left him alone. Even with sleeping most of the day, Nick finished dinner and went back to bed. She feared her brother stumbled into a depressive state.


    She was already there.


    The battle finished. Evelyn got the report, and she had a feeling this was how it would go for the next month, as Clarissa received four hundred and fifty experience points.


    The next morning at school, Nick disappeared into the crowd the moment he entered the doors. Evelyn tried to follow him, but he picked up the pace, shooting her a look. Evelyn slowed down, her brows furrowing. She thought she and Nick could go through anything, but why was Nick pulling away from her?


    ***


    P.E. was finished. Nick spent most of it on the bleachers, staring at the bandages on his arms that made a perfectly reasonable excuse to not play basketball with everyone else. While everyone else played, he remembered his math textbook was still in his locker. He¡¯d need it for homework tonight.


    He was forgetting a lot of things today. He was falling into a funk, and he was painfully aware of it, even as the funk grabbed his self-awareness and assured him it would be okay. Okay, if he let the sharper feelings of betrayal numb him. Ignore the stares at his bandaged arms and the whispers from people who never bothered to get to know him.


    Forget the horror at knowing he¡¯d have to do something like this again this week. The horror of what might happen if he got caught like this again.


    The bell rang, and Nick walked to his locker, feeling nothing. He opened it, grabbing his textbook when he saw someone approaching like they would a wild animal. Nick glanced over and saw it was Alejandra who made a point not to look at him.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she said.


    Nick said nothing, emotions strangling the simple greeting he could have said. He zipped up his backpack when Alejandra held out a note. Nick frowned, trying to force the funk away. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Alejandra cleared her throat. ¡°Boundaries. For the winter ball. If¡­ if you can even go.¡±


    Nick stared at the paper, remembering the conversation they had on Saturday. Two days ago. How was it two days ago? It felt like months.


    ¡°Right.¡± He took the page and opened it, scanning the rules they agreed to, with the reminder that they were only doing this to stay together as a group and not for any romantic feelings. Nick folded up the paper and placed it on the shelf in his locker. Alejandra had her arms folded, glancing at the wall. Nick finished zipping his backpack and closed the locker.


    ¡°So¡­ can you go?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Nick shrugged. ¡°Rafael hasn¡¯t asked my dad. Might be smart to wait a few days.¡±


    ¡°Would have been smarter to not do what you did at all.¡± She said it in her quiet way. Almost passive aggressive, but then again, she was clear about what she hated.


    Nick closed his eyes, forcing the funk to smother his anger back into a depressive numbness. ¡°As hard as this is to imagine, Alejandra, this isn¡¯t actually my fault.¡±


    Alejandra shook her head. ¡°When Grizzizzik suggested you leave to level up by yourself, you don¡¯t follow him. Seriously, how hard is that to understand?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard, because that¡¯s not what happened at all,¡± Nick said, feeling his injuries pull as he flexed his hands.


    ¡°Oh, really? Then what happened?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Nick shook his head. ¡°Like you¡¯ll even understand.¡±


    ¡°And why won¡¯t I understand?¡±


    The anger took hold. It was dangerous, but he couldn¡¯t leave her question unanswered, either. ¡°Because my words change every time I talk to you. To Evelyn. To anyone, not just in our group. Grizzizzik has made a contract with Chaos to become a powerful enough warlock to get a sword to kill his father. But you¡¯re not hearing this phrase, you¡¯re hearing something else, and it frustrates the hell out of me that you can¡¯t understand.¡±


    Alejandra¡¯s mouth dropped open, horrified. Nick barely had time to wonder what she heard when she slapped him.

 Chapter 192

    It didn¡¯t hurt. It surprised him more than anything. The thing that hurt worse was the tears that pooled in her eyes, and Nick not knowing how to apologize for whatever he just said. Chaos was getting in his way. There were so many emotions on her face, but from reading her expression, he got the impression she was slightly horrified that she slapped him. Only slightly.


    ¡°Alejandra, I¡­¡± Nick trailed off. He wasn¡¯t even sure if he could assure her it didn¡¯t hurt. Not without knowing what Chaos had him say instead.


    Alejandra covered her face and plowed past him. Nick didn¡¯t hear her cry until she was halfway down the hall. Nick stared ahead, his heart pounding. Chaos would change what Nick said to anything he wanted. Nick absently rubbed his cheek as he left the other way. He¡¯d have to get Evelyn or Derek to tell him what exactly he said to Alejandra so he could offer a proper apology. Also, figure out how to clue people into the situation. He needed to give his friends better clues so they could help figure out what was happening. Soon. Because it seemed like Chaos was bent on making sure all his relationships got torn up, and he couldn¡¯t be certain they would last after something like this.


    The funk quickly smothered the horror he felt at that realization.


    Nick climbed into Evelyn¡¯s car and about placed his hands on the steering wheel when he realized it was bright pink and full of glitter. His hands hesitated, then he rubbed his temple.


    ¡°Good god, Evelyn,¡± Nick muttered. She certainly put her mark on this car. He must not have noticed it this morning because she was driving, and he was in a deep depression. The glitter was in a protective casing, so it wouldn¡¯t get all over him, but then again, it was glitter.


    He placed his hands on the wheel and drove out of the parking lot. Numbness reached out and froze the horror he felt at the situation. He didn¡¯t know what he¡¯d do this week, and he doubted Grizzizzik would have a way to contact him with instructions. They might have to wait until Saturday when they attended their main session. Derek was happily taking on most of the extra sessions this week, since it worked for everyone else to roll from a distance as long as one member of earth was there. They¡¯d all have their Saturday session as normal, though, so that was good. Nick needed to get out of the house. Away from Walt. Since Nick agreed the door could be taken, that meant Walt still had to respect Nick going to CCNC.


    Nick pulled into the employee parking lot, locking his car as he headed toward the back of the store. He checked his watch. A few minutes early, as usual. They had a lot of inventory the past few days, so that was guaranteed work for a few weeks at least.


    Nick placed his water bottle at his desk and put in his code to track his hours. He then got to work, getting into the rhythm of things, when he heard someone walking into the back area.


    ¡°Hey, Nick.¡±


    What was it about hearing his name caused him to freeze so completely? He was still trying to unravel what happened between him and Alejandra, and now Mr. Morgan was at the end of the stairs, calling out to him.


    Nick turned, seeing his boss and Walt¡¯s best friend leaning against the entryway to the stairs. Nick scrambled to read every emotion on his face, to judge for himself how Mr. Morgan would react. He¡¯d already been slapped once today. Also caused a rift between his friends. Was Walt¡¯s threat pointless? Would Mr. Morgan fire him anyway?


    Mr. Morgan motioned up the stairs. ¡°In my office. I have some questions.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Nick willed movement back in his legs as he stood. ¡°Coming.¡± He forced his legs to move as Mr. Morgan climbed the stairs ahead of him. Nick followed, willing his heart to calm down. The old stairs creaked before reaching the office. Mr. Morgan opened the door before ushering Nick inside to give them a semblance of privacy. Nick felt like he might pass out. If he lost his job¡­


    No. If he lost Mr. Morgan¡¯s respect¡­


    Nick practically collapsed in the chair across from the desk, staring at the organized chaos that it was. Mr. Morgan took his sweet time moving around the desk before sitting down.


    ¡°I heard you were taken to the police station,¡± Mr. Morgan said.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Nick didn¡¯t dare to look at him.


    ¡°Something about a vandalism?¡± Mr. Morgan asked.


    Nick swallowed, remembering he needed to keep quiet about the whole thing. ¡°I¡­ I did nothing, sir. It was¡­ wrong place at the wrong time.¡±


    Mr. Morgan kept staring at him. ¡°Wrong place at the wrong time, meaning outside your house at four in the morning?¡±


    Nick flinched, then bowed his head as though he could keep Mr. Morgan from seeing his face. ¡°Are¡­ you going to fire me, sir?¡±


    Mr. Morgan shook his head. ¡°No. Your dad called me and said he¡¯d fire you himself if you ever did this again.¡±


    Nick held his breath, still not looking at his boss. Refusing to feel the relief, because there was no relief. Nick would have to do something chaotic again. If he didn¡¯t, Chaos would.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s rather harsh, though. Don¡¯t you?¡± Mr. Morgan asked.


    Nick tried to give a nonchalant shrug, but he couldn¡¯t look Mr. Morgan in the eye. His eyes grew warm, and he was terrified of letting out the sob he¡¯d been holding back. The sob the numbness promised would never escape, as long as he stayed numb. He couldn¡¯t cry. Not in front of Mr. Morgan, not in front of anyone. He almost willed the depressive funk to return. To numb his feelings again.


    Mr. Morgan¡¯s chair squeaked as he leaned back. Nick kept his eyes on the hardwood floor.


    ¡°It was¡­ perhaps a week ago. I honestly can¡¯t remember. Walt asked me to check the inventory of my toilet paper,¡± Mr. Morgan said. Nick covered his face as all the air from his lungs leaked out. ¡°Seems like there was an incident near your home, and Walt wanted to make sure it wasn¡¯t you.¡±


    Hot tears spilled down his cheeks, and he kept them hidden with his hands.


    ¡°I told Walt that I knew you wouldn¡¯t do something like that and told him to ease off on you. But I came here yesterday morning to check inventory, and it seems like a fair number of toilet paper rolls are not accounted for under the employee¡¯s bathroom.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    The sob broke loose. ¡°Please. Please don¡¯t tell my dad. Take the money out of my paycheck. Tell the police if you want. But please don¡¯t tell my dad.¡±


    The chair squeaked, and Mr. Morgan¡¯s footsteps moved around the desk. Nick could not stop crying. The emotions that he froze for the past two days came back hard, and more anxiety than he could handle. If Mr. Morgan told Walt about the missing toilet paper, Walt would undoubtedly force Nick to stop working. That, or force Nick to stop playing CCNC. Both options terrified him.


    Nick felt an arm rest around his shoulder, and he dropped his hands enough to notice Mr. Morgan offering him a box of tissues with his other hand. Nick took a few, knowing he was a complete mess.


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell your dad. What can I do to help you?¡±


    Nick buried his face in the tissues, wanting to scream. There was nothing Mr. Morgan could do. He didn¡¯t know CCNC. Nick was having a hard enough time getting his friends to figure out what was going on. Mr. Morgan had no chance in hell of figuring anything out.


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Nick hoped his boss could hear him through the sobs. ¡°I can¡¯t do it anymore. I can¡¯t keep doing this.¡±


    ¡°Keep doing what?¡± Mr. Morgan¡¯s voice was calm and in control. Nick didn¡¯t continue. He wanted to go on default and talk about Grizzizzik and the contract he made, but after the slap from Alejandra, he didn¡¯t dare. He couldn¡¯t be sure what Chaos would make Mr. Morgan hear instead, and he couldn¡¯t put himself in that kind of situation again.


    ¡°Are you hanging out with¡­ troubling individuals again?¡± Mr. Morgan asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± That much was true. Grizzizzik had a much longer list of criminal acts than Eddy, but Nick didn¡¯t realize Grizzizzik was real until a few months ago. ¡°Yes, and I don¡¯t know how to get out of it. He¡¯s pressuring me to do things I don¡¯t want to do, and I can¡¯t get out of them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can,¡± Mr. Morgan said.


    Nick shook his head, thinking of Chaos. ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m in too deep and I can¡¯t get out.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re never in too deep. You have your support system. Let us know how we can help.¡±


    Another spike of panic hit him before the numb feeling reached up and pulled it under. Then it pulled his other emotions with it, and the emptiness filled his soul. He had never felt so alone before in his entire life. No, not alone. Just alone with Grizzizzik, who everyone agreed was dangerous.


    Once the storm of emotions died down, he realized Mr. Morgan still had an arm around Nick¡¯s shoulder. Still held the tissue box in his other hand. Mr. Morgan was kneeling on the ground, and when Nick glanced up from his wad of tissues, he saw the deep concern in an adult¡¯s face that he could not possibly comprehend was his dad¡¯s best friend growing up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go this alone, Nick. Don¡¯t listen to this guy¡¯s suggestions. You don¡¯t have to do this. Whatever¡­ blackmail he might have on you, you can stop it.¡±


    Nuclear fallout. That¡¯s what he¡¯s hanging over my head.


    Nick tore his gaze away from Mr. Morgan to stare at the wall, the sob gone, but the tears still falling.


    ¡°He can¡¯t force you to do anything, no matter what he says.¡± Mr. Morgan dropped his hand from around Nick¡¯s shoulder and stood up. ¡°And if you need to, you can go to the police.¡±


    Nick closed his eyes, trying not to feel the aching loneliness that came with that phrase. One officer would not care to help, even if this dealt with a situation they could help with.


    ¡°Nick?¡± Mr. Morgan asked. Once he dried his tears with the tissue, Nick forced himself to look at Mr. Morgan¡¯s face again. ¡°Do you need me to call the police for you?¡±


    Nick shook his head, forcing his legs to stand up. His depressive funk trickled in, and he finished wiping away his tears before throwing away the wad of tissues.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell my dad any of this. He¡¯s¡­ not as understanding as you.¡±


    ¡°What did your dad do? After this last incident?¡± Mr. Morgan asked. Nick said nothing, but he didn¡¯t move to leave, either. Nick glanced again at Mr. Morgan¡¯s desk. ¡°He called me, telling me what he would do if you ever did something like this again, but he never mentioned what he did this time. What did he do?¡±


    ¡°He took away the door to my room.¡±


    Despite Nick¡¯s quiet voice, Mr. Morgan heard. The silence between them was almost unbearable. Nick brushed himself off, the emptiness returning. The emotionlessness returning to his voice. ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, sir, I¡¯ll get back to work.¡±


    Nick turned, heading toward the door.


    ¡°Please call me if you need anything. Anything at all. Even¡­ even if it¡¯s after work,¡± Mr. Morgan said.


    I can¡¯t. My dad has my phone.


    Nick bit back the response, heading out of the office and down the stairs. Once he sat down, he forced himself into the repetitive job of uploading inventory onto the website before placing them in boxes to be shipped off to warehouses. Nick said nothing. He didn¡¯t need to. No one had ever bothered to talk to him before, and he didn¡¯t see the point of starting now.


    The rest of work was tedious, but Nick was numb enough that it wasn¡¯t bothersome. He returned home to Lydia handing him a plate with some dinner as Walt talked to someone on the phone upstairs. All the better. Nick wasn¡¯t in the mood to face his father.


    Nick said nothing as he ate his late dinner, rolling for the session that was happening without him. Nick finished his dinner and went to his room. He went to his desk with his backpack and started his homework.


    The three hundred and twenty experience points from the session didn¡¯t feel like much. It edged Grizzizzik to over eight thousand in total. But Nick felt none of the dopamine that leveling once was. Instead, it was dread. Starting Wednesday, every experience point Grizzizzik got needed to be earned. Earned by another shatter to his reputation when he had nothing left to give.


    There was a knock on the side of the wall. ¡°Nick?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°Can I talk to you?¡±


    It was far more gracious than Evelyn had ever been in the past. She sounded so tired. ¡°I guess,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn¡¯s careful footfalls entered his room, and Nick kept his back to her as he focused on his homework. ¡°Hey, I¡­ I heard from Alejandra that¡­¡± Nick turned his head slightly, waiting for Evelyn to continue. ¡°She said that you told her that Grizzizzik had a contract with Chaos to get a sword to kill his father.¡±


    For the first time since this whole thing started, Nick¡¯s heart felt almost giddy. He turned around in his chair, studying his sister. ¡°What?¡±


    Evelyn shrugged, looking hurt. ¡°That¡­ that Grizzizzik had a contract with Chaos to get a sword to kill his father.¡±


    Nick¡¯s heart exploded in his chest. ¡°Yes. Yes, that¡¯s exactly what I told Alejandra.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s face fell. ¡°Nick, come on¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s forcing me to do things I don¡¯t want to do. Making me create chaos to gain more points in his warlock class. If I don¡¯t help him, he¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nick, stop it!¡± Evelyn¡¯s anger was sharp, causing Nick to stop. ¡°You seriously don¡¯t see how that was a horrid thing to say?¡±


    The only sound Nick heard was the pounding of his own heart. Each thump against his chest hurt more until the realization made it shatter. It was a double-edged sword. Chaos could control what others heard Nick say, and Chaos could do the same thing to Nick. Chaos was manipulating him, and he tried to shake off the terror he felt.


    ¡°You must apologize to her. It was rude, and frankly traumatic, to even mention Grizzizzik signing a contract with Chaos.¡±


    ¡°Get out.¡± Nick felt too exhausted to have a conversation neither one of them could know the true meaning of.


    ¡°What?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°I said get out of my room.¡± Nick faced his desk again.


    ¡°Nick¡ª¡±


    ¡°Get out!¡± Nick snapped.


    Evelyn let out a quiet gasp before hurrying out of his room. Nick dropped his pencil and covered his face. He just snapped at his little sister. This would not help. In fact, he was certain it would make things worse. But he was so tired.


    He sank deeper into the numbing pit of isolation. Depression promised him that if he felt nothing, he couldn¡¯t feel hurt, either.


    ¡°Nick.¡±


    Terror froze him in his chair as Walt walked in. This was a bad time. A really bad time. He was in danger of screaming at his father, and nothing good would come of this.


    Nick sucked in a breath when Walt placed Nick¡¯s phone on the desk next to him. Nick stared at it, then shot a tentative glance at Walt. His father was not looking at him. ¡°I¡¯ll put the door back by the end of the week.¡±


    Walt turned around and started to leave the room. Nick should have just let him, because he was scared of what prodding would do, but he was so confused. ¡°Sorry, what?¡± Nick asked.


    Walt hesitated, then turned his head slightly. ¡°Somehow Ike believes that less restrictions will somehow get you to behave better. I¡¯m willing to test it. For now.¡±


    Walt left, and Nick stared, wide eyed, at the empty spot where his dad once stood. Tears blurred his vision as he turned back to his desk, trying to focus on his homework as he pocketed his phone. It was a small reprieve from his hell. For now, he was willing to take it.

 Chapter 193

    Derek volunteered to go to every combat before Saturday. His mother didn¡¯t mind, in fact came to expect it. Not the combat part, but leaving to socialize. He had many groups of friends, and he made excuses that he was seeing many of them throughout the week. Amanda nodded, her head bobbing slower and slower the more groups of friends he mentioned meeting with throughout the week. He felt a little bad about it, but the sessions with just him and the characters were the most fun he¡¯d had in a while. He got the impression that everyone else felt like this was nothing more than grinding for experience points, but it was probably because they were all rolling from a distance. Derek got to see it in action. He remembered Wednesday¡¯s battle especially, because they were up against a skeleton army and a demon trying to control them. The group separated the army from the demon. Granted, it wasn¡¯t a large army, perhaps seventeen total, but still. The characters lured the demon away.


    Ezekiel remained behind and surprised the skeleton army with his turn undead feature, and because he was a higher-level cleric, all skeletons that didn¡¯t pass the wisdom saving throw got snuffed out of existence. Those creatures did not have high wisdom to begin with, ending up with three skeletons of the original seventeen still standing. Ezekiel then wiped the floor with them one by one. Derek was still laughing about it when he told Rafael what had happened. It was a legendary fight. As they all hoped, since Ezekiel destroyed the army by himself, he got all the experience points for it. While everyone else got about four hundred and fifty experience points for killing the demon, Ezekiel got well over eight hundred. He was bridging the gap from missing out on that first month of their arrival.


    The difference was, Rafael was more than willing to take Ezekiel on missions. Everyone kept their eyes peeled for any smaller creatures trickling into town, and Ezekiel was always the first one called to take care of it. Rafael and Alejandra dropped everything to find the creatures before teleporting Hraktar and Ezekiel to the problem. Hraktar usually came to make sure it didn¡¯t get out of hand, leaving Grizzizzik to be watched by two elves who trusted him marginally more than the fighter.


    Ezekiel didn¡¯t have to fight many little monsters before he caught up, surpassing Clarissa in experience points. Rafael reported Hraktar had to help Ezekiel with fighting a scarecrow, and once that battle was done, Ezekiel was comfortably within everyone else¡¯s range. If smaller level creatures were within the town, the person with the lowest experience points would go after them with another person to help in case it got out of hand.


    Everyone would report their experience points at the end of each battle. It was a nice system going forward, since the smaller level monsters got braver and tried to attack Elmwood. The bigger creatures were easier to spot, and therefore easier to wipe out in sessions.


    It surprised Derek to realize Grizzizzik had the most experience points until he remembered that he and Nick did their own solo leveling. Derek vaguely understood he was throwing himself into these sessions every day because he was avoiding processing how he felt about what Nick did. It seemed like a onetime thing, and judging by the depressed look on Nick¡¯s face, Derek doubted his friend would ever do it again. It was complicated, no doubt, the need to keep leveling up to keep an apocalypse at bay. But they needed to keep doing what they were doing now. Leveling up together and not separately.


    Unless there were smaller creatures in town. Still, no one was allowed to go on their own.


    Derek¡¯s thoughts returned to Nick. His friend looked miserable, and what he said to Alejandra seemed so out of character for him that Derek couldn¡¯t help but want to ask Nick about it himself, but Evelyn begged him not to.


    Of everyone, Evelyn was who Derek was most concerned about. It was clear the bond Evelyn and Nick had as siblings was deep, and she was suffering. But Nick kept pushing her away. Nick pushed everyone away. Derek tried talking to him during lunchtime, but Nick barely said more than a few words at a time. None of it made sense. So Derek threw himself at battles instead.


    By the time he pulled into his home on Friday night, he felt fantastic. They had taken out quite the chunk of monsters who had trickled in. Having level five and six monsters caused a small influx. Enough for them to comfortably fight every day.


    The last of the reports came in for experience points, and Tyler got them all organized before texting the list from highest to lowest.


    Grizzizzik¡ª9470


    Hraktar¡ª9015


    Milo¡ª8975


    Ezekiel¡ª8840This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Princess Clarissa¡ª8810


    Prince Sylvar¡ª3545


    Not bad for a week¡¯s work. Level six was at 14,000 points, so there was still a bit more to go. Sylvar was now at level four, and Tyler was in contact with one group, and they agreed to meet up in Las Vegas on Saturday. Tyler would fly from Pheonix to Las Vegas, and once he met up with the group, he¡¯d teleport Sylvar to them, then come home Saturday night on a later flight. He¡¯d miss the session, but Tyler assured them they¡¯d be okay on their own. They¡¯d done pretty well so far without him this week.


    Derek woke up Saturday morning and threw himself into his homework. He had a little, but it would be a busy day. He fully intended to focus most of his time on CCNC once he was done with homework. Despite fighting every day, Calawit would no doubt have a fight to lead them toward today.


    It was after lunch when Derek was almost done with his math homework, blocking out his sibling¡¯s loud noises. He almost didn¡¯t register the doorbell had rung until Miguel came back. ¡°Derek?¡±


    He glanced up at his dad, smiling. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Emma wants to talk to you.¡± Miguel gestured toward the front door.


    Derek blinked. Emma. Here. At his house.


    ¡°Right.¡±


    The other thing he¡¯d ignored all week and instead threw himself into CCNC battles over processing what happened. The news had spread that Derek Perez would attend the winter ball with Annie Williams. Derek noticed Emma¡¯s depressed face in drama the past week, because he realized how similar Emma and Nick¡¯s faces were. It was again one of those things that pricked at his soul, an uncomfortable realization that he was an asshole. Nick was pushing him away, but there was no excuse with Emma.


    Derek stood up, giving his dad a smile as he walked past, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He walked outside to see Emma there, playing with the bottom of her light jacket.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    They said nothing for a bit. Derek wasn¡¯t sure what to say, other than to admit that he distracted himself with other things, so he wouldn¡¯t have to apologize to her. Or that he ignored sitting down and plainly communicated with her about what they expected out of each other. As a drama kid, he wasn¡¯t sure he could do that without a healthy dose of drama.


    ¡°So¡­ Annie?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re not dating.¡± Derek didn¡¯t know why he needed to tell Emma this. He doubted Emma wanted to go out with him again. As much as it was painful, operation reverse kiss the girl was a success. It also proved he was a horrible person. His soul pricked him during moments like this. ¡°She wanted to go to the dance. She broke up with her boyfriend, so¡­¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re like an understudy,¡± Emma said.


    Despite himself, Derek smiled. ¡°See? I knew you¡¯d get it.¡±


    Emma shook her head, but there was a smile on her face. ¡°Yeah. I do.¡± The smile disappeared as soon as it came. ¡°It¡¯s, um¡­ it¡¯s been fun. I hope you¡­ have fun. At the winter ball.¡± She nodded before turning around and heading down the paved parking lot.


    Derek winced, watching her walk away. Why did he always feel like such an asshole after he made big messes in his life? Didn¡¯t regular people have a little cricket on their shoulder that stopped them from making the messes in the first place?


    Emma hunched over, wiping her cheek before she headed toward her car.


    Derek rushed after her. ¡°Emma, wait.¡±


    She stopped, trying not to look at him, but Derek saw the tears. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Derek. Really. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°You will, Emma. But I¡¯m left feeling like I failed miserably in this. I shouldn¡¯t have manipulated you. I shouldn¡¯t have made you angry at me to make it so you broke things off. And then I shouldn¡¯t have avoided you until you had to track me down at my house to formally break up.¡± Derek sighed, placing his hands on his hips. ¡°God, that all sounds so awful once you say it out loud.¡±


    Emma smiled, shaking her head. ¡°Ah, Derek. It was¡­ fun. In its own way.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I suppose,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°It will still be fun, though.¡±


    Derek¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t follow.¡±


    Emma smiled, then her eyes grew red. Derek¡¯s hands dropped to his side, and his heart plunged into his stomach. ¡°Emma¡­ did you¡­ did you go back to¡­¡±


    A hand appeared behind him, slapping over his mouth. Derek shouted in shock, but a far more scaley hand muffed it.


    Derek collapsed to his knees, his hands forced behind him and quickly pinned by a snake¡¯s tail. Derek looked back at Emma, hoping that she wouldn¡¯t be so calloused as to not help him, but then again, she might be charmed to leave him alone. Emma pulled out a gag, and Derek started hyperventilating.


    Smoke rose off Emma¡¯s body, pieces of her changing until all at once it was Pippa standing before him. Derek¡¯s eyes widened, all thought of teleporting Milo to him vanished. Pippa gagged him, tying it tight as Akshi bound Derek¡¯s hands. He tried to fight. There was no way this was happening on the driveway of his house. He was pretty sure Milo was the only person who could see him, but he was also certain his mana fusor was reading through his lab notes in Derek¡¯s room.


    Akshi grabbed Derek and pulled him around to the other side of Emma¡¯s car, opening the trunk. Derek felt sick to his stomach as he realized what this meant. They had Emma¡¯s car. What did they do to Emma?


    Akshi placed a hat on his head. It glowed, then Derek¡¯s image stood in Akshi¡¯s place. A deep fear settled in his muscles as the copy of Derek felt for his pockets and pulled out his phone.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just use dimension door?¡± Pippa asked.


    ¡°No,¡± the Akshi-Derek clone said, placing a burlap sack over Derek¡¯s head before slamming the trunk door. ¡°I¡¯ve already tried dimension door two days ago on someone else, to no success. Our mana isn¡¯t strong enough to work on them. I¡¯ll drive us to the destination, then come back for the others.¡±


    Holy shit, Akshi knew how to drive. He was coming back for others. Derek tried to say something, anything, but he couldn¡¯t speak. His heart hammered in his chest as Milo¡¯s character sheet flooded his vision. But he couldn¡¯t teleport Milo. Not to the back of a car Akshi and Pippa were in.

 Chapter 194

    Rafael finished his homework in enough time to eat something. Alejandra walked through the door in her McDonald¡¯s uniform, dropping her hat on the counter.


    ¡°So, are you coming to the session tonight?¡± Rafael asked.


    Alejandra shook her head. ¡°And you can tell Nick I¡¯ll find someone else to go to the winter ball.¡±


    Rafael sighed, glancing at his sandwich. ¡°Look, Alejandra, I think we need to have a talk about that.¡±


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t,¡± Alejandra said. ¡°What he said was cruel.¡±


    ¡°I know. It doesn¡¯t sound like him at all.¡±


    ¡°So I must be lying?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Rafael placed a hand in his hair. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. I¡¯ll talk to him tonight about it, but¡­ but it makes me nervous to have you stay here by yourself. Please reconsider.¡±


    Alejandra shook her head, heading for the bathroom to shower. ¡°I can¡¯t. Not this week. I don¡¯t want to see Nick, and I have every right to stay home. Don¡¯t threaten me with a possible kidnapping for not attending CCNC. I cannot be around Nick right now.¡± She slammed the door to the bathroom to take her shower, and Rafael sighed. He couldn¡¯t force Alejandra to attend, especially after what Nick said to her.


    But that seemed so out of character for Nick, even when Evelyn reported that yes, he actually meant it. Rafael refused to believe it. Not until he heard it himself.


    Rafael¡¯s phone started vibrating and saw Tyler was calling him. He swiped it, placing it against his ear. ¡°Hey, Tyler. Are you there?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Tell Sylvar to prepare to teleport here. I¡¯ve already warned him that Las Vegas is still a desert, but this group will move up the coast of Oregon and Washington. Apparently, a ton of forestry creatures are gathering there.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go find him.¡±


    Rafael hung up before slipping out the back door. It didn¡¯t take him long to find them. Sylvar and Clarissa were both sitting on the ground, watching the sunset. They both turned when they heard Rafael¡¯s footfalls on the dirt, and he lifted his phone.


    ¡°I just got off the phone with Tyler. He¡¯s in Las Vegas now, ready to teleport you,¡± Rafael said.


    Clarissa looked at her brother¡¯s face as Sylvar nodded. ¡°Thank you. I would like to say goodbye to my sister first, if that¡¯s alright.¡±


    Rafael nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±


    Clarissa and Sylvar both stood, whispering. Rafael backed away to give them privacy, but he still saw their body language. Sylvar was the older brother in every way, a slight smile on his face as he told a joke to no doubt lighten the mood before Clarissa wrapped her arms around his neck, whispering something.


    Rafael felt a pang of regret. He hadn¡¯t been that older brother for three years. He pushed his little sister away and left her to fend for herself. Rafael thought he was getting better with not feeling so guilty about everything, but then things like this happened and he felt it twist his soul all over again.


    They finished hugging, and Sylvar walked over to Rafael. The druid prince looked far better than he had after they saved him from the failed ritual. Tyler put an attribute point into strength, so Sylvar didn¡¯t look as emaciated. The thirty-two hit points also felt better. He had been an enormous help this past week, and Rafael was glad to see him looking stronger.


    ¡°Thank you, Rafael, for opening your home to us.¡± Sylvar grabbed Rafael¡¯s hand and shook it.


    ¡°No trouble.¡± Technically, it wasn¡¯t his home, but Sylvar no doubt barely saw Mariana coming in and out of the house. Rafael rarely saw his mom, too. ¡°If you ever find yourself in Arizona again, my door is always open.¡±


    Sylvar smiled, then glanced up at the sky. ¡°I shall remember that, though this climate might still hurt me.¡±


    ¡°Wait for the winter months. It¡¯s cooler,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Well, once I finish destroying the monsters in the forest, I shall come back to help you.¡±


    ¡°We certainly need all the help we can get,¡± Rafael said.


    Sylvar smiled, then closed his eyes. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Rafael texted Tyler that Sylvar was ready. Not long after he sent it, Sylvar disappeared. He noticed Clarissa watching where he disappeared, tears in her eyes. Rafael lifted the phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Clarissa. These people have our email addresses. Sylvar can write to you, and you can write to him. You can even ask Tyler to call him every once in a while.¡± Rafael didn¡¯t know why he felt the need to comfort her, but she looked so forlorn.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered. ¡°But¡­ it won¡¯t be the same as him being here, will it?¡±


    Rafael swallowed, glancing at his phone. ¡°No. It won¡¯t.¡±


    Clarissa nodded. ¡°I will be ready to leave shortly. I simply¡­ need a moment.¡±


    Rafael nodded, then moved back into his house.


    ***


    Nick leaned against the door, knowing they were late, but he had no desire to say anything to Evelyn to help her speed through her getting ready process. Honestly, she already got ready this morning. He never understood why she needed to change outfits throughout the day.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Either way, the longer it took to get to the CCNC session, the more he didn¡¯t have to see Grizzizzik. He didn¡¯t want to know what he had to do in order to get these experience points to count toward his warlock level. They gained a lot, but they still had a lot more to go. The monsters weren¡¯t as strong, so the points weren¡¯t as much, either. Grizzizzik got ninety-two experience points for yesterday¡¯s fight. Nick should be grateful they were getting rid of creatures, but he also felt similar to Grizzizzik. They needed to get leveled up as fast as possible, and ninety-two experience points after days of three hundred, sometimes even five hundred experience point days, felt like a bad omen.


    Evelyn walked toward the front door, straightening the shoe on her foot. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Nick grunted, then walked out the door. Walt had appeared in the entryway, and Nick wasn¡¯t interested in saying anything to his dad. Walt was waiting for them to leave so he could put the door back on, and Nick didn¡¯t want to ruin that.


    Evelyn unlocked her car, and Nick got into the passenger seat. The drive to Derek¡¯s house was long and silent. Nick said nothing the entire time. He hadn¡¯t really said anything to Evelyn since he snapped at her on Monday. He had said little to anyone, honestly. No doubt snapping at his sister made her far more hesitant to talk to him.


    They pulled into Derek¡¯s house, and Nick was not surprised to see they were the last ones here. Once Evelyn turned the car off, Nick slipped out and walked toward the front door and knocked.


    Miguel opened it, and he smiled brightly at Nick. ¡°Hey, Nick. Come on in.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Miguel. It¡¯s¡­ been a while.¡±


    ¡°Starting the new job next month. Gives me plenty of time to reacquaint myself with home,¡± Miguel said. ¡°And how¡¯s school going?¡±


    ¡°Good. It¡¯s¡­ good.¡± They had parent-teacher conferences this week, and considering Walt didn¡¯t come home and lecture him about anything, it meant he was keeping his grades to a satisfactory level.


    ¡°Of course things are good. You¡¯ve always been a diligent kid.¡±


    A baseball lodged itself in Nick¡¯s throat. Nick didn¡¯t know if Miguel knew what was happening in Nick¡¯s life, but Derek¡¯s father was talking to him more than anyone had all week and seemed completely relaxed in his presence. It was odd, and it twisted his soul. It was like the memories of what it was like when he had a better reputation among people.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Nick mumbled as Evelyn approached. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ be seeing you around, Miguel.¡±


    He moved past Miguel into the house as Miguel said a quick word to Evelyn. Nick waved at Amanda, who waved back, smiling. Derek was leaning against the table, nodding in Nick¡¯s general direction before watching the CCNC characters interacting.


    Nick noticed Tyler¡¯s absence right away. It was weird to not see Tyler and Derek chatting about some mythical lore of CCNC while everyone else was arriving. But he realized someone else was missing, too. Alejandra was nowhere in sight. For half a second he panicked, thinking Alejandra had been kidnapped, but he forced himself to calm down. If Akshi had kidnapped if Alejandra, absolutely no one would look this calm.


    They talked for a little more when Rafael glanced around. ¡°I guess we¡¯re all here. We can head out.¡±


    ¡°Right. Let¡¯s go.¡± Derek adjusted the hat on his head. It had the logo of CCNC. The characters started filing out of the house as Rafael approached Nick.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    The two of them headed toward the door, with Derek moving ahead to get to the minivan to unlock it.


    ¡°Alejandra wants me to tell you she doesn¡¯t want to go with you to the winter ball,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Right. Makes sense,¡± Nick couldn¡¯t help but mutter.


    ¡°And¡­ I just have to ask. Did you really tell her that Grizzizzik signed a contract with Chaos to get a sword strong enough to kill his father?¡± Rafael asked.


    Nick forced himself not to sigh as he rubbed his temples. He didn¡¯t want to do this. It made him nauseous. Rafael glanced at him, waiting. There was no humor in his old friend¡¯s gaze, and Nick couldn¡¯t mess this up. Nick stopped walking right before they got to the minivan and raised his shoulders. ¡°Yes?¡± He hated admitting to something he didn¡¯t know he said.


    Rafael studied him closely. ¡°Yes, with a question mark?¡±


    Nick cleared his throat. ¡°Yes. I¡­ did.¡±


    Rafael frowned, and Evelyn glanced over at them. ¡°Why?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Nick forced down the instinct to rage as he glanced at Grizzizzik, who watched the whole thing with a curious gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡­ won¡¯t happen again, though.¡±


    ¡°Good. I hope not,¡± Rafael said. ¡°Rather shitty thing to say to my sister, bringing up Grizzizzik¡¯s contract with chaos.¡±


    Nick closed his eyes as more eyes rested on him. ¡°Of course. It¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Grizzizzik glanced between Rafael and Nick before looking away, and Nick seriously hoped that meant he was rethinking everything. Something told him Grizzizzik wouldn¡¯t stop until he got the sword, though.


    An idea came to Nick. ¡°Hey, Rafael?¡±


    Rafael, who was heading toward the minivan, stopped and glanced behind his shoulder. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Did you¡­ did Tyler tell you what I said last week? Wondering about what might happen if another person died in our group?¡± Nick asked.


    Rafael blinked, and Nick assumed the conversation switch was whiplash worthy. ¡°Um¡­ yeah. He mentioned your concern.¡±


    ¡°Specifically, about how things we say might change.¡± Nick went straight to the similarity, seeing Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes narrowing. ¡°How someone might say something and it sort of magically changes into something else.¡± Nick looked straight at Evelyn, hoping she got it. He wasn¡¯t sure how much more obvious he could be unless he was beating them over the head with a stick.


    Evelyn frowned. ¡°Are you saying you actually sense a sixth person in our group? Is that why you¡¯ve been acting so weird?¡±


    Nick closed his eyes, holding back a sigh. ¡°No. No. Just¡­ just that¡­¡± Nick was being careful about what he said. He had a feeling if he strayed onto territory that Chaos could change, that it would not change it to his favor.


    When he opened his eyes again, he realized everyone had frozen. Nick almost jumped at the strange sight of them all looking at him when he saw the words in front of him.


    Roll for insight


    Nick blinked, then grabbed the d20. He didn¡¯t know what Grizzizzik was doing. He hated not knowing Grizzizzik¡¯s plans. The last time he had to guess what his character did, he ended up being a pawn in a contract he was suffering under.


    Nick grabbed the d20 and rolled it. It landed on an eighteen, and the +4 could only help. Help with whatever Grizzizzik was trying to figure out.


    Time resumed, and Rafael stared at Nick. Nick watched Rafael, but kept Grizzizzik in his peripheral. Rafael¡¯s brows furrowed.


    ¡°Nick, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re getting at. If there was a sixth person in our group, I need an obvious yes or no.¡±


    Nick swallowed. ¡°No.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s character sheet came up, and his new warlock ability burned within him. After leveling up, Grizzizzik gained the ability to cast detect magic without using a spell slot. Grizzizzik muttered to himself quietly, keeping his arms folded as his eyes burned with a black flame. Nick¡¯s breath caught in his throat as Grizzizzik stared right at Derek. He wasn¡¯t sure what that rogue was planning, but he found himself quite worried about Derek¡¯s health.


    ¡°Okay, then. Shall we go?¡± Rafael asked, gesturing toward the minivan.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± The air left Nick¡¯s lungs as Grizzizzik walked over to Derek.


    Derek reached into his pocket and pulled out the van key, unlocking the door before glancing at Grizzizzik. ¡°Hello.¡±


    Grizzizzik folded his arms, a cool smile growing across his face. ¡°Tryouts for Beauty and the Beast are coming up. You think you¡¯re ready to try out for the beast?¡±


    Derek smiled. ¡°Of course. I can¡¯t wait.¡±


    Faster than Nick had time to react, Grizzizzik grabbed the front of Derek¡¯s shirt and slammed him against the van, the hell dagger out and pressed against Derek¡¯s throat.

 Chapter 195

    ¡°Whoa, Grizzizzik,¡± Nick couldn¡¯t help but shout.


    Ezekiel moved forward, arm up. ¡°Step away from Derek.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to, except this isn¡¯t Derek,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Nick¡¯s heart dropped into his stomach. He wouldn¡¯t have believed it, but he realized he rolled over twenty on the insight check. But if Grizzizzik was right, if this wasn¡¯t Derek¡­


    ¡°You can¡¯t know that for certain,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Evelyn glanced at Nick with wide eyes. ¡°Does he?¡±


    Nick showed her his two hands, both with two fingers. Evelyn gasped, covering her mouth. Derek was not here. Which meant Derek was somewhere else.


    Ezekiel took a few more steps forward. ¡°We need proof.¡±


    The rogue sneered at Derek. ¡°I¡¯ll give you proof.¡±


    Time came to a standstill.


    Roll to hit


    Nick sighed, then grabbed the d20. It landed on a seventeen. Even with his hell dagger, that would absolutely hit.


    Time resumed and Grizzizzik moved his dagger from Derek¡¯s throat to his shoulder, slicing him. Derek grunted, then Grizzizzik looked at Ezekiel, pointing to Derek¡¯s stomach. Nick understood immediately. Grizzizzik, a creature from the Shrouded Domain, injured Derek. If it was actually Derek, one of his gray marks would have resurfaced. The only people who knew about the gray marks were those within the group. Which meant someone was impersonating Derek. Considering how dark Grizzizzik¡¯s glare had turned when he placed the dagger back against the clone¡¯s throat, Nick grabbed Evelyn and Rafael¡¯s wrists and pulled them away. This could turn into a battle, fast.


    The other characters gathered near Grizzizzik and the Derek clone. Nick didn¡¯t dare let go of Rafael or Evelyn. Ezekiel, it seemed, didn¡¯t quite understand why Grizzizzik hurt Derek.


    The rogue glared at the cleric. ¡°He¡¯s got a magical hat of disguises.¡±


    Clarissa blinked, then rolled her eyes. ¡°Deities above, Grizzizzik. Do you have to make everything so violent and complicated?¡± She strode forward and grabbed the hat on Derek¡¯s head and yanked it off. Once it was off, Derek¡¯s frame trembled. Black and red scales traveled down his body as his legs merged. Nick realized he hadn¡¯t backed away nearly enough as Evelyn let out a tiny scream, scrambling out of his grasp to back away further. Hraktar unsheathed his great sword as Grizzizzik smiled.


    ¡°I knew it.¡±


    Nick panted as time came to a standstill, and he was once again asked to roll to hit. The d20 landed on a two.


    Ezekiel leapt toward Grizzizzik, grabbing his wrist to stop the rogue from slitting his father¡¯s throat. They struggled for a bit. ¡°Let me go!¡± Grizzizzik snarled at Ezekiel.


    ¡°He¡¯s stolen Derek. We need him alive to get information.¡±


    Ezekiel¡¯s words hit Nick like a hammer. Akshi had kidnapped Derek. Holy shit, this took a bad turn fast.


    Grizzizzik glared at Akshi. ¡°We¡¯ll never get information from him. No amount of torture will make Akshi spill his secrets. Not when he can resurrect after dying.¡±


    Akshi smirked, and Nick had a feeling the crime lord wouldn¡¯t speak another word the entire time.


    ¡°We will not torture him,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Grizzizzik kept his snake eyes on his father. ¡°You think giving him cookies and friendship will make him change his mind? You¡¯re a bigger fool than I thought.¡±


    ¡°And killing him will make him come back in a few days to a place we can¡¯t control. We know where he is now. We tie him up and place him somewhere he can¡¯t hurt anyone else until we can get rid of him permanently,¡± Ezekiel said.


    This seemed like an idea Grizzizzik was slowly warming up to. Until Akshi started muttered something. Grizzizzik tried to cover Akshi¡¯s mouth, no doubt trying to keep the spell from completing. Akshi grabbed Grizzizzik¡¯s wrist and smirked as a glowing dimension door appeared behind him.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°No!¡± Grizzizzik shouted.


    Ezekiel tried to grab Akshi, but the crime lord slithered backward into the portal and disappeared with a smirk.


    ¡°Shit! You should have let me kill him!¡± Grizzizzik said. ¡°He is as slippery as an eel.¡±


    Rafael pulled out his phone with unmatched speed before pointing at Evelyn. ¡°Call Tyler.¡±


    Evelyn nodded, pulling out her own phone as Nick felt himself panicking.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to go.¡± Hraktar kept his hands on his great sword, glancing around. ¡°We¡¯ve got to save them.¡±


    Milo stared at the place where the dimension door disappeared. ¡°How? We have¡­ no idea where they are.¡±


    ¡°Alejandra, are you alright?¡± Rafael¡¯s voice betrayed his fear.


    ¡°Tyler? Akshi kidnapped Derek, and we don¡¯t know where he is,¡± Evelyn said at the same time.


    Nick placed his hands in his hair. Grizzizzik let out a shout of frustration before kicking the minivan wheel.


    Rafael walked a bit from the group. ¡°I need you here. To make sure you¡¯re okay. Akshi has kidnapped Derek. Teleport Hraktar to you. Now. We need to get everyone together to make sure we¡¯re safe. Once Hraktar is gone, I¡¯m hanging up and calling Hazel.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s gone. Akshi¡¯s gone, and Derek¡¯s gone.¡± Evelyn¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t as steady. ¡°They¡¯re gone. They¡¯re gone.¡±


    Nick sank to the ground where he stood, staring at nothing as Hraktar disappeared. The reality of it all smacked into him hard. They had been so concerned Alejandra would get kidnapped that they didn¡¯t consider anyone else. Now Derek was somewhere, and they had to get him back.


    ***


    Derek didn¡¯t know how long he¡¯d been tied up in the chair, but it didn¡¯t take long for it to be uncomfortable. Hearing Pippa humming to herself was again what kept him from teleporting Milo to him. Of all the people, Milo could not be teleported to the same room as Pippa.


    He couldn¡¯t see a thing. Not just because they kept the burlap sack over his head, but even with opening his eyes wide, all he saw was blackness. Since Pippa and Akshi both had dark vision, it only made sense that they¡¯d take him somewhere so dark he couldn¡¯t see.


    Derek tried to guess where he was, but Pippa had securely tied him to a chair in the darkness. His hands remained behind his back, his ankles tied to the legs of the chair. He tried moving the chair around, but Pippa saw and slapped him for that. Derek had crouched over as one of his gray marks exploded into reality. Though he was certain he got stabbed, he realized after a moment that it wasn¡¯t as deep as he thought. Pippa didn¡¯t notice, or she would have commented on the blood on his shirt.


    Derek¡¯s fingertips searched for the knot around his wrists when he heard groaning that stopped him short. His second fear was realized only a few hours after his deepest fear happened. They had kidnapped Emma, too. It had been so dark he didn¡¯t realize she was in here with him.


    ¡°Emma?¡± Derek asked. Or tried to ask. They kept the gag on him.


    She groaned again, and Derek was worried Pippa would slap her for making a noise. Derek really didn¡¯t know where they were. It was deathly quiet.


    ¡°Ugh, where am I?¡± Derek tried to say something, to let her know she wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°Who is that?¡±


    He felt her hands on his pant leg, feeling the chair. It was as dark for Emma as it was for Derek, but he kept talking so she could get his gag off.


    Emma¡¯s hands were on the burlap sack, and she pulled it off before her fingers found the gag. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ve got it. Give me a second.¡±


    It was more than a second. The knot proved difficult for Emma, and Derek didn¡¯t blame her. It was pitch black in here, and he didn¡¯t even know what kind of knot Pippa tied. Or where Pippa was. He realized, with a cold sweat, that he no longer heard Pippa humming. She could be anywhere, and he was too scared to teleport Milo here. He could hear Emma grumbling behind him before the gag finally came free, and Derek gasped for air.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Derek said.


    There was a pause. ¡°Derek?¡±


    ¡°Obviously. Who else would it be? Pippa and Akshi don¡¯t talk to anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Is¡­ that who kidnapped me?¡±


    Derek winced. ¡°What do you remember?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Pippa bought me a drink, saying she wanted to talk some more about my situation with you. I told her no.¡±


    Her words sent relief through him, though he was afraid to hear the rest of the story. ¡°But you drank what she gave you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not about to let a caramel macchiato go to waste, Derek.¡± Emma talked like Pippa offered world peace.


    ¡°Both of you will shut up, or there will be consequences,¡± Pippa said.


    Derek froze, feeling terrified.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this to us! That¡¯s completely unacceptable,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Emma, shh.¡±


    ¡°Oh, let her fight, Derek. It¡¯s adorable seeing a bunny stumble into a den of wolves without realizing it,¡± Pippa said.


    ¡°Let us go!¡± Emma said.


    ¡°No.¡±


    There was a scuffle, then Emma let out a scream. Derek¡¯s mind jolted into the worst probable scenario, terrified Pippa had stabbed her.


    ¡°Let her go! Stop! Please, she doesn¡¯t know what she¡¯s saying!¡± Derek shouted to the pitch-black darkness.


    ¡°You can¡¯t get away with this! My parents will have already called the police!¡± Emma shouted.


    Emma¡¯s words began to muffle, and Derek struggled with his own bonds. He was still afraid Pippa would murder Emma. He tried to believe the Shrouded Domain people couldn¡¯t hurt people from earth like that yet, but it didn¡¯t stop him from feeling terrified for Emma¡¯s life. Only Derek and his friends could get hurt, not people like Emma. He could only hope she was still protected.


    Emma struggled, but was now gagged. Derek remained quiet, so Pippa wouldn¡¯t remember to gag him again. Pippa and Emma moved behind him.


    ¡°Now that we got that taken care of, both of you will remain silent, or there will be consequences,¡± Pippa said before moving away.


    Derek calmed his breathing.


    Something near them slithered. Derek¡¯s entire body stiffened as Pippa and Akshi moved to the corner of what he could only assume was a completely dark room to discuss things.


    ¡°Emma, stay quiet, stay still. We don¡¯t want Akshi to hurt us,¡± Derek said.

 Chapter 196

    When Evelyn called Tyler, he took all of one minute to freak out before ordering her to download a ¡®track my device¡¯ app onto her phone and to give it to Milo. Evelyn thought it was a stroke of genius. Evelyn downloaded it and handed it over to the mana fusor before jumping into her car and returning home for her laptop. They met up at Rafael¡¯s house.


    Mr. Anderson and Se?ora Florez were already there when Evelyn pulled into the driveway. It was comforting to have more people join. She walked inside to see them all gathered at the table as Rafael tried to link Tyler to a video call on his family¡¯s desktop computer. She searched the room, but Milo was still there, pacing back and forth. Evelyn opened her own laptop and pulled up the device tracking website and waited. Trying to will Derek to teleport Milo to him. Maybe he was unconscious. Maybe he was somewhere extremely unsafe. Or by Pippa. Or¡­


    Evelyn refused to go down that road.


    Tyler¡¯s face appeared on Rafael¡¯s computer, tapping on his own laptop, his brows furrowed and the wrinkles in his forehead aging him ten years.


    ¡°I¡¯m linking Neal to this call, too. He¡¯s getting on as quickly as possible. Where¡¯s Milo?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Still here.¡± The mana fusor held up a hand and stepped closer to the screen.


    Tyler squinted and waved, then spoke again. ¡°Ezekiel, cast protection of evil and good on him. Keep it going for as long as he¡¯s here.¡±


    Ezekiel nodded, then touched Milo and closed his eyes, muttering a prayer.


    ¡°What else can we do?¡± Se?ora Florez asked.


    Tyler shrugged, looking like it physically pained him to do that. ¡°We wait. Wait for Derek to teleport Milo. Be ready to run after him the second he¡¯s gone.¡± Tyler stopped tapping on the laptop and buried his head in his hands. Evelyn¡¯s tears pricked her eyes as she instinctively looked at Nick. Nick stared at nothing, slumped on the couch, his back to Rafael¡¯s computer.


    A second window popped up on Rafael¡¯s laptop screen, and Neal appeared, his hair a mess as he searched through some papers.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Neal said.


    The questions started immediately.


    ¡°How do we know Derek¡¯s okay?¡± Mr. Anderson asked.


    ¡°Has this happened before?¡± Rafael asked.


    Hazel squeezed Rafael¡¯s hand. ¡°He¡¯s not dead, right?¡±


    ¡°Can we track mythical creatures?¡± Se?ora Florez asked.


    On the screen, Neal raised both hands. ¡°Okay, okay, let¡¯s all take a deep breath. Let me explain the best I can. Your friend isn¡¯t dead. I¡¯ve seen it before. If Derek was dead, his character would fade from existence.¡±


    Everyone glanced at Milo to be certain he was there. Milo gave a halfhearted wave.


    ¡°Kidnapping isn¡¯t nearly as dangerous as death, but by midnight tonight, people who have only seen Derek in passing will forget him. In a month, his family will forget him. And in six months you will forget him. I have already hired some trusted private investigators from Phoenix, and they are flying to Elmwood now. I am throwing every resource I can in this, and we will get him back. You have my word, and my checkbook. I¡¯m confident we¡¯ll get him back before he goes to school on Monday.¡±


    Evelyn tried not to panic, but it got harder to stay calm. Her gaze kept bouncing between Neal and Milo, waiting for what she hoped would be Derek teleporting Milo to him.


    ¡°What can we do to keep us all safe from this happening again?¡± Mr. Anderson asked.


    ¡°Stay in pairs when you can. All of you,¡± Neal said.


    Tyler leaned forward, talking loud. ¡°Everyone download the tracking app! We¡¯ve got to keep tabs on where everyone is, and we¡¯ve got to check in with each other every night.¡±


    ¡°What about those of us who don¡¯t have a cell phone?¡± Nick¡¯s voice was quiet, but it carried, causing everyone to freeze in terror.


    Tyler again covered his face in his hands. ¡°God, I hate your father so much.¡±


    ¡°We can get you a cellphone to hide in your room,¡± Neal suggested.


    Evelyn shook her head. ¡°That won¡¯t work.¡±


    Tyler continued to rub his face as Neal¡¯s eyebrows raised. ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out. For now, do what you can to permanently kill this succubus. I¡¯ve been keeping in touch with the other groups, and the instant one of them has a strong enough sorcerer or wizard with the wish spell, I will send them your way to deal with Akshi.¡±


    Mr. Anderson leaned over in order to be seen. ¡°How are the others not already strong enough? Haven¡¯t they been here for decades?¡±


    ¡°Decades, yes. But this is the first time that over two thousand creatures have entered earth. The ones who came here either came as a group or had the occasional monster come with them. They could not level up in their powers like you all have. We¡¯re growing stronger together, and it unfortunately takes time.¡±


    ¡°How much longer until we get a wish spell?¡± Se?ora Florez asked.


    ¡°With the current rate of leveling everyone¡¯s reporting to me¡­¡± Neal lifted up a page, scanning it. ¡°Four more months.¡±


    Mr. Anderson groaned. ¡°We can¡¯t have Akshi wandering around for four months.¡±


    Neal seemed to crumble. ¡°I know.¡± He covered his face. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±


    Mr. Anderson leaned against the table. ¡°Why? Why is this time so different?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Neal had his hands in his hair. ¡°No children. It was the stipulation I felt in my bones would never happen. She wouldn¡¯t allow children to create a portal for their characters, and certainly not put them in danger.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Rafael frowned. ¡°We¡¯re not children. We¡¯re teenagers.¡±


    Mr. Anderson grunted. ¡°Same difference.¡±


    ¡°And then to have this happen? With over two thousand creatures?¡± Neal massaged his head, then his cellphone started ringing. He muted the call to answer his phone.


    Evelyn swallowed, once again checking that Milo was in the room before seeing the blinking light on the website. Milo sat down on the ground, carving his cannon, ready for battle.


    ¡°Come on, Derek,¡± Evelyn whispered. ¡°Milo¡¯s ready.¡±


    Neal hung up the phone and turned the call back on. ¡°The private investigators should be there in another half hour. They¡¯re some of the best. I just need you to all be prepared to fight whatever army is guarding Derek.¡±


    ¡°Has anyone called Emma to see if she¡¯s okay?¡± Hazel asked.


    There was a pause as everyone glanced at each other.


    Rafael pulled out his phone. ¡°Shit.¡±


    ***


    Derek was an idiot. He assumed Emma knew where he lived. He was afraid she¡¯d stalk him at his house the multiple times he broke up with her. But arriving at his house? Asking to talk? Being¡­ not dramatic? The more he remembered, the more he realized Pippa had headed toward the passenger side of the car. Why didn¡¯t he think it was odd that she headed toward the passenger side? Pippa didn¡¯t know how to drive. He had been tricked, and he was glad for the dark room so no one could see his burning cheeks.


    ¡°Ugh, god,¡± Emma said in way too loud a voice.


    Derek flinched. ¡°Emma?¡±


    ¡°That gag was hastily done, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ¡°Shh. Not too loud. These people could really hurt us,¡± Derek whispered.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Emma whispered.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°No, obviously not.¡± Emma didn¡¯t sound scared at all. In fact, she sounded angry about the situation. ¡°You weren¡¯t lying when you said Asher and Pippa were no good. This is completely inappropriate, and the authorities will be after them.¡±


    ¡°Shh,¡± he said again for good measure.


    Derek closed his eyes, trying to calm his terrified heart. Despite getting kidnapped, Emma didn¡¯t realize the full extent of the situation. She didn¡¯t realize their lives were in danger. That the crime lord of Osvoroth could not be reasoned with. Or that no one else could see them, including these authorities.


    ¡°Emma¡­¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Shut up, Derek. My mom will notice I¡¯m gone, and she¡¯ll contact the police. I¡¯m sure the same goes for your parents?¡±


    Derek remembered the odd feeling of seeing his doppelg?nger standing over him, stealing his phone from his pocket. ¡°Yeah. Of course.¡± The words squeaked out of him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, is the ridiculously optimistic Derek becoming pessimistic?¡±


    ¡°A little.¡± Derek closed his eyes, reviewing what was happening. They didn¡¯t know where they were being held. Emma was here with him. People could forget. Akshi and Pippa were here.


    ¡°Derek? Are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡± Emma asked.


    He tried to ease his breathing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Emma. God, I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m sorry I kissed you, I¡¯m sorry I dated you. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t communicate with you before about all this. Sorry I couldn¡¯t warn you before. Sorry. God, I¡¯m such an asshole.¡±


    ¡°Hey, no one could predict that Asher and Pippa were actually psychopaths who wanted to kidnap teenagers.¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± Derek¡¯s voice was pitched higher. ¡°I absolutely knew, and I didn¡¯t do enough.¡±


    ¡°There is¡­ no way you could have known.¡±


    Derek let out another breath, realizing he was crying softly. He was glad for the dark.


    ¡°Besides¡­ I feel like¡­ I should apologize as well,¡± Emma said.


    It was so odd that Derek felt himself searching the darkness for her. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ you¡¯re not completely to blame. I did¡­ agree with Pippa''s suggestions. And I see now that it was not¡­ entirely what a decent person should do.¡±


    Derek again stayed still. Emma was apologizing. Or at least her version of an apology. Derek closed his eyes, trying to listen. They needed to figure out where they were.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°On this grimy floor. Tied to the leg of some sort of heavy desk.¡±


    Derek raised an eyebrow. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Why would I lie right now?¡± Emma asked.


    They were both silent again. Derek couldn¡¯t see, and even after hours in the darkness, there was no light. He had no idea what time it was. Or where he was. He couldn¡¯t hear Pippa or Akshi, but that was far more frightening to him than anything.


    ¡°You said you¡¯re tied to a heavy desk?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Are your legs free? Can you¡­ reach out and get some sort of clue where we are?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Sure, let¡¯s try it.¡±


    Derek waited, then felt movement against the chair he was sitting on. ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Right.¡± He heard her shoes against the floor, and Derek held his breath, hearing her legs bump against a wall. ¡°We¡¯re in a tiny closet.¡±


    This confused Derek. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°What about¡­¡± Derek tried again to glance around, trying to listen for Pippa and Akshi.


    It was quiet. Should he at least hear breathing? If they were in as small a place as Emma mentioned, he should hear their breathing. But there was nothing. Unless it was all a trap.


    Derek closed his eyes, heart pounding. If he teleported Milo here and it was nothing more than a trap, Milo could die, and they¡¯d still be in the same situation they were before. Except he¡¯d lose Milo. The very thought tore at his heart. Milo had too many close calls already. If he tore his mana fusor from the main group, it was practically a death sentence.


    Unless Milo didn¡¯t get caught and could help them escape. Derek had to admit that having another person here not tied to something would be valuable.


    But if Pippa was waiting for him. If Milo got caught up again. If Milo died¡­


    Derek¡¯s breath shuddered. He was scared. He was possibly putting Milo in some unknown danger.


    Tears warmed his eyes. Derek knew, deep down, that Milo would willingly sacrifice his life for Derek. The thought of it still made him sick. When Derek created Milo, he thought the mana fusor¡¯s twenty-three years was so old. Now that Derek was almost eighteen, Milo wasn¡¯t much older than him.


    But they needed another person here. Someone not tied up.


    ¡°Emma,¡± Derek whispered. ¡°I need you to¡­ not scream.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you see, we need to stay quiet. If we¡¯re in a small closet, I¡­ might have a way to escape, but we have to be quiet.¡±


    Emma said nothing for a few seconds, and Derek didn¡¯t dare teleport Milo until he had her assurance.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Emma said.


    Derek closed his eyes, feeling the link between him and his character.


    ¡°Say nothing. Say nothing. Say nothing,¡± Derek repeated quietly. He said it as he felt the link, then the dull stumbling of feet on the ground. Milo was here. Derek kept whispering what he said to make sure Milo kept quiet. ¡°I don¡¯t know what traps are here. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t see,¡± Milo whispered.


    ¡°I know. Sorry,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Derek? What¡¯s going on?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to get us out.¡±


    Milo stumbled around, and he waited for Emma to comment on it. Perhaps Emma couldn¡¯t see him. He honestly didn¡¯t know.


    A light emanated from Milo, and Derek¡¯s stomach lurched. ¡°Don¡¯t cast a spell. You might need your¡­¡±


    He was familiar with that kind of light. It was a light from a cellphone, illuminating the small room. Derek had been in darkness for so long that the small light from the phone blinded him. He blinked, his vision coming back. Pippa and Akshi were nowhere in sight, because they really were in a small room. There was a door, but something covered the cracks to keep them in complete darkness.


    Derek glanced around, a trickle of familiarity coming to him. ¡°Wait¡­ I know where we are. This is¡ª¡±


    ***


    ¡°-my goddamn office!¡± Mr. Anderson shouted.


    Evelyn¡¯s eyebrows rose in surprise as she realized Mr. Anderson was right. She had zoomed in to the marker and saw Elmwood High. She turned to ask Mr. Anderson another question, but all she saw was him headed for the front door.


    ¡°I¡¯ll head straight for my office. If anything changes, let me know,¡± he grumbled, pulling out his keys.


    Hraktar stumbled forward. ¡°I¡¯ll come with you. Just in case.¡±


    ¡°Can you fit four more?¡± Ezekiel asked as the other characters moved forward.


    Mr. Anderson gestured toward his car. ¡°Stuff yourselves in there. We¡¯ve got a kid to save.¡±


    ¡°Go. Everyone go! Keep me posted!¡± Tyler said from Rafael¡¯s laptop.


    They ran outside, with Mr. Anderson and the characters already in his car and backing out of the driveway. Evelyn knew they needed to move. They didn¡¯t know what trap Milo might have stumbled on, but if Derek was there, then they had to give Milo some backup. Fast.

 Chapter 197

    Derek tried to keep his breathing steady. Judging by Emma¡¯s face, she wasn¡¯t reacting to the cellphone light, and therefore did not see Milo.


    ¡°Turn it off. Pippa and Akshi are close,¡± Derek whispered.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Emma asked.


    Milo nodded. ¡°They¡¯re coming. From what I understand, Evelyn downloaded an app to this phone to track my presence.¡± He turned off the cellphone and stuffed it back into his pocket. The room once again plunged into darkness.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ genius,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°What?¡± Emma asked.


    Derek hesitated, glancing in her general direction. ¡°Can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Obviously. Who are you talking to?¡±


    ¡°No one.¡± Derek was relieved Emma couldn¡¯t see Milo, yet he wasn¡¯t sure how to get across to her that they had hope now.


    ¡°Answer Emma¡¯s question, Derek,¡± Pippa said.


    His stomach clenched. Pippa appeared somewhere to his right. Maybe it was a dimension door. Had she seen Milo? Derek waited for the reaction, any reaction. It was back to being pitch black.


    The silence was too much, and Derek started talking again. ¡°I¡¯m talking to no one.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡± Pippa did not believe him in the slightest.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± If he had her attention, he might as well keep her distracted.


    ¡°Sometimes you need to be there to prove the good guys aren¡¯t so good after all.¡± Pippa¡¯s voice traveled as she walked toward the back of his chair. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Emma?¡±


    Emma scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s complete bullshit.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so fun to make good men realize how carnal they actually are. And I have a feeling one of my favorite subjects is in this room somehow,¡± Pippa said.


    Derek fought the urge to throw himself against the chair to see if he could hit Pippa. His hands had been tied before they placed him in a chair, so his wrists wouldn¡¯t break if he hit the wall. Judging by her voice, she wasn¡¯t behind him anymore.


    ¡°There are few places to hide in here, Milo. And I see in the dark a lot better than you,¡± Pippa said.


    Panic forced him to recklessness. Derek shoved himself against the chair, knowing the office was small enough. The chair hit the wall.


    ¡°Uh-oh,¡± Derek muttered as the chair kept falling backwards.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Emma asked.


    All at once the chair collapsed on the ground, and Pippa tsked. ¡°Really, Derek?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ tried.¡±


    ¡°You thought I was behind there?¡±


    Derek grunted as he tried to situate himself to a more comfortable position, but it was difficult with his ankles tied to the chair that was now dangling in the air.


    In the darkness, words appeared, and Derek tried to see anything else with the green glow of the words, but there was no light.


    Roll to hit.


    Derek wasn¡¯t sure how, since his hands were tied behind him, but he felt the d20 press itself into his hand. He gave a pathetic shake before letting it drop, unable to see how the dice landed.


    It must have been good if he got the damage dice, and judging from the d8 and the d6 he sensed in his palm, Milo had prepared himself for a battle.


    The room exploded in a fiery glow. Milo stood behind Mr. Anderson¡¯s desk, pointing his flamethrower cannon in the general direction of Pippa¡¯s voice. With the light of the flamethrower, he used his other hand to raise his glowing green crossbow and shot her. Pippa shrieked as she got the brunt of both the flamethrower and the crossbow bolt. In the dying light, Milo scrambled onto the desk, and with a leap, smacked the lightbulb with his wrench. The little office was once again bathed in light, and Derek blinked repeatedly as his eyes watered.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening!¡± Emma shouted.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°We¡¯re being rescued!¡±


    Time then came to a halt.


    Roll for initiative.


    Okay. Okay. Milo could do this. He was significantly stronger than when he was in the heist mission, and Pippa was surprised at the pure badassery of Milo right now. Hopefully. If he could get another shot at her like before, that would help immensely.


    Derek rolled the dice once again behind his back. He didn¡¯t know what was happening, but as he held his breath, he saw the options coming to his mind eye.


    Roll to hit.


    Perfect. Milo was going first.


    Milo needed to do as much damage as possible, though he placed a shield in there for a buff, as he doubted anyone else could give him any buffs.


    Milo didn¡¯t hesitate. Having dealt with Pippa before, he didn¡¯t want to waste one minute without dealing the most damage. Pippa barely had time to turn around before Milo smacked her in the shoulder with another acid bolt and the flamethrower. Derek, despite being on the ground, could feel the heat with his legs in the air and was worried another gray mark might turn into an injury.


    Pippa looked battered. Her scorched skin glowed with embers as her eyes blazed red. Derek was on the ground between Milo and Pippa, and he really didn¡¯t like where he was. Emma was hunched against the desk, her hands tied behind her. She looked unconscious, or maybe even asleep. Derek wasn¡¯t sure what was happening, but he struggled in his chair to get out of the line of fire. Literally.


    Pippa changed. Derek swallowed, his eyes widening as he watched Pippa somehow grow more seductive. Her waist got thinner, her hips expanding. Her boobs looking like they¡¯d burst out of her dress at any moment.


    ¡°There are easier ways to burn my dress off, sugar.¡± Pippa¡¯s voice was sickly sweet.


    Derek glanced at his character, terrified, but realized he wasn¡¯t rolling a wisdom saving throw. The seduction, the charm. It didn¡¯t touch Milo. Instead, Milo lifted his cannon and crossbow. ¡°Never try to seduce someone who¡¯s best friends with a cleric.¡±


    The acid bolt smacked Pippa on the shoulder, and she leapt out of the way of the flamethrower. There was sweat and blood running down Pippa¡¯s face as she shrieked. Horns grew from her head as her fingernails lengthened. She leapt over Derek and slashed her fingernails across Milo¡¯s head. Milo braced himself with a luminous shield, but Pippa broke right through it. Milo shouted in surprise as her claw marks hit his forehead and cheeks, blood dropping down his face. His hit points dropped to forty.


    Milo tried to shoot her with the crossbow, but it went wide, and he barely got a flame going before Pippa smacked it out of the way.


    ¡°Come on, sugar. Like old times.¡± Pippa grabbed Milo by the throat and forced him up against the wall. ¡°That night, so long ago, I knew you couldn¡¯t possibly be a religious man.¡± Derek stared at the ceiling as Pippa¡¯s dress fell off, her lips inches from Milo¡¯s. Infernal whispers filled the small office, and Derek¡¯s heart seized up in fear.


    ¡°I¡¯m religious enough to feel satisfied telling you this.¡± Milo pushed her away, pointing his flamethrower at her chest. ¡°Burn in hell, bitch.¡±


    Pippa shrieked as the flames surrounded her, eating her flesh. Derek kept his eyes closed, sweat trickling down his face as Pippa¡¯s shrieks disappeared. The burst of flame ended, and Pippa was nothing more than a pile of ashes on the ground.


    ¡°You did it.¡± Derek didn¡¯t mean for that to sound like a question, but as the dust and ash settled, he realized Pippa really was gone. ¡°You did it!¡± He started laughing. ¡°Milo, you did it!¡±


    The mana fusor gently touched the blood running down his forehead before lifting Derek¡¯s chair up. ¡°I¡­ suppose I did.¡±


    ¡°Badass.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s gone. She¡¯s finally gone.¡± Milo sighed as he started untying the rope keeping Derek to the chair.


    ¡°James Bond would be so proud,¡± Derek said.


    Milo beamed as he worked on untying Derek¡¯s wrists. ¡°They¡¯ve really got you tied up good here.¡±


    A thousand one hundred experience points entered Milo¡¯s bar. ¡°Damn, that¡¯s a lot.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You got a lot of experience points fighting her all by yourself.¡± Derek glanced again at Emma, who was slumped against the desk. ¡°Is Emma okay?¡±


    Milo glanced over at her, frowning. He handed his dagger over to Derek before moving to Emma. Derek took the dagger and cut the ropes around his legs.


    ¡°Emma?¡± Milo asked.


    She didn¡¯t respond. She was completely out to the world. Derek finished cutting the bonds before walking over to her. Milo finished untying her.


    Roll for insight.


    Derek was happy to roll the dice this time. Sixteen total wasn¡¯t bad.


    ¡°You mentioned before that she did not see Akshi and Pippa¡¯s true form?¡± Milo asked.


    ¡°Yeah. She called Akshi Asher.¡±


    Milo nodded as he eased Emma from the desk. ¡°I believe she¡¯s still unable to see like Hazel can, and therefore her brain was overloaded with information. There¡¯s a chance she might wake up and think this is nothing more than a dream.¡±


    Derek grunted. ¡°That¡¯d be nice.¡±


    Milo chuckled as he lifted Emma into his arms. ¡°Let¡¯s get back. The others will be worried.¡±


    Derek nodded as he stumbled toward the door. It was hot in here, and he wouldn¡¯t mind some fresh air. He shoved the door open and into the darkish classroom. The sun had set, and the light filtering from the office was enough.


    A glittering orange appeared behind Derek, and before he could properly react, a steel sword was pressed against his throat. Derek froze in place, because there wasn¡¯t much else he dare do.


    Akshi threw out a hand in Milo¡¯s direction, chanting under his breath.


    ¡°No!¡± Derek shouted.


    Roll a constitution saving throw


    Derek felt nauseous as he rolled, and did not feel the relief he wanted to as he was told it was a success. Pippa was one enemy Derek was delighted that Milo beat alone. Akshi was one they needed the entire group for.


    As though to confirm his fears, Milo stumbled. Emma slipped from his arms, and he had the foresight to make sure she was on the ground before the spell took hold. Milo gasped, but even his gasp sounded strangled. A dark energy entered Milo, and it was like watching a spider suck the juices out of a bug. Milo¡¯s face became sallow, and his usually thin frame became almost skeletal as his knees buckled. His eyes turned bloodshot as a tiny trickle of blood dripped from his nose.


    ¡°Milo!¡± Derek tried to get to him, but Akshi tightened his grip on the sword.


    ¡°What an intriguing piece of this puzzle you¡¯ve brought me,¡± Akshi said, placing his free hand on Derek¡¯s shoulder. Tears pricked Derek¡¯s eyes as Milo¡¯s hit points went from forty to seventeen. And that was on a successful roll. Derek had never seen Akshi use this spell before. Was he learning spells?

 Chapter 198

    Derek struggled against Akshi¡¯s grip. ¡°Let me go.¡±


    ¡°Please move again. I¡¯m most curious to find out what happens when I kill one of you children. What will it do to Milo? My hypothesis is it will kill him. Shall we test it?¡± Akshi asked.


    Derek¡¯s hands were free, but after a statement like that, he was far too terrified to do anything about it. Milo was gasping, his eyes sunken in as the necromantic powers finished attacking him. If Akshi tried that new spell again, Milo would not survive.


    ¡°Congratulations on killing Pippa. I knew you had it in you,¡± Akshi said to Milo. Derek could almost feel his gray marks grow warmer as the sword touched his throat. ¡°A pity you won¡¯t have much time to celebrate.¡±


    Akshi lifted his hand again, ready to hit Milo with the spell. Milo reached for his crossbow, but Derek knew it¡¯d be too late.


    The door burst open. Hraktar and Mr. Anderson stumbled in, and Derek wasn¡¯t sure which guy he didn¡¯t want to meet in a dark alley. Hraktar wasted no time and lifted his crossbow, aimed right at Akshi. Derek was terrified that Hraktar might hit him accidentally until he remembered who he was thinking about. The crossbow bolt sailed clean through Akshi¡¯s outstretched wrist, and he shouted in surprise. By the time Akshi turned to focus on Hraktar, Mr. Anderson had already sprinted across the length of the classroom. Akshi pressed the sword against Derek¡¯s throat, and he held in a gasp as he felt another gray mark come to life.


    Mr. Anderson was there, and as soon as the steel sword was away from Derek¡¯s throat, Derek dropped to the ground and scrambled away, holding his stomach. He glanced behind his shoulder to see Mr. Anderson punch Akshi in the face. Akshi stumbled, but unsheathed his second sword. He must have gotten another one somehow. Derek held his stomach, his lower shirt speckled with blood. Akshi stabbed the two swords into Mr. Anderson¡¯s stomach, and if the two worlds were a little more synced, Derek would have seen his science teacher stabbed through the gut. Instead, the force of the swords were more like blocks, pushing Mr. Anderson away.


    Akshi used his elbow to smack Mr. Anderson in the cheek, causing him to fall. Derek reached out, his heart in his throat. ¡°Mr. Anderson!¡±


    Hraktar pulled out his great sword, glaring at Akshi. ¡°Leave the man alone, or I¡¯ll kill you again.¡±


    Milo pulled out his crossbow and flame thrower, aiming them at Akshi. ¡°Let¡¯s just kill him again, anyway.¡±


    Mr. Anderson and Hraktar must have sprinted into the building, because the rest of the characters followed in afterwards, panting but ready to battle.


    ¡°No complaints from me,¡± Hraktar said.


    Time came to a standstill.


    Roll for initiative.


    Derek kept a hand on his stomach that his mind couldn¡¯t help but think was stabbed. It was hard to shake himself from the thought that he was bleeding out on the floor. It was more a few drops than anything, but his mind could not calm down. He grabbed the d20 and gave it a roll. Milo was in a bad state. That single spell from Akshi completely drained his mana fusor. With only seventeen hit points, he was worried. Maybe if they injured him enough, Akshi would escape again.


    Nat one. Well, he needed to get that out of the way. Either way, he couldn¡¯t help but feel like this was a bad omen.


    It started fast. Hraktar swung with his great sword, then swung again. Both times he missed. Akshi smirked before his shoulder caught the great sword¡¯s steel.


    Derek crawled over to Mr. Anderson, who was backing away from the fight. Akshi lifted a hand and pointed at Hraktar, muttering that same necromantic chat.


    ¡°Hraktar, look out!¡± Derek couldn¡¯t help but shout.


    The fighter was confused, until he stumbled back, his face losing its color. Derek watched, wide eyed, as Hraktar¡¯s hit points went from fifty-seven to twenty-one. It showed on his body, the muscles not feeling nearly as bulging, his eyes sinking in. Hraktar stumbled, his breathing rattled as blood trickled from his mouth.


    Derek got to Mr. Anderson, hoping Akshi ran out of mana and didn¡¯t have the capability of casting that spell again. The other characters would not be so lucky.


    Mr. Anderson rubbed his stomach that was bleeding as much as Derek¡¯s. ¡°Your friends will be here shortly. They were right behind me.¡±


    Ezekiel formed his spiritual weapon and tossed it in Akshi¡¯s direction. Clarissa took her turn soon after.


    ¡°Good.¡± Derek wanted to see them, but was happy that Akshi had an entire team to distract himself with.


    Derek tried to stand up but was frozen in spot. It was Milo¡¯s turn. Milo was near the main table in Mr. Anderson¡¯s classroom. It was a sturdy one. One that Milo might hide behind, and considering how frail Milo was right now, he had to hide.


    Once Derek was certain Milo would hide behind the table, he went with the combo of his cannon and crossbow.


    Derek did the rolling, letting it play out as he kept crawling away from the battle with Mr. Anderson. The acid bolt smacked into Akshi¡¯s shoulder. Milo then blasted Akshi with fire before ducking behind the desk to hide.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Mr. Anderson turned toward Derek. ¡°You alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Derek watched Hraktar swipe again at Akshi, and Akshi blocking it with his swords.


    Clarissa moved forward, chanting something as she held onto her staff. A huge elk appeared, made of white mana. Ezekiel held Hraktar¡¯s shoulder, and his hit points rose to thirty-two, the gaunt look on the fighter¡¯s face filling out.


    Grizzizzik pulled out his rapier and headed straight for his father. Akshi barely had time to look at his son before Grizzizzik stabbed Akshi in the stomach. Akshi shouted in pain as he backed away. He snarled at Grizzizzik, who snarled back. Black mana stitched the wound together, though he did not look good.


    Akshi reached out, grabbing Grizzizzik¡¯s throat. A bolt of lightning shot through Grizzizzik¡¯s chest before slamming into Clarissa¡¯s, then smacking into the elk. Derek gasped as Grizzizzik and Clarissa both dropped to eight hit points. Akshi packed a dangerously powerful punch when he wanted to.


    ¡°Come on, we¡¯ve got to get out of here,¡± Mr. Anderson said.


    Derek glanced at the door, wincing. ¡°We¡¯ll have to cross a battle in order to get to the door.¡±


    Mr. Anderson said nothing, looking for an opening. Clarissa pointed to Akshi, glaring. ¡°Attack.¡±


    The elk bellowed before running after Akshi. Akshi dropped Grizzizzik in order to brace himself from the attack. The elk slammed into Akshi, and he was thrown across the room. His body smacked against the wall before he collapsed to the ground, dead. Everyone was panting. Mr. Anderson watched as black flakes lifted off Akshi¡¯s body. It started slow before picking up speed before disappearing entirely. Something clattered to the ground, and Derek realized it was his cell phone, no doubt in Akshi¡¯s inventory.


    Mr. Anderson rubbed his temples. ¡°He¡¯s coming back, isn¡¯t he.¡±


    Grizzizzik sheathed his rapier. ¡°Unfortunately.¡±


    Evelyn stuck her head inside the classroom, searching everywhere before her eyes fell on Derek. ¡°You¡¯re okay!¡± She sprinted into the room, throwing her arms around him. Derek grunted, and she quickly let go. ¡°Oh my god, I¡¯m so sorry. Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Evelyn grabbed his arms, seeing the redness around his wrists before her eyes widened at the blood on his shirt. ¡°You sure?¡±


    Derek tried to smile, but found he couldn¡¯t. Evelyn gasped as she saw the thin cut on his throat. The others walked in, too, as Mr. Anderson glanced around his classroom.


    ¡°A huge battle with no mess. That¡¯s nice,¡± Mr. Anderson said.


    Derek glanced at the desk. ¡°The flame thrower might have scorched the table.¡±


    Mr. Anderson ran his fingers over the desk. ¡°I can live with a little scorch.¡±


    Another seven hundred and eighty experience points added to Milo¡¯s bar. It was a cacophony of noise. Milo reporting that Pippa was dead, Se?ora Florez and Mr. Anderson figuring out how to delete the footage of everyone running into the school. Nick certainly couldn¡¯t have that on his record. Every one of Derek¡¯s friends gave him hugs and needed assurance about how he was.


    Derek wasn¡¯t fine. Part of why everyone kept asking him was because they knew him long enough to realize he was lying. Tyler was flying home, and already demanded to check in on him physically, no matter the time of night. Pippa was dead. Akshi was dead, too, but would reappear in an unknown number of days. This should feel like a victory, but it left him shaking.


    Ezekiel went around healing Clarissa, Grizzizzik, and Milo before turning his attention to Derek. Se?ora Florez had the first aid kit out. Mr. Anderson had an ice pack on his own cheek.


    ¡°This feels almost barbaric,¡± Ezekiel muttered as he wrapped bandages on Derek¡¯s cuts on his stomach. ¡°And these injuries just¡­ remain? For weeks?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason we don¡¯t get into life-threatening battles every day.¡± Derek lifted his shirt enough for Ezekiel to do his work.


    Milo was rubbing his cheeks, feeling them back to normal after the necromantic powers sucked them away. ¡°Hey, now that Pippa¡¯s gone and Akshi won¡¯t be back for at least a day, I think I¡¯ll stay here at the lab for a while and see if I can get some work done.¡±


    Mr. Anderson frowned, glancing at Milo.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Derek kept his eyes on his stomach that was frightfully covered in gray marks. ¡°See if you can figure out how to get rid of these before they get worse.¡±


    Milo cracked his knuckles. ¡°On it.¡±


    ¡°Should you really be there on your own?¡± Mr. Anderson asked.


    ¡°I can stay with him,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°I don¡¯t need much sleep.¡±


    Evelyn turned to the three remaining characters. ¡°Everyone else stay with Derek. I have Nick, and Rafael and Alejandra have each other. Derek needs some people around him to keep him protected.¡±


    ¡°We should also have two earth people attending these battles between sessions,¡± Rafael said. ¡°Just in case.¡±


    Se?ora Florez turned toward them, eyes widening. ¡°There¡¯s only been one of you?¡±


    Derek shrugged. ¡°We hadn¡¯t really thought about it before.¡±


    ¡°You should have an adult with you at all times,¡± Mr. Anderson said.


    ¡°Unless you or Se?ora are offering to come every day to battles, I don¡¯t see how we can do that,¡± Derek said.


    Se?ora Florez folded her arms. ¡°By not doing battles every day. That¡¯s where you start.¡±


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Grizzizzik said. ¡°We must level up. We must get stronger, killing the most powerful creatures before they can hurt earth. If we can¡¯t get strong enough to kill a T-Rex, that monster will destroy your cities a mere nine months away. Do not deny us this.¡±


    Se?ora Florez sighed, glaring at Grizzizzik. ¡°Derek got kidnapped by an evil crime lord. All of you are in danger, and if any of you get hurt, I will never forgive myself for the rest of my life.¡±


    Grizzizzik shook his head. ¡°It won¡¯t be for the rest of your life. You¡¯ll just forget.¡±


    The ease at which Grizzizzik said this made Derek¡¯s hand shake. He tried not to show how this was affecting him, but he felt panic overtaking him.


    ¡°No one will die,¡± Se?ora Florez said.


    ¡°Of course not. That¡¯s the other thing you haven¡¯t considered,¡± Grizzizzik said. ¡°Akshi likes to play with his victims first. I mean, look at this.¡± He gestured toward the science room, his gaze toward Mr. Anderson. ¡°Akshi clearly wanted to put you on edge. You must have said something to him to make him angry, and this is how he teaches people a lesson. By unnerving them. No doubt Akshi was planning on torturing Derek and Emma before letting you discover them on Monday morning as you came to work.¡±


    Derek could not hide his quickened breathing this time. Enough for Mr. Anderson to glance at him. The concern was there.


    ¡°Read the room, Grizzly Bear.¡± Clarissa pushed past Grizzizzik to get to Derek.


    Derek¡¯s knees were weak as he felt hands try to keep him standing. Akshi almost tortured him. Akshi couldn¡¯t hurt too deep, but it still would have hurt. Mental torture. A shell of himself. He knew what the crime lord of Osvoroth was capable of without even lifting a finger. Derek felt the panic overtake him as he tried to breathe easily.


    That there were so many people around him helped him not fall into a full-blown panic attack. He still clung to the fact that he was fine. Safe. He forced himself to remember that despite the danger he was in, he escaped with two cuts on his stomach and his wrists rubbed raw. He was fine. Absolutely fine.


    Completely fine.

 Chapter 199

    The ride to Derek¡¯s house was more subdued. Nick kept his arms folded, feeling like the baseball that lodged in his throat had never dissipated, even after they saved Derek and killed Pippa and Akshi. Nick thought he was supposed to feel better knowing they¡¯ve killed Akshi twice, but he didn¡¯t. There was an overhang of gloom around everyone.


    Hazel had opted to take Emma home to make sure she got home safe. With Pippa dead, they weren¡¯t as concerned for Emma, but Hazel and Alejandra would keep in touch with her.


    Milo and Clarissa were staying in the lab, and when Mr. Anderson mentioned he couldn¡¯t leave them the key, Milo assured him he¡¯d stay in there the entire weekend. When Mr. Anderson asked about food, Milo acted like he hadn¡¯t realized he needed food. At his silence, Clarissa assured Mr. Anderson she could change into a mouse or an ant and crawl through the cracks with food in her inventory for Milo to eat.


    Everyone else had gone to Derek¡¯s house to collect their cars. Mr. Anderson called Neal to assure him that Derek was located and safe. Nick saw how gloomy his friend was, though. This had rattled him. It rattled everyone. It had often felt like the CCNC characters against the monsters of the Shrouded Domain. They warned about them possibly getting kidnapped, but now it happened. The worlds were intermingling.


    They got out of the car. Nick, Derek, Evelyn, Rafael, and Alejandra were on the lawn, with their characters behind them.


    ¡°We need to permanently kill Akshi,¡± Nick found himself saying. ¡°Soon.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Rafael glanced at Derek. ¡°Once another group levels up their sorcerer or wizard, they¡¯ll send them over with a wish spell and permanently get rid of Akshi.¡±


    Nick swallowed. ¡°That¡¯s months away. We need him gone now. Does someone, anyone, know how to kill him faster?¡± Nick then stared righted at Grizzizzik. ¡°No doubt there would be a lot more support for even the wildest of ideas. Desperation has made us eager to do what it takes to kill him.¡±


    Tell them. Tell them, please. Nick doubted Grizzizzik could read his mind, but he forced himself to give Grizzizzik a begging look. No more secrets. Secrets are destroying us. Please.


    Ezekiel placed a hand on Nick¡¯s shoulder. ¡°These are trying times, Nick. But I don¡¯t think our desperation should put us on the path of anything too devious.¡±


    Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Nick knew exactly how that would sound to Grizzizzik.


    ¡°We must keep our wits about us, but I do like the idea of brainstorming other methods of getting rid of Akshi.¡± The cleric glanced at the rogue. ¡°Though your anger toward your father is quite dangerous. Killing him will not solve your problems.¡±


    Grizzizzik said nothing, glaring at Ezekiel. Nick glanced around at everyone else, seeing if they noticed this odd behavior. Ezekiel was giving Grizzizzik a cleric¡¯s lecture of letting go of hate, and his character chose not to blow up in his face.


    ¡°Alright, well¡­¡± Derek ran his hands down his blood speckled shirt as he glanced at Hraktar, Ezekiel, and Grizzizzik. ¡°Sleepover in my room?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Grizzizzik kept his arms folded. ¡°Hraktar will take the first watch.¡±


    This surprised the fighter, and he glanced at the rogue. ¡°Akshi is dead. There¡¯s no one we need to watch out for tonight.¡±


    Grizzizzik gave him another look. ¡°Take the first watch.¡±


    The fighter hesitated, then he unsheathed his great sword and rested it against his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll take the first watch.¡±


    Derek nodded, glancing down as Hraktar walked around Derek¡¯s house.


    ¡°Half-orcs guarding you while you sleep are actually quite comforting,¡± Nick said. He understood a little of what Derek was going through.


    ¡°I hope so.¡± Derek wasn¡¯t looking at anyone. ¡°And¡­ I guess¡­ you¡¯re allowed to slap me in the face as hard as you want.¡±


    Despite everything, Nick felt a smile trickle across his face as he remembered the promise he made with his friend at the end of October. ¡°You know? I think life slapped you hard enough.¡±


    Derek chuckled, but there was no mirth to it.


    It was time to leave. Nick felt weird leaving Derek like this, and he watched as Evelyn walked forward, giving Derek a hug. She whispered something in Derek¡¯s ear, and he nodded, closing his eyes as he held her tight. Alejandra hugged him next, then Rafael. Nick realized how weird this was. Derek was Nick¡¯s closest friend, and he counted on perhaps one hand how many hugs he¡¯d given him. Tonight he¡¯d have to add to that number, because he remembered how shocked he was when Derek turned into Akshi. To be blindsided by Derek¡¯s kidnapping had left him shaken, too.


    Once Rafael was done, Nick hugged Derek, feeling unpracticed as he patted his friend¡¯s back. ¡°Akshi didn¡¯t fool us for one second when he showed up as you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± There was a slight disbelief in Derek¡¯s voice that made Nick realize he needed to be honest.


    ¡°Well¡­ okay. He might have had us for three minutes,¡± Nick said.


    Derek chuckled. ¡°How¡¯d you finally figure out?¡±


    ¡°It was Grizzizzik.¡± Alejandra glanced at the rogue. ¡°He figured it out.¡±


    Everyone focused on Grizzizzik, who had his hood up as he was brooding.


    ¡°How did you figure it out?¡± Ezekiel prompted.


    Grizzizzik sighed. ¡°Nick was trying to¡­¡± He closed his eyes, hesitating for a moment. ¡°Nick mentioned again about a possibly mysterious sixth member of the group and what the magic in our minds would have us believe it would be. Derek¡¯s clone was far too calm and composed for me to believe he was actually Derek.¡± Grizzizzik opened his eyes, looking at Derek. ¡°Akshi has a hard time copying mannerisms that are¡­ bubbly.¡±


    Derek¡¯s smile was small, but it was there. ¡°Bubbly. Right.¡±


    ¡°We got a hat of disguises out of it, too.¡± Ezekiel rubbed his hands together in excitement. ¡°My princess has it right now, but we know Akshi won¡¯t try that again.¡±


    Derek stared at no one. ¡°Unless he has other hats.¡±


    Evelyn rubbed his shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re staying in pairs. You have these characters with you, and you can portal Milo to you as you go to school. You won¡¯t ever be alone again.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, it¡¯ll¡­ yeah. It¡¯s great.¡± Derek cleared his throat. ¡°And, um¡­ you? You all? How¡­ how will I know you are who you say you are? Just¡­ you know, hypothetically speaking.¡± Derek¡¯s voice trembled at the end, glancing down. Tears pooled in his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ um¡­ Pippa disguised herself as Emma to¡­ lure me away and kidnap me.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°And if Akshi has more hats of disguises, he could¡­¡± Derek let out a breath, still staring at the ground. ¡°God, I hate how much this has made me paranoid.¡±


    ¡°A dose of paranoia keeps you alive,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Derek flinched. ¡°I¡¯d rather not need it to begin with.¡±


    ¡°Alright, kid, look at me.¡± Grizzizzik raised his hand, waiting for Derek to meet his gaze. Derek did, bracing for something. ¡°Akshi¡¯s dead. For now. Right now, you can breathe easy knowing he won¡¯t come back. The tricks he uses won¡¯t be in play. Right now, you know everyone here is who they say they are. If it makes you feel better, you can make up some sign, small, stupid, or significant for them to know it¡¯s really them. And you can ask them to prove it to you any time you need.¡±


    ¡°And yet Akshi can read our thoughts. He can also torture the information from them, right?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°And we¡¯ll cross that bridge when we get there. But for now, to rebuild your confidence, start with this. When that vile creature is still dead,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Derek let out a sigh. ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°If it makes you feel more at ease, we¡¯ll do it,¡± Evelyn said.


    Everyone else nodded.


    ¡°One by one? Different sign for different people? It¡¯d make me feel better,¡± Derek said.


    Alejandra nodded. ¡°Whatever you need.¡±


    Nick folded his arms, waiting for his turn. He watched Derek, seeing how unusually reserved his friend was. Derek was not a shell of himself, but this rattled him. It rattled everyone. Evelyn remained by Nick¡¯s side, and they said nothing. Nick was relieved Derek was back. Relieved it wasn¡¯t anything worse. Saddened that it happened anyway.


    Rafael and Alejandra were done, saying their final goodbyes to Derek before heading toward their car. Evelyn walked forward to talk to Derek as Ezekiel joined Hraktar monitoring the house. Nick felt the hair on his arms stand on end before Grizzizzik appeared next to him.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell anyone?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Because we¡¯re so close.¡±


    Nick pulled up the character sheet and glanced at the experience points. Grizzizzik finally made it past ten thousand, with 10,250 experience points total. 3,750 points left until level six.


    ¡°Your friends can help you,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°You heard Ezekiel. He will stop this. Clerics are possessive about dealing with any deity outside the ones they deem good.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? I wonder why.¡± Nick layered on the sarcasm.


    Grizzizzik glared at him. ¡°On Monday, you will steal something from your boss¡¯s store. Something big enough to cause his notice.¡±


    Nick¡¯s heart plummeted to his stomach as he looked at Grizzizzik. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what needs to happen.¡±


    ¡°And again, no.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Nick. You don¡¯t want Chaos to do something instead, do you?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    It was somehow that phrase that dredged up all the fear, anxiety, and dread he was feeling. ¡°This is not my fault.¡± Nick felt anger prick at the edges of his voice. ¡°None of this is my fault. Mr. Morgan is one of the few adults on my side.¡± Memories of his boss kneeling next to him, making sure he was okay as he sobbed, flittered through his mind. Also Mr. Morgan convincing Walt to return the door. His boss had power over Walt no one else had except for maybe Rafael. He needed to keep those people close. ¡°If Mr. Morgan catches me¡­¡± Nick¡¯s words stuttered before they stopped completely. A realization dawned on him, piercing his soul. He would rather face an apocalypse than lose Mr. Morgan¡¯s trust. His boss was his future. Mr. Morgan had connections to an apartment he could live in after April tenth. A full-time job until he could pick himself up and take a good long look at his future. A friendship with Walt where Walt listened. If Nick did anything at all to harm that reputation, he might as well kiss his future goodbye.


    ¡°I gained too many experience points this week to throw them away,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°You should have thought of that before making this deal,¡± Nick said.


    Grizzizzik¡¯s fangs poked through. Nick pushed through his own fears and used the part of his mind he used for his character. ¡°Your¡­ scared.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ didn¡¯t think it would last this long.¡±


    ¡°I said shut up!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re feeling bad about this. About what you¡¯re asking me to do!¡± Grizzizzik flinched, and Nick¡¯s heart lightened. This was a huge breakthrough.


    ¡°Tell them!¡± Nick practically screamed as no one listened. ¡°I am begging you, tell them! Please! They can help. I know they can!¡±


    Rafael was at Nick¡¯s side, taking his arm and forcing him away to give enough space for Rafael to stand between Nick and Grizzizzik if needed. ¡°Is everything okay here?¡± Rafael asked.


    Despite Rafael at his side, Nick could easily look over the top of Rafael¡¯s head to glare at Grizzizzik.


    ¡°Tell Rafael.¡± There were tears in Nick¡¯s eyes as Rafael didn¡¯t react to anything Nick said. ¡°I know he can help. We need the sword. We all want him dead. Come on, Grizzizzik!¡±


    Grizzizzik glared at Nick, his fangs lengthening the more Nick talked. When Nick finally took a breath of air, Grizzizzik shot his gaze at Rafael. ¡°Everything is fine.¡±


    The rogue placed his hood on his head and walked away. Nick covered his mouth. He was so damn close. Grizzizzik thought this would only be a week. He said so. Grizzizzik¡¯s hatred for Akshi was blinding him.


    Rafael glanced at Nick as Grizzizzik disappeared around the house. ¡°I don¡¯t trust Grizzizzik one bit.¡±


    ¡°Good. You shouldn¡¯t,¡± Nick said, wiping his tears away.


    ¡°What¡¯s he doing to you?¡± Rafael asked.


    Nick said nothing. There was nothing else to say. Not that Rafael could hear.


    ¡°Nick?¡± Rafael prompted.


    He stared at where his character disappeared. ¡°He¡¯s making difficult choices that come with some steep consequences for everyone involved.¡±


    Rafael took this in, or whatever version Chaos was letting him hear, then glanced at the house. ¡°Can you tell us what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Nick stared at Rafael, wondering how much he had heard. Nick then glanced over at Rafael¡¯s car. Alejandra was in there, and she was giving Nick one of her frosty glares.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m being a damn hypocrite right now, but¡­ don¡¯t close off again. Don¡¯t distance yourself. We¡¯re in this together, and staying together is the only way we¡¯ll make it,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± Nick started to say. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± Rafael leaned in a little, and the pure desperation Nick felt made the words leave his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t hate me again. For what I do. I have¡­ my reasons¡­¡±


    Rafael¡¯s brows furrowed, and Nick couldn¡¯t even be certain Rafael heard what he said. The baseball was still lodged in his throat as Evelyn came back. It was his turn to talk to Derek.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Rafael whispered. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    Nick nodded. He didn¡¯t know which was more painful. That Rafael understood what he said, or didn¡¯t.


    He turned, leaving Evelyn and Rafael together. He knew deep in his gut that Rafael would not stay near Evelyn and would leave soon. It didn¡¯t matter. No one could understand what he said.


    Nick headed toward Derek, his mind a muddled mess. He couldn¡¯t steal something from Mr. Morgan. The chances of getting caught were too great. The consequences the kind he could not live with. Breaking Walt¡¯s trust was an easier reality to live with than breaking Mr. Morgan¡¯s. Even breaking his friends¡¯ trusts. His friends still had the possibility of figuring things out. There was a way to right the wrong and rebuild. He never wanted to lose his friends¡¯ trust, but it was an easier thing to handle than Mr. Morgan¡¯s.


    Mr. Morgan might forgive him. Might let it go. He did, after all, assume Nick was getting involved with questionable individuals. But it wouldn¡¯t matter. Mr. Morgan would still make sure Nick didn¡¯t steal again, and that might mean a firing. His future would be gone.


    Nick and Derek decided on the easiest sign. Nick showed Derek the obscene gesture they always flashed each other in jest, this time with the pointer finger slightly raised with it. A smile finally graced Derek¡¯s face that was a hint of his normal self.


    ¡°Thanks, man,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Next time Akshi shows his face, we¡¯ll make sure he stays six feet under,¡± Nick said.


    Derek smiled again. ¡°Especially with all of us working together.¡±


    Nick nodded, and Derek gave Nick another hug. Nick closed his eyes, feeling the frustration grow on his face. They needed to work together. Grizzizzik was being stupidly, dangerously, abusively stubborn again.


    A car squealed into the driveway, and Nick and Derek looked over to see Tyler climbing out, heading straight for Derek.


    ¡°Hey, man. There¡¯s a lot to catch you up on,¡± Derek said before Tyler threw his arms around Derek.


    ¡°I am never leaving Arizona again,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°It¡¯s, um, not your fault,¡± Derek said.


    Tyler kept clinging to Derek. ¡°It¡¯s not yours, either.¡±


    ¡°Hraktar, Ezekiel, and Grizzizzik are spending the night at Derek¡¯s,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯d like to, too.¡± Tyler broke away from the hug. ¡°Miguel and Amanda are practically my second parents. They won¡¯t care. Right?¡±


    Derek shrugged. ¡°I suppose not.¡±


    ¡°Good. Because this is never happening again. No one should go through that,¡± Tyler said.


    Nick smiled, knowing Derek was in good hands as he walked back to the car, sliding into the passenger seat as Evelyn started the engine. They waved to Derek and Tyler, who waved back before entering the house.


    They drove home in silence. Nick¡¯s mind faltered as he thought about what Grizzizzik told him to do. There was pressure to do this. A wish spell wouldn¡¯t be available for months, but Grizzizzik¡¯s sword was a mere 3,750 points away. But he couldn¡¯t do it. Not this way. Not with Mr. Morgan. The simple fact was that Nick was tired of playing this game. Grizzizzik needed to tell the others. They needed each other, and Grizzizzik was holding him back. It was time for Grizzizzik to face the consequences of his own choices.

 Chapter 200

    Evelyn was playing with the edges of her phone, trying to get the mental strength to talk to her father. She knew what they promised to Walt, and it was better if they got this out now. It was Sunday afternoon, and she wanted to get this done before the evening.


    She walked into the living room, where Walt was reading something on his phone. ¡°Hey, dad.¡± Evelyn pulled up her texts to see if she needed to return anyone¡¯s text. It was more to make sure she couldn¡¯t look at her dad in the face. ¡°Um, just thought I¡¯d update you. Pippa, that succubus character you hate, she died last night in the campaign. So¡­ she¡¯s not coming back.¡±


    Walt grunted, which made Evelyn spare a glance at him. He was still reading on the couch. Evelyn swallowed. ¡°Alright, good chat.¡±


    Evelyn hated acknowledging this, but it was getting harder to talk to her dad. It felt like walking on eggshells. Nick, too, was getting hard to talk to. Her brother spent whatever time he had in his room.


    She felt like a hypocrite saying that, though, as she slipped into her room. She placed her phone against the corner of her chin as she thought about calling Tyler.


    Before she could stop herself, she pressed his name and placed the phone against her ear. She heard it ringing, and she nervously tapped her fingers against her side.


    ¡°Hey, Evie!¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Hey. Just¡­ um¡­¡± God, what was she calling him for? ¡°I¡­ told my dad. That Pippa¡¯s dead. Because¡­ she is.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Yes, thank you. Did he, ah, seem like he needed me to confirm it?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°No, no. He just sorta¡­ grunted.¡± Evelyn glanced at her door to make sure her dad wasn¡¯t listening in. That would be insane if he did, but she wasn¡¯t about to risk it, either.


    ¡°Alright, well, thanks Evie.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    She hung up the phone, then placed it against her forehead again. Were all their conversations going to be so awkward?


    ***


    Derek teleported Milo to him before he even put in his keys in his car to drive to school on Monday. Milo appeared in the passenger seat, smiling.


    ¡°Hey! Long time no see,¡± Milo said.


    Derek turned on the car. ¡°Any updates?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to do more experiments on you to check,¡± Milo said.


    Derek raised an eyebrow. ¡°What experiments, exactly?¡±


    ¡°Just¡­experiments with certain spells to see what they do to the marks.¡±


    Derek crinkled his nose. ¡°Not sure Tyler would agree with those.¡±


    Milo sighed. ¡°I figured. We¡¯re toeing a careful line here, though. We¡¯ve got to get rid of these marks, but I¡¯m not sure I can do that without the two worlds colliding.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask him once I call him up after school. Also, go easy on the experimental spells. Nothing that¡¯ll hurt,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Obviously not. Mostly healing spells. I¡¯ve prepared cure wounds today to see what¡¯ll do.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that makes more sense.¡±


    Milo raised an eyebrow. ¡°What spell did you think I was going to do?¡±


    Derek shrugged. ¡°Sometimes science comes first for you, and you¡¯ve spent a couple days away from Ezekiel, so I don¡¯t quite know where your moral compass is.¡±


    Milo chuckled. ¡°You know I¡¯d never drop my morals, even while pursuing science.¡±


    Derek smiled as he pulled into the school parking lot. ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡±


    They got out of the car like old times, walking to the school building. It was a reminder that Pippa was gone. Milo killed her all by himself.


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    ¡°I¡¯m glad Pippa¡¯s gone,¡± Derek said.


    Milo shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t think I could have won, except that you were in danger. I needed to be more afraid of losing you than my fears of her.¡± They were quiet for a beat. ¡°And also Ezekiel¡¯s protection against evil spell. That was¡­ absolutely necessary.¡±


    Derek chuckled as he opened the door. ¡°Well, I still appreciate it.¡±


    Milo waited until they got further into the school, nodding at Se?ora Florez who was walking the halls before slipping away into the lab again. Se?ora Florez was pretending to amble around the halls, but Derek knew why she was there. She tried to give Derek a semblance of privacy, but he also appreciated knowing someone was watching him to keep him safe.


    Derek wore a longer sleeved shirt to cover his still tender wrists. They were getting better, but he also didn¡¯t have a good story for if anyone asked him where he got them. They, unfortunately, looked too much like wounds one would get after being tied up for a few hours. He hoped they¡¯d be gone by Wednesday. Thanksgiving was this week, and a ton of his family were coming over to his house to celebrate. He couldn¡¯t keep secrets from his aunts, even if he tried. It would take a miracle to hide the fact that CCNC was actually a portal to a mythical world and he and his friends were hiding their characters. He was sure his aunts were immune to the mythical power that kept people from seeing what he saw. Especially if it involved juicy gossip.


    He heard footsteps coming toward him, and he jerked his head over to see Emma walking up to him. Derek held his breath, remaining calm. Pippa was dead. Akshi was probably still dead. Akshi no longer had the hat of disguises. If he did have a spare, Emma right now was not wearing a hat. Akshi might have recruited another person who knew the disguise self spell, but he wasn¡¯t sure how fast Akshi could have come back to life before finding¡ª


    Derek closed his eyes, forcing himself to take a deep breath, then let it out before he opened his eyes again. ¡°Hello, Emma.¡±


    Emma folded her arms, looking weirded out. ¡°I had¡­ the strangest dream about us last weekend.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Derek forced himself to act distant.


    ¡°Super strange. Pieces of the past month also make little sense,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Weird.¡±


    Emma shook her head. ¡°And I get the distinct impression that the less time I spend around you, the more things will slip away from my memory. That should terrify me, right? Yet it doesn¡¯t. I¡¯m actually more drawn to that. I¡­ don¡¯t think I want to remember.¡±


    Derek tried to smile. ¡°I agree. I don¡¯t want you to remember.¡±


    Emma nodded, not looking at him. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to take offense at this, Derek, but I don¡¯t want to be around you for a while.¡±


    Derek felt the tension in his shoulders release. He would love to never see Emma again, and so much of his stress was trying to get rid of her.


    ¡°I wish you the best, Emma.¡± It surprised him to realize he meant it. Emma nodded, walking away. Derek got to his locker, trying to think of other things, but he couldn¡¯t help it. Tryouts for Beauty and the Beast were two weeks away. Everyone knew Emma would try out for, and most likely get, Belle. Despite everything, everyone also assumed Derek would get the part of Beast. He realized, right then, that he couldn¡¯t let that happen. They both needed space from each other, and Derek had a bad feeling that if he spent time around Emma, if he kissed her again, she¡¯d remember. Emma had something that Derek himself envied. The ability to forget Saturday.


    That was that. He could not try out for the beast. It would be Gaston or a smaller male part. He needed to dazzle in his tryouts for Gaston, so Mr. Jensen wasn¡¯t even tempted to place him anywhere else.


    Derek unloaded his backpack from the weekend into his locker. He heard another set of footprints coming toward him and saw Evelyn. She smiled at him, her fingers twirling around her hair, already showing the sign that Derek needed to know she was who she had presented herself to be.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Evelyn said. There was something reserved about her actions. Derek marked it off as this whole thing shaking everyone up. Evelyn must have noticed Se?ora Florez, because she waved at her before focusing back on Derek. ¡°Just wanted to check in on you. How are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m, um¡­ time. Time will be a great healer,¡± Derek said, zipping up his backpack.


    ¡°It is.¡± Evelyn patted him on the back. ¡°Believe me, it is.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Derek swung his backpack over his shoulder as he closed his locker. His gaze drifted away, the memories of that day coming back to him.


    ¡°I saw Emma talking to you. Are you two okay?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°I can now say with certainty that we¡¯ve broken up.¡± Derek glanced behind him in the direction Emma went. ¡°Apparently, the less time she spends around me, the more she¡¯ll forget about Pippa and Akshi. And¡­ Saturday.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    There must have been something in his tone, because Evelyn began studying his face. ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡±


    Derek let out a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s nothing more to do except make sure it never happens again.¡±


    Evelyn folded her arms, leaning against the lockers. ¡°Yeah. And to make sure you know we¡¯ve got your back.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Because as odd as it is, I get it.¡± Evelyn started absently playing with her hair. ¡°Having someone you consider a friend lure you out of your house before turning into a monster and stealing you away to hurt you before you¡¯re left reeling with what happened. Doing your best to forget it, but knowing you never can.¡± Derek swallowed, glancing at Evelyn. She gave him a small smile. ¡°It gets better, Derek. Believe me.¡±


    She started to walk away. Derek froze, a question he had on his mind ever since the truth of what happened between Evelyn and Rafael came out. He had spent an entire weekend kicking himself for being an asshole. For not talking to Emma like an adult, and here was an opportunity to talk to someone else he knew he hurt. It would be painful, but he had to prove to himself he learned to be better.

 Chapter 201

    ¡°Evelyn?¡±


    She turned, giving him a curious look. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Derek glanced around at the student body meandering through the halls. No one was paying attention to him or Evelyn, but it was still a conversation he wanted to keep private. He sighed, dropping his voice. ¡°Was I¡­ wrong?¡± he asked, looking at her. ¡°Was I wrong to support Rafael so early? Do I¡­¡± He sighed again, his shoulders sagging. ¡°Do I need to apologize for¡­ hurting you?¡±


    Evelyn studied Derek, blinking a few times. Derek felt something like disappointment in his gut. Not toward Evelyn, but toward himself. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have to ask that. Of course I hurt you. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Evelyn tore her gaze away, searching the ground. ¡°Um¡­ thank you, first of all. That¡­ helps. I accept your apology.¡± She gave another small smile. ¡°I think¡­ I still want to acknowledge something, though.¡± She sighed, then leaned against the locker again. ¡°I¡¯ve had so much time to think about this. And talk about it in therapy. Yet it¡¯s still so confusing. Right and wrong, labels like that, they meant something fifty, sixty years ago,¡± she whispered. ¡°Now? Everyone has their own version of what¡¯s right and what¡¯s wrong. When I first heard what you did, I would have screamed at you months ago, told you how horrible you were. And¡­ it did hurt. It was¡­ wrong.¡± Her eyebrows screwed up in confusion. ¡°But¡­ if you had come to me, I would have wanted everyone on my side all those months ago. And when everyone was listening to me, we would then all abandon Rafael. Kick him to the curb. Shame him publicly. Make sure I got my revenge for what he did, but¡­ I too admit that is now¡­¡± Evelyn scratched the side of her head. ¡°Wrong? Could I possibly use that word to describe this? Of my justified anger? Yet it wasn¡¯t justified. Because I see now Rafael couldn¡¯t have everyone abandon him like I wanted. He¡¯s¡­ doing better with certain support, too. Even though a tiny part of me still wants him to suffer.¡± Evelyn let out a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know. This entire thing is complicated.¡±


    Derek sighed. ¡°So if I came to you first, you would have wanted me to abandon Rafael?¡±


    Evelyn shrugged. ¡°Yeah. But that would have been wrong. But what Rafael did was wrong. And I¡¯m hating this right and wrong label even more, because I still don¡¯t feel like it accurately¡ª¡± Evelyn froze mid sentence. Derek stared at her, confused. He could almost see an idea churning in her mind, and she opened her mouth again as she looked at him. ¡°It was¡­ chaotic¡­ what Rafael did to me all those years ago. I assumed if I said nothing, I could keep the¡­ order¡­ I craved. But I eventually couldn¡¯t, and it collapsed. In that collapse, more chaos than I could handle entered my life. I thought chaos would rule my life, and it was so painful. What you did, going to see Rafael so early and being with him, ignoring me, it¡­ added to the chaos I was feeling. It hurt. Like a physical, actual pain inside my soul. And I thought order was what I needed. Almost like Nick¡¯s sort of order with revenge, but¡­ his order would have meant murdering Rafael.¡±


    Derek blinked, realizing what Evelyn meant. He remembered what Neal said back in September. Chaos and Order, the perfected beings, were above the labels of right and wrong. Evelyn was trying to explain what happened by using Chaos and Order instead of right and wrong. Derek took in what she said, then thought of his own emotions that day when he went to see Rafael.


    ¡°I¡­ understand. It was quite chaotic what I did. When I heard what Rafael did, I wanted to know why. Straight from the source. If I wasn¡¯t satisfied with his answer, I would have dropped him forever, but he seemed genuinely distraught by what he did.¡± Derek rubbed his neck. ¡°Still does, honestly.¡± He sighed, leaving his hand on his shoulder. ¡°I suppose¡­ Justice and Mercy. No doubt children of Chaos and Order. I wanted to pick through the Chaos and see if I could Order it. Show Mercy where I could.¡±


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    Evelyn listened, then shook her head. ¡°Mercy is Chaos¡¯s child. Justice is Order¡¯s.¡±


    Derek couldn¡¯t explain it, but what Evelyn said felt right. Derek¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°So¡­ I guess I did bring far too much Chaos to your life by my actions.¡±


    Evelyn glanced at him. ¡°Too much Mercy, Rafael would have walked free. Would you have let Rafael walk free?¡±


    Derek shook his head. ¡°No. God, no. He felt horrible. That much was clear. Is still clear.¡± Derek sighed, glancing away, searching his soul. ¡°If he felt like he could get away with it, I would not have been his friend anymore. But¡­ I also don¡¯t know what more I would have done if he was a jackass. Maybe gone to your side? And yet the fact of the matter is, I went to Rafael first to see if he was the jerk. I think he was craving Order for himself, too. Every time he talks about it, he¡¯s almost angry he¡¯s not getting more punishment for what he did.¡±


    Evelyn raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Really.¡±


    Evelyn nodded. ¡°And yet too much Order, bringing in one hundred percent Justice, Nick would have killed him that night.¡± She looked away again. ¡°Even that was too much Justice for me, despite how much I craved Order. It¡¯s as Neal said. We need both. Chaos and Order. Justice and Mercy. That month was one of the hardest months of my life, but I see now we needed both.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I realize that now. You gave Mercy to Rafael, but¡­ gave none to me. It wasn¡¯t that it was too merciful, it was¡­ you didn¡¯t grant that mercy to me. You didn¡¯t balance it.¡±


    Derek glanced down at his fingers. The prickly part of his soul grated against him. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. I should have come to you, too.¡±


    Evelyn shook her head. ¡°I might have screamed at you, though.¡± She glanced away. ¡°Even if you came, I think I might have ruined our relationship if you visited me after I heard about you seeing Rafael.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s a lot of what ifs. But¡­ I accept your apology now. We¡¯re on good standing now, and I¡¯m glad you apologized.¡±


    Derek nodded. ¡°Just took me getting kidnapped and almost tortured by the crime lord of Osvoroth to shake some morals out of me.¡±


    Evelyn laughed. ¡°Well, hopefully you won¡¯t need that traumatic of an experience for next time.¡±


    He rubbed his temples, closing his eyes. ¡°God, I hope not.¡±


    ¡°Well, thanks for seeing the good in me, Derek. Even when I hid the truth from everyone and was too scared to talk about it. You¡¯re great at that. It¡¯s why we want you on our team.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for not screaming at me.¡±


    Evelyn smiled. ¡°Tyler helped me through a lot. And therapy, too. It helped me get the order I needed, and also a bit more chaos. Despite how much we want one, the other always comes along eventually. And we need both.¡± Evelyn lifted her two hands, moving them like they were on a weight scale. ¡°Between the children of Chaos and Order, balancing between Justice and Mercy, we get¡­ healing.¡± She looked up at him. ¡°For everyone.¡±


    Derek stared at Evelyn. He had no idea how Nick¡¯s little sister became so wise. She was barely sixteen years old. ¡°Did they teach you this in therapy?¡±


    Evelyn laughed as she dropped her hands. ¡°Therapy is pretty amazing. But no. If anything, therapy taught me to talk about things and work through them. I spent three years keeping something secret that almost destroyed me, and I cannot keep secrets anymore.¡±


    ¡°Therapy sounds awesome.¡± Derek remembered the experiences of the past weekend. Remembering Saturday. His smile flickered before it disappeared. ¡°Wish I could go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid if you do, they¡¯d send you to a room with padded walls.¡±


    Derek chuckled. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°So, since you can¡¯t, don¡¯t forget you have friends in your team you can rely on.¡± Evelyn patted his shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re all here for each other.¡±


    Derek patted her hand. ¡°Thanks, Evelyn. For everything.¡±


    Evelyn smiled. ¡°Thanks for apologizing. And thanks for that time at con when you treated me like you always had. It in no way solved everything, but that was nice. It was something we could build on.¡±


    ¡°Running away from hard conversations is something I¡¯m fantastic at. But I will try to do better,¡± Derek said.


    Evelyn smiled. ¡°You are quite chaotic that way.¡±


    Derek laughed. A laugh that was genuine and loud. One of his laughs he didn¡¯t think he could produce since Saturday. Not so soon. But he felt a bit of the weight lift off his shoulders as he did so.


    The first bell rang.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you around, Derek,¡± Evelyn said.


    He reached forward and gave Evelyn a hug. ¡°You¡¯re pretty merciful yourself, Evie. Thank you. I will promise to do better.¡±


    When he let go, she was smiling. ¡°Thanks, Derek.¡±

 Chapter 202

    Derek headed toward Mr. Anderson¡¯s room, preparing himself for the mental load of it all. It felt easier than it did two days ago. He wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d ever enter Mr. Anderson¡¯s office again, but he doubted his teacher would let him. He was quite the private guy.


    Eric appeared next to him. ¡°Dude. Figure out how Mr. Anderson got his black eye.¡±


    Derek frowned, glancing at him. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Anderson showed up to school today with a black eye!¡± Eric said like it was the juiciest gossip Elmwood High had ever heard. ¡°The guy is an ex-hitman for sure.¡±


    Derek chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±


    ¡°Figure it out, man! Ex-CIA, ex-mafia, someone¡¯s coming back to seek revenge. Baily¡¯s pretty sure Mr. Anderson isn¡¯t even American! Maybe he¡¯s some sort of James Bond guy from England and escaped to America to restart his life!¡±


    Derek said bye to Eric before slipping into AP Biology. Mr. Anderson had his back to everyone as he wrote on the board. Derek took his seat, getting his notebook ready to take notes. Eric wouldn¡¯t believe him even if he told the truth. It was unsettling that people could actually see the injuries, which made Derek adjust his sleeves to cover his wrists better.


    The class was quieter than usual. When Mr. Anderson turned around to gather some notes, everyone saw the bruise on his face and the class went silent. It was dark purple, not only covering his eye, but his cheek, too. Akshi hit him hard. Derek winced at remembering just how much force Akshi used with his elbow.


    The bell rang, and Mr. Anderson glanced at the class. ¡°You have a test tomorrow. I have done what I can to make sure it¡¯s as similar in structure to the final AP test as possible. Does anyone have questions about what material might be on the test?¡±


    It was so quiet Derek could hear Milo tinkering in the lab.


    ¡°Very well.¡± Mr. Anderson uncapped his marker. ¡°Let¡¯s review some equations and formulas that you¡¯ll come across on the test. Starting with statistical analysis and probably.¡±


    No one even groaned. Everyone pulled out their pencils, spines straight, shoulders back, and Derek picked up a wide variety of shocked faces. Mr. Anderson¡¯s actions were quite clear. He would not acknowledge the black eye, and due to his prickly nature, he wouldn¡¯t take questions on it, either. Derek hid his smirk as he wrote the equations Mr. Anderson was hastily scribbling on the board.


    Once the bell rang at the end of class, everyone left Mr. Anderson¡¯s classroom, all of them exchanging hushed whispers. Derek put away his notebook before standing up and walking slowly toward Mr. Anderson¡¯s desk. Most of the class was gone.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Derek said.


    Mr. Anderson was erasing the whiteboard, but he glanced behind his shoulder and nodded at Derek. ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think I ever thanked you for saving me Saturday,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never have to,¡± Mr. Anderson said.


    Derek smiled. ¡°Did you just quote batman?¡±


    ¡°Damn right I did,¡± Mr. Anderson said.


    Derek snorted. ¡°Well, thank you anyway.¡±


    Mr. Anderson set the eraser down. ¡°I hope it never happens again, but we¡¯ll all be here if it does.¡±


    ¡°You know you¡¯re going to be the talk of the school for that.¡± Derek pointed at Mr. Anderson¡¯s black eye.


    Mr. Anderson sighed, touching it tenderly. ¡°So they can see it?¡±


    ¡°Yep. You know there''re rumors about you being ex-CIA, right?¡± Derek asked.


    Mr. Anderson raised an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s pretty ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°More ridiculous than what actually happened?¡±


    A flicker of a smile crossed Mr. Anderson¡¯s face. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something I don¡¯t quite get.¡± Derek¡¯s smile dropped as he prepared to ask his question. ¡°Akshi said your ex-wife left you because you¡¯re boring.¡± He studied his teacher¡¯s face, making sure he hadn¡¯t stumbled on a sensitive subject. Obviously, it was sensitive, but this had been eating at Derek ever since Mr. Anderson showed up at the door, ready to beat the crime lord of Osvoroth to a pulp. ¡°But¡­ you¡¯re obviously not if you¡¯re willing to help us out.¡±


    Mr. Anderson glanced at the door, making sure no other students would show up. Derek didn¡¯t expect a response. He had a feeling Mr. Anderson would simply show him the door like last time he brought up his family.


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    ¡°Of course I¡¯m boring,¡± Mr. Anderson said instead. ¡°I spend most of my day at my job, helping students. To the outside observer, I can see how that can come across as boring. It¡¯s not my fault if my students have fantastical adventures.¡±


    Derek chuckled. ¡°I suppose not.¡± Mr. Anderson smiled as he replaced his AP biology notes for chemistry. Some students started trickling into the classroom, and Derek knew Mr. Anderson wouldn¡¯t want to talk about it anymore. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    Mr. Anderson nodded, then went to the board. Derek took a few steps before he saw Amy, one of his friends from a different class. He reached out and took her arm to stop her, dropping his voice.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to talk about it. It¡¯s the scariest thing. I just asked him where he got it, and he looked at me dead in the eye and said ¡®Nothing.¡¯ The guy has to be ex-CIA. There is no other explanation.¡±


    Amy gave him a strange look before she noticed Mr. Anderson glancing at Derek curiously, and her gaze fell on the black eye. Her eyes widened as she looked back at Derek. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    He nodded, forcing himself to stay calm. ¡°Seriously.¡±


    He dropped her arm before moving out of the classroom. Before disappearing into the hallway, he met Mr. Anderson¡¯s almost bored but annoyed expression with a half-smile. If Derek played his cards right, no one would ask Mr. Anderson about his black eye and leave him alone. They¡¯d also put him in legendary gossip status.


    Derek winked at his teacher, who responded by rolling his eyes before focusing on the board again. Derek smiled as he blended in with the other students in the hall.


    ***


    Nick put Evelyn¡¯s car in park before getting out. He stuffed his keys in his pockets as he walked into the back of the store. His stomach hurt. He knew why. Grizzizzik¡¯s suggestion was hanging over his head. If he was going to steal something from Mr. Morgan, today would be the easiest.


    But he couldn¡¯t. He refused. Not Mr. Morgan. Not his future.


    Nick closed his eyes, losing the desire to walk into the store. How could he possibly do this? How could he tempt Walt again like this? His relationship with his sister was already hanging by a thread.


    Nick opened the door, stepping into the back of the store. He typed in his passcode before starting his shift. He fell into the rhythm of logging items into the computer before putting them in boxes. While he did so, he imagined every post-apocalyptic scenario that Chaos might start by him not stealing from Mr. Morgan.


    Perhaps he was being selfish, but nuclear fallout, zombie apocalypse, another world war. They were not as terrifying as placing his reputation with Mr. Morgan on the line. He might regret it next week. When civilization crumbled, what would it matter if he had something lined up for his future?


    Nick wiped his forehead as he heard Mr. Morgan walking down the steps. Nick checked his watch and saw it was already five in the evening. He went back to working until he saw a pair of nice dress shoes walking up to him.


    ¡°Hey, Nick,¡± Mr. Morgan said. Nick didn¡¯t say anything, simply stared at his boss. Mr. Morgan¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°You okay?¡±


    Nick said the first thing that came to his mind. ¡°Thank you.¡± This puzzled Mr. Morgan even further, so Nick continued. ¡°The door. My phone. He¡­ listens to you.¡±


    Mr. Morgan¡¯s brows relaxed. ¡°Ah. Yes. I¡¯m glad he returned them. Do you need anything from me, Nick?¡±


    A phone call to the police. Helping him get out of blackmail. This was what Mr. Morgan assumed when he asked Nick the question. All it did was solidify in Nick¡¯s mind that he wasn¡¯t going to do it. Mr. Morgan was going to walk out that door, and Nick would keep working. He wouldn¡¯t touch anything in this store.


    Nick shook his head, and Mr. Morgan nodded. ¡°I¡¯m here if you need me.¡±


    A lump formed in his throat as Nick nodded. Mr. Morgan smiled, then turned around and walked out the door.


    Nick closed his eyes, his heart at war. He never in a million years thought he would go up against a problem like this. He had spent the last few hours jumping to the worst conclusions for apocalypse, but now that he made his decision, he wasn¡¯t sure what to think. Doom couldn¡¯t be that bad, right? Chaos wasn¡¯t completely unfiltered. There was always Order to keep him in check.


    Order. If Chaos was real, Order was, too. Was it possible for him to talk to her? It seemed plausible, but how? She was supposed to be there to keep her brother in check, right? That was the lore? That¡¯s what Neal told her. Why wasn¡¯t she stopping Chaos?


    Because Chaos went around this the way Order wanted. By making a contract. The idea fell into his head, making him close his eyes. He wondered why Chaos had done something like that when he was the literal personification of Chaos. Now it was clear. He did it to keep his sister off his back.


    Nick covered his face, trying to stay calm. There had to be a way. There must be a way. Order had to stop this. There was only so much Chaos he could handle before it was too much.


    Chaos. He was playing within the rules Order gave. Which made him realize Chaos wouldn¡¯t start another world war. Or cause zombies to come out of the ground. Or a nuclear fallout. That was complete, unbound Chaos. If he tried any of that, his sister would stop him. So, it made sense that what Chaos would do was to remain within the bounds Order gave.


    But what were the bounds Order gave? In a way, Chaos was already disrupting their lives. They wouldn¡¯t even be in this position if Chaos hadn¡¯t messed things up. He was still messing things up. Why was Order taking a back seat? Why wasn¡¯t she doing anything?


    Maybe with being Order, she needed someone to ask.


    Help us, Order. Please.


    He spoke it in his mind, a variation of that over and over. He added her name. Gave a detailed list of everything Chaos did and how she could stop it. It was a constant stream of begging Order to stop this. To give him an idea. Information on how to stop her brother.


    Nothing happened. No impression, no feeling. Nothing.


    ¡°Nick?¡± He glanced up at his shift manager, Maria. She had her arms folded, gesturing toward the clock. ¡°It¡¯s eight fifteen. Shifts over.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Nick couldn¡¯t help but say. He finished taping up the last box before logging out. He was already in the car when he realized he hadn¡¯t done what Grizzizzik asked. Maybe he could have stopped by tomorrow, since it was the last day he could do it, but he didn¡¯t want to.


    His heart pounded as he got in the car. After hours of begging Order to do something, nothing happened. And he didn¡¯t do what Chaos asked. He didn¡¯t know what would happen tomorrow night, but he tried not to think about it. Did he even contact Order the right way? Either way, he could not damage his reputation with Mr. Morgan. The horror at what he¡¯d done with his friends was already too much. He¡¯d rather face the apocalypse than break anyone¡¯s trust again.

 Chapter 203

    Rafael glanced at Alejandra as they drove toward Calawit¡¯s tent. She had Quetzal on her lap. Derek had all the other characters with him, since they kept him protected at nights. Derek was getting better, slowly. True, every day they got past Saturday was mentally healing for all of them, but it also meant Akshi was more likely alive. Pippa would never come back, but Akshi no doubt realized they were a threat. They had foiled his plans a lot, and a guy like that had a perfect memory. He would no doubt strike back hard. They all needed to be prepared.


    ¡°Is someone finding me another date for the winter ball?¡± Alejandra asked.


    Rafael glanced at her, not sure what to say. ¡°Yeah. Yeah, we¡¯ll line someone up for you and Nick.¡± Dread entered his stomach. He still hadn¡¯t talked to Walt about it. That had been his responsibility. Anything to do with Walt was his responsibility.


    ¡°Because the winter ball is about three and a half weeks away, and it¡¯s best to give the date as much time to prepare,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°It will be one large group date,¡± Rafael assured her.


    ¡°It¡¯s also your responsibility to make sure Nick never talks to me all night.¡±


    The silence in the car became prickly. Rafael wasn¡¯t sure what to say, because what Nick said to Alejandra certainly wasn¡¯t winning him any trust.


    ¡°Nick¡¯s¡­ certainly been acting weird lately,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Has he? Or is this just how he always is, and we¡¯re finally seeing the real him?¡±


    Rafael furrowed his brows. ¡°Alejandra¡ª¡±


    She turned, raising an eyebrow. ¡°What?¡± Rafael sighed, not sure how to respond. ¡°Seriously, Rafael. What? What could you possibly say that will somehow excuse everything Nick¡¯s been doing lately? How is any of this my fault? I seriously want to know.¡±


    Rafael sighed, drumming his fingers nervously against the steering wheel. ¡°I didn¡¯t say it was your fault. I¡¯m just saying¡­ Grizzizzik is bothering him somehow. Leading him to make choices he otherwise wouldn¡¯t do. That much is obvious.¡±


    ¡°Then why doesn¡¯t he act like an adult and tell us?¡± Alejandra asked, tears in her eyes. ¡°Why does he resort to insults about what dad did to us?¡±


    Rafael¡¯s stomach churned again. Something was wrong with Nick. He remembered Nick¡¯s face when he talked to Grizzizzik on Saturday night. If Rafael had to guess, his old friend almost looked horrified as Grizzizzik talked to him. But it made little sense. This almost felt like a blackmailing situation, but what could Grizzizzik possibly hold over Nick that everyone else didn¡¯t already know about? Why was Nick not coming to them?


    ¡°He might be pushing you away,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Nick?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°Of course Nick. I¡¯ve pushed you away before. To keep you from¡­ figuring out things.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s completely different,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Is it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She scratched Quetzal under his chin, and he nuzzled up to her. ¡°You never attempted a blow that low before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already talked to him about it. He won¡¯t do that again,¡± Rafael said. ¡°When I asked him about it, he seemed¡­¡±


    Confused. Apprehensive. Rafael couldn¡¯t quite understand Nick¡¯s emotion. It was like Nick was apologizing, but like he was reading it from a script. It wasn¡¯t genuine, even though what he said to Alejandra really was incredibly shitty.


    Rafael pulled off to the side of the road. Alejandra gave Quetzal a hug before opening her door.


    ¡°Could you take him to Calawit? If I hear one more time that I should be prepared for him to fight next month, I¡¯m going to scream,¡± Alejandra said.


    Rafael opened his door. ¡°Yeah. Alright.¡±


    Quetzal was already halfway to the tent when Rafael got out. He walked the rest of the way into the tent to see Quetzal and Calawit talking. Quetzal already had the red pedals on his paws.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your sister?¡± Calawit asked.


    ¡°She wanted to stay in the car,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±


    Rafael got the distinct impression she really did. ¡°Alejandra is quite protective of Quetzal.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just never experienced our world,¡± Calawit said. ¡°This is the first drake she¡¯s seen. She must notice how much he¡¯s grown already. By the end of next month, he¡¯ll be so much stronger.¡±


    Quetzal snarled at a mouse before pouncing. He missed the mouse by an inch as it squeaked, scurrying away.


    ¡°Oh, come on. I was trying to hype you up, and you missed a mouse?¡± Calawit asked. Quetzal curled his lip before snapping at Cal. She placed her hands on her hips. ¡°Oh, stop it. You can¡¯t be such a sore loser on the battlefield. Come on, let¡¯s go practice.¡±


    Rafael raised an eyebrow. ¡°You two¡­ practice?¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Obviously. How else will I spend my time with the drake?¡± Calawit said as Quetzal scuttled over to her. ¡°He¡¯s a strong one. I guarantee in four more months he¡¯ll get his spark breath, and two months after that, he¡¯ll have a lightning attack.¡±


    Rafael did the calculations quickly. ¡°May? He¡¯ll have a lightning attack by May?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± Calawit climbed onto the drake¡¯s back and stood up, hands on her hips. ¡°Alright, Quetzal. I¡¯m going to stand the entire time. Walk steady and sure, and make sure I don¡¯t fall off.¡±


    Rafael raised an eyebrow as the drake scuttled away, holding his back steady as Calawit remained balanced. He thought Quetzal was helping Calawit organize her store, but he also realized there was no organization to this place.


    Rafael walked to the car, hands in his pockets. He decided to not tell Alejandra about Calawit¡¯s training. Calawit was right. They knew nothing about drakes. With how fast Quetzal was growing, he would get stronger by the end of the month. But Alejandra would have to see for herself.


    ***


    Nick rolled from a distance, as he always did. Grizzizzik had fought yesterday and today. Nick¡¯s heart wasn¡¯t in it. It hadn¡¯t been for a while. He would roll when required, but waited to see the experience bar get ever closer to 14,000.


    It annoyed him that Grizzizzik refused to use any of his warlock spells. He understood, of course. What with the whole trying to keep things quiet thing. It was difficult, though, because he was mostly relying on his third level rogue skills, and they simply weren¡¯t doing the damage any of them wanted.


    It still got him experience points, though. No doubt Grizzizzik would keep doing this, with no one else questioning why a supposed fifth level rogue didn¡¯t have more damage with his sneak attack. It certainly was annoying Nick. Sneak attack was awesome, except he was still rolling two d6¡¯s instead of three.


    The battle ended and Grizzizzik got a whopping seven hundred and twenty experience points from that fight. That pushed Grizzizzik to 11,320 experience points total. That much closer to his warlock level three.


    Except he didn¡¯t do anything. Grizzizzik had earned a lot of experience points this week, and there was a chance none of them would count. The thought alone made an ice cold bead of sweat appear on his forehead.


    Tomorrow, they¡¯d do one final battle before they needed a break. It was Thanksgiving, after all, despite how confused Grizzizzik got with the holiday. Grizzizzik wanted to grind the entire week again. Maybe it was selfish of them all to take the holiday off, but Derek couldn¡¯t escape his family without people asking why. In fact, Nick and Evelyn were planning on attending the battle tomorrow because Derek needed to be with family.


    But would it matter? Nick placed his pencil down and rubbed his eyes. It was all too much. The weekly contract ended tonight, and Nick didn¡¯t steal anything. It still felt like an incredibly chaotic week, though.


    There was a gentle knock on the door. ¡°Nick? Can I come in?¡±


    Evelyn sounded so quiet. Before she would have waltzed right into his room, but now she waited until he gave his permission.


    ¡°Yeah, come in,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn took a tentative step inside. It was so strange to see his sister looking so nervous, but she¡¯d done that a lot around him. Ever since his return from the police station. She had her phone to her ear. ¡°It¡¯s Tyler.¡± She handed over her phone. ¡°I¡¯ll go wait outside your room.¡±


    She handed her phone to him before walking out. Nick tried not to sigh, then placed the phone against his ear for his nightly chat with Tyler. ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I forgot to ask yesterday. Has your dad returned your phone to you?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Yeah, he has.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. Then I¡¯ll go back to calling your phone starting tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Just got off the phone with Derek. Sounds like they were fighting two lizard gladiators.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sounds like we got over seven hundred experience points for them.¡±


    ¡°Nice.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s Prince Sylvar, by the way?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Good. He¡¯s doing great. It seems like I get nothing for days, then a full day of rolling with only short hour rests. He¡¯ll get to level five soon.¡±


    Nick tapped nervously on his desk. ¡°Hey, I actually had a question for you.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Shoot.¡±


    ¡°So, you sense Chaos and Order in your mind, right?¡±


    ¡°Not often, but I do.¡± Tyler sounded a bit more reserved.


    ¡°Is it easy to differentiate between the two?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Well, I mean, it¡¯s mostly judging off context clues. There is a touch of order and chaos to every prompt I have.¡±


    ¡°Okay. So¡­ have you ever had a prompt that¡¯s purely chaotic or purely order?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds good. Good luck with your homework, Nick. I¡¯ll see you Saturday.¡±


    Nick stared at the wall. His throat felt tight, strangling the words as they left his mouth. ¡°See you Saturday.¡±


    Tyler hung up, and Nick slowly brought the phone down. He hated these reminders that his friends couldn¡¯t hear him. He had been as careful as possible, but Chaos was keeping him from communicating with his friends.


    Nick got up, giving Evelyn her phone back, fighting the desire to shut the door when he was done. Walt had just given it back to him. He didn¡¯t want to lose it again.


    At ten-thirty, Walt walked in without a sound, hand out. Nick pulled out his phone and handed it over, and his dad left. Entering and leaving his room like it was the living room to the house. Nick closed his eyes, resting his head against his hands. He had school tomorrow and a battle. He had no excuse for Grizzizzik why he didn¡¯t steal from Mr. Morgan.


    No, that wasn¡¯t true. He had an excellent excuse. But it wouldn¡¯t pacify Grizzizzik.


    As soon as the house settled, Nick had the strongest urge to take a walk. One he resisted. He obviously knew why he felt that urge, but he didn¡¯t want to face Grizzizzik or Chaos. Not only that, but there was no way he could simply take a walk. Not without Walt asking him a dozen questions he couldn¡¯t answer.


    Nick fought the urge. Fought it for half an hour. He stole nothing from Mr. Morgan, and he refused to. He also had little desire to explain why, to either Grizzizzik or Chaos.


    ¡°Nick.¡±


    Nick turned his head toward the window to see his character right outside the window. He stared long and hard at Grizzizzik. Nick never rolled for anything. How was Grizzizzik here?


    He walked to the window and opened it up. ¡°How¡¯d you get here? I didn¡¯t roll for anything, and I didn¡¯t teleport you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just appeared. Must be Chaos¡¯ doing.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. Great.¡± More sweat formed on his forehead.


    Grizzizzik stared at him. ¡°You didn¡¯t steal anything.¡± Nick didn¡¯t answer, because Grizzizzik technically didn¡¯t ask a question. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you do it?¡±


    ¡°You honestly think I¡¯ve been enjoying all these times I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nick?¡± He froze at the sound of Walt¡¯s voice. He didn¡¯t even dare turn around. ¡°Who are you talking to?¡±


    ¡°No one,¡± Nick said, staring right at Grizzizzik.


    ¡°I heard you talking, Nick. Don¡¯t deny it,¡± Walt said.


    Nick finally turned, trying not to glare, but it came up anyway. ¡°Fine. I was talking.¡±


    ¡°And who were you talking to?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°No one important,¡± Nick almost spat out. Grizzizzik rolled his eyes on the other side of the window.


    Walt glared back before gesturing over his shoulder with his thumb. ¡°In the living room.¡±


    Nick glared at Walt. He was going to search his room again.


    ¡°Great. Hraktar has probably noticed I¡¯m gone by now. I¡¯m going to get caught,¡± Grizzizzik said as Nick headed toward the hallway.


    ¡°Not my problem,¡± Nick mumbled. He doubted Grizzizzik heard, but he didn¡¯t want to say it any louder in case Walt heard.

 Chapter 204

    Nick didn¡¯t slip out the front door. Instead, he sat down on the couch, checking his phone. It was past eleven at night. What was Walt even doing still up?


    Right. The holiday. Walt had the rest of the week off.


    The bathroom door opened, and Evelyn walked out, rubbing something onto her face. ¡°Oh, hi Nick. What are you doing still up?¡±


    Nick said nothing. He hadn¡¯t gotten in his pajamas yet, and Walt was certainly taking his sweet time searching his room. Evelyn glanced down the hall to his room, then back at Nick.


    ¡°Nick, are you¡­¡± she trailed off, and Nick glanced up to meet her eye, knowing the glare was still there.


    ¡°Just go to bed, Evelyn.¡± Nick sounded exhausted. He was exhausted. There was a half an hour left of the day, and Grizzizzik was waiting outside for him. Evelyn probably had a lot of texts from Derek about Grizzizzik being gone, and Nick wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to any of them.


    Evelyn hesitated, then walked into her room. Nick rested his head in his hands. He heard Walt rustling around in his room. He waited for Evelyn to march right back out with her phone to ask about Grizzizzik, but she remained in her room.


    ¡°I am fascinated by your father.¡±


    Nick jumped, then turned to see a figure sitting on the couch next to him. It was a random man, covered in clothes. Multiple layers of shirts, pants, hats, gloves, scarves and boots. He was taking off the gloves from his hands, but it looked like there were at least two dozen gloves.


    ¡°That man is obsessed with Order and Justice, and yet he does so in such a chaotic manner. I feel inclined to hang out with Justice to see if she agrees. Chaotic Justice. I don¡¯t know any other way to explain Walt. Your father fascinates me.¡± He dropped another glove. ¡°Still too much in my sister¡¯s clutches, though, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Nick continued to stare. Glove after glove dropped to the ground. Once it hit the ground, it disappeared. Nick didn¡¯t dare look at the man¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t listen to my prompt. Honestly? I respect the chaotic nature of it all, but I need to talk to you. Also, the holographic image of Grizzizzik will only last so long before Hraktar figures it out.¡±


    Nick watched more gloves drop to the ground and disappear. ¡°I don¡¯t choose what form I end up appearing in this realm,¡± Chaos said, as though reading Nick¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Everything is randomized. I find it more fun.¡± Chaos stood, shaking off a few gloves. ¡°Come, Nick. We need to get Grizzizzik. And from what I¡¯ve observed, I¡¯ll need my hands for this.¡±


    Chaos started walking toward the door, but Nick remained on the couch, feeling nauseous. When Chaos turned, he was smirking. ¡°Ah, there she is.¡± The being took a deep breath, closing his eyes. ¡°Uncertainty. Such a powerful child when she wants to be. So young, so unpredictable. I love her for it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going because I did nothing. This is a conversation for you and Grizzizzik. Not for me.¡±


    ¡°If it makes you feel better, we won¡¯t talk to you at all. But I know you¡¯re curious,¡± Chaos said.


    Nick said nothing. Curious didn¡¯t feel like the right emotion. He didn¡¯t feel curious. He felt dread.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± Chaos said before snapping his fingers.


    Nick fell on his back at the park. He scrambled to his feet, looking around. Grizzizzik was there too, though he remained on his feet.


    ¡°Am I also back at my house?¡± Nick asked.


    Chaos said nothing as he kept shedding the gloves off his hands.


    ¡°Is there a holographic version of me back at the house?¡± Nick asked again, stepping forward. If he had disappeared completely, if Walt finished his search and walked into the living room¡­


    Chaos smirked as Grizzizzik watched. Nick¡¯s heart pounded, wondering if he could sprint back home before anyone noticed he was gone. He was about ready to when one of Chaos¡¯ gloves slipped off and turned into a banana peel, landing right at Nick¡¯s feet. Nick glared at Chaos, who smiled at him. Nick found himself looking into Chaos¡¯ eyes again and forced himself to turn away.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t steal from Isaac Morgan,¡± Chaos said, pulling off another glove.


    ¡°Our group has us separated.¡± Grizzizzik sounded nervous. ¡°I had about five minutes of alone time to tell him what he needed to do and convince him to do it.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡± Chaos grabbed three gloves at a time and peeled them off.


    ¡°Please,¡± Nick said. ¡°I can¡¯t steal from Mr. Morgan. He¡¯s my future.¡±


    ¡°One future, yes,¡± Chaos said. ¡°Little too ordered for my taste, but he grants you some security. It¡¯s why I figured he would be a great guy to create a little chaos.¡±


    ¡°Not stealing.¡± Nick shook his head. ¡°Stealing is wrong.¡±


    ¡°Right, wrong, good, evil. You do like your rules, don¡¯t you, Nick Larsen,¡± Chaos said.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°They are what protects us,¡± Nick said.


    Chaos¡¯ gaze shot up at him. ¡°You reek of Order.¡±


    Nick felt his body shudder as he stared at those chaotic eyes again. He forced himself to look away, his knees weak. ¡°I need this future. It¡¯s the only thing that keeps me going.¡±


    ¡°Hope, yes.¡± Chaos turned his focus back on taking off his gloves. ¡°That child of mine enjoys dabbling with Order to give someone positive feelings toward Uncertainty. I will have to chat with them about this.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t steal from him. Let me do something good,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, Nick. Good and evil are reactions by mortals, not something that applies to me.¡±


    Nick curled his fists. ¡°Stealing, Chaos. How is this such a hard concept for you to grasp? It¡¯s wrong.¡±


    Chaos waved a hand at Nick. ¡°You¡¯ve clearly never been so desperate to steal to feed your family. But it doesn¡¯t matter. All I care about is you haven¡¯t done what I asked, therefore didn¡¯t follow the contract.¡± Chaos turned his attention to Grizzizzik, pulling off glove after glove as he smiled. ¡°So, what shall we do? Do all these points go toward your rogue class? Or your warlock one?¡±


    Grizzizzik had his arms folded, turning his glare toward Nick. This glare was a lot easier to handle than Chaos¡¯s gaze. The silence stretched between them, and Nick was terrified of how long he¡¯d been missing at home.


    ¡°I¡­ need that sword,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Chaos nodded. ¡°You earned a lot of points this week. Honestly, if you keep going like this, by next week you will have your sword. That is, if you let me create chaos for you this week.¡±


    Grizzizzik glared again at Nick. Nick¡¯s knees had grown weak. Grizzizzik¡¯s gaze bounced around as he thought, then he closed his eyes. ¡°Fine. Do it.¡±


    Nick¡¯s stomach churned as he glanced in Chaos¡¯s direction. The being was smiling. ¡°Perfect.¡± A d4 appeared, and Chaos grabbed it with his gloved hand. ¡°I love the chaos dice bring.¡± He shook it, and Nick watched as it fell on an invisible plate. ¡°Two.¡± A silver coin appeared in front of Chaos, and he took it, showing Grizzizzik. ¡°Now it¡¯s time to see if it¡¯s in your favor or not. Heads or tails?¡±


    Grizzizzik swallowed. ¡°Heads?¡±


    Chaos flipped the coin in the air. Nick watched with a sickened stomach as the coin caught the moonlight, flipping in the air before Chaos grabbed it and slapped it on the back of his hand. He smiled. ¡°Heads.¡±


    Chaos grabbed the last glove, peeling it off before wiggling his fingers. ¡°Congratulations, Grizzizzik. You earn all those experience points.¡± Black energy filled Chaos¡¯ palm before he slammed it down on the earth. Nick gasped, bracing himself for anything. The ripple pushed past them, and Grizzizzik and Nick glanced around.


    Chaos stood up, brushing himself off. ¡°A pleasure as always. Have fun this week.¡± Chaos started to leave, but Nick took a few steps forward.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Nick demanded.


    Chaos smiled. ¡°Part of the fun is discovering it for yourself.¡±


    Nick glanced around, waiting to see if zombies were going to start climbing out of the ground. Chaos had the gall to start chuckling.


    ¡°Nick Larsen, I¡¯m hoping by the end of this you understand that I¡¯m simply bored. I have been here since the creation of everything, and I enjoy a little excitement. Like connecting universes occasionally, because it¡¯s so beautifully chaotic. What you¡¯ve given me is another opportunity to be chaotic. Not unhinged. Go steal something from Mr. Morgan this week, and you may be done with our little deal.¡±


    Nick still waited for something. Some sirens for war or a nuclear bomb to go off. Grizzizzik kept his arms folded, but his gaze, too was jumping around.


    ¡°I¡¯m not stealing from Mr. Morgan this week. I won¡¯t do it.¡±


    Chaos smiled, then lifted his hand, a d4 between his middle and pointer finger. ¡°I¡¯d be willing to change the assignment. For a price.¡±


    Nick furrowed his brow, staring at the d4. ¡°You think I¡¯ll make a deal with you?¡±


    ¡°What have you to lose? Your future?¡± Chaos asked.


    Nick glared, but didn¡¯t dare point it toward Chaos¡¯s face. Another strong desire came to punch Chaos¡¯ face.


    ¡°Instead of stealing something from Mr. Morgan, you can take your sister¡¯s car for a joy ride. Long enough for your father to find out. All it costs is a roll of the dice.¡±


    ¡°And what makes you think I¡¯d do this? There¡¯s no zombie apocalypse, no aliens taking over our world. What could you possibly hold over my head to get me to do this?¡±


    ¡°Simply that if you don¡¯t, I shall do the same consequence next week as I did this week. And if you want to switch, that will also take the same consequence of a roll of the dice.¡± Chaos was still smiling, even though Nick didn¡¯t want to see it. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you want? Haven¡¯t you lived in uncertainty enough? Don¡¯t you want a full understanding of what¡¯s at stake? A peek into next week¡¯s consequence?¡±


    ¡°Getting out of this situation is what I want,¡± Nick said. ¡°Not knowing what chaos you¡¯re unleashing.¡±


    Chaos kept smiling. Kept holding the dice. Nick pursed his lips, glaring. Time had ticked on, and the world was moving on as it usually did. There was no panic in the streets. No screams.


    ¡°How much do you want Mr. Morgan¡¯s respect, Nick?¡±


    Nick curled his fingers. To be honest, he would do anything. And the moment he thought that, Chaos smirked. Nick¡¯s face fell. Chaos read his mind, and took that as permission enough.


    ¡°Wait. Chaos, wait¡­¡±


    Chaos¡¯s fingers curled around the d4 before he gave it a good shake. It clattered to a stop on four. A coin appeared, and Chaos took it between two fingers, showing Nick.


    ¡°In your favor, or against?¡± Chaos whispered, staring right at Nick. ¡°Heads? Or tails?¡±


    Nick stared at those chaotic eyes, a terror filling his soul before he looked away. He hated this. He glared at Grizzizzik instead. Glared at his character that he created when he was a child. When he related so much to a rogue. Grizzizzik stared back, doing everything in his power to look bored.


    ¡°Tails,¡± Nick said.


    Chaos flipped the coin, and Nick watched it tumble. Chaos caught it in the air before slapping it on the back of his palm. A slow smile crept across his face. ¡°Heads.¡±


    Silence stretched between the two of them. ¡°So what does that mean?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°It means¡­ the same consequence Grizzizzik got. Except not in your favor.¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t have time to fully comprehend what Chaos meant when he pulled off his last glove. Dark energy filled both his hands. ¡°And if you don¡¯t do what I ask, this will happen again next week. The dice has already been rolled, and it¡¯s already not in your favor. You can stop it by taking your sister¡¯s car for a joyride.¡± Chaos slammed his hands against the earth. Nick watched the energy ripple across the ground at a fast speed.


    ¡°What did you do!¡± Nick shouted.


    Chaos smirked. ¡°Though both would have been chaotic, not in your favor will be so much fun. Take your sister¡¯s car, Nick, or this will happen again.¡±


    Nick moved forward, but Grizzizzik held him back. Nick tried to break out of his character¡¯s grip. ¡°Chaos! What did you do!¡±


    The being stood, smiling. ¡°I shall see you next week, Nick Larsen.¡±


    ¡°Go to hell!¡± Nick shouted.


    ¡°Mmm.¡± Chaos started to walk away. ¡°That¡¯s a fascinating place my sister¡¯s deities came up with.¡±


    With that, Chaos disappeared. Nick glared at Grizzizzik with all the rage he felt. ¡°I need to get back.¡±


    ¡°Nick-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in talking to you, Grizzizzik. Get back now. I can¡¯t let anyone know I left the house, and I don¡¯t want to see you there.¡±


    His house wasn¡¯t far, and he needed to get home. Maybe, just maybe, Walt hadn¡¯t noticed he left yet.


    With that, Nick forcing his trembling knees to work as he sprinted back home.

 Chapter 205

    Derek closed his textbook and double checked his list to make sure he¡¯d finished his homework. Just one more day of school, then the holiday. His younger cousins were already in the tv room with his brothers playing Mario Kart. It was nearing midnight.


    Hraktar rushed over to Derek, chest heaving. ¡°Grizzizzik¡¯s gone.¡±


    Derek¡¯s stomach dropped as he pulled out his phone. ¡°Shit.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is. He was there one minute, then disappeared the next. He should have¡ª¡±


    Hraktar sat down on the chair across from him, and the groan from the chair cut the fighter off. He frowned, then glanced down. Derek was confused, until all at once, the chair collapsed under Hraktar¡¯s weight and he fell back.


    Derek stood up. ¡°Hraktar?¡±


    The fighter groaned, rubbing his head. The scene struck him as odd. Hraktar sat in chairs all the time, and he always had an apprehension toward them. Derek realized now that Hraktar was waiting for them to collapse under his weight, since no one here built chairs for half-orcs.


    Miguel walked into the dining room. ¡°Derek? Is everything¡ª¡± Miguel stopped talking, his eyes landing on Hraktar. Everything inside Derek froze. He should text Evelyn right now, but he instead stared at his dad. His dad, who now noticed Hraktar. ¡°Who¡¯s your friend?¡± Miguel asked.


    Hraktar rested on his hands, glancing at Derek. Derek tried to unscramble his mind to sort through his dad¡¯s reaction. Miguel wasn¡¯t freaking out. Not asking why there was a strange creature with green skin and tusks in his house. Derek didn¡¯t know what his dad saw when he looked at Hraktar, but it wasn¡¯t a half-orc.


    ¡°Right. Friend. Um¡­ right.¡± Derek and Hraktar stared at each other. The fighter said nothing, perhaps nervous.


    ¡°Derek?¡± Miguel asked.


    ¡°Um¡­ friends.¡± Derek scrambled for an answer. ¡°I have friends here.¡± Derek glanced at Miguel. ¡°Some¡­ friends. Who¡­ didn¡¯t have anywhere to go for Thanksgiving.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Miguel¡¯s eyes softened considerably. ¡°How many friends are staying at our house?¡±


    ¡°F-five?¡± Derek asked. ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t ask before. If you want, I could tell them to¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡± Miguel smiled at Hraktar. ¡°Can you introduce me to them? I¡¯ll let your mother know to set a few more plates for Thanksgiving.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Derek still struggled to figure out what was happening. He gestured toward the fighter. ¡°This is¡­ Hraktar.¡±


    ¡°Hector, hello.¡± Miguel held out his hand.


    Hraktar stared at Miguel before grabbing Miguel¡¯s hand as softly as possible to shake it. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Derek rubbed the back of his head. ¡°So, Milo, Ezekiel, and Princess Clarissa are here somewhere. Hraktar¡¯s just worried about our other friend. Grizzizzik.¡± Derek glanced at Miguel, seeing if he had heard that name.


    ¡°Perhaps Gregory hasn¡¯t gotten here yet?¡± Miguel helped Hraktar to his feet. ¡°Would you introduce me to your other friends?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course.¡± Derek opened his phone and tapped on the group text without Nick. This would alert Evelyn, and he also felt like everyone needed to know about this new update.


    ¡°I am¡­ so sorry about your chair.¡± Hraktar glanced at the remains on the ground. ¡°I¡­ I have little coin, but I can pledge my service until the debt is paid off to fix my mistake.¡±


    Miguel patted Hraktar on the enormously broad shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We have three more of these chairs in storage. That one was getting old, anyway.¡±


    Hraktar rubbed his arm, and Derek could almost see the fighter readjusting his point of view. The chairs, couches, and tables were all meant for humans. Now he could break them.


    ¡°Right. Let¡¯s find the others.¡± Derek moved away from the table as he tried to remember where they were last. He hoped Ezekiel and Clarissa weren¡¯t in a bedroom somewhere. That would make things awkward.


    He passed Izzy, who glanced at Hraktar. Derek chuckled as he pointed at the fighter. ¡°Friend of mine.¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Right,¡± his older sister mumbled. She placed her toothbrush in her mouth as she scrolled through her phone. Derek texted on his own.


    My family can see our characters now!


    Hraktar broke a chair.


    Made an excuse that they¡¯re here for Thanksgiving weekend.


    Does anyone know what¡¯s happening?


    Also, Grizzizzik¡¯s missing again.


    Evelyn? Is Nick okay?


    ***


    Nick sprinted into the house with enough time to realize Walt was still checking his room. Nick sat on the couch, covering his mouth to ease his breathing. He hardly sat down when Evelyn burst through her room and hurried over to him. ¡°Nick?¡±


    Nick glanced at her, pretending he didn¡¯t sprint the whole way home. ¡°Evelyn, hi.¡±


    Her eyes were wide, terrified. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ what?¡± The truth was, he didn¡¯t know what he did. He still didn¡¯t know what that strange energy from Chaos was.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Grizzizzik?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Nick shrugged. Technically he didn¡¯t do that either. Evelyn¡¯s hands were shaking. ¡°Okay, okay. Um¡­ he might have done something. He¡¯s not with the other group. I¡¯ll teleport Clarissa, and you teleport Grizzizzik, and we can get to the bottom of this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ so confused right now,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Hurry. In the front lawn so they can make a hasty getaway in case dad sees.¡±


    That alone made Nick¡¯s heart drop. ¡°Dad¡­ sees? What?¡±


    Evelyn thrust her phone into Nick¡¯s hands before she grabbed his arm and pulled him out the door. Evelyn had the group text open, and he started reading. Derek reported that his family could see all the characters. Some sort of magic barrier kept them from seeing Hraktar as a half-orc, but they could still see him.


    Could Nick or Grizzizzik have done something? It was from Alejandra.


    No way. Not something like this, Tyler texted.


    Nick felt his stomach churning as he read Derek¡¯s reply.


    Then can anyone possibly explain why my dad is currently popping a cold one with Milo, Ezekiel, Princess Clarissa, and Hraktar?


    Followed by a picture of Miguel doing just that. It was almost strange to see Miguel with a beer in hand, talking to the mana fusor and the druid as Ezekiel looked like he was helping Hraktar open his can of beer so the fighter wouldn¡¯t crush it to a pulp.


    Well, came Rafael¡¯s reply. Miguel¡¯s always been incredibly kind to complete strangers. It¡¯s a Perez family trait.


    Dad shouldn¡¯t have been able to see them, though. Derek texted. Is the deadline getting that close?


    No, it isn¡¯t. No one should see these characters for another month or two. Something happened. Tyler texted.


    Nick¡¯s knees gave out, and he collapsed. Realization dawned on him as he remembered the d4 Chaos rolled. It landed on a two for Grizzizzik. A two the coin toss said was in his favor.


    Months. Chaos rolled for months on their deadline. Grizzizzik¡¯s toss created two more months on their deadline. Nick¡¯s coin toss made them lose four.


    Evelyn¡¯s phone slipped out of his fingers as he stared at nothing. It already felt impossible to complete when the apocalypse was coming in August. Now they had until June. If he didn¡¯t take Evelyn¡¯s car for a ride this week, the apocalypse would happen in February.


    ¡°Where is Grizzizzik?¡± Clarissa asked. Evelyn had made her appear, but Nick was too shocked to bring Grizzizzik.


    ¡°Nick?¡± Evelyn prompted.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ all my fault,¡± Nick said. This was what he got for getting another option. For being willing to do anything to have his future with Mr. Morgan.


    ¡°Teleport Grizzizzik, Nick. We need to know where he is!¡± Evelyn said.


    Nick couldn¡¯t talk. Despite being outside, he felt how small outside was. It was all crashing down around him. Chaos tricked him. He curled his fists again, wanting to punch that eternal being all over again. Nick closed his eyes, grabbing Grizzizzik and pulling him. Grizzizzik grunted, falling over. Clarissa pulled out a scimitar, and Grizzizzik saw this action immediately. He stood up, brushing himself off.


    ¡°Really, Clarissa?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    ¡°You will use my rightful title,¡± she said. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    Grizzizzik furrowed his brow. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°These people here can see us. As humans. Derek believes the deadline has been shortened. What did you do?¡±


    Grizzizzik was doing the math in his head. Nick folded his arms, glaring at his character. He knew the rogue got it when his yellow snake eyes snapped to Nick.


    The front door opened. ¡°What the hell are you doing out here? I told you to wait on the¡ª¡±


    Nick forced himself to look up at Walt. At his father. With Grizzizzik and Clarissa behind them. Nick watched, horror overcoming him as Walt¡¯s gaze lifted to land right on Clarissa and Grizzizzik. Walt was not Miguel. Walt would never offer Grizzizzik or Clarissa a beer from the fridge.


    ¡°Who the hell are you two?¡± Walt asked, his voice quiet. The quiet that meant danger. A quiet that made Nick shake off the numb feeling and prepare himself for mental battle.


    Clarissa spoke first. ¡°Hello, sir. My name is Princess Clarissa. I am not from this land, and I need your help.¡±


    Walt blinked, confused. Evelyn glanced at Clarissa, her eyes wide. Clarissa stood, and Nick was curious to know what Walt saw. Did he see Clarissa¡¯s deep blue dress? Her sapphire tiara? There was no way Walt would see her elf ears. He must see a very beautiful woman in her twenties, though. Did he even hear that she was a princess in another land?


    ¡°My¡­ friend, Grizzizzik, and I, are lost. We are friends of Derek Perez¡¯s family, and have lost our way. Could you point us in the right direction?¡± Clarissa asked.


    ¡°The Perez family?¡± Walt asked, eyebrows raised.


    ¡°Yes. Do you happen to know?¡±


    Walt blinked again, then glanced at Grizzizzik. For once in his life, the rogue was being smart and not saying anything. Nick could see the thousands of questions churning through Walt¡¯s mind, but for now, he pulled out his phone.


    Nick and Evelyn exchanged a glance. How the hell did Clarissa stop Walt from getting angry? Nick decided the best thing to do was to not do anything to draw attention to himself.

 Chapter 206

    ¡°How¡¯d you end up on my front yard?¡± Walt asked. It wasn¡¯t as quiet, but the danger was still there.


    ¡°She¡¯s, um¡­¡± Evelyn glanced at Clarissa. ¡°A friend of mine. From school.¡±


    Walt¡¯s eyes traveled over Clarissa¡¯s face with heavy doubt. Despite how young Clarissa looked, she wasn¡¯t a high schooler.


    ¡°You have a map we can study?¡± Clarissa asked.


    ¡°Right.¡± Walt¡¯s gaze returned to his phone, before showing Clarissa a map. ¡°Looks like you go down this road, then once you hit the main road, follow north.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Clarissa said as though she hadn¡¯t traveled to Derek¡¯s house before. ¡°Thank you so much.¡±


    Clarissa grabbed the front of Grizzizzik¡¯s shirt and pulled him forward. Nick held his breath as they took a few steps.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Walt said, causing some sweat to form on Nick¡¯s forehead. Nick remained quiet, staring at Grizzizzik, begging his character not to speak. ¡°You¡¯re walking? Don¡¯t you have a car? Or a phone?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. We rather enjoy walking,¡± Clarissa said.


    Walt again stared at Grizzizzik, eyes narrowed. Nick stared at Grizzizzik, trying to tell him with his eyes to¡­ not be himself.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Walt asked, staring right at Nick¡¯s character.


    ¡°Grizzizzik.¡±


    ¡°Gregory what?¡± Walt asked.


    Grizzizzik blinked. ¡°No, Grizzizzik.¡±


    Walt¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°What¡¯s your last name, Gregory?¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s lip curled, a hiss escaping him. Nick never created Grizzizzik to have a last name. Akshi didn¡¯t really have a last name, so Grizzizzik didn¡¯t either. But here on Earth it would be weird if Grizzizzik didn¡¯t have a last name.


    ¡°Johnson.¡± Nick heard the word stumble out of him before he could stop himself.


    Walt¡¯s head whipped around to glare at Nick. Walt searched his face. ¡°What?¡±


    Nick cleared his throat. ¡°Gregory Johnson. That¡¯s¡­ his name.¡±


    Walt narrowed his eyes, and Nick realized the danger of speaking up. Of catching his dad¡¯s attention right now. Grizzizzik raised an eyebrow, almost annoyed.


    Nick dropped his gaze. He didn¡¯t dare speak up again. He had too many shocks tonight to do anything more.


    Walt pointed at Nick. ¡°Go back inside and sit on the couch. Do not move from that spot. Do I make myself clear?¡±


    Nick nodded, then his throat tightened as his rogue unsheathed his rapier.


    ¡°Leave the boy alone,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Walt turned toward Grizzizzik, and Nick used the opportunity to repeatedly swipe at his neck. Grizzizzik just needed to leave. Why couldn¡¯t he just leave?


    ¡°What the hell. Is that sharp?¡± Walt asked.


    Nick forgot how to breathe. He started walking forward when Evelyn grabbed his arm, stopping him. Nick understood his sister¡¯s hesitancy. If Nick got involved, it would make Walt angrier.


    ¡°Put your rapier away. We¡¯re among friends,¡± Clarissa said.


    Grizzizzik didn¡¯t acknowledge Clarissa in the slightest. His yellow eyes were fixed on Walt, studying him, seizing him up, and keeping his rapier out.


    ¡°I will only ask this once. What are you doing in my front yard?¡± Walt asked.


    A sly smile crossed Grizzizzik¡¯s face, and Nick¡¯s face fell. Grizzizzik could sort of interact with this world. Which meant Walt could now understand Grizzizzik¡¯s sly remarks. See the rogue¡¯s rolling eyes. Nick knew how annoyed Grizzizzik was that Walt couldn¡¯t see him. His chaotic character was about to interact with his ordered father, and it would go about as well as mixing oil and water together.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Sorry I missed that. What did you want to only ask me once about?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    Walt¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Put that sword away. It¡¯s considered a weapon¡ª¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Grizzizzik muttered.


    ¡°And I will not tolerate it on my property.¡±


    ¡°Oh, let me guess. Your local law enforcement will pick me up,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Walt held up his phone. ¡°I¡¯ll have them pick you up if you¡¯re not off my lawn in five minutes.¡±


    Grizzizzik laughed, sheathing his sword. ¡°Ah, Walt. You must be the person who always asks someone else to do your dirty work.¡±


    ¡°I will be with them on the phone right now. And this little conversation has shortened your warning to one minute.¡± Walt swiped his phone.


    ¡°Deities above, you are frustrating. Please, just get angry at me.¡± Grizzizzik gestured at him with both hands. ¡°Get so angry that you lose all control. Let me see true rage from you as you retaliate. I would love the opportunity to give you a real good punch in the face.¡±


    ¡°You do anything of the kind, and I will make sure you get the full letter of the law,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°There it is. Always someone else, isn¡¯t it? Someone else dishes out the punishment, someone else cleans up the streets. You¡¯re so fat and happy in your civilized society.¡± Grizzizzik took another step closer to Walt. ¡°Content to know you¡¯re safe. But what if you aren¡¯t, Walt Larsen? What if the only reason you cling to law and order is because you know exactly what it¡¯d be like if you didn¡¯t have it? The full horrors of human frailty playing out before you. Of your human frailty.¡± Grizzizzik dropped his voice. ¡°Someone gripping the law this hard has once understood what it¡¯s like to not have the law at all. It terrified you then, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    Nick stared at Grizzizzik, eyes wide. Nothing good would come from this discussion.


    ¡°A little dramatic, don¡¯t you think?¡± Nick caught the slight waver in his father¡¯s voice.


    Grizzizzik let out an exaggerated sigh. ¡°About as dramatic as taking the door off Nick¡¯s bedroom so you can constantly monitor what he¡¯s doing.¡±


    Walt finally tore his gaze from Grizzizzik to look right at Nick. Nick wondered when the last time he took a breath was. Walt shifted his glare back at Grizzizzik. ¡°How do you know my son?¡±


    Grizzizzik shrugged. ¡°We work together.¡±


    All the air Nick held in his lungs escape out of him. He was in danger of collapsing to the ground again. Evelyn grabbed his arm, keeping him up as Nick stared at Grizzizzik in horror. That had to be the worst thing he could¡¯ve possibly said to Walt.


    Walt lifted his phone and snapped a picture of Grizzizzik. The rogue blinked in surprise. ¡°I¡¯m giving the police your picture. If you get within a hundred yards of my son, I will take action. I am already planning on giving them your picture for trespassing. You better hope they don¡¯t find you.¡±


    Grizzizzik smirked and about said something else when Clarissa grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him away.


    ¡°Let me go,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°Shut up, Grizzly Bear, before you ruin anything else,¡± Clarissa said.


    Walt glared at the two before his head swiveled around to Nick and Evelyn. He walked over and grabbed Nick¡¯s shoulder, pulling him inside. Nick forced himself to breathe easily, but his breathing was shallow and uneven.


    ¡°Dad, wait,¡± Evelyn said, following behind them.


    Walt didn¡¯t listen. Instead, he forced Nick to sit down on the couch as he towered above him. ¡°How long have you been meeting up with Gregory Johnson?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡± Nick stopped, not sure what he should say.


    ¡°Do not play games with me, Nick. I¡¯m not in the mood.¡±


    Nick couldn¡¯t look at Walt. That glare was dangerous. ¡°I¡­ August.¡± Nick¡¯s mouth was dry as he tried to meet Walt¡¯s gaze. It felt as dangerous as meeting Chaos¡¯s gaze. ¡°I met him in August.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the one behind all this, isn¡¯t he?¡± Walt sneered. ¡°Behind the vandalism and the police. You¡¯ve stumbled into another gang, and Gregory is the reason behind it.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter what Nick said. Walt¡¯s mind was made up. In a way, though, Walt was right. Grizzizzik was the reason behind his chaotic actions.


    ¡°I never want you near him again. Are we understood?¡± Walt asked. Nick swallowed air, his mouth turning dryer. ¡°If I get a hint that you two are sneaking out to do anything, I will cut off your little game and your job. I¡¯m not joking, Nick. That guy is bad news. Look what he¡¯s already done to you.¡±


    Walt could see Grizzizzik now, which meant everyone else could, too. Everyone in Walt¡¯s little spy group, especially. Walt taking a picture of Grizzizzik practically made Elmwood have a wanted poster with Grizzizzik¡¯s face on it.


    ¡°No cries that this isn¡¯t fair?¡± Walt asked, folding his arms. ¡°No fighting back? No shouting?¡±


    Nick¡¯s mind was too muddled to realize Walt expected a fight. A fight like before, when he was hanging out with Anthony and Eddy. Shouting matches about who he hung out with.


    ¡°I think you know deep down he¡¯s trouble. And I hope this means you know I¡¯m right. Stay away from him, Nick.¡± Walt turned, heading toward the kitchen. ¡°Go to bed. You both have school tomorrow.¡±


    The only reason Nick got up was because he was afraid of what would happen if he stayed. Nick stumbled down the hall, his heart racing.


    This was chaotic. This had to mean he wouldn¡¯t need to take Evelyn¡¯s car for a joyride tomorrow. It was past midnight. Grizzizzik and Walt¡¯s fight had to be enough to satisfy Chaos.


    It wasn¡¯t. The feeling was there in his heart. What Chaos did with shortening the deadline was his doing, not Nick¡¯s. None of this would count. Despite the ripples this would cause, Chaos still expected Nick to steal Evelyn¡¯s car and take it for a ride long enough for Walt to notice.


    Tomorrow. At the session. Unless they wanted the apocalypse to happen in February.


    Nick took a few steps into his room, leaning against the wall before sinking to the ground, hands in his hair. He pushed Chaos. Gave the being another opportunity to show his power. A power that was not in anyone¡¯s favor.


    And if he didn¡¯t take Evelyn¡¯s car for a joyride tomorrow, it would get worse.

 Chapter 207

    Evelyn was worried about Nick. She had been worried about Nick ever since Walt accused him of toilet papering the park. Every time she didn¡¯t think she had any more room to add to her worry, and yet every week something happened that expounded it. She felt like her worry for Nick was at an all time high, and somehow she knew it could get higher. This was stressing everyone out, but Nick had shut down.


    She peeked down the hall at school Wednesday morning to see Derek and Rafael chatting as Nick sat on the stairs, a hand in his hair, staring at the ground. Derek tried to involve him in the conversation, but Nick didn¡¯t say anything. Didn¡¯t even react to Derek¡¯s nudge. Evelyn saw Derek and Rafael exchange worried glances before they noticed her. Evelyn hated how tears burned her eyes as she moved away. Nick felt nothing. Evelyn felt everything.


    Alejandra refused to be around Nick, so it was up to Evelyn to check on her at the beginning of the day. Their group felt fractured all over again, and Evelyn wasn¡¯t sure what she could do other than keep probing Nick for information. Her brother knew something. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure that out. Derek reported that Grizzizzik disappeared, and soon after everyone could start seeing the characters. Nick had never seen Grizzizzik, so clearly the rogue did something. Evelyn wanted to blame Grizzizzik, and yet she had no proof. Tyler and Neal were both of the impression that this was something too big for Grizzizzik to do.


    The day went by quickly. It was the last day of school before Thanksgiving break. Tonight, she would go with Nick to another fight with their characters. Tyler would be there, too. She was already figuring out how she could try to talk to Nick again. Every time she talked to him, he either ignored her or snapped at her. She needed someone else there. Someone else on her side. Tyler was always on her side.


    Evelyn spent most of the time stewing in her own worries. She drove her mom¡¯s car to the store for some last minute shopping for Thanksgiving, and that was enough to distract her. The stores were packed.


    When she got home, Nick was pulling in from work. Walt walked out to help unload groceries as Nick rolled down the window. ¡°Evelyn, ready to go?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Go where?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°CCNC. One last session before Thanksgiving,¡± Evelyn said.


    Walt crinkled his nose. ¡°Now? Isn¡¯t it late?¡±


    ¡°You already agreed to this, dad,¡± Evelyn said.


    Walt studied Nick closely, and Evelyn understood the hesitation. Walt agreed to this before he realized Grizzizzik was apart of their lives.


    ¡°Fine. But you know the rules, Nick,¡± Walt said.


    Nick hesitated, then his face darkened considerably. Nick put the car in park before turning it off. Evelyn felt her heart pounding, preparing for a blow up. Nick got out, slamming the driver¡¯s door before tossing the keys in Evelyn¡¯s direction. She didn¡¯t expect it, so they clattered to the ground at her feet.


    ¡°Seriously, Nick?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°What?¡± Nick asked as he went around the car.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting sick of your attitude,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t catch it, Dad. That¡¯s all. Don¡¯t get on Nick¡¯s case about it,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Give it a rest, Evie,¡± Nick said. ¡°Dad¡¯s already made up his mind about the whole thing, and once again, it¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    ¡°What did you just say to me?¡± Walt asked.


    Nick opened the passenger side door, shooting a glare at Walt. ¡°How would you like me to dumb it down for you?¡±


    ¡°Do you think this is funny?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°No, dad, it¡¯s not. It stopped being funny two and a half years ago. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re finally catching up with the rest of us,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn quickly moved to the front of Lydia¡¯s car as Walt marched over to Nick. Evelyn scrambled to grab her purse so they could go.


    ¡°Are you seriously mouthing off right before you leave for a game night? Are you really going to press me this hard?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°Oh, do it, dad. I¡¯m begging you. Ground me once again. Keep me from CCNC tonight. Let me spend the whole evening here. Let¡¯s start a screaming match that ends up with you banning me from attending CCNC tonight. Please,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn grabbed the strap of her purse, wondering not for the first time what had gotten into Nick. If she didn¡¯t know better, Nick actually sounded sincere. He didn¡¯t want to go tonight and stay home with Walt all evening.


    Walt narrowed his eyes. ¡°Give me your phone.¡±


    Nick sighed, bowing his head. ¡°God, dad.¡±


    ¡°Do as I say.¡±


    Nick pulled it out of his pocket and tossed it at Walt. Walt was so startled that it tumbled out of his hands. ¡°Looks like we know where Evelyn got her catching skills,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°You are going to that session so I can search your room. I assume I¡¯ll find a second phone with a conversation from Gregory Johnson.¡±


    Evelyn took the opportunity to scoop up the keys and jog to the driver¡¯s seat. Walt kept going. ¡°Believe me, Nick, if I discover you¡¯re doing anything illegal, I will be the first to call the police. Do you hear me?¡±


    Nick said nothing as Evelyn climbed into the drivers seat. To her horror, she realized Nick didn¡¯t say anything because he was instead going into elaborate detail with his hands before showing Walt an obscene gesture.


    ¡°Nick, get in the car,¡± Evelyn hissed.


    Walt had Nick¡¯s phone in his fist. ¡°What have you been doing with Greogry, Nick?¡±


    ¡°Get in the car!¡± Evelyn said louder.


    ¡°Keep threatening me with my social life until I have nothing left. If I have nothing left to lose, you won¡¯t be able to keep me in line.¡±


    ¡°You really think they¡¯ll like that attitude in juvie?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be so damned bored when I¡¯m gone in April,¡± Nick said.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Get in the car, Nick!¡± Evelyn shouted.


    Nick ignored her. ¡°You¡¯ll have to think of something else to occupy all this energy you¡¯ve wasted ruining my life. And when-¡±


    Evelyn didn¡¯t know what else to do, so she slammed her hand down on the horn, letting it go long and loud. She let it blast as she closed her eyes, and then when the horn started to annoy her, she kept it going for five seconds more.


    She let her hand drop. It wasn¡¯t perfect silence, as the phantom horn still sounded in her ear, but Walt and Nick had finally stopped talking and looked at her.


    ¡°Get in the car. Please,¡± Evelyn said, her voice strangled with emotion as she stared ahead. She tried to will the tears away. They blurred her vision for a moment, but she blinked enough times they went away. Nick got into the passenger side and buckled himself in, glaring at the windshield.


    Evelyn backed the car out of the driveway before heading down the street, fighting the strong urge to floor it so they could get there faster. She kept blinking, refusing to believe it was because tears were forming.


    Nick had a hand in his hair, glaring at the windshield. The silence settled over them, and Evelyn hated it. She needed to talk, because it was clear Nick wouldn¡¯t. She needed answers, and she was sick of this.


    ¡°Why are you reverting back to who you were four years ago?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Nick said nothing. He kept glaring at the windshield.


    ¡°Seriously, Nick. I need to know. Is all this stressing you out this much? Are you reverting back to acting out and yelling at dad? Are you really listening to Grizzizzik? Are you going to kill dad?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Nick grunted.


    ¡°Then why are you doing this?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Could you just drive.¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t just drive,¡± Evelyn said, her hands tightening over the wheel. ¡°You¡¯re turning into a jerk. You¡¯ve insulted Alejandra and you keep snapping at me. You owe me an explanation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already given you an explanation,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn shook her head. ¡°Believe me, I think I¡¯d remember if you tried to explain why you¡¯re doing this. It¡¯s been a month, and none of us understand.¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been a month,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°It feels like a month. A lot longer than a month,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Think, Evelyn. Think really hard about when this first started happening,¡± Nick said. There was a hint of condescension in his voice that made Evelyn glare at him before focusing back on the road. She tried to push through the anger and think about what Nick said. True, it hadn¡¯t been a month. When did it all start?


    Her birthday. Her sixteenth birthday. That¡¯s when Nick first lashed out at Officer Hendricks. The first time she glimpsed Nick as he was four years ago. Angry. Bitter. A strong desire to be completely unfiltered in his frustration.


    ¡°I knew it,¡± Evelyn whispered. Nick finally tore his gaze from the windshield to look at her. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ the car. I never should have accepted the car.¡±


    Nick¡¯s face screwed up in confusion. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where this whole thing is stemming from. Dad and Mom got me a new car, and you got Dad¡¯s used one. You¡¯re¡­ lashing out because it¡¯s finally getting to you. The unequal treatment.¡± There were tears in her eyes.


    ¡°God, Evie,¡± Nick muttered. ¡°I already told you I don¡¯t care that you got the car.¡±


    Evelyn pursed her lips. ¡°Sorry for not believing a lot of the things you tell me, Nick. It makes a lot more sense that this rebellion started with the car.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ it didn¡¯t,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Is this about Alejandra?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Nick glared at her. ¡°What? No.¡±


    ¡°I know she¡¯s been angry at you. And I know how much you care about her.¡±


    ¡°God, please stop,¡± Nick said, covering his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re not giving me anything, and quite frankly, I don¡¯t like the tone you¡¯re taking with me. So if you¡¯re so annoyed that I¡¯m just your obnoxious little sister, then spit it out. Tell me. Use your almost eighteen-year-old grown-up words,¡± Evelyn snapped.


    Nick glared at her. Evelyn couldn¡¯t keep his gaze, mostly because she was driving. For his answer, Nick folded his arms and glared at the world again. Evelyn shook her head, feeling frustrated all over again.


    They pulled into the dirt parking lot near some hiking trails. Tyler was texting on his phone and glanced up, waving as they pulled in. Hraktar, Milo, and Grizzizzik were beside the car. Milo was tinkering with something, and Hraktar was watching Grizzizzik¡¯s every move.


    Evelyn got out of the car, putting her phone in her back pocket. ¡°Hey,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Tyler said. ¡°How are you two?¡±


    Nick folded his arms and said nothing. Evelyn was expecting him to glare, but instead his face was devoid of emotion.


    ¡°Good. We¡¯re¡­ good,¡± Evelyn said.


    Tyler had a slight frown as he ran his gaze over her face, then studied Nick. ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°So you wanted to meet us here?¡± Nick asked, his arms folded.


    ¡°Yeah. Calawit says there¡¯s a chimera getting too close to town. Also, have you seen these?¡± Tyler turned his phone around, and Evelyn walked closer. Nick kept his arms folded. She watched as Tyler scrolled through news stories about strange things happening across the country. Thin scratch marks on buildings. People hearing mythical noises in forests. She saw one where someone claimed to see fresh dinosaur footprints on the beach. Evelyn saw them, but other people said they were strange markings that sort of resembled dinosaur tracks.


    ¡°And there¡¯s this,¡± Tyler said. He tapped on a video, and Evelyn watched a copper-colored creature ramming itself against a tree as onlookers shrieked. The tree didn¡¯t shake nearly as much as Evelyn expected with how hard that creature was ramming against it, but there was a crowd of people shrieking every time the tree moved the smallest amount.


    ¡°How is it moving!¡± someone in the crowd shouted.


    Tyler sighed. ¡°This particular video is being analyzed by everyone with internet access. Some call it a hoax. Some are certain they see something. It looks like no one can see the monsters yet, though people can see our characters. Akshi might be invisible to the world for a few more months, too.¡± He sighed again, putting away his phone as they heard the thundering of hooves.


    ¡°Does any of the other groups know how this happened?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°None. Neal¡¯s working on figuring it out, though. We all think something happened to shorten our deadline a couple months. The other group might have stumbled on a monster that messes with memory. We¡¯re looking more into it,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to figure out how that happened, so it doesn¡¯t happen again,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Tyler said. ¡°The one silver lining in all this is that we now have a collection of monsters that the internet is supplying us with. Instead of traveling around the country guessing where creatures might be, we now have things like this.¡± He jiggled his phone with the video of the copper creature. ¡°Neal¡¯s collecting all the rumors and making a list of where they are. The other groups will be a lot more successful finding and killing the monsters outside Arizona.¡±


    Tyler glanced up, squinting at something in the distance. Evelyn realized she was staring at his face and it was probably normal for her to follow his gaze to see what he was looking at.


    Clarissa the war horse was approaching with Ezekiel on her back. Evelyn realized there probably wasn¡¯t enough room for everyone in Tyler¡¯s car. It wasn¡¯t Derek¡¯s minivan, after all.


    ¡°Ezekiel was kind enough to go with her. Wanted to keep her company,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°That¡¯s sweet,¡± Evelyn said.


    Clarissa trotted up to them and stopped before Ezekiel climbed off. The horse shuddered before it became Clarissa again. She brushed her hands over her blue dress.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to stay in your war horse form?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    ¡°Not for this battle. If Tyler is correct and it is a chimera, I will need my spells, not my forms,¡± Clarissa said.


    ¡°Well, thanks for getting us here safely,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Clarissa smiled before giving Ezekiel a kiss. Evelyn honestly did not know why her cheeks grew warm. Tyler had turned his head to give them privacy, his eyes glancing over the other three characters before checking on Nick. Nick wouldn¡¯t even look at Tyler.


    ¡°I believe everything is set for the characters to go to Derek¡¯s house for Thanksgiving and Friday,¡± Tyler said. ¡°Did your dad call the police at all on Grizzizzik?¡±


    Evelyn sighed. ¡°Not that I know of, but he probably did.¡± Her eyes landed on the rogue, and her gaze darkened considerably. Grizzizzik had a constant brooding look on his face, and she didn¡¯t find it frightening this time. ¡°You better behave yourself at their home, or you¡¯ll end up paying a fine with money you don¡¯t have,¡± she said.


    Grizzizzik shrugged. ¡°If they catch me.¡±


    ¡°¡®If they catch you¡¯? That¡¯s your reply? Not ¡®Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll not do anything this one day.¡¯¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t make promises like that,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Tyler rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡°Goddamn rogues.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Evelyn,¡± Hraktar said, still staring at Grizzizzik. ¡°He will behave himself.¡±


    Grizzizzik shot him a glare.


    ¡°You might want to keep his rapier, just in case,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°No one touches my sword,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°Then stop waving it around at people,¡± Milo said.


    Nick snorted, the only reaction he¡¯d made for a while, and Evelyn was pretty sure it was because Nick¡¯s mind went into the gutter for a second there. Evelyn rolled her eyes as Ezekiel and Clarissa broke away, holding hands.


    ¡°Come on, everyone.¡± Tyler tapped on his phone to turn on his flashlight. ¡°We¡¯ll take a walk to find the chimera.¡±

 Chapter 208

    Evelyn winced. She had her own phone out with a flashlight so she could see. Grizzizzik started to fall in step with Nick when Hraktar grabbed their two shoulders, moving them apart so he could walk between them.


    ¡°By the way, I don¡¯t think I ever thanked you for dragging Grizzizzik away from our house before the police could,¡± Evelyn said to Clarissa who had fallen in step with her.


    ¡°Keeping Grizzizzik in line is everyone¡¯s second talent in our group,¡± Clarissa said, not bothering to lower her voice.


    ¡°Also, how did you do that?¡± Evelyn asked, glancing up at her princess. ¡°Before Grizzizzik ruined everything.¡± Evelyn also didn¡¯t bother lowering her voice. ¡°My dad was furious, but the things you said seemed to stop him from blowing up.¡±


    It was a secret power Evelyn needed to know. Clarissa just smiled, flicking her hair. ¡°Never underestimate the power of a beautiful woman asking for help.¡±


    Tyler snorted before he tried to hide it behind a cough. Evelyn frowned, glancing at him before looking at Clarissa again. ¡°But¡­ you weren¡¯t seducing him.¡±


    ¡°Obviously not. But the fact still remains. People want to help. It makes them feel good. I simply gave your father an opportunity to be helpful, and he took it.¡±


    Evelyn blinked, surprised. ¡°It seems so easy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because it is. Especially if you¡¯re beautiful,¡± Clarissa said.


    Tyler smiled, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯d like to think men would like to help anyone in need, not just beautiful women.¡±


    ¡°Of course you would think that, Tyler. You are the kind of man who would try and help anyone. You¡¯re a good kid,¡± Clarissa said.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ twenty,¡± Tyler mumbled. Evelyn glanced at Tyler, glad for the dark to hide her warm cheeks. She about asked something else when they heard a roar in the dark. It sounded like it was coming from the sky.


    ¡°Okay, well, Cal is right,¡± Tyler said, reaching out and grabbing Evelyn¡¯s wrist, backing away. Evelyn said nothing, refusing to react to it except to admit it felt nice.


    ¡°This is why I need my spells,¡± Clarissa said, holding out the staff. It glowed in the night. Clarissa no doubt stared right at the chimera. Dark vision must be nice.


    Time paused enough for Evelyn to get things organized for Clarissa¡¯s spell. Clarissa pounded the staff onto the ground before chanting something. Eight balls of white energy exploded out of the staff before forming eight large bats.


    ¡°Lead it to the ground,¡± Clarissa said to her creatures, pointing toward the sky.


    With leathery wings, the bats took off. Tyler grabbed Evelyn¡¯s wrist again and kept backing away before grabbing Nick on the way.


    ¡°Tyler?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Chimeras have three heads,¡± Tyler said, glancing at the dark sky. ¡°One of those heads is a dragon. We¡¯re close enough for them to roll, but our deadline has been shortened.¡± There was a shriek from the giant bats, sounding like they were plummeting to the ground. ¡°Which means everyone¡¯s gray marks are going to be that much more dangerous.¡±


    Evelyn gasped before glancing at Tyler¡¯s throat. At the gray mark that was always there. Tyler had stopped, squinting at the sky, but in an act of courage, she grabbed his hand and pulled him back even farther. Tyler glanced at her, confused.


    ¡°You spend so much time worrying about us I just want to make sure you don¡¯t get hurt either. We¡­ cannot lose you,¡± Evelyn said.


    A small smile crossed his face as his free hand rubbed the gray mark on his throat. ¡°Thanks, Evie.¡±


    It was hard to see the battle, but she could hear the eight bats shrieking in the sky before getting closer to the ground. There was a roar as a burst of flame lit up the sky. Evelyn saw it, a dragon head next to a lion, with a goat head growing out of the shoulder. It dove toward the ground, the dragon flame hitting three of the bats. One disintegrated, the other two shrieking as their twenty-two hit points dropped to seven. Evelyn winced before reminding herself this was what the bats were here for. To take the damage so the team wouldn¡¯t have to.


    The chimera landed on the ground. They heard the roar of a lion, the snarl of a dragon, and the bleating of a goat.


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    Roll for initiative


    They should have this one. An entire team against one monster. As the monsters got stronger, Evelyn tried to remember that taking down the chimera meant one less monster they had to worry about for the apocalypse. They definitely didn¡¯t want a chimera running around Elmwood in August.


    Or¡­ sooner. If Tyler was right. Evelyn didn¡¯t want to think about it.


    She rolled the d20 for her turn in combat and was pleasantly surprised to realize she was first. She was excited to see new spells for herself.


    Once Evelyn chose, she watched it play out. Clarissa grabbed her staff, chanting as the wind picked up. Clarissa¡¯s chanting melded with the wind as clouds formed overhead. A bolt of lightning came down on the chimera, and it shrieked. Clarissa then pointed to the chimera, talking to her bats. ¡°Attack!¡±


    The bats came down, shrieking. It had been easier rolling the dice for these creatures, since she just kept rolling until the d20 stopped popping up. Then she rolled about four d6¡¯s, and let someone else calculate the math. It was quite nice.


    The chimera shrieked before another burst of flame left the dragon¡¯s mouth, killing two more bats while the goat¡¯s head injured one of them with its horns. Milo smacked his crossbow with his wrench and tried to shoot the chimera. The blue bolt sailed right past the dragon head, causing the dragon to swivel and stare right at Milo, lip curling. Grizzizzik¡¯s arrow appeared from wherever Grizzizzik was hiding, smacking the chimera in the stomach.


    Ezekiel grabbed his medallion, giving a quiet chant as light appeared near him. Evelyn watched, curious, as figures appeared around him, slightly translucent. She snorted as one by one they materialized. Samwise Gamgee appeared, eating a bowl of potato soup. Harry Potter was next to him with his messy black hair and glasses, twirling his wand. Young Peter Pevensie pulled out a sword, facing the chimera, his face focused. An orangutan appeared next, reading a book and glancing up before saying, ¡°Ook.¡± The final figure unsheathed his sword, staring at the chimera with a serious face.


    ¡°Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.¡±


    Nick frowned. ¡°Did Ezekiel seriously cast spirit guardians and fill them full of iconic fantasy characters?¡±


    Evelyn answered by giggling.


    Hraktar let out a shout, slicing the chimera and stabbing its hindquarters.


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed Hraktar being able to hit twice with his action. This is nice,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°It is far more entertaining to watch him on the other side of the game master screen,¡± Tyler said. ¡°Metaphorically speaking.¡±


    After Evelyn rolled, she watched Clarissa calling to the cloud again. The bats again shrieked as they tried to bite him, but Evelyn knew only one was able to puncture the thick hide the chimera had. The five guardians all filled with light before shooting it right at the chimera. The chimera¡¯s three heads shrieked in pain as radiant light exploded through its body. The chimera stumbled, growling before turning toward Hraktar. The dragon breathed fire at Milo and Hraktar. The fighter lifted his sword, taking an amount of fire damage with the sword before the rest of the flames hit him and Milo. Milo almost collapsed, the now seventeen hit points reflecting on his charred torso and burnt face. Hraktar¡¯s skin was blackened in places that looked like it should have hurt, but his half-orc nature shook it off.


    While the goat was attacking, Nick turned toward Evelyn.


    ¡°Hey, can you give me the keys for a second? There¡¯s a spell I want Grizzizzik to try, and he needs some components, and I forgot them in the car,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn got her keys out of her pocket before dropping them in his palm, too distracted to reply back when he muttered his thanks. Another bat was gone, while the lion claws tore into Hraktar¡¯s forearms. The fighter bellowed in pain as his hit points dropped to twenty-five. Evelyn winced.


    An ice crossbow bolt hit the chimera, a gash cutting into the lion¡¯s head. Grizzizzik tried to stab the chimera, but it dodged it, sneering. Ezekiel chanted, light filling his hands before a book appeared. It then shot toward the chimera, but the creature ducked its three heads before cackling and taking off, flying in the air.


    Unfortunately for the chimera, Hraktar had dark vision and a longbow. He hit the chimera once, and when it faltered in the air, Hraktar let loose another one, cutting through the heart and out the other side. It was dead before the body slammed to the ground.


    ¡°Sweet. Let¡¯s see what mana I can pull from these guys,¡± Milo said, spinning glass vials like they were guns and he was a cowboy in a western.


    Evelyn sighed. ¡°Well, sorry Nick. I guess we didn¡¯t need the spell components after all.¡±


    She glanced around to look for Nick, but he wasn¡¯t there. Frowning, she turned around and was shocked to see taillights giving a soft glow. Evelyn paused, then her stomach dropped. ¡°Nick?¡±


    When had he started the car? When had he started driving? He was in a car, but Evelyn didn¡¯t care. She started running. ¡°Nick!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t hear her. Already the taillights were gaining speed. Evelyn kept running anyway. ¡°NICK!¡±


    He was just going into the car to get spell components. That he forgot. To help the battle. This¡­ this wasn¡¯t¡­


    He lied to her.


    Evelyn felt arms wrap around her waist, pulling her back.


    ¡°Let me go!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in a car, Evelyn. You¡¯re not going to chase him,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°What¡¯s he doing? Why is he leaving? Why? Why is he lying?¡± Evelyn asked, all the questions tumbling out of her in rapid succession. Was he leaving to make a drug trade? Meet up with someone in another town?


    ¡°We¡¯ll follow him in my car to make sure he doesn¡¯t do anything. Come on, we won¡¯t lose him,¡± Tyler said.


    Evelyn nodded, her breathing unsteady as they sprinted toward Tyler¡¯s car. Tyler pointed at Hraktar. ¡°Keep an eye on Grizzizzik. We¡¯ll be back.¡±


    Evelyn was already buckled so she could cover her mouth with her hands to keep herself from hyperventilating. Hraktar grabbed Grizzizzik¡¯s cloak hood and pulled him close to him.


    Tyler started up the car, backing up. ¡°Can you call him?¡± Tyler asked.


    Evelyn shook her head. ¡°My dad took his phone.¡±


    Tyler swore under his breath as he changed gears and peeled out of the parking lot.

 Chapter 209

    Nick placed one hand on the wheel, the other was buried in his hair. He stared ahead at the world he could only see through the headlights of the car. He tried not to think of anything. It was easier that way. He didn¡¯t have his phone, but it turned out to be a blessing.


    There was a good chance he¡¯d never attend another battle until April. Also a good chance Walt would force him to stop working at his job. Nick really doubted Walt would give him another chance after getting angry at him right before leaving, then driving around in Evelyn¡¯s car for another hour or so. But this had to happen, or else the apocalypse would happen in April.


    Nick checked his watch. This was the longest five minutes he¡¯d ever experienced. And he needed to stay out here for who knows how long.


    Nick stopped at a light, feeling nothing. Forcing himself to feel nothing. If he thought about his future, he was filled with dread. But he had to do this. The deadline already dropped to June. He couldn¡¯t let it drop anymore.


    He drove through streets, avoiding his house entirely. It took him a minute to realize that he was expecting his phone to blow up, but he forgot he tossed it at his dad right before they left. At first, he was happy to drive in peace, but that also meant this would undoubtably end with Walt ordering the entire police force to hunt for him. That alone might be the reason he lose both CCNC and his job in one go.


    Behind him, someone flashed their car lights at him. He frowned, not expecting a regular car. He saw someone in the passenger side leaning out the window, trying to get his attention, and he realized, in the glimmer of red light, it was Evelyn.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Nick mumbled, feeling the numbness shake off. They must have seen him leave and decided to follow him. He did not expect this.


    ¡°What did you expect?¡± Chaos said.


    Nick jumped, then noticed Chaos sitting cross legged on the ceiling. He was dressed for war, metal plate clinking, with a huge fish on his back. Chaos chuckled, unstrapping the fish. ¡°Like it? It¡¯s a pike.¡± He chuckled again, dropping it. The fish plopped on his seat. ¡°Dad jokes give just the right amount of chaos to something that should be ordered. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    The light turned green, and Nick pressed on the gas to keep moving. He refused to acknowledge Chaos, mainly because it hurt his brain to see someone casually sitting on the ceiling. Chaos¡¯s clothes weren¡¯t hanging to the ground, either. It was like gravity itself had shifted so that Chaos was sitting on the ceiling like Nick was sitting in a chair.


    ¡°You need to lose them,¡± Chaos said, gesturing over his shoulder at Tyler and Evelyn. ¡°They¡¯re bringing Order to what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying,¡± Nick said, making a sudden turn onto another street before making another one. ¡°Not many cars are out right now.¡±


    Chaos shrugged, grabbing the pike again and petting it like it was a dog. ¡°Keep trying. I don¡¯t want Evelyn giving an excuse to your father for you. If she does, you¡¯ll have to do something else this week.¡±


    Nick¡¯s lips pressed into a thin line. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do anything else. This was supposed to be the last thing I do for you. Ever.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm,¡± Chaos said, stroking the fish. ¡°Perhaps.¡±


    ¡°All Grizzizzik needs is the sword. He¡¯s going back to leveling his rogue skills,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Undoubtably, but Thanksgiving is tomorrow. You didn¡¯t get many experience points this time. You still have two thousand, two hundred and twenty experience points before I create the sword.¡±


    Nick turned the car a few more times, but Tyler and Evelyn followed behind him closely. There was another red light, so Nick went to the right turn lane and plowed forward. Late night traffic was nonexistent in Elmwood, especially near Thanksgiving. People rarely came here, they left for Phoenix or Tucson. It would be impossible to shake these two off.


    ¡°Evelyn¡¯s thinking it.¡± Chaos turned around to watch the car. ¡°Invoking my sister as she considers calling Walt to extend the curfew to buy them more time to catch you. This won¡¯t work. Not at all.¡±


    ¡°I refuse to do another thing. They caught me. That¡¯s that. The chaos is done,¡± Nick said, turning the car to only come up against another red light. He groaned, strangling the steering wheel. He needed to stay on the main road. They all had green lights. But that would mean Tyler and Evelyn would more easily catch up to him. He could already see Evelyn getting out of the car to run and talk to him.


    ¡°He is right, brother.¡±


    Every muscle in Nick¡¯s body stiffened. That was a female voice, coming from the back seat. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He didn¡¯t dare look behind him to see. Order. Was she here to stop Chaos?


    ¡°I¡¯m not satisfied,¡± Chaos said.


    ¡°The contract is,¡± Order said.


    Nick closed his eyes.


    ¡°No good. No good. Wait¡­¡± A slow smirk crossed Chaos¡¯s face. ¡°Spontaneous ideas are the best.¡±


    The gas pedal slammed to the ground and the car speed forward squealing into the intersection. Nick¡¯s eyes flew open, gasping as the red light still flooded the car.


    ¡°Brother! No!¡± Order shouted.


    Chaos ignored her. ¡°You got your wish, Nick Larsen. You won¡¯t have to do another thing,¡± Chaos said.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Nick shouted. Nick turned to Chaos, who disappeared. It gave Nick a nanosecond of time to realize headlights coming straight for him. Nick had no other choice but to gun it. He tried to ram his foot against the gas, but the pedal was already to the floor. He had little time to react, just to close his eyes and brace for impact.


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    ¡°Brother, no!¡± Order shouted.


    ***


    Evelyn screamed. Screamed like the sound, pitch, and length could change time. Could alter the choices made, and somehow not make that second car hit Nick¡¯s.


    She ran, still screaming. The cacophony of noise changed to words. The only words she could think of in that moment.


    ¡°Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! NICK!¡±


    ¡°Evelyn! Wait!¡± Tyler shouted, trying to catch up with her. The light on their side was still read. Cars were slamming on brakes, but she wasn¡¯t focused on that. She ran over broken glass, past scrunched up metal. Hearing the hiss of the motor as her feet crunched over broken glass. She found the driver¡¯s side door of her car, trying to yank it open. Nick was trapped inside. Nick was hurt. He had to be hurt. That other car t-boned their car. She had to make sure Nick was okay. He needed to be okay.


    ¡°Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!¡± she kept screaming, yanking the door open.


    The door swung open and she heard Nick groaning.


    ¡°Nick? Nick! Oh my god! Oh my god!¡± Evelyn shouted as Tyler came to her side.


    Nick unbuckled his seat belt. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m fine.¡± His words were slurred. His face was covered in blood. Evelyn¡¯s knees trembled as Nick stumbled out of the car. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t fine. She saw the wound near his hairline almost immediately. It was pumping blood down his face, and his eyes weren¡¯t focused. Evelyn grabbed his shoulders, his face. Tried to see. Tried to know for herself he was as fine as he pretended to be. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks as Tyler talked to someone on the phone. Had Tyler called someone? Yes, calling someone was important. Ambulance. Nick needed an ambulance. Now.


    His cheek. It was such a deep cut as blood poured down his chin and neck, soaking his shirt.


    ¡°Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god,¡± Evelyn whispered.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Nick mumbled, his eyes unfocused as he staggered from the car. ¡°Fine. Fine.¡±


    Nick collapsed to his hands and knees on broken glass and vomited. Evelyn didn¡¯t think about the dangers of kneeling on broken glass as she knelt next to her brother, her arms around his middle. He wasn¡¯t okay. Something was wrong. Something bad.


    Tyler grabbed Nick¡¯s arm and helped him to his feet. ¡°Come on. Away from the glass. Over on the sidewalk.¡±


    Evelyn took Nick¡¯s other arm as her older brother stumbled to the sidewalk. An ambulance was there before Evelyn registered she had been hearing sirens. Did Tyler call the second he saw the accident? She¡¯d been screaming. She didn¡¯t notice. They were close to the hospital, that had to be a good thing. Nick needed it. He needed a hospital. He needed all the help he could get.


    Tyler had a blanket. When did Tyler get a blanket? She pieced together how quickly Tyler went to the trunk of his car and pulled out the blanket while he talked on the phone. He had remained calm and gotten help. Evelyn had panicked.


    Was still panicking.


    Tyler placed the blanket around Nick before stepping back and letting the paramedics do their job. Paramedics were here. Evelyn¡¯s legs trembled as Tyler gently grabbed her shoulders, searching her face. ¡°Evelyn?¡±


    Evelyn said nothing. She simply looked at Tyler¡¯s face, knowing her own was a mess. She didn¡¯t realize how horribly her entire body was trembling until she felt his steady hands on her shoulders.


    ¡°Help is here. These are trained professionals. Nick is out and walking. It means his legs aren¡¯t broken. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s broken any bones. This is good. Really, really good, considering the accident we just saw.¡± He kept his hands on her shoulders, his eyes searching hers. ¡°Are you going to be alright?¡±


    Evelyn let out a shuddering breath. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ a mess.¡±


    Tyler placed his arms around her, hugging her tight. Evelyn was still frightened. She didn¡¯t want to be hugged. She needed to be by Nick¡¯s side. Needed to hear everything the paramedics said. Hear from them that Nick was fine. He was fine. He had to be fine.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to be a mess,¡± Tyler whispered.


    ***


    Rafael chuckled as Hazel finished up her story. ¡°Your cousin sounds hilarious,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°I wish you could have come,¡± Hazel said.


    ¡°I know. But¡­ now¡¯s not a good time,¡± Rafael said.


    Hazel and her family had flown to California to be with her mother¡¯s side, who they didn¡¯t get to see often. Hazel invited him, but it was too much travel. And until they figured out how the deadline got shortened, Rafael didn¡¯t dare leave the bubble, let alone the state. In fact, he didn¡¯t let Hazel leave until he learned a group was stationed in Northern California taking care of some creatures there, and promised to stay until Hazel was back in Arizona. She also texted pictures of herself or of herself and a cousin every hour near a clock just to put Rafael¡¯s mind at ease. The nightly call was mandatory for Rafael¡¯s own peace of mind.


    His phone started buzzing, and Rafael glanced at it. ¡°Oh, hey, Hazel? Can I call you back? Tyler¡¯s calling.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Keep me updated,¡± Hazel said.


    ¡°I will. Because this still isn¡¯t a long enough call.¡± She laughed before saying goodbye. Rafael said his goodbye before switching the call. ¡°Hey, Tyler. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Nick got in a crash,¡± Tyler said.


    Rafael froze, feeling a sense of deja vu. A series of bad choices that ended in Nick getting in a crash ¡°He¡­ what? Is he okay?¡±


    Alejandra glanced up from her book. Rafael dropped his phone and put it on speakerphone so she could hear.


    ¡°Yes, thank god. Just wanted to spread the word, as Nick can¡¯t be contacted right now. He¡¯s got a few nasty cuts and bruises. He¡¯s also got a concussion. He¡¯s got to rest for a few weeks, especially these first few days.¡±


    ¡°Nick got in a car crash,¡± Rafael whispered to Alejandra.


    Alejandra¡¯s mouth dropped open before she struggled to put it back in place. ¡°I¡­ is everyone else okay?¡± She stared at the phone.


    ¡°Nick was in the car all by himself, so Evelyn and I are fine.¡±


    Alejandra¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Why was Nick by himself?¡±


    Tyler gave a sigh, long and exhausted. ¡°He slipped away from us during the battle. It seemed like he was going somewhere, and when we followed him, he tried to shake us off. I¡­ don¡¯t know what he was planning to do. But whatever it was, he got in a crash before he could get there.¡±


    Alejandra didn¡¯t stop her mouth from dropping open this time.


    ¡°None of this makes sense,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t. Tell Alejandra not to teleport Hraktar just yet. I ordered him to keep an eye on Grizzizzik.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Great. I¡¯ll¡­ keep the group chat updated. I just wanted to tell everyone personally since¡­ since there was a lot of information to give. I¡¯ve got to call Derek, now.¡±


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll wait for the updates,¡± Rafael said.


    He hung up the phone, staring at his sister, who stared back at him. They were silent for some time.


    Rafael scratched his forehead with his phone. ¡°What¡¯s going on with him?¡±


    Alejandra shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend he hasn¡¯t done this before.¡±


    ¡°Alejandra-¡± Rafael started to say.


    ¡°Acting out. Doing things he shouldn¡¯t. The stress is getting to him, and he¡¯s being stupid. If he doesn¡¯t want to come to us, that¡¯s his problem,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Alejandra!¡±


    She placed her hands on her hips. ¡°Stop getting angry at me.¡±


    ¡°He got in a crash. He could have died.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already been here before,¡± Alejandra said, turning around. ¡°The first time I had sympathy. The second time I¡¯m too exhausted. I¡¯m done, Rafael. I can¡¯t do this again.¡±


    She entered her room and closed the door. Rafael was left in the living room, sinking back into the couch as he covered his face. He pulled out his phone and called Hazel back. He needed someone who wouldn¡¯t get angry at Nick, because for whatever reason, Rafael was far more concerned than anything. What was going on with his old friend?

 Chapter 210

    Nick¡¯s instructions were clear. Sleep was best when recovering from a concussion. He needed to turn his brain off. Not focus. Not use screens. No reading. Hardly anything. Once he heard a verbal confirmation that Walt believed the crash was punishment enough, Nick slept. Slept through Thanksgiving. Slept through most of Friday. Had the same dream, over and over.


    Nick watched, almost in slow motion, as the car slammed into him. He should have felt pain, but he felt nothing. Pieces of glass were moved away from him. His arms, legs, and neck were braced by something he couldn¡¯t comprehend, no doubt saving them from getting shattered. Something stopped the shard of glass from slicing his eye before his head slammed against the air bag.


    Nick opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling to stop the dream. He hated when his dream lasted long enough to hear Evelyn screaming.


    The only person that could have been was Order. But he had no recollection of what she did. Not until he had his first dream.


    And yet that was all she did. With all the talk of keeping her brother in check, she didn¡¯t push his car to narrowly miss an accident. She already admitted it was too much, so why not that? Why keep him injured?


    Nick reached up, placing his fingertips against the stiches on his cheek. Unheard of. That¡¯s what the doctors said of his condition. Should have lost an eye. Should¡¯ve broken a few bones. They were all flabbergasted he didn¡¯t even have a cracked rib. Minor concussion with some cuts and bruises, that was it. Nick was lucky. Guardian angel was another word passed around. Reckless, at fault, but a miracle he survived. Nick knew all these phrases were responsible for Walt refusing to give Nick a punishment. Walt didn¡¯t even ask why he was in the car by himself, though that was undoubtably a conversation they¡¯d have when Nick¡¯s concussion went away.


    Nick reached over for his pain medication on the small stool they set up next to his bed. He grabbed the pills, but there was no water. He grumbled, sliding out of bed before walking down the hall. He still had a headache, and his ice pack for his bruise was warm. He got out of bed and plodded down the hall. He got to the kitchen and saw Evelyn on a stool, scrolling through her phone.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he muttered, grabbing a glass from the cabinet.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she said.


    There was silence as Nick filled the glass from the tap before downing the pills and setting the glass in the dishwasher.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower,¡± Nick said, heading for the bathroom.


    ¡°Right. Um, just know the session¡¯s starting soon, and Tyler said he wants to meet with you after,¡± Evelyn said.


    Nick almost screwed up his face in confusion but forced himself to stop, afraid it would pull at the stitches. ¡°I thought we weren¡¯t having a session today.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we agreed today would be a good day to go. Probably spend all day grinding. There¡¯s not as many creatures in town, so they want to keep that up especially since people can see our characters now,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°No, we decided to do that Saturday,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn¡¯s face fell, the worry apparent. ¡°Nick, it is Saturday.¡±


    Nick blinked. Today was Saturday? How much of Thanksgiving did he sleep through? This morning there was a slice of pumpkin pie waiting for him. Or¡­ was that yesterday.


    He touched his head, blinking a few times.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Nick dropped his hand. ¡°Fine. Just¡­ lost track of time.¡± He pulled up Grizzizzik¡¯s character sheet and scanned it. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ Grizzizzik didn¡¯t get any extra experience points. I thought it was Friday¡¯s session.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he didn¡¯t go to the session yesterday,¡± Evelyn said.


    Nick¡¯s mouth went dry. ¡°What?¡±


    Evelyn shook her head, her eyes traveling to her phone, no doubt so Nick wouldn¡¯t see the anger she felt. ¡°Everyone agreed that Milo and Grizzizzik had enough experience points that they could take a break while the others caught up. Derek was still with his family, and you were¡­ recovering. So the two of them hung out, and Grizzizzik¡¯s punishment was to listen to Milo talk about mana for a few hours while Hraktar, Princess Clarissa, and Ezekiel did a session by themselves.¡± Evelyn gave a particularly angry scroll with her finger. ¡°Got off too easy, I say.¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t answer. Technically there was nothing that tied Grizzizzik to the car. Nick admitted that it was his decision. His decision so the deadline wouldn¡¯t move up anymore. Which meant Grizzizzik didn¡¯t attend a battle for three days. While everyone else got experience points. His character was probably anxious to get going.


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    ¡°So, um¡­ how many experience points does the princess have now?¡± Nick asked.


    Evelyn glanced at the character sheet only she could see. ¡°11,820.¡±


    Nick nodded, closing his eyes. Clarissa had the lowest experience points before. Now it was Grizzizzik. After Nick almost lost an eye and shattered his arm and leg, Grizzizzik was now in last place among everyone else.


    He doubted anyone actually cared. They needed to level up together after all. But he lost track of time. It was Saturday, which meant there were three more days until Tuesday, the start of the new weekly contract. Three days for Grizzizzik to get over two thousand points. But also Grizzizzik needed to get caught, by his friends.


    He was wrestling with his feelings. He did not want to do another chaotic thing, but he told himself that he would not let Grizzizzik get away with this. All Grizzizzik got out of this would be a sword and a huge boost to his charisma. Grizzizzik needed to tell the truth, or else everyone would assume Nick did this on purpose. Or, rather, listened to Grizzizzik and chose for himself to do these things.


    ¡°Nick?¡±


    He brought himself to the present, glancing at his sister who had set her phone down, staring at him with concern plain in her eyes.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Are you¡­ okay? Do you want to talk about it?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Yes. God, yes. Time is running out. You need to find out. How can you find out.


    Nick shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± He returned his trek down the hall toward the bathroom. ¡°I¡¯ll take a shower now. Where¡¯s mom and dad?¡±


    ¡°Out.¡±


    Nick grunted, then grabbed some clothes from his room before going into the shower. He closed the door, locked it, then leaned his arm against it, staring at nothing. He didn¡¯t want to lean his head against it, as he didn¡¯t want to touch the stitches. It was a relief to finally close and lock a door, and he allowed himself this moment of peace when he had complete and total privacy.


    Saturday. It was Saturday. Late morning. He was supposed to be careful with screens, but considering he didn¡¯t have any, it didn¡¯t matter. Walt had taken his phone Wednesday night, and he hadn¡¯t gotten it back yet.


    Nick eased his shirt off, giving his torso a good look. His shoulder bruise from the seatbelt looked the worst, and Nick tenderly touched it, understanding the shock and awe the doctors must have felt. He should have broken something. Yes, his head had been stitched together in two places and he was walking a bit stiffer than usual, but it should have been so much worse. Order protected him because Chaos had finally took it too far. He should feel relieved, but he didn¡¯t. Order should have stepped in way before all of this. Before Grizzizzik made the deal. Hell, before Neal made the deal.


    Nick took a quick shower. He was worried about possible dizziness coming back, and taking a shower was not the place to be when that happened. By the time he turned the water off, he was already rolling for a battle. That had to make Grizzizzik happy.


    Nick was careful to pat his stitches dry. He followed instructions and tried to keep them as dry as he could while showering, not soaking it in water. He eased his clothes back on before glancing at himself in the mirror, touching the stiches on his cheek. He hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but it almost looked like the scar he got from his first car accident naturally led into this new one. He didn¡¯t like it. He remembered his dream. Remembered hearing Order¡¯s voice and feeling the slice of the glass that should have hit his eye. He remembered, three years ago, looking into this same mirror and realizing he was lucky to still have his eye. A promise that no matter what, he needed to make better choices. Even if no one else believed he would do better.


    Nick gripped the end of the sink, feeling the dizziness come back. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to gently sink to his knees. When his knees started smarting from the injuries he got from kneeling on broken glass, he moved to resting flat on his back. He kept rolling as time froze, feeling worried. Trying to judge how many turns he was taking to guess how many monsters they were fighting. He hoped it was something with a large amount of experience points.


    There was a knock on the door.


    ¡°Nick?¡± It was Walt. The doorknob jiggled. ¡°Nick?¡±


    ¡°Coming.¡± Nick eased himself to his feet. He unlocked the door, bracing himself for a fight, even though Walt had almost gone out of his way to avoid Nick. It couldn¡¯t have been that hard, what with all the sleeping Nick had done.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Walt said, arms folded. ¡°Good shower?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It was nice,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Good. Um,¡± Walt scratched his head, not quite looking at him. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t want you to lock the door for a week. The dizziness spells might hit, and¡­ if you fall in the shower, we want to be able to reach you fast to make sure you¡¯re okay.¡±


    Nick blinked. It made sense, of course. He should have thought of that. What shocked him, though, was that Walt explained his reasoning like an adult without demanding he was right and for Nick to do what he said.


    ¡°Right. Yeah, I¡¯ll¡­ do that,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Walt cleared his throat. ¡°Also¡­ for Monday, you¡¯ll go to school for the first half of the day. Your mother will pick you up after lunch and take you to check your stitches. They might take the ones out of your cheek, though it sounds like they might wait a few more days for the one on your scalp.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take the next week slower. If¡­ you have a headache or anything, make sure you take your Tylenol. You can judge Monday if you think you can do a full day of school Tuesday. Also, Ike and I both agreed you need your rest. He won¡¯t see you Monday, and Wednesday he only wants you there if you want to be. And if you need to go home early, you¡¯re more than welcome to.¡±


    There was a silence. Nick wasn¡¯t sure what to do, but he did know Walt was treating him like a human being, and it was strange. He didn¡¯t know how much of his car crash Walt knew about, or how much Evelyn said about what happened.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m¡­ going back to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Take this with you,¡± Walt said, holding out Nick¡¯s phone.


    Nick said nothing as he took the phone, sliding it into his pocket. Walt stepped out of the doorway so Nick would walk through.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ glad you¡¯re okay,¡± Walt said.


    Nick was relieved his dad could only see his back. So he wouldn¡¯t see the flash of pain that crossed Nick¡¯s face at his words. He hated moments like this. Moments when he glimpsed what it would be like if Walt wasn¡¯t a selfish jackass. It made everything else hurt so much worse.


    ¡°Yeah. Me too,¡± Nick said before moving into his bedroom.

 Chapter 211

    Nick sat on the bed. The door was closed, and he gave himself a moment to enjoy the privacy. Nick set a timer for himself and pulled out a book, allowing himself to read for a bit. After all the rest, he needed to have a semblance of normalcy. As normal as he could.


    He spent the day practicing how to walk. He walked around the house, staying on the lower level. He made himself lunch, eating it in his room. He washed his dishes. Took a short walk around the house again. Rolled for another battle. Dodged Evelyn¡¯s worried looks and questions. When he got another eight hundred and sixty experience points, he watched with pounding heart as Grizzizzik¡¯s experience bar filled to 13,460. Five hundred and forty points left. That was it. If they battled one more time today, there was a good chance Grizzizzik would reach level six. And then Grizzizzik would get his sword, Nick would stop needing to do chaotic things, and no one would be the wiser.


    Nick hated it. He couldn¡¯t pretend this last month was a rebellious time. That he needed to get some wiggles out before resuming his good-natured self. Grizzizzik needed to be caught, but his friends would keep them separated. Now that he was in a car crash, there was no way his friends would allow him to attend a session for another couple weeks. From what anyone else could see, another bad car crash changed Nick¡¯s mind and reminded him to make good choices in his life.


    No, eventually they¡¯d have to figure out. Grizzizzik couldn¡¯t keep this a secret. They would know. When they faced Akshi again and Grizzizzik murdered him with the sword, then he¡¯d have to tell them so they wouldn¡¯t keep waiting for Akshi to reappear. Grizzizzik just needed them to not notice until it had already happened.


    But Nick needed them to figure out soon. Then they¡¯d understand why he did what he did. He had no choice.


    Because he had no choice, right?


    Nick placed his hands behind his neck, closing his eyes. Don¡¯t stress. That was another thing the doctor ordered. He could already feel a headache forming.


    There was a knock at the front door. Nick opened his eyes as Walt walked toward it. Nick remained where he was, folding his arms as he heard Walt and Tyler talking.


    Evelyn walked in, holding an ice pack. ¡°Do¡­ you need this?¡± she asked, offering him the ice pack.


    ¡°Uh, sure,¡± Nick said, taking it and placing it against his shoulder. He didn¡¯t actually need it, but Evelyn had been shooting him terrified glances throughout the day. Trying to talk, hesitating, and asking a generic question. Nick realized how frayed his relationship with his sister had become. To think it took less than a month to get in this state.


    Tyler was at the doorway of Nick¡¯s room, his eyes lingering on the door.


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ be in my room,¡± Evelyn said.


    She slipped out of the room and Tyler¡¯s eyes rested on Nick. ¡°Hey, can I come in?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Nick said.


    Tyler stepped through the doorway, glancing around the room. There wasn¡¯t much in his room. He¡¯d also cleaned it today, part of his attempt to have some sort of normal day. He didn¡¯t know what Tyler thought of his room, but there wasn¡¯t much to show. He didn¡¯t have a lot. The only person in the group who¡¯d ever been in his room was Evelyn. Not since the crash.


    Or¡­ the first crash.


    Tyler grabbed the chair at his desk and turned it. He sat down, elbows on his knees, hands hanging forward with a dejected look on his face. Nick didn¡¯t know what to say, because he hadn¡¯t seen Tyler look so crushed before.


    ¡°You¡­ doing okay?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m recovering,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Good. Good.¡±


    Silence prickled between them again, and Nick didn¡¯t want to break it. He didn¡¯t have the energy to. Once again, he was forced in front of the conversation he couldn¡¯t have because Chaos kept him from telling the truth.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Tyler scratched his head before staring at Nick. ¡°Why?¡±


    Nick swallowed, feeling nauseous. He couldn¡¯t do this again. He rested his head against the wall, and Tyler continued.


    ¡°Why did you steal your sister¡¯s car and start driving away from us,¡± Tyler said, his voice dropping. ¡°Where were you going? What were you doing? Why did you drive out there in the middle of a red light?¡±


    Nick remained silent, lifting his eyes to the ceiling. He didn¡¯t know if Chaos looked from above or anything. It seemed more like he was everywhere and nowhere. Either way, he shot the ceiling a glare and made sure Chaos knew it was meant for him.


    ¡°You should ask Grizzizzik,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°You honestly think that¡¯s a good enough answer?¡± Tyler asked.


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    Nick didn¡¯t know, because he wasn¡¯t sure if Tyler heard him tell him to ask Grizzizzik. He couldn¡¯t be sure of anything he said. The isolation crept in.


    Tyler groaned, rubbing his head. ¡°I know you¡¯re still recovering. We¡¯ve all got to give you some time. Which is why I came. You¡­ need to stay here. For a few weeks. Possibly even a month.¡±


    Nick raised his gaze. ¡°It doesn¡¯t need to be a month. It¡¯s just a mild concussion. I¡¯m getting the stitches out next week.¡± He straightened. ¡°The doctors think I¡¯ll be fine in a week or two.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t about physically getting better.¡± Tyler¡¯s shoulders were slouched, a haunted look in his eye. He hadn¡¯t smiled at all when he came into his room, and nothing about his face said he was expecting to smile for the remainder of this conversation. ¡°God, Nick. Think about what this is doing to all of us. Not just the car crash, but everything else this past month. We¡¯re all confused, and you¡¯re not giving us any answers.¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t say anything, because Chaos would change his words.


    ¡°So I will ask only one more time. Why are you doing what Grizzizzik asks, and not relying on us?¡± Tyler asked.


    Nick found himself running his tongue over his teeth, which was a very Grizzizzik thing to do, once he thought about it. He said nothing, wondering if Tyler would consider Nick the victim in all this. They already deduced Grizzizzik had something to do with it.


    ¡°Have you¡­ interrogated Grizzizzik as much as you have me?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Tyler said, folding his arms. ¡°None of the group trusts him. The only reason he comes to battles now is because we can¡¯t have him fall behind in leveling. If the apocalypse really is coming closer, we need every hand to kill these monsters, even if we can¡¯t trust them.¡±


    ¡°Leveling,¡± Nick said, raising a hand. ¡°Have you asked him about leveling?¡±


    Tyler blinked, almost surprised, before anger trickled in. ¡°Holy shit, Nick. Why would you say that to me?¡±


    Nick¡¯s shoulders slumped. Tears appeared in his eyes as they fell down his cheeks, but judging by the way Tyler was still glaring at him, Chaos must be masking his tears. It made more fall as true isolation overcame him.


    Tyler stood up, heading for the door. He almost left when he paused at the doorframe. ¡°I¡¯m doing what I can to convince Evelyn to come with us tomorrow. She needs space from you too.¡±


    Panic seized Nick. ¡°What about Akshi. What about his threat to me? To all of us? You can¡¯t leave me alone, remember?¡±


    ¡°Dammit, Nick, I know.¡± Tyler¡¯s voice was strangled, like he wanted to scream it, but didn¡¯t want to bring Walt¡¯s attention. ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯ve been agonizing over that very thing all month? I told you three years ago that you could come back to CCNC as long as you didn¡¯t put yourself in danger again like you did with Anthony and Eddy. I have been more than patient this last month because your life was literally on the line, but I can¡¯t let your stupid choices hurt this group again. Evelyn was a complete mess when she saw your crash. Still is, even though she¡¯s hiding it. Alejandra has already slapped you and is ready to slap you again. Derek and Rafael are trying to help, but you keep pushing them away. I¡¯m¡­ confused. I¡¯m so confused.¡± Tyler had a hand in his hair, letting out a breath. ¡°For the second time in your life, you walked away from a bad crash that should have left you blind in one eye. How many more times are you willing to tempt fate. We¡¯re here for you, Nick. But if you keep choosing Grizzizzik, we won¡¯t be here much longer.¡±


    Nick held his breath, hoping that would somehow keep the sob inside. He felt horrible thinking it, but he was back to wondering what would happen if Grizzizzik died. He doubted Chaos¡¯ hold would break, because Grizzizzik was still the only one who could tell, but it was getting impossible to give hints about what had happened.


    Tyler waited for Nick to say something. When Nick refused, he shook his head. ¡°Evelyn has downloaded the tracker app to her phone. She¡¯ll give you her phone before she leaves tomorrow. We¡¯ll at least know where you are if something happens.¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t react. He just stared at the ground, tears running down his cheeks as Tyler left. Nick covered his eyes, making sure the tears didn¡¯t get on the stitches on his cheeks. He let out a quiet sob that he was pretty sure no one could hear.


    ***


    Evelyn was dreading Sunday evening. Tyler talked to her, asking her to come with them to the session on Sunday. Evelyn flat out refused. She couldn¡¯t leave Nick. Akshi was still out there, hiding. No doubt planning an attack. Nick couldn¡¯t remain behind. Not by himself. The phone wouldn¡¯t be enough. Nick could get kidnapped.


    It was that fear alone that Tyler urged her to come.


    ¡°You can¡¯t let his bad choices dictate your life,¡± he had said. ¡°It¡¯s like the game, Evie. He made the choice, he needs to suffer the consequence.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t leave him. He could get hurt,¡± she told him.


    Tyler shrugged, almost defeated. ¡°He already did get hurt.¡±


    In the end, Tyler left it up to her. Evelyn realized Tyler was right. Nick had become a void, and if she wasn¡¯t careful, she¡¯d get sucked in trying to fix it and forget to live her life. She had to make the choice she was terrified of making three years ago. If Nick refused to change, she couldn¡¯t get dragged down with him.


    She still loved her brother. It¡¯s why it hurt. Hurt when she handed him her phone. Hurt when she watched him casually toss it on the side of the bed. Hurt when she asked him to stick it in his pocket and to never take it out, no matter what happened.


    Nick grumbled as he did as she asked. Evelyn almost walked out of the door before she turned right around and hugged him, trying not to cry. There was a desperation in her hug, and she almost imagined the same sort of desperation in his. Her brother was still there. He had to be. Perhaps this was what they needed to make sure he came back.


    She got into the car, wiping away the tears. Mentally preparing herself to meet up with everyone.


    She put the car in park before turning it off, reaching for her phone to make sure she looked okay when she remembered where it was. She wiped another tear before pulling down the sun visor, checking her face. She looked like someone trying and failing to hold it together. She added a bit of make-up to touch up her face before she climbed out of the car and headed toward Derek¡¯s house. She gave herself one last second to place her fingertips against the corner of her eyes, willing herself to calm the heat down before she rang the doorbell. Derek opened the door, took one look at her face, and dropped his smile.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ here.¡±


    Derek paused, hesitating, before he walked forward and wrapped his arms around her.


    ¡°God, Derek. Let me go or I¡¯ll start crying. I¡¯ll get make-up all over you, and I¡¯ll be a mess all over again,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°You¡¯re human, Evie. You¡¯re allowed to cry,¡± Derek said.


    Evelyn let out a snort, which broke the dam she built around the sob she was terrified of letting out. It came out anyway, because Derek did not let her go.

 Chapter 212

    Nick sat on his bed, too numb to do anything else. They were all at the session. If everything went well, Grizzizzik would level up. He¡¯d get his sword tonight. And Nick would be grounded from attending CCNC for a month.


    He couldn¡¯t allow that to happen. An entire month was dangerous. Who knows what Akshi would plan. Did Grizzizzik realize how dangerous this was? It was Grizzizzik¡¯s life at risk just as much as his. He could not get kidnapped by Akshi, and that was more likely to happen if he was by himself.


    This was all Grizzizzik¡¯s fault. All Chaos¡¯s fault. He was suffering because of his character¡¯s choices, and he had enough. Grizzizzik needed to speak. To say something. Anything.


    Something in the air shifted. It caused Nick to sit up a bit and look around. He couldn¡¯t quite tell, but he was getting a visitor.


    ¡°Before I arrive in my mortal form, I must explain the rules.¡±


    Order. He recognized that voice. The same angry, feminine voice the night of the crash. The woman who no doubt saved him from a worse situation, but he still felt a prickle of anger at her words.


    ¡°I am coming in the form of a human woman. It is not to deceive you, it is to spare you your sanity. My eyes are the most difficult to change, so do not keep my gaze unless you wish to go insane. No one else can see me, and no one else will be able to hear our conversation, so you may speak as freely as you wish. I am appearing now.¡±


    A woman popped into existence, dressed in a pale gray pantsuit. He didn¡¯t dare look at her eyes, but he did notice the moment she arrived she started pacing. Every step she took in her flats made the carpet get more organized. Like it was undoing the chaos of so many years of living.


    ¡°Why now?¡± Nick almost demanded. ¡°You had so many chances to stop this, and you didn¡¯t. Now that it¡¯s almost done, you arrive. Why?¡±


    ¡°Did you learn nothing from my brother?¡± Her voice sounded the opposite of what he expected. It was almost like a perfectly ordered language broken down into the phrases that he needed to understand. ¡°We do not often get involved in the matters of mortals.¡±


    Nick¡¯s fists tightened over his sheets. ¡°He clearly did. He made this stupid contract.¡±


    ¡°And I honored it,¡± Order said.


    ¡°Why?¡± Again, it was a demand. Perhaps he should have given her more respect, but he was exhausted. ¡°Why would you do that?¡±


    She flipped some long brown hair over her shoulder. ¡°I do apologize, but I cannot tell you my reasonings.¡±


    ¡°Why the hell not?¡± Nick asked, his voice louder.


    ¡°It is the balance my brother and I give each other. We made a pact of survival. Neither one of us can be the dominant force in the universe. If one of us gets too strong, the other can take over.¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t think Chaos has become the dominate force in my life? Since the moment he arrived?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°I kept him from making that crash worse,¡± Order said, continuing to pace in Nick¡¯s room, absently straightening one of the books on his bookshelf.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop this when it first happened? Hell, why didn¡¯t you stop your brother from making the pact with Neal?¡± Nick demanded.


    ¡°If there are two willing participants, what more would you have me do? The contract is made, and I agree to contracts,¡± Order said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t make the contract. I didn¡¯t agree to anything. Either Grizzizzik¡¯s contract or Neal¡¯s. Yet here I am, stuck. Isolated,¡± Nick said.


    Order sighed. ¡°Yes, I suppose I am allowed to tell you this with no repercussions.¡± Nick almost glanced up but caught himself. ¡°The only reason why I allowed the contract with Neal is because every contract has an expiration date, and Chaos agreed it could come to an end in one hundred years. Unless I found a way to end it sooner.¡± She kept pacing, brushing the dust off his desk. ¡°Your group is the perfect one to end it.¡±


    Nick couldn¡¯t help it, his eyes shooting up to meet her gaze. Her eyes were off, much like Chaos¡¯s eyes. Instead of things changing and shifting, though, Nick saw her eyes building. Building to what he thought would be perfection. Yet it kept going.


    He tore his gaze away, his mind momentarily scrambled before he realized what she meant. ¡°We¡­ we are to end Neal¡¯s contract?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°No. As long as you keep following my parameters, the potential is great for your group to be the one to end it. We both can guess the future well enough, but not perfectly.¡±


    Nick let out a shaky breath. ¡°We¡¯re teenagers.¡±


    Order shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s why Chaos agreed to let your group have your characters. To start the process of potentially ending the contract. Because you¡¯re so young.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t want this,¡± Nick said, confident everyone in the group felt this way. ¡°None of us did. You can¡¯t do this. You¡¯re the personification of Order. You should have given us a choice.¡±


    Order shook her head. ¡°I do not give you your choices. The way you get choices is Chaos and I becoming balanced enough to let you make choices, wherein you grow. But you don¡¯t get to choose your consequences. That is up to us. That is where you have no choice.¡±


    Nick felt angry. ¡°This isn¡¯t fair. Chaos has too much power over us, and you¡¯re not doing anything!¡±


    ¡°Life isn¡¯t fair. If it were, your species would never evolve. Never change, never grow. There must always be an element of unfairness if life must continue.¡±


    Nick flared his nostrils. He hated this. He realized, now, that he had seen Chaos as evil and Order as good. But both were so incredibly indifferent to him, except for when it came to their particular needs.


    ¡°Then why are you here?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°To give you a semblance of Order,¡± she said.


    ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t it,¡± Nick said. ¡°Chaos is ruling my life way too much.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he is. He is pushing his bounds, but I am getting what I need from him, so I let him continue.¡±


    ¡°What? What are you getting?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°It is not your right to know,¡± Order said as she kept pacing.


    Nick needed to try a different approach. ¡°Tell me how to end the contract between Grizzizzik and Chaos.¡±


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    ¡°It ends when Grizzizzik reaches the levels he wants to in his warlock class,¡± Order said.


    This was way more frustrating than Nick wanted it to be. ¡°How do I end it with my friends figuring out what he did?¡±


    ¡°Mmm,¡± Order said, her nose crinkling. ¡°That is prematurely ending a contract. That¡¯s a little too¡­ chaotic for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, god,¡± Nick said. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Seriously,¡± Order said. ¡°Despite the negative nature you see in this contract, it is still a contract.¡±


    Nick closed his eyes, thinking. ¡°How do I rebuild the relationships with my friends? That has to be something you would prefer.¡±


    Order stopped pacing. Under her feet, the dirt melted from the carpet, the fibers rebuilding themselves. ¡°A fascinating problem.¡± She started pacing again, thinking. ¡°You did, after all, not agree to the contract. My brother bound you a little too tightly. I shall call to him. I must warn you, though, the two of us in the same room could be a bit too much for your sanity. Close your eyes.¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t dare chance it and he closed his eyes. She snapped her finger, and Nick felt himself crumple into himself as Chaos appeared. He heard their voices and didn¡¯t dare open his eyes.


    ¡°You called, sister?¡± Chaos asked.


    ¡°The contract between you and Grizzizzik. Nick¡¯s participation was not freely given. Therefore, he is feeling my constraint and needs some chaos to break it prematurely.¡±


    From the sound of it, Chaos and Order were circling around each other.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± Chaos said. ¡°A premature break in a contract sounds delightful.¡±


    Nick kept his eyes closed, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. He realized what he asked.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t want to break the contract,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t?¡± Order asked, sounding intrigued.


    ¡°I understand why Grizzizzik did this. We need a way to kill Akshi, especially with the shorter deadline. The sword is the quickest way. I just need everyone else to realize what he did so I can start rebuilding relationships with my friends. With my sister.¡±


    ¡°Mmm,¡± Order said. ¡°It seems fair.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Grizzizzik getting caught would be a delicious chaos,¡± Chaos said.


    ¡°Loosen the constraints of the contract. Stop changing my words so much. How can I go about this?¡± Nick asked, keeping his eyes closed.


    ¡°Ah, this is in Order¡¯s responsibilities. She may choose whether to outright tell you,¡± Chaos said.


    ¡°How much would it cost me to outright tell him?¡± Order asked.


    ¡°Loose Alejandra again,¡± Chaos said.


    Goosebumps rose on Nick¡¯s arms. He didn¡¯t know what they were talking about, but it made him nauseous. Nick about spoke, but Order spoke faster.


    ¡°No. I just got her, thanks to your overstepping your bounds,¡± Order said.


    Nick¡¯s pounding heart was painful.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got plenty saved up, and the apocalypse isn¡¯t until June. Telling him outright would hardly be a dent. You can earn her again,¡± Chaos said.


    ¡°I must have her. I will not give her up,¡± Order said.


    ¡°Leave Alejandra out of this,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak about that which you don¡¯t understand, mortal,¡± Chaos said.


    ¡°Why are you talking about Alejandra?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°How much would inspiration cost?¡± Order asked, ignoring Nick¡¯s question.


    Chaos gave it a second of thought. ¡°How many words in this inspiration.¡± Order must have done something, because Chaos let out a grunt.


    ¡°Nick will undoubtably figure out the rest himself,¡± Order said.


    ¡°Then I¡¯d like electrical power to mysteriously drop for two hours in a rural Nebraskan county,¡± Chaos said.


    Order sighed. ¡°Fine.¡±


    Something was happening. Something Nick knew he shouldn¡¯t open his eyes to, but curiosity got the best of him. He saw the two of them, in his room, pacing as they placed their palms out. His bedroom had completely changed. Where order was pacing he could see everything, the wood of his desk, the metal of his chair, all of it in perfect order. Chaos¡¯s part of the room had everything in disarray. The bookshelf covered in mold, the books falling apart. As they kept pacing, their auras either organized or broke the room down.


    Between the distance of their two palms was energy. The energy between Order and Chaos that brought life. It was already brighter than the sun, and Nick quickly closed his eyes again, covering his head for good measure.


    Then the energy went out at once, and an idea struck him.


    Ezekiel is my character, too.


    Nick gasped, his eyes snapping open to an empty room. He didn¡¯t know what Order meant. How was any of that supposed to make-


    His mind fell on Ezekiel. After playing him for three years, he wondered what that cleric was thinking. To his surprise, he did know what he thought. He¡¯d spend enough time in his brain to understand that the cleric was worried. Grizzizzik never got under his skin, but he could tell something was going on. Ezekiel told Grizzizzik that the rogue was more than welcome to explain the situation to the group when he was ready, but Grizzizzik wouldn¡¯t unless something happened. Unless Grizzizzik accidentally said something. Something like¡­


    Nick grabbed Evelyn¡¯s phone and turned it on. The keycode stared right at him, and his heart sputtered to a stop. He didn¡¯t know Evelyn¡¯s code. He had his phone, of course, but Walt checked his phone every night.


    It didn¡¯t matter. He would think of a lie later. He slipped Evelyn¡¯s phone back in his pocket before pulling out his and flipping it open. He found Rafael¡¯s name before pressing it. It rang before he heard Tyler¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Nick?¡±


    Nick hesitated, confused, until it dawned on him. ¡°Right, I switched the contact information.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Nothing. Sorry to bother you.¡±


    Nick hung up. There was a good chance Tyler and Rafael were in the same room, so this was probably confusing, but Nick went to Tyler¡¯s name to call Rafael. He cleared his throat, not even sure what he wanted to say, but the idea was already forming.


    ¡°Um, hello?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Is Grizzizzik in the same room as you?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Grizzizzik. Can you keep an eye on him?¡±


    ¡°Nick, they¡¯re not here. They¡­ can be seen now. We¡¯re meeting up with them at Cal¡¯s.¡±


    Nick hesitated, then it dawned on him. His car crash was so big that he forgot the implications of the shortened deadline.


    ¡°Right. Um¡­ okay, look. I need Ezekiel,¡± Nick said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much I can tell you-¡±


    ¡°You can tell me anything-¡± Rafael started to say.


    ¡°You need to trust me. I know it¡¯s a huge thing to ask, especially after everything that¡¯s been happening, but I need you to listen closely. I need to talk to Grizzizzik, and I need Ezekiel to overhear the entire conversation,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Right. And, um, we¡¯ll meet up at Calawit¡¯s. Ezekiel isn¡¯t here, either.¡±


    ¡°I know. I know. I¡¯ll¡­ meet you at Cal¡¯s too.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, Nick. Wait. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°Please, Rafael. I know I¡¯m asking a ton. I know I¡¯ve hurt you and your sister. And¡­ everyone. I know none of this makes sense, but I swear it will all make sense shortly.¡± Nick rubbed his scarred eyebrow. ¡°As long as Ezekiel is able to sneak past Grizzizzik¡¯s nineteen passive perception to overhear the conversation.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Rafael didn¡¯t finish, and Nick let out a sigh.


    ¡°Please, Rafael. Please trust me this one last time. If this works, you¡¯ll understand. If it doesn¡¯t¡­¡± A nausea seemed to bypass his stomach and entered his very soul as he glanced down. ¡°Then¡­ I understand if it¡¯s been too much and you all need a break from me.¡±


    There was another silence. Nick didn¡¯t know what he expected.


    ¡°Nick¡­¡± Rafael started to say. ¡°This isn¡¯t healthy.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Nick said. ¡°And I¡¯m trying to fix it. I swear it will make sense. This is the only way. Please. Please trust me one more time.¡±


    There was silence on the other end. Nick was too scared Rafael wouldn¡¯t be on board, but he didn¡¯t know what else to say.


    ¡°Do you¡­ remember? A month ago? At the session at my parent¡¯s house?¡± Nick asked.


    He braced himself for Rafael to get angry. For Chaos to change his words to something else that would make this worse.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Rafael said. ¡°I remember.¡±


    It was vague, and Nick wasn¡¯t sure if Rafael heard what he said, but he pushed through. ¡°Do you remember what you said after you apologized?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ think so.¡±


    ¡°What did you say? What did you warn me?¡±


    Nick held his breath. He needed more than a few word answers. He needed to make sure Rafael was hearing what he said.


    ¡°I warned you Grizzizzik wanted to make you stronger. To make sure you weren¡¯t weak.¡±


    Nick realized he couldn¡¯t be sure Rafael was saying exactly what he said, either. Then again, Chaos had been on board with this idea. He wanted to experience the chaos of Grizzizzik getting caught. That alone gave Nick hope.


    ¡°If you want to know what Grizzizzik is doing to me, have Ezekiel overhear our conversation,¡± Nick said.


    It was a long silence. A silence that he still couldn¡¯t be certain was the truth.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    All the breath left his body at once. ¡°Okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay. Please¡­ be careful.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Thank you, Rafael.¡±


    Nick hung up. He needed to talk to Grizzizzik before they fought in the session. Before Grizzizzik potentially leveled up. He got out of bed and left his room. He grabbed the keys to his mom¡¯s car before he could stop himself. He then rushed into the garage, opened the door, and climbed in. The garage was noisy, and no doubt alerted Walt, but this was important. He would never repair his relationship with his father, but he had to repair the relationship with his friends.


    He buckled himself in, making sure it didn¡¯t hurt his bruises too bad before he started the car, backed out of the driveway, and headed for Calawit¡¯s tent.

 Chapter 213

    Rafael stared at his phone after Nick hung up. He had never heard Nick sound so afraid before. He asked for trust, and Rafael wasn¡¯t sure how many more times he could do this.


    Rafael slid his phone in his pocket, glancing up to meet Tyler¡¯s gaze. ¡°Was that Nick?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Rafael said.


    Everyone¡¯s attention was on Rafael at this point. Alejandra glared at him as though accusing him of having a conversation with him.


    ¡°Is he okay?¡± Evelyn asked, an empty bowl of rice pudding in front of her. Amanda was cleaning up in the kitchen.


    ¡°He¡­¡± Rafael let out a sigh. ¡°He definitely hit his head a little too hard. It¡¯ll be good for him to have a bit more rest.¡±


    That was enough for everyone. Rafael still didn¡¯t know what he promised with what he said. Nick seemed desperate. Dangerously desperate. Rafael wanted to give in to what he said. That Nick had just hit his head a little too hard, but he couldn¡¯t. He would meet them at Calawit¡¯s. Rafael glanced at Amanda, who finished putting away the extra rice pudding.


    Evelyn stood up, gathering her bowl. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ve already wasted too much time already.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a waste,¡± Derek said. ¡°You need it.¡±


    ¡°Actually, Mrs. Perez, could I request your rice pudding every time?¡± Evelyn asked, her eyes falling on Amanda. ¡°It¡¯s just so good, I¡¯d like to enjoy it when I¡¯m not having a mental breakdown.¡±


    Amanda couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what, Evelyn. When you come back, you make sure you come inside, and I¡¯ll give you the leftover rice pudding.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Evelyn said.


    Amanda hugged Evelyn before they walked out of the house. Rafael was bothered by his phone call with Nick, and now that Amanda wasn¡¯t near, he needed to talk about it.


    ¡°Look, guys, um¡­ Nick¡¯s going to try something,¡± Rafael said.


    Tyler¡¯s head jerked around, eyes growing wider. ¡°No. No, he can¡¯t. What¡¯s he doing?¡±


    Tyler hardly finished when Alejandra started talking, Evelyn too. Derek had some questions, and Rafael was so overwhelmed with everything that he raised his hands. ¡°Stop. Please. Let me explain.¡±


    Except there wasn¡¯t much to explain. Rafael tried to help them understand Nick¡¯s nervousness, his desperation. But all of them stared at him like this was the worst idea anyone could come up with.


    ¡°No,¡± Alejandra said when he was done. ¡°Absolutely not.¡±


    ¡°Alejandra-¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not allowed. Tyler forbade him from coming. He can¡¯t do this,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°I¡¯m calling him,¡± Evelyn said, reaching for her phone, but patting her empty pocket.


    ¡°You gave it to Nick, remember,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Then you call him.¡± There was a desperation in her eyes.


    Tyler winced, then shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s most likely driving now. Dangerous as that is,¡± he muttered the last part quietly to himself. ¡°We can¡¯t distract him.¡±


    ¡°Nick knows what he¡¯s doing,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t. He¡¯s got a concussion. And he¡¯s driving. And being a huge jerk,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Stop,¡± Rafael said. His mind was made up. This was a small thing Nick was asking of Rafael. ¡°He¡¯s already set in motion what it is we need to do. We¡¯ve been asking him for a month now to tell us. Well, what if he hasn¡¯t been able to? What if, whatever Grizzizzik has hanging over his head is too much? What if Grizzizzik is threatening him with something so big he doesn¡¯t feel like he can. What if he feels incredibly guilty, and is trying to reach out. The only person Nick needs right now is Ezekiel. No one else has to be involved.¡±


    ¡°This is so dangerous. He shouldn¡¯t be driving right now,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Nick already made up his mind. He¡¯s doing this. We just need to be there for him,¡± Rafael said.


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    ¡°No,¡± Alejandra said, folding her arms. ¡°I¡¯m not doing this. I refuse.¡±


    ¡°Then go home,¡± Rafael said.


    Alejandra¡¯s mouth dropped open before she glanced at the others.


    ¡°Rafael,¡± Tyler started to say.


    He glanced at the game master. ¡°Do you trust me?¡±


    Tyler let out a sigh, placing one hand on his hip, the other running it through his hair. ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°This is his Hail Mary,¡± Rafael said. ¡°And if it doesn¡¯t work, he¡¯s resigned to never seeing us again, if that¡¯s what it comes to.¡±


    Tyler scrutinized Rafael¡¯s face. ¡°Rafael¡­ are you sure?¡±


    He thought about his conversation with Nick. Recognized that desperation. The need for things to change, and this one idea that might change it. It was desperate. It was insane.


    Actually, it wasn¡¯t too insane. He had played CCNC with Nick for a year and a half. He¡¯d heard his fair share of crazy ideas, and this was relatively tame.


    ¡°All we need to do is make sure Grizzizzik isn¡¯t tipped off that we know something. Make sure Ezekiel can sneak up on Grizzizzik and overhear their conversation. Nick is confident Ezekiel will overhear what¡¯s going on,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Nick just tell us?¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°Maybe he can¡¯t. It isn¡¯t the strangest thing that¡¯s happened the past few months,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Alejandra said, folding her arms. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t Nick tell us instead of saying to my face that I¡¯m incapable of understanding why he¡¯s doing what he did because dad hit me for most of my childhood and gave me brain damage?¡±


    Derek winced. Rafael kept his sister¡¯s gaze, knowing she was in pain. Nick telling that to her had made his sister lose all trust in Nick. Possibly forever.


    Rafael had no answer for her, because he wasn¡¯t sure himself. The truth was, that caused the rift in a lot of what was happening. Nick was spiraling, and Rafael had to be careful not to get sucked in with him.


    ¡°Akshi can control Mr. Stower,¡± Rafael whispered. ¡°The two worlds are colliding. It would make far more sense if Nick¡¯s being controlled by Grizzizzik somehow.¡±


    ¡°Grizzizzik is not that powerful,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Still, we have an opportunity to figure out why Nick¡¯s been doing what he¡¯s been doing the past month. I¡¯ve already made my choice. I¡¯m going to help him. If you don¡¯t want to, you may go home.¡± Rafael glanced at everyone else. ¡°The same offer is there for any of you.¡±


    ¡°I want to help,¡± Evelyn said.


    Tyler glanced at her, trying to read her face, then at Rafael. ¡°I will, too.¡±


    ¡°God, I need to know the juicy gossip,¡± Derek muttered.


    Rafael couldn¡¯t help but snort before turning his gaze again on Alejandra. She was angry. Hurt. There were tears forming in her eyes as she walked up to him and held out her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at home.¡±


    Rafael reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys, placing them in her hands. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know what we find out.¡±


    Alejandra shook her head and turned around, heading toward the car. It wasn¡¯t until he watched his sister drive away that a different problem appeared.


    ¡°I¡­ um, I can¡­¡± He glanced at Evelyn before turning away again. ¡°Tyler, can you drive me? We can still take separate cars.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Right, sure,¡± Tyler said, pulling out his keys.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Tyler,¡± Evelyn said. She then looked at Rafael, a slight smile. ¡°I¡¯m okay, Rafael. Our characters are meeting us at Calawit¡¯s, and I don¡¯t have to sit by you because it won¡¯t be crowded. We can ride in the same van.¡± She turned around, heading for Derek¡¯s minivan. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go save Nick.¡±


    Rafael tried to calm his beating heart the entire time they traveled to Calawit¡¯s shop. It wasn¡¯t any calmer when he walked through the tent. There was a lot of activity, and he saw the characters mingling around the store. He spotted Ezekiel and Clarissa by the books, with Ezekiel showing Clarissa one of the Flannigan Jones novels. Milo was at Calawit¡¯s desk, using his magical wrench to attach something to one of his inventions. Hraktar was sucking in a breath, moving through the bookshelves, afraid he would break something as he looked at the weapons with Grizzizzik. The rogue acted like he wanted to find somewhere else to brood in, but Hraktar was not letting him leave his side.


    Grizzizzik noticed Rafael and his friends enter.


    ¡°Alright, they¡¯re here. Let¡¯s go,¡± Grizzizzik said, heading for the tent opening. Hraktar grabbed his cloak, forcing Grizzizzik to stop.


    ¡°Let the kids breathe,¡± Hraktar said.


    ¡°We already know where we need to go. We can tell them on the way there,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°I will use every bit of money I have left to buy Calawit¡¯s mana manacles to keep you within thirty feet of me,¡± Hraktar said.


    Grizzizzik¡¯s lip curled. ¡°You mean the money you don¡¯t have?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯d hand them over if he asked,¡± Calawit said, hands tucked under her chin as she watched Milo tighten something in the mask. She kicked her legs, and despite the white hair and the wrinkly old face, she looked like a child excited to watch someone build something with her.


    Grizzizzik closed his eyes, shaking his head.


    ¡°So, who are we fighting today?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s a cult out there in the desert. A leader and three of their fanatic followers. Don¡¯t much like cults,¡± Calawit said. ¡°They make me nervous.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Tyler pulled out his phone, checking something. ¡°Especially now that it seems like a month has disappeared from our deadline. Have you looked into that?¡±


    ¡°No. All I know is the earth humans still can¡¯t see me. I went out and gave them my typical gnomish greeting, and none of them reacted.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Tyler rubbed his forehead, ¡°That makes sense. Do you have any idea who these cultists worship? Just so we¡¯re prepared?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter who they worship,¡± Ezekiel said, closing his book. ¡°If they¡¯ve turned toward fanaticism, we must make sure they¡¯re stopped.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± Everyone turned to Milo. His mask was glowing, and he lifted it up with pride. ¡°My own set of night goggles. I knew I was close to a breakthrough.¡±


    Grizzizzik turned back to Ezekiel. ¡°And by stopped, you mean killing them, right? We¡¯re not going to convert them to your deity, are we?¡±


    Ezekiel shrugged. ¡°We can try.¡±


    ¡°But then they¡¯ll become fanatic toward the Great Lady, and she wouldn¡¯t like it. We need to kill them,¡± Grizzizzik said. ¡°It¡¯s the only way to get-¡±


    Grizzizzik was cut off as the tent door opened and Nick walked in.

 Chapter 214

    Rafael¡¯s face dropped. He was expecting Nick, yes, but he realized he hadn¡¯t seen Nick since after the crash. No wonder Tyler and Evelyn were terrified of him driving another car so soon. He saw the stitches on his cheek and hairline, and the way he walked stiffly made Rafael think that there were far more injuries his clothes were hiding.


    ¡°Dude,¡± Derek whispered quietly.


    Rafael agreed to whatever subtext Derek added to that one word.


    Nick glanced at Derek with haunted eyes. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ just here to talk to Grizzizzik about something.¡± All attention turned toward Grizzizzik studying Nick. Nick stared right back.


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s wise?¡± Hraktar asked.


    ¡°We won¡¯t go far. It won¡¯t take long,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn rubbed her shoulder, concerned. ¡°You¡­ drove here?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Evelyn,¡± he said, his eyes still on Grizzizzik.


    ¡°I just-¡±


    ¡°I said don¡¯t worry,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn¡¯s lips disappeared as she gave Nick a slight glare.


    ¡°Hand me the keys to the car,¡± Tyler said, holding out his hands. ¡°Then you can talk to Grizzizzik. Once you¡¯re done, Evelyn¡¯ll drive you home.¡±


    Without breaking eye contact, Nick reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys, dropping them in Tyler¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Come on, Grizzizzik,¡± Nick said.


    Grizzizzik watched him with narrow eyes, then turned his gaze toward everyone else, studying them for an unusual amount of time.


    Rafael held his breath, realizing that Nick probably rolled something for perception. If Nick got lucky, if he rolled high¡­


    ¡°Tyler better take your phone, too. Just to be safe,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    There was no emotion but contempt on Nick¡¯s face before he pulled both phones out of his pocket and dropped them in Tyler¡¯s hand. Grizzizzik studied Tyler closely as he approached Nick. Rafael tried not to react. Grizzizzik wasn¡¯t tipped off. The roll must have been low enough.


    Nick stayed by the door, parting it open for Grizzizzik to walk out first. Grizzizzik still kept his eyes on Nick, and he gave his character a soft glare before Grizzizzik slipped out of the tent. Nick followed.


    Once their footsteps receded, Rafael unfolded his arms and headed straight to Ezekiel and Clarissa.


    ¡°Nick called me beforehand. He asked for you to overhear their conversation,¡± Rafael said before turning to Clarissa. ¡°Grizzizzik¡¯s got a nineteen passive perception, which means we need pass without trace if I have any chance of rolling high enough to not tip Grizzizzik off.¡±


    Clarissa¡¯s frown was visible. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Do it,¡± Ezekiel said. ¡°It sounds like Nick is in trouble.¡±


    Rafael took a single second to be grateful that Ezekiel trusted him so easily. Clarissa about did when Calawit appeared on the bookshelf above them. ¡°No need. They are within range.¡± She snapped her fingers and the inside of the tent changed to a softer brown.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so hung up on this.¡± Nick¡¯s whispers were coming to them like they were having the conversation above them. ¡°It¡¯s not that hard to understand. We don¡¯t need it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we do. It¡¯s essential to the pizza. If ham wasn¡¯t so delicious on it, then I don¡¯t see why we can¡¯t also enjoy pineapple.¡±


    Evelyn screwed up her face in confusion. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, are they¡­ arguing about pineapple on pizza?¡±


    ¡°It seems like it,¡± Rafael said with a frown.


    ¡°No, wait¡­¡± Tyler¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°That¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°Thieves cant,¡± Derek whispered.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my own preferences here,¡± Nick whispered. ¡°There¡¯re whole threads about how much it throws off the rest of the pizza flavor. You¡¯ve got your cheese and your tomatoes that meld great together, but pineapple is too much in your face.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if it isn¡¯t done. No one should dictate what you can and can¡¯t have on your pizza. If it tastes delicious, that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    ¡°How does Nick know thieves cant?¡± Evelyn whispered.


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    Tyler shrugged, then glanced at Calawit. ¡°Can you understand it?¡±


    Calawit listened to the words. ¡°I can, but¡­.¡± She then glanced at Ezekiel. Ezekiel had his eyes closed, his brows furrowed as he concentrated.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying you shouldn¡¯t have it on your pizza. I¡¯m saying it¡¯s wrong to assume everyone needs to respect your opinion,¡± Nick said.


    Grizzizzik chuckled. ¡°Let me enjoy my pizza in peace, then.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to, but I can¡¯t. Because you keep throwing pineapple on my pizza, and I don¡¯t like the overwhelming flavor. I¡¯d rather stick with the classic, like pepperoni. Hell, even cheese gets you a long way after a hard day¡¯s work.¡±


    Everyone froze in place. Rafael stared at the d20 that appeared in front of him.


    Roll for religion with advantage.


    Rafael¡¯s throat went dry. This was what he was afraid of. When it came down to it, whether Ezekiel understood what they were overhearing was up to a dice roll. And he needed to make that roll.


    Rafael wrapped his palm around it, feeling nauseous. This was a mathematical statistic that said there was a good chance he might succeed because of advantage. Ezekiel¡¯s religion was a +5. It was in his favor. But it was the same sort of nausea that accompanied the roll he made for cleansing Ezekiel. So much counted on this. Nick¡¯s life could count on this roll.


    Rafael had already ruined Evelyn¡¯s life.


    The dice clattered, landing on a four. Rafael didn¡¯t know if it was possible, but his nerves tripled.


    ¡°Shit, shit, shit,¡± Rafael said, grabbing the dice again and shaking it in his palm. ¡°Come on, man. Roll high. Everyone¡¯s depending on you. Roll high. Please. It¡¯s up to you.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± Ezekiel said quietly.


    Rafael jumped, then looked up at his character. He should have known the characters didn¡¯t have to be frozen, because he¡¯d heard Grizzizzik didn¡¯t freeze sometimes, but it still surprised him. Enough that he felt tears fill his eyes.


    ¡°Rafael?¡± Ezekiel asked, concern plainly there.


    ¡°It¡¯s all up to me. Isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Ezekiel watched Rafael, curious. ¡°If you roll low, we manage. If you fail, you have friends who will help.¡±


    ¡°This might be Nick¡¯s only chance,¡± Rafael said.


    Ezekiel shook his head. ¡°It might seem that way. But we¡¯ve already learned a lot from Nick¡¯s venture here. Grizzizzik really is controlling him somehow. We will stop this, no matter how low you roll. It won¡¯t be your fault if the dice roll low, Rafael. It has never been your fault. We take the consequences that come and make the best of what we have.¡±


    Rafael nodded, swallowing. He closed his eyes, trying not to fall into the hopelessness of it all. Up to chance. No one can control this.


    It¡¯ll be fine. Somehow, no matter what he rolled, it would be fine. If he got a nat one, Rafael would still stay by Nick¡¯s side. Get another opportunity to do something like this. Nick was not at fault for anything. They would figure out soon. If not today, another time. It wasn¡¯t his fault.


    Rafael let out a breath, then let the dice fall out of his palm.


    Two.


    Rafael gasped, feeling a sharp pain in his gut. All his flowery words of encouragement from before wilted. They didn¡¯t have time. There was no time for Rafael to fail this. He couldn¡¯t let Nick be under Grizzizzik¡¯s control any longer. All the good thoughts disappeared as he looked at Ezekiel. His character read the horror in his eyes.


    The four from his previous roll appeared with the +5. Nine. Would that be enough? Could it be? His gut said no. But he wanted it to work.


    As he stared at Ezekiel, people unfroze, his friends glancing between him and Ezekiel, expectantly. Rafael had suggested they do this, and it didn¡¯t work. Asked them to trust him, and he rolled low. He failed. He threw everything in this one roll, this one chance, dared to make a bold choice, and it blew up in his face.


    His hands shook, his breathing erratic. Bad things happened when he made all or nothing decisions. People got hurt. His friends got hurt.


    ¡°Pineapple is delicious, and I pity you for not liking it,¡± Grizzizzik said above them.


    Ezekiel had his eyes open, his brows furrowed. Rafael refused to cry. He simply turned toward Ezekiel, waiting.


    ¡°Cal, do you understand what¡¯s going on?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°I refuse,¡± she said, a frown on her face. ¡°This is adventure territory. The cost of revealing what they say is too high.¡±


    Rafael wasn¡¯t sure what she meant by that, but it made him uncomfortable.


    ¡°Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do,¡± Ezekiel said, closing his eyes again. ¡°I will translate what I can to all of you. Between all of us, we can place clues together and figure this out.¡±


    Rafael glanced around at everyone¡¯s determined faces as Ezekiel braced himself against the bookshelf. Grizzizzik and Nick kept talking, and Clarissa gripped her staff, closing her eyes.


    ¡°This should help,¡± she whispered, then opened her eyes. A hawk spirit flew out of her, circling around them, lighting the tent. It was one of her totems. Rafael forgot she had more than just the bear totem.


    ¡°Pineapple is disgusting, and there are better options,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Please stop,¡± Ezekiel whispered.


    ¡°When it comes down to it, it¡¯s the person paying for the pizza who should decide what¡¯s on it,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°Choices¡­ mine¡­¡± Ezekiel screwed up his face in concentration. ¡°Akshi¡­ dead¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine, you paid for it, but you don¡¯t have to force me to eat a slice of your disgusting pizza.¡±


    ¡°Tell them¡­ here to help¡­ sword¡­¡± Ezekiel whispered.


    None of this made sense. What kind of conversation was Nick and Grizzizzik having?


    ¡°I worry about a person¡¯s sanity who flatly refuses pineapple pizza, that¡¯s all. And I don¡¯t see why you have to attack me because I like it.¡±


    ¡°Almost done¡­ sword¡­¡± Ezekiel cocked his head to one side. ¡°Contract.¡±


    Of all the people who gasped, Rafael did not expect it to be Tyler. ¡°Did Grizzizzik say contract?¡±


    Ezekiel opened his eyes, a trickle of fear entering them. ¡°Yes.¡± Perhaps that nine was high enough. ¡°Yes, he did.¡±


    ¡°Contract,¡± Milo said, eyes widening. ¡°There¡¯s¡­ a class that requires a contract.¡±


    ¡°And one that involves a sword,¡± Clarissa whispered.


    Hraktar stiffened, eyes wide. ¡°Grizzizzik¡¯s made a contract with a deity to get a sword. He¡¯s involving Nick somehow.¡±


    ¡°Warlock,¡± Ezekiel said, his shoulders tightening as he turned toward the door. ¡°Grizzizzik has become a warlock.¡± The cleric shook his head, his hands balled into fist as he headed for the tent door. ¡°That absolute booger!¡±


    Rafael¡¯s eyebrows twitched. He wanted to see the humor in this all. Ezekiel so rarely swore, and when he did, he always used the word booger. But he didn¡¯t feel like laughing. He was more surprised than anything. They¡¯d¡­ done it. Partially.


    Rafael was about to follow when Hraktar placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Ezekiel will bring Grizzizzik back. Then we¡¯ll all have a word with him.¡±


    Calawit snickered, then snapped a finger as some bookshelves moved out of the way of the opening. The whispering disappeared. ¡°Oooh, I can¡¯t wait to see what Ezekiel does to torture the information out of that rogue.¡±


    Calawit sounded genuinely excited.

 Chapter 215

    Rafael turned toward Derek and Tyler.


    ¡°Can you explain in earth terms what¡¯s going on?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Grizzizzik chose to multiclass without our knowledge,¡± Derek said, folding his arms.


    ¡°Chose a warlock. Pact of the blade, from the sound of it,¡± Tyler said. ¡°Whatever deity he swore to must have been powerful. There might be a clue to how a deity managed to come from the Shrouded Domain to earth. This could open up a lot of possibilities.¡±


    The tent door was thrown open by Ezekiel pushing Grizzizzik inside.


    ¡°-and I don¡¯t appreciate the blatant mistrust you have in me that makes you think-¡±


    ¡°We overheard everything,¡± Ezekiel snapped.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way you overheard everything,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Ezekiel stopped pushing him and Hraktar stepped forward, folding his arms, ready for Ezekiel to ask him to restrain the rogue. ¡°Calawit made it so we could hear what you said,¡± Hraktar said.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Grizzizzik hesitated. ¡°But I was far enough away from her enchantment.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a rule when dealing with rogues,¡± Calawit¡¯s gravelly voice said. ¡°Always let them assume you¡¯re less powerful than you are.¡±


    Grizzizzik frowned. ¡°Wait, then what is your range for that enchantment.¡±


    Calawit didn¡¯t miss a beat. ¡°One inch past where you were.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s face hardened, but only for a moment as he noticed Hraktar taking another step. ¡°Okay, um¡­ look, it¡¯s not what you think.¡±


    ¡°I trusted you,¡± Ezekiel said. He said it with all the heartbreak he felt. Enough for Grizzizzik to tear his gaze from Hraktar to focus on the cleric. ¡°Not only that, but I told everyone else they could trust you. That when you were ready, you would come to us. Your friends. We have proven ourselves for a year that there is little you could do that would make us kick you out of the group, unless you did things in secret.¡± Ezekiel had his hands in his hair, and Rafael noticed some movement. Nick had slipped into the tent, staying close enough to the door to keep the flower petals from cocooning him.


    Grizzizzik looked like he wanted to say something, but forced himself to stop. No doubt a trick to keep himself from revealing what they didn¡¯t already know.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Do you need me to hold him upside down?¡± Hraktar asked.


    Ezekiel paused, but only for a moment. ¡°No.¡± He took another step toward Grizzizzik. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us you signed a contract with a deity?¡±


    Grizzizzik narrowed his eyes. ¡°Because you¡¯re a cleric. And you would have stopped me.¡±


    Ezekiel sighed. ¡°I suppose it depends on the deity.¡±


    Grizzizzik placed his tongue over his teeth, saying nothing.


    ¡°Grizzly Bear, it¡¯s imperative we know what deity you contracted with,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°This is not something you can keep a secret.¡±


    Grizzizzik continued to stay silent. Evelyn turned toward Nick.


    ¡°Do you know?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Nick nodded, his eyes remained on Grizzizzik.


    ¡°Then tell us,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Nick said, his eyes never leaving Grizzizzik¡¯s. ¡°That, unfortunately, is part of the contract. Only Grizzizzik can tell.¡±


    ¡°Damn you,¡± Hraktar whispered, glaring at the rogue. ¡°You barter people¡¯s lives far too easily. Look at that boy¡¯s face, his injuries. Look at what you¡¯ve forced him to do. Nick could have died because of this. He¡¯s just a boy!¡± Hraktar¡¯s tone got louder and louder, until he was shouting the last part.


    ¡°It was his choice,¡± Grizzizzik hissed. ¡°It had always been his choice.¡±


    ¡°You forced me into a corner,¡± Nick said, taking enough steps forward that the flowers began the cocooning process. ¡°So yes, I had a choice, but not much of one.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to tell us or not?¡± Ezekiel asked, placing a firm hand on Grizzizzik¡¯s shoulder.


    Grizzizzik was glaring at Ezekiel. The rogue remained silent as Nick¡¯s cocooning finished. Nick took a few steps forward. ¡°Grizzizzik.¡± His voice was much softer. ¡°Ezekiel will keep you from fighting if you don¡¯t say something. Everyone knows that if we fight a strong enough battle, you¡¯ll level up too. They need to know what deity is handing you the sword before they allow you to level up. You have to tell them, or else they will stop you from fighting.¡±


    Grizzizzik shook his head. ¡°They can¡¯t stop me. I¡¯ll just go off on my own.¡± Hraktar pulled out his great sword and placed it against Grizzizzik¡¯s neck. Grizzizzik stiffened, then glanced at Ezekiel. ¡°Are you¡­ going to stop him?¡±


    Ezekiel hesitated, and in that hesitation, Grizzizzik grew very still. Ezekiel spoke, his voice quiet. ¡°Perhaps not die, but¡­ the way you¡¯re acting makes me believe you swore yourself to a dangerous deity, and if that¡¯s the case, it might be better for us all to make sure you were hogtied back at camp.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s¡­ not,¡± Grizzizzik said, glancing at Hraktar. ¡°He¡¯s not a dangerous god.¡±


    Nick snorted, and that was all anyone needed to know. Rafael didn¡¯t even realize Evelyn had unsheathed Clarissa¡¯s scimitar until he heard the noise and watched her heading for Grizzizzik. Grizzizzik didn¡¯t notice until Clarissa grabbed Evelyn¡¯s elbow, keeping her back. Evelyn tried and failed to break out of Clarissa¡¯s grip.


    ¡°Tell us, you son of a bitch,¡± Evelyn said, her voice as murderous as her gaze. ¡°Tell us, or you will have to fight off both me and Hraktar.¡±


    Grizzizzik tried to find the humor in it all, but he was swiftly running out of it. Hraktar moved his great sword closer to his neck, and the rogue gave a gasp of fear. ¡°Chaos.¡±


    At first it didn¡¯t register for Rafael what Grizzizzik meant. He thought the rogue just said a random word. The rogue let out an annoyed sigh, glancing at the sword at his neck. ¡°I¡­ pledged my services to Chaos.¡±

 Chapter 216

    Tyler reacted first, gasping. ¡°Oh, shit. Oh, shit.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Clarissa said, gently taking the scimitar from Evelyn. ¡°What was the boy¡¯s involvement in this.¡±


    ¡°The boy,¡± Grizzizzik grumbled. ¡°Like the ¡®boy¡¯ isn¡¯t six years younger than your husband.¡±


    Clarissa almost had her scimitar sheathed before she pulled it right back out and used it to point between Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not in a position to be cracking jokes, Grizzly Bear.¡±


    Hraktar placed his great sword against Grizzizzik¡¯s neck. ¡°What are the terms of this contract. What did he promise you.¡±


    Grizzizzik said nothing. His teeth were sharp as he glared at Ezekiel. Rafael held his breath, honestly afraid that the rogue would try something and run.


    ¡°Grizzizzik,¡± Nick whispered. ¡°Remember what I said. These are your friends. They want to help.¡± Grizzizzik opened his mouth to say something, but Nick pushed forward. ¡°Yes, help. What Hraktar¡¯s doing right now is because you destroyed their trust. You had a good idea, even if the execution of it would have been¡­¡± Nick closed his eyes, shaking his head. ¡°So much better if you had help from the start.¡±


    ¡°They cannot stop me,¡± Grizzizzik said. ¡°They won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Tell them the truth. Stop running,¡± Nick said.


    Grizzizzik was hissing, low and deep. He closed his eyes. ¡°I am five hundred and forty points away from getting a sword strong enough to kill my father permanently in this realm and ours.¡± His eyes snapped open, his yellow slits staring right at Ezekiel. ¡°You will not stop me from obtaining that sword. And I will do whatever it takes to get it.¡±


    There was silence. Tyler was leaning against a bookshelf, staring wide at the ground. ¡°Nick,¡± Tyler whispered. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you tell us?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Nick whispered back. ¡°I stared at each and every one of you every day and told you exactly what was going on. But Chaos stopped me, often changing the very words I said to keep it all hidden.¡±


    Tyler sank to the ground, covering his face. Evelyn had tears running down her cheeks. ¡°Oh my god,¡± she whispered. ¡°Oh my god, Nick. Oh my god.¡±


    ¡°Why did Nick have to be involved?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    ¡°He was the only one who could touch this world, therefore the only one who could create chaos. It was what he wanted,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°And if Nick didn¡¯t create the chaos?¡± Derek asked.


    There was a pause. A long one. Grizzizzik glanced at Nick, who sighed. ¡°You know how we lost two months of our deadline?¡± he asked quietly.


    Tyler dropped his hands from his face, looking as though he had swallowed a tennis ball.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Derek whispered.


    Rafael felt nauseous. At the same time, it all clicked into place. It was the only thing that made sense. Nick had been so weird because he was forced to. And he couldn¡¯t say a word about it. The absolute hell his friend must have suffered made Rafael place a hand against a bookshelf, trying to fight down the nausea.


    Evelyn ran over to Nick, almost knocking him over as she hugged him, crying softly. Tyler shot Calawit a look before jerking his head toward Nick. Calawit sighed, then snapped her fingers and the petals melted from his torso, letting Nick hug his sister back.


    No, Nick wasn¡¯t hugging. He was clinging to her.


    ¡°God, Evie. I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Don¡¯t apologize. It wasn¡¯t your fault,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°The hell you must have gone through-¡±


    ¡°Was all Grizzizzik¡¯s fault. I don¡¯t blame you at all.¡±


    Hraktar sheathed his great sword. ¡°I need to get out of here. If I stay here much longer, I will detach this rogue¡¯s head from the rest of his body.¡± The fighter stormed out of the tent. Ezekiel kept his gaze on the rogue.


    ¡°Please, Ezekiel,¡± Grizzizzik said. ¡°I am so close to getting that sword.¡±


    ¡°To kill your father? Permanently?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Grizzizzik said. ¡°It is what Chaos promised. To end him. We don¡¯t have to wait for a wish spell, we don¡¯t have to get help from anyone else.¡±


    Ezekiel shook his head, tears in his eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡±


    ¡°You would have stopped me.¡±


    Ezekiel rubbed his eyes, letting out a haggard breath. ¡°Nick is right.¡± There was silence as everyone looked at the cleric. He dropped his hands, looking at Grizzizzik. ¡°It was a good idea. An excellent idea. This is something we could use. We could¡¯ve helped you. Could have saved Nick from the ire of his own father. Look at them,¡± Ezekiel said, gesturing toward Rafael, Evelyn, Tyler, and Derek. ¡°All of them could have helped create chaos. Could have worked together to do acts of chaos that weren¡¯t overwhelming. All of us could have helped, and you refused. You always think you have to do everything by yourself.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need help,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°Yes, you do.¡± The first of Ezekiel¡¯s tears fell. ¡°You have good ideas, Grizzizzik, if you¡¯d share them. It¡¯s what a team does. We work together to bring all our expertise to get the job done. You are too focused on your goal of revenge that you can¡¯t see what this did.¡± Ezekiel pointed to Nick¡¯s face covered in scars. ¡°Nick¡¯s just a boy. You bullied him into doing what you wanted. Manipulated him for your own profit while disregarding what this did to his soul. By keeping this a secret, by abusing this boy and the power you had over him, you were no better than your father.¡±


    Grizzizzik flinched, then glanced down as though ashamed such a reaction came out of him. Ezekiel continued, ¡°We could have gotten Tyler¡¯s help with interpreting Chaos¡¯s promptings, to suggest them into ones that wouldn¡¯t have hurt Nick. Used others here to make sure Nick¡¯s reputation with his father didn¡¯t get brutally destroyed.¡± Ezekiel sighed. ¡°We were here all along, Grizzizzik. No one is meant to do this alone. Your father taught you to fear friendship for a reason. Because if you ever trusted us, he won¡¯t last another week. He is doing this to you for his own self-preservation, and you are letting him. Stop hiding. Stop¡­ running away.¡± The cleric rubbed his arm, looking at Grizzizzik. ¡°Why can¡¯t you trust us?¡±


    Time came to a halt. Rafael glanced at the d20


    Roll for persuasion.


    Rafael supposed there was a bit of persuasion in there. He grabbed the dice and gave it a shake. It clattered before landing on eighteen. He was glad it all worked out, or else he would have been really frustrated. Since Ezekiel had a +0 for his modifier, he was grateful for the eighteen.


    Time resumed and Grizzizzik said nothing. He stared at the cleric, about to say something, but stopped. A small smile crossed Nick¡¯s face as Calawit watched, impressed.


    ¡°Not a drop of blood. How does Ezekiel do it?¡± Calawit asked.


    Ezekiel was confused as he stared at Calawit. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve struck a deal to get a sword powerful enough to kill Akshi?¡± Tyler asked quietly.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Grizzizzik said, not looking at anyone.


    ¡°Does Nick have to do anything more chaotic?¡± Clarissa asked, glancing at Nick. Evelyn and Nick had broken from their hug, but Evelyn wasn¡¯t leaving Nick¡¯s side.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t level up in the next day or two, he¡¯ll have to do something,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°He¡¯s not doing anything else,¡± Derek said, his voice firm. ¡°Ezekiel is right. All of us could have done something, and we can still do something if needed. I will sprint through the busy school halls in my boxers before I allow Nick to put his reputation on the line again.¡±


    Nick snorted. Rafael saw it, the stress that was tightening Nick¡¯s shoulders finally relaxing at Derek¡¯s words.


    ¡°Are we sure we want Grizzizzik to level up?¡± Clarissa asked, glancing at Ezekiel.


    The cleric kept studying the rogue.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nick said. Every gaze turned to him. ¡°A sword powerful enough to kill Akshi permanently, we¡¯d be stupid to pass this up. The wish spell won¡¯t be available for months. We could get this tonight if we play our cards right. Have one of the most dangerous criminals off earth well before the apocalypse. I¡¯ve done this week¡¯s chaotic thing.¡± Rafael¡¯s gaze lingered on the stitches on Nick¡¯s face before focusing on the rest of what he said. ¡°Grizzizzik will not go back to Chaos once he¡¯s got his sword.¡±


    Ezekiel glanced at Nick before turning again toward Grizzizzik. ¡°Keeping this silent was wrong. We all agree punishment is in order, even if we allow you to level up.¡± Grizzizzik did nothing, staring at Ezekiel as though bracing himself. ¡°Nick? You¡¯re Grizzizzik¡¯s creator,¡± Ezekiel said. ¡°Not only that, Grizzizzik forced you to do things this past month, and I believe you, of anyone, should have the biggest say in what Grizzizzik¡¯s punishment should be.¡±


    Nick glanced at Ezekiel, then focused on Grizzizzik. He frowned, studying his rogue character, and Rafael wasn¡¯t sure what to expect.


    ¡°First off, I¡­ don¡¯t want to be alone with you anymore,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°That can be arranged,¡± Evelyn said, her tone dark as she glared at the rogue.


    ¡°As for the other¡­ I¡¯m thinking something that will force you to be around one of the other characters to help you understand you can trust these people. I¡­ don¡¯t want you to be alone ever again, either,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Not Hraktar. I really believe those two might end up killing each other,¡± Clarissa said, glancing at the door.


    Ezekiel rubbed his chin, a small smile crossing his face. ¡°You will be Milo¡¯s lab partner every time he¡¯s in the lab. When you are done with the lab, you will stay with us. We are pooling our money together to buy those manacles Hraktar was eyeing that won¡¯t let you leave thirty feet of anyone. You cannot sneak off anymore.¡±


    ¡°Manacles?¡± Grizzizzik asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even try to pick them loose,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°If you do, Hraktar gets to hunt you down and bring you back in whatever state he chooses.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s eyes widened before he shot his gaze to the mana fusor. Milo smiled, then gasped. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll need some help! I can also show you how my new invention works!¡± At first Rafael was confused until Milo brought out the night goggles and slipped them on. It was the oddest mask Rafael had ever seen. There were strange antennae coming out of it, with a few glowing springs bouncing around as he slipped it on his face. Milo beamed as he pointed at the copper mask. ¡°Awesome, right!¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s gaze shot back to Ezekiel, terror filling his face.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± The smile grew on Ezekiel¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯ll be spending ten hours with him every day helping him make things. That or you could spend the day listening to me read.¡±


    Calawit appeared, snapping a manacle on Grizzizzik¡¯s wrist. Grizzizzik¡¯s gaze darkened as Calawit tossed the other one at Ezekiel, who caught it. ¡°Free of charge,¡± she said.


    Grizzizzik¡¯s lips disappeared into a thin line.


    ¡°I¡¯m close to creating black mana. And we¡¯ll see how we do with green mana. We really need a stockpile of that,¡± Milo said.


    The rogue¡¯s eyes bounced from Milo and Ezekiel, looking like he was in pain. ¡°What kind of choice are you giving me?¡±


    ¡°Sucks, doesn¡¯t it,¡± Nick said, folding his arms.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t give yourself as an option, Ezekiel,¡± Clarissa said, taking his hand. ¡°Then I can¡¯t stop your reading breaks to make out with you.¡±


    ¡°Who says you need to stop making out with me?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    ¡°Milo,¡± Grizzizzik said instantly, hands in the air. ¡°Deities above, I¡¯m going with Milo. I will spend every day for the rest of my existence with him in order to stay away from you two.¡±


    Rafael almost felt like chuckling at that. But the revelation of the hell Nick suffered was too much. Ezekiel tossed the mana manacle at Milo, who caught it before slapping it on his own wrist. Grizzizzik tried picking at his own bracelet, but Calawit waved a hand, and a shot of electricity hit his palm. Grizzizzik grunted, shaking out his hand as he glared at her.


    ¡°Tell me I¡¯m wrong to give you that punishment, rogue. I dare you,¡± Calawit said.


    ¡°Two more things, Grizzizzik,¡± Ezekiel said.


    Grizzizzik¡¯s hands balled into fists as he glared at Ezekiel. ¡°What.¡±


    ¡°You must offer two apologies. Both of them must be to Nick.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Both?¡±


    ¡°The first one is now,¡± Ezekiel said. ¡°Apologize for the pain and torment you put him through.¡±


    The silence was long enough that Grizzizzik barely glanced at Nick. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°The second time,¡± Ezekiel said, taking another step forward. ¡°Is the invitation for when you finally feel it. Whenever it happens, however it manifests. When the guilt and shame hit you so hard that you can hardly breathe. When the realization hits that Hraktar should have lobbed off your head tonight. When you realize and agree with how the rest of us looked at you with such horror tonight. When you see the scar on Nick¡¯s cheek and forehead and realize you put it there. When you realize that this wasn¡¯t your father¡¯s mind control, but you truly did decide that putting a boy¡¯s life on the line was the thing you needed to do, I want you to apologize to him. Again.¡±


    Grizzizzik stared at Ezekiel. He seemed surprised, almost in disbelief. He might have said something else, but stopped when he heard the chirping of a phone.


    No one had that ring tone that Rafael remembered, until he realized it came from the phone he never heard ring. Rafael glanced at Nick who had lost some color in his face.


    The tension instantly changed. Despite no longer being cocooned, Nick made no move to reach into his pocket. All the tension that had eased out of Nick¡¯s shoulders returned in full force. His posture was curled over, his shoulders slumped. Rafael had a sinking feeling it was because Nick knew who was calling him. Rafael had a suspicion that Nick did not ask Walt¡¯s permission to leave tonight.


    Would Walt understand? Would Walt give compassion?


    Nick cleared his throat as though bringing himself to the present and reached into his pocket. Rafael felt sick to his stomach. Walt wouldn¡¯t give Nick compassion. That wasn¡¯t Walt. Despite the car crash Nick experienced, Walt showed his worry like Jack. With anger and frustration. Violence. Maybe not the physical kind, but Walt¡¯s words were enough to crush Nick¡¯s soul.


    The ringing ended, and Nick had it in his palm, waiting. He didn¡¯t have to wait long. It started up again, and Rafael could see Nick freezing his emotions to mentally prepare for an argument with his dad.


    No. To hell with that. If Ezekiel taught him anything tonight, it was that every person had a strength in the team. The leader¡¯s role wasn¡¯t to be strong at everything, but to understand who was best suited for the situation. And for a conversation with Walt, this was Rafael¡¯s specialty. Besides, he could not stand there and listen to Walt berate Nick. Not after the hell Nick went through this past month. Not after figuring out why he did what he did.


    Rafael strode forward right as Nick flipped opened his phone. Before Nick could place it to his ear, Rafael snatched it out of his hands.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Larsen,¡± Rafael said as he placed the phone to his own ear.


    There was silence on the other end that only lasted a few seconds before he heard Walt let out some air. ¡°Rafael?¡±


    ¡°Yes, hello! How are you?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Uh, good. Good. I¡­ just wanted to check to see where Nick was. I didn¡¯t realize¡­ is he with you?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°Funny story about that.¡± Rafael¡¯s brain scrambled to come up with a lie. Walt checked Nick¡¯s phone every night, so he would have to see that Nick called him. ¡°Nick called me up, pretty shaken about his crash.¡± Rafael glanced at Nick, making sure he heard his lie. ¡°And honestly, I wanted to check up with him too. I slipped away from the CCNC session to meet up with him and we¡¯re¡­ about ready to go to Jose¡¯s and pick up some horchata.¡±


    They¡¯d have to actually go to the restaurant now. Just in case. At least it was next door. He shot Nick a questioning look, and he nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Oh. He¡­ didn¡¯t tell me.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t tell you? How odd,¡± Rafael said. ¡°Um¡­ I suppose he was afraid you¡¯d say no. Ah, shit, I see your wife¡¯s car in the parking lot. Oof, that¡¯s¡­ not good. I thought he would take the bus. That¡¯s on me for not checking.¡± The lie came surprisingly easy to him, and he tried to keep his voice light.


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m¡­ thankful, really. Thanks for trying to reach my son. He definitely doesn¡¯t talk to me,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°Here¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking. Once we get the horchata, I¡¯ll take Nick for a drive around town, and we¡¯ll have a good chat. I¡¯m honestly confident Nick won¡¯t make any dangerous decisions anymore. Once we¡¯re done later tonight, I¡¯ll drop him off at your house and then make sure Evelyn drives Mrs. Larsen¡¯s car home. I don¡¯t want Nick driving it right now.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Hey, thanks for letting Nick do this tonight. He really needed a night out,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Well, thank you for being such a good friend to my son. God knows he needs a good influence like yours.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Rafael said, trying to believe it. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later tonight, Mr. Larsen.¡±


    ¡°Bye, Rafael.¡±


    Rafael pulled the phone away from his ear and closed it. He handed it over to Nick, who sniffed as he took it. ¡°Thanks, Rafael.¡±


    ¡°Anytime.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for¡­ trusting me,¡± Nick said.


    Rafael nodded, finding the answer to be similar. ¡°Anytime.¡±


    And yet it still didn¡¯t feel like enough. He couldn¡¯t imagine the horror Nick went through the past month. What it felt like to be so alone. To possibly face Walt¡¯s wrath at the end of every week. The times lined up in Rafael¡¯s mind, and it was no wonder Nick stopped causing chaos for a week. Rafael let out a breath as the full weight of it hit him. ¡°Shit, dude. Are you okay?¡±


    Nick turned his gaze toward the ground as he slipped his phone in his pocket, blinking way too much to not be hiding something. ¡°I¡­ will be. Now that everyone knows.¡±


    Rafael wasn¡¯t sure why he did it, other than it felt like it needed to happen. He walked forward and gave Nick a hug, not sure how deep the crash injuries went so he did his best to be soft.


    He almost let go when Evelyn hugged Nick again, too, wrapping her arms around his side. Derek and Tyler came on either side and hugged Nick that way.


    ¡°Can you ever forgive us for not knowing what was happening?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Of course I forgive you all,¡± Nick said. ¡°You all were only doing what you thought was right. And were trying to figure out something that none of us could even comprehend.¡±


    Rafael let go of Nick first because he was aware of Evelyn¡¯s arms near him. ¡°Come on. You and I need to get horchatas from Jose¡¯s, then you should explain everything on the way to confront some cultists.¡±


    ¡°Cultists, huh?¡± Nick asked as everyone else let go of him. ¡°Sounds fun.¡±

 Chapter 217

    Derek hated that he was driving. Evelyn had pulled her mom¡¯s car into Jose¡¯s parking lot, then Rafael and Nick went to get horchatas. Despite Walt giving Rafael plenty of passes, there was a good chance he¡¯d still check up on the story. They needed Rafael¡¯s nat twenty performance skills against Walt as much as they possibly could. Especially with June being their new deadline.


    Everything came out. Now that Grizzizzik admitted that it was Chaos, Nick could tell everyone what happened. Derek stared in horror at his friend¡¯s story, at the double life he was forced to live. And yet what shocked him most of all was his meeting with both Order and Chaos that apparently took place only hours before.


    ¡°We¡¯re ending Neal¡¯s contract?¡± Tyler asked, the confusion on his face as Derek drove to the spot Clarissa told him to.


    Nick closed one eye. ¡°There are things in place that¡­ if we make certain choices, we have the option of also ending Neal¡¯s contract.¡±


    Tyler stared ahead, horrified.


    ¡°No pressure, right,¡± Derek muttered as Tyler whimpered, covering his face.


    Hraktar had to sit away from Grizzizzik as they drove because of how much it looked like he was going to strangle the rogue. Derek couldn¡¯t believe the insane month Nick had. Derek thought getting kidnapped was bad, but he couldn¡¯t imagine what it would feel like to be so alone while doing things that could very well make Walt blow up.


    ¡°And to be clear, the thing you said to Alejandra? About her having brain damage after getting hit by my dad?¡± Rafael asked.


    Nick was in the middle of drinking when he glanced over at Rafael. There was deep confusion in his eyes. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s still doing it.¡±


    ¡°Doing what?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t understand what you said. Whatever I said to Alejandra, it¡­¡± Nick circled his fingers around his skull. ¡°It changed. Chaos changed it. For whatever reason I don¡¯t know what Alejandra heard, but it isn¡¯t what I said. It was me attempting to say what was going on between Grizzizzik and I.¡±


    ¡°That is¡­ so odd,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s still under the contract and so Chaos is keeping some things from him and goddamnit why do I finally get a hint about what¡¯s going on?¡± Tyler shouted the last part before covering his face in his hands again.


    Despite everything, Nick chuckled before taking another sip of horchata. He seemed to be the only one in a lighthearted mood. In fact, Nick hadn¡¯t stopped smiling since coming out of Jose¡¯s with his horchata as everyone else looked like they were hit with existential dread.


    Derek was no different. Chaos had changed Nick¡¯s very words. Kept Derek from hearing the truth. Forced Nick¡¯s words and demeanor to change so it fit with the narrative that Chaos wanted. Chaos was that powerful.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to think of a code word in case something like this happens again,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Tyler said, dropping his hands. ¡°Something like ¡®sounds like the situation Nick was in,¡± or something like that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good idea, but it¡¯s not going to work,¡± Nick muttered. ¡°If Chaos or Order really don¡¯t want anyone to know, none of us will know. I already tried. It¡¯s why I mentioned the possible sixth person in the group, to make you remember how much our brains could be altered by them if they really wanted it to.¡±


    There was a pause. Derek could feel his eyes popping out of his skull. He finally pulled over to the side of the road, set his head against the steering wheel, and screamed. Once he was done screaming, Derek lifted his head, and the only sound was the blinker as he eased back onto the road.


    Nick chuckled. ¡°Well, thanks for pulling over.¡±


    ¡°God, Nick,¡± Derek said as they drove down the quiet road outside of town. ¡°I knew something was up, but I¡­ never would have imagined this level of mind melting stuff.¡±


    ¡°Which is why I don¡¯t hold a grudge against anyone for thinking what they did,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn whimpered, leaning her head against his shoulder.


    Tyler shook his head. ¡°I still want to apologize, though.¡±


    ¡°You did,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let Alejandra know what happened,¡± Rafael said.


    The silence trickled into the van. Hraktar was glaring so darkly at Grizzizzik that the rogue was pretending like the fighter didn¡¯t exist. It was necessary for his own survival.


    ¡°Is¡­ Alejandra okay?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she will. Once she knows the truth,¡± Rafael said.


    That was a lie. One that twisted his gut and made him feel guilty. Derek wasn¡¯t sure what the truth would do to Alejandra, but she would definitely not be okay after hearing it. Derek glanced in the mirror to see Rafael and Nick exchanging a glance. They knew that was a lie, too, but neither one of them knew how to handle the truth.


    ¡°There they are,¡± Tyler said, pointing a short distance from the road to three fires placed in a triangle. Derek eased off the road, and Tyler lifted a hand. ¡°Since we still don¡¯t know how horrible these gray marks can get, I suggest the earthlings stay in the van, and the Shrouded Domain characters head on out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stick with Grizzizzik,¡± Hraktar said before grabbing the rogue by the cloak and dragging him out of the van. Grizzizzik didn¡¯t even get a word in.


    Derek rolled down the windows, eager to hear the conversation. Milo placed his dark goggles on, the bouncing lights on the mask keeping his face illuminated.


    ¡°Hello!¡± Ezekiel called out to the cultists. ¡°May we ask what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°Preparing a ritual to find out if our God wants to enter this realm.¡±


    Derek squinted into the darkness. There were three cultists, standing in the middle of the fire.


    ¡°I hope this isn¡¯t the kind that take a blood sacrifice, is it?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    The silence from the cultists was answer enough, but Ezekiel waited patiently all the same.


    ¡°Only from a fair virgin,¡± one of the cultists said before eyeing Clarissa up and down.


    Clarissa glared, then pulled out a scimitar. ¡°I¡¯m not a virgin.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± the cultist said, his shoulders sagging.


    ¡°Fear not, my children,¡± the fourth member said, materializing out of the darkness. Derek was pretty sure he would have seen the leader if he had dark vision himself. ¡°We¡¯ll find one.¡±


    Hraktar gave Grizzizzik a gentle shove closer to the flames. ¡°He¡¯s not fair, but he¡¯s a virgin.¡±


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    Grizzizzik swore under his breath before pulling out his rapier and facing the leader. ¡°Our entire group believes you are too dangerous to keep you alive.¡±


    ¡°Already on it,¡± Milo said starting to carve his cannon.


    Time slowed down, and Derek started to get a bit nervous. This was actually a fair amount of guys, and he was quite sure that leader was a level six. Sure, Milo was now a level six, but he didn¡¯t feel like he got a ton of upgrades with one more level.


    Except for more hit points. Fifty-five hit points was always welcome.


    Derek grabbed the d20, slightly relieved. They could still roll this close, and after everything they experienced, Derek was quite happy to remain in the van.


    Twelve. Not too bad, but there was no way he¡¯d go first.


    Hraktar unsheathed his great sword and did not waste a moment of time. He swung his sword at the mage, who backed away from it easily enough. The mage about said something snarky when Hraktar swung again, hitting the mage hard and slicing his shoulder. The mage cried out in pain, blood pumping out of a deep gash in his side, his shirt filling with blood.


    ¡°Save some for the rest of us, will you?¡± Grizzizzik mumbled.


    Hraktar glared at Grizzizzik. ¡°Do yourself a favor and don¡¯t talk to me when I have my weapon out.¡±


    The leader brushed his cloak back before shooting his hands out, chanting in a dark language. A blast of sand came out of the leader¡¯s palm, hitting all of them. Derek winced.


    ¡°They¡¯ve got to be better spaced out,¡± Derek said. He then used the frozen time to curse after failing the save.


    Hopefully it wouldn¡¯t be too much damage. Derek winced when he watched Milo¡¯s hit points drop to eighteen, then gasped as he saw Clarissa and Grizzizzik fall to three.


    ¡°Did we all just fail that save?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°I¡­ think so,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my dice jail when I need it,¡± Derek grumbled.


    They all looked bad, their skin shredded from flying sand. One of the fanatics turned to Ezekiel and tried to touch him, chanting something that made his finger turn red. Ezekiel dodged it, eyes wide before clasping his medallion, muttering a prayer. Once again, figures appeared slightly translucent. Derek was super curious, and only recognized a few figures in the dark like Aragorn and Hermione Granger.


    ¡°No comic books yet?¡± Derek asked Rafael.


    ¡°He¡¯s getting there. It¡¯s hard to stop him from re-reading Lord of the Rings after every other series.¡±


    Two bursts of radiant damage hit the fanatic and the leader, both stumbling back in pain. Grizzizzik started chanting, pointing right at the leader, mumbling something.


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Derek said. ¡°That¡¯s right! Grizzizzik had eldritch blast this whole time. I can¡¯t believe that guy never used it.¡±


    ¡°Dead giveaway,¡± Nick said. ¡°Though¡­ he¡¯s not using eldritch blast.¡±


    A crack of lighting burst out of Grizzizzik¡¯s hand and smacked into the leader. The leader screamed, then dropped to the ground, dead.


    Tyler let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Good. I did not want that leader casting invisibility and getting away.¡±


    The followers started panicking when they saw their leader go down. One by one, the bonfires went out, and Ezekiel¡¯s guardians turned toward one of the followers, slamming radiant damage on him. The follower, in a panic, struck at Milo with a glowing red hand. Milo thankfully dodged it before shooting him twice with the cannon and the crossbow. The follower shrieked in pain as his shoulder was completely burned to a crisp. Milo held up his smoking cannon.


    The follower paused, then glanced up at the storm clouds Clarissa was creating. He didn¡¯t have time to dodge before the lightning shot right through him, and he collapsed to the ground, dead.


    Clarissa placed her hands on her hips. ¡°Shall the lesson here be to never assume elf maidens are virgins?¡±


    Milo shrugged. ¡°I mean, in their defense, you were a virgin for over a hundred years.¡±


    ¡°Eh,¡± Clarissa said, flicking her wrist. ¡°It was time for a change.¡±


    Their leader was dead, as was one of their followers. There were still the two followers left. One of them walked forward before he, too, was smacked by Ezekiel¡¯s guardians. The follower shouted in surprise but regained his composure to grab Clarissa¡¯s shoulder. She stiffened before her eyes rolled up and she collapsed.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Milo said, reaching out and grabbing her around the waist. ¡°Ezekiel!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll¡­ be fine. Hopefully,¡± Evelyn said.


    Hraktar let out a roar, bounding over to the follower that hurt Clarissa and brought his sword down hard. The man found himself without an arm before he also found himself without legs. The follower was dead before he hit the ground. Grizzizzik looked a bit uncomfortable at how easily Hraktar killed him, and it didn¡¯t help when Hraktar glared at the rogue after.


    The final follower standing got a blast with the guardian¡¯s light. Seeing all his people were dead, he turned around and started running.


    ¡°No, no, no. That¡¯s my experience points,¡± Grizzizzik complained as Ezekiel ran to Clarissa, wrapping his arms around her and muttering a prayer. Clarissa gasped as seventeen hit points filled her bar.


    ¡°Oh, hi,¡± Clarissa said, smiling up at him.


    ¡°Hello yourself.¡±


    ¡°Seriously! My experience points!¡± Grizzizzik shouted before shooting the escaping follower with a bolt of purple lighting. The follower shrieked, but kept running.


    ¡°I got you,¡± Milo said, pointing his crossbow and his cannon at the escaping cult follower. A blast of white energy raced the crossbow bolt, both smacking into the follower and causing him to drop to the ground, dead.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Milo shouted, lifting his dark goggles before dropping them back over his face. He did that a few more times. ¡°They work amazing! I love them!¡±


    Grizzizzik glared at Milo, though folded his arms and muttered his thanks. Evelyn opened the minivan door and stumbled out to check on Clarissa. When Tyler opened his door, Derek assumed that was the go ahead that things were safe.


    By the time they caught up with the group, Ezekiel had helped Clarissa to her feet and was kissing her softly. Derek walked up to Milo, high fiving him as seven hundred and thirty experience points filled up his level six bar. He was quite sure everyone else would hit level six now.


    Ezekiel, Clarissa, and Evelyn were talking to each other. Rafael stayed his distance as Nick walked over to Grizzizzik. Nick didn¡¯t say anything, though Hraktar was brushing himself off, glaring at Grizzizzik the entire time. Tyler walked up to Milo, reaching out to touch one of the antennae.


    ¡°Nice job making that.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. Do you want to try them on?¡± Milo asked.


    Tyler tried to hide his excitement. ¡°I mean¡­ I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something about the two worlds colliding, and I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m quite the one who¡¯s suited for the whole thing, but if you insist.¡± By the time Tyler was done talking, Milo had already taken it off and Tyler snatched it and placed it over his eyes. ¡°Dude, sweet!¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°They work pretty great, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! I mean¡­ this is as clear as noon day!¡± Tyler said. He took them off, gesturing toward Derek. ¡°Wanna try?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely I do,¡± Derek said, grabbing the mask and placing it on his face. He glanced around. ¡°Sick!¡± It was as Tyler said. Perhaps he expected some green night vision, but Tyler was right. It was like it was noon day. He could see everyone. He could even see a bit into the distance, where a lone, cloaked figure was walking right toward them.


    Wait a second.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Derek asked, pointing.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Milo asked.


    He took off the mask and handed it to Milo. Milo put it back on, looking. ¡°Uh¡­ stay behind me, just in case. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s out here.¡±


    Clarissa, Hraktar, and Grizzizzik turned to where Milo was pointing.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Nick said, backing away. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t finish. Derek could feel it, the energy of the air changing. Something beyond powerful and ancient was walking toward them, and the way Tyler stiffened made Derek realize it was Chaos. The perfect, personification of Chaos was headed right toward them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look into his eyes,¡± Nick whispered, his gaze dropping as Derek noticed the dark cloak coming into the light. ¡°His gaze will drive you insane.¡±


    It was the last thing anyone spoke as silence fell over the group. Chaos walked into the cultist flames, hands behind his back, a smirk on his face. He said nothing, but Derek felt his nerves rolling in his stomach.


    Chaos walked up to Grizzizzik and held out a hand. Grizzizzik kept his gaze downcast as he unsheathed his rapier, holding the handle out for Chaos to take. The being grabbed the hilt, holding it up. With one hand, Chaos created dark energy as the sword sucked it up, a slight black flame appearing around it before it disappeared. The rapier had a slightly darker tinge to it before Chaos handed the handle back to Grizzizzik.


    ¡°It is as we agreed. A sword to permanently kill Akshi, crime lord of Osvoroth,¡± Chaos said.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Grizzizzik said, taking the sword.


    Chaos then turned, and Derek noticed Chaos¡¯s feet were pointed right at him. Derek ventured a glance, every hair on his arm rising as he saw Chaos looking at him. Chaos raised two fingers to his forehead and saluted, a smirk on his face. ¡°I enjoy your work, Derek Perez. You are one of my favorites to watch.¡±


    Derek wasn¡¯t sure if he was supposed to react. He also wasn¡¯t entirely sure it was a compliment. Though with a being above good and evil, perhaps Chaos was simply stating something that was. The memory of randomly kissing Emma to shut her up came back to him. He did do rather chaotic things.


    Chaos walked away, and once he passed the light, he disappeared. It wasn¡¯t until Derek felt the energy of the air return to normal that he let out a breath.


    ¡°Oh my god.¡± Evelyn stared at Nick, eyes wide. ¡°Oh my god,¡± she said again.


    Nick said nothing. Instead, he lifted his horchata and gave a final sip before staring at Grizzizzik. ¡°I assume we¡¯ll never see that guy again?¡±


    ¡°You assume correctly.¡± Grizzizzik still had his sword out, a smile on his face as he looked at it gleaming in the moonlight.


    ¡°Good.¡± Nick headed back toward the van, checking his watch. ¡°We better get back. My curfew is close.¡±


    Derek blinked as he watched his friend walk past him. He couldn¡¯t help but think that Nick calmly walking away from a being that almost destroyed his life had to be the most badass thing that happened tonight.

 Chapter 218

    Alejandra was sick to her stomach. Rafael came home Sunday night and told her everything. He did so in a calm manner, and though he never accused her of anything, she felt it deep in her bones.


    She had been wrong about Nick.


    This knowledge kept her from getting much sleep Sunday night. Monday, she went out of her way to avoid Nick out of shame. Rafael had explained it to her and then never brought it up again. Somehow, she was both thankful and angry that he did that. Alejandra had been wrong. Shouldn¡¯t there have been a stern lecture? Angry shouting? Gloating?


    Rafael stayed by her side, as he noticed how much she didn¡¯t want to be around the others. They needed to remain in groups for safety, and Rafael seemed to volunteer to be by Alejandra throughout the school day. Even though she was capable of teleporting a half-orc to her, she was grateful for Rafael. And yet every time she saw Rafael, her cheeks burned with guilt.


    Even seeing the others was painful. She saw Derek comparing monologues with his other drama friends, their tryouts next week for the school musical. Perhaps Alejandra hadn¡¯t spent as much time as she thought, but Derek did not look nearly as frightened as he did after his kidnapping. He seemed almost back to normal. Laughing and joking with his group of friends. Or maybe he wasn¡¯t fine at all, and it was all a front, but Derek wouldn¡¯t tell her.


    Then she noticed Evelyn, looking like a completely different girl. Where before she had a haunted look in her eye, Evelyn walked down the hall looking like she was light as a feather. Evelyn had been right. She believed something horrible must have been going on with her brother, instead of believing her brother was horrible. With her suspicions confirmed, it didn¡¯t take a genius to notice Evelyn had forgiven him overnight. Evelyn was right, after all. There was nothing wrong with her brother, and she stuck by his side.


    Everyone was right. Everyone but Alejandra.


    It wasn¡¯t until Alejandra glimpsed Nick on Wednesday that she felt the full guilt of it all slam into her. The shame burned so hard as he walked down the hall, looking like the weight of the world was off his shoulders. Knowing he had friends to support him. He was even smiling a little.


    God, she loved his smile. The shame of her own betrayal twisted in her gut like a stab wound.


    She slipped into the bathroom before Nick could spot her. She locked herself in the stall, covering her mouth to calm her breathing as tears raced down her cheeks. She had slapped him. When he didn¡¯t even say what she thought he said. She hurt him. She was quick to abandon him. Quick to think he had reverted to his old ways. She had so easily assumed he was rotten to the core, that he could never actually be good anymore. Nick punching Rafael was proof that he had to be a horrible human being. But the truth was, Nick was justified in punching Rafael. She had not been justified slapping him.


    Nick already apologized for his anger spilling over to crushing his ribs and glaring at him throughout the week. But it didn¡¯t matter to Alejandra at the time. She was done with him. So certain that she was right. Almost to the point of being smug.


    But she had been wrong.


    The bell rang, and Alejandra realized she was late for Spanish. She rushed out of the bathroom, confident that she wouldn¡¯t run into Nick. Hating that she sat down in Spanish with Se?ora Florez talking about more advanced vocabulary words, her eyes lingering on Alejandra more than a few times.


    Alejandra didn¡¯t let Se?ora Florez stop her on the way out. She didn¡¯t want to talk to anyone. Not Se?ora Florez, not Rafael. Derek or Evelyn.


    Not Nick.


    She had hurt them. She felt such a deep shame that she considered calling in sick tomorrow. She could have Quetzal or Hraktar stay with her at home. From what she could gather, the neighbor¡¯s thought Quetzal was a dog. Between Quetzal and teleporting Hraktar, she would be safe.


    When school ended, her mind was made up. She needed to stay home tomorrow. She could hardly concentrate as it was.


    Alejandra quickly left the school, the shame so deep she was certain it could make her physically sick. She opened her car door and slipped inside, using a moment to cover her face and let out a quiet sob. Behind the sun visors in her car, there was a small semblance of privacy.


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    She quickly wiped her eyes, then glanced at the rear-view mirror. Something had caught her eye, almost like a light. She furrowed her brows when scaly hands reached out and grabbed her. Alejandra screamed, but it was muffled. Her eyes were wide as she started to thrash, until she felt something sharp against her neck. She stilled as Akshi¡¯s face moved around the seat, looking ahead. The crime lord of Osvoroth was in her back seat.


    Hraktar¡¯s sheet appeared in her vision, and she forced herself to calm. Hraktar had only killed Akshi when the rest of the group was there. She couldn¡¯t be certain how well he could do on his own.


    ¡°Let¡¯s run through this quickly because I¡¯m getting bored,¡± he whispered.


    Alejandra was breathing fast, terrified to move, feeling the sharp metal against her throat and scared that Akshi could kill her now.


    ¡°First of all, no, this isn¡¯t our first time meeting each other. Modify memory works very well on you, and has for about a month and a half now. Yes, I¡¯m as annoyed as you that it¡¯s taking me this long to kidnap you. Finally, no, I¡¯m not interested in Nick Larsen and Grizzizzik at the moment. Stop telling me you¡¯ll never trade in that lover of yours no matter what I do to you. No need to embarrass yourself when he¡¯s never been my focus.¡± He leaned over closer, his snake face so close to her. ¡°It¡¯s always been you, Alejandra. Since the first moment I smelled your fear. I need you, desperately. I need to figure out more about this world, and you are my key.¡± The knife disappeared from her throat, and Akshi moved the hand up to show a potion bottle. ¡°You will drink this, and I will see if the combination of fear and mana in your body can finally move you through my dimension door spell. Drink it.¡± Akshi placed the bottle into Alejandra¡¯s hand and dropped the hand from her mouth.


    ¡°What makes you think I¡¯ll-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll drink it, because you¡¯re afraid of me,¡± Akshi hissed. ¡°Because your imagination is already going through all the different ways I can hurt you or your friends. You and Hraktar. And here¡¯s a little secret, girl.¡± Akshi leaned over closer, and Alejandra closed her eyes as she felt his breath on her cheeks. ¡°Everything you¡¯re imagining right now only scratches the surface of what I¡¯ll do to your little group. Drink it, or I will start my plans now.¡±


    Alejandra let out a breath as she uncorked the bottle. Tears streamed down her cheeks. It would be okay. Grizzizzik now had a sword that could kill Akshi permanently.


    ¡°Mmm, does he now?¡± Akshi whispered.


    Alejandra cursed herself for forgetting Akshi could read people¡¯s thoughts. She immediately shut down all the information, hoping Akshi didn¡¯t think highly enough of his son.


    ¡°I have no doubt he figured out some way to kill me. He¡¯s been trying for twenty years. Doesn¡¯t matter. He¡¯ll be all alone when he finally does, because I will have killed all his little friends. Starting with Hraktar. Starting with you. Drink it. Now.¡±


    Alejandra drained the bottle without thinking about it. She should fight back. She should be brave. But she wasn¡¯t. Akshi ordered her to drink it, and she did. She was too scared.


    A light appeared next to her, and she recognized dimension door. Akshi grabbed her wrist and forced it through the light, and Alejandra gasped as her hand moved through the light at a snail¡¯s pace. Akshi chuckled in pure delight.


    ¡°It¡¯s working. It¡¯s finally working!¡± He pulled out another bottle. ¡°Drink this now. By my estimates, you will travel through dimension door easily by next week, as long as I make you afraid enough. And that is when I shall kidnap you in front of everyone, starting off the reaction I need to destroy your group.¡±


    Why was he telling her this? Didn¡¯t he know it was pointless to tell her all his thoughts. She could use them against him.


    ¡°Again, modify memory, Alejandra,¡± Akshi said. ¡°You haven¡¯t been able to remember any of our weekly chats. Your fear is so potent that my spells work on you like you were from the Shrouded Domain. I had to spend a month terrifying Robert Stower for it to work. I heard your thoughts the moment I stepped into that classroom all those weeks ago.¡±


    Alejandra closed her eyes, trying to calm her fears. Trying to get stronger. Akshi chuckled, and she felt her resolve disappear.


    ¡°Do try, Alejandra. It¡¯ll be more fun to break you,¡± Akshi said.


    Her fingers gripped the bottle. She didn¡¯t want to drink it. Akshi¡¯s breath was back on her face. ¡°Do it, girl. Or your worst nightmare will be a week ahead of schedule.¡±


    Alejandra let out a small cry and drank the second bottle. It was as she feared. She was, after all, the weakest of the group. Unable to be strong in the face of danger. She wasn¡¯t like her character at all.


    ¡°Good. I will see you next week, Alejandra Walker. At last, you will be in my headquarters. It¡¯ll be so much fun,¡± Akshi said. He started chanting something, his wrist turning black before all the energy slammed into the back of her head.


    Alejandra¡¯s head shot up as she gasped. She glanced around, her breathing unsteady as she patted her cheeks. What had happened? Something happened. Something horrible. She was sobbing. Even as she questioned what happened, her sobbing eased.


    Panic attack. She had another panic attack. One so bad that it left her feeling weak and her emotions scattered. She was scared of meeting up with Nick.


    Alejandra dried her cheeks before taking down the sun visor and starting the car. She gave her cheeks a final swipe before backing out of the parking lot. She had a panic attack in the parking lot, and she was exhausted. She absolutely needed the day off from school tomorrow.

 Chapter 219

    Evelyn was texting Annie as she walked into the kitchen. It was late Wednesday night, and she was feeling hungry. Honestly, she might have a bowl of cereal. She was feeling those raisins calling her name.


    Maybe she¡¯d just have a box of raisins. Those were pretty good.


    She placed her phone on the countertop and grabbed a small box. Nick was at the table, doing homework with his hand in his hair. The stitches were out, and Evelyn¡¯s eyes lingered on the scar on his cheek. It looked bad now, but it would get better. Nick had come into her room Sunday night to apologize for everything again, and Evelyn didn¡¯t let him finish. She had forgiven him. If she hadn¡¯t already in Calawit¡¯s tent, she would have when she felt Chaos¡¯s presence. Nick went through hell, and she would not hear him apologizing for anything. He accepted her apology, and she saw no reason to require an apology from him.


    They were practically back to how they were. Despite the very long month of what felt like their relationship shredding to bits, it was so much easier to know Nick had never been that person.


    ¡°Hey, Evelyn? Can I see your phone for a second?¡± Walt asked, picking up her phone. ¡°There¡¯s some safety features I want to check.¡±


    Evelyn popped open the box of raisins, frowning. ¡°What kind of safety features?¡±


    ¡°Oh, social media apps and making sure you haven¡¯t downloaded anything that¡¯ll attract predators,¡± Walt said.


    Evelyn frowned, holding the raisins. ¡°Um¡­¡±


    Walt gave her a humorous look. ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to look through any of your private conversations. You¡¯re not Nick.¡±


    At his name, Nick glanced up, then realized he didn¡¯t want to be a part of the conversation and focused on his homework again. Evelyn¡¯s frown deepened at Walt¡¯s ability to insult Nick when he was right there.


    ¡°Dad, come on,¡± Evelyn said.


    Walt shook the phone in front of her. ¡°I won¡¯t read private conversations, I give you my word. I just need to check some apps.¡±


    Evelyn held in a sigh. To be honest, she was afraid of saying no, but she also knew this day would come eventually. Nick could be the least favorite child for only so long. ¡°None of my private conversations.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely none.¡±


    ¡°How long do you need it?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°As long as it takes.¡±


    Evelyn didn¡¯t like this, but she didn¡¯t dare disagree. ¡°Fine. I want it back in ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Walt said, walking over to the table with the phone.


    Evelyn wanted to stay, but she wasn¡¯t sure if she could handle it. Walt would probably get annoyed with her sitting on the chair next to him, breathing over his shoulder.


    She forced herself to turn around and enter her room. If she started to annoy Walt, he might try something more dictator-like. It was a careful balance beam she was walking. Walt gave her everything, and if she started to get on his bad side, he could take away everything, too.


    To keep her mind off things, she took a nice, hot shower. It was almost nine-thirty, after all, and she had school.


    She walked out of the shower, dressing in her pajamas before putting on her bathrobe and starting her nightly skin routine. Once she was finished, she would check in on Walt. Make sure her phone was back. It made her skin crawl that he had it for so long as her mind went through the conversations she had.


    He wouldn¡¯t be able to understand the CCNC group conversations, would he?


    No, he promised he wouldn¡¯t go through her private text messages.


    Did she trust her dad, though?


    She hated that she had to ask herself that question. Hated it more that she didn¡¯t have an answer.


    She walked out of the bathroom and moved to her bedroom. Once she was done with her skin care, she¡¯d get her phone back. She sat down at her desk, grabbing her lip balm. She put a generous amount on her lips, because Arizona sucked all the moisture from her skin. She was starting to wonder when the last time she exfoliated was when there was a rap at her window.


    Evelyn frowned, a figure at her window. She blinked, seeing it was Tyler. What was he doing here?


    She got up, opening the window, feeling very exposed without any make-up on. ¡°Tyler?¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked, breathless, like he had run straight here from Tucson.


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Why?¡±


    Tyler was still breathing deeply, leaning against the outside wall as he stared at her. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ sure? Your text. You said you were scared.¡±


    Evelyn frowned, confused. ¡°Text? I didn¡¯t text you. My dad has my phone.¡±


    Tyler stared at her, his breathing stopping all together. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ dad?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He said he¡­¡± Evelyn paused. She glanced behind her shoulder, then back at Tyler. ¡°He wanted to¡­¡±


    Check the safety measures to make sure no predators were after her.


    A dawning realization hit Tyler before he jerked his head to the side and all the color fled his face. ¡°Shit,¡± he whispered.


    Evelyn tried to see what was going on, but she couldn¡¯t deny the terror in Tyler¡¯s voice. Faster than she could react, Walt appeared, grabbing Tyler by the arm and dragging him from Evelyn¡¯s window.


    ¡°Dad! Dad, wait! No!¡±


    Evelyn wasn¡¯t even sure what was going on, but it wasn¡¯t good. Nothing was good when it came to her dad. She bolted out of her room when she saw Walt push Tyler farther from her window. She raced down the hall and out the front door.


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    ¡°-you could come to my house? To check on my daughter?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°Dad, leave him alone!¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Tyler started to say.


    ¡°You are a college aged man, hanging around my underaged daughter!¡± Walt shouted.


    Tyler dropped his hands, trying to stand up straight. ¡°So that was you?¡± Tyler asked. ¡°You texted, posed as your own daughter, trying to lure me into a situation?¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯d you fall for it, Tyler? Hmm?¡± Walt asked as Evelyn felt her stomach drop.


    ¡°Dad, please. Please, drop this,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°It seemed like she was hurt,¡± Tyler said, not nearly the level nor the anger of Walt, but the betrayal. ¡°It sounded like she had nowhere else to go, and I wanted to help.¡±


    ¡°Dad, what did you do?¡± Evelyn demanded, feeling her own anger trickle in.


    Walt shoved Evelyn¡¯s phone into her hand, still glaring at Tyler. ¡°Do you know that Nick programed Tyler¡¯s name into his phone as Rafael? Pretended to be Rafael so I wouldn¡¯t get suspicious why Nick was talking with him so much. It had been going on for almost a month.¡± Walt spat the word out. ¡°He accidently called Tyler Sunday, but actually called Rafael right after. It didn¡¯t click for me until last night. I double checked the phone number with Evelyn¡¯s phone. You sure do talk to my daughter a lot.¡±


    ¡°Private conversations!¡± Evelyn shouted, not sure why she felt the need to shout it. ¡°You promised you wouldn¡¯t go through private conversations!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Walt said, his eyes still fixed on Tyler. ¡°But I did see how much you called her. You even called her at five in the morning once. What did you need to talk to my daughter about at five in the morning?¡±


    Tyler stared, eyes wide, chest heaving. When Evelyn was scared and needed someone to talk to, Tyler checked in on her. She had gone to him multiple times this past month, because he calmed her down. She felt so safe in his presence. She¡­ needed him.


    Nick walked through the front door, then froze on the front porch at the sight in front of him. Walt shot Nick a deadly glare.


    ¡°Whose idea was it to change the numbers in Nick¡¯s phone?¡± Walt asked, taking another step toward Tyler as he scuttled back.


    ¡°Sir¡­¡± Tyler said, glancing at Nick.


    ¡°Whose idea was it?¡± Walt sneered.


    ¡°Mine,¡± Tyler said.


    Evelyn had the distinct impression that Tyler would much rather take this fall than let Nick take it, whether or not it was true. Nick flinched, glancing at Walt, bracing for impact. Evelyn¡¯s muscles were already taunt, prepared for something.


    ¡°It was mine,¡± Tyler said again.


    ¡°I knew it. You start buttering up my son, so he looks the other way while you seduce my daughter.¡±


    Tyler blinked, surprised. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You knew where her bedroom window was. Didn¡¯t even have to think about it. Have you entered her bedroom door before?¡±


    ¡°Hell no. Mr. Larsen, you can¡¯t possibly think-¡±


    ¡°Why are you hanging out around us so much?¡± Walt asked, taking another step forward. ¡°Why are you suddenly more interested in doing a game no one showed interest in for a year.¡±


    Tyler swallowed, visibly distressed. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ this new campaign idea. Really¡­ kicked off. Everyone¡¯s excited about it, and we want to see where it goes.¡± His voice was strangled with stress.


    Nick stumbled closer, his eyes fixed on Walt, which was good, because Evelyn couldn¡¯t keep her eyes off Tyler. She was terrified for him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that for a second,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°It¡¯s far easier to believe than anything happening between Evelyn and I,¡± Tyler said. ¡°Ask anyone in the group. It¡¯s as you say, Evelyn¡¯s a Sophomore in high school. I¡¯m not interested. If I have to scream it for you to believe it, I will. But what you¡¯re accusing me of is frankly not true. I have a girlfriend.¡±


    Walt narrowed his eyes. ¡°Then tell me, Tyler. Why would a college age boy with a girlfriend answer a text from a sixteen-year-old girl late on Thursday night? Why would he believe her that she was scared and needed his help, and his help only? Why did you travel thirty minutes and go straight to a sixteen-year-old¡¯s bedroom window at night?¡±


    Tyler stared at Walt, then tore his gaze away to look right at Evelyn. She didn¡¯t realize there were tears falling down her cheeks until he looked at her.


    Because we¡¯ve had a hellish month. Derek was kidnapped. Nick¡¯s very words were altered so none of us understood him. Monsters are running around, their footprints starting to be seen, their movements invisibly tracked. The apocalypse is coming earlier than expected, and Tyler has found himself responsible for the five of us. After what Tyler¡¯s experienced, he would willingly drop everything and run to make sure I was okay. To make sure any of us are okay. And Dad will never understand that.


    Evelyn blinked, more tears falling down her cheeks as Tyler glanced back at Walt. Tyler cleared his throat, glancing at the ground. ¡°I¡­ see now how this looks. I promise you, sir, nothing is going on between your daughter and I, and I will be sure to check myself in the future to make sure nothing is implied.¡± It was the quietest whisper Evelyn had ever heard. What she understood was that she could no longer call or text Tyler. Ever.


    She finally tore her gaze from Tyler to see how Walt was taking this. The look on his face caused her stomach to tie itself into knots. She had been here before. On a dark night with talks of sexual things. The same look in Walt¡¯s eye that there was in Nick¡¯s. The huge difference being that Rafael did something. Tyler did not.


    Nick appeared in front of his dad, staring at Tyler with an amount of urgency.


    ¡°Go. Now,¡± Nick said to Tyler, his voice quiet but the urgency impossible to miss. Walt might not have murdered Tyler, but if Evelyn saw the similarities between the two nights, Nick no doubt would, too.


    Their friend didn¡¯t need to be told twice. He sprinted toward the road where his car was most likely parked away from the house.


    ¡°I never want to see you around my daughter again you worthless piece of shit!¡± Walt shouted into the dark as Tyler kept running.


    Evelyn¡¯s hands started to shake. It had transferred to her entire body as she headed for her dad.


    ¡°What the hell, dad,¡± Nick whispered.


    Walt didn¡¯t have time to answer. Evelyn was already there, her shaky fists beating his shoulders, his arms, his face, clawing at him when he tried to grab her wrist to stop him.


    ¡°I HATE YOU!¡± Evelyn screamed.


    ¡°Evelyn, stop!¡± Nick said, alarmed.


    Evelyn didn¡¯t stop. She wanted to make Walt hurt. Wanted to cause him the same level of pain and anguish that he gave her. Not just tonight, but every day for three years. The pain she felt standing to the side while he abused Nick. Crushed his spirit. Bullied him. And now he started doing the same to Tyler. Walt grabbed both her wrists, and she started kicking. She was barefoot, but she didn¡¯t care. The anger had taken over, and she needed to see her dad get hurt. Nick grabbed her waist and dragged her away, keeping her from hurting Walt.


    ¡°I HATE YOU, DAD! I HATE YOU!¡±


    She had nothing else to say. It was the truth, and she screamed it. She didn¡¯t care who heard. She was sick of lying. Sick of pretending everything was fine between them.


    ¡°Evelyn, please,¡± Nick said, dragging her away.


    Evelyn tried to break his grip, tried to go back to give Walt more pain. Give him more pain than he ever gave Nick and Tyler. Let him know exactly what she thought. Why was Nick stopping her? Didn¡¯t Walt cause him pain, too?


    Walt brushed himself off before straightening his shirt. ¡°You¡¯ll thank me for this one day, Evelyn. You¡¯ll see.¡±


    Evelyn pulled all her weight against Nick, but her older brother simply scooped her up and carried her inside. Evelyn was screaming at Walt, trying to break free.


    ¡°Don¡¯t, Evie. Please. Don¡¯t end up like me. You don¡¯t want that. I promise,¡± Nick said.


    Nick placed her down into her room and she collapsed, sobbing. Walt tricked Tyler, then punched him. She couldn¡¯t believe it. There had been blood all over, and she wouldn¡¯t even know if he was alright. There was no way Tyler would call her now. Walt had successfully isolated her from him, and she hated that it hurt. It hurt so deeply.


    Evelyn was inconsolable. She grabbed her pillow and sobbed. Nick leaned against the wall, hands in his hair as he stared ahead, the shock of it hitting him too. Evelyn kept sobbing, feeling the ache of it all. The unfairness. The injustice. Walt promised not to go through her private messages, but she hadn¡¯t thought creatively enough. She knew he was up to no good. She should have refused. Why hadn¡¯t she been stronger? Why couldn¡¯t she have stood up to her dad.


    Nick stayed by her door, blocking her in as she sobbed. He had sunk to the floor, head in his hands as he stared ahead. Walt started shouting upstairs. By the sounds of it, Walt and Tyler¡¯s dad were having an argument of their own over the phone. It wouldn¡¯t matter. Walt was too stubborn. He was stuck on this idea that Tyler wanted Evelyn. Her dad had successfully made sure that Tyler kept her at a distance. Possibly forever.


    As Walt kept shouting, Evelyn kept sobbing, and Nick remained blocking the door to keep her from attacking Walt again as he stared at nothing.


    End of Volume Four

 Chapter 220

    Derek was leaning against the door that Nick and Evelyn usually entered school in. He had his arms folded, feeling antsy. He had never been in a situation where he couldn¡¯t get in contact with someone. He always had his phone. His friends always had their phones. It was like they were back in the Middle Ages, and Derek wouldn¡¯t know if his friends were alive until he saw them.


    Okay, maybe he was being a bit dramatic. Tyler did, after all, assure him that Derek was most likely safe to call Evelyn. Derek spent most of the night wondering if he should, but also pretty sure they would be fine.


    Not fine. Walt was apparently ready to punch Tyler in the face. Walt couldn¡¯t be any clearer about how he felt about Tyler, even if he tried. How was this possibly going to work out? How were sessions going to happen? Was Evelyn, and therefore Nick, banned from ever attending CCNC again? Could they even function without those two in the group now? Sure, they could roll from a distance, but it was the isolation of it all. This couldn¡¯t be fair. Walt was never fair.


    The front doors opened, and Derek stood up straighter as he saw Nick and Evelyn walk into the school. He rushed up to them, studying them both.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad to see you two,¡± Derek said, studying their faces. ¡°Seriously, how did people survive without cell phones back in the day?¡±


    Nick smiled, but it didn¡¯t seem genuine. Evelyn had her arms folded, staring at the ground. If one more unlucky thing happened, Evelyn looked ready to dissolve into a puddle and never recover.


    ¡°So, I guess you heard?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Tyler called.¡±


    ¡°Is he okay?¡± Evelyn asked, finally tearing her gaze from the floor.


    ¡°I mean¡­¡± Derek hesitated. ¡°Yeah. A little freaked out, but I¡¯d be way more freaked out if I was that close to Walt¡¯s wrath.¡±


    Evelyn closed her eyes and covered her face. Nick placed an arm around his little sister, giving her a side hug.


    ¡°I hate dad,¡± Evelyn mumbled.


    ¡°I know,¡± Nick said, patting her shoulder.


    ¡°Your dad, did he¡­ do anything to you two last night? In anger?¡± Derek asked, feeling the awkward words tripping over themselves. He didn¡¯t know any other way to ask the question, but he also needed to make sure his friends were alright.


    ¡°We¡¯re fine. It was¡­ all Tyler. My dad let his anger out all on Tyler,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°So, what happens now?¡± Derek asked as Nick and Evelyn moved deeper into the school. ¡°How are we going to do sessions?¡±


    Nick glanced around. ¡°Where¡¯s Rafael?¡±


    ¡°With Alejandra,¡± Derek said. ¡°She¡¯s been having an awful week, and she¡¯s scared to be around you.¡±


    Nick sighed. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve noticed.¡± He still searched the halls. ¡°The only chance we have in repairing what happened is if Rafael talks to my dad. Convinces him that Tyler obviously doesn¡¯t want to seduce Evelyn.¡±


    Derek snorted, and the two siblings looked at him. ¡°Sorry, sorry, I know. Tender subject and what not, but¡­ hell, Tyler going after Evelyn?¡± He chuckled, shaking his head.


    ¡°I know. My dad¡¯s obviously delusional,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn adjusted the strap on her backpack, her eyes pooling with tears. Derek should have changed the subject, because it was clearly a tender one, but he just couldn¡¯t get it out of his mind. Tyler and Evelyn? What an insane pair.


    Then again, he thought of another topic they needed to discuss. ¡°Oh, and Rafael needs to convince Walt about you going to the winter ball next week.¡±


    Nick winced. ¡°Shit, is that next week?¡±


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    ¡°Next Saturday,¡± Derek said.


    Nick rubbed his neck before getting to his locker. ¡°Right. I¡­ don¡¯t have anything to wear.¡±


    Derek waved a hand. ¡°You can borrow a suit from me if you need. Or one of my dad¡¯s. He goes to a lot of fancy parties, and he doesn¡¯t need all those suits. My dad is almost your height.¡±


    ¡°As long as I can even go,¡± Nick said. ¡°Rafael convincing my dad to let us go to sessions and for me to go to the winter ball? It¡¯s a lot. Might be too much, even for him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t put it past Rafael. He could just smile in your dad¡¯s general direction and Walt would be kneeling at his feet,¡± Derek said.


    Nick snorted as he put in his locker combination. Evelyn waited by the locker, lost in her own mind. Judging by the look on her face, Derek didn¡¯t think that was the best place for her to be right now.


    ¡°Also, have we decided what to do with Alejandra?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°What about Alejandra?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°She skipped yesterday, and Rafael just texted that she¡¯s staying home again today.¡± Derek wiggled his phone at them. ¡°Alejandra is feeling an overwhelming amount of guilt and shame. I don¡¯t want her to run away from us,¡± Derek said.


    Nick just stared at him, confused. ¡°Wait, what did she do?¡±


    ¡°She, uh¡­ didn¡¯t trust you. Sorta hated you, actually. All last month. When you and¡­ you and Grizzizzik and¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, right,¡± Nick said, placing what he needed to in his backpack.


    ¡°Not anymore, though. Now that we know Grizzizzik and Chaos forced you into a corner, we totally understand why you did what you did. Let alone the fact that Chaos somehow was able to alter your very words into what he wanted and took us all completely off guard.¡± The more Derek talked, the more his eyes widened and glazed over as he stared at the locker. ¡°Shit, man, how are you not a blubbering mess right now?¡±


    Nick chuckled as he slammed his locker closed. ¡°Truthfully? I was a blubbering mess those first few weeks. It¡¯s just none of you could see it, because Chaos changed what you saw, too.¡±


    Derek shuddered. ¡°Oh, god.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ give yourselves a month, and you¡¯ll be alright,¡± Nick said.


    Derek ran his fingers down his face, shaking his head. ¡°Good god, Nick. Good god.¡± It was all Derek could say as they headed toward Evelyn¡¯s locker. She had remained silent the whole time, folding her arms and remaining in her mind. Derek kept trying to think of a conversation to involve her as well, but she was hardly focusing on the present, let alone the conversation.


    They walked to Evelyn¡¯s locker.


    ¡°You really ought to talk to Alejandra. Let her know you¡¯re not angry or anything,¡± Derek said to Nick.


    ¡°How? I haven¡¯t seen her all week, and I doubt we¡¯ll be going to the session tomorrow,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll figure out some way,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Good luck,¡± Evelyn said, shutting her locker, finally coming into the present. ¡°Seriously, it¡¯s a Walker family trait. Betray a friend, disappear for years.¡±


    Derek glanced at Evelyn, who didn¡¯t look at anyone. The bell rang, and Evelyn grabbed the straps of her backpack. ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys later.¡±


    She walked toward her first class, and Derek ventured a glance at Nick. ¡°Is your sister okay?¡±


    ¡°No. She¡¯s taken Tyler¡¯s injury super hard.¡± Nick touched the new wound on his cheek that was healing pretty well.


    ¡°Is she blaming herself?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Absolutely not. She blames my dad. I had to pull her away from attacking him last night. He¡¯s got a black eye and a few scratch marks on his face.¡±


    Derek raised an eyebrow. ¡°Shit, dude.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Tell her to snap a picture of his face and send it to the group message. It¡¯ll be therapeutic for all of us,¡± Derek said.


    Nick chuckled as they headed down the hall. ¡°Who knows, maybe Rafael can pull off a miracle when he and my dad talk. We can both stay home until June if we need to, but neither of us want to.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we don¡¯t want you to, either. It¡¯s too toxic at your house. I¡¯ll pass the message along,¡± Derek said.


    Nick nodded before he said goodbye and broke off to his first class. Derek slipped into Mr. Anderson¡¯s class, giving his teacher a wave as he settled into his chair.


    ***


    Evelyn did not want to go home. She never saw Nick around the house. He always remained in his room, and now she knew why. She had given Walt the silent treatment, making sure he understood the last words she wanted him to remember was that she hated him.


    She still did. How could he bully Tyler like that? How could he be so incredibly bullheaded to believe Tyler wanted Evelyn. Everyone knew Tyler wasn¡¯t attracted to her. Evelyn knew that. It¡¯s what tore her heart up the most. Tyler didn¡¯t want her. He wouldn¡¯t want her. Not until she was eighteen. Probably even past eighteen. Twenty, like Gemma talked about in therapy.


    But no. If they survived the apocalypse, Tyler would undoubtably be taken by the time she turned twenty. Probably married. Living his happily ever after, away from her. Away from her psycho father.


    Evelyn buried her head in her hands, the tears she unsuccessfully hid all day resurfacing. She had a doozy to report back at therapy.


    She froze, then lowered her hands. Therapy. It was an idea that was a bit out there, but Gemma had quickly become one of the people she could count on. She hadn¡¯t been entirely truthful, after all, in her therapy sessions. She should have admitted to Gemma more about what was going on in her home life. She had a session with Gemma Tuesday, but she craved another one.


    Evelyn pulled up her laptop. Her parents wouldn¡¯t be home from work for a while, and Gemma had given her an email address in case Evelyn wanted to contact her. She pulled up her email and wrote her therapist a letter. It wasn¡¯t long, but the essence of it was that she did not feel safe at home.

 Chapter 221

    It was Saturday morning, and Alejandra was doing her homework. She was also doing her best to study for her finals that were at the end of the month. The end of the semester was coming up. She wanted to make sure she aced her tests. Her college level literature test she hoped wouldn¡¯t be too bad, but it still made her nervous. She was reviewing her notes about the books they read, since there would be a quiz on the ones they read throughout the semester. She didn¡¯t pick a great time to be sick and miss two days in a row, but she also could not go to school.


    She finished her essay on Gulliver¡¯s Travels when the front door opened. She glanced up to see Hraktar walking in with Quetzal in his arms. She smiled at their familiar faces as Quetzal jumped out of Hraktar¡¯s arms and scurried over to them.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she whispered, since her mom was asleep. ¡°What brings you two here?¡±


    ¡°You should have brought us here, but you didn¡¯t, so we came to find you,¡± Hraktar said.


    Alejandra frowned. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Rafael went to work this morning. You were supposed to teleport us to you to keep you safe. Ezekiel is already at the store with him, and we waited for you to teleport us,¡± Hraktar said.


    Alejandra set her pencil down and covered her face. ¡°Oh, god, I¡¯m so sorry. You¡¯re right.¡±


    That was a stupid mistake. One that could have cost her life. They needed to stay in pairs. Derek, the guy with the most loving family, had already convinced his parents that Milo needed a place to crash for a few months. Thankfully Miguel and Amanda were the kind of people who opened their doors to anyone, so Derek was never alone. Alejandra always had Rafael, and Evelyn always had Nick. Alejandra had been so used to being around Rafael that she forgot to teleport Hraktar in when Rafael went to work.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t do it again,¡± Hraktar said as Quetzal climbed onto the couch and curled into a ball.


    ¡°I know. I won¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Alejandra said.


    Hraktar sat on the ground. Ever since the deadline had been shortened two months, Hraktar refused to touch anything made by humans unless he deemed it sturdy enough. He didn¡¯t want to break things, being a huge half orc.


    ¡°You¡¯re too important to the group to lose,¡± Hraktar said, leaning back and closing his eyes.


    Alejandra felt her throat tighten. She tapped her pencil against her paper, trying to pretend she¡¯d been working on a math problem, even though her textbook was shut and she still had her essay from English out.


    Hraktar cracked an eye open, a frown on his face. ¡°You don¡¯t believe so?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Alejandra kept tapping on the page. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡±


    Hraktar sat up straighter, watching her. ¡°Alejandra?¡±


    She shook her head, dropping her pencil to wipe a tear. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Hraktar raised an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s quite the insult to my intelligence, you know.¡± He said it with a light enough tone, but the shame still dropped on her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. God, I¡¯m so sorry, Hraktar.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s bothering you?¡± Hraktar asked.


    She kept her hands over her face, feeling the hot tears coming out. ¡°Everything. I¡­ I didn¡¯t trust Nick. I hated him. Wanted to kick him out of the group. And he¡­¡±


    ¡°Had an actual good reason for why he did what he did?¡± Hraktar asked.


    Alejandra bit her lip to keep the sob at bay. She needed to be quiet. Her mom needed her sleep, and the last thing she wanted was her to wake up and comfort Alejandra. She kept her hand over her mouth to stop her sobs. Hraktar stood up, looking alarmed. Alejandra closed her eyes so she didn¡¯t have to see his face.


    ¡°Alejandra?¡± Hraktar asked.


    She shook her head, standing up so quickly the chair scrapped on the floor, and she ran out of the room to the backyard. She didn¡¯t go far before she wrapped her arms around herself, still trying not to cry too hard. Almost a week later, and the shame still boiled inside her, making her feel uncomfortable in her own skin. She wanted to tear it off so she could be rid of it. Wanted so desperately to make different choices.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± Hraktar said.


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    ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± Alejandra asked. ¡°I got so mad at him. Hated him. Wanted him to leave forever. And I was wrong. Completely wrong.¡±


    Hraktar sighed as Alejandra sank into a worn-out chair. She curled into herself as Quetzal climbed into her lap.


    ¡°I¡­ think I understand,¡± Hraktar said.


    ¡°What?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What you¡¯re feeling,¡± Hraktar said.


    Alejandra shook her head. ¡°How could you possibly know?¡±


    The fighter sighed, then sat down next to her on the ground. ¡°Let me guess. Your background is one where you feel like you¡¯ve been hiding a darker part of you. Your father got angry, selfish, and beat you. You¡¯re reminded that half of you is made up of him, and despite how much you try, you want to hope you will never, ever, be as brutish as him. Then something happens, you get angry. Selfish. You want to hurt Nick. You did hurt him. And you realize with an aching clarity that you are your father¡¯s daughter. And the shame is too much to live with.¡±


    Alejandra closed her eyes, burying her head in her hands as the hot tears slid down her cheeks.


    ¡°You¡¯re not worthless, Alejandra,¡± Hraktar said as Quetzal reached up to nuzzle her under her chin. ¡°You¡¯re not brutish. You can make your own choices, free of your father¡¯s influence, and you have a group of friends and an older brother who think the world of you.¡±


    Alejandra shook her head. She needed to apologize to Nick. She had to. But¡­


    ¡°I can¡¯t apologize without sobbing,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°And do you think Nick will judge you for that?¡± Hraktar asked.


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll judge myself,¡± Alejandra said. ¡°I should be stronger.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well. Sometimes you just have to trust you¡¯re strong enough to do what needs to be done and hope there¡¯s a healer around to fix you,¡± Hraktar said.


    Alejandra felt a small smile cross her face despite everything. She still felt nauseous, but she knew what she had to do.


    ¡°If it makes you feel better, I still can¡¯t trust myself to be alone with Grizzizzik,¡± Hraktar said. ¡°Thankfully that rogue knows it. Because he¡¯s still alive.¡±


    Alejandra glanced at Hraktar. ¡°It was pretty nasty what he did.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Hraktar placed his hands on his knees, staring at the back fence, shaking his head. ¡°He is a constant thorn in my side that tests my orcish side.¡±


    Alejandra placed her head on Hraktar¡¯s shoulder, since she could reach it now that she was sitting in a chair. ¡°Do you think Grizzizzik got a fit punishment?¡±


    Hraktar shook his head. ¡°I already know I¡¯m the kind of person that isn¡¯t good with knowing when a punishment is fit or not.¡±


    Alejandra felt a part of her ache. Hraktar¡¯s backstory was quite the dark one. ¡°Hraktar? I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here.¡±


    The fighter nodded. ¡°Me too. Next time you should teleport me in so I can get here faster.¡±


    Alejandra smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡±


    ***


    Evelyn had finished breakfast, reading over the email where Gemma suggested family therapy, as well as talking more about the situation at their regular session on Thursday. Evelyn¡¯s heart was pounding in her chest, because she wasn¡¯t sure how her family would react to going to a group therapy session. She wasn¡¯t sure how well it would go, either. True, Nick was no longer tied to Chaos, and therefore didn¡¯t need to do anything chaotic, but Walt didn¡¯t know that. He still treated Nick like he was about to start a crime empire of his own.


    Walt slid into the chair across from Evelyn. ¡°Hello.¡±


    Evelyn felt her glare come back immediately. She shut off her vocal cords, and refused to even tempt the idea of talking to him. Not until Walt apologized. She saw her nail marks healing on his face, and it bothered her to no end that they weren¡¯t deeper.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a week with only two cars, and it¡¯s getting a bit aggravating juggling so many schedules,¡± Walt said. ¡°Would you like to come with me to pick out a new car?¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s eyes narrowed, angry that he was talking like nothing wrong had happened the past week. Like he didn¡¯t bully Tyler. Or that she was going to miss out on seeing him because Walt wouldn¡¯t let her see him ever again.


    ¡°Okay, maybe not a brand new car, but I think this will help put all this behind us. Let¡¯s get you a car,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°You think buying me a car will somehow make up for the fact that you bullied my friend?¡± Evelyn blurted out, incapable of staying silent.


    Walt sighed, folding his arms on the table. ¡°Evelyn, he was a college aged boy hanging around you too much. If you¡¯re not going to be careful, I needed to make him understand. I¡¯m quite confident that he won¡¯t try anything now.¡±


    Evelyn glared at him, trying to put every ounce of anger into her gaze. Maybe if she was angry enough, the anger would turn into physical pain that she could use to hurt Walt more. She was angry that her fingers couldn¡¯t dig deeper. That she slapped instead of punched. Her fingers curled into fists.


    ¡°Come on, Evelyn. I really think this will help,¡± Walt said.


    Evelyn remembered Nick mentioning how Walt¡¯s parental obligations often felt transactional. Perhaps this was the answer Evelyn needed. To bargain.


    ¡°If I come with you, can you schedule a time we can all go to family therapy?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Walt blinked, no doubt surprised at this sudden change of topic. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Family therapy. I¡¯ve talked to Gemma about it, and she thinks it¡¯s a fantastic idea.¡±


    Walt crinkled his nose. ¡°Who¡¯s Gemma?¡±


    ¡°My therapist. I go to therapy dad, remember?¡± She tried not to layer on any sarcasm, but it was hard not to.


    ¡°You use her first name?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°She wants me to.¡±


    Walt sighed. ¡°Family therapy? Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, really,¡± Evelyn said, even as her heart started to feel a little lighter. ¡°Everyone comes together to talk.¡±


    ¡°Talk about feelings?¡± Walt asked, the skeptical look still on his face.


    ¡°Yes. Because it helps,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°It¡¯s helped me.¡±


    ¡°And¡­ when would we have to do this therapy?¡±


    ¡°As soon as possible,¡± Evelyn said. True, Gemma didn¡¯t give a suggested time, but this was Evelyn¡¯s own stipulation. The fake happiness in Walt¡¯s eyes drained away, leaving him annoyed.


    ¡°Evelyn, this is ridiculous,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°Family therapy, dad. Then I¡¯d love to put this behind us,¡± Evelyn said.


    Walt rolled his eyes. ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°Make the appointment for as soon as possible before we leave,¡± Evelyn said, too worried Walt would ¡°forget¡±.


    Walt sighed, one that reminded Evelyn a lot of Nick. ¡°I will make the call now.¡±


    Evelyn smiled as Walt walked away, pulling out his phone. True, it wasn¡¯t a relaxed smile by any means, but it was a smile of triumph. She managed to get something out of this, not just a car. How actual therapy would go was anyone¡¯s guess, but it was a step in the right direction.

 Chapter 222

    Derek was talking with Alejandra and Rafael at his house. Once again Derek found himself in an almost d¨¦j¨¤ vu situation, where he was talking with an older brother while a younger sister was staring ahead, miserable.


    There was a knock on the door, and Derek moved to get it. He walked across the entryway before opening the door. Tyler was there, not smiling.


    ¡°You alright?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Tyler let out a sigh. ¡°I knew they were having a hard time. I even acknowledged that it was abusive. But¡­ I don¡¯t think Nick¡¯s going to last until April. And I don¡¯t want Evelyn staying there until she¡¯s eighteen, either.¡±


    ¡°God, this sucks,¡± Derek muttered.


    Tyler rubbed the gray mark on his neck. ¡°I¡¯m assuming Evelyn and Nick aren¡¯t here?¡±


    ¡°No. Evelyn sent me this, though.¡± Derek pulled out his phone, finding the text she sent. He tapped the picture before turning it around. It was a picture she snuck of Walt at dinner last night. He had a few scratch marks on his face and a black eye.


    Tyler was confused as he looked at it.


    ¡°Apparently Nick had to pull Evelyn away from attacking Walt after Walt yelled at you.¡±


    Tyler glanced up at Derek, then shook his head. ¡°She shouldn¡¯t have done that. We don¡¯t want to anger Walt any more than we already have.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s why Nick had to drag her away,¡± Derek said, turning off the phone and placing it back in his pocket. He moved aside so Tyler could walk inside. ¡°Also, Evelyn¡¯s not doing too well.¡±


    ¡°That entire family has me worried,¡± Tyler said.


    Derek sighed as they walked over to Rafael and Alejandra. Tyler¡¯s appearance brought a subdued atmosphere.


    ¡°Rafael¡¯s already agreed to talk to Walt,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Rafael said quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ do that tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been calling Nick every night, but that¡¯s changed, too,¡± Tyler said, glancing as Milo walked down the hallway and entered the room. ¡°We¡¯ve all just got to assume I¡¯m completely cut off from contacting Evelyn and Nick, so that responsibility is now on you three.¡±


    ¡°Alright, so¡­ another group chat then?¡± Derek asked. It was already hard enough to juggle two.


    ¡°That, or someone¡¯s got to be the designated Larsen family information giver.¡± Tyler shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m willing to workshop better labels for that title.¡±


    Rafael and Alejandra both glanced at Derek. Derek nodded. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯ll check in on them.¡± He apparently had the best relationship with both siblings, which should have been an honor, but honestly, Rafael and Alejandra were getting better, too.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Tyler said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s fight off some monsters before they reach Elmwood.¡±


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    ***


    Nick finished rolling for a battle Saturday night when two cars pulled into the driveway. He knew Evelyn had gone with Walt to buy another car. Walt had spent the past week figuring things out with insurance, which was fine because it kept Walt busy while Nick avoided him in his room.


    Grizzizzik got another four hundred experience points for that fight. Nick started to feel the excitement of it again. There was still the lasting trauma of checking how close he was to the next level, when he remembered it didn¡¯t matter. Everyone knew about Grizzizzik having three levels in his warlock class. They had slacked the last two days on fighting monsters, but all of them agreed they needed to get back to it. Grizzizzik may not feel the pressure to level up, but Nick agreed that it would be so much better if they were as high as they could when they faced Akshi again. Grizzizzik also left Nick alone, and Nick couldn¡¯t deny that he enjoyed not seeing that rogue of his.


    And there were still over a thousand monsters left on the earth. And it was the higher level monsters he was most concerned about. Thankfully there weren¡¯t too many higher level monsters, but Evelyn showed him the video of the ancient gold dragon making a nest in one of the Los Angeles skyscrapers. Also the video of the kraken trying to wrap its tentacles around the cruise ship, trying to break it. It was wild for Nick to see those tentacles and for people to mostly point out how some of the lounge chairs seemed to shift on their own. They needed to get rid of that thing before June, but they had to get stronger. A lot stronger.


    ¡°Nick?¡± There was a knock on his wall. ¡°Can I come in?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Sure,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn was smiling as she walked in. ¡°Hey, has Dad told you about what we¡¯re planning on Tuesday?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no. No, he hasn¡¯t.¡±


    She smiled a bit wider, even as she tried to stifle it. ¡°Family therapy.¡±


    Nick blinked. ¡°Family therapy?¡±


    She nodded, smiling. When she noticed Nick had no such smile, it drooped. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a good idea?¡±


    Nick sighed, folding his arms. ¡°As most things are, it¡¯s a good idea on paper. I doubt it¡¯ll help, though.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s frown finally appeared. ¡°What? Why?¡±


    Nick shook his head, feeling like an ass. Evelyn seemed so happy about it that he hated to make her feel bad. ¡°It sounds great. I¡¯ll clear my schedule.¡±


    It was already clear. It was Tuesday, after all. He didn¡¯t have work on Tuesday, and Walt made sure he didn¡¯t have a social life.


    ¡°Hey, do you want to see our new car?¡± Evelyn asked, lifting her hand to show the keys dangling over her finger.


    ¡°New car?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Well, not brand new. But Dad promised he had enough money to get the car now instead of waiting on insurance to pay him back. It¡¯ll be nice not to need to schedule cars so much now,¡± Evelyn said.


    Nick got up off his bed, brushing himself off. ¡°Yeah. Sure. Let¡¯s look.¡±


    He and his sister walked out the front door. It was getting dark, but Nick saw the car that Evelyn called theirs, but he knew it was mostly for her. It was meant for her, after all.


    ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Evelyn asked, brushing her hand over the top of the car. It was blue. Ridiculously blue. When Nick looked in there, he could see Evelyn already put that ridiculous glitter pink car handle cover on it. ¡°Do you love the color?¡± She ran her hands over the hood of the car. ¡°Honestly, too many cars are either gray, silver, or white. There isn¡¯t enough color on the road, you know? This baby, though, this one just says ¡®Bam! Hello! I am the color blue.¡¯¡±


    Nick chuckled. ¡°It looks great.¡±


    ¡°Now, I still think I should be driving mostly. Do you need me to drive you to work and come pick you up?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m fine,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had a concussion, Nick.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just the first day or two they suggest not driving. It¡¯s been a week. More than a week.¡± Nick paused, counting on his fingers. ¡°Ten? Ten days.¡±


    Sometimes he still couldn¡¯t believe that ten days ago he was still deep in Chaos¡¯s grasp. A lot had changed since then. Hell, a lot had changed since August.


    Evelyn sighed, glancing at the keys in her hands. ¡°Fine. Dad says we can¡¯t touch this thing until he¡¯s made sure it¡¯s insured.¡±


    Nick snorted, glancing at the door. ¡°Probably smart.¡±

 Chapter 223

    Rafael sucked in a deep breath, then let it out. For good measure, he took in another one, and decided not to press his luck trying to get a third. He slipped out of his car and made sure it was locked before making the trek toward the Larsen¡¯s front door. He wanted to get this out of the way now, before anything else chaotic happened.


    He pressed the doorbell, trying to force his mind to calm down. The problem was, he wasn¡¯t good at any of this shit. Talking, conversing, putting his point across, it was never something he excelled at. It was why he ran and hid for three years. Only the looming threat of an apocalypse could convince him to talk.


    The door opened and he saw Evelyn there. She smiled at him even as Rafael¡¯s eyes dropped to her shoes. ¡°Hey, Rafael.¡±


    ¡°Hey. Sorry. I¡­ came by unexpected. Is your¡­ dad? Walt. Walt, is he here?¡± His words were tripping over themselves, and it did not give himself any comfort for how this conversation would go with Walt.


    ¡°Yeah. Sure. Come on in,¡± she said.


    How was it that she was unbothered by him? It simply made no sense. Why was he still a floundering mess of fear and regret every time she looked his way. She closed the door and pulled out her phone, texting one of her friends.


    ¡°He¡¯s upstairs. If you don¡¯t mind, I hate my dad right now and don¡¯t want to see his face, even though he got me a car.¡± She flipped some hair over her shoulder as she walked down the hallway, her eyes glued to her phone. ¡°I¡¯m making sure he can¡¯t buy my love, so you can just go upstairs and see him because I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Rafael was struck with the realization that Evelyn hated her dad more than she hated him. Rafael¡¯s very presence did not bother her, and hadn¡¯t for a while now. Things had almost gone back to how they were, except for the fact that Rafael was still a puddle of shame every time she appeared in the same room as him.


    Rafael got to the stairs and sucked in the breath he was certain he didn¡¯t need before letting it out. He could do this. Evelyn wouldn¡¯t be there, and Walt adored him. Or so everyone said. He had no idea what he did to gain Walt¡¯s approval, and that¡¯s what scared him. It¡¯s what the monster growing in its cage made him fear. If he had no idea what had gained Walt¡¯s approval, he¡¯d probably lose it just as mysteriously. It didn¡¯t help that Rafael was about to ask something huge out of Walt.


    Rafael was at the top of the stairs when he saw Walt with his arm across the couch, watching a movie. Walt glanced over and saw him, a smile breaking out. ¡°Rafael, hey.¡±


    ¡°Sorry to drop by so unexpectedly, sir. Evelyn let me in, I hope that¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Of course! Of course that¡¯s okay.¡± Walt grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. ¡°Come have a seat. Is there anything I can do for you?¡±


    Rafael was grateful for the invitation, because he wasn¡¯t certain he could stand for much longer. He sank into the couch next to Walt. ¡°I was actually here to see you. See if I could get a favor from you, sir.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well, it is an honor, to be sure. Let me guess. Does this have anything to do with that pedophile Tyler Clarke?¡± Walt asked.


    Rafael swallowed, feeling the unease in his stomach. This was what he was afraid of. If he had to pacify Walt, he would have to agree with him on most things, but this was something he couldn¡¯t agree with Walt about, and he was a bit afraid that it would be this that made Walt lose his respect for Rafael.


    ¡°It¡¯s, um¡­¡± This affirmed to him just how little a backbone he actually possessed. ¡°A little, though¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, I understand,¡± Walt said, placing his arms on the back of the couch again. ¡°Tyler¡¯s still a friend of yours, is he?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s¡­ the best game master we¡¯ve ever had,¡± Rafael said. That much was true.


    ¡°And how many game masters have you played with?¡± Walt asked, the humor in his eyes.


    ¡°Two,¡± Rafael mumbled.


    Walt let out a huge laugh. Rafael tried not to flinch as he realized why he hated conversations with Walt so much. It wasn¡¯t the praise. It was the fear of correcting Walt, so he rarely did. Which meant he felt in a way like shoving Tyler under a bus as he didn¡¯t stick up for his friend.


    Though it should honestly be more of an insult to Se?ora Florez, considering she was the other game master he played with. He just didn¡¯t spend enough time with Se?ora Florez, that was why. He could tell she was capable of caring the same amount for his new character as Tyler. He had two very good game masters, and he should¡ª


    Good god, he needed a backbone.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to hopefully offer a compromise,¡± Rafael said. ¡°Nick and Evelyn are¡­ really fun to hang out with. And we don¡¯t want to stop playing CCNC, which is what might happen if they don¡¯t show up.¡± It absolutely wasn¡¯t what would happen, but Walt didn¡¯t need to know that. ¡°I know you have some concerns about Tyler, but perhaps I can¡­ be there. To¡­ keep him in line.¡±


    It was what Tyler suggested Rafael say, but he still felt dirty suggesting it. It¡¯s what Tyler was doing to Rafael, to keep Evelyn safe.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± Walt said, warming up to the idea fast. ¡°I suppose I hadn¡¯t thought of that.¡±


    ¡°If¡­ I¡¯m always in the same room with Tyler and Evelyn, I¡­ guarantee nothing will happen,¡± Rafael said.


    Walt nodded. ¡°Yes. And should something happen, I of course give you my permission to beat the shit of Tyler.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ won¡¯t hold back, sir,¡± Rafael said, forcing his face to be neutral.


    Walt laughed again, patting Rafael on the back. ¡°I like you, kid. Do you want a drink?¡± Walt asked, getting up.


    Rafael was confused. ¡°Um¡­ like water?¡± Walt laughed again as Rafael got to his feet. The fact that Walt didn¡¯t answer made him seriously afraid that Walt was going to hand him a beer. ¡°I am¡­ underaged, sir.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Rafael,¡± Walt said as they walked down the stairs. ¡°You¡¯re such an old soul.¡±


    ¡°Which¡­ means my body is still young. I don¡¯t actually like the taste of alcohol. I¡¯m not-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Rafael. Water it is. Stick to your principles. It¡¯s why I like you,¡± Walt said.


    Rafael let out a strangled breath. He would have refused any alcohol Walt might have given him. He hadn¡¯t touched the stuff in three years, and he was not going to touch it again with Evelyn down the hall.


    They entered the kitchen and Rafael noticed Nick at the table, working on something on the laptop.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Walt said, snapping his fingers at Nick. ¡°You and Evelyn can go back to that game you play. I feel a lot better knowing Rafael¡¯s got your sister¡¯s back.¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Nick tore his gaze from the laptop to stare at his father. ¡°Right. Yeah. Thanks.¡±


    Rafael was eternally grateful that he and Nick were on such good standing, because Nick no doubt saw the irony in what Walt said. Rafael certainly did. And if this was two months ago, Nick would have tried to kill Rafael.


    ¡°Hey, do you have a girlfriend?¡± Walt asked, glancing at Rafael as he passed him a glass of water.


    ¡°Uh, yes, sir,¡± Rafael said before taking a sip.


    ¡°Ah. You know, that daughter of mine has not had a boyfriend yet? Pity it couldn¡¯t have been you.¡±


    Panic brought everything Rafael had just drank back out his mouth, and he tried to cover it up, but it was impossible. He set the glass down, grabbing a paper towel, and tried to think of something intelligent. ¡°Hazel,¡± Rafael sputtered. ¡°Hazel Jones. My girlfriend. I love her.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t quite intelligent, but Rafael didn¡¯t know what else to say. Nick had stopped typing whatever essay he was working on to close his eyes and slowly massage his temples. If he was doing that to keep the glare off his face, it wasn¡¯t working.


    ¡°Ah, I know. Foolish man¡¯s dreams for his children. Hopefully there¡¯s more men like you in the world,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± Rafael said, patting himself dry as he found he couldn¡¯t even look at Nick anymore. His feelings for Evelyn were quite gone, replaced instead with shame and remorse. It wasn¡¯t like that was any better, but he knew there was no such future for him and Evelyn, and he spent three years coming to terms with that.


    It did remind Rafael the second reason why he came to Walt¡¯s house.


    ¡°That¡­ actually reminds me of something,¡± Rafael said. ¡°My own sister, Alejandra. You¡¯ve met Alejandra, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Sweet, shy little girl,¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°Mmm, that¡¯s Alejandra. See, I¡¯ve been wanting to set her up myself, as it¡¯s her junior year and she hasn¡¯t gone to one of the school dances. I know it¡¯s super last minute, but¡­ but perhaps Nick could go with my sister? To the winter ball this Saturday night?¡± Rafael asked.


    Nick dropped his hands quickly from his forehead and pretended like he¡¯d been working on his essay the entire time instead of forcing a glare off his face. Nick was typing way too fast and chaotically for him to possibly be writing anything of value on the computer as he glanced at Walt with a face that meant he was bracing for whatever the answer was.


    Walt glanced at Nick, frowning, then back at Rafael. ¡°Nick?¡±


    The slight wince Nick gave was proof that he didn¡¯t have the toughened skin he led everyone to believe he had.


    ¡°Yeah. Nick.¡± Rafael had a goal to make it sound a lot better than Walt¡¯s. It wasn¡¯t hard.


    Walt glanced again at Nick, who was deleting all the nonsense he was writing from before, sparing a glance at Walt.


    ¡°You sure you want to trust your sister with him? He¡¯s been up to no good, lately.¡±


    Nick glared at the screen.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, sir. The two of us had a good chat about it last week. He¡¯s¡­ turned from his ways,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Has anyone told you you¡¯re too trusting,¡± Walt said, taking a sip of his own beer.


    Rafael glanced again at Nick, feeling his soul wither. Nick kept glaring at the screen, kept saying nothing as his father talked about him as though he wasn¡¯t in the room. Rafael forced himself to pretend to have a backbone. ¡°With all due respect, sir, Nick is¡­ right there,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°The kid can handle it. And if he can¡¯t, then maybe he should remember this feeling, so he doesn¡¯t keep disappointing everyone in this family again,¡± Walt said, the fake warmth gone from his voice.


    The laptop lid slammed down, the chair scraping the ground as Nick got up. He left the laptop there as he stormed out of the kitchen and down the hall and disappeared into his room


    Rafael glanced at Walt who was slipping a sleeve over his beer, glancing down the hall. ¡°So, to be clear,¡± Walt said, pointing at the direction of Nick¡¯s room. ¡°That¡¯s the boy you want going on a date with your little sister next week?¡±


    Rafael didn¡¯t say anything, mainly because he had a lot of things he wanted to say with none of the backbone to support it. Tyler assured him that he was fine being thrown under the bus, but Rafael never got that permission from Nick. Still, he opened his mouth, staring at his barely touched glass of water. ¡°I¡­ will be in the same room with him. They won¡¯t be alone, sir.¡±


    A small smile crossed Walt¡¯s face. ¡°I think you better tell Nick about all that.¡±


    ¡°Nick¡­ already knows what would happen if he tried anything on my sister,¡± Rafael said.


    Walt gave another loud laugh, and the last of Rafael¡¯s self-respect shriveled up with it.


    ¡°I knew I liked you,¡± Walt said, pushing off the counter and gesturing for Rafael to follow. Rafael did, mainly because he already felt too much of a coward. They walked down the hall and Rafael stopped at Nick¡¯s doorway as Walt walked right in.


    ¡°Hey, you. You¡¯re going to the winter ball with Alejandra Walker next week. This guy is going to be your chaperone, and you are not to leave his sight.¡± It was then that Walt must have noticed Rafael didn¡¯t follow him into Nick¡¯s room. Walt gestured for him to enter, but Rafael felt conflicted. This room wasn¡¯t Walt¡¯s to command. ¡°Come on, Rafael.¡± Walt said.


    Rafael held in a breath as he moved into Nick¡¯s room enough to see Nick sitting at his desk, glaring daggers at his dad. Walt ushered Rafael closer, but Rafael didn¡¯t dare. Instead, Walt walked over to Rafael and draped a hand around his shoulder. Rafael¡¯s shoulders stiffened at the touch.


    ¡°Now, Rafael has kindly informed me that he¡¯s already been quite clear to you about what he¡¯d do to you if you so much as touch her without her consent, so let me be perfectly clear about how I feel about it.¡± Walt¡¯s voice dropped in volume, though somehow still holding its intensity. ¡°You better hope Rafael kills you, so you don¡¯t come home and face me.¡±


    Nick¡¯s dagger glare never let up. Rafael closed his eyes, the fear turning into nausea. ¡°Sir, perhaps I could¡­ remind him of that again. Privately. Could you¡­ give us a minute?¡±


    Walt smiled, patting him on the back. ¡°Absolutely.¡± Walt headed out of the room. ¡°Take your time, Rafael. Make sure Nick is perfectly clear about your rules and boundaries for taking your sister on a date. I¡¯ll see you later,¡± Walt said.


    Rafael opened his eyes as Walt left the room. ¡°God, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Rafael muttered.


    Nick, who was rubbing his temples again, opened his eyes, curious. ¡°For what? You did it. You got my dad to agree to us going back to CCNC and for me to go with the group to the winter ball.¡±


    Rafael shook his head. ¡°I threw you under the bus. Tyler told me it was okay, but I never¡­ I never checked with you.¡±


    Nick waved a hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± Rafael said.


    Nick glanced at Rafael, and he saw the moment of vulnerability. ¡°Sometimes we¡­ just gotta do what we gotta do.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And one of those things is to apologize for making crazy claims about you that aren¡¯t true to get what we want,¡± Rafael said, glancing at the door. ¡°I am happy you¡¯re getting out of this house Saturday for the dance, though. You¡­ need to get out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. When¡¯s the next session of CCNC?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re all taking turns this next week for combat. Alejandra and I have tomorrow. Derek¡¯s offered to take all the other days, but we still want someone to go with him. You two should talk and figure out schedules,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Yep, that sounds good. We have the same lunch, so I¡¯ll talk to him then.¡±


    Rafael nodded, then glanced down at his hands. ¡°Also, there¡¯s another thing we need to talk about.¡±


    ¡°Okay?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°I¡­ have been trying to talk to Alejandra. She¡¯s been miserable. Ever since it came out that you¡¯ve been working with Chaos, she¡¯s almost been¡­ catatonic. I don¡¯t actually know if she¡¯ll want to go on the date with you on Saturday, but we can pretend for Walt.¡±


    Nick nodded, his fingers absently checking his new scar on his cheek. ¡°We need to talk, but she is far better at stealth than Hraktar,¡± Nick said.


    Rafael chuckled. ¡°Probably because she¡¯s been avoiding school since Thursday. Which is also¡­ not healthy.¡±


    Nick nodded. ¡°If you can get her to school tomorrow, and I¡¯ll track her down. I want to see for myself how she feels about going on a date with me.¡±


    Rafael nodded, heading toward the door. ¡°Sounds good. I¡¯ll¡­ maybe text Evelyn once we get to school so you know when to be on the lookout. Would¡­ Evelyn be okay with that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll let her know.¡±


    ¡°Great, thanks.¡± Rafael slipped out of Nick¡¯s room and walked down the hall. ¡°Bye, Mr. Larsen,¡± Rafael called into the kitchen.


    ¡°See you later, Rafael,¡± Walt said.


    The moment Rafael closed the front door he had his phone out. He dialed Tyler¡¯s number as he did so, trying not to full on sprint out of the Larsen¡¯s house.


    ¡°Hey, Rafael. How¡¯d it go?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°God, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry. I full on shoved you under the bus,¡± Rafael said.


    Tyler laughed, and it was good to hear. ¡°Seriously, it¡¯s fine. So, they¡¯re allowed to come to CCNC again?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. At least once a week. And Walt¡¯s given his okay to have Nick come to the winter ball.¡±


    ¡°Incredible. Good work. Derek¡¯s right. You really do roll nat twenties whenever you talk to Walt.¡±


    Rafael placed Tyler on speakerphone and placed the phone on his lap. ¡°Yeah, well, I wish I didn¡¯t feel so dirty doing this. But it¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°Good. Because we definitely need to stick together. Akshi¡¯s only gotten more powerful now that the deadline has been shortened,¡± Tyler said.


    Rafael sighed as he started up the car. He didn¡¯t want to call and drive at the same time, but he also didn¡¯t want to stay near the Larsen¡¯s house in case Walt wanted to convince him to stay for dinner or something. ¡°We¡¯re better prepared for Akshi, though. Now that Grizzizzik has a sword that can kill him.¡±


    ¡°No doubt,¡± Tyler said. ¡°But it¡¯s best to keep that a secret from Akshi. We do not want him attacking this group, and he might if he knew Grizzizzik can kill him now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Rafael said. Everything with Akshi made him uncomfortable. The sooner they kill him, the better.

 Chapter 224

    Alejandra walked next to Rafael. The moment they entered the school, Rafael¡¯s gaze bounced around before they landed on Hazel, and it was incredible how quickly he relaxed.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Hazel said, hugging him.


    They kissed, and Alejandra would have left them alone, but she couldn¡¯t. They couldn¡¯t be alone.


    Hazel moved around until she was under Rafael¡¯s arm, her hand around his waist. ¡°How was your weekend?¡± Hazel asked.


    ¡°Good. Productive. Talked with Walt, and Nick and Evelyn are coming back to CCNC,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Oh, good,¡± Hazel said.


    ¡°Felt like I had to sell my soul to do it, but it¡¯s done,¡± Rafael said. ¡°Ah, perfect timing.¡±


    Alejandra glanced up, her eyes widening as she saw Nick and Evelyn. Every muscle in her body stiffened, and she glanced around for some escape when Rafael grabbed her wrist. ¡°You¡¯ve been avoiding him for too long, Alejandra. Stop running,¡± he whispered into her ear.


    She knew he was right, but it didn¡¯t stop the guilt from twisting in her gut.


    ¡°Come on, Evelyn. Let¡¯s, uh, go find Derek,¡± Rafael said.


    Evelyn nodded, taking out her phone. ¡°Let¡¯s check with Mr. Anderson. He¡¯s usually hanging out there.¡±


    Alejandra wished Rafael felt a little more guilt around Evelyn to keep him here, but Hazel held Rafael¡¯s hand, placing herself between Evelyn and Rafael as they walked down the hall.


    Alejandra glanced up at Nick before forcing herself to look away. He was looking right at her. There was nowhere to hide. She looked down again, closing her eyes.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Nick said.


    Alejandra shook her head. He was talking to her like she hadn¡¯t completely made a fool of herself.


    ¡°So, Rafael said he told you, but just in case, it¡­ wasn¡¯t me. Well, it was, but¡­ all those choices I made were mine, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°At the threat of shortening the deadline,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Nick said. She kept staring at his shoes, because it would take a miracle to look at his face. ¡°But still, I do feel the need to apologize. I¡­ put everyone through hell last month. Trying to break out of it was hard, and I know there were mistakes made, and¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Alejandra couldn¡¯t look at him. The shame kept her eyes downcast. She should have stopped him, but she didn¡¯t. And now he apologized when he didn¡¯t need to, and she had yet to say sorry.


    ¡°Hey, do you need to go to your locker or something? I can walk you there,¡± Nick said.


    Alejandra covered her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. God, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    She had the impression that she spoke too quietly, but she was scared to speak any louder. She didn¡¯t belong. This group would be better without her. It was Hraktar they needed, not her. She was bringing them all down. She couldn¡¯t even apologize well.


    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°Hey, I know. It¡¯s alright. I forgive you. If you knew what was happening, you wouldn¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry.¡± She was stuttering badly, covering her face. She could say that on repeat for the next hundred years, and it wouldn¡¯t be enough. She couldn¡¯t put her thoughts into place, because she was panicking.


    Nick placed a hand around her shoulder, leading her right back out the door. She let him lead her to a more private place of the school. She kept mumbling her apology, unable to think straight. Once they were near the wall, Nick hugged her tightly. She wrapped her arms around him as she kept mumbling her apology.


    ¡°I know,¡± Nick whispered, his voice taking on that calm, quiet quality that she thought she¡¯d never hear again. ¡°I know, Alejandra. I know.¡±


    ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t believe you. I thought you were just as they said. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been through hell, too.¡±


    He was saying all these words to her, but none of them were sticking. She didn¡¯t believe them. She had made a mistake. She had been wrong.


    Nick broke away from the hug, cupping his hand under her chin to keep her looking forward, but she didn¡¯t want it. She couldn¡¯t look him in the eye. The shame was too much, and it was already crushing her.


    ¡°Alejandra,¡± Nick said, brushing his thumb over her cheek. ¡°I heard. Stop apologizing. I forgive you.¡±


    She shook her head, closing her eyes. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t deserve it.¡±


    ¡°I give it all the same,¡± Nick said. ¡°Please stop running away from me. It¡¯s dangerous out there, and I don¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡±


    Alejandra covered her face, shaking her head. Nick went back to hugging her as Alejandra cried softly into his chest. Nothing was the same between them. She could feel his hand on her back, the other stroking her hair. She recognized the feelings that it welled up in her, but they were drenched in shame.


    ¡°Go to the dance with me, please?¡± Nick asked.


    Alejandra clutched her face, sick to her stomach. Nick deserved better. Deserved a girlfriend who stuck by his side. Didn¡¯t shoot him glares in the hall. Believed the best in him. It wasn¡¯t her. It could never be her.


    ¡°I¡­ shouldn¡¯t,¡± Alejandra asked.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°I¡­ Nick I¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Nick said. ¡°Do you?¡±


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    ¡°You deserve better,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°You are better,¡± Nick said.


    Alejandra shook her head. ¡°Please¡­¡±


    ¡°Alejandra.¡± He kept his hands on her back, breaking away enough to see her. ¡°I want to go with you. You¡¯re the only one I¡¯ve wanted to go with. I won¡¯t force you to go, but please consider. Consider me instead of one of Rafael¡¯s friends?¡±


    How many tears did her body create? She wiped them away, nodding. ¡°Okay.¡± It was small, but it brought a smile to Nick¡¯s face. A smile she adored, and also twisted the shame inside her.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The bell rang, and Nick glanced at the building before again at her. ¡°Did you ever make it to your locker?¡± Alejandra shook her head, holding the strap of her backpack. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Nick, you¡¯ll be late. Your father-¡±


    ¡°Again, Alejandra, let me worry about my dad. Come on. I don¡¯t want you alone,¡± Nick said.


    He might have kept his arm around her, but he didn¡¯t. Perhaps him talking to her managed to keep the world from spinning, but Alejandra was still reeling from her own betrayal. She had hurt Nick. Slapped his face. Used so much energy getting angry at him. And it was pointless.


    They were quiet as she got to her locker, quickly getting the books she needed. She tried to be fast as she walked toward her first class of the day. When Nick reached out to brush a tear away again, Alejandra moved his wrist away and wiped it herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± she said, using the oldest line in the book. ¡°It¡¯s mine. I¡¯m sorry, Nick. I¡­ still believe you deserve better. But¡­ I will go with you to the ball because it¡¯s easier to stick together that way.¡±


    She didn¡¯t even look at his face to see his reaction. Her stomach was in too many knots to think straight as she sat down at her desk. The late bell rang, and she closed her eyes, panicking. If there was a tardy mark on Nick¡¯s record, if Walt got angry at him because of her¡­


    It didn¡¯t matter. Nick knew not to hang out with her anymore. He would find someone better.


    ***


    Nick sat at his desk in his bedroom, staring at nothing. It was late, he should get started on homework, but he couldn¡¯t do it. He kept replaying his conversation over and over in his mind. Alejandra was still distraught. Still blamed herself for something that he would never hold over her head. It broke his heart to see her so full of guilt and shame. But how could he possibly help her see that he didn¡¯t believe that of her? It was like she was stuck in a tar pit, and she didn¡¯t even catch the rope he tossed to her.


    Nick rubbed his face, then went over what homework he needed to get done. He opened his textbooks, his mind not in it. All he could see was Alejandra¡¯s guilt-ridden face. Hear her admittance that she wasn¡¯t good enough for him. See the tears she could not stop shedding. The way she could not keep eye contact with him.


    It was frustrating in its own right. He couldn¡¯t understand why she thought he cared so deeply about it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Walker family trait,¡± he remembered Evelyn saying, almost offhandedly. ¡°Betray a friend, disappear for years.¡±


    Nick sighed, shaking his head. He couldn¡¯t let Alejandra do that to him. To herself. She agreed to go to the dance, but he had to help her see that he didn¡¯t care that she slapped him.


    Yeah, he still didn¡¯t know what he said. Maybe he could figure out. The contract was done, after all.


    Nick pushed his textbooks aside and walked out of his room and over to Evelyn¡¯s. He knocked on her door, and a moment later she appeared, shaking out her hands.


    ¡°Hey, Nick. What¡¯s up?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Hey, so you know how Chaos¡¯s contract just ended?¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s slight smile dropped. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Nick shouldn¡¯t talk about it so lightheartedly, since all his friends were still reeling from it, but honestly, Nick enjoyed the fact that he could talk about it, so he did. ¡°I was wondering if I could finally figure out what I said to Alejandra. Or, rather, what Chaos said to Alejandra using my voice. That day she slapped me.¡±


    The disappearing smile on Evelyn¡¯s face turned to a frown. ¡°Right. Uh¡­ you told her something about how she doesn¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on because Jack spent most of her childhood beating her and she has brain damage now.¡±


    Nick¡¯s jaw fell open. He stared at Evelyn, eyes widening. He couldn¡¯t talk, the shock of it rattling him to his core. Evelyn tried to smile, but it was hard.


    ¡°And¡­ she just slapped my face?¡± Nick asked.


    Evelyn chuckled, but she didn¡¯t feel it. ¡°Yeah. We were all quite shocked. Especially when you confirmed that you said it.¡±


    Nick still stared at his sister. ¡°Rafael didn¡¯t deck me? You still talked to me after?¡±


    Evelyn smiled. ¡°It didn¡¯t make sense, no. But¡­ there had to be a reason. And there was.¡±


    Nick shook his head, rubbing the bridge of his nose. ¡°God, Evie. I don¡¯t know what I would have done if the roles were reversed. How did any of you talk to me after?¡±


    Evelyn chuckled, blowing on her painted fingers. ¡°Because we all assumed Grizzizzik had something to do with it. It was easier to shift most of the blame onto him.¡±


    Nick shook his head, dropping his hand. ¡°Alright. Well, I need your advice.¡±


    His little sister raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do you?¡±


    ¡°Alejandra¡¯s agreed to go to the winter ball, but she¡¯s¡­¡± Nick trailed off, not sure how to word it correctly. ¡°She¡¯s a Walker, who betrayed a friend, and is starting to disappear.¡±


    Nick was pretty sure Evelyn¡¯s standing with Rafael was good enough that he could make that kind of comment, and the knowing nod Evelyn gave told him he was right.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t want her to disappear,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Aww, that¡¯s actually really sweet.¡± She kept blowing on her fingernails, her brows furrowing in thought. ¡°This is difficult.¡±


    He flinched. ¡°Is it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Evelyn said, moving deeper into her room. Nick didn¡¯t know what else to do, so he followed her in. ¡°Because when a Walker betrayed me, the best thing to do was to stay away from him. I didn¡¯t mind it, because I didn¡¯t want to be around him, anyway. But¡­ I think the principle is the same.¡±


    Nick¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°Stay away from Alejandra?¡±


    Evelyn sat at her desk, dipping the small brush into her fingernail polish and starting her other hand. ¡°What she did brings her a lot of guilt. What she needs is friends who encourage her, build her self-esteem. True, Alejandra didn¡¯t do nearly the crime that Rafael did, but she¡¯s going to feel guilty about it all the same.¡± Evelyn put the brush back in the bottle before tapping her phone gently to keep her fingernail dry. Nick wasn¡¯t even sure what to do, other than to acknowledge the phone ringing. Who was Evelyn calling.


    ¡°Hello¡­¡± Derek started to say.


    ¡°It¡¯s Evelyn. Hi! You¡¯re on speakerphone with me and Nick.¡±


    ¡°Well, may I extend a lovely good evening to the both of you,¡± Derek said.


    Evelyn giggled, going back to painting her nails. ¡°We need to set Nick and Alejandra up,  so the two of us need to form a team.¡±


    ¡°God, yes,¡± Derek said. ¡°Ugh, those two have been dancing around each other for ages!¡±


    ¡°You are on speaker phone,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°And you seem surprised, like I¡¯ve never told you that before,¡± Derek said.


    Nick couldn¡¯t help it and chuckled.


    Evelyn spread her fingers out, examining the paint before doing some touchups. ¡°Now, Alejandra is deep in the pits of personal hell, feeling guilty over what happened. Typical Walker trait. Nick¡¯s asked her to the winter ball, and she agreed, but Nick seems afraid that might be the last time he ever sees her. It¡¯s up to us to stuff that girl so full of self-esteem that she walks into that winter ball ready to look Nick in the eye and not back away.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, yes! This needs a name. Operation¡­ tale as old as time.¡±


    Nick rolled his eyes as Evelyn gasped. ¡°Love it!¡±


    ¡°Also, we¡¯re not thinking in a big enough picture. Winter ball is just a step. Those two need to start dating before Nick turns eighteen.¡±


    ¡°Right! Everything changes when you¡¯re eighteen,¡± Evelyn said.


    Nick rubbed the bridge of his nose. He sort of knew what he was getting into when he asked his little sister, but his best friend and little sister teaming up felt like its own sort of chaotic thing. A good kind of chaos, though.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start a game plan. How to get guilt ridden beast to find her self-worth so she feels worthy of the belle of the ball on Saturday.¡±


    Nick dropped his hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, am¡­ I Belle in this situation?¡±


    ¡°Damn right,¡± Derek said. ¡°We¡¯ll get our beast to get so full of self-confidence that she will absolutely gobble you up like the delicious snack you are.¡±


    Nick closed his eyes, shaking his head. They had stumbled upon Derek¡¯s theater kid mode, which reminded them all just how dramatic Derek could actually be. ¡°Alright, well, I have homework, so I will leave you two to it.¡±


    ¡°Bye Nick!¡± Derek said.


    Nick shook his head again, starting to head out of the room when he stopped, leaning back. ¡°Oh, right. Evelyn? Can I check something on your laptop?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± She gestured toward the laptop on the unmade bed.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Nick scooped it up and headed out of Evelyn¡¯s room as the two of them started talking.

 Chapter 225

    Nick was heading toward the table, hearing Evelyn squealing with excitement about something. Nick fought the urge to roll his eyes, because he honestly believed this would help. When he thought about it, Evelyn was right. Alejandra shrunk at the very sight of him, and it wasn¡¯t him who could help. But as they were starting to learn, they had a team for a reason, and having his materialistic sister and drama best friend on the case, he felt a bit better.


    Nick sat down at the table, opening Evelyn¡¯s laptop. He brought up a new tab, figuring that if he was taking Alejandra on a date, he¡¯d need to pay Derek back for the winter ball tickets, then whatever dinner they were planning on. He really needed to focus. He was going on a date with Alejandra. While Derek and Evelyn worked their magic, he needed to do his part. He¡¯d have to ask Derek tomorrow about what he owed him for the date.


    The first of the month was on a Friday, so he should have gotten paid. Nick pulled up his bank account to check the money got in there. He logged in his information and waited for the screen to load.


    He stared at the number, confused.


    $743.85


    Nick blinked, scrolling down to make sure it wasn¡¯t just¡­ Mr. Morgan paying him with a ridiculously nice bonus for the two weeks. He should have more. A lot more. Over seventeen thousand dollars. He never spent it, because he didn¡¯t go anywhere. He stayed home and worked. He had a nice chunk of money saved for his future. Where was it?


    Nick started to panic. That was a lot of money to go missing. That was¡­ his future.


    Nick¡¯s fingers shook as he clicked on the transaction history. He didn¡¯t have to scroll down far. Someone had taken over sixteen thousand dollars out of his bank account.


    Nick grabbed the laptop in a panic. He ran up the stairs to find his parents watching a movie.


    ¡°Mom, dad. I¡­ I think someone¡¯s stolen my identity. My money. My money is gone,¡± Nick said, doing his best to keep his words steady and even.


    ¡°No one¡¯s stolen your money,¡± Walt said, watching the movie.


    ¡°Yes, they have. It¡¯s gone. My money is gone,¡± Nick said, forcing calm into his voice. That was his future. He needed that money to leave. He was quite sure the downpayment on the apartment would be a month¡¯s rent right up front. He wouldn¡¯t even be able to afford a downpayment, let alone rent, even in the cheapest apartments at Mr. Morgan¡¯s brother¡¯s place.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to get it back. Can you call the bank tomorrow and figure out if they can trace it?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they could, but there¡¯s no point in calling the police. I already gave the approval for the money to be taken out of your account.¡±


    Nick took a breath to keep pressing this issue when Walt¡¯s words struck his brain. He had the laptop open, showing where the money was taken from, but Walt¡¯s cool, collective voice brought a chill to his spine. Nick glanced up at his father, who was watching the movie, holding his mom¡¯s hand. Walt glanced over at him as though expecting a blow up, even though he didn¡¯t look in the mood.


    Nick froze, staring at his dad, trying to understand. Afraid to understand. ¡°You¡­ took it?¡±


    Walt sighed like this was some huge burden, his face toward the TV. He didn¡¯t answer. Anger trickled into Nick¡¯s system. ¡°You stole my money?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t steal it,¡± Walt said, eyes hardening as he kept watching the movie.


    ¡°Why? Why did you steal it?¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Think, Nick. Think really hard,¡± Walt said.


    Nick tried. The condescension was hard to pick through, especially because Nick didn¡¯t think Walt had a claim to that money. Not at all.


    Nick closed the lid to the laptop, the glare returning. ¡°Give me back my money.¡±


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    Walt sighed again, then grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. ¡°I suppose you did hit your head during the crash. I can¡¯t expect you to be back where you were yet.¡± He stood up, facing Nick. Nick stood his ground, reminded that he had a few inches on his dad and refused to be intimidated. ¡°Welcome to adulthood, Nick. When you get in a crash, it costs money. Getting a new car, for one. Medical expenses for another. You should be happy your mom and I have such great insurance to cover most of the cost, but not all.¡± Walt shrugged. ¡°Another reality of growing up. When you make shitty decisions, you get stuck in a shitty situation, and you have to pay for it with your hard-earned cash.¡±


    Nick¡¯s hands trembled. Nausea threatened to bring his supper right back up. Walt continued to stare at him, cooly as ever. ¡°And you waited until after it was all said and done to get my permission?¡±


    ¡°No, Nick,¡± Walt said. ¡°I didn¡¯t have to get your permission at all. Haven¡¯t you been listening to me? That¡¯s just the way life works. Taxes must have taught you that.¡±


    Nick was breathing unsteadily. That was his future. His entire future. Gone. And Walt was trying to convince him it was okay. ¡°The¡­ insurance check. You were still waiting on it for the car,¡± Nick said, feeling breathless. ¡°It¡¯s going back in my account, right?¡±


    ¡°It was a nice car you crashed, Nick. I took out a loan on it. I¡¯ll have to pay back the loan before giving you the rest, if there¡¯s anything left. It¡¯s the headache I¡¯ve been suffering with the car insurance people.¡±


    Nick glared at him. His chest was heaving, even as he tried to calm it. ¡°You¡­ you can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I didn¡¯t. Your sister has a particular high-end life-style choice in cars. Even used cars,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t tell her that you were using my money to pay for it?¡± Nick seethed.


    ¡°The genes that created you also created her. You¡¯ll have to get used to it if you ever have a daughter,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this,¡± Nick said, tears coming to his eyes. ¡°You cannot do this.¡±


    Walt stared right back at him, his gaze noticing the tears before staring right at Nick. ¡°Yes, I can.¡±


    Nick glared at his father, feeling his hope crumble. He¡¯d have to double check. Talk to the bank personally. Do some research. But he was quite sure his dad was right. When Nick set up the account, he was a minor. He had Walt there with him to make sure the paperwork was right. Nick was still a minor. Walt no doubt checked and double checked what he could do.


    Nick wondered why Walt hadn¡¯t given him any punishment for the crash. A part of him hoped that it was because Walt felt concerned about Nick¡¯s life and decided to not threaten to take away CCNC or his job. Turns out Nick was wrong to lower his guard.


    Nick spun around and ran down the stairs. He couldn¡¯t stay around Walt. Not anymore. He couldn¡¯t trust himself to not strangle his father, demanding the money back.


    He left the laptop on the counter as he went into his room. His shoulders were stiff, and he was still aware in the back of his mind that his door was missing. Walt could come in at any time. He couldn¡¯t cry. He wouldn¡¯t. It was money. It was just money.


    It was his future. Now, more than ever, Nick could not do anything that would threaten his job. He had to earn as much money as he could to survive. Once he turned eighteen, he¡¯d pull all his funds out of the bank and open a new one.


    The measly seven hundred dollars were still in danger of Walt taking them. Walt already proved he could do this once. Perhaps Walt followed a logic that he wouldn¡¯t drain it unless necessary, but he¡¯d already taken enough. If he took anymore¡­


    No. He wasn¡¯t going to let Walt threaten his future like that. He needed to take action now, and salvage what he could. No matter how justified Walt felt in taking the money, Nick would not let him touch another cent of what he¡¯d earned. He had about four and a half months left until he turned eighteen. If he worked hard, he could still earn enough for the downpayment and a month of rent to cushion himself.


    There was groceries, though. He¡¯d have to survive on ramen for a while. It was what Tyler did. Tyler was fine.


    Tyler had a home to go to, with home cooked meals every weekend.


    Nick dug his palm into his forehead, his brows furrowing. He could do this. He needed to do this.


    ¡°Nick?¡± Evelyn asked at the doorway.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Nick winced at how badly his voice trembled.


    She poked her head in, eyes wide. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The look on her face told him enough. ¡°Nick?¡±


    Nick shook his head, keeping his back to her. He couldn¡¯t tell her. She¡¯d been tricked, just like him, and he still felt a brotherly protectiveness about her. If she knew where the money came for her car, she¡¯d attack Walt again. There was no doubt about it. He would, eventually, have to tell her, but he¡¯d have to soften the blow. Somehow.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ dad. Dad¡¯s getting me down again. I¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    Evelyn hesitated, and Nick kept his back to her. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ hide from me again. Okay?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. I promise. I just¡­ need to be alone,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Okay. Um¡­ can I have my laptop back?¡± Evelyn said.


    Nick nodded, grabbing the laptop and closing out of his bank information. It had already logged him out anyway, but he still made sure she couldn¡¯t stumble on this like he did. He tried to smile as he handed it to her. Evelyn hugged him tightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ excited for family therapy tomorrow,¡± she said.


    Nick grunted, closing his eyes. He completely forgot about their appointment tomorrow. This was going to suck. He couldn¡¯t tell Evelyn. Not yet. But hell, there was quite the bomb they needed to talk about as a family.


    Evelyn walked out of his room, and Nick leaned against the wall, hand in his hair. Sometimes it sucked to be Walt¡¯s son.

 Chapter 226

    Derek spent the entire day focused on operation tale as old as time. He greeted Alejandra with the biggest hug he could before hanging out with her, Rafael, and Hazel in the morning. Once he went to class, he texted Evelyn a high five emoji, and the ball was in her court to talk to Alejandra while transitioning in the halls.


    Alejandra spoke when Derek talked to her, and Derek talked to her a lot. Mostly about nothing in particular, because he was getting her used to talking. As soon as she was back to a semblance of normal comfort level, he¡¯d go for the harder topics. That was not today, though.


    He went through the day, focused on Alejandra, but not too focused that he noticed Nick was a bit out of it. Nick was doing that thing where he needed to be a part of things, but something was eating him. Lunch Nick was going out of his way to avoid certain topics, mostly home life. Despite the insane year they were having, Derek got the impression that something was bothering him at home.


    He high-fived Alejandra in the hall, who gave him a chagrined smile, which he would take. That girl was getting there. Nothing a little love and attention couldn¡¯t fix.


    In drama, class was out on the stage. Tryouts for Beauty and the Beast had almost gotten unmanageable, so Mr. Jensen was picking out papers at random to let students try out in front of their peers. Since everyone who signed up for drama needed to try out, Mr. Jensen sacrificed a class day to it.


    Derek hardly sat down when Mr. Jensen pulled out the stack of papers.


    ¡°Derek Perez!¡±


    He snorted, standing right back up again. ¡°Yep.¡± At least it gave him zero time to get nervous. It was almost better this way. He stood up, smiling, remembering that it was too dark to actually see anyone.


    ¡°Hello, my name is Derek Perez, and I¡¯m trying out for Gaston.¡± Once again, Derek gave himself zero time to get nervous, not even to transition from his introduction to his monologue. One he picked that was just the right amount of misogynistic that matched Gaston perfectly. His goal, by the end of his five-minute monologue, was to convince everyone in the room that Derek was perfect for Gaston, and not the beast.


    Three lines in, Baily and Eric burst into laughter at the joke Derek made in his monologue. He could always count on them. Seven lines in, he had all his other peers. Twelve lines in, Mr. Jensen had a hand over his mouth to stifle his laugh. That laugh. The one that carried across the entire auditorium to where everyone knew exactly where he was sitting because he was laughing so hard. The kind he only stifled for tryouts because he needed to hear what was going on.


    Derek ended the monologue, and Mr. Jensen held up a page for the cold read, hand over his mouth. He ran through it, putting on his baritone, full of himself voice he¡¯d been practicing all week in the mirror. It was the conversation between Gaston and Belle at her house, and he layered it on thick, the facial expressions, even pulling out his phone to kiss himself in the reflection. He had his entire class eating out of his palm. He lived for moments like this.


    He then ended with his song, a rendition of C¡¯est Moi from Camelot. He bowed to cheers and applause before walking down to his seat. Jeff, Eric, and Baily all gave him high fives before Derek settled into his seat, glad that was over, smiling at how well that went.


    ¡°James Franklin,¡± Mr. Jensen said.


    ¡°Dammit, why? Why do I have to follow that?¡± James the freshman said as he got out of his seat.


    Derek chuckled, settling into his seat. The rest of the time was listening to everyone else try out, and Derek was just relieved his was done.


    The bell rang, and Derek was respectful enough to wait for one of the freshmen girls to finish before gathering up his stuff.


    He said bye to his friends, as a few of his classmates patted him on the back, chuckling. Derek tried not to imagine the part was his. Things were never so certain with try outs. What he was certain about, though, was that he convinced Mr. Jensen that the beast was not for him. He glanced over at Emma, and felt himself relax. Emma would not be hanging around him.


    ¡°Derek?¡±


    He glanced over to see Nick leaning against the wall. Nick was by the theater room, which was a bit weird to see his friend so close to the stage.


    ¡°Hey, Nick. What¡¯s up?¡± Derek asked.


    The slight frown on Nick¡¯s face made Derek lower his smile a bit. ¡°Could¡­ I ask a huge favor of you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Of course. What¡¯s going on?¡± Derek asked.


    Nick glanced around. ¡°Wait, sorry. Tryouts? Do you need to stay for tryouts?¡±


    ¡°Nope, just did mine, actually. I¡¯m completely free for the rest of the night. Until CCNC, of course. Speaking of, you and Evelyn are good for Thursday, right?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re good for Thursday. Evelyn¡¯ll be there Friday,¡± Nick said.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Perfect.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ could you¡­ follow me to my bank? Then drop me off at home?¡± Nick asked.


    Derek blinked. Of all the conversations that could have happened, he wasn¡¯t expecting this one. ¡°Yeah. Sure. Let me stop off by my locker, then I can drive you there.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Nick muttered.


    Derek got out his textbook, answering Nick¡¯s question about tryouts. Derek also reported that operation tale as old as time was going great, which made a genuine smile finally flicker across Nick¡¯s face. He knew talks of Alejandra would lighten Nick¡¯s mood.


    Once Derek had pulled into the parking lot of the bank, Nick promised him it wouldn¡¯t take long. Derek scrolled on his phone, answering texts as his friend walked into the bank. Izzy was making final plans, as her finals were next week. Amanada was going to fly out to the east coast to pick up Izzy and spend a few days in Boston before traveling back. Izzy would then spend the rest of the Christmas holiday with them before going back for another semester. No doubt she¡¯d need to thaw before facing those New England winters. If Tyler wasn¡¯t already dating someone, he would have tried setting those two up again. Perhaps it was a foolish hope, but god, he wanted Tyler in his family.


    The door opened, and Nick slid into the side, holding an envelope.


    ¡°Hey, how¡¯d it go?¡± Derek asked, slipping his phone away.


    ¡°Good. It went good.¡± Nick held the envelope, then glanced up at Derek. ¡°There¡¯s¡­ one more huge favor I need to ask of you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what is it?¡± Derek asked.


    There was a pause. The kind of pause that Derek was coming to dread. The kind that forced his mind to reach horrible conclusions. Nick contracting a brain eating parasite was one of them.


    Nick held up the envelope. ¡°My dad checks my room occasionally, and¡­ I can¡¯t let him find this. It¡¯s¡­ all that¡¯s left of my money. Can you hold it for me? Until April? I¡¯m going to talk to my boss and see if he can write me a physical check that I can cash, to give to you every two weeks. For¡­ safe keeping.¡±


    Derek stared at the envelope before taking it. ¡°But¡­ but you have over ten thousand dollars. Are you sure you trust me with¡­¡±


    The envelope did not feel like it contained over ten thousand dollars. It was extremely personal, and he feared offending Nick by doing this, but Derek flipped open the envelope to see about seven hundred dollars in there. He shot another look at Nick, who did not return his gaze.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°My dad,¡± Nick said. ¡°He took the rest of it. To pay for medical expenses. To pay for the car.¡±


    Derek¡¯s mouth dropped open. There was a moment as Nick stared out the window that Derek thought of everything he could do to fix this.


    He took a breath to say Nick could stay with him, with his family as soon as he turned eighteen, but his family was moving to Phoenix in the summer. He sucked in another breath to assure Nick that he could be his and Tyler¡¯s roommate at University of Arizona, but Nick never mentioned wanting college. He needed to stay here. Work full time at the bookstore. Get more money to recover.


    Except Walt took it all.


    Derek sucked in another breath to assure Nick he would willingly dig the hole to stuff Walt into once Nick killed him when Nick spoke a quiet plea. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone. Please. At least¡­ not right now. Not Evelyn. I¡¯ll¡­ figure out something. Don¡¯t worry about me. Just keep that safe. I¡­ don¡¯t want to worry Rafael or Alejandra. And¡­ take what you need to pay for the tickets to the winter ball.¡±


    ¡°God, Nick, no!¡± It surprised Derek how loud he screamed that. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ no. I¡¯m not taking any of your money. It¡¯s on me. Both your tickets. God.¡±


    Derek glanced at the envelope. The envelope which should have been bulging. It was all the money Nick had left. It was Nick¡¯s entire future, and he placed it in Derek¡¯s hands.


    His hands shook at this sudden responsibility he did not feel like he could handle. Sure, Derek had never been irresponsible, but he had been an idiot. Nick placed an obscene amount of trust in him, and he couldn¡¯t mess this up.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I trust you,¡± Nick said as though reading Derek¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah,¡± Derek finally managed to say. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ yeah.¡± He kept his gaze on his friend, who was busy picking at something on his knee. ¡°So¡­ no one? You want me to keep this silent from everyone?¡±


    ¡°I mean, if your parents ask, you can tell them. I don¡¯t want them thinking that you¡¯ve started selling drugs or anything. But¡­ you know,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Will do,¡± Derek said, placing the envelope on his lap, already thinking of a plan. ¡°Will do.¡±


    Holy shit, Nick had an awful life. He knew this. He had seen glimpses of it, but Nick always held himself like he wasn¡¯t a screaming mess. It¡¯s what Derek would have been like if his parents were even remotely like Walt and Lydia.


    The drive was mostly silent, filled with Derek trying to think of something to say and Nick not looking at him. Derek, in a strange turn of events, found himself speechless.


    He was pulling into Nick¡¯s driveway when his thoughts finally organized themselves.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this alone,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me to keep things a secret,¡± Derek said. ¡°I suck at keeping things secret.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ know that too. Please not Evelyn. Let me break it to her. She needs to find out from me where the money came from for her car,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Then let me tell Tyler,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Tyler?¡±


    ¡°He should know. He¡¯s our game master, and responsible for us, in a way,¡± Derek said.


    Nick sighed. ¡°Fine. No one else.¡±


    Derek nodded. ¡°You get to tell Evelyn. And¡­ whoever else you want to.¡± Nick unbuckled his seatbelt before getting out of the car. He still looked dejected, but a little relieved.


    ¡°Hey, Nick? I don¡¯t know what Walt is thinking, but he can¡¯t get away with a shitty move like this,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Yeah. Alright,¡± Nick said.


    That alone shattered Derek¡¯s heart to a thousand pieces. Nick was saying it to make Derek feel better, but he didn¡¯t believe it. Walt had skirted around the law one too many times for Nick to believe him. Derek wasn¡¯t sure himself, but he already had a few ideas in his head.


    Once he got home, he kissed his mom¡¯s forehead, then entered his room and pulled out his phone and called Tyler. He was in his room, pacing the length of it when Tyler answered.


    ¡°Hey, Derek.¡±


    ¡°Hey. First of all, I¡¯m swearing you to secrecy about what I¡¯m about to say, because Nick told me in confidence and he doesn¡¯t want anyone else to know. Second of all, Walt drained Nick¡¯s bank account to pay for the car accident and medical expenses, and our friend now has seven hundred dollars left to his name from what I know was well over ten thousand, possibly even fifteen thousand, and he¡¯s turning eighteen in April, and now he might not even have enough for rent, and god, I want to punch Walt in the face just like Evelyn did. Holy shit I hate that man.¡±


    There was silence on the other end of the phone. A silence Derek knew all too well. The kind of silence that made a person wonder if they really heard what they thought they just heard.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Walt did WHAT?¡± Tyler shouted.


    Derek knew Tyler was the one to talk to. Honestly, if he couldn¡¯t tell someone, he was going to explode.

 Chapter 227

    There were some people that Evelyn did not mind being silent with. In fact, she thought there was a lot to learn about being silent with a person. There were moments of quiet between her and her friends, a comfortable one where they didn¡¯t feel the need to fill the silence. Even among the CCNC group. There were moments they had been quiet, lost in their own thoughts, but none of it felt threatening. Sure, the looming apocalypse was over them, and there were the general nerves of that, but she started to feel like they were moving on. The fact that the quietness among them didn¡¯t give her the anxiety it once did meant the world to her.


    Her family, however. Ten seconds after the therapist asked about their family history, had to be one of the most torturous silences Evelyn had ever come across. And that included the brief silence after Rafael admitted to Nick what happened three years ago. It didn¡¯t help that right now Nick had a glare on his face and Walt was acting like he wasn¡¯t the cause of it. Evelyn was gnawing on the inside of her cheek, wondering what was going on between those two. They¡¯d been snapping at each other, using passive aggressive remarks every time they interacted. It¡¯d been driving her a little crazy, and now they were silent.


    ¡°I mean¡­¡± Lydia said, being the first to break the silence. ¡°Every family has problems, right?¡±


    ¡°Certainly no family is perfect. We always need to be working on something. But let¡¯s start with Evelyn. You were the one to suggest family therapy, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Um¡­ my dad¡­¡± Walt glanced over at her, raising an eyebrow. Evelyn refused to look at him, knowing she had to talk about this. ¡°My dad bullied one of my friends. And I¡­ didn¡¯t like it.¡± As she said it out loud, her cheeks started to grow warm.


    ¡°Avoiding a bit of context, aren¡¯t we Evie?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°Right. Probably the part where you pretended to be Evelyn to lure Tyler to her window to prove he really was the pervert you thought him to be,¡± Nick muttered.


    Walt shot him a glare. Nick glared right back.


    ¡°Right, so¡­ is there a pattern here to how you solve  your problems?¡± Dr. Davidson asked.


    ¡°No. This was definitely a last resort,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to guess you didn¡¯t actually have to pretend to be Evelyn as your last resort,¡± Nick said.


    Walt¡¯s eyes hardened, but he didn¡¯t look at Nick. ¡°I¡¯d like to emphasize this boy is college age. Twenty years old. Hanging around my daughter way too much. He¡¯s a half an hour away from us, yet willing to drop everything and check in on her. It makes my skin crawl, and I don¡¯t intend to apologize at all for what I did.¡±


    Evelyn curled her fingers into fists. ¡°Rafael has hurt me more than Tyler ever has.¡±


    ¡°Because Tyler knows now to never touch you again. You¡¯re welcome,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°God, dad. You¡¯re missing the point,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Alright, so Rafael did something to you three years ago,¡± Walt started to say in an offhanded manner. She thought she¡¯d healed a lot from what happened between her and Rafael, but hearing her dad start talking made her realize just how much it still hurt. Felt the anger that burned in her gut. ¡°He¡¯s never done anything since,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°Tyler¡¯s never done anything at all,¡± Evelyn said, her voice dark.


    ¡°So, I¡¯m sensing that there is a bit of tension,¡± Dr. Davidson said.


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Walt asked. ¡°How long did you study at school to figure that out?¡±


    ¡°And I understand that it can make us feel a bit defensive, but this is good to get out,¡± Dr. Davidson continued.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to insult him, dad. You didn¡¯t have to insinuate something he did even though he¡¯s never done it,¡± Evelyn said, talking over the therapist.


    ¡°If I recall, you decided to use some physical violence against me,¡± Walt said, gesturing toward his face.


    Evelyn gripped the armrest.


    ¡°God, dad,¡± Nick muttered, rubbing his face.


    ¡°Do you have something to add, Nick?¡± Dr. Davidson asked.


    ¡°Absolutely nothing, thank you,¡± Nick said, dropping his hand.


    ¡°Nick, come on,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°This was supposed to help everyone.¡±


    ¡°No, this was supposed to be about the issue with you, dad, and Tyler,¡± Nick said.


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


    ¡°Oh, we don¡¯t have time to unpack the mountain of your problems,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°Thanks, dad. Great to get my daily dose of emotional support from you,¡± Nick said.


    Walt glared at Nick, and once again, Nick glared right back.


    ¡°And¡­ Lydia. Do you have anything to add?¡± Dr. Davidson asked.


    Lydia shook her head. ¡°No, not really.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you never have anything to add,¡± Nick said, slouched in his chair.


    ¡°Nick,¡± Walt said with a warning in his tone.


    ¡°Oh, please, go ahead, dad,¡± Nick said, gesturing toward Dr. Davidson. ¡°Keep up the condescension. The backhanded compliments. Give Dr. Davidson a feel for what it¡¯s actually like at home. It¡¯ll help him more easily assess our family situation. But I doubt he¡¯ll be able to help, because no one can tunnel into your huge ego to let you know that you¡¯re the problem in this family.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that was import-,¡± Dr. Davidson started to say.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m the problem?¡± Walt asked, swiveling right at Nick. ¡°Me? How much more does your face have to be scarred before you realize what your own choices have done.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe if you never took my door, I¡¯d have the privacy to do some inner work on myself.¡±


    Dr. Davidson raised both eyebrows at that. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t have a door?¡±


    ¡°Only for a few days. He got it back,¡± Lydia said.


    ¡°I¡¯m real sick of you pretending like you deserved that door. Not after what you did. Not after getting a call from the police that you were trying to vandalize something.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to put it on record that I didn¡¯t do anything of the sort,¡± Nick said, his eyes growing dangerous. Evelyn felt her breathing turn uneasy.


    ¡°Are you still afraid the police are going to find your artwork?¡± Walt asked. ¡°Afraid they¡¯re going to fine you. That you¡¯ll have to pay the fine with your own money?¡±


    Nick shot out of the chair. Evelyn gasped, prepared for Nick to turn around and start screaming, but instead he stormed out of the room. He pulled the door open and slammed it with a force that rattled the doorframe. Walt sighed.


    ¡°Might need to reconsider taking off his door,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t,¡± Dr. Davidson said. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break, then we¡¯ll come back and-¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Walt said, patting the armrest. ¡°Evelyn, it was a nice try, but talking about our feelings won¡¯t solve anything. It certainly won¡¯t turn your brother into a saint.¡±


    Evelyn opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She watched, horrified, as Walt and Lydia gathered their things and left the room.


    ¡°I¡­ but I¡­¡±


    Dr. Davidson sighed, making a note. ¡°I shall leave this file open. Perhaps we can come back to this-¡±


    ¡°No. We¡¯ll pay for the full session, but we¡¯re not coming back,¡± Walt said.


    Evelyn stood. ¡°But dad!¡±


    Walt opened the door for Lydia, then motioned for Evelyn to follow. ¡°Come on, Evie. Let¡¯s get in the car.¡±


    Evelyn froze in her spot. She didn¡¯t want to leave. This was supposed to help. They were supposed to be doing better. They didn¡¯t last ten minutes.


    ¡°Come on, Evie.¡±


    She gathered her things, feeling her cheeks warm as she left. The awful silence that was in the therapy session permeated throughout the drive home. Nick had his arms folded in the back, glaring out the window. Evelyn wanted to break the silence, but she was afraid of cutting the wrong wire.


    Walt pulled the car into the driveway and they all got out. Nick headed straight for his room as Evelyn lingered in the hallway.


    ¡°We gave it a chance, Evie,¡± Walt said, glancing at his phone, almost bored. ¡°We tried. Also, I really think therapy has worked for you, and you¡¯re doing better. Consider Thursday to be your last session.¡±


    Evelyn felt her stomach shrink, and she stared at her father. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Consider it a compliment. Honestly, you¡¯re doing really well. You don¡¯t need it anymore, and those sessions can get pricey. I¡¯ll send the email off tonight.¡±


    ¡°Dad, wait,¡± Evelyn said. Walt did wait, though the look on his face said the conversation was over. She plowed forward. ¡°Please. I¡­ love my therapy sessions.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not supposed to last forever, Evie,¡± Walt said, already leaving the kitchen.


    He walked upstairs with Lydia following behind him. Evelyn was left alone. Afraid. One last session. One more. Then her dad was asking her to drop them. What choice did she have? It wasn¡¯t like she had any money.


    She walked to her room, dropping her purse on the ground before collapsing on the bed.


    She covered her eyes with her arm, trying to make sense of it all. They should still be there, talking about what was happening. Starting to mend ways. But it was never about that. It never would. Therapy worked for her. It worked fantastically. And now it would be done.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Evelyn dropped her hand, gasping a bit to see Nick at the doorway, leaning against the frame. ¡°Hey.¡±


    Nick wasn¡¯t looking at her. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry it didn¡¯t work.¡±


    Evelyn shook her head, tears in her eyes. ¡°Perhaps it was stupid to put so much hope in this.¡±


    Nick rubbed his arm, his head against the doorframe. ¡°Evie, I¡­¡± he trailed off, not looking at her. Evelyn sat up, curious. Nick sighed, closing his eyes. ¡°You want to know my deepest fear? Besides someone dying in the apocalypse?¡±


    Evelyn wasn¡¯t expecting this. She watched, blinking. Nick opened his eyes, staring right at her. ¡°It¡¯s not that we won¡¯t get the monster¡¯s killed in time. It¡¯s that we will. That life will go on as normal. And¡­ when I leave in April¡­ I¡¯m terrified that dad will take all his anger and frustration and¡­ treat you the same way he¡¯s been treating me.¡±


    Evelyn stayed silent. A silent that wasn¡¯t prickly. Silence that made her realize Nick might be right. Evelyn glanced at her hands.


    ¡°He¡¯s already doing it. Already controlling aspects of your life. Making you hang out with the people he approves of. Disregards your boundaries.¡± Nick rested his head against the wall, his brows furrowed. ¡°God, I could handle an apocalypse if you came with me to my apartment when this was all over,¡± Nick whispered.


    ¡°Nick,¡± she said.


    ¡°I was afraid this would happen. It¡¯s what he does. He lets you do something, so you feel like you¡¯re in charge before taking something else away to remind you he¡¯s the one who makes the choice. He¡¯s¡­ not going to be bored when I leave. He¡¯s going to focus on you,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn felt a chill run down her spine. ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Think about getting a job,¡± Nick said. ¡°Start saving up money. If you need, I can stay.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°I won¡¯t let you suffer here anymore.¡±


    Nick nodded, a haunted look in his eyes. ¡°Alright.¡± He stood up straight, turning away. ¡°Stay safe.¡±


    He walked away, and Evelyn stared at him, wondering how they got to this point that Nick has to ask her to stay safe in her own home.

 Chapter 228

    Derek waltzed out of his room with Nick¡¯s envelope. He walked over to where his parents were at the table, going over schedules, when Derek sat down and plopped the envelope in front of him.


    Amanda and Miguel glanced up at him before noticing the envelope.


    ¡°Derek?¡± Amanda asked.


    ¡°Hey, mom. How are you doing?¡± Derek asked, setting his elbow on the table and resting his head against it.


    ¡°Uh, good. Good,¡± Amanda said.


    ¡°Do you want to tell us something?¡± Miguel asked.


    ¡°No. No, nothing at all. Just waiting to see if you notice anything,¡± Derek said, keeping his head against his palm, circling a finger around the envelope.


    His parents both looked at the envelope again before making eye contact with him.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll bite. What¡¯s in the envelope,¡± Miguel asked.


    ¡°Definitely not money I got for selling drugs,¡± Derek said.


    Amanda blinked, then glanced at Miguel who snorted. Miguel picked up the envelope and glanced at the bills. His smile dropped as he noticed just how much money was in there.


    ¡°Derek, this is¡­ a lot. Where¡¯d you get it?¡± Miguel asked.


    Derek sighed. ¡°There was supposed to be well over ten thousand in there.¡±


    The alarmed look on both his parents made him realize that maybe he shouldn¡¯t have joked about this not being drug money.


    ¡°I need your advice,¡± Derek said, glancing around. His siblings were elsewhere, which is why he chose this time to talk to his parents. ¡°You know my friend, Nick? How he spent so much time at our house a few years ago because¡­ he doesn¡¯t have the best homelife?¡±


    His parents listened as Derek gave a quick rundown of what he discovered that day. How Walt stole almost the entirety of Nick¡¯s life savings. He had finished talking to Tyler, and he still didn¡¯t feel good about it. Tyler said he¡¯d reach out to Neal, because Neal could help somehow. But Derek¡¯s heart ached for Nick. His friend had suffered silently for years, and him asking for any sort of help usually meant he was scared. And the first person Nick turned to was him. He couldn¡¯t mess this up.


    Miguel had his hands together, placing them over his mouth as he stared into the distance. Amanda had a frown on her face, shaking her head.


    ¡°I¡­ had an idea,¡± Derek whispered. ¡°You know what you did for Izzy her first year of college? How you stuffed her cupboards and made sure she didn¡¯t have to worry about groceries for her first semester?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Miguel said.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know if you were planning on doing the same for me when I left for college-¡±


    ¡°We were, yes,¡± Amanda said.


    ¡°I want you to just buy me a twenty-five-pound bag of rice, and a twenty-five-pound bag of beans. That¡¯ll get me through my first year, honestly. Take everything else and give it to Nick. Make sure he can survive his first six months of living on his own. He needs to, for his own sanity. But I¡­ don¡¯t want him to worry about if he¡¯s going to eat. I can¡¯t.¡± Tears filled Derek¡¯s eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t let my friend be in that position. He¡¯s already had a hellish life so far. He needs help, and I¡­ don¡¯t know any other way to help him except make sure he doesn¡¯t have to go back to Walt and Lydia for anything. Give him time to get on his feet. Make sure he¡¯s not starving. If he doesn¡¯t have to worry about groceries for six months, he can save up for other things.¡±


    Miguel placed his hand on Derek¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re a good friend, Derek. I¡¯m really proud of you. I like this idea. Your mother and I will talk about it, and I want you to keep us posted on everything. Keep being a good friend, and make sure he¡¯s okay,¡± Miguel said. ¡°I¡¯ll look into the legal aspect of this as quietly as I can.¡±


    Derek picked up the envelope. ¡°Nick¡¯s going to cash his paychecks until he¡¯s eighteen to give to me.¡± He handed the envelope to Miguel. ¡°I know I¡¯m almost eighteen myself and should be a bit more responsible, but I would feel so much better if you put this in a safe somewhere.¡±


    Miguel chuckled as he took the envelope. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll keep this safe. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


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    Derek smiled, and it wasn¡¯t until later that night that he was quite blessed to believe his dad when he assured Derek things would be safe with him.


    ***


    Evelyn was hugging her legs, almost feeling nauseous. School had felt like a daze, and she was surprised to have gone through two school days before sitting at her very last therapy session. Gemma had finished something on the computer before glancing up and smiling.


    ¡°Well, this is certainly a development I didn¡¯t expect,¡± Gemma said.


    Evelyn shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not fair. I¡¯ve loved these sessions.¡±


    ¡°I know. And I¡¯m glad. I¡¯m relieved to hear they¡¯ve been helping. You know they can¡¯t force you from therapy. You can still attend,¡± Gemma said.


    ¡°Yeah. As long as I pay for it. And¡­ I¡¯ve got no money.¡±


    Gemma nodded. ¡°I want you to know that this does sadden me, but I¡¯m not scared. You¡¯ve made incredible progress, and you¡¯ve got a great support system. It sounds like you have an older brother, too, who is looking out for you.¡±


    ¡°I do. Nick is great, even if we don¡¯t get along all the time,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Mmm, sounds like a typical sibling relationship,¡± Gemma said.


    Evelyn smiled. ¡°Yeah. I do love him, though.¡±


    Gemma raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do you tell him that?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    She gestured toward her. ¡°That you love him?¡±


    Evelyn hesitated. No. There was no point in lying. Evelyn and Nick didn¡¯t share their feelings like that with each other. She figured that, too, was a typical sibling relationship.


    ¡°It¡¯s, um¡­¡± She gave a defeated shrug. ¡°I guess not. We haven¡¯t exactly had the best sort of example for that.¡±


    Gemma nodded. ¡°I thought not. It¡¯s three words, quite powerful, and people need to hear it often. Before it¡¯s too late. Tomorrow is not guaranteed, after all.¡±


    Evelyn didn¡¯t speak. Gemma¡¯s words made her uneasy. Sure, they were the sentimental words everyone said to make sure the words were kind. But Evelyn and her friends were fighting to stop an apocalypse from happening. Sure, maybe tomorrow wasn¡¯t guaranteed. Next year definitely wasn¡¯t.


    And yet she still didn¡¯t know if she could tell Nick she loved him. Obviously brother and sister love, but it still felt too weird. That¡¯s not how they expressed their feelings. It was more¡­ being obnoxious siblings expect for those moments where they risked their lives for each other.


    ¡°Now, I wasn¡¯t sure if we¡¯d get to this for another few weeks, but since there is now a good chance we won¡¯t see each other, let¡¯s talk about what might happen if Rafael confronted you. Perhaps in the hall,¡± Gemma said.


    Evelyn waited for the rest of Gemma¡¯s explanation, but her therapist was looking at Evelyn, expectantly.


    ¡°Confronted me about what?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Everything. About that night. About what happened to you. About your perception of things.¡±


    Evelyn waited again, and realized what she was waiting for. Waiting for the fear, the shortness of breath. Some indication that she was still scared, but she didn¡¯t feel that. In fact, what she felt was hope. Hope that she and Rafael could finally talk about this and get it behind them. That Rafael could stop looking at her with such shame. The hope that maybe, maybe, they had gone through so much that they could go back to being friends again.


    Is that really what she wanted? To be friends again?


    No. That was ridiculous. Rafael hurt her. She needed to keep him at arms length.


    Which is what she¡¯d been doing. For months. And Rafael respected her. Evelyn never had feelings for Rafael. Now that she knew without a doubt she had feelings for Tyler, she acknowledged that it was never there in Rafael. And what with Rafael moving on and getting a girlfriend, she was certain he had moved on, too.


    But she didn¡¯t dare do anything until she was certain. Rafael had respected her boundaries so far, but they needed to talk. And she had a feeling she needed to be the one to instigate it, because Rafael was not going to seek her out.


    ¡°Evelyn?¡± Gemma asked.


    Evelyn brought herself to the present, blinking. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you want to talk about this? Do you think you¡¯re ready?¡± Gemma asked.


    ¡°Yes, sorry. Just¡­ lost in thought, that¡¯s all.¡± Evelyn brushed some things off her shorts. ¡°Honestly, if Rafael confronted me in the hallway, I¡¯d tell him that we should talk about that night. To make sure he really would never do that again.¡±


    Gemma looked surprised. ¡°Oh. Don¡¯t you think he¡¯d brush it off?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Evelyn furrowed her brow. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡± Gemma leaned back in her chair. ¡°Now, what if Rafael tried to grab you again?¡±


    Evelyn chewed the inside of her cheek, remembering all the times Rafael went out of his way to avoid her. The shame she clearly saw in his eyes whenever their gazes met. The way he bent over backwards to make sure he was only in her life as much as she wanted him to.


    ¡°He¡­ won¡¯t,¡± Evelyn said.


    Gemma again gave her a look. ¡°You¡¯re certain?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, I am.¡±


    ¡°Well, is there anything at all that you feel scared about? If and when you¡¯re around him? Anything at all about Rafael that you want to talk about?¡±


    Evelyn hesitated. She thought. The more she thought, the more she drew a blank. She realized that Rafael was not the biggest issue she wanted to discuss in her life. Her eyebrows rose in shock. She hadn¡¯t needed to talk about Rafael ever since she talked about Tyler in therapy.


    Was this what it was like to move on? To realize that the thing that had been such a huge part of her existence wasn¡¯t nearly so life consuming? After months, a traumatic part of her life was filed away as something that happened to her, but it no longer controlled her. A sad, horrible thing that never should have happened, but it did. She stared at it right at the face, worked around it, cleaned the festering wound, and now it was healing. Healing to the point where she thought about it occasionally. She could breathe again. She was¡­ fine.


    She blinked, then looked at Gemma. Gemma was smiling. ¡°That¡¯s a good feeling, isn¡¯t it.¡±


    Evelyn nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Gemma kept smiling. ¡°I¡¯m so relieved.¡± She sighed, glancing at the computer. ¡°Something tells me that it¡¯s your family, now, that you¡¯d rather talk about.¡±


    Evelyn nodded. ¡°Yeah. And¡­ my dad is stopping me.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Gemma glanced at her watch. ¡°In the thirty minutes we have left, let¡¯s talk about them.¡±

 Chapter 229

    Nick had the rare occurrence of sitting in the passenger seat of the van. It was usually Tyler sitting here, but it was strangely empty. Empty except Evelyn sitting in the back, looking at her phone.


    ¡°I¡¯m used to it being so much louder in here,¡± Nick said, glancing over his shoulder.


    ¡°Yeah. Well, it will, once we get to Cal¡¯s tent,¡± Derek said. ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± Nick said. He still hadn¡¯t told Evelyn, and the side-eye he gave Derek meant he didn¡¯t want to talk about it, either. Though he did talk to Mr. Morgan, and his boss was more than happy to write a check for his paycheck for him to cash. He also called Walt, because he could hear that conversation. He braced himself for it to be an argument, but Mr. Morgan also had a way with Walt that they could talk without it exploding into an argument. Perhaps Mr. Morgan was hoping for a more gradual change. Nick would be gone in April, though, no matter what rat-infested apartment he¡¯d have to survive in.


    Nick rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Hey, how are you? How is the play? Are you¡­ in it?¡±


    ¡°Most likely, it¡¯s just a matter of what character I am. We had callbacks after school today, and the cast list will be posted tomorrow morning. There¡¯s a lot of great people for the beast, so I¡¯m pretty confident that if I don¡¯t get Gaston, I¡¯ll have some smaller part.¡±


    ¡°Oh. You want Gaston?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Emma had a stellar tryout, from what I heard. Despite being a diva, she does have an amazing voice. I¡­ can¡¯t be around her. She might remember Pippa, and the kidnapping, and everything else,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn shook her head. ¡°Keep that woman protected, please.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Derek pulled off the side of the road. ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t even want to think about what might happen if we kiss again.¡±


    Nick opened the door. ¡°Man, this is quite the convoluted situation.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out,¡± Derek said as they headed toward the tent.


    Before they got to it, the tent door opened, and Tyler walked out, smiling. ¡°Hey, guys.¡±


    ¡°Tyler! I thought you wouldn¡¯t be here until tomorrow,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Oh, I had a special reason to show up this time.¡± Tyler glanced around. ¡°Though, Rafael¡¯s not here. I might have to-¡±


    ¡°Oh, forget it. I can lie to my dad,¡± Evelyn said.


    Tyler flinched. ¡°That man has the ability to sniff out a lie that I do not want to underestimate again.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but if we stay out of town, you really should be safe,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Also¡­ I¡¯m really glad you¡¯re okay.¡±


    Tyler nodded. ¡°Same. It¡¯s good to see you two, as well.¡±


    Evelyn glanced down, studying the floor as Tyler smiled at Nick. ¡°Can I have a word with you?¡±


    Nick blinked, staring at Tyler. ¡°Yeah. Yeah, sure. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Tyler pulled out his phone. ¡°So, you know how you wanted to keep what Walt did to you private, but you had Derek promise to tell me? And then I ignored his plea to not tell other people when I happen to know a multibillionaire?¡±


    Nick¡¯s mouth went dry, then he glanced at Evelyn, then at Derek. Derek was pressing his lips together to hold back a smile. ¡°Uh¡­ yeah. Yeah, I guess I did forget about Neal.¡±


    Evelyn glanced up curiously. ¡°What¡­ did dad do?¡± She sounded afraid.


    ¡°Nick¡¯ll tell you. After he has this phone call,¡± Tyler said, phone to his ear. ¡°Sure, I thought Walt was a jerk before, but this is probably the closest I¡¯ll ever get to a revenge plot.¡± Nick glanced at Derek again, still confused, when Tyler spoke again. ¡°Hey, Neal. Is now a good time? I¡¯ve got Nick here.¡±


    Nick felt his stomach drop. Neal. Nick had never met the man, but Tyler was talking with the founder of Choice, Chance, and Consequence like they were buddies.


    ¡°Perfect. Here he is,¡± Tyler said before handing Nick the phone.


    Nick stared at it, almost going cross-eyed, before he grabbed the phone and placed it to his ear.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Nick asked as Evelyn gave Tyler a questioning look.


    ¡°Hello! Is this Nick Larsen? The teenager with the shitty father?¡± the voice came on the other end.


    ¡°Uh, yes sir,¡± Nick said.


    Neal chuckled. ¡°Hey, Nick. Tyler told me what happened. It sounds like, while under the influence of Chaos, you got in a crash. And your father stole the funds of your future to pay the bills.¡±


    Nick¡¯s throat was closing in on itself. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He tried to keep his voice steady. Tried not to betray his fear, but he had spent two days figuring out what to do, casting safety nets where he could.


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    ¡°Alright. In order for this all to make sense, I need to let you know how Chaos affects me,¡± Neal started to say. ¡°I remember for a good year afterwards that there are people here from the Shrouded Domain. The next year my memory fades. I need you to understand that, so you know that I am setting up a five-year fund for you for your rent. I can only guarantee it for a year, year and a half tops. The next three and a half years are not guaranteed, depending on how bored I get with glancing through my finances.¡±


    Nick stared at the ground. He should say something, but he couldn¡¯t be sure what to say.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give all the information over to Tyler. He¡¯ll get everything set up with one of my finance people, and all you need to do is give Tyler the address of where you¡¯d like to rent in April. Then your landlord can take the money out of these funds for your rent.¡±


    Nick was silent. He couldn¡¯t even make unintelligent gibberish. This had made him speechless. ¡°I¡­ sir, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Do not turn this down. Please. This is all my fault. I¡¯m the reason you have your characters here in this world. The reason Chaos hurt you. Your characters are taking on so much, and the very least I can do is make sure you don¡¯t need to stress about finances. In fact, I¡¯m already in talks about getting all of you full ride scholarships. You¡¯re entire group.¡±


    Nick now started making unintelligible noises.


    ¡°I¡¯m hoping to get it done to pay off some of Tyler¡¯s loans, too. He¡¯ll get an email soon. But you five, I don¡¯t want you worrying about this stuff. Focus on stopping this apocalypse, and then I¡¯m making sure your next few years are set financially. All of you are getting full ride scholarships to whatever schools you choose, as long as colleges exist next fall. And you don¡¯t have to go right away. Tyler said that too, about you wanting to take a year off. As soon as you¡¯re ready, you contact one of my people and they¡¯ll set you up with the scholarship.¡±


    Nick couldn¡¯t speak. The ability to go to school and not get into debt. Nick didn¡¯t realize he still hadn¡¯t spoken when Neal sighed again. ¡°I wish I could do more. I honestly do. I¡¯ve tried. The first group of people whose characters came to earth, I felt so guilty about it that I gave them each a million dollars and pretended they won the lottery. But¡­ it was a little too chaotic and Order went about fixing it. All of them are dead, from muggings or murders. They didn¡¯t survive past the eighties. It was a warning to me. I wish I could set you all up financially for life, but Order and Chaos need to be respected too. I can give you enough security for the first few years. To get you back on your feet as you recover from this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ enough, sir. More than enough. Thank you,¡± Nick said, almost in awe. Did Neal realize what he was giving? Security. A future. Nick could go to college. Live on campus somewhere. Still have at least a year¡¯s worth of rent he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about. It was everything.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing, kid.¡±


    Nick couldn¡¯t possibly figure out what more he could get, but he wasn¡¯t about to interrupt, either.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a group of lawyers here, looking over your case. Your dad is one sneaky bastard. Despite the harm he¡¯s doing, there¡¯s nothing lawbreaking about what he¡¯s done. However, document everything, just in case. If he so much as backhands you, take a picture of the welt in five different angles with a calendar and a clock in the background and send it to me. I want to know if that man pulls out even one strand of your hair, because then we¡¯ll have him.¡± Neal hesitated. ¡°Okay, we might need more than a single strand of hair, but I hope you get my point.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Thank you, sir,¡± Nick said. Maybe he was being overly formal, but he didn¡¯t dare drop it, either.


    ¡°I wish this didn¡¯t have to happen to you kids. But it did, and we¡¯ve got to work through it the best we can. Focus on stopping the apocalypse, I¡¯ll make sure everything else is ready for you when you succeed.¡±


    Nick felt his throat close in again, but he managed to get the words out. ¡°Thank you.¡± Tears burned his eyes as the two days of fear and uncertainty disappeared. It was going to be okay. Walt wouldn¡¯t hang finances over his head anymore. He could breathe.


    ¡°You keep in touch. Let me talk to Tyler once more,¡± Neal said.


    ¡°Okay. Thank you again, sir,¡± Nick said. He handed the phone over to Tyler before he felt the first of the tears fall. He wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d expressed his gratitude enough. He didn¡¯t know if he could. A year¡¯s worth of rent at least. College. Dorm. Everything.


    ¡°Nick?¡± Derek asked.


    He covered his face, aware of the tears as Tyler glanced at him as he talked to Neal.


    ¡°Rent. He¡¯s¡­ taking care of my rent once I move out. For at least a year.¡±


    Derek let out a sigh of relief as Tyler finished the call and hung up.


    ¡°Nick, that¡¯s great!¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Full ride scholarships. For everyone,¡± Nick said, almost breathless.


    Derek¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Shut up! Really?¡±


    Nick nodded. ¡°You too, Tyler. You¡¯re getting one, too.¡±


    Tyler raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh, sweet! I didn¡¯t expect that.¡±


    Nick let out another sigh, feeling like the dark, depressive nightmare started to disappear. ¡°As long as we survive this, Neal¡¯s got things in place to give us financial security for the next few years.¡± Nick felt himself smile for the first time in days. A genuine, happy smile. He hadn¡¯t thought about it, but this would be a huge burden lifted from Alejandra and Rafael, too. He knew Rafael was scrambling to gather all the scholarships he could to even afford college. Now he wouldn¡¯t have to worry. Nick¡¯s smile grew, aware that he was happy for Rafael.


    ¡°So¡­ are you going to tell Evelyn what prompted Tyler to pull some strings with a multibillionaire?¡± Derek asked.


    That caused the smile to disappear for a moment. ¡°Right.¡± Evelyn furrowed her brows in confusion as Nick met her gaze. ¡°So, um¡­ dad used my savings to buy the car.¡±


    The furrow disappeared, and Evelyn¡¯s eyes bulged out. ¡°He did WHAT!¡±


    Clarissa poked her head out of the tent. ¡°Are you guys okay?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Dad did that? To buy the car! Are you serious! Oh, my god. Oh my god I hate him. I hate him so much. How dare he!¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯ll be okay,¡± Nick said, placing his hands on her shoulder. He could already feel her trembling. ¡°I¡¯m going to be fine.¡±


    ¡°God, I hate him. What the hell,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°Because I was afraid you¡¯d react like this and¡­¡±


    ¡°Punch dad again?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Yeah, pretty much,¡± Nick said.


    Evelyn grumbled, placing her fingers against her head, then she dropped them. ¡°Thank you, Tyler. Thanks for looking after Nick.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Anytime.¡±


    ¡°In a reckless need to do something against my father¡¯s wishes, I hope you¡¯ll let me do what I¡¯m about to do,¡± Evelyn said, walking over to him and throwing her arms around him.


    Tyler seemed surprised, as he was in the process of putting his phone in his pocket when she did that, but he chuckled and patted her back. ¡°I mean¡­ okay? Thought you were going to do something worse in defiance of your dad, but this is alright.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I wouldn¡¯t do that to you,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°I appreciate it,¡± Tyler said, with a smile. ¡°I may want revenge on Walt, too, but holy hell, no thank you. You¡¯re like my sister.¡±


    Evelyn smiled. ¡°I know. Also¡­ I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m fine. After all, I have you to protect me from your dad,¡± Tyler said.


    Evelyn shook her head and headed toward the tent. ¡°God, I hate that man.¡±


    Nick chuckled, happy he had the capacity to chuckle. He let out another breath, remembering Neal¡¯s promise. As long as they stopped the apocalypse, everything else was set up for them. They wouldn¡¯t have to worry about getting scholarships on top of saving the world.

 Chapter 230

    The battle was quick. Hardly four hundred experience points. It was a long, slow climb to level seven, even with fighting every day. The real number they kept track of was how many monsters were still on earth. Evelyn watched the number go down, even as her unease was still there. Sure, a group in Europe managed to get rid of a lot of large rats that might have brought the second bubonic plague. And sure, it was large enough that it marked a good fifteen rats off their list, but Evelyn was starting to think that fifteen rats weren¡¯t as terrifying as one kraken in the ocean.


    Unless, of course, those rats actually did carry the second bubonic plague. Then Evelyn was happy to see them crossed off. They didn¡¯t need that happening next June.


    Evelyn walked into the house, the keys of the car feeling like they were burning a hole in her pocket. She knew now what that cost. How long had Nick known about this? How long had he protected her from this knowledge? She felt slightly betrayed by this. He didn¡¯t want her hitting Walt, but¡­ she should know. He was her father, too.


    Nick opened a drawer, grabbing tape and scissors before pulling out a notebook and heading to his room. Evelyn sat down at the couch with her phone, going through her social media, lost in the rabbit hole that was.


    Lost, even as her mind wandered. She knew Tyler only cared about her like a sister. Her face had been flush even at Tyler¡¯s slight horror that she¡¯d do something more. It was both heartbreaking and comforting at the same time. Tyler didn¡¯t care about her. She knew he didn¡¯t care. He practically admitted as much. It was as he said, there was absolutely nothing between them.


    She really needed to stop finding excuses to hug him. If he ever figured out she had feelings, things would start to be unbearable in the group. Let alone the fact that he clearly had a girlfriend he adored.


    Her finger paused on a picture of Tyler and Charlotte at a concert on campus. There were a few examples of the pictures, the last one of Tyler staring right at Charlotte like he adored the ground she walked on.


    Evelyn turned off her phone, rubbing her eyes. ¡°Oh my god, I¡¯m a child,¡± she muttered. There was absolutely nothing Evelyn could do to catch Tyler¡¯s gaze, because he was looking somewhere else.


    Not that she wanted it. Obviously, she was sixteen. If Tyler kissed her, she would have slapped him. Tyler didn¡¯t want her. And she didn¡¯t want him to want her. Unless she was twenty.


    God, she was exhausted.


    ¡°Hey, Evelyn, it¡¯s about bedtime, don¡¯t you think?¡± Walt asked.


    Right. She was a child and had a bedtime. Evelyn grabbed her phone, brushing herself off. ¡°Hi, dad.¡±


    Walt raised an eyebrow, because despite the kind words, Evelyn¡¯s tone was frosty.


    ¡°Do you have something to say to me?¡± Walt asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Evelyn said, glaring at Walt as she pulled out the keys. ¡°Really, dad? You took me to the nicest used car lot and not tell me that it was Nick¡¯s money I was spending?¡±


    Walt did not look scared. Despite Evelyn punching him a week ago, her father was not concerned about being in the room with her. It infuriated her. To his eyes, she would always be a child. Her hits and slaps would be nothing more than that of a small child. Nick had tried for ages to get Walt to treat him like an adult. She was getting a taste of it now, even though it was something she¡¯d been mired in all along.


    Not needing to worry about getting a job. Patting her hand as she made purchases for her skin care and nail polish. Sighing as they handed over money for her to go on a shopping spree. She realized how spoiled she was, and it was always done with a tendency toward her parents treating her more like a child. Which culminated in Walt using her to ruin Nick¡¯s life. And if Neal hadn¡¯t stepped in and saved Nick, she would have been more of a mess than she was now.


    Well, if giving her father a black eye wasn¡¯t going to change how he looked at her, perhaps she needed to do something far more intellectual.


    ¡°You¡¯ve told Nick that when he left in April, he could only take the things he bought,¡± Evelyn said quietly.


    Her father, it seemed, did not take long to connect the dots. The slight smile on his face flickered. ¡°Evie¡­¡±


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    ¡°He bought the car. Therefore, he takes it with him in April,¡± Evelyn said.


    Walt¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You honestly think we¡¯ll get you a new one when he leaves?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°But I honestly think my friends will have my back if you try anything, because I don¡¯t light bridges on fire everywhere I go.¡±


    Walt rolled his eyes and walked down the hall. Evelyn didn¡¯t care. She almost went into her room when Walt stopped at the door of Nick¡¯s room. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡±


    Evelyn scuttled toward Nick¡¯s room to make sure he was alright. She realized he was doing a full on art project in his room. He had placed multiple paper chains against the wall near his empty doorway. Each paper chain had twenty links, and there were six chains dangling to the ground. They were all made out of notebook paper, though perhaps now was not the time to suggest Nick used colored paper for a project he was almost done with.


    ¡°Nick? I¡¯m not going to ask you again,¡± Walt said.


    Nick grabbed the end of the longest paper chain and tore off a link. He then crumpled the paper while looking right at Walt, gesturing with his head toward the wall. ¡°That¡¯s how many days you have left, old man.¡± Nick tossed the torn-up chain in the garbage. ¡°Then I¡¯m gone.¡±


    Nick walked further into his room, and Walt was left staring at the paper chains. He rolled his eyes again and headed for his own room. Evelyn smiled, looking at the curtain of chains. Her eyes lingered on the six chains, and having them all out like that made her realize there really wasn¡¯t a lot of time left. Six chains of twenty circles. He was almost out. Four more months, almost to the day. His freedom was getting closer, and with the call from Neal, it was all but assured.


    ***


    Derek dropped Milo and Grizzizzik off at Mr. Anderson¡¯s room early Friday morning. They had gone in their usual disguises, Milo using his disguise self to pose as a student he¡¯d seen often coming late to school. Grizzizzik used the hat of disguises from Akshi to change into Nick. The deadline had been shortened, and therefore everyone could see them. They were two adults entering a high school, and they needed to disguise themselves accordingly. Nick knew not to be around Mr. Anderson¡¯s room, so it worked out fine.


    They had arrived earlier than usual, mainly because Derek¡¯s stomach was one big knot of nerves. Milo was excited to get to work on green mana, Derek wanted to go early, and Grizzizzik was just there. Once those two entered the lab, Derek made his way to the theater room. Despite the somewhat early hour, most of the kids were hanging around the list taped up to the side of the door. Mr. Jensen wouldn¡¯t send out the electronic one until tonight, so this was the best way to get the news fast.


    Derek ran his finger down the list. He didn¡¯t have to go down far.


    Gaston ¨C Derek Perez


    Derek¡¯s smile flickered into existence, and all the stress melted off his body. Sure, he nailed his audition, but that didn¡¯t necessarily mean he¡¯d get it. Art was subjective that way. And it also did not help his anxiety in the slightest.


    He glanced through the list well enough to see Emma had gotten Belle, to no one¡¯s surprise. He was surprised to see Jackson, a Junior, as beast. Fascinating.


    He took a picture of the cast list to send to his other friends in drama, and to study it more later. He walked into the classroom, seeing Mr. Jensen.


    ¡°Hello, Jensen. Also, question,¡± Derek said.


    Mr. Jensen glanced up from his book, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Hello, Derek. I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re not here to make me change my mind?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not. It¡¯s what I asked for,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°I know. But I also know my line of work,¡± Mr. Jensen said.


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Okay. Anyway, I was thinking. The musical is in March, right?¡±


    ¡°Middle of March.¡± Mr. Jensen started to look a bit terrified. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t have a conflict, do you?¡±


    ¡°No, no. Sorry, no.¡± He realized his drama teacher no doubt tended to also shoot for the worst-case scenarios when given an option. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯d actually like to build some muscle. I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a while. I think it¡¯d be fun.¡±


    Mr. Jensen paused, then seemed to run his eyes down Derek¡¯s frame before giving him another scrutinizing look. ¡°In three and a half months?¡±


    ¡°Worth a shot, right?¡± Derek asked.


    Mr. Jensen closed his book, then leaned back. ¡°I don¡¯t want to discourage you by any means, but I also don¡¯t¡­¡± he sighed, closing one eye. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to put your body through any unneeded stress for a part in a high school play. People have really hurt themselves trying to bulk up for a part. You got the part because you could portray Gaston¡¯s essence. We¡¯ll have a body suit if you really want it.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it. Really, Mr. Jensen. It means a lot. But¡­ I also want to try.¡±


    Mr. Jensen sighed, then lifted a hand. ¡°Not on your own. Please. At least give me that.¡±


    ¡°I have a friend on the football team. Do you think I could train with him?¡± Derek asked.


    Mr. Jensen let out another sigh. ¡°Let me talk to some of the other football coaches and see if they can let you go on weight training day. If you had a solid week with them before the break, I suppose I¡¯d let you train with your friend.¡±


    ¡°Sick. How many days does the football team do weight training?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Mr. Jensen said before gesturing at his own body that wasn¡¯t exactly muscular. ¡°All I do is ride a bike to work.¡± Derek snorted. ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll listen to them and not overexert yourself. You were excellent in callbacks, and I don¡¯t want you to get hurt. And if you try for a week and don¡¯t want to do it, that¡¯s fine, too. We have a body suit to make you look bigger.¡±


    Derek didn¡¯t like that idea. He hadn¡¯t ever since he thought about playing Gaston. He wanted it to be as realistic as possible. Besides, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to get in shape. There was an apocalypse he was trying to prevent, after all.

 Chapter 231

    Derek thanked Mr. Jensen and walked out of the classroom and down the hall. He studied the cast list some more. Eric got the part of Chip, which was causing Baily to troll his voice. Baily got one of the three bimbette¡¯s, and Jeff got Lumiere, which he was nervous about.


    Derek shot off a text saying Jeff definitely had the singing voice, when he ran into someone.


    ¡°Oh, sorry.¡± He glanced up to see Nick, and smiled. ¡°Oh, hey! How are you?¡±


    ¡°Good. Uh¡­ good,¡± Nick said, glancing around.


    Derek¡¯s worry meter was going off. ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Fine. Perfectly fine. I was¡­ actually coming to find you. Rafael said you¡¯d probably be around the theater department.¡±


    ¡°I am indeed. Sorry, had to check the cast list.¡± A worry trickled into his soul, and Derek knew it was unfounded, but it remained all the same. It was so weird to see Nick, because he¡¯d seen Grizzizzik change into Nick. ¡°Um¡­ I hate to ask this, but¡­ the sign?¡± Derek asked.


    Nick smiled, then raised the modified obscene gesture.


    ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t mean any offense. I¡­ saw Grizzizzik as you not too long ago and it-¡±


    ¡°Dude, I will never get offended. We made this to protect your sanity, whatever sanity is left. We are all happy and willing to protect those last two remaining braincells of yours,¡± Nick said.


    Derek snorted. ¡°Can¡¯t argue with that.¡± He slid his phone back in his pocket. ¡°So what did you need me for?¡±


    ¡°So, um¡­ the ball is tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Derek said. ¡°Alejandra¡¯s doing well. She made steady and constant eye contact with Evelyn while she talked about you. Incredible progress.¡±


    ¡°Good. Good.¡± Nick glanced at the student body before again at Derek. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­ how to dance.¡±


    Derek raised an eyebrow, but that was all he dare do. ¡°I mean, this is a high school dance, not swing dance club. They don¡¯t expect too much from the student body.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. Um¡­ so what¡¯s the thing high schoolers expect.¡±


    Derek fought to keep the surprise off his face. At the same time, his heart gave a squeeze, and he bit his tongue to keep his insult at Walt in there.


    ¡°Right. No worries. It¡¯ll take two minutes to teach you, then you can lead me to Rafael. Come on,¡± Derek said, motioning for Nick to follow him.


    They walked to a less populated hallway. Derek wouldn¡¯t have minded doing this in the middle of the hallway, but he doubted Nick would talk to him if he tried this. He took off his backpack, tossing it against the wall.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Derek said. ¡°You be you, I¡¯ll be Alejandra.¡±


    ¡°Uh, okay,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°It¡¯s called the high school shuffle. You just place your hands on the girl¡¯s waist, and the girl puts her hand on the shoulders,¡± Derek said, placing his hands on Nick¡¯s shoulder.


    Nick¡¯s brow furrowed as he glanced at Derek¡¯s arms keeping his arms folded. ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re practicing. Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll go through three simple steps to elevate your dancing experience,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°God, I hate you,¡± Nick muttered before unfolding his hands and slipping his backpack off, tossing it next to Derek¡¯s. He then placed his hands on Derek¡¯s waist.


    Derek chuckled. That, more than anything, confirmed that this was indeed Nick. ¡°See? And now we shuffle,¡± Derek said, moving back and forth. Nick moved back and forth too, but his gaze was mostly jumping around to make sure no one could see, which is why Derek found a less populated place to do this.


    ¡°Alright, so this is the easy one. For me, personally, I don¡¯t like the easier one. I¡¯m going with this bad boy,¡± Derek said, lifting one of his hands off Nick¡¯s shoulder and holding it out. Nick glanced at it before once again glancing around before placing his corresponding hand in Derek¡¯s, a Grizzizzik-like scowl on his face. There was something about making Nick uncomfortable in a completely safe environment that absolutely delighted Derek.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°See? You¡¯ve got the girl¡¯s hand. Now you can spin her,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°¡¯Scuse me?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Just let go of my waist and give me a spin. Go ahead,¡± Derek said.


    A group of girls passed by, something Derek didn¡¯t notice until Nick¡¯s eyes closed and he started chewing on an insult that Nick was no doubt trying to break down into smaller bits to slip out more civilly.


    Once the girls had passed, Nick gave Derek a quick spin, his lips disappearing. ¡°I¡¯m assuming that¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Final thing is to teach you how to dip Alejandra,¡± Derek said.


    Nick¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Uh, wait-¡±


    It was too late. Derek already gripped Nick¡¯s hand, gave him a spin before using his arm to brace him before grabbing his shoulder and dipping his friend before bringing him back up. Nick had his eyes closed the entire time, and Derek was quite sure that he¡¯d get a glimpse of a Grizzizzik glare if he opened them.


    ¡°God, I hate you,¡± Nick mumbled.


    ¡°Love you too, bro,¡± Derek said, patting his shoulder.


    ¡°I¡­ do not understand you,¡± Nick said, rubbing his furrowed brows to make the Grizzizzik glare slip away before he opened his eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to. It¡¯s the joy of being friends with a theater kid. Come on. Try dipping me,¡± Derek said.


    Nick dropped his hands and moved to grab his backpack. ¡°I think I got a taste of the torture I put Grizzizzik through by having him help Milo in the lab.¡±


    ¡°Oh, undoubtably. Another month or two, and Grizzizzik will be a shining member of society,¡± Derek said.


    Nick snorted as Derek grabbed his bag and followed after him.


    ¡°Right. Well¡­¡± Nick trailed off, walking fast. ¡°You¡­ wanted to see Rafael?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I want to work out with him because I want to see if I can grow any muscles in three months when I play Gaston.¡± Derek tried to flex his arms. He wasn¡¯t necessarily boney, but he didn¡¯t have much to work with, either.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve got the part?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°I did, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Hey, congrats,¡± Nick said as Rafael came into view, leaning against a wall, waiting.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m super excited,¡± Derek said as Rafael glanced up at them. ¡°Hey, my teacher is going to talk to your old coaches. I want to start weight training.¡±


    Rafael blinked. ¡°Uh¡­ okay?¡±


    ¡°He got the part of Gaston,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Oh, hey. That¡¯s great!¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°So I want to see what kind of muscles I can grow in three months,¡± Derek said, flexing again.


    Which again caused Rafael to blink. ¡°I mean¡­ okay?¡±


    Derek snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Jensen¡¯s already assured me there is no pressure. There¡¯s a body suit for me if I¡¯m not happy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, that¡¯s good. You¡¯ve got to be careful with weight training, after all.¡± Rafael rubbed his chin. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not so much what you lift, it¡¯s what you eat. If you want, I could give you a diet plan. Make sure you get plenty of fibers and proteins. And rest. As strange as it sounds, you¡¯ll need rest.¡±


    Derek patted Rafael on the back. ¡°See, Nick? It¡¯s not a shameful thing to go to a professional to get help. Yes, Rafael, I want it. Give me the diet plan.¡±


    Rafael glanced from Nick to Derek. ¡°Professional?¡±


    ¡°Nick came asking about dancing. Taught him a few tricks to keep him from getting bored of the high school shuffle.¡±


    The scowl that was on Nick¡¯s face disappeared, and he covered more of his face in the process. The fact that Rafael had grown still made him realize this was probably one of those moments where he didn¡¯t get the full picture.


    Though a glance over his shoulder told him that Evelyn, Hazel, and Alejandra had walked out of the bathroom and heard that last part. Alejandra was glancing at her toes, frozen in spot. It didn¡¯t matter, because Nick wasn¡¯t looking at her.


    Derek glanced over at Nick. ¡°Oh, wait. Was that embarrassing for you?¡±


    ¡°God, Derek,¡± Nick muttered again.


    ¡°How? Like, really. How? I don¡¯t understand.¡± Derek then turned toward Alejandra. ¡°Hey, your date just asked me to go over the basics of dancing because he wants to make sure you both have a fun experience. I assume you¡¯re quite relieved that your partner took a crash course, so he doesn¡¯t step on your toes.¡±


    Alejandra struggled to hide her smile, which was a lot easier, considering she hadn¡¯t glanced up from the ground since she got here.


    ¡°I¡­ won¡¯t dip you. I swear,¡± Nick muttered.


    ¡°Oh, have you taught Rafael any of these moves?¡± Hazel asked.


    Rafael gave a slight frown, glancing at her. ¡°Do I¡­ step on your toes?¡±


    ¡°No, but the high school shuffle can get kind of boring,¡± Hazel said.


    ¡°Annie¡¯s a huge dancer,¡± Evelyn said.


    Derek¡¯s eyes lit up in pure excitement. ¡°Shut up. Does she swing dance?¡±


    ¡°She does all the dances,¡± Evelyn said.


    Derek¡¯s eyes widened even further. ¡°Salsa?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Tango?¡±


    ¡°All the dances, Derek.¡±


    ¡°Waltz?¡±


    ¡°Her favorite.¡±


    ¡°Flamenco?¡±


    This caused Evelyn to pause. ¡°Okay, maybe she doesn¡¯t know flamenco.¡± She glanced at Hazel. ¡°She¡¯d probably learn it just for the hell of it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know it either, but hey! We can figure it out!¡± Derek let out a sigh, the excitement still bubbling in him. ¡°God, we are going to burn that dance floor tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Wait, how do you know all these dances?¡± Hazel asked.


    Derek pointed two thumbs at himself. ¡°Theater kid.¡±


    ¡°Who goes to theater camps in Tucson every summer,¡± Nick added.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s really cool,¡± Hazel said.


    Derek had to keep himself from beaming. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Also, Derek¡¯s going to be Gaston in the school play,¡± Rafael said.


    Derek let the full beam on display as everyone congratulated him. ¡°What can I say. They really thought I¡¯d do well as a man in love with himself.¡±

 Chapter 232

    Alejandra was not ready for this, but she had to admit the most terrifying part of it wasn¡¯t that she was going with Nick. It surprised her to come to this realization, but it was also true. It still caused her to worry, but for someone who worried about things constantly, it was low on the worry list.


    No, the hardest thing was going to a hair appointment. Mariana was so excited about it, that she went with her. All Alejandra could think about was how much money they were spending on one night. She tried not to think about it, because Mariana came specifically to spend the money. Alejandra tried to remind herself that they were getting their money¡¯s worth, because she was also getting a hair cut out of this, too.


    It was a habit she could not break. Despite the years since the divorce, Alejandra was determined to not waste a penny of her mom¡¯s money. Despite things looking better, the money coming in, the bills getting paid off, and the news that both Rafael and Alejandra would have full ride scholarships for college, Alejandra couldn¡¯t gather the courage to ask for a haircut. Despite the split ends and the damage, Alejandra just lived with it. If they were going to spend sixty dollars on a haircut, she wanted it to be worth it.


    Alejandra¡¯s hair went from her elbows to below her shoulders, and she could already feel lighter. Then came the braid and the curls, before Mariana paid for it. Alejandra stayed in the corner, refusing to know how much it all cost. She didn¡¯t want to know. It would make her feel better about the whole thing.


    Once at home, she got into her dress. It was a very beautiful blue, with colorful flowers at the bottom. On Evelyn it reached her ankles, but on Alejandra, it reached her calves.


    Alejandra felt ridiculous. Moreso when she drove with Rafael to Hazel¡¯s house. It was then that she realized most of the girls in their group were made up of cheerleaders. She tried not to feel self-conscious about it all. This entire group date was formed to make sure everyone stayed close together. With Hazel and Evelyn in the group, it made sense that it¡¯d be composed of mostly cheerleaders. Tyler was already in Elmwood, hanging out with their characters while they went to the dance.


    Alejandra did not feel excited. The entire thing felt like some charade. And it somehow made it worse when they met up at the picture place and she saw Nick standing there.


    All the guilt returned, like a meteor to the chest, leaving her hallow and empty. She didn¡¯t want to wear make up for this very reason, even though she still put some on. Already she felt her eyes grow warm and her hands became claws as they grasped each other. She didn¡¯t dare ruin this dress. It was the fanciest thing she¡¯d ever worn.


    Nick looked good. She spent the moment in the car where she knew he couldn¡¯t see her to look at him. She didn¡¯t know where he got the gray suit, but it worked on him. Really, really worked. He also had a blue tie on, and he had his arms folded, talking with Derek and Annie. His hair was combed, and he looked respectable. Alejandra understood the quiet insult that it was, and promised herself she¡¯d never say that out loud. Around his father he was always glaring, and the past month he was practically a delinquent. But here, with friends, Nick wasn¡¯t glaring. In fact, he had a small, relaxed smile on his face.


    Alejandra blinked, feeling a tear fall. Dammit, how did that tear sneak up on her. She quickly pulled out her phone and used it as a mirror to make sure it didn¡¯t mess up her makeup. Her stomach rolled as she started to panic. She took off her glasses to dab at her eye before hastily putting them back on again.


    ¡°Alejandra?¡± Rafael asked.


    He had gotten out of the car to open Hazel¡¯s door and saw her.


    ¡°Fine. Fine. I¡¯m fine,¡± she said, placing her glasses back on. ¡°Completely fine.¡±


    Rafael raised an eyebrow as Hazel turned around. Hazel reached over and squeezed Alejandra¡¯s hand. ¡°You look fantastic.¡±


    The tear was gone, and she nodded, trying to believe it. Alejandra told herself that she could take a moment to breathe when Rafael glanced behind his shoulder, which is when Alejandra noticed Nick walking toward them.


    The hallow feeling in her chest burst, and she stifled a gasp as she gripped the edge of the seat. Nick opened her door, smiling. ¡°Hey? I wanted to get the door for you.¡±


    Alejandra swallowed as she nodded. She scooted over and got out of the car. She stared at Nick¡¯s brown shoes that looked really nice.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°I figure now is as good a time as any to ask. I¡¯ve got all the rules memorized. I¡¯m still happy to follow them if you want. I¡¯m just wondering if there¡¯s anything you want to add or remove, now that you know the truth about the past month,¡± Nick whispered.


    Alejandra couldn¡¯t look at him. She focused hard on the ground, blinking multiple times for the tears to remain in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ um¡­¡± Her panicked mind couldn¡¯t focus.


    ¡°Think about it and let me know,¡± Nick said.


    Alejandra nodded.


    They took pictures, and Alejandra couldn¡¯t do it. She couldn¡¯t pretend she was happy. She was nervous, panicky, and she couldn¡¯t even place why.


    They had their dinner, and she was aware she hadn¡¯t answered Nick¡¯s question. At least they were in a group. A group that involved far more social people. If it was just her and Nick, this would be torture. She felt Nick¡¯s gaze on her, but she refused to meet it. Sure, she made progress by being in his vicinity, sitting next to him at the restaurant, but it still hurt.


    ¡°Shut up! First place salsa winner?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°I mean, sixth grade, Derek,¡± Annie said.


    ¡°That¡¯s sick!¡± Derek glanced at Rafael. ¡°Do they play salsa music at high school dances?¡±


    Rafael shrugged. ¡°You¡¯d know better than me.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to request some,¡± Annie said.


    ¡°Hell yes, we will,¡± Derek said.


    Alejandra was so full. Disgustingly so. She didn¡¯t want a bite to go to waste, because this restaurant seemed expensive. But she was definitely regretting it when she pushed her empty plate away.


    ¡°Hey, I really like your dress,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alejandra said, focusing on the plate. ¡°It¡¯s your sister¡¯s.¡± When she thought about what she said, that had to be an insult somehow. It definitely felt weird to say that. ¡°I¡­ I mean¡­¡±


    Nick chuckled. ¡°I guess I never saw Evelyn wearing it. Still, it looks nice.¡±


    Alejandra almost reached up for a lock of hair to play with when she remembered it was beautifully curled and she didn¡¯t want to mess it up. ¡°Um¡­ yeah. Yeah, okay.¡±


    Her mind was scattered. She needed to think straight. She closed her eyes, because it was easier. ¡°I¡­ would like to dance. But I don¡¯t¡­ think I feel comfortable asking you. Can¡­ you?¡±


    She did it. Despite her scrambled mind, she got her thoughts across.


    ¡°Yeah. I can do that.¡±


    She glanced up at him, meeting his gaze. He had that slight smile on his face that caused her heart to race. She swallowed, and even then, she barely managed to get out a, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ***


    Evelyn knew she and the other four of them had a rule. No one was allowed to be alone. At the dance floor, two people needed to be by each other¡¯s side at all times.


    Pictures were easy. Dinner was easy. It was the gym she knew would be difficult. Rafael refused to leave Hazel¡¯s side. Rafael and Derek promised to stay close to each other on the dance floor, never letting either one of them out of their sight. Evelyn¡¯s job was to remain in sight of Nick and Alejandra, and the way that both of them remained by the wall would make it a bit harder.


    ¡°So¡­ I don¡¯t want to sound offensive by any means,¡± her date Jeff said. Evelyn glanced at Derek¡¯s friend, worried about what he might say. Anything that started with that phrase couldn¡¯t be good. ¡°For my own self-preservation, is¡­ there a reason we need to stay so close to your brother?¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s face relaxed into a smile. True, she didn¡¯t have a good enough answer, but she had heard the rumors swirling around. ¡°My brother is not going to attack you if you do something he doesn¡¯t like.¡±


    That statement made Evelyn realized just how stressed Jeff had been the entire night. All the tension melted off his body, and he looked like he could walk on air. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    Evelyn smiled. ¡°I mean, he knows I can hold my own if the situation needs it.¡±


    Just like that, all the tension returned. Evelyn forgot this was one of Derek¡¯s friends. Someone a bit more prone to the dramatics.


    ¡°I¡­ just want to say that I¡¯m not¡­ never in any way have I¡­¡± Jeff started to say.


    Evelyn raised a hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay Jeff. You came highly recommended by Derek. I¡¯m just here to have fun.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jeff said. He nodded, far more sure. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s all I want.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. Do you want to dance?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°I do, yeah.¡±


    Evelyn smiled as they went out on the dance floor, doing the high school shuffle as she knew further in, Derek and Annie were tearing up the dance floor. But she remained, well within line of sight of Nick and Alejandra. Alejandra kept looking at her feet, and Nick kept glancing at Alejandra, though she never met his gaze. It was honestly heartbreaking.


    The song ended, and a salsa song came on.


    ¡°God, the showoff,¡± Jeff said with a smile.


    Evelyn smiled at that, too. ¡°Perfect for Gaston, right?¡±


    ¡°That friend of mine was born to play that role,¡± Jeff said. ¡°I want to go watch. Do you want to join?¡±


    It¡¯d be too far away from Nick and Alejandra. Evelyn¡¯s job was to stay near them. Even the short walk where she was lost between Derek and Rafael¡¯s group and Nick and Alejandra made her too nervous.


    ¡°You go ahead. I¡¯ll be at the refreshment table,¡± Evelyn said.


    Jeff nodded. ¡°Alright. See you later.¡±


    Evelyn kept her eye on her brother as she walked to the table. Thankfully that, too, was close.


    ¡°Hello, Evelyn.¡±


    Despite the friendly and warm tone, her heartrate still skyrocketed, and did not calm down until she stared at Se?ora Florez.


    ¡°Hello, Se?ora,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Thank you for being here.¡±


    Se?ora Florez nodded. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t dare. Especially since neither one of us has seen Akshi in over a month.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Evelyn said, grabbing a store bought cookie and nibbling it. ¡°Neither have we.¡±


    Se?ora Florez shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t like any of this.¡±


    Evelyn glanced again at Nick and Alejandra against the wall. She needed to make sure they were safe.

 Chapter 233

    Alejandra had to wonder if she seriously needed help. Professional help. Judging by the happy smiling faces, people rarely let mistakes crush them as badly as she was letting this mistake crush her. Derek certainly took mistakes he had made in strides. Now he and Annie were creating a circle of spectators as they salsa danced, acting like he hadn¡¯t been kidnapped weeks ago. At ease with himself. Having fun, despite the occasional glance in Rafael¡¯s direction to make sure they stayed close to each other.


    She was still shaking about her mistake. Still unable to look Nick in the eye for long. It was a miracle she could remain by his side, and part of her knew she was only doing this because she did not want to be on her own right now.


    The thing she was dreading the most finally happened. The group was staying together, but apart, and Alejandra remained by Nick in complete silence. Loud, awkward, soul crushing silence. Her hands were behind her back, and she tried to think of something to say, but mostly she tried not to think about how many times she failed in her life.


    The song ended, and Nick glanced over at her. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know how to salsa, so this is a slow enough dance. Do you want to join me?¡±


    Alejandra¡¯s voice didn¡¯t work. Instead she nodded. She needed to dance with Nick at least once. To tell herself she could do this.


    They walked onto the dance floor, and Nick checked to see Jeff and Evelyn not that far. He almost touched her when his gaze then shot toward something right past her shoulder. Alarmed, Alejandra glanced over her shoulder to see Rafael and Hazel walking toward them. More like Rafael holding Hazel up.


    ¡°Something¡¯s up,¡± Rafael said, his voice urgent. ¡°Hazel¡¯s drugged. Somehow. We haven¡¯t touched the refreshment table.¡±


    Alejandra¡¯s heart dropped, seeing Hazel struggling to keep her eyes open.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Nick muttered.


    Evelyn was by their side so fast, Alejandra had to wonder if she had some sort of teleportation herself.


    ¡°Hazel?¡± Evelyn asked, going on the other side.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get her on the bleachers.¡±


    ¡°What do you need us to do?¡± Nick asked.


    Rafael jerked his thumb over his shoulders. ¡°Go find Derek. Both of you. Get him to dance closer to here. We¡¯ll stay by Hazel.¡±


    Nick nodded, and took Alejandra¡¯s arm, moving deeper into the dance floor. Alejandra was grateful for the distraction, because it meant that her heart was split between what was happening, and the jolt she felt as Nick placed his hand in hers.


    ¡°Come on, I see Derek. Let¡¯s tell him what happened,¡± Nick said, leading her toward the middle of the dance floor.


    ***


    Rafael was sweating, and it wasn¡¯t just because this was a hot dance floor. Hazel was mumbling something under her breath as Rafael and Evelyn led her toward the bleachers. He didn¡¯t dare leave the dance floor. Hazel wasn¡¯t looking good, and in any other circumstance, he would have suggested she go outside for fresh air.


    How did she get drugged? They hadn¡¯t been near the refreshment table. They were dealing with magical people, though. But Hazel shouldn¡¯t be affected by spells and magic. Sure, the deadline got shorter, but not that short. People of earth shouldn¡¯t get touched by magic to the full extent yet.


    ¡°She¡¯s going to vomit,¡± Evelyn whispered.


    Rafael held in a groan. There were bathrooms in the other corner of the gym. They wouldn¡¯t make it in time.


    Se?ora Florez showed up, her eyes darting over the situation. ¡°Come on. Bathrooms are over here,¡± she said.


    Se?ora Florez and Evelyn helped Hazel to her feet as they walked outside the gym. Something inside Rafael was screaming. They shouldn¡¯t leave. Not the dance floor. They shouldn¡¯t split the party. But Hazel was going to throw up, and Evelyn was already gone. Rafael needed to stay by them.


    He glanced around to see Nick, Derek, and Alejandra much closer to the door. Nick had his head craned, watching Evelyn disappear out the door, and gestured for Rafael to do the same.


    Right. Evelyn wasn¡¯t supposed to be alone. Rafael refused to think. He walked out the door, jogging to catch up. The three women slipped into the girl¡¯s bathroom, and Rafael started pacing. He was going through everything that could go wrong, some sort of spell that made him think that they were here, but they were really all being kidnapped. His heart was pounding in his chest.


    ¡°Rafael,¡± Evelyn whispered.


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


    He realized he could see her. She was against the wall leading into the bathroom, and he could tell she was staring right at them. It was a way to give him updates without him being there. He was seriously considering walking into the girl¡¯s bathroom, anyway. This was a matter of life or death. He needed to make sure Hazel was okay. If anything happened to her, he would-


    A hand grabbed his mouth, keeping him from screaming. He was jerked away, and he instinctively grabbed the hand, trying to break the grip.


    ¡°Rafael!¡± Evelyn shouted.


    He struggled in the grip as he was dragged backwards. He tried to elbow his assailant, but it wasn¡¯t working. Evelyn ran out of the bathroom, only for a hooded figure to jump over to Evelyn and grab her, too.


    Rafael tried to break free, but he was shoved into the janitor¡¯s closet. He sprinted for the door when Evelyn was thrown into him. His hands instinctively caught her waist as they both collapsed. He hit his head on the shelving, but pushed past the injuries and scrambled to his feet again, sprinting toward the door.


    Akshi stood at the doorway, a smirk on his face before he moved his wrist and the door slammed shut on its own.


    ¡°NO!¡± Rafael shouted, slamming his shoulder against the door. It didn¡¯t budge. He grabbed the knob, but it was locked. Rafael backed away again to give him space before sprinting to the door, putting all the speed and power he could, pretending he was tackling an opponent. The door rocked but remained firm.


    ¡°Hazel!¡± Rafael shouted, trying it again. ¡°Hazel!¡±


    The door wouldn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Rafael!¡± Evelyn shouted.


    He couldn¡¯t look at her. He just backed away and rammed into the door again. His shoulder was smarting.


    ¡°Rafael! Can you teleport Ezekiel?¡± Evelyn shouted.


    Rafael leaned against the door, trying to keep a level head. Evelyn was right. They had a plan for this. He closed his eyes, trying to feel the connection he had with his cleric. When it didn¡¯t come, he panicked, before trying to ease the panic. He could do this. He could bring Ezekiel.


    When the feeling was gone, he opened his eyes and looked at Evelyn. She had tears streaming down her cheeks. ¡°Can you¡­¡± Rafael started to say. ¡°Princess Clarissa. Can you feel¡­¡±


    Evelyn shook her head, the tears streaming. ¡°Anti-magic,¡± Evelyn whispered. ¡°He must have set up an anti-magic field in here. And¡­ it must be what¡¯s stopping us from teleporting them in.¡±


    Rafael gave it barely a second¡¯s thought before he checked his pockets. His phone, his keys, everything was gone. Akshi must have pickpocketed him somehow. No doubt Evelyn was discovering the same thing. They had no way to communicate with anyone. They were stuck.


    Rafael shrugged off his jacket and backed away again.


    ¡°Rafael,¡± Evelyn said.


    He said nothing. He just shouted as he rammed himself into the door again.


    ¡°Stop! You¡¯ll hurt yourself!¡± Evelyn said.


    He ignored her as he backed up again. He didn¡¯t care if there was an anti-magic field around them. He refused to believe they were stuck. He threw himself against the door again and again. Hazel was out there. Se?ora Florez was out there. No one was checking on him. Perhaps they were already stolen.


    Rafael threw himself at the door before Evelyn shouted at him to stop. He could feel the blood trickling from the scrape from the shelving. He kicked the door, shouting in frustration before he beat his palms against it.


    ¡°Someone! Anyone!¡± Rafael shouted.


    ¡°Hello!¡± Evelyn shouted with him. ¡°Please! Somebody help!¡±


    No one came.


    ¡°They must know the silence ritual,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°No,¡± Rafael said, refusing to feel defeated even as his shoulder¡¯s sagged. ¡°No!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t let Akshi steal Hazel. He couldn¡¯t. They never should have split the party. He knew something bad would happen. This was all his fault.


    He backed away again, and Evelyn watched with tear-stained cheeks as he threw himself against the door again and again.


    ***


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll be okay?¡±


    It was the first words Alejandra spoke to Nick since they got to the dance floor. It was the first real sentence she¡¯d spoken all night. Alejandra was staring at the door Rafael left a minute before. Alejandra hadn¡¯t taken her eyes off the door since, and Nick obliged by making sure they just shuffled instead of turning in a circle as they shuffled. Nick had his back to the door, but he figured he could tell what happened by reading Alejandra¡¯s face. She was surprisingly easy to read. The furrow of the brow, the worry. Something happened, and Nick didn¡¯t like any of it.


    Nick glanced over at Derek, who was doing some sort of fancy dance move with Annie. ¡°Once this song¡¯s done, I¡¯ll convince Derek and Annie to take a break and we¡¯ll go check on them.¡±


    Alejandra nodded, her eyes still on the door, and his eyes still on her face. She glanced at him, and they made eye contact. He picked up on the shame immediately as she looked away.


    ¡°Alejandra,¡± Nick started to say.


    She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.


    She shook her head again. ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°I want to help.¡±


    She kept shaking her head, so he let go of her waist to hold her chin, stopping her from shaking her head. ¡°I ended up asking Evelyn. Apparently what Chaos had you hear was that¡­ that I told you that you wouldn¡¯t understand because your father gave you brain damage for beating you all throughout your childhood.¡± Alejandra winced, but Nick kept a hold of her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. That must have caused you a lot of pain to hear that.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t you that said it,¡± Alejandra whispered.


    ¡°You still heard it. And I was in a way directly responsible for it. So, I am sorry.¡±


    Alejandra kept looking at him. It was the longest she had kept his gaze, and Nick wasn¡¯t complaining. She always had the prettiest eyes. He already had his hands on her jawline. He lifted a hand to brush some strands of hair from her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry. For slapping you,¡± Alejandra whispered.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that hard, actually,¡± Nick said, taking a step closer to her. ¡°I was honestly surprised you didn¡¯t punch me in the face.¡±


    A smile flickered on her face, and Nick celebrated it as the victory it was.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t deserve it,¡± Alejandra said, the smile disappearing.


    ¡°You apologized. I forgive you.¡± He could not stop stroking her cheek with his thumb, despite no tears on her cheeks. ¡°And best of all, we¡¯ll never have to deal with Chaos again.¡±


    Alejandra kept her gaze on him. ¡°That¡¯d be nice.¡±


    He didn¡¯t realize how close he was to her. All he needed to do was lean down and he could kiss her. Alejandra must have thought the same thing, because the smile disappeared. She wanted to. He could read that enough on her face. But the shame was still there. She told him that he deserved someone better, and the only one who believed it was her.


    ¡°Alejandra-¡± he started to say.


    A scaly arm wrapped around Alejandra¡¯s waist and yanked her out of Nick¡¯s arms.

 Chapter 234

    Rafael screamed as he rammed his shoulder into the door.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Evelyn shouted. ¡°God, Rafael! Please stop before you break your shoulder!¡±


    He gripped his arm, grunting as he dropped to his knees. Maybe he could try the other shoulder. No doubt he would get quite the bruise from this. But he couldn¡¯t stop. Hazel was out there.


    Evelyn drew near him, and he jerked away.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not going to hurt you,¡± Evelyn said.


    Rafael was panting, still holding his arm. He was on his knees at the door, feeling tears racing down his cheeks.


    ¡°God, Rafael. You¡¯re already hurt!¡±


    He heard Evelyn¡¯s shuffling footsteps in the small closet. She searched before grabbing a first aid kit off the wall and walking toward him.


    ¡°I can do it,¡± Rafael said, still panting.


    ¡°The cut is on the back of your head,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°I can do it.¡± He reached out for the kit but Evelyn held it to her, glaring.


    ¡°God, Rafael. You don¡¯t have to do this on your own.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you. Just give it to me,¡± Rafael said, holding his hand out.


    Evelyn raised an eyebrow. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Rafael was still panting, hand out, staring at the first aid kit. He refused to look at her. The reason why he threw himself at the door was mostly for Hazel, but also because he didn¡¯t dare sit long enough to realize he was in a small closet with Evelyn.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done it before,¡± Rafael whispered. ¡°I might do it again.¡±


    Evelyn stared at him, and he refused to look back. ¡°Um¡­ will you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    His mind was scattered. He knew nothing made sense, and replaying the words he said, he realized how creepy they sounded. Yet Evelyn stood there, holding the first aid kit, not frightened. Even smiling a little.


    Evelyn glanced down at the first aid kit. ¡°I just want to check that cut on the back of your head. I can see it better than you can. Let me put a bandage on it, then I¡¯ll go back to the corner. And you can keep beating down the door if you want.¡± She paused, then screwed up her face. ¡°Actually, I want you to stop that. It really could mess up your shoulder.¡±


    Rafael said nothing. He turned away from her, feeling the sticky blood on his neck. He wasn¡¯t sure how much was there, but enough for Evelyn to notice.


    Evelyn took his silence as permission. She opened the first aid kit as she knelt on the ground behind him. Rafael closed his eyes, the tears continuing to fall as Evelyn checked the cut on the back of his head. Rafael¡¯s ears were ringing from the phantom sounds of his shoulder ramming into the door as Evelyn quietly bandaged the wound.


    ***


    Nick froze for half a second before he forced his brain in gear.


    Alejandra started screaming as Akshi forced her over his shoulders and dropped to the ground, slithering away.


    ¡°No!¡± Nick shouted, running after them.


    It was one of the most unsettling things Nick had ever seen. Alejandra was being dragged away, screaming, and no one was paying any attention. All their fellow high schoolers kept dancing like nothing was wrong. Like they couldn¡¯t see Alejandra being dragged away by a giant snake man.


    Akshi slammed into the fire alarm door before escaping into the darkness. Nick sprinted, forcing himself onto the door, which is when the alarm sounded. He didn¡¯t care. Let everyone be aware. It was terrifying how no one noticed.


    Akshi moved fast when he was flat on the ground. Nick was driven by desperation and adrenaline. Alejandra kept screaming, clawing at the ground to stop Akshi¡¯s movements, but the crime lord of Osvoroth wouldn¡¯t be stopped.


    Nick kept focus on Akshi as he concentrated, feeling his connection with Grizzizzik. The rogue appeared, dropping to the ground as Nick was already sprinting past him.


    ¡°Kill him! Kill him! He¡¯s got Alejandra!¡± Nick shouted.


    Grizzizzik sprung into action, chasing after Akshi. Hraktar appeared too, glancing around before his eyes widened at the scene. Alejandra was a lot closer to Akshi, so Hraktar was closer. Hraktar unsheathed his great sword as he ran to catch up with Akshi.


    ¡°He¡¯s mine,¡± Grizzizzik hissed. ¡°That piece of shit is mine.¡±


    A dimension door appeared, and Nick¡¯s heart stopped. They couldn¡¯t escape. He could not let Akshi and Alejandra travel through that door.


    He pumped his legs, getting closer, as Hraktar let out a bellow and stabbed with his great sword. The sword pierced right through Akshi, cutting off the lower half of his body. Akshi shouted in pain as he dropped Alejandra. She scrambled to her feet, running straight for Nick.


    ¡°Alejandra!¡± Nick shouted, arms wide.


    Akshi chanted something, throwing his hands toward her. Alejandra was frozen in spot, then started to sink.


    ¡°No! No!¡± Nick shouted, running up to her as she started to sink further into the earth.


    ¡°Nick!¡± Alejandra shouted, reaching out to him.


    Time froze for everyone to roll for initiative. Nick rolled, not caring. He needed to get to Alejandra. Time unfroze, and Nick grabbed Alejandra¡¯s hand, trying to pull her out. Akshi had cast dimension door on the ground, and Alejandra was slowly sinking into it.


    ¡°Nick,¡± Alejandra whispered as he grabbed her arm, pulling her out.


    A crack of thunder sounded, and both Hraktar and Grizzizzik were thrown back, shouting in pain. Nick grabbed Alejandra¡¯s arm with both his hands, but she wasn¡¯t moving.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s got me,¡± Alejandra whispered, tears running down her cheeks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let go,¡± Nick pleaded.


    Akshi punched Nick in the gut. He screamed in pain, dropping to his knees as a gray mark exploded into life. Alejandra¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Nick!¡±


    Nick¡¯s vision blurred as he stumbled back, his shirt blossoming with blood. Too much blood. Akshi stared, his head cocked to one side. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this interesting.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Nick groaned as Alejandra slipped through the dimension door. Nick stumbled to his feet, trying to punch Akshi, but Akshi grabbed his wrist, smiling.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t punch you this hard. What is this?¡± Akshi said.


    Akshi ripped Nick¡¯s shirt open. Nick panted, struggling to keep the gray marks hidden. Akshi couldn¡¯t figure out what they did. Nick, Derek, Evelyn, and Tyler would all be in danger if he did.


    Hraktar slammed his great sword into Akshi¡¯s side. Akshi shouted, but kept a grip on Nick, spinning around and grabbing Nick¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Do that again and I will kill him,¡± Akshi hissed.


    Hraktar raised his sword again but froze, eyes wide. Nick couldn¡¯t walk. He was losing consciousness. That cut in his belly was deep. Dangerously so.


    ¡°Let the boy go,¡± Hraktar said, lowing his sword. ¡°Your fight is with us.¡±


    Nick panted as the dice prompted him to roll. It was Grizzizzik¡¯s turn. He couldn¡¯t stay frozen in time. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could bleed out while time was frozen, but he didn¡¯t want to find out.


    He dropped the dice on the table before gripping his wound, trying to pinch it closed.


    Grizzizzik started to move forward. Akshi snorted, before elbowing Nick in the face. Nick screamed as another gray mark appeared. Akshi¡¯s eyes were dancing in delight.


    ¡°What an absolutely fascinating find!¡± Akshi said.


    ¡°Nick!¡± Hraktar said.


    It felt like someone had punctured his lungs. He wasn¡¯t sure if the stab wound could go that deep, but his mind was certainly thinking that happened.


    Nick dropped to his knees, grabbing his torso. Two. Two deep stab wounds, his eyes burning with pain. With a quick jerk, Akshi tore Nick¡¯s shirt and jacket off, his eyes traveling over the gray marks with a delighted look on his face. ¡°If only I could take you with me,¡± Akshi muttered. ¡°I¡¯d love to study this further.¡±


    Akshi¡¯s head jerked back. Nick didn¡¯t register someone had thrown a hammer at Akshi¡¯s face until Akshi stumbled back, snarling.


    ¡°You dare to-¡±


    Mr. Anderson appeared with another hammer, slamming it down hard on Akshi¡¯s head. ¡°Save your villain monologue for someone who cares,¡± Mr. Anderson said.


    ¡°Nick!¡± It was Derek. Nick¡¯s friend grabbed him, easing him on the ground as Milo ran up next to them, completely out of breath.


    ¡°Alejandra. Alejandra,¡± was all Nick could get out.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Derek said, his eyes wide as they traveled down Nick¡¯s torso. ¡°Oh, god, no.¡± Derek shed his coat and pressed it against Nick¡¯s wounds.


    ¡°Alejandra,¡± Nick kept saying. ¡°He¡¯s got Alejandra.¡±


    Grizzizzik¡¯s knees gave out and Milo caught him before he sank to the ground. The rogue panted before shooting Nick a worried look.


    Akshi started laughing. ¡°Nick getting hurt does affect you, doesn¡¯t it.¡±


    Mr. Anderson hit Akshi again in the head with all his might with the hammer. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, because you will not touch Nick again.¡±


    Hraktar roared, slamming his great sword into Akshi before stabbing him right through the gut. Akshi¡¯s laugh was horse as a dimension door opened up and Akshi backed into it.


    ¡°No.¡± It was weak, but Nick tried to sit up. To follow Akshi, but Derek forced him down. It didn¡¯t take much. Nick¡¯s vision spun as he stared at the sky. ¡°Alejandra. Alejandra.¡±


    His vision went dark.


    ***


    Derek swore as he placed his phone against his ear.


    ¡°911, what¡¯s your emergency.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m outside Elmwood high. I need an ambulance. Now,¡± Derek said, his voice in a panic. ¡°My friend¡¯s been stabbed. Twice. Please! Hurry.¡±


    A thunk brought his attention to Grizzizzik. Milo, tried as he might, simply couldn¡¯t keep holding the rogue. Grizzizzik fell unconscious soon after Nick did.


    ¡°Shit. Shit. Shit,¡± Derek said.


    He couldn¡¯t focus. Mr. Anderson knelt on the other side of Derek. Nick had two stab wounds that he didn¡¯t dare lift his suit coat jacket to check to see how deep they were. Nick was as pale as death. Grizzizzik was on the ground, too, unresponsive.


    ¡°If we heal Grizzizzik, will that heal Nick, too?¡± Milo asked, looking at Hraktar.


    The fighter shrugged, eyes wide. ¡°Where is Ezekiel?¡±


    ¡°Shit. Shit, I¡¯m doing this all wrong,¡± Derek said as the 911 worker was trying to say something. ¡°I¡¯ll call you back.¡±


    Derek then hung up on the worker. ¡°Mr. Anderson, call 911. I need to give Hraktar my phone.¡±


    Derek scrambled to his feet as Mr. Anderson pulled out his own phone. He didn¡¯t care how weird it probably sounded to the 911 worker as he handed his phone over to Hraktar.


    ¡°Keep this with you. It¡¯s got the tracker app on it. Alejandra might teleport you, and we need to know where you guys are. We can still save her.¡±


    Hraktar nodded, then took Derek¡¯s phone. A shattering of glass sounded, then Hraktar¡¯s eyes widened as he glanced down at the phone. Derek gasped as the phone in the half orc¡¯s palm started sparking.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Hraktar said. He looked again at Derek, eyes as wide as saucers. ¡°Deities above, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Evelyn or Rafael still have the app,¡± Derek said, grabbing the phone again, trying to turn it on.


    Tears filled Hraktar¡¯s eyes as he blinked them away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Hraktar. It¡¯ll work out. We¡¯ll get someone¡¯s phone in time, I promise.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Hraktar muttered again, eyes downcast.


    Mr. Anderson was talking calmly to the worker, and Derek could hear sirens.


    ¡°Where is Rafael?¡±


    ¡°Hopefully somewhere close so we can get Ezekiel here,¡± Milo said, trying to do his own examination of Grizzizzik.


    ¡°How is he?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Milo said.


    Derek glanced above Grizzizzik¡¯s head to see 13/49 HP. Sure, Akshi hit Grizzizzik hard, but he shouldn¡¯t be unconscious. He still had thirteen hit points. Yet Grizzizzik was out, and not even Milo¡¯s hard slap against his face was getting the rogue to wake up.


    Derek heard sirens, but the weird part was that he also heard hoofs beating against the ground. Derek stood, searching the dark grounds before he saw them. Ezekiel and Tyler riding on a black warhorse.


    Derek¡¯s heart pounded in his chest. Something about this scene made alarm bells go off in his head.


    Clarissa the war horse rode right up to them. Ezekiel and Tyler jumped right off.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Tyler asked, sounding out of breath.


    ¡°Akshi,¡± Derek said. ¡°He¡¯s got Alejandra, and punched Nick in the process. The gray marks. They¡¯re deep.¡±


    Tyler swore. He gripped his knees, taking a few unsteady breaths. He let out a final one before standing up straight.


    ¡°Rafael and Evelyn haven¡¯t teleported their characters to them. We need to track them down,¡± Tyler said.


    Derek realized that was what was wrong with this picture. Ezekiel and Clarissa shouldn¡¯t be here. Clarissa had changed back to her elf form, and Ezekiel was kneeling next to Grizzizzik, touching the rogue¡¯s chest as the cleric grasped his medallion.


    ¡°There was something wrong with Hazel. Rafael and Evelyn took her outside the gym to check on her.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Molly since then, either,¡± Mr. Anderson said.


    ¡°Give me your phone,¡± Derek said. ¡°We¡¯ve got to give Hraktar a phone with the tracker app before Alejandra teleports him.¡±


    Tyler didn¡¯t even question it as he pulled it out of his pocket. Derek took it and placed it in Hraktar¡¯s inventory, giving the fighter a pat on the back. ¡°See? We took care of it. No harm done,¡± Derek said.


    Hraktar nodded, still unable to speak.


    ¡°Shall I try and heal Nick?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    Tyler¡¯s face physically crumpled. ¡°Yes,¡± Tyler whispered. ¡°God, yes. Whatever you can do, try and heal those injuries. We¡¯ll worry about the consequences later.¡±


    Ezekiel nodded as he moved over to Nick, who was still too pale.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Derek asked, looking at Tyler.


    ¡°Mr. Anderson, are you okay staying here with Nick and Grizzizzik?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Yes. Go find the others,¡± Mr. Anderson said. ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not working,¡± Ezekiel said, turning toward Tyler. ¡°My guess is Rafael is somewhere where he cannot roll the dice. I don¡¯t have my healing powers.¡±


    Derek felt color drain from his face before his gaze shot toward Tyler.


    Tyler¡¯s hands shook as he rubbed his chin. ¡°Hraktar¡¯s got a tracker app on him. We can¡¯t do anything for Alejandra until she teleports him. Right now, what has me worried is that Rafael and Evelyn are somewhere somehow incapable of teleporting their characters.¡± Tyler turned around and headed toward the gym doors. ¡°I need to know why, or else Alejandra¡¯s situation might get so much worse.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Derek asked, jogging to catch up with Tyler.


    ¡°Because if Akshi has figured out how to keep us from teleporting our characters, our lives just got a thousand percent more complicated,¡± Tyler said. ¡°And Alejandra is all by herself. With Akshi.¡±

 Chapter 235

    Alejandra was shivering. It was comfortably warm in this room, but she still shook, tears spilling down her cheeks. She was a mess. She hadn¡¯t stopped trembling since those hooded figures pulled her in from the ceiling. There were no windows, no furniture. The door was locked, even though she tried it every other minute just to be sure. She had to get out. She had to get to Nick.


    Nick. Akshi hurt him, and one of his gray marks came to life. The deadline of the apocalypse was sooner, and Nick¡¯s scream still haunted her memory. He was in pain. Those marks were no longer scratches. They were deep. Deadly deep. Was he okay?


    She tried the knob again at the door, wanting to kick it in frustration. Nick was hurt, and she was somewhere. True, there were a lot more people around Nick, and he might be fine, but she wasn¡¯t one of them.


    Not only that, but she was placed in a locked room that only Akshi knew about. She couldn¡¯t remain here. She went over to the door, starting to kick it. While Akshi had placed her over his shoulders, she could feel his mage hand feeling over her body, no doubt trying to find her phone and tossed it to one side once he found it. She had no way of contacting anyone. She knew she needed to teleport Hraktar here, but she also needed to make sure there had been plenty of time for someone to give him a phone. Hraktar might have made quick work with this door, but if no one else knew where Hraktar ended up, then it would be pointless. Akshi could have a whole army outside the door, and Hraktar would be killed.


    She tried the knob again before bracing herself against it, trying not to cry. She couldn¡¯t let Hraktar be killed. Hraktar meant so much to her. The gentle giant with a heart of gold. But she couldn¡¯t stay here, either. Nick was hurt. She needed to make sure someone got to him.


    She slapped the door. She couldn¡¯t let Akshi do this. That snake was capable of torturing someone to the point where they ended up shells of their former self, and she refused to let that become her. She closed her eyes, connecting with Hraktar.


    Nothing happened.


    ***


    Rafael remained on his knees, his soul screaming at him to stand back up and ram his body against the door. Hazel was in trouble. Why couldn¡¯t he stand up and throw himself against the door? He remained on his knees, staring at the door, trying not to feel the overwhelming guilt.


    ¡°Rafael?¡± Evelyn asked.


    She had the tone in her voice where it seemed like she had been trying to talk to him for ten minutes. He was breaking out of the brain fog, though he still stared at the door.


    ¡°S¡¯all my fault,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°How,¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°I knew we shouldn¡¯t have split the party,¡± Rafael said. He closed his eyes, resting his head against the door, trying once again to summon Ezekiel. Nothing happened.


    ¡°And done what, exactly? Gotten everyone in the group to the bathroom before Hazel vomited?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Those hooded people would have still been there,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°We could have taken them.¡±


    ¡°It would have been chaos,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Hazel would have been alright,¡± Rafael said. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    If another girl he cared about got hurt because of what he did¡­ what he failed to do¡­.


    Rafael placed his head against the door, trying to keep in a sob. He needed to stand up and ram against the door again. Throw everything he had to this. But his body felt like it weighed a ton, and his soul was screaming under the weight.


    ¡°Rafael,¡± Evelyn said quietly.


    He shook his head, his forehead still against the door. He couldn¡¯t look at her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°For what?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Everything,¡± Rafael said, the sob threatening to take over. In his guilt for not doing enough now, he needed to apologize for something he¡¯d been procrastinating on. Perhaps it would ease the screaming in his soul. ¡°I¡¯m sorry we¡¯re stuck in here. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t break down the door.¡±


    Rafael ventured a glance at her. She was sitting on the ground in her ballgown. It was a soft blue color, with little snowflake rhinestones sprinkled throughout. It was fit for a princess. Evelyn placed her head against the wall, closing her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for showing up drunk.¡± He placed his palm on the door. ¡°For assaulting you.¡±


    There was a silence before Evelyn brought her legs up and hugged them tightly. ¡°I¡­ know.¡±


    He figured that¡¯d be the end of the conversation. Rafael kept his forehead against the door, feeling the tears spill over again. He hoped the silence out there meant Derek, Nick, and Alejandra were working hard to get Hazel.


    ¡°So, um¡­ what would you have said?¡± Evelyn asked.


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    Rafael opened his eyes, glancing at Evelyn. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°If you¡­¡± She tightened her grip over her legs, the fabric spilling over and keeping her covered. ¡°If you didn¡¯t show up drunk, what would you have said?¡±


    Rafael stared at her, then glanced away. It hadn¡¯t necessarily been something he thought about. Just berated himself for drinking in the first place. ¡°I guess¡­¡± Rafael stared at the crack in the door. ¡°I guess I¡­¡± he closed his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Then pretend. Pretend you¡¯re fourteen-year-old Rafael, showing up that night, and you¡¯re sober,¡± Evelyn whispered. ¡°What would you have said?¡±


    Rafael furrowed his brow. ¡°Probably explain how hard it had been since my parent¡¯s divorce.¡±


    Evelyn nodded. ¡°I remember you mentioning that.¡± Rafael flinched. He hadn¡¯t remembered much about what he said. Just what he did. ¡°I¡¯m ruining the illusion, aren¡¯t I. Keep going, Rafael. What else would you have said to me?¡±


    Rafael rubbed his arms. ¡°It was hard. I was still¡­ scared. Scared dad would return and kill us all in our sleep.¡± Rafael stared at his hands. ¡°There were talks of sending us to foster care. My mom couldn¡¯t take care of us. She was too drunk. CPS was called a few times. There was a week I started¡­ packing my bags. I was so certain we¡¯d be leaving for foster care. That Alejandra and I would go separate ways.¡±


    ¡°And¡­ you kept all this hidden from us. Until you couldn¡¯t handle it anymore,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t handle it then,¡± Rafael said. ¡°It¡¯s why I showed up drunk. I wanted to tell you how much I appreciated your friendship. How easier it was to smile when I was near you. I was addicted to you. And¡­ I¡¯m sorry. God, I¡¯m so sorry. I ruined everything.¡±


    Evelyn stared at him, shocked. ¡°Oh my god, Rafael. I¡­ forgive you.¡±


    Rafael¡¯s brows furrowed. It was such a surprise, that he wasn¡¯t sure how to react, though he was aware the monster inside him was starting to growl again.


    ¡°No,¡± Rafael said.


    Evelyn blinked. ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°Not you too. Don¡¯t forgive me. I don¡¯t deserve it.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s face softened. ¡°Nobody deserves forgiveness. It¡¯s what makes it such a gift in the first place.¡±


    Rafael shook his head, even as Evelyn relaxed her legs and rested them on the ground. ¡°You don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t noticed that you haven¡¯t had a boyfriend yet?¡±


    ¡°Oh god, Rafael. Not you too,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°I hurt you. Probably forever. It¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    She folded her arms, rolling her eyes. ¡°You hurt me, yes. Not forever, though. God, Rafael, there¡¯s a point of self-loathing that boarders on the selfish. I appreciate your apology, but you are not that strong to permanently disfigure who I am.¡±


    Rafael blinked, but he didn¡¯t know what else to say. She was kind of¡­ right.


    ¡°I refuse to start dating someone just so you feel better about yourself. That¡¯s not how this works. I forgave you, because I understand that you were in a dark place, and you were scared. You made decisions you wouldn¡¯t otherwise do, and both of us will take the necessary steps to never let it happen again.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t when everyone keeps brushing it off,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Is that what you think forgiveness is?¡± Evelyn asked. Rafael didn¡¯t answer, because he¡¯d never been questioned like that. Evelyn kept her arms folded, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m not brushing it off. If anything, I won¡¯t be afraid to call you out on that shit. I know you can be a better person. And have been a better person.¡±


    Evelyn sighed, then stood up, brushing herself off carefully. ¡°We both made mistakes. Yes, you made way bigger mistakes than I did. We both agree on that. But I should have reported you right after it happened. If I had, you wouldn¡¯t have wallowed in self-pity for three years. I wouldn¡¯t have wallowed in fear and hatred for three years, either. We would have had three years of healing instead of three months. Our friend group might have splintered sooner, true. Nick might have still hit you. But all of that might have happened three years ago. It was going to come out eventually.¡±


    Evelyn walked over to the door, and Rafael stood up, moving away. Evelyn touched the door. ¡°You do have a tendency to run headfirst into a problem and end up breaking things.¡± Evelyn tried the knob, but it held fast. ¡°Twelve-year-old me didn¡¯t know what to do, so she swept the broken bits under the rug and pretended things were fine.¡± Evelyn glanced around, trying to find something before she grabbed a mop. ¡°But I¡¯ve forgiven twelve-year-old me for not knowing that the best thing to do is ask for help.¡± Evelyn put on some of the plastic gloves before shoving the mop strands under the door. ¡°You are free to take that advice too, you know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying,¡± Rafael said, still backing into a corner. ¡°But you all trust me too much.¡±


    ¡°Probably because you¡¯re too scared to try anything, because you¡¯re afraid to make a mistake.¡± Evelyn glanced up at him, grabbing the mop handle and moving it back and forth. ¡°Believe me, Rafael. I am not going to let you hurt anyone again. I will not hesitate to report anything wrong you do. I learned that lesson from this entire experience. And seriously. Stop hating yourself so much. It¡¯s kind of pathetic how special you think you are.¡± Evelyn said that with a slight smile. It was a glimpse of an eleven-year-old Evelyn during one of their CCNC sessions. Evelyn kept moving the mop back and forth.


    Rafael felt a small smile cross his face. ¡°Seriously, Evie?¡±


    Evelyn snorted, checking the mop again. ¡°Seriously, Rafael. Do you know how easy it was to replace you? Nick took over Ezekiel, and no one skipped a beat.¡±


    Rafael chuckled. If Evelyn hadn¡¯t said that with a mischievous sparkle in her eye, he might of took it to heart. But in a way, Evelyn was right. In less than three months, Nick trusted him with his life again. Derek was at his side. Hazel never left. Evelyn went off to work on herself before assuring him that he wasn¡¯t nearly as strong as he thought. He didn¡¯t realize why it took him until now to realize that he could not break Evelyn Larsen. Of course he never wanted to. But here was the proof. Evelyn was in a small closet with him, anti-magic and silence field, and she was not afraid of him. There was nothing Rafael could do to her to make her cower in fear. She was just as badass as Princess Clarissa.


    Not that he ever wanted to try anything on her. Those feelings were long gone. For both of them.


    The doorhandle jiggled, and Evelyn glanced up at it, excitement. ¡°Hello?¡± Evelyn called out.


    Rafael walked closer to the door. True, it may be help, but it also might be those hooded people who dragged them here in the first place. Evelyn stood, waiting, as the door jiggled some more before it came open.


    Hazel was there, eyes wide as she searched the closet. Her shoulders relaxed as tears sprang to her eyes.


    ¡°Hazel!¡± Rafael said. He ran past Evelyn, grabbing his girlfriend in a hug. ¡°Oh god, Hazel,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°I thought you were dead. I was so afraid. I thought-¡± Hazel said.


    ¡°I¡¯m here. It¡¯s me. I¡¯m alive,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Derek!¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Thank god you two are alright,¡± Derek said.


    Evelyn hugged Derek as Tyler ran up beside them.


    ¡°Are you two alright?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Evelyn said, breaking away from Derek. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re alright.¡±


    ¡°Can you start healing?¡± Tyler asked, staring right at Rafael.


    He frowned, but then time froze, and a d20 appeared in front of him. Rafael¡¯s heart sank but he rolled it. It landed on a twelve.


    Fail.


    Rafael blinked. There were no modifiers, no nothing. Just the phrase that said it failed. Rafael stared at Tyler, a sickening thought forming in his mind. ¡°Who is Ezekiel healing?¡±


    Tyler looked at Rafael, but his gaze dropped. Evelyn glanced around, feeling sick as Se?ora Florez caught up with them. ¡°Where¡¯s Nick and Alejandra?¡± Evelyn asked.

 Chapter 236

    Alejandra gasped as the dimension door opened and Akshi walked through. But she clamped her jaw, mustering all the bravery she did not feel and glared at Akshi.


    ¡°I am not handing Nick over to you. No matter what you do to me, no matter what you say, you will not have Nick.¡±


    Akshi sighed, almost disappointed. ¡°You know, the best thing that can happen from this, is that I no longer have to remind you that we¡¯ve already had this conversation.¡±


    Alejandra blinked, but tried to keep the emotions off her face. It didn¡¯t help, because what he said was really confusing. ¡°You¡­ I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Modify memory,¡± Akshi said.


    ¡°Magic doesn¡¯t work on me. I¡¯m from earth,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°My magic works on people who are afraid, no matter what realm they¡¯re from,¡± Akshi said, slithering forward. As he got closer, he rose up in size, and Alejandra did everything in her power to not stumble back. She stood her ground, pretending she wasn¡¯t as afraid as she felt.


    Akshi smirked. ¡°And you, my dear girl, are very afraid all the time.¡± He pulled out something from his bag and tossed it to her. Alejandra backed away, terrified of what he threw at her. She was surprised to see they were nothing more than shorts and a tank top.


    Alejandra stared at them, then back at Akshi. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°I need to make sure you¡¯re not wearing any other tracking device before I move you. This technology is impressive. I have not found a way to stop it using my mana. Therefore, we must take every precaution.¡±


    Alejandra stared at Akshi, and he simply stared back. She saw the yellow snake eyes, and did what she could to not shiver. They were so much like Grizzizzik¡¯s, except not. Not in the way that counted.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not. I¡¯m not getting undressed in front of you,¡± Alejandra said.


    Akshi chuckled. ¡°Of all the horrible stories about me you¡¯ve heard, I¡¯d like to know what makes you think I¡¯m the kind of person that will turn around while you get dressed. You think, after seeing the people I¡¯ve tortured, I¡¯m the kind of person that will leave the room to give you decency?¡±


    Alejandra¡¯s chest heaved as Akshi slithered closer. ¡°I suppose you ought to be happy you¡¯re not the species I find attractive. That¡¯d be far too easy to break you, though. I prefer my torture to be a work of art.¡±


    Alejandra closed her eyes, even though everything inside her screamed at her to keep them open. She needed to be aware of her surroundings. There was a hungry shark in the water and she was on a raft made of fish.


    ¡°So you will get in these clothes, or you will not wear any clothes at all,¡± Akshi said. ¡°It is your choice.¡±


    In an instant, Hraktar appeared. Alejandra didn¡¯t even realize she summoned him. She wasn¡¯t supposed to summon him, though. Something was off. She had tried ever since she got in here to teleport Hraktar to her, and now it worked?


    Hraktar unsheathed his great sword and placed it against Akshi¡¯s throat. ¡°You will leave Alejandra alone, or you will have to face me.¡±


    A slow smile grew on Akshi¡¯s face. ¡°Hraktar. It¡¯s so good of you to join us.¡± He flicked his wrist, and the door opened. An orc was at the doorway and turned around in surprise when it opened on its own. Hraktar glanced up at the orc, then all the color drained from his face.


    The orc smiled, resting his axe on his shoulder. ¡°Look who it is, everyone. It¡¯s Hraktar the Runt, back home at last.¡±


    ***


    Derek thought he had nervous energy, but Rafael had not stopped pacing since they were all herded into the gym. Evelyn had left with Nick and Grizzizzik in the ambulance that carted them quickly to the hospital, and Mr. Anderson and Se?ora Florez were with the other faculty, maintaining order and doing what they could.


    ¡°Mr. Stower¡¯s house,¡± Tyler whispered as he stared at his phone, then glanced up at the policemen keeping everyone in the gym.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Rafael said, folding his arms. ¡°We¡¯ve got to go.¡±


    ¡°Not without a lengthy process to make sure we are who we say we are, and our parents picking us up are who we say they are,¡± Derek said, glancing at the ridiculously large herd of students and adults.


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to cut it,¡± Rafael said.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Derek¡¯s heart went out to Rafael. He was right. They couldn¡¯t just stay here. Alejandra¡¯s life was in danger, and they had the information the police needed. Except the police wouldn¡¯t listen to them.


    Derek placed his hands behind his back as he glanced over the huge crowd of people. ¡°Tyler, I¡¯d like you to follow my line of chaotic logic for just a minute,¡± Derek whispered.


    ¡°Dear god,¡± Tyler muttered before sighing. ¡°Okay, shoot.¡±


    ¡°Technically, the apocalypse is still not coming until June sometime.¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°No one saw Akshi steal Alejandra. The alarm didn¡¯t even go off until Nick flew through the door.¡±


    ¡°Okay?¡±


    ¡°Therefore there¡¯s still a slight boundary to what people see,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°You¡¯re starting to lose me,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°If, for example, we run the hell out of here, possibly place the police on a chase as we head straight for Mr. Stower¡¯s house, and find Alejandra before Akshi can hurt her, they will most likely try to arrest Akshi. None of the police would get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Akshi could still try and escape using dimension door,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°But he wouldn¡¯t have Alejandra anymore,¡± Rafael said.


    Rafael had already decided. The tone in his voice was clear enough. Derek glanced at Tyler, who was staring back. He then dropped his gaze to his phone and tapped a few things.


    ¡°It¡¯s a ten-minute drive from here,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Three minutes if we¡¯re being chased by police.¡± Derek pulled out the keys from his nice jacket.


    ¡°Try not to be chased by police,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way we won¡¯t be,¡± Rafael said, heading toward the door. ¡°Because I¡¯m about to hit that fire alarm again.¡±


    Tyler opened his mouth to say something, but Rafael kept walking. Derek smiled as he followed next to Rafael.


    ¡°If he touches my sister¡­¡± Rafael said, the darkness in his voice impossible to ignore as Rafael trailed off. ¡°Can you keep up with me? Because I¡¯m not slowing down,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°I shall consider this my first workout to become Gaston,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pull something,¡± Rafael said before sprinting toward the door. Derek followed after.


    ***


    Hraktar aimed his sword at the orc walking through the door. Alejandra tried to get to Hraktar¡¯s side, but Akshi caught her around the waist.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Akshi said.


    ¡°Let me go,¡± Alejandra said, struggling in Akshi¡¯s grip as the orc moved closer, laughing as he batted Hraktar¡¯s great sword aside.


    ¡°What is this weak man¡¯s weapon you hold?¡± the orc asked. ¡°The great axe is far superior.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I am not joining your tribe again,¡± Hraktar said.


    ¡°Stop. Stop this!¡± Alejandra said. ¡°Please, just let him go.¡±


    ¡°Again, Alejandra, what about me makes you think I¡¯d listen to a request like that? I wanted you here for this very reason.¡± Akshi grabbed her wrists, pinning them in front of her. His snake eyes studied her carefully. ¡°If my studying is right, you should be getting a call for battle. Right about¡­¡±


    Time stood still, and tears flew down Alejandra¡¯s face.


    Roll for initiative


    Alejandra let out another sob. She couldn¡¯t move with Akshi holding her like this. She tried to break out of his grip, but it was like trying to break out of stone.


    The dice flew to her palm, and she barely rolled before letting it drop to the ground. It was a two. There was no way Hraktar would be first.


    Time resumed, and Akshi kept his eyes on her.


    ¡°It just happened, didn¡¯t it?¡± Akshi asked.


    Alejandra kept her mouth shut. Tears kept running down her cheeks, but she said nothing. The orc swung his axe, and Hraktar took the axe to the stomach. He groaned, trembling as he backed away.


    ¡°Strip him of his armor, and then attack him,¡± Akshi shouted at the orc.


    ¡°But I¡¯m only one person, m¡¯lord,¡± the orc said.


    Due to fear, Hraktar was rolling at a disadvantage, which meant none of his swings were getting across. Akshi¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Do you have underlings or not?¡± Akshi asked.


    This confused the orc. Hraktar headed toward Akshi, but the crime lord of Osvoroth simply sighed.


    ¡°Do that, and I will break this one¡¯s wrist,¡± Akshi said, his hands tightening over Alejandra¡¯s wrists. ¡°I have already discovered that knocking Nick unconscious also affects Grizzizzik. I strongly suggest you leave me alone.¡±


    Hraktar paused, and three more orcs entered the room. The bigger orc barked orders in the orc language, and they scuttled to fill the responsibility. Alejandra rolled, again at a disadvantage, as Hraktar tried to kill the underlings. It didn¡¯t work. The first few strikes missed completely, and the other orcs piled on top of Hraktar.


    ¡°Please,¡± Alejandra begged, again trying to break out of Akshi¡¯s grip. ¡°Please leave him alone.¡±


    ¡°This is why you¡¯re here, Alejandra,¡± Akshi said, still studying her closely. ¡°I demand to know how this works. How are you controlling the combat, and how can I see you rolling the dice. I will not give this up.¡±


    ¡°Please. You¡¯ll kill him,¡± Alejandra said.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t. Because fortunately for him, I need him alive.¡±


    Hraktar screamed in pain as the big orc whacked his shoulder with the great axe as he was pinned. Alejandra¡¯s heart broke as she tried to reach him.


    ¡°Though perhaps that is unfortunate, for him,¡± Akshi said. ¡°How are you rolling, girl? I need to know.¡±


    That seemed to trigger something in Hraktar. Alejandra knew Hraktar wouldn¡¯t want this information to be given. Hraktar simply gave up, and Alejandra felt the dice lost to her.


    ¡°Hraktar,¡± Alejandra whispered. She tried again to reach him, but those scaly hands kept her in one spot. She started to cry as Hraktar¡¯s shoulders slumped, as the emptiness filled his eyes. All he did was shout in pain as the bigger orc kept beating him. It was terrifying how quickly he reverted to before he joined the group.


    ***


    Derek slid into the front seat, gasping for air. He shoved the keys in before turning the car on. The van roared to life, and he gunned it, putting his seatbelt on at the same time.


    ¡°Directions?¡± Derek asked.


    ¡°On it!¡± Rafael said.


    Despite Derek being completely winded, Rafael just seemed a little out of breath.


    ¡°Turn left,¡± Rafael said.


    Derek didn¡¯t question it. He simply did. He was grateful for the opportunity to sit for once and breathe. ¡°We¡¯ll get to her,¡± Derek said. He tried to make it sound inspirational and comforting, but he was also breathing like he¡¯d swam up from miles under the ocean. ¡°She¡¯ll be alright,¡± Derek gasped. ¡°We¡¯ll find her.¡±


    Rafael¡¯s face screwed up in pained hope before saying, ¡°Turn left again.¡±

 Chapter 237/end bullet points

    The orc dropped the final blow, and Hraktar slumped to the ground. Alejandra had tears streaming down her face as Akshi glared at her. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, we have time.¡± The crime lord turned toward the bigger orc. ¡°Did you knock him out like I asked, or did you attempt to kill him?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t tell,¡± the bigger orc said, placing his axe on his shoulder again. ¡°Hraktar the Runt is always too delicate.¡±


    Alejandra¡¯s throat was clogged as she was prompted to do a death saving roll. ¡°He¡¯s dying.¡± The words were strangling inside her. ¡°Please, I just rolled a nat one. If he gets another fail, he¡¯ll die.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. Can¡¯t have that,¡± Akshi said, letting go of Alejandra¡¯s wrists and walking toward Hraktar. Her wrists still left the ghost of his hands on them. She stumbled forward as Akshi uncorked the vial and dropped it on Hraktar¡¯s face. He sputtered as some of it entered his mouth. He opened his eyes, coughing. ¡°Once again, strip him of his clothes. We¡¯ve got to leave. Now.¡±


    Hraktar didn¡¯t fight as the orcs started ripping off pieces of his armor.


    ¡°Hraktar,¡± Alejandra said. Akshi instead threw the tank top and shorts in her direction. ¡°The distraction is done. You need to wear these, or you¡¯re not wearing anything at all.¡± Akshi rolled his wrist and the dimension door appeared. ¡°You¡¯re choice.¡±


    Alejandra doubted she would ever stop crying.


    ***


    Derek drove into Mr. Stower¡¯s driveway, and Rafael was already out of the car.


    ¡°Alejandra!¡± Rafael shouted, sprinting toward the front door. Ezekiel appeared next to him, and Derek instinctively teleported Milo, too. This was incredibly dangerous, but if Akshi was there, they¡¯d need all the help they could get.


    Rafael picked up a rock and threw it against one of the windows. The glass broke, and Derek winced. Rafael was on a mission, and no one was going to stop him.


    Rafael and Ezekiel climbed through the hole they made, with Rafael checking the phone. Derek and Milo followed behind, stumbling through the house.


    ¡°Alejandra!¡±


    Derek didn¡¯t bother telling Rafael to keep it down. He heard, in the silence of the house, his worst fears.


    Rafael threw open a door and stumbled in. Derek was right behind, flipping the lights. It was completely empty of carpet, of furniture, of everything. There were two piles of clothes, one of Alejandra¡¯s with her shoes on top of them, the other of Hraktar¡¯s. The phone was on top of his armor.


    ¡°No,¡± Rafael said, his voice full of pain.


    Derek covered his mouth. Milo knelt down at the two pairs of clothes. ¡°They¡¯re still warm,¡± Milo whispered, glancing up at Ezekiel. ¡°They¡¯ve been gone minutes.¡±


    Police entered the house. Rafael covered his face. ¡°Too late. I was too late.¡±


    ***


    Nick cracked his eyes open. He heard the beeping of a machine as he stared at the ceiling.


    ¡°Alejandra,¡± he whispered, trying to get up and was met with a mountain of pain. Nurses came in, fiddling with him. ¡°Alejandra,¡± he kept mumbling, even though they didn¡¯t hear him. He was desperate to hear news of her.


    It was all a blur. People asking him questions he wasn¡¯t in the right mind to answer. He didn¡¯t want to answer questions about himself, he wanted answers about Alejandra. No one seemed to understand who he was talking to. Or he was ignored, like they couldn¡¯t hear him.


    ¡°Get away from me!¡± That was a very loud noise from a familiar voice.


    ¡°Sir, you must stay in your room,¡± one of the nurses said.


    ¡°Like hell I do,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    ¡°Griz-¡± Nick couldn¡¯t finish the sentence, he was too weak. Grizzizzik had come with him somehow. It was hazy, but Nick remembered him getting hurt also hurt Grizzizzik.


    There was a crashing sound, then he watched Grizzizzik walk by the hospital room with his bag of clothes wearing nothing but the hospital gown.


    ¡°Sir, if you don¡¯t get back to bed, I will have to call security,¡± one of the nurses said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sick,¡± Grizzizzik said. ¡°Here¡¯s for your trouble.¡±


    Nick noticed a gold coin disappeared from his inventory as he tossed it over. The nurse caught it, and Nick wasn¡¯t sure what the nurse saw, but no doubt it was a huge wad of bills.


    ¡°S-sir. I¡­ can¡¯t. I can¡¯t! You can¡¯t bribe me like this.¡±


    Nick got a prompt to roll for stealth. He wasn¡¯t sure how this would go, but he knew Grizzizzik would not handle being here. The dice landed on fifteen. With Grizzizzik¡¯s +6 in stealth, there was no doubt he¡¯d disappear.


    Once Grizzizzik disappeared, there was silence. Nick heard the gold coin drop to the ground as the nurse turned around and went back to her station. At first Nick was worried about that gold coin and what it meant, but once he saw the gold coin return to Grizzizzik¡¯s inventory, he just rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Nick?¡±


    He turned to see Evelyn walking into the room. ¡°Alejandra,¡± Nick said again.


    Evelyn played with her hands before glancing down. Nick¡¯s throat swelled up at this action, and he closed his eyes. They hadn¡¯t found her. He was left far weaker than before. He couldn¡¯t let this happen. And yet what could he do?


    It didn¡¯t matter if he was stuck here in the hospital. He curled his fist, knowing that Akshi would rue the day he took Alejandra.


    ***


    Alejandra sat, curled with her legs up against her chest and chained to the wall. She had no idea where she was. Akshi had used dimension door to transport them here. She caught glimpses of higher level creatures, so she had to figure they were outside the bubble.


    Hraktar was next to her, bloodied and bruised. This time they knocked him out. The whole thing made Alejandra¡¯s stomach churn. She didn¡¯t want this. Any of it. Hraktar¡¯s loneliness and pain was radiating from him. She had lost track of time here. Every minute felt like an hour. Whenever Hraktar healed enough, Akshi was back, trying to figure out the bond between Alejandra and Hraktar. Trying to touch into that connection. No doubt to try and exploit it.


    Hraktar knew this. He had reverted back to talking little. And he didn¡¯t fight back. Alejandra swallowed, feeling sick to her stomach. The crime lord of Osvoroth could, if he wanted to, disappear with his minions and never be found again. He was literally hiding under everyone¡¯s noses in Osvoroth. It wouldn¡¯t be that hard to imagine him having that ability again here. Especially considering no one on earth really knew who he was.


    With Hraktar panting next to her, his breath ragged and pained, Alejandra realized there was a good chance no one would find them.


    ***


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    ¡°Alright,¡± Tyler said, hanging up. He was still pacing, not looking at anyone. Neal will come with his army of private investigators, but since they have to be reminded every hour about who Alejandra is, I don¡¯t have much hope in them.¡±


    ¡°Nick¡¯s in the hospital,¡± Evelyn said, arms folded. ¡°We can¡¯t possibly hope to attack Akshi when we¡¯re down one member.¡±


    ¡°Nick can still roll from the hospital,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Akshi knows where Nick is,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°He also knows about the marks on our skin.¡± Evelyn¡¯s fingers brushed over her stomach. ¡°Which means some of us are in serious danger the moment we step foot in Akshi¡¯s lair.¡± Evelyn glanced at Tyler¡¯s neck. ¡°He¡¯ll know you¡¯ve been marked the second you step in there.¡±


    Tyler sighed, rubbing his neck. ¡°It would be better if we could cure these before we attempt to rescue Alejandra.¡± Tyler glanced at Milo. ¡°The sooner the better.¡±


    Milo grunted. ¡°I mean, I could try.¡±


    Time froze for Derek, and he got a prompt to roll for medicine. Derek flinched, knowing that wasn¡¯t Milo¡¯s highest. He was pleased when it landed on a seventeen, giving it eighteen total. He watched, expectantly as time moved forward.


    Milo closed his eyes to think. It took a second before his eyes flew open again. ¡°Deities above, I¡¯m a complete idiot.¡±


    ¡°Well, not a complete one,¡± Grizzizzik said.


    Milo ignored the jab and his gaze shot to Clarissa. ¡°Princess. Moonsparkle.¡±


    Clarissa frowned, tilting her head to one side. ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°Your unicorn? It should have an abundance of healing properties. Now that these kids are adjusting to the two worlds we should try it. It¡¯s worth a shot,¡± Milo said. He glanced around at the others. ¡°If a unicorn can¡¯t heal you¡­ I¡¯m not sure what else can.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay, but¡­¡± Derek cleared his throat. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m a man.¡±


    ¡°Same,¡± Tyler said, glancing at Clarissa. ¡°Will Moonsparkle be okay trying to heal us?¡±


    Clarissa let out a breath. ¡°It depends on how pure your heart is. Moonsparkle will be able to sense it, and she¡¯ll know if your lying. As long as you haven¡¯t disrespected women, you might be able to be healed.¡±


    There was a pause, then everyone¡¯s gaze turned to Derek. He wanted to say something, but he was pretty sure he¡¯d end up with his foot in his mouth.


    ¡°Glad I don¡¯t have marks,¡± Rafael mumbled.


    ***


    Evelyn walked with Clarissa in the dark. It had been almost two full days since Alejandra was kidnapped. If they were going to do this, it had to be now. They needed to be prepared at a moments notice, and Evelyn would certainly feel a lot better if the marks were gone.


    Moonsparkle walked forward. They were near the outskirts of town, with Tyler and Derek in the car about a half mile away.


    Clarissa started speaking to Moonsparkle in elvish. Evelyn waited, feeling worried. Moonsparkle gave a soft noise, then approached Evelyn, sniffing. Evelyn didn¡¯t move. Moonsparkle gave another whinny.


    ¡°She needs you to take off your shirt so she can see them better.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s heart plummeted, then she glanced at the car a half mile away. Clarissa walked between Evelyn and the car, holding out a cape. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Evelyn nodded, then did as required. Moonsparkle studied the marks again before placing her horn against Evelyn¡¯s heart. She felt a warmth throughout her body, then she gasped as she felt the coldness of the marks. The warmth quickly overcame the cold. Evelyn glanced down, seeing the marks gone.


    ¡°It worked,¡± Evelyn said, relieved. ¡°It worked!¡± She quickly put her shirt back on before pulling out her phone. ¡°I¡¯ll text Derek.¡±


    Moonsparkle said something else, and Clarissa listened. ¡°Let them come one at a time. She also wants you to stay with her. Your relationship with them is a huge factor on whether or not this will work.¡±


    Evelyn nodded, then relayed the information.


    ***


    Derek didn¡¯t know what had happened to cause him to be shirtless in front of a unicorn, but honestly? It was still pretty wild. The unicorn was so bright it was hard to keep his gaze on the coat. Instead he braced his face as the unicorn and the elf talked to each other. Evelyn looked just as confused, but Derek wondered why it wasn¡¯t nearly as hard for Evelyn to look at the unicorn.


    ¡°Where did you get these marks?¡± Clarissa asked.


    ¡°I got them while standing in front of Milo. Trying to protect my character,¡± Derek said, still not looking at the unicorn.


    Clarissa translated this back to Moonsparkle as Derek gave a nervous glance toward Evelyn¡¯s direction. Evelyn gave him a thumbs up as the conversation continued.


    Nothing more was said as Moonsparkle clopped over to him. Derek held his breath as the unicorn placed her horn on his chest. Derek was aware that if things could go wrong, one of his gray marks would appear again. With how deep Nick¡¯s were, he remained as motionless as possible.


    Once Moonsparkle stepped away, Derek glanced down at his body with one eye. He opened the other one when he saw all the marks were gone. Derek let out a huge sigh of relief and shoved his shirt back on himself. ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much,¡± Derek said. Still aware of how deathly that horn was, he backed away while keeping Moonsparkle in sight. ¡°I really appreciate this.¡±


    ¡°Go on. Go get Tyler,¡± Clarissa said.


    ¡°Yep,¡± was all Derek said before hurrying back to the car.


    ***


    Evelyn kept gnawing at her cheek, even though she knew she shouldn¡¯t. Tyler approached carefully, even giving a short bow to Moonsparkle. Evelyn noticed that with Derek, Moonsparkle and Clarissa were having a quick but back and forth conversation. Moonsparkle seemed to stare at Tyler, then turned her head to look right at Evelyn. Despite it all, Evelyn felt her cheeks flush a deep scarlet. Moonsparkle let out a noise, and Clarissa glanced at Evelyn too, a slight smile on her face. Evelyn glanced at Clarissa, not sure what she should say. She did know, however, that both of them now knew of her crush.


    ¡°Moonsparkle needs your shirt off,¡± Clarissa said, glancing at Tyler.


    Tyler nodded, then quickly slipped it off. Evelyn could not contain her burning cheeks now, and she was more than grateful for Moonsparkle being here to take all of Tyler¡¯s attention.


    ¡°How did you get them?¡± Clarissa translated for the unicorn.


    ¡°I was captured early on by Phantom. He tried to torture me, but none of his weapons touched me,¡± Tyler said.


    Evelyn flinched. True, Tyler was shirtless, but she almost couldn¡¯t tell with how many marks there were on his body. It seemed completely made up of marks criss crossing his torso.


    Moonsparkle walked up and placed her horn against his heart. Tyler closed his eyes, no doubt feeling the same warmth Evelyn felt. She watched as the marks melted off his body, and she couldn¡¯t help but give a sigh of relief.


    Moonsparkle walked away, snorting. Clarissa laughed as Tyler glanced at her. ¡°What?¡± he asked.


    Clarissa smiled, shaking her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Evelyn tried to cool her cheeks as Moonsparkle again looked at Evelyn.


    ¡°Nick should be back from the hospital. Can you heal him, too?¡± Tyler asked, slipping on his shirt.


    ¡°Moonsparkle has healed both of you, so we feel pretty confident she will heal Nick, too. It might need to be closer to one or two in the morning, so she¡¯s not as disturbed by all the cars.¡± Clarissa glanced at Evelyn. ¡°Can you bring Nick then to the park?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    ***


    Nick was managing the pain well enough. When Evelyn talked about the possibility of it going away entirely, he knew he needed to try. For Alejandra.


    They crept through the house, completely dark and quiet. There was a very real possibility of Walt finding out, but at this point Nick didn¡¯t care. If he could get these marks gone, he would. If they healed the deep wounds on his body already, all the better.


    They walked out the front door, then through the streets. Clarissa met them half way, helping Evelyn steady Nick as they approached Moonsparkle. Evelyn and Clarissa helped him ease his shirt off as Clarissa and Moonsparkle had a conversation.


    Nick felt his knees weaken, and he tried to stand steady and sure. Moonsparkle walked forward, placing her horn on Nick¡¯s heart, and he almost collapsed onto the unicorn. Warmth filled his body, and strength returned to his legs. He stood more sure, letting out a breath. He glanced down, seeing his body completely healed. He let out another breath.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Nick said.


    Moonsparkle let out a whinny before galloping away.


    ¡°We will get Alejandra back,¡± Clarissa said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Nick shoved his shirt back on himself. ¡°We will.¡±


    ***


    Alejandra hated this. It must have been days. She doubted it had been weeks. Not even one week. But it felt like an entire lifetime. Hraktar had been beaten more times than she wanted to keep track of, and she didn¡¯t want anything more to happen. Her cheeks would undoubtably have canyons from all the tears she cried.


    There had to be a way to stop this. The longer she stayed, the more likely she would be stuck here until death. Despite holding out hope that maybe someone else would come save her, she knew the truth. She had to save herself.


    How, she wasn¡¯t sure. The chains were heavy on her wrist, and her fighter was beaten and chained with her. She closed her eyes, wondering¡­


    Quetzal? She couldn¡¯t be certain, but she felt a connection. Much like the connection with Hraktar. Could she teleport the little drake to her? Somehow she doubted it. But she couldn¡¯t deny this connection.


    Quetzal. Come find me. Quetzal, I sense you. Please, come find me.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if that would work, but she was bound and determined to call for Quetzal for as long as she needed.


    ***


    Rafael had his hands in his hair. He loathed this feeling of helplessness. Quetzal was on the couch. He¡¯d never seen the happy drake so depressed before. It was like he could hardly lift his body to eat at times. Rafael was worried about that drake.


    All at once, Quetzal lifted his head, making a noise in the back of his throat.


    ¡°Quetzal?¡± Rafael asked.


    The drake made another noise, almost like a call. Rafael stood up, walking toward the drake. Quetzal was stiff, muscles ready to leap at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, boy?¡± Rafael asked.


    The drake leapt off the couch and headed toward the back door.


    ¡°Whoa, wait a moment,¡± Rafael said, trying to race after the drake. At the same time, he felt a flicker of hope enter him as he pulled out his phone. ¡°Don¡¯t loose me, Quetzal. I need to know where you¡¯re going.¡±


    ***


    *They leave and follow Quetzal, finding Alejandra and Hraktar. Grizzizzik kills his father, Alejandra and Nick kiss.


    *It end with them knowing there is still an apocalypse coming, but they are more ready for it than ever.