Crowned 10 - Lost and Found!

CHAPTER 10

     Heavy footsteps thumped against the dark floor as a man hastened down a spiral staircase through a flurry of men, drinking and dancing in between. Heads turned and eyes followed his hastening back.

“Lord Kairo, congratulations on winning over Bestia!”

“Brilliant party tonight, Lord Kairo!”

“Looking handsome as always, Your Highness!”

“Where are you rushing to?”

Kairo brushed past many a talking figures, letting their calls fall on deaf ears. He jogged past the dance floor and entered the room opposite to it. He locked the door behind him before calling, “Brother? Are you okay?”

The little room was dimly lit by a lamp placed on the center table, opposite to which was a wooden seat. It was a resting room for the servants, which had been taken over by Kaeo’s impatient grunts and whimpers.

“Kae, what’s happening?” Kairo asked as he kneeled beside the wooden seat, his eyes wandered over Kaeo’s pained expression.

“I—ugh, I can feel it, her magic,” Kaeo seethed through gritted teeth. His fist was clenched around a fork which he dragged over and over into the wooden seat.

“Close your eyes,” Kairo said as he placed a finger over Kaeo’s forehead and gently pushed him backwards, “Tell me what you see.”

Kaeo writhed under his brother’s touch and the fork was further pushed into the wood. “Arrgh, the’rre, there’s a, a fire,” Kaeo huffed as pain clutched his abdomen, “A big place is on f—ugh, fire, argh,” he grunted, voice deepened with controlled agony, “I can feel her stripping my magic.”

“It’s okay,” Kairo reassured, “She might need it. Tell me, what do you see? Give me a hint.”

Kaeo swore under his breath as he tried to concentrate. His body felt like it was being stabbed by invisible daggers and every hole was releasing his magic into the universe. Exhaustion took over his limbs and he let himself slip further into the curve of the wooden seat.

“There is a, um, trees, she is outside. The build—aargh, it’s on fire. There’s a magic circle, r-r-red and, guards, the crest, it’s the Count’s crest. Aramia. Ugh,” he grunted as pain ripped through his body, threatening to split him in half.

“Good work, brother,” Kairo smiled and knocked a finger against Kaeo’s forehead.

The ravenette fell limp, rolled off the seat and crashed against the marbled floor.

Kairo cringed at the loud thud Kaeo’s head made after hitting the table’s foot. “That’s gotta hurt…” he mumbled before a brilliant jade magic circle appeared under his feet and swept him away. “To think you had been so close…” Kairo muttered as he materialized in front of the burning occido wing at Count Aramia’s estate.

He whispered a spell and a small magic circle appeared within his right eye. Through it, he could clearly see the crimson magic circle over the estate. The circle throbbed furiously, unlike anything Kairo had seen before. He could feel the spell lending power from the very atmosphere around him. The roaring winds, the shivering leaves, the crackling fire, they are all sustaining the circle overhead.

“This…this is magic,” Kairo gasped in a whisper.

His bespelled eye caught sight of a pulsating red wave on the farther left of the magic circle. It seemed to be connecting something on the ground and something else in the burning building. The purest thread of gold was encased within, as thin as an eyelash, fragile beyond belief. Kairo wondered if he stared too hard, it would break apart.

He ran towards it and found a body being dragged by two guards. The pulsating red wave had one end connected to it and an orb of powerful crimson throbbed around the body.

Kairo looked up and spotted the other end of the magic entering the first floor of the burning building.

He snapped his fingers and a magic circle appeared under his feet, levitating him off the ground. He floated to a broken window and found a similar throbbing body, surrounded by raging fire and protected by the crimson magic. From his height, he could see two more waves pulsating on the opposite side of the estate.

Kairo casted a quick spell and brilliant jade magic circle appeared underneath the crimson. It sucked the fire away until all that was left was smoke and wails. As soon as his magic circle disappeared, Kairo entered the burnt ballroom, picked up the person and floated back to the ground.

“It’s a miracle!”

“The fire is gone!”

“All hail—”

With another snap of his fingers, the wailing guards were knocked out cold.

Kairo placed the two bodies beside each other and almost instantly, the overcast magic circle disappeared. The wind rested and the trees came to a standstill.

“It’s like the magic has a mind of its own…” Kairo whispered with fascination shining in his eyes.

Though, as soon as the throbbing orb disappeared from the two bodies, horror caused his eyes to widen. For whom he remembered with warmth now laid cold and scarred. His feet scurried to her side and clammy hands picked up her curly brown head. Tears threatened his eyes as he pulled the limp body against his chest, whispering, “I-It’s okay, you’re safe now, nothing like this will ever happen again…”

The gnarly bite marks disappeared from her body as a magic circle appeared underneath Kairo’s feet.

Five days later, her eyes fluttered open.

There was a heaviness in her limbs that weighed her down and a clog in her throat that made her croak out, “Ah.” She closed her eyes again then reopened them as memories began spiralling in her head.

“Clary!” she shouted hoarsely as she shot up, instantly regretting both the actions. A violent cough wrenched her momentarily motionless. Her world spun as her head throbbed, threatening to burst open.

She swore under her breath as her eyes scrutinized the strange surroundings. She came to a very obvious realisation that she wasn’t in Count Aramia’s basement or her hardwood charpoy.

No.

She was in an unfamiliar lap of luxury, settled in between an army of soft pillows and a sinfully addictive bed. A calming scent wafted in the rich air surrounding her, accentuating the obvious wealth around the four-poster bed. Opposite to the bed, a fireplace of black stone crackled a warm glow.

Clary.

She raised her hands to get rid of the silk sheets and spotted colourful pins attached to her wrists. She pulled out a pin and seethed as a few droplets of blood marked the sheets. The pins were a healing tool, she recognised. Their needle tips were supposed to prick the veins of a patient and the tiny glass blob on the opposite end stored a healing spell or potion, whatever the caster deemed necessary. The pins were an Alchemy Type Mage’s speciality.

Oh.

She had almost overlooked it.

She was so used to them and suddenly, the scars were…gone?

‘Did Count Amaria finally sell me off?’ she wondered as she slipped out of the bed.

Her feet landed on the softest carpet known to existence and she could not resist the urge to rub her feet against it.

Clary. Her mind reminded.

“Yes,” she whispered hoarsely and pulled out the remaining four pins before getting up.

Dizziness overtook her sight and she grabbed the bedframe to stabilise herself. It was then when she caught sight of her attire. Her eyes widened as she faced the full-length mirror placed beside the fireplace.

She hadn’t seen herself in anything but the maid uniform for such a long time so it came as no surprise when an audible gasp escaped her lips. Though, instead of fascination, hers was scandalised.

For on her body was the very familiar and very classic, pearly white, iridescence embroidered, fae-woven, wedding dress.

Alarm bells raged in her mind.

‘Count Aramia totally sold me. Some creep wants to marry me. I need to run away, as soon as I can, as far as I can.’ She concluded and limped out of the bed room, which was connected to its own living room, past which was an opaque glass carved door. She gulped and limped to the circle widows. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she realised that she was on ground floor.

She looked around the living room and picked an umbrella from the stand by the door. She would use it as a contingency weapon, she decided as she unbolted the window and jumped out. Her limbs were still weak and instead of landing gracefully on her feet, she plopped on the hallway, clutching her thundering heart and sweaty limbs.

“Elvira.”

The sudden acknowledgement made her jolt backwards. Her head hit the wall and a loud groan escaped her lips.

The person in front swore under his breath as he rubbed a hand on the back of his head.

Elvira looked up and found a pair of dark eyes glaring at her with annoyance. He seemed bothered by her presence, if not disgusted, yet the odd familiarity in his face made her breath hitch.

Her eyes narrowed at his face. The frowning thick brows, center-parted raven hair strands caressing the flashy eyelashes. Odd amethyst eyes wandering over her face, the high nose bridge representing the pride in his almond shaped eyes, easing into a philtrum and pouty peach lips.

 No way.

She had never noticed it…but there was a mark under his left eye.

Had it always been there?

She wouldn’t know.

She was so sure she dreamt them up.

But—no, was it a dream again?

Elvira reached out and her fingers grazed over his shirt-covered-stomach. The hard touch felt real. Her eyes widened to their brim as she whispered, “Kaeo.”

“Good that you have your wits intact,” the man replied, voice deep and so unfamiliar, “Now that you are up, I can finally use my room again. For star’s sake,” he swore under his breath.

No, it wasn’t Kaeo. The Kaeo she knew had brilliant blue eyes and a smile that would light up her world.

It was a smile worth dying over.

And Kaeo died five years ago…

I should find Clary.

Elvira used the umbrella to stand up. The stranger shadowed her frame with his lean build.

“Ex-cuse me,” Elvira muttered as she limped past him.

 

Crowned 7 - Facing the Music.

 

Elvira let go of the utensils and immediately ran up to Clary’s side for washing her hands.

Clary, numbed to a stand-still, let herself be pushed to the side while Elvira washed her hands.

“We must go,” Yuna declared, only for Clary to shake her head vehemently.

“I—I don’t think I can go…” Clary whispered, her gaze stuck on the vegetables in front.

“It’s all right, you don’t have to force yourself…” Elvira whispered while patting Clary’s back, “You don’t have to go.”

“B-but, Lira…” Clary sniffled, brows joined together and lips in an upside-down frown.

“Not everyone has to be brave, not at the cost of yourself,” Elvira smiled.

Yuna nodded as she hastened towards the door, “It’s alright Clary, we understand. Let’s go, Elvi.”

Elvira left one last reassuring pat on Clary’s back before jogging out of the kitchen. Clary stared at their backs before nodding to herself, “I’ll manage their chores here,” she said, flaring her nostrils. She wanted to go…she wanted to help Lira, but her body stiffened at the thought of being near to any of Helif’s parties.

The mere word shot her seven years back, when she was the newest collection in Helif’s basement. She remembered his leering gaze running over her body as he brandished her in front of a table full of grinning men and women.

A band of musicians played slow music behind her as she was forced to step on the table, clad in a short frilly dress and serve the nobility all night long. Glass after glass of burning liquids were poured down her throat until she was delirious enough to forget all sense. She did not know what happened to her as the lazy piano keys turned into chirping of the morning birds.

All she remembered was waking up on the table, unclothed and hurting all over.

Clary clenched her teeth as she went back to washing the vegetables, praying in her heart that Lira would not have to face the same fate as Yuna and her.

In the hallway, Elvira said, “I will go outside, you should alert the head butler.”

“The head butler? Even the laundry maid could care less when it comes to people like us,” Yuna scoffed.

Elvira could only grit her teeth in agreement.

“I’ll distract them, you search for Lira and run, yeah?” Elvira proposed.

Yuna sighed as she nodded. Ever since Elvira had arrived, five years ago, she had been taking the falls for Clary and Yuna. Every time the Count would want to corner Clary or Yuna, Elvira would jump in, get hit or be horribly degraded as distraction.

A while ago, Yuna had confronted Elvira about it, only to receive the reply, “I don’t mind, I have nothing to lose anyway.”

When she saw Elvira running out of the glass doors, leading to the Garden and Gazebo, without looking left or right to care for what’s coming – Yuna could only clench her teeth.

Elvira wasn’t brave, she realised, Elvira just did not consider herself as a person worth consideration.

Her hasty steps over the grass were a stark comparison to Yuna’s careful ones. She ran boldly, shoulders squared and head held high while Yuna crouched behind tall grass, shoulders curled and keen eyes stalking the shadows of the night.

 Elvira scowled as spotted Lira standing beside a grinning Count Amaria. He had his hand over the small of Lira’s back, fingers gently caressing her squirming waist. He was about to introduce Lira to the party in the Gazebo, when Elvira jumped in.

“Milord! You haven’t introduced me to your friends!” she grinned and lodged herself under Count Amaria’s arm, elbowing Lira out of her way, “Why are you wasting your time on new scum when you can have all of experienced me?” she giggled, fanning her face.

“Ugh, this girl!” Count Amaria scowled as he pushed her out of his arms, “Don’t you know your place?!”

“I do, master,” Elvira grinned and dropped to his feet. “Won’t you keep me for your friends, master?” she faked a mewl, fluttering her eyes at the grinning crowd. Thankfully, she had chosen to wear a high-collared, full sleeved servant outfit with her uniform stockings and shoes.

“No—get away, you’re hideous,” Count Amaria bellowed and tip-toed to look for Lira. “Where’s the pretty one gone?”

Unbeknownst to him, Yuna had carried Lira inside.

“Why look for the pretty one? She’ll cry and whine, be reluctant all night long,” Elvira jumped up to stand in the Count’s face. “I’m better,” she winked and walked up to a guest, “I can be very entertaining,” she whispered as she ran a hand over the guest’s chest, nearing his abdomen, she said, “You can test me.”

“I like this one!”

“Yeah, she seems fun!”

“Forcing isn’t enjoyable. She’s so willing, she’d do it all sober.”

Elvira winked at the guest who praised her.

Count Amaria sighed as he took a seat at the head of the table, “You folks do not understand,” he pressed his lips in a line, “She’s hideous all over.”

Elvira merely blinked flirtatiously.

“It’s okay, I like her face. She could do it all clothed, wouldn’t you, slave?”

Elvira fluttered her eyes and acted coy, “Why not? My bite grooves will only stimulate you.”

“Bite marks!” a guest exclaimed, leaning onto the table, he urged, “Show us.”

“They’re…” Elvira giggled, “They’re quite harsh.”

The crowd roared into laughter while Count Amaria rolled his eyes.

“Kinky lass.”

“How harsh?”

“Show me all of your marks, slave.”

Elvira obliged as she slowly rolled her sleeves. The slow piano and saxophone took over the silence as a dozen of depraved gazes waited for her to expose herself.

As soon as both her sleeves were above her elbows, Elvira raised her hands for all to see.

Instantly, the men began coughing, whispering and evading gazes.

“They’re not bad, just Kindler bites. You know them? Creatures of the dark! Their bite spreads their cause but somehow, I survived!” Elvira grinned.

The piano and the saxophone escalated into a giddy pace as people began shuffling backwards.

“Don’t back away, my saliva only hurts on a full moon,” she bluffed.

Instantly, everyone’s heads flipped to look at the two moons in the sky. One of them was a full moon and the other a crescent.

“G-um, just serve us drinks. Be—”

“Better yet, leave us be. We had something important to discuss tonight, did we not, Count Amaria?”

“Indeed, we did,” the Count sighed as he glared at the back of Elvira’s head, “The Northern Plains have been subjuga—why are you still here? Leave.”

“Yes, Milord!” Elvira exclaimed, a little too happily. She was about to run away when a cold voice halted her.

“Hold up, I can still entertain you all with her. Since she interrupted us, she has to pay a price.”

Elvira gulped, clenching her jaw, she turned back to face Count Amaria. His dark eyes caught a glint of the lanterns and gleamed deviously.

For as long as his soiree lasted, Elvira’s screams were the supporting vocals to their background music. Right outside the gazebo, Count Amaria had Elvira kneeled over the prickly grass while one of the guards lashed her back.

Guests drank, shouted, sang and were eventually taken away by their servants. Count Amaria too was taken inside, before his drunk mumbling could ruin public relations or reveal national secrets. All the while, Elvira laid on the damp grass, pricking and soothing her gashed back. The lasting notes of the music were heavy companionship along with the stars and the two moons.

The universe was so silent…or maybe it was screaming, like her, and nobody was paying attention.

The next day, the sun would rise and everything would stay the same. Her smiling face, the sparkling pond, the jumping fishes, the breezy garden, they would all stay the same.

“Some days…I’m grateful my scars exist.” Elvira informed the sky. A smile graced her face which eventually turned into a grin as she spotted her birth star twinkling. “Ah…Mirai, you cheeky traitor.”

“Elvi? Is that you?”

Elvira sat up and winced at the suddenness of her own actions. She groaned before replying, “Ye-ah, I’m here, Clary, it’s all clear.”

The girl jumped out of distant bushes, her blonde head glowing under moonlight. She ran up to Elvira’s side with a box of medicines in her hand.

“Was I that loud?” Elvira grimaced.

Clary rolled her eyes as she kneeled beside her friend, “I’m sure the entire empire heard it.”

Elvira seethed as Clary unzipped her dress and pulled the fabric off her body.

“Do you have any sense of self-preservation?” Clary scoffed sternly.

“My apologies, your highness, I shall do better next time,” Elvira joked.

“Wrong answer!” Clary exclaimed at the bloody sight of Elvira’s back, “There should be no next time!”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah…”

Clary applied ointment over Elvira’s scarred back, cringing and wincing every time Elvira did.

“Does it hurt a lot?” she asked, apologetically.

“Surprisingly, not so much,” Elvira grinned.

 

Because, a continent away, a blue-eyed boy writhed in pain.

“Is it hurting still?” the boy beside him asked.

The boy in bed shot up and scowled, his face shadowed by the darkness of the room, “It freaking feels like I was lashed!”

Crowned 5 - I won't let go!

 

CHAPTER 5

 

“Why would your father let his pet Kindlers attack you?” Elvira never thought a sentence so strange would ever escape her mouth.

“To kill us, obviously.”

Obviously.

“Aren’t you afraid of death?”

“I won’t die; the world is yet to see all of me.”

Elvira scoffed. She could hear the cheeky grin in his voice.

The light from Kairo’s magic circle was beginning to wear out around them and the abysmal darkness continued. Elvira noticed Kaeo’s footsteps beginning to take smaller strides as he continued. Though her vision was blurred, Elvira could hear the haunted shuffling fast approaching from everywhere Kairo’s magic’s failed to reach.

“Let go of me,” Elvira demanded.

“No. If we’re separated, you’ll fall prey to the darkness. You have no magic to protect yourself.” Kaeo replied, harshly. He came to a standstill right at the edge of Kairo’s magic circle. Beyond it, through his enhanced vision, he could see the glistening grey eyes of the Kindlers.

Something must have held up Kairo, Kaeo concluded. “We’ve underestimated the range of this realm spell. This could end badly,” he whispered.

“Do you remember what Kairo told us?” Elvira asked, noticing how Kaeo was taking small steps backwards.

“What?”

“The range of an illusion. We are in an illusion of darkness right now, so the spell has to be big enough to harness not only the whole market, us, but also the army of Kindlers. Kairo said that the density of the created object multiplied by the mass is the range of an illusion spell to last.”

“Which means that the Kindlers are an illusion?” Kaeo asked.

Suddenly, Kairo’s magic circle shifted backwards and a cold screeching body was about to prance at them. Instantly, Kaeo induced his magic in his feet and backed almost fifteen stris away in a millisecond.

“Or not,” Elvira gasped as soon as they were back in Kairo’s magic circle. “I meant that the illusion spell must be anchored on something. Like Kairo’s spell was anchored on real noodle bowls, this spell must be anchored on the real street.” Elvira explained.

“So, to break an illusion this big—oh! I got you!” Kaeo exclaimed.

Kairo seemed to be running in the opposite direction to them and his magic circle was following him. Kaeo had to simultaneously go backwards as he charged his fist. A brilliant blue magic circle appeared over his knuckles. “Are you ready?” he asked.

“Go!” Elvira shouted, covering her head with her hands.

Kaeo jumped backwards to remain in Kairo’s magic circle and positioned himself to land a punch. His right arm passed a sequence of magic circles before landing on the ground. Elvira yelped as the impact created a deafening sound. The illusion shattered around them as Kaeo found himself elbow-deep in the middle of a very bustling road.

Elvira rolled off to the other side, coughing and cursing under her breath. Her nostrils inhaled the dust underneath a stall, which caused her to cough even more violently.

Small smoke fumes escaped from the hole as Kaeo twisted his hand out of the concrete. Kairo’s appearance illusion had worn off and a small crowd began gathering around the foreigners.

“What happened?”

“Did he just…punch through the concrete?”

“Why does he look like that?”

“Maybe he is a foreigner…”

“A mage? Destroying our property?”

“Summon the Church officials! This is big!”

Kaeo stumbled back on his feet, unconcerned about the crowd’s whispers.

“Elvira? Where are you? Elvira? Are you okay?” he called, trying to make his way through the crowd.

“He has an accomplice? Find her!” a stranger ordered.

Kaeo’s otherwise humorous face switched to a scowl as he punched the stranger in his face, consequently breaking the local’s nose.

“Who are you to find her?” Kaeo spat as blue blood spurted out of the man’s nose.

“That’s assault! Grab him!”

On the other side of the street, Elvira rolled out of stall she was under. She scrambled back to her feet only to find herself in an even more tattered white dress. The dirt and grime were all back and her neck brandished the mark of a person abandoned by the stars.

She caught sight of Kaeo fighting the crowd and alarm bells blared in her head. She did not want to alert the crowd but she wanted to protect her friend like he had protected her. But…she held no amazing powers to come to his rescue.

Elvira looked around and picked up a few stones from the ground. She threw them at the crowd and shouted, “METEOR SHOWER! THE STARS ARE PUNISHING US!” on top of her lungs.

Instantly, everyone looked up, momentarily letting go of their violent desires.

Elvira’s eyes found Kaeo’s.

They shared a look of understanding before shoving the people away and jumping into a sprint.

Kaeo held out a hand for Elvira to take.

Elvira extended a hand to grab his.

As soon as he would get a hold of her, he could speed them away. The two magic circles over his feet indicated that he was prepare to stop only when they were out of town. The giddiness in his sapphire almond eyes indicated that he was prepared to laugh out loud as soon as they were done.

Elvira’s fingers were about to touch his when someone pulled her by her hair.

“It’s the mark of an oddity! The cursed one abandoned by the stars!”

“She’s cursing us all!”

Elvira’s eyes widened as she was pulled away.

Kaeo sped towards her.

In the very moment, something dark and sharp sped through Kaeo’s abdomen. Impaling him. Blood spurted out of his mouth as he fell to the ground.

Elvira screamed and kicked her way towards him.

Suddenly, darkness surrounded them. Yet again, the gurgling and shuffling began closing in on them as Elvira scrambled towards Kaeo’s body.

She pulled his head in her lap, wailing as she tried to press a hand over his bleeding stomach. She couldn’t make sense of what was happening anymore. Her teeth were chattering as the light left Kaeo’s eyes. Their dimming left Elvira blinded by the darkness.

The kindlers were speeding towards them.

Elvira wailed, desperately clinging onto Kaeo’s escaping blood.

“No! You cannot leave us! Kairo! Where are you?! Kairo! It will all be fine! Enhancer types can heal themselves; you just need a nudge. I’m here, I will protect you! I won’t let you die until your brother comes, I won’t—I can’t—no, no, no—”

A sharp claw grabbed her shoulder, another slender body climbed her back, sharp feet perched themselves on her head—but Elvira did not let go of Kaeo. She hunched herself over his torso, clinging onto his corpse.

“I won’t let you, I cannot, I won’t, I won’t, you cannot die, you cannot die, you cannot die…” she kept chanting.

He had held out his hand for her.

He had uttered words of kindness when all whom she loved had abandoned her.

He had protected her.

She couldn’t let go him like that.

She did not function like that.

She had to help.

But she was so useless.

So, utterly, pathetic. Clinging onto a corpse while creatures nibbled on her flesh.

No.

This couldn’t be how she dies.

This couldn’t be how her story ends.

The stars couldn’t be so cruel to her.

“Iwon’t lego, I won lego, iwon lewgo…” her tongue couldn’t roll anymore.

It wouldn’t be long until the Kindler poison took over her entire body.

Then she would become one of those creatures… devouring Kaeo’s body in the darkness.

The mere thought ran chills down her spine.

No.

Her eyes flashed open and a scream manifested from within her soul.

A brilliant red magic circle flashed over them, the intensity of which burned the Kindlers within and around it. Elvira’s eyes burned scarlet and her body could barely stand the weight of the power circling above her. She gritted her teeth and held onto Kaeo’s body as strong winds started spiralling around them.

Stinging pain coursed through Elvira, twisting her arms and feet. Her gut felt as if it had been punched by a thousand men and blood oozed out of the corners of her mouth, eyes and nostrils. They left a crimson trail over her pale face, forever changing the trajectory of her fate.

Magic circles appeared all over Kaeo’s body and the illusion of darkness began shattering around them.

As soon as the first ray of sunlight broke within the darkness, Elvira’s spine gave up. She fell backwards, her auburn eyes unmoving, fixated, as sharp rays of reality broke through the illusion. The piercing rays landed over the magic circle and crossed it to warm Kaeo’s body.

Elvira’s chest stopped heaving as soon as Kaeo’s sapphire eyes shot open. She fell back, onto the ground.

The illusion shattered. They were back in D’amar square.

All that was left around them was debris and corpses.

Crowned 4 - Petty Villainy

 

CHAPTER 4

Elvira blinked at the hand held out – was she supposed to take it? Clap against it? Or run away from it? Why would someone be kind to her for no apparent reason?

The last time people chose kindness with her, she hurt them for not keeping up with their expectations. What did these two expect from her? She had nothing on herself except for a torn dress, a broken stick and a crushed piece of paper.

“W-with you?” Elvira asked, “What do you do?”

Kaeo shrugged and Kairo waved a hand in her face, feigning nonchalance.

“Not to brag or anything…” Kairo started.

“But we’re sort of big…” Kaeo continued.

“We’re going to conquer the world, you see.”

“We are super villains!” Kaeo exclaimed.

“Not really!” Kairo rushed to explain, “Super villains have a territory to rule. We do not have that—”

“--we’re working on that.” Kaeo interrupted.

“We will be super villains, one day. We’re just villains for now, umm—petty villains.”

A smile broke onto Elvira’s face. She nodded in understanding. They were being kind to her because they were societal rejects as well – probably because their brain wasn’t in the right place.

“Linch killing villains?” Elvira asked, amused.

“Oh that? That was for research purposes,” Kaeo shrugged, pointing his free hand back at the Linch Cliff.

“What research?” Elvira urged, concluding their lack of normalcy.

“The world conquering kind,” Kairo whispered, jade eyes narrowed with conspiracy.

“Are you sure you should be telling me that?” Elvira exhaled, exasperated. She took off her hand from her neck and let go of the stick, quite instinctively.

“Of course, you don’t seem harmful.” Kaeo said as he stepped forward and patted her back (since she did not take his hand).

Elvira scoffed. “You’re awfully trustworthy for being villains.” She had read stories; textbook villains did not work like that.

“She called us awful,” Kairo whispered and shared a fist-bump with Kaeo.

“Don’t worry, if you ever seem threatening, we’ll kill you instantly,” Kaeo grinned.

So…the reason they chose to be kind was because she had no magic. “Ha…” Elvira scoffed, “How reassuring.”

“We look out for our underlings.” Kaeo stated, in a business-like tone.

“Not that we have any.” Kairo urged to add.

“Doesn’t mean we won’t have any.” Kaeo snapped.

Kairo nodded, “True that.”

“Unless, you become our first!” Kaeo proposed.

There was an eager earnestness in his eyes that set Elvira’s heart aflutter. Startled by his kindness, Elvira looked away. The tips of her ears were beginning to blush but her stomach beat them to attention. It produced the most strangled cry for food that Elvira had to physically strangle its non-existent throat.

“Oh—I’m sorry,” she mumbled, embarrassed.

“Nothing to apologise for, let’s go!”

Kairo nodded and with a snap of his fingers a brilliant magic circle appeared underneath the three. It dazzled under the sun, captivating Elvira’s attention, and before she knew it, they were standing in the middle of a busy bazar. Her eyes widened at the sudden change and her hands rushed to cover her flaws but with another snap of Kairo’s fingers, the three of them were dressed in black overalls with matching black hats and ginger hair.

“Isn’t he so useful?” Kaeo grinned, ruffling Kairo’s hair.

“He is overtiming with this magic,” Elvira scoffed as she looked down to observe her clothes. She had a black turtleneck on which was long enough to cover her neck and thin enough to survive the vengeful afternoon sun. Her legs were clad in loose black pants and comfortable heeled shoes. “Your spells are to die for…” Elvira mumbled, mesmerised by the details.

“Kairo is brilliant. Maybe one of the reasons why he isn’t able to ascend to Class SS is because I keep using him like that,” Kaeo grinned.

“Yeah, Enhancer Types are usually inherently selfish,” Elvira snorted.

“It’s okay, Kae will pay me with his life,” Kairo grinned back.

Elvira was taken aback by the nonchalance of the promise. “Where are we?” she asked, looking around at the bustling square. Even in the harshest of afternoons, people were buzzing with life. The streets were lined with shops and stalls, while adults and children alike clamoured for new products and bargained for the old.

“D’amar Square,” Kairo replied.

“They have the best noodles.” Kaeo informed.

“What…what continent are we on?” Elvira asked, frowning at the bright sun and dry wind threatening to suck the non-existent moisture out of her.

“Kalmia, land of the shapeshifters.”

Suddenly, the bright grinning faces made sense.

Kaeo led them across the street and inside a small, dimly lit, restaurant. The interior was cold and damp, walls a dark brown in colour and furniture made out of hardwood wood. The spicy scent of well-made noodles held a chokehold on every nook and cranny.

They took a seat in a farther corner, Elvira with her back towards the wall and the brothers facing her.

“Umm…I must confess…” Elvira hesitated as she began, “I don’t have money.” She whispered.

Kaeo and Kairo leaned in as they whispered in sync, “It’s okay, neither do we. But villains don’t have to pay. Watch and learn.”

Kaeo leaned back and called, “Lizzy, get me three large bowls with extra toppings!”

“They’re all Lizard-folk shapeshifters,” Kairo explained.

“Wouldn’t they be weary of us…? We’re different than them.” Elvira said, biting on her lower lip with hesitation.

“They won’t know. Illusion spells are rare to master and Kairo has perfected them.” Kaeo stated, fanning hands around his brother’s face.

“Wah…you are all amazing…” Elvira grinned, putting two thumbs up in their faces. She wished she was half as excellent as them…but all she could do was be a freeloader to them. She did not want that. “Is there something I can do? To help?” Elvira asked, leaning over the table.

“Of course, you’re our first recruit in the World Domination plan! You’ll be working plenty from now on, so eat a lot first,” Kaeo said.

Elvira sniffled.

A red haired and thin-yellow-eyed woman placed three bowls of noodles on the table before walking away.

 “Hold up now,” Kairo said. With his fingers, he drew a line on the table, connecting the three bowls. The line left a faint green glow. In the centre, Kairo drew a circle and started drawing symbols around it. As soon as he was done, the lines glowed a brilliant green before disappearing. “A simple illusion spell, the bowls will appear filled as long as we’re here. They don’t take money unless we eat,” Kairo explained.

“And they ask foreigners to pay at service,” Kaeo pointed out.

Sure enough, Elvira saw the waitress counting coins a few tables away while the food bowls were balanced on a tray in her hand, steaming hot.

“Can you not create an illusion of money, instead?” Elvira asked, frowning.

“I can, but it would disappear too quickly. The duration of the spell in codependent to its intensity and the range of the caster.” Upon seeing Elvira’s stupefied look, Kairo chuckled before elaborating, “For example, I’m here and I create an illusion of a pebble then it will disappear as soon as I am out of range, which for it would be the door of this place. How do you calculate range? It is the density of the created object multiplied by the mass. In simpler terms, big objects have a larger range and duration in comparison to smaller objects.”

“Let’s just eat,” Kaeo said.

“Yeah, you do you,” Elvira sniffled and shoved a bite in her mouth—like the starved woman she was. It had been so long since she had eaten…she felt bliss capture her soul as she scarfed down the rich broth with thick noodles, each bite more fulfilling than the last.

“Spells are an intricate art…and science,” Kairo sighed, staring at the two hungry souls beside him, “You’ll never understand.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don’t want to,” Kaeo mumbled in-between bites.

As soon as they were done eating, the trio got up and left the restaurant, as stealthily as they had arrived.

“So, how long will the illusion last?” Elvira asked.

“For about ten stris,” Kairo replied, “We can be out of the Square by then.”

“Thank you for the meal…” Elvira said before a burp escaped her mouth, “This was so good…ugh! Ah-ha! Now that we’re done with petty villainy, what are we doing next?”

Kairo and Kaeo narrowed their eyes at her, expressing disappointment.

“What?” Elvira asked, eyes widened.

“Is there somewhere you have to go?”

“Oh! That reminds me!” Elvira rummaged her pockets and was surprised to find the piece of paper in them. Again, surprised by the finesse of Kairo’s magic, she took out the paper and showed it to them, “Here, do you know where this is? It was taped to my thigh; I found it after I woke up.”

“Hmm… Dowdry Lane, never heard of it…”

“FX83551…is it an address or a code?”

“All I know is that the handwriting is similar to my bestfriend’s, back home.”

“It’s alright, once we take over the world, we will have all the resources to find your pretty little lane!” Kaeo exclaimed.

“Wah…you have too many things on your agenda.” Elvira scoffed.

“Pfft…what do you mean? We only have two things on our agenda!” Kairo exclaimed.

“Yeah, see,” Kaeo held up a finger, “World Domination,” Then he held up another, “Find Dowdry Lane.”

“Easy!”

“How kind,” Elvira pressed her lips in a smile.

“Okay, now that you’re with us, we’ll let you in on our research secret,” Kaeo began.

They were walking amidst the crowd, barely keeping track of each other by their striking hair colours.

“Are you sure it’s the right time and place?”

“There’s a time for everything if you make it—”

Suddenly, the bustling street darkened and the glaring sun disappeared into a haze.

“W-w-what’s happening…?” Elvira stuttered, frowning at the skies above.

People began disappearing from her vision until all she could see were Kairo and Kaeo closing in. Was it one of their villain tricks? Elvira stood corrected as she spotted the harsh frown on Kaeo’s forehead and the panic surging Kairo’s eyes.

“Remember how we’re not super villains?” Kaeo began.

“That’s because there’s someone above us, the one with territory.” Kairo continued.

“The real super villain.”

“Stay behind, it is a trap.”

Kairo pulled Elvira behind him as Kaeo stood in front of her, with his back to her face. They were trapped in a cage of darkness and Elvira could barely even see her hand. Yet, she could feel the warmth exuding the two bodies she was trapped in between.

“Can you see it?” Kairo asked.

“Yes, but—”

“Don’t worry, leave them to me. Take her and run.”

“W-w-what are you talking about? What is there? What is happening?” Elvira stuttered.

Kaeo turned to face her and Elvira squirmed upon sighting his glowing sapphire eyes. He was an Enhancer Type mage so it made sense that he could enhance his vision to see all that Elvira could not. “Don’t worry, do you mind?” he asked, eyes wandering over Elvira’s scared face.

Odd gurgling noises birthed around them.

“Mi-mind what?” Elvira asked, hoping he wouldn’t sacrifice her.

“This.” Kaeo wrapped an arm around her waist, picked her up and flung her over his shoulder. “I’m counting on you, Kai.” He shouted as he began running with a yelping Elvira on him.

“Always,” Kairo said. He raised a hand and a magic circle appeared over it, enlarging until it covered the darkness and illuminated it a brilliant familiar green.

Hanging and bouncing, all Elvira could see was the green spell interacting with the darkness, eliciting fiery embers and disgruntled cries in their path. Her eyes widened in realisation as she caught sight of a thin, sharp claw-like hand being burned by Kairo’s spell.

“They’re Kindlers, creatures of the darkness. The darker it gets, the stronger they become. Their bite spreads their cause. But, but, they cannot survive under sunlight or moonlight, which is just reflected sunlight—so, they are either found in the depths of oceans or underground or within dense forests. It’s impossible to see Kindlers on land, in broad daylight, unless someone had been harbouring them in an illusion of absolute darkness.” Elvira said, remembering the textbook pages of her Creatures of God Book II, ed. 12.

“Brilliant, you win a back-pat!” Kaeo grinned and patted Elvira’s back, “They’re his favourite pets. Perfect minions of death.”

“His?”

“Yeah, our father’s.”

The You in Me: 4 - Friends and Rivals.

 

CHAPTER 4

Behind Seraphina, he stood aiming a double barrel silver gun at the lot in front.

“Don’t worry about it, they’re just sleeping shots,” His golden eyes pointed at the gun in his hand, quite nonchalantly. He stood tall and at ease with his athletic build and wide shoulders, prideful of his very own existence. From his point of view, it would be safe to say that he was used to looking down on people, and why wouldn’t one, if they were blessed with a face like his. Sculpted in pure leisure, his narrow eyes and sharp features complimented his tanned skin and dark hair, unruly and slightly elongated around his nape. Over the thick yet pointy ends of his brows were embedded two iridescent crystals, each, marking him the most powerful true Astherian in the room.

“You wouldn’t have the heart to use it otherwise, O’ great hero Kaizer,” the redhead drawled as she stepped forward and stood right over the white line made in front of the weapon stand.

“You’re a Dread,” Kaizer made the wise observation from the dark crystals over her brows.

“The name’s Ahren,” the redhead mocked a bow, then she turned to face the other three panting behind her, “Come now, don’t you want to win number one?”

“I’d rather we play rock, paper, scissors to pick a winner,” Seraphina grumbled under her breath as she got up. With silence now dominating the crystal room, the eeriness of the situation had creeped up on her. Though Kaizer had his gun pointed over their heads, he wouldn’t attack for as long as they remained unarmed.

Seraphina never fathomed the thought that the only ground rule of the competition was its biggest demerit. The system, once again, proved itself to be rigged in the favour of a singular power.

“I think we’ll stay behind the line for a second, why don’t you choose first?” Nysa urged Ahren.

“What! No, bitch, do not decide about us all by yourself! That’s why I say you’re so selfish! I’ll choose!” Irewin jerked himself away from Nysa’s shoulder and limped forward, only to be smacked on the back of his head.

“Can you not get a hint, you nitwit?!” Nysa snapped and pulled Irewin back in her grasp. “Kaizer won’t attack us as long as we’re unarmed, though, as soon as we pick a weapon, we’re dead because he chose the best one for long- and short- range combat,” Nysa whispered an explanation in Irewin’s ear as the brunette stood and nodded dumbly.

“Oh, now’s not the time to be wimps,” Kaizer joked, “You’re Heros. Stand tall and accept your fate.”

His golden eyes met Seraphina’s scarlet ones, hoping to either urge her into action or propel her into an understanding. The ravenette merely stepped away to get out of Nysa and Irewin’s range of sight and stood beside Ahren.

The redhead raised an amused brow to which Seraphina nodded sombrely. They were both Dreads, so they better stay together.

“Yeah, come along, we can at least stand side by side,” Ahren insisted the hero duo.

The couple hesitantly made a move forward. Ahren pushed Seraphina away to host the couple by her side, now all under Kaizer’s vigilance.

“Someone has to lose their pride or rank for someone else to win,” Seraphina announced after a minute of nobody moving. Her eyes were busy scanning the shelves for a weapon appropriate enough to win over Kaizer’s gun.

“Why don’t you do the honours?” Kaizer turned to face her, pointing the barrel over her forehead.

“Never really been the first at anything, I have. Second daughter, second choice of my crush, second house in the locality,” Seraphina shrugged and pursed her rambling mouth shut.

“I see you’re moving out of your shell then,” Kaizer snickered, looking slightly above her head.

Ha. Everyone else could see the glaring number one on her head. She wondered what everyone else had chosen.

“Ha,” Seraphina inhaled, “Won’t you congratulate me for it?” she pushed her lips in a fish pout and batted her lashes in a harsh attempt to be cringe.

She succeeded and Kaizer turned to Ahren instead.

“Ah, the Dread,” he coughed, awkwardly, and it was a moment enough for Seraphina to propel Irewin into the weapon shelf. His limping-self crashed into the crystal with a resounding thud; Kaizer moved to help the fellow hero and Seraphina took it as the cue to rush towards the furthest shelf.

Covering her fellow Dread, Ahren jumped into action and kneed Nysa in her back. She fell forwards, onto her lover, and Ahren used her moving body as a cover to sneak up to Kaizer’s side.

He was prepared though he couldn’t point his barrel at Ahren who was already elbowing his side. Their fists moved in a flurry of matched skill but before Ahren could realise it, Kaizer had her wrists pinned behind her back and head in a chokehold.

Way behind them, Seraphina struggled to pick up a weapon while simultaneously keeping a check on the fight. Though, when she saw the gun pointing directly at Ahren’s head, she reached for the microphone, flipped it on and chucked it to the crystal floor.

The crystal walls, embedded with hidden speakers, echoed the most ear piercing ‘beep’ that made even the sleeping students squirm for their lives. Ahren and Kaizer doubled over, his grip on the gun loosened and it fell to the floor as he used his hands for covering his ears instead. Ahren too curled to the floor at the sudden auditory assault, though, she was conscious enough to kick the gun out of their reach.

Seraphina, with a clenched jaw and curse words invading her mind, crawled forward despite the pain. As the vibrations tuned down, Seraphina’s crawls got more desperate. On the other side, Kaizer and Ahren too had begun twisting their limbs around to gain a leverage over the other. Like two toddlers fighting over their favourite toy, Kaizer and Ahren had descended to pulling at each other’s hair and stomping their feet.

“That’s a spectacle if I ever saw one,” Seraphina snorted into the microphone as soon as she grabbed it.

The bickering duo turned to face her.

“Catch!” Seraphina shouted and flung the microphone toward Ahren.

At the same time, Kaizer cursed, “Freaking Dreads.”

Ahren caught the microphone and wrapped its cord around Kaizer’s neck. Seraphina ran to reach their side and pulled the microphone toward her, behind Kaizer’s back. Ahren detained his hands until his air flow ceased and his body stopped resisting. He fell to the cold hard floor, quite handsomely.

“We did it! We knocked out the strongest Hero! We won!” Seraphina clapped and flicked the microphone phone off.

“Charming, is it not?” Ahren untangled herself from the passed-out boy and stood up.

“Very! Very charming! We’re the luckiest in our crowd!”

Ahren stood up and Seraphina ran in for a hug; she welcomed the ravenette with open arms and then tasered her in the back. As her limp body descended to the floor, Ahren clarified, “I was the first person to get a weapon, but I don’t believe in making a big deal out of things. It was fun while it lasted, Sera-Sera.”

A white aether circle shone underneath the passed-out student body, restoring their uniforms. Ahren glanced at Seraphina’s Class: S badge and couldn’t help the snicker which escaped her lips.

No fanfare greeted the redhead after her win. There were no claps or confetti or cheers, merely a digital screen which showed her face on top of all the other students.

No. 1 – Dread – Ahren Vassilissa – S – Ability type: Freeform, Chaos.

No. 2 – Dread – Seraphina Dysis – S – Ability type: Freeform, Chaos.

No. 3 – Hero – Kaizer Malvern – SS – Ability type: Holy.

No. 4 – Hero – Nisreen Alamara – AA – Ability type: Knight.

No. 5 – Hero – Irewin Paix – AA – Ability type: Berserker.

 

And it was enough for her eyes to crinkle with mirth and a big grin encasing her face. The future, this term, seemed way more promising than the previous ones.