Patrick revelled in the feeling of those two gigantic arms around him, perhaps for a touch more then was platonic. While he enjoyed being his bestie's bestie, this was still his crush.

Surely he was allowed this much, right?

Perhaps it was pathetic, and needy, but Ryan had started this, so who was really to blame?

"Ryan... as nice as this is... I kinda have somewhere to be..." Patrick admitted after a long while of them sitting there in a comfortable silence.

Ryan hummed in acknowledgment, but made no move to let Patrick go.

To be fair, you did you just give him the go ahead on all his infuriatingly adorable behavior, did you really think he was letting you go after all this?

Ok you're right... but shut up.

Don't you have a guard to bribe into releasing you?

"Ryan, I actually need to go... Ryan!" In response to Patrick's protests the guard groaned and reluctantly let go of Pat.

Now in front of Ryan, Patrick could see an odd twinkle in Ryan's eyes, pride, perhaps? Maybe amusement, though Patrick had seen that look on the wannabe guard many times.

Ryan was looking directly into Patrick's eyes, a toothy smile on his face.

The things this kid was doing to Patrick's heartstrings...

"So where are you going that's so important you need to leave your best friend." Ryan placed an immense amount of emphasis on the word best.

Well, Patrick had showed exactly how much he cared about Ryan, Zara too. This was just his karma.

"That school, Vinike, needs even more paperwork signed, they're practically begging at this point." Ryan rolled his eyes, looking disappointed. Don't worry though, my needy friend, I'll be sure to give you all your precious attention when I get back."

Ryan flushed at the patronizing tone, ears dusted pink, he grumbled for a few seconds, almost like he was arguing with himself, before asking...

"Promise?" He mumbled, voice taking on that gentleness again. Those campfire eyes were looking at Patrick, completely serious, before they met with Patrick's and immediately looked at a very interesting pebble to the left.

"I promise." Patrick felt like he just made a deal with a demon, a red-eyed, stupidly handsome one.

Upon hearing Patrick's declaration, Ryan's eyes snapped onto Patrick. The 17 years, and 215 pounds of muscle that made up Ryan focused directly on Patrick. A predator, waiting to devour its prey. Did he even know how he looked right now?

It was doing entirely too much to Patrick.

"When you get back from your boring ass school, immediately go to my house, the door will be unlocked for you. My room's the last one down the hall, I'll be waiting there. Don't even knock, don't even bother being nervous... I am gonna milk this opportunity for all it's worth."

Ryan talked fast, launching a whole paragraph at Patrick in one breath as if to overload his brain before he could even begin to understand what Ryan was saying.

"That's how you sound when you try that."

Shhh, I'm overloading right now.

"I'll see you there... best friend." This time, Ryan emphasized the word like he was trying to remind himself of its meaning... odd.

6 years of friendship finally began to loosen, held taut for so long. It also began to transform, becoming something new, something weird.

Patrick didn't have a clue of what was going on, but something was changing between them. They both could tell.

All the weight of the still-grining boy finally left Patrick, their odd staring contest broken.

Ryan fled the scene, almost sprinting back home, only stopping to wave at Patrick one last time, wish him luck, before disappearing.

Strange...

Patrick could only stand there for a moment, brain finally having a chance to catch up.

He was going to his crush's house... a place he never dared venture before... and going to his room, a clear danger zone...

At least I have plans today, right?

Onto more pressing, less terrifying matters. Vinike.

The Nexus was nothing compared to last night, the only thing being that the... well, actual guard... Zane, was there.

Except something was different, there was a hollowness to Zane's eyes. His right-hand fingers anxiously tapped the metal of his post as the left-hand ones tapped at his phone.

He barely noticed Pat.

As he was passed through, he had the thought that he should come back with a gift for the guard. Zane had helped him with... all that.

Patrick didn't know what Zane liked, and now didn't seem like the greatest time, so that was put on the back burner for now.

To Canti it was... yay?

The minute Pat entered Canti he felt eyes on him, that was to be expected. This wasn't a secret party in the dead of night, this was broad daylight.

He ignored it, practice makes perfect, and he'd get a lot in today.

As he began down the street he noticed a weird feeling below him. There was power radiating from the stones below him... Magic.

It was overwhelming, a radiant ocean, pounding at his senses.

What... is this...

Patrick had never felt magic, well, at least not like this. The magic that swirled through his own body never felt this powerful.

It had never felt like anything. Patrick could feel it, tell it was there, nothing else.

Horrible...

How do rich people take this?

Do... they even notice?

Perhaps not, maybe here so used to massive amount of magic running through their district that it didn't even register just how much coursed through Canti.

Nauseating.

Both the magic and the privilege.

Pat's head was geniunely pounding, he felt sick...

He had to get to Vanike, before he threw up.

"Vanike will be even worse... but at least you won't pass out in the street."

Patrick was swaying, he felt really, really bad.

"Hey!"

So... much...

"Shitshitshit! Please don't die!"

Pat's vision was blurry, someone was apparently speaking to him.

Why, can't he just die in peace...

"WHAT!?"

This wasn't worth it... he should've just... stayed in his...

Patrick felt the echos of a monster, proclaiming him worthy of nothing...

No.

He would not die here. He wouldn't die in Canti.

Patrick would make it through this, like he made it through everything else. 16 years of the looks and the monsters, and the hatred and the pain, and some magic would kill him?

No.

He was going to survive. Patrick Alixa was going to thrive.

There was no other option.

Patrick stood up, energy flowing into him.

Patrick would live, for the boy that waited for him in Nairiq. For the father that desperately needed him. For the one who lived 6 feet under.

Patrick imagined their faces, their warmth. How could he die here, and leave them?

Simple, he wouldn't.

Patrick took a shaky step forward, then another, and another. Eventually the shakiness stopped, eventually the steps became second nature again.

Eventually, a school came into view.

The magic intensified, pressing harder. But he was stronger then this.

His mind wandered to the resting place of his magic, and it felt different now. It felt familiar. Before it had been tasteless, neutral and unfeeling. Now it felt like a part of him, steady and eternal.

This was his power.

And he'd need all of it for his final test.

Ivory gates stood in front of him, leading to hell itself.

The power pounded at his soul, threatening to invade.

It pressed...

Patrick pressed back.