Chapter XLIX

With Album still out in the city, Nigreos felt restless, wanting to do something but also knowing that it was best to keep watch on the hideout for the time being. They had no idea when the sorcerer may return and so, it was best not to take any unnecessary risks. Of course, Nigreos would have preferred sticking together for that exact reason, but Album was confident in both of their abilities to defend themselves should they be attacked. So, that morning, Album had gone out into the city to see what she could learn, leaving Nigreos to the dull task of sitting around and waiting.

Oh well. As boring as this is, it at least gives me time to think about everything.

Ever since gaining undeniable proof that Eric Reiner was the one in possession of the relic, he’d been struggling with how to best handle the situation. Album was still absolutely set on going through with their orders from the king. She was fully committed to erasing all who came in contact with the stone, Reiner included. Nigreos knew he should be of the same mindset since he knew the potential repercussions of ignoring a direct order from Markreas, but he couldn’t help his hesitation.

It’s her son. Abi’s only living descendent! How am I supposed to stand by and let Album erase the last remnant of her blood from the multiverse? I made a promise to her that Eric would be kept safe—that we would never let Ijiria harm him! If we go through with this mission and do as King Markreas orders, I’ll be breaking that!

“I still find it so amusing, Nigreos. After everything you did to Abi Reiner, you draw the line at breaking a mere promise?”

He cringed at the memory of those words. Album had spoken them after their meeting with the king and what hurt him the most was that she had a point. It was silly of him to care so much about a promise he made to her. He betrayed Abi in every sense of the word yet there he was, desperately wanting to spare her son. It forced him to think about the time he spent with her, all those years ago. He could still vividly recall her smile and the sound of her voice. She was a unique person and someone that Ijiria lost far too early. Of course, he knew why she had to be killed and he knew she brought it on herself.

He just wished he understood why. Why had she changed so much? What would have caused her to take such drastic actions? Did something during her time in Omaruo cause it? He once again considered speaking to Scott Reiner, her husband, before they left Omaruo. He’d only ever seen the man once and he still couldn’t fathom what was so special about him. Why would Abi throw everything away for a magicless fool like him?

Nigreos grimaced. What am I supposed to do? Do I do as Album says I should and forget about him? Or should I actually consider doing as Ryokumo suggests? Should I bring Eric Reiner before the king and beg for his life?

When he heard the sound of the door opening down the hall, he knew that meant his partner had finally returned, so he stood up from the chair and waited. Moments later, Album stalked into the room. He was prepared to ask how her search went when he caught himself. There was a look of utter determination in her eyes as she faced him, and he could see the hint of a smug grin on the corner of her lips.

“Nigreos,” she said. “I found a lead.”

He raised his eyebrow in surprise. “You found Harper or Reiner?”

She shook her head. “No. But I found two students who know them. I overheard a couple talking about them as they left the school. They were talking about both and Eric and a Lilly and I highly doubt that’s a coincidence. I’m almost certain they’re both West Wilham students, like we expected.”

The Master of Darkness exhaled slowly, dropping back down into his chair as he considered her words. “So we were right,” he grunted “Then that means that as long as the relic is in the school, we can’t get to it without use of the nerich…at least, we hope we can.”

Album nodded. “Yes. Assuming the nerich would be able to get past the pocket realm, we would need to rely on it to acquire the stone. That’s why…I only marked the students. I haven’t erased either.”

“I see,” Nigreos replied softly. “So I take it we use the creature on one of them and interrogate the other?”

“Yes, that’s what I intend,” she said. “However, I think we should move immediately. As you know, I can only mark one so once they split off, finding the girl is going to be a pain. I can sense where they are currently so I’m here to get you. We leave immediately and act tonight.”

Nigreos exhaled sharply, getting to his feet once again. “Immediately? Are you insane? If two students disappear in one night, Reiner will know for certain that we’re here! Would it not be best to remain under the radar?”

“Perhaps three months ago!” she retorted. “But after our blunder with the pocket realm, we do not have that luxury!”

He went to respond but found himself unable to speak the argument that came to his lips. She was right. They wasted too much time and so, they needed to jump at this chance to gain some information. It wasn’t something they could afford to pass up.

“Besides,” Album snapped. “It’s no guarantee that Reiner would immediately assume mages are after him. For all he would know, his friends could have been kidnapped by anybody.“

He nodded. “I suppose you’re right.”

“Good,” she growled. “Then let’s be off.”

Without responding, he followed her through the entrance hall as they made their way out into the forest beyond the cabin. It was already night, the sun having set nearly a half hour ago, and so the surrounding trees were rather dark. Album paused to search out her marker then began walking back in the direction of town. Knowing his partner wasn’t as proficient in distortion as he was, Nigreos concealed their presence the minute they left the barrier.

He wished Album could have marked them both but he understood why she chose not to. A magical tracker emitted a signal linked to one’s own mana, meaning Album could track it regardless of mana density. However, the signals got weaker the more trackers she had in use. Therefore, only using one would mean she would be able to find the boy faster than if she used two.

Once they arrived back in town, Album led them to Main Street, which wasn’t as crowded as he had feared it might be. He was grateful since one misstep in the distortion could result in them being seen, something he would much prefer to avoid. They continued on, maneuvering around people where they needed to and, luckily, they arrived at their destination without any issue. However, when they stopped, Nigreos looked up in confusion.

“A…hospital?”

***

As they stepped into the hospital room, Vinny found himself suddenly feeling a little nauseous. He’d been wanting to go and visit Jay for months, but every time he considered asking Alice to take him, he found himself unable to do it. He knew he needed to see the boy, especially after Jay helped him get back on his feet, but he was scared of seeing him in his comatose state. They all kept telling themselves that Jay would come back eventually yet with each passing day, Vinny found himself fearing that the boy might never wake up. He may have survived that fall through insane luck, but he certainly wasn’t without damage. One look at the boy on the bed only made it feel more real.

Even with the blankets over most of his body, Vinny could see that he’d become terribly skinny. His skin was paler than it used to be and his hair had all been shaved off. Machines were hooked up to him to keep him alive and their rhythmic beeping made Vinny uncomfortable. Jay looked like he was barely being kept alive and it only made Vinny’s fear of him dying feel like it was more likely.

Alice closed the hospital door behind them and stopped to stand beside Vinny, her stare directed at Jay as well. The girl smiled softly, but there was undeniable sadness and longing in her eyes. She didn’t talk about him too often these days, yet Vinny still knew that she was desperate for her old friend to return to her. He wished there was more he could do for her but this was all out of their hands now. The best thing they could do was keep using the stone on occasion to allow Alice and Jay to talk with each other.

I wish I could talk to him, Vinny thought. There’s so much I want to say to him but, most of all, I want to tell him “thanks”. I know I already said it, but it just doesn’t feel right until I’ve said it to his face, not Lilly’s.

Alice silently pulled up two chairs alongside Jay’s bed, then took a seat. Vinny followed suit, feeling like he should say something but not knowing what was appropriate for the moment.

“Hey, Jay,” Alice whispered. “It’s good to see you again. I brought Vinny with me today.”

The blonde boy tried to force a smile. “Hey, dude. It’s been a little while.”

Naturally, there was no response. He knew there was no way for Jay to even know they were there. Though, he wouldn’t have been surprised if he could at least sense Alice’s presence.

“Today was the first day of the spring festival,” Alice went on. “It was really fun but we all missed you. I know you always enjoyed it. The club set up a fortune telling booth.”

“Yeah, we did,” Vinny added. “And it’s awesome. You’ll have to come by the clubroom when you wake up and Eric and I’ll tell you all about your future.”

Alice laughed softly then nodded her agreement. “You definitely should.”

She went quiet then and Vinny decided he would give her time with her thoughts. Instead, he just looked down at Jay and tried to imagine the good times they had rather than the bad. The problem was, Vinny never really got to see the best side of Jay Brooks until after he’d jumped. Beforehand, Vinny hadn’t liked or trusted him. After all, the boy had stolen the gem from Lilly and was otherwise rather pathetic. He hadn’t respected him in the slightest and had spent a lot of time watching him to make sure he didn’t screw something up.

But now, he could only regret the way he both perceived and treated Jay. He could vividly remember the boy’s sincerity when he urged him to delete the photos of Rina and he still appreciated those words even now. They were the push he needed to fix everything with Damien and the others. If Jay woke up, he wanted them to be real friends. He wanted to hang out with him and actually get to know each other. Alice talked about him so fondly and so, Vinny wanted to know that side of him. Jay just needed to wake up and come back to school.

But now, can he even come back to school? Even if he woke up right this minute, he wouldn’t be able to come back until junior year was over. He’s probably going to have to repeat the year. We’ll all graduate without him… Vinny clenched his fists. Damn it! Why did it have to turn out like this? The festival’s fun, but I wish he could be there with us!

His heartbeat began to slow as he felt Alice’s soft touch against his hand. She slid her fingers around it and he loosened his grip for her. Vinny closed his eyes and breathed slowly, not wanting to let his emotions take control.

“It’s okay, Vinny,” she whispered.

He nodded meekly. “Thanks, Al’. I know that, it’s just…I really wish he could come by the clubroom tomorrow. I know our fortune’s are just stupid fun, but I think he’d get a good laugh out of some of the stuff Eric’s come up with.”

“Yeah, I’m sure he would,” she agreed. “I know he cared about you guys and I’m sure he’ll be happy to come back to school when he wakes up.”

“B-but…” Vinny stuttered. “Alice? He’s missed a whole semester at this point. He’s going to have to make it all up so…”

Alice smiled. “Yeah, I know. But at least he’ll be at school with us. He’ll just be a class below us, is all. Doesn’t change the fact that he’ll be there. And hey, if he gets up soon, maybe we can spend some of summer together.”

“I guess so,” Vinny muttered. “Then we can all go to the pier. That’ll be fun, yeah?”

The girl nodded. “I heard Lilly went there last weekend. I was kinda bummed, actually. Jay and I were hoping to take her there for her first time.”

Vinny chuckled. He understood why Lilly had left him out of her pier trip with Natalie, but that didn’t mean he was happy about it. Especially considering Liz got to go, something she’d been lording over him since.

“Yeah, she did,” he replied. “She, Eric, and Liz were taking that little girl Lilly babysits there for her birthday.”

“Oh, right. That’s so sweet of her. Did the kid enjoy it?”

The boy nodded. “I think so. It sounded like they had fun. Apparently, Eric and Lilly used the stone on her to let her see the sunset down at the beach.”

“Aw, that’s awesome,” Alice said. She then smiled to herself and chuckled. “Yup. That sounds just like Lilly. Always sticking her neck out for other people. I so love that girl.”

“Yeah, honestly. With how much she and Eric love helping people, I’m starting to think they were made for each other.”

“Tell me about it,” the girl replied, returning her attention back to Jay, most likely recalling Lilly’s usage of the stone on her friend. “I owe Lilly a lot.”

The conversation petered out once again, but Vinny found it to be a comfortable silence. They just sat there, hand in hand, watching Jay sleep. After a while, Alice leaned her head on Vinny’s shoulder and he could tell she was getting tired. He suggested they head down to the diner for some dinner and she nodded her agreement. So, bidding goodbye to Jay, Vinny and Alice got to their feet and departed the hospital room. However, as they were walking down the hall, Vinny suddenly felt like he was being watched. Yet, oddly enough, when he looked over his shoulder, there was no sign of anyone. So, brushing it off as him just being stupidly paranoid, he pushed the thought from his mind and continued on.

***

As the two students began walking away, Nigreos noticed the blonde boy briefly glance over his shoulder in their direction. Due to the distortion magic, he would be unable to see them, yet Nigreos had to give him credit for sensing their eyes. He had sharp instincts, if anything. While they were inside, both Masters listened in to hear if they were talking but, unfortunately, they were quiet for most of the time. All Nigreos was able to accomplish was confirming that both had, in fact, touched the relic at one point. Being so close to them, he could sense the stone’s residue with ease. However, in doing so, he learned one more piece of critical information.

The Master of Darkness slowly turned his head to stare at the nameplate beside the hospital room’s door. The name “Jay Brooks” was written upon the card, indicating the person currently using the room. He narrowed his eyes in intrigue.

“You sensed it, too, then?” Album asked softly. “The third relic user within?”

Nigreos nodded. “Yes, I did. And I still sense it…which means this Jay Brooks is one of them.”

His mind was already moving, taking in the sudden new information and trying to figure out how to adjust their plans accordingly. At first, he hadn’t intended to erase anybody that night. When Album arrived in the cabin, they’d been set on simply trying to gather information. However, now, Nigreos had a different idea. In fact, he believed himself to have come up with a way both to make their move and to keep their presence hidden from Eric Reiner.

“I’m going inside,” he whispered.

Album cocked an eyebrow skeptically. “Right now? But wouldn’t it be best to follow the other two? We can always come back here afterwards.”

He shook his head. He knew she had a point, but he also feared that the later it got, the harder it would be to sneak back into the hospital. Since they were already there, he wanted to scope out the situation. Ignoring Album’s protest, Nigreos stepped forward and reached for the door handle. After checking the hall to make sure nobody was around, he opened the door and moved inside with Album reluctantly at his heels.

“This is ridiculous,” she muttered, though she didn’t try to stop him.

Nigreos hadn’t been sure what he should expect upon entering the hospital room. They had no idea what state the patient might be in or even why he was in the hospital to begin with. So, he kept his distortion up just to be on the safe side. He was lucky. When he looked at the bed, he found the patient—this Jay Brooks—unconscious, with machines hooked up to him to keep him alive.

“Interesting,” Album said as she closed the door behind them. “Wonder what happened to him.”

Deciding that they were safe for the time being, Nigreos deactivated their distortion and approached Brooks, keeping a careful watch on him just in case he awoke. However, he remained asleep even when the Master was right beside the bed. He then silently reached his hand out and placed it gently against the boy’s chest.

“Analzia,” he breathed.

Using magic, Nigreos carefully checked the boy’s current state. He was curious to know how a relic user could have gotten themselves in such a condition. Part of him wondered if somebody used the stone against him—a possibility that wasn’t altogether unlikely. Once his scan was complete, Nigreos lowered his arm and frowned.

“So?” Album snapped, clearly impatient to get moving. “What’s wrong with him?”

“Brain damage,” Nigreos replied. “He’s currently in a coma with a low chance he’ll awaken. In addition, he’s got a lot of physical scars…with many broken bones still yet to heal.”

The Master of Light scoffed. “Then he is of no threat to us. I’ll erase him so we can leave.” She stalked forward, prepared to finish the boy off, but Nigreos quickly stuck a hand out to stop her. “What?”

He shook his head. “No. Not him. Not yet.”

“Why?” Album demanded. “He’s not going to be useful to us. If he’s in such a pitiful state then he won’t be able to give us any information. Even if you healed the boy, we don’t know how long he’s been unconscious. He may not know a thing about Reiner and Harper. So unless…” She caught herself suddenly, then turned a disbelieving stare upon her partner. “Him? You want to use it on him?”

“I do,” he replied sternly. “As you said, he’s useless as he is now. He’s…expendable. Meaning that he’s the perfect candidate to use the nerich on.”

Album lowered her eyes and furrowed her brow in thought. “I suppose…you have a point. If the nerich is unable to enter the school then it’s a minor loss. And if it is…”

“Then this Jay Brooks could be beneficial to us after all,” Nigreos finished. “And his physical wounds are meaningless. It’ll heal him all up, good as new.” The man smirked. “Better than new, even.”

“Then let me ask this,” Album began, “what’s your plan when the boy goes missing? Do you not think Reiner will get suspicious if he disappears from the hospital without a trace? If Abi’s boy is as powerful as we fear he is, we do not need to be putting him on alert.”

Nigreos shrugged. “Perhaps…but it’s possible that it might not actually matter. With two people captive, he may hesitate to make a move. But we have three targets in the palm of our hand. I say we go for it. Hell…it might even lure Reiner out.”

Album sighed in irritation then rolled her eyes. “Fine. Do as you please, Nigreos. Though I am curious to know what you plan to do when the boy’s screams inevitably attract attention.”

“What I plan to do?” Nigreos replied. “Well, I’m actually hoping we draw a bit of attention. Just be ready to deal with whoever arrives.”

She looked back at him like he’d gone insane but he ignored her, already reaching into his inner suit pocket to produce the little canister containing the nerich. He waited for Album’s reply, but she stayed silent, evidently having decided to trust him for the time being. He grinned to himself then uttered under his breath,

“Devorar.”

In the next moment, shadow erupted from his free hand, consuming the room and blocking out all light. Of course, he could see clearly, but he knew Album would be struggling to make out even his form a mere few feet away. There was no change in Brooks, indicating that he really had no idea what was about to happen. Nigreos then looked down at the canister. The nerich within was scrambling to escape the liquet as it hit its spindly legs against the walls. It could sense the dark magic around it and was desperate to feel the mana.

The Master of Darkness reached his free hand toward the canister’s lid and carefully popped it open. Then, before the creature could scurry out, he lowered the canister and placed it atop Brooks’ chin. The nerich crawled out and once it was standing on the boy’s cheeks, Nigreos used his mana to reach out to it. It froze in place as he made contact with it. Then, he gave the order.

“Devour this boy’s mind,” he whispered. “Take it from him and make it your own.”

Those words were all it took from a dark sorcerer like himself to control the creature. It immediately crawled across Brooks’ face and towards his nose. Nigreos brought more mana to his fingertips as he pocketed the canister. There was no doubt that he would need magic in the next few moments. He could sense Album tensing up behind him.

The nerich stopped momentarily in front of the boy’s nostril, as if considering its task. Then, it reached its legs inside his nose then began to pull its body inside. It was only slightly bigger than his nostril so it had to pull a few times to get itself inside. From there, it would crawl through his head until it reached his brain. When it did, it would take control of his body and dominate the boy’s will. Of course, it wouldn’t actually kill Jay Brooks, but it would lock his mind away behind the magic, and he would only be able to regain control once the creature was done with him.

And when that time comes, he’ll already be erased.

Nigreos watched the little lump move up his nose until it disappeared from sight. For a few brief moments, the room was silent as death. Then, without warning, the machines connected to Brooks began to quicken their beeping along with the boy’s heart rate. At that exact moment, his eyes snapped open and he began to scream. The scream, however, didn’t sound human. Instead, it was something out of nightmares. Brooks began to thrash, slamming his head up and down and flinging his limbs outward in a desperate attempt to escape the pain that was assuredly coursing through his head. Nigreos watched as his eyes began to bleed, the red droplets dripping down his cheeks. Blood splattered from his mouth as he shrieked. Then, his eyes began to turn black, the color expanding from his pupils.

Someone’s coming, Nigreos thought, sensing the footsteps from beyond the door.

He turned around just as light illuminated the doorway from the hall, revealing two panicked nurses who had come to see what was wrong. They both stopped and stared into the room, unable to see anything happening within due to the dark spell. All they would hear was Brooks’ screaming.

“Luminetta.”

“Coreas.”

Album and Nigreos spoke at the same time. A spark of light shot from Album’s hand, slicing through a nurse’s neck and dropping her on the spot, splattering blood into the hall behind her. Beside the woman, the other nurse was suddenly impaled by a shadow, which skewered her directly through the heart. She grunted once then collapsed to the ground. Both were dead before they even knew what had happened.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, Nigreos,” Album spat.

He grinned. “Of course I do.”

He then turned around as Brooks’ screaming finally silenced. The boy was lying on the bed, staring up at Nigreos with wide, black eyes. The Master of Darkness stared back, a wide grin on his face as he regarded his creation.

“Jay Brooks” he said softly. “You are mine.”