Chapter XXXVI

Jay once again checked his phone to make sure that Rina and Audrey were already in the forest, and when he was certain that they would cross paths with Evan, he quickly bid the boy goodbye and went with Rista to finish their trip to the old hideout. He had given Alice an earlier time to meet up before Audrey and Rina arrived so that she could have her memories back when they did. He wasn’t sure what he would say when the Alice he knew finally returned, but he decided it would be best to simply wing it. He had known her since they were babies so there was no need to try and plan or to make something up. He would just talk to her like he always did. It hadn’t even been an entire day since the nerich was removed from his body, but he felt better than he ever had. He didn’t feel plagued by negative emotions and he had complete control over his mind.

It was exhilarating in a strange way.

And soon, I’ll have Alice back. Lilly was right. We can’t stay here. This isn’t our world, no matter how much we wish it was. Part of me still wishes it didn’t have to end, but I understand what needs to happen. So I’m glad Lilly’s okay with me being the one to do it.

She had offered to come with him, but he had requested that Rista be the only one to go. He wanted some one-on-one time with her so that he could go through with a little plan of his. If Alice had to come back then he wanted it to be as pleasant for her as it could be. That was why he had invited Audrey and Rina to meet them at the hideout and to bring something very special with them.

Jay slowly reached up and grabbed the quarter-medallion hanging from his neck. It wasn’t the real one that Rina had given him, but it still symbolized what he needed it to. The erased version would do its job. They always wished they could have united them one final time, so in the erased realm, where it was still possible, he intended to finally do so.

“Are you feeling alright, Brooks?” Rista asked softly from his side.

Jay wasn’t sure whether he was referencing the situation with the nerich or what was about to happen with Alice, but regardless, he nodded and grinned. “I’m feeling great. In fact, I don’t think I could be better.”

The Ijirian didn’t look at him as he continued to survey the forest, but there was a slight smile on his lips when he replied. “Good. I’m glad you’re finally able to move forward. Harper was really worried about you, I could tell. And with all that’s happened, I do feel as if I should apologize to you for getting so aggressive the other day.”

“The other day?”

Jay paused and tried to remember what he was talking about, then recalled their confrontation in the apartment where Rista had threatened to attack him should he get in the way of their escape. Jay could only look back on that moment with regret despite knowing it wasn’t really him that challenged Lilly and Rista.

“Oh, right,” he murmured. “No, don’t worry about that. You weren’t wrong. The nerich was making me a big problem for you guys, so I can’t really blame you for reacting like that.”

Rista shook his head. “Perhaps, but even with that in mind, I still think it needs to be said. I know I haven’t exactly been friendly to you guys, and knowing that your actions were out of your control only makes me feel like I should have held myself back. Harper had already explained the nerich to me so I should have realized what was really happening. It’s just…” He didn’t finish his sentence and instead grimaced. “Er, never mind, actually.”

“No, please,” Jay interrupted. “Go on. I’m curious.”

He didn’t know what Rista was going to say, but he suspected it had to do with the Children of Reiner back in Ijiria. While he had told them quite a bit about Ijiria, the Masters, and the Children, he had refrained from saying much about himself, and this seemed like a prime opportunity to remedy that.

“Well, it’s just that,” Rista began, “a few days before our mother departed the orphanage for the last time, she pulled me aside to talk to me. I was one of the first kids to be welcomed into her care, and I was one of the oldest, so I was often trusted to help her with the little ones and even to keep an eye on the more rambunctious older kids. I had a certain responsibility and I was proud beyond belief that she trusted me the way she did. So when she asked to talk to me in private and produced one of the four realm daggers of Ijiria, I was stunned. I was even more shocked when she told me to take care of it and to never let anybody know I had it.”

Jay listened intently, having not expected Rista to open up after being closed off for so long. He knew very little about the realm daggers, but he did recall being told that Ijiria only had four of them, and that one had even gone missing in the recent years. If Abi had entrusted such a priceless item to him then she really must have had faith in him.

“And that was the dagger you used to get to Wilham?” Jay asked.

“Yeah, it was,” he confirmed. “You see, when our mother died just a few days later, it told me that she had either expected to die or that she had known it was possible. In my eyes, it was her way of telling me that the Children were my responsibility once she was gone, so I wanted to do my best to care for them. But that wasn’t as simple as I had believed it would be.” He smiled bitterly. “Some of the older kids wanted revenge for our mother’s death, and five of us had been given guideship, myself included. With the realm dagger also in our possession, it seemed plausible that we could stick it to Ijiria by stealing a relic and escaping to another country. But I knew that was a stupid idea. I knew it would only end in death.”

Jay frowned. “Yet…you guys did attack the Citadel so…what happened?”

“There was too much anger among us,” he muttered. “They wouldn’t listen to reason. They just wanted to avenge our mother and those of us who knew it was foolish were in the minority. In the end, we couldn’t win and knowing what was to come, one of my brothers, a man named Malt, quickly led the little ones and those opposed out of Erika before the attack happened so that they would be safe.”

“And you?” Jay pressed. “You said you didn’t want to fight, yet you still did.”

Rista bit his lips and sighed. “Of course I did, Brooks. My mother entrusted the safety of my brothers and sisters to me, so how could I turn around and leave as they walked themselves straight to their deaths. I had to be there, if only to protect them. And in the end, we managed to reach the Vault and steal a relic, so I made sure that I was the one to keep it. The plan was to take the relic and flee to Trovia, so I wanted to bear the burden of being pursued.” Rista’s body then grew tense and Jay could see that he was trying to hold his emotions back. “But we were caught, and so many of us died trying to escape the Citadel. I got split up from the others and eventually, Noctis found me and I only barely escaped into Omaruo. Yet I was erased anyway, and the relic fell into the hands of the Magic Club.”

Jay exhaled softly, taking in what Rista was explaining to him, before looking back at the man and frowning. “I appreciate you being open about this, but I’m curious to know why you’d tell me all of a sudden. I always had the impression that you wanted to keep your past to yourself.”

“I do,” he muttered. “But you see, Brooks, I’ve come to realize that you and I aren’t as different as I thought. I’m desperate to get back to Ijiria because I don’t have a damn clue what happened to the people I was sworn to protect. I need to get back to them, no matter the cost. And how different is that from how you feel about Mendez? Even if the nerich was messing with your head, you still wanted to preserve this paradise of hers for her sake…to protect her. I understand that, and that is why I apologize. That’s why I decided I should tell you this. We’re going to break out of this place…together.”

“Well, I appreciate it,” Jay replied with a grin. “And you’re forgiven. Like I said, I can’t blame you. Though, I do have to ask…” He paused, considering an odd discrepancy in the story. “You guys risked your lives to steal a relic, but I doubt Ijiria would have missed a body-swapping stone very much. Wasn’t there something better in there?”

Rista cocked an eyebrow. “Well, we actually didn’t know which relic we stole, but that isn’t just a body-swapping stone, you know? Or…were you not aware of the true power of the Assassination Stone?”

“Assassination?” he parroted. “The hell do you mean? That thing could kill people?!”

“If you knew how to use it, yes,” Rista confirmed. “You mean you guys didn’t know?”

“I…”

Jay wanted to press the subject, but it was then that he realized they had arrived at the clearing of his old hideout and when he turned to gaze at the little house, he felt his stomach clench up in anticipation. His lips tightened in frustration.

“Hold that thought, Rista,” he said. “Let’s get Alice back to normal, but when we get back to Scott’s I want to discuss this a bit further.”

The Ijirian seemed nervous but agreed regardless. “Alright then. I’ll put up the distortion and just give me a signal when you’re ready for me to do it.” He then raised his hands and said, “Disto” before vanishing into thin air.

Jay stood in place for a moment, knowing Alice would probably already be inside when he arrived. He took a deep breath then turned back to gaze at the house. It no longer had the same nostalgic value it used to, and he wished he could have felt the same way about it now as he did then. But it was where his and Vinny’s attack on Evan and Rina began, as well as where Nigreos and Album tortured Alice. It was even where the battle that took Rina’s life had happened, so he could only see the pain that had taken place within those rundown walls. For Jay, he hoped this would be the last time he ever entered this house. It was here that he would help Alice and leave one last good memory to fix the stained image of his childhood hideout.

Releasing his held breath, Jay proceeded forward and moved up the steps of the porch to tug on the front door. It opened with ease and as he entered the quiet entryway, he listened for the sound of anybody further in. When he didn’t hear anything, he continued on to the main room, and it was there that he found Alice quietly sitting with her back up against the opposite wall, her eyes closed, though he could tell that she was awake. He hadn’t seen her since the last time he went to school, and even after psyching himself up, he still wasn’t sure if he was ready or not.

But I don’t have a choice. This ends now.

He opened his mouth to speak, but Alice beat him to it.

“It’s tough, you know?” she said, her eyes still closed. “It’s really tough, Jay. I had hoped that this would be my paradise. I had wanted this place to give me what I lost—to free me from the pain those sorcerers were causing me, yet in the end, it really wasn’t what I wanted it to be. I wanted a paradise, but not at their expense.”

Jay just gaped at her, stunned by the words coming from her mouth as Alice opened her eyes to reveal tears that soon dripped down her cheeks. Yet even though she was crying, she was smiling as she looked up at him.

“You…” he stuttered. “You have your memories? How? When?”

She shrugged. “I don’t really know how to explain it, honestly. When I went on my pier date with Vinny last night, I felt everything starting to push through, and when I kissed him, it all suddenly became clear. I remembered everything, but I also remembered this world. It was like I had two personalities clashing in my head, but I knew which one was real and which one was fake.”

He didn’t know what to say. After all the arguing and aggression over bringing Alice back, in the end, none of it even mattered. She came back on her own, just like Vinny did, and now it was completely out of his hands.

I should have known… Alice is strong, so of course she got back by herself. I really shouldn’t be surprised.

He could feel Rista’s presence receding behind him, as if having realized that he was no longer needed, but oddly enough, he didn’t move toward the exit, rather he began crossing the room and heading toward the hallway. Jay wasn’t sure why, but not wanting Alice to realize that he was there, he quickly spoke to cover the sound of footsteps.

“I’m sorry I took so long,” he told her. “We should have given you your memories a long time ago.”

Alice patted the spot next to her and Jay moved to take his seat. Once he was beside her, she rested her head against his shoulder. He could feel her body trembling, so he wrapped his arm around her and held her close, wanting to be a comforting presence for her.

“What’s going on?” she whispered. “What is this place really? I thought it was a paradise, but after seeing Vinny the way he was, I realize that isn’t true. He was suffering here, so why would I be happy?”

Jay shook his head. “I’m not sure, but from what Lilly told me, it seems as if it was set up that way to manipulate you. Album and Nigreos wanted you to believe we were being sent to a paradise so you’d cooperate, so they used your memories to create everything you wanted.”

“And it worked,” she uttered. “I did exactly what they wanted me to. I sold everybody out. I begged Lilly not to fight. What have I done? Are they okay, Jay? Is everybody else okay?”

He quickly nodded, not wanting her to panic any further. “More or less. Clark and Tao still haven’t regained their memories, but everybody else is back to normal. We’re planning to get back to the real world in a few days, so I was supposed to come here and give you your memories, but it seems you didn’t need me. Damn that Mickelson.”

“Well, I’m glad they’re okay,” she whispered. “If I’d caused something to happen to them…”

“Well you didn’t so that’s what matters. You got that, Al’? Everything is okay. We’re gonna win. I know we will. I have faith in Lilly, and I have faith in everybody else. Even Eric, wherever he might be.” Jay smiled. “They've saved my ass time and time again, and I doubt this will be any different. They won’t blame you, you know. Lilly understands.” He chuckled softly. “She’s always understood. No matter what we do, she just refuses to blame us for anything.”

Even after everything the nerich made me do, Lilly Harper didn’t abandon me, so she won’t abandon Alice. I know she won’t. That’s just the type of person she became.

“I’m sorry, Jay,” she said softly.

“For what?”

“Everything. I’m sorry I just couldn’t hold out. They killed Monica and everybody else at the diner and they killed Rina and they turned you into a monster and they…” She sniffled. “They took everything and even after all that, I couldn’t hold out. I couldn’t stop myself from taking the easy way out.”

Jay slowly closed his eyes, fighting back the wave of emotion as he was told that even Monica had become a victim of Ijiria. He hadn’t known the hostess well, but she had been a constant presence whenever he visited the diner, so he took a moment to silently pay his respects before returning to the moment at hand.

“They’re Masters of Ijiria,” he stated firmly. “The fact that you held out at all is a testament to how tough you are. I’m proud of you, Alice, and that won’t change. We’re going to move past this. We’ll remember everybody they took, and we’ll move forward together…just like we always have. You and me, yeah?”

“But is that okay? Can we really just move on?”

“We have to,” he insisted. “I do think that's what they would want. Audrey, and Rina, and even Monica…they wouldn’t want us falling apart over them. Isn’t that what you told me all those months ago, after I tried to kill myself? That we have to live? That Audrey would have wanted me to live?”

“I…” She paused and after a moment, she raised her tear-streaked head to look him in the eyes. “I know I said that, but…”

“Then that’s what we’ll do.” Jay reached out and held his hand out to her, a broad smile on his face. “Let’s walk forward and see what the future has for us. We both reached rock bottom so now it’s time to pull ourselves back up, and the best way to do that is together. Isn’t that right? No matter what happens, I’ll always be here for you to lean on.”

She quietly gazed at his hand for a moment before gently raising her own to grasp it, a conflicted look on her face. “I’ll…I’ll try, Jay. Thank you. I love you, you know.”

“And I love you, too.”

He closed his fingers around hers, wanting her to feel his presence and to be reassured, and it was then that he heard the front door open and the chatting of two girls reached his ears. They were laughing, and it was a sound that both caused him pain and made him smile. Alice could only gape at them, and he was sure this was her first time seeing them since her memories returned.

“Oh my god, guys,” Audrey immediately began, “You’ll never believe what just happened in the forest. We ran into Evan Wright and he started going on like a weirdo and…” She trailed off as she saw them, and her amusement quickly shifted to concern. “Is everything okay? What’s wrong?”

“Oh, we’re fine,” Jay assured her. “Now what’s this about Evan Wright?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Rina quickly interrupted irritably. “What does matter is that you’ve clearly lost your mind! First you have that strange outburst at lunch the other day, then you disappear for days on end, skipping cross country constantly, and now you summon us to the hideout out of nowhere? What the hell is your deal, Jay?”

He grinned, taking in her visage as she eyed him with contempt, before he merely shrugged. “Good question, Rina. I’m still figuring that out. But anyway, did you bring them?”

She snorted. “Of course I brought it. I’m never not wearing it, unlike you, who never wears it.”

She reached under her shirt and produced her quarter of their medallion as Audrey did the same, both showing them off with clear pride. Jay turned to look at Alice, whose tears were already flowing again as she pulled out her own piece, leaving him as the only one left. Jay then followed their lead, taking his own medallion out and pulling it off of his neck.

“You know, Rina, I should make a promise to you,” he began. “From now on, I’m going to wear this every day. I’ll never forget about it and if I do, I want you to give me hell, okay? Don’t let me ever get away with forgetting to put it on.”

She seemed taken aback by the sudden determination and seriousness in his words. “Uh, well, of course. You’d deserve it, after all. I spent so much of my allowance to have that thing made!”

“And I couldn’t be more grateful,” he said. “This medallion represents something really special to me. The three of you are my family and that’s never going to change. No matter how much time passes or what happens to us, I’ll never ever forget what you meant to me. We’ve had our differences and we’ve done things we regret, but first and foremost, we are friends.” He laughed, feeling Alice gently squeezing his arm. “I know this seems like it's coming out of the blue, but I believe it needs to be said. Rina, Audrey, I love you both. Thank you for being my friends.”

Both girls seemed unable to figure out a response, and he enjoyed watching them be a bit flustered, but true to character, Audrey was the one who recovered first.

“Wow, way to get all cheesy, dude,” she joked. “Gosh, I’m not even sure how to respond to that. I mean, you know I love you, too. I always have. I love all three of you more than I could ever say.”

“Y-yeah, I do, too,” Rina murmured, still seeming thrown off by him.

Jay once again glanced sidelong at Alice to see her both crying and smiling, and he knew his plan was doing its job. This was their closure. This was their final chance to say goodbye to two friends that had been stolen from them far too early in life. In that sense, he was grateful to the erased realm for giving them a conclusion they never would have reached otherwise.

“Let’s put them together, shall we?” Alice suggested softly. “For old time’s sake?”

“Oh, uh, sure!” Audrey said cheerfully. “Yeah, let’s do that!”

“If you insist,” Rina added.

As the three girls removed their medallions from their necks, Audrey, Rina, Alice, and Jay all gathered in a circle and placed them together, uniting the four pieces to make the full medallion. Jay gazed down at it and without warning, he felt his emotions finally break free as he began to cry. This would be the last time he would see the medallion put together in this way, and he wanted to sear the image into his mind so he would never forget it because he knew this was truly the end.

This was his final goodbye.

***

Knowing there was very little for him to do in Scott’s workshop, Vinny had excused himself and gone out front to lean on the railing and watch the street below as he waited for Jay, Evan, and Rista to return. Damien and Liz had already departed as well, and he hoped she took his advice. He wanted them to have their memories back for the final battle against this realm. It wouldn’t feel right if Damien and Liz weren’t there at his side.

And I know it’ll work. If my relationship with Alice was strong enough to break past the magic then theirs will be, too. After all, they’ve been together for far longer so I trust Liz to be able to do what’s needed.

He smiled to himself, but that smile was short lived as he saw Evan round a corner down the street and begin making his way back. He didn’t see Rista or Jay, so he could only imagine that the boy had finished whatever business they needed help with. Evan glanced up at him for a moment but only held eye contact briefly before turning away and ascending the staircase to their floor. Vinny could tell that Evan didn’t want to interact with him so he decided to leave him be, ignoring him as he walked past and approached the door. But to his surprise, the sound of it opening didn’t immediately arrive, and instead, Evan broke the silence.

“So you’re back, huh, Mickeslon?” he grunted.

Vinny smirked to himself at the ever familiar hostile tone. “That I am, Wright. Did you miss me?”

“Not in the slightest,” he growled. “In fact, it was fucking pleasent not remembering you. Wish it could have stayed that way. That being said…” Evan paused, and this time, Vinny did turn around to look back at him to see the boy glaring his way. “I fuckin’ hate you and I always will. You’re an obnoxious and pretentious cunt and I never want to see you again.”

The blonde boy snorted, realizing that even after everything, he was still the same piece of shit that tried to bully Alice. “Right back at you, buddy. You really are scumshit.”

Evan grinned bitterly, as if wanting to challenge him. “So how about you and I make a deal? We both fucked up last Christmas. We both made mistakes we can’t take back, and Rina’s dead because of it. So how about you and I put up with each other until this realm is gone, and then we can go our separate ways and never talk again. That sound good to you?”

Vinny had been prepared for some sort of insult, and having believed Evan hadn’t changed, the fact that he took responsibility at all told him that he was partially wrong. And the fact was, they were both responsible for what happened. He had just expected Evan to pin all the blame on him. Therefore, Vinny could only grin in surprise and nod.

“Sounds good to me. Let’s destroy this stupid realm and then we can go back to quietly hating each other from a distance.”

“Perfect. Let’s do that then.”

With that conversation concluded, Evan turned back to open the door, but was soon interrupted by the sudden appearance of Rista, who jumped over the railing from the street and landed right beside them, startling them both.

“Fucking hell, Pine!” Evan exclaimed. “There’s stairs for a reason! Use them!’

“Shut up,” he breathed, trying to catch his breath. “I came as fast as I could. I… I found the last mana port! It was in the back room of that cabin in the woods. I need to tell Harper now!”

“You found…” Evan parroted, then as he realized what that meant, the boy quickly pushed open the door and moved out of the way, allowing Rista to go in first with the two boys quick on his heels.

“Harper! We need to talk!” the Ijirian called out, rushing through the apartment before coming to the workshop.

Yet once again, they were met with a surprise. Brad was standing in the corner, grinning, while Scott Reiner hunched over in his chair sobbing. Lilly was standing beside him, patting him on the back as she glanced up to see them enter.

“What happened?” Vinny quickly asked. “Is he okay? Why’s he crying?”

Lilly exchanged excited glances with Brad.

“It isn’t perfect, but the serum works,” she replied firmly. “Scott did it.”