To anyone that didn’t know him well, the sight of Samuel Keats roaming around with a bundle of colorful fabrics would be more than a little unusual. The guy didn’t exactly give off the vibe of being a fashionista, and even though the Fear Fest was on, he was still a sophomore so it wasn’t even like he needed to set anything up. More than a few people looked at him with suspicion, assuming that he was up to something or other, that he had some kind of scheme in mind.

The truth, however, was something very different. Because today, Keats didn’t have time to pick a fight with anybody. Today, he couldn’t care less about his reputation, about Mayweathers or Delphinas or anything to do with any of it. Today, nothing was going to bring him down, because this was the one time of the year that he genuinely looked forward to. Not the summer break, not whatever winter holiday you happened to celebrate, not even his own birthday. No, the coming of the Fear Fest meant one thing. It was Halloween.

And Keats loved Halloween.

He made his own costume every year, had always been the first to set out candy back home, and you’d better believe he had the entire soundtrack of ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ committed to memory. To him, there wasn’t any competition - and the idea that someone could not like it was pretty much blasphemy.

So, as he made the journey back towards his room, he couldn’t help but notice one person whose lack of enthusiasm stood out. Eliana Lovelace herself was sitting on a nearby bench, looking gloomier than anyone had the right to be at this time of year. He thought it over for a second, before changing direction, and strolling over to stand behind the bench and dumping the fabrics he’d been holding onto the seat next to her. Resting on the back of the bench, he tapped her on the shoulder with a grin and spoke cheerfully. ”Why the long face? It’s Halloween, even you gotta be looking forward to it a little!”

Eliana glanced up at the overly enthusiastic boy and internally cringed at the amount of excitement emitting from him. This was not the Keats she was use to. Far from it. Someone was excited to get spooky. She had been holding her phone in her right hand thinking of the possible excuses to tell her mom so that she could receive a get out of jail for free card and not go to the Fear Fest. Yes, she already packed and everything was set in her bedroom but there was still time for her to be like, ‘hey mom, I could really use today to train’.

She hated Halloween.

This holiday itself glorifies death and people get a kick out of other’s tears and ultimately their fears. What was so great about that? Don’t get her started with the scantily clad costumes for women. It seems nowadays, Halloween was just another excuse for horny teenagers to get laid. But that is not the problem today. The problem is this event is being hosted by Delphinas and it just smells like an utter disaster waiting to happen. Lucas was going to be there and she was sure he was going to go out of his way to make her life miserable. He could try but at this point in time, his childish antics just bored her. She doubted anything he threw at her could beat the images in her own mind. Regardless of his sorry attempts to get her emotionally stirred, she was still not looking forward to this festival that would give her a chance to have fun. Fun was not an option when the Tournament was just around the corner and she doubted that anything about the Fear Festival would be fun.

The further the semester went, the more Eliana wished she was homeschooled. Her friendships were dwindling and if she truly got what she wanted, she would have peace, quiet, and complete solitude. Of course, this day was not one of those days and neither was tomorrow or the day after, or the rest of the school year for that matter.

God, today was going to suck.

“Oh Keats, this is just how my face naturally is. Can’t you see how excited I am? I’m literally jumping for joy.” Her tone was sarcastic and dull. She was not enthused and she doubted he would change her mood.

”To be fair, your face normally is like that when I’m around. Still, you really don’t like Halloween, huh?” he muttered, but wasn’t discouraged by the setback. So, she really wasn’t a fan of all this. Now to most people, that might have been a cue to leave her alone, but Keats took it as a challenge. After thinking for a second, he spoke again.

”Well, I guess that settles it. Change of plans.” he jumped over the back of the bench, taking a seat next to her. ”See, normally I’d leave you alone, but I get the feeling you’re gonna try and avoid the festivities. As an upstanding citizen, I can’t let anyone be left out like that. So, I’ve got an offer you can’t refuse.” Despite knowing that he was probably annoying her like nothing else, and that they hadn’t exactly been the best of buddies in the past - not to mention the arrogance that unintentionally came through everything he was saying - there was something about Keats’ tone that indicated it was coming from a sincere place.

”You’re going to Fear Fest. With me. Because no way in hell am I letting anyone skip this. Like it or not, you are going to have some fun and stop moping around for once.” Before Ellie could cut him off, he raised a hand. ”And if by the time it’s over I haven’t convinced you to start enjoying Halloween, then you can decide on a forfeit of your choosing. That way, at least you know you’ll get some kind of entertainment out of this, guaranteed.” Keats laughed. He was confident enough making that offer - it was mostly just to stop her trying to talk her way out of it. Still, by the expectant look he gave her, it was obvious the guy wasn’t about to take no for an answer.

Raising an eyebrow, Eliana kept silent and contemplated his terms. A forfeit of your choosing. Oh? Was Keats making this a game? With someone like her? Huh, who would’ve thought. If she didn’t enjoy herself, she’d get to… punish him. This was interesting. Intriguing, even. She already figured he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Curiouser and curiouser.

Would he be able to get her to have fun? If Keats, someone she wasn’t necessarily well acquainted with, gave her the time of her life - she’d be surprised. Glancing over at him, locking her green orbs with his blue, she surveyed his expression. There was a glint in her dangerous gaze. Those eyes that were the window to her overwhelming power. She knew better than to get close with others, especially after seeing Elijah with Gianna that one fine morning. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. But for a challenge? Maybe she could make an exception. It wasn’t like Keats had anything to do with the individuals of her past.

After this weekend, they will return back to not acknowledging the other’s existence. At least, that was Eliana’s plan. “It’s more effort to refuse, so you’re on. Don’t expect this to be easy.” She pocketed her phone in her backpack purse pouch before standing up and turning on her heel to face him, “Mr. Upstanding Citizen, how do I look? Because I am NOT wearing a costume.” Deep down, Eliana knew her fate, but she could hope he didn’t have any plans on getting her festive. The fact that she was going should be good enough for him! Right?

Looked like she took the bait, worked like a charm. At the costume comment, Keats just raised an eyebrow. ”That right? Looks like I really am in for a challenge.” He grinned as he stood up, pausing just long enough to give her some hope before shaking his head. ”But you don’t really get a choice about this. Step one of Halloween is a good costume. Don’t suppose you’ve got one lying around?”

After a second, he realised that was a stupid question. ”Right. How about any old clothes lying around? That, or I could make you one myself - I don’t think I need this much material just for my own. Not sure how good it’d be if I haven’t planned it out, though.”

He’d clearly decided that this was going to happen, and nothing was changing his mind. Costumes were non-negotiable. ”How about we check your room, see if there’s anything lying around we can make into a costume. That way it definitely fits, and I get an idea what you’re okay wearing.” Of course, if she was really uncomfortable with the idea, she could always refuse whatever he came up with - but Keats was definitely starting to look forward to this. The whole thing was kinda impulsive, he had to admit, but that was just how he operated.

With indifference in her stare, Eliana stood up, grabbed her things, and led the way, in complete and awkward silence for a brief moment or two. A sudden cold breeze passed her by, causing her to shiver slightly. Observing her surroundings, she noticed how excited everyone seemed. Talking to their friends, wearing costumes, some surrounded by the school newspaper…

“Oh did you read the newest article?” A small strawberry blonde girl gestured a couple of her friends to look at the paper in her hands.

“It looks like Lovelace is straying away from her good pal, Elijah.” A tall boy with a hoodie on, rolled his eyes at this new craze around campus.

“Don’t you mean Illeana and Isaiah?” The tiny girl with the paper looked up and dumbly blinked at him - not realizing that Dear Sophia articles were based on actual people.

“You know just as much as I do that they’re TOTALLY based off of--” He stared at her baffled. This was the third article within these past two weeks and she STILL didn’t catch onto the similarities? Both Eliana and Lucas were basically “household” names at Mayweather because of their infamous feud, which unfortunately has settled down a little, causing the fans to agonizingly wait for more. Elijah’s reputation started crawling out of the shadows once Dear Sophia started publishing her articles.

“Team Lucas! OR Luke… it’s really the same thing.” A new female with glasses, two braids, and jumper dress on, entered the conversation.

Eliana brought her attention to Keats and grimaced, “Remind me to burn on the school newspapers when I get the chance.”

Keats’ expression showed a flicker of annoyance as he glanced over at the students. He hated people like that - people who’d spread shit around behind people’s backs. Part of him wanted to ask how much of this went on, but it wasn’t like they were close. Knowing Eliana, it seemed to Keats that she’d probably just clam up. Too personal. So instead, he just sighed, sounding almost tired. ”Yeah. Don’t blame you.”

---

In due time, Eliana found herself back in her room with Keats. Taking a deep breath in before opening the door, she unlocked it and gently nudged it open to see if the Cat was home.

Oh, thank god. She wasn’t.

Eliana’s ‘gift’ (the now turn up wedding dress) was on Sabrina’s bed, since it now became something she scratched every so often, if she didn’t find herself waking up right next to Eliana in cat form. “I guess there’s that?” She gestured to the expensive fabric lying on Sabrina’s bed, “There was a time it was in good condition… don’t worry. No one is getting married.”

Keats looked a little taken aback for a second - he was pretty sure this dress cost more than half his stuff put together, and that felt like an understatement. Guess it wasn’t that important to her, though, ‘cause that was basically permission for him to use the thing from what he could tell. He picked it up, and sure enough that was actually a wedding dress. For a second, he was about to question how and why this thing was in her room, but thought better of it. Whatever the reason, it probably wasn’t normal.

”Yeah, that should work, if you’re sure it’s okay to use.” he picked it up, looking it over. ”It’s pretty torn up, for sure, so that limits our options. Let’s see...” There was a pause while he thought through the possibilities. Normally, there were a few things he could offer, but this thing was so well-made that repairing it properly seemed like a no-go. After a second, his eyes lit up, and he looked at her with a smile. ”Tell me, Eliana, how do you feel about zombies?”

“I’m so prepared for the apocalypse. I’m just going to assume… you want me to put makeup on to look dead, so I’ll just do that now. I’m not here to disagree. I’ve already agreed with you this much, might as well keep the train moving.” The next thirty minutes were used with both of them getting ready (no, not in front of each other - get out of here) and then they were on their way toward the bus that would lead to the festivities.

The bus driver grabbed their belongings and put it away in the luggage compartment. Glancing up at Keats, her festival partner? Eliana gestured for him to lead the way inside, “Entertain me, Keats. Show me what Halloween is all about.”

It had been two weeks since that awkward endeavor, and being in Montreal didn’t make it better, just a hell of a lot worse. Fortunately her family wasn’t limited to being in just Toronto, after having to awkwardly call up her Uncle and explain to him the situation...well lie about the situation, he happily if not warily drove Leon and herself back to campus. The ride was...not as awkward as she thought, but definitely as embarrassing as she knew. Who even knows what Leon was feeling during that ride, they both couldn’t bear to look at one another, and as soon as they arrived on campus, her Uncle driving off, she hurried straight off to her dorm room without so much as a word to Leon. That...probably could have gone better, but she couldn’t help it, and for the times she encountered Leon, whether it was in class or in the Warden’s office, she awkwardly kept her distance from him.

Despite what might have happened, tonight was the start of the FearFest, normally she wouldn’t go to such...terrifying horror events, but Leon insisted the Wardens go for security purposes. Unable to deny such an order, she prepared herself for the journey ahead, a cute, if not accurate costume of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. It wasn’t anything slutty or sexy, it was just...plain, she didn’t even have to dye her hair, there was even a wig included. Timidly she stared at herself in front of the mirror, patting the dress and brushing it smooth, she thought it looked cute on her, but there was this sense of...wrong in her wearing it. Was it because she was trying to retain some sense of innocence, having worn a costume from a favorite movie of hers? God it probably didn’t even matter now, everyone already knew she was a whore! The slut that banged the leader of the Wardens! God what did Leon even think of her now?! ”Alright! Calm down….everything is going to be...alright….I hope….” The thought wasn’t very confident.

The time had come for her to go, and so she walked to the bus that would soon be departing. She felt so nervous, so scared, and her current state of awkwardness, that feeling of having lost her virginity, just never went away. Sure the soreness between her legs had gone, but the shame of it all still remained. It kept her up at night, made her tired throughout the day, some days were more emotional than others, and others she repeatedly convinced herself she was fine. SHE WAS GOING CRAZY! Maybe I need a shrink… As she approached the bus, she saw someone she recognized, ”Or maybe I just need a friend. Eliana Lovelace, she’d known the girl since childhood, their fathers being best friends after all. This was the first time she’d gone to school with her, but over the years, despite trying to be friendly, Ellie was...distant. Even Kayla remembered the happy girl in her toddler years, though she couldn’t say much for herself, she used to be that happy little kid, the one who thought she’d be a super like her parents.

She breathed in deeply and exhaled, she needed to be bold this time, she needed to ask Ellie, someone she knew longer than anyone on campus if...she could talk with her about this. Nervous, timid, she approached Ellie and the other boy she was talking with and quietly excused herself into the conversation, interrupting Ellie. ”Um...Ellie...could I...talk with you, privately..?” Her head was down low, but she really needed this. Raising her head up she looked her in the eyes, ”Please? This is really important…”

If it wasn’t for the tiny blonde’s courage, Eliana would have walked onto the bus at the sight of Lucas kissing Brenna’s cheek, taking a sentimental, couple’s picture. Her ex best friend and a man she couldn’t stand. The bane of her existence. She would have walked onto the bus and seen Elijah, who she wasn’t mentally prepared to deal with anytime soon, talking to someone she hoped to some higher power wouldn’t abandon her, leave her, lie to her like the rest of them did. Amelia. A girl that was turning out to be one of the only people Eliana felt like she could trust.

The fates were out to get her.

It wasn’t like she would care about the sight of the newly found lovers. Lucas and Brenna trailed behind Gianna obediently. The Queen Bee, her drone, and her attendant. Something like this was bound to happen. As for the sight of Elijah and Amelia, Eliana would pretend to be fine, for the sake of not worrying her friend. She’d hide her feelings toward her short lived crush with a smile, in hopes that Amelia didn’t catch onto her false pretense. At last, the fates had something else in store for her in the form of a small Sophomore dressed as Dorothy.

Meeting her gaze with Kayla, who she never took the time to open up to, Eliana observed the girl’s expression in unnerving silence, before turning her attention to Keats, “Find us some awesome seats. Remember, you have to show me what Halloween is all about.” she sarcastically jested. Once that was all said and done, the brunette, who was dressed as a zombie bride thanks to Keats handy work on her ruined dress (Sabrina tore the delicate fabric to pieces) and her quick makeup skills, Eliana started walking in a direction away from the bus. Aimlessly. “To think, we’ve known each other for… awhile, and today is the day we have a heart to heart. What’s up?”

”Yea, since we were kids it's...kind of crazy,” Kayla said absentmindedly rubbing her arm. They’d known each other for so long and yet… Kayla didn’t really know much about her, their dads were best friends, still are, Eliana was, in a way, like a cousin. To think they hadn’t talked to each other all this time, if anything Kayla found out more about Ellie from her sister than from Ellie herself. Once they were at a safe enough distance Kayla stopped and turned to face her, ”H-Have you ever...no that’s a dumb way to start, um...I...really don’t know how to start this…” Kayla clutched at her dress, this was so awkward, and yet she felt like Ellie was the only person she could talk to about this. ”Ellie I….I lost my…._{my V-Card}.” she mumbled the last bit out quietly.

Woah. Eliana was taken aback for a second. This was some news and why was Kayla unreasonably adorable when she felt embarrassed? Her pale cheeks were kissed by a pink rose, the way she looked down at her feet, confused and unsure, and the clutching of her blue dress. If it wasn’t for Keats lighthearted nature moments ago, maybe the introvert wouldn’t have been able to handle this, but right now, Ellie felt obligated to make Kayla feel better. How exactly? Just by being herself… that’s all she could ever be. “Oh.” Well, that was a terrible start. Bringing her pointer finger to her wild mane that she teased with her comb to give her that crazy-dead look, Eliana kept her green orbs on Kayla’s face while her finger wrapped strands of hair around it, “I’m assuming this isn’t something you’re necessarily proud about, since you’re coming to me… if you don’t mind me asking, how-- yeah, how did it happen?”

”Honestly Ellie...I don’t know…” she wrapped her arms around herself in discomfort, ”All I remember was going to that club a couple weeks ago, Delirium? Then everything goes black...at least...until morning,” technically it was still black. ”I don’t remember drinking, taking anything, or accepting anything from anyone, everything about that night was just...gone, and yea, I’m really ashamed, but…” she looks Ellie in the eyes, ”That’s not the only reason I came to you, I haven’t exactly made many friends at this school and those I have...I don’t really know them well enough, but we’ve known each other for years and even if we haven’t exactly been...close. I don’t know, I just felt like you were the only person I could talk to...is that stupid?” Man she was really spilling her guts out here, to someone she barely knew yet trusted inexplicably, if her dad trusted her father, than why shouldn’t Kayla trust Ellie?

Kayla was filled with so much love and affection. Internally, Ellie was not used to this type of companionship and may have felt a building anxiety within her. Even though Kayla didn’t know much about Eliana’s life in great detail, she was willing to expose her heart to her… which kind of made the Lovelace girl uneasy because it wasn’t something she felt often (or ever). Blind trust. “Why do you think it’s stupid? I know I’m not the best with… socializing, I guess, but never think you going to someone because you need a friend is stupid. If anything, it shows you have courage to approach me, not knowing how I’d deal with this.” She still didn’t know how she would approach the heavier topic.

Clearing her throat, Eliana dropped her hand from her hair and started fiddling with her fingers, “Delirium, the place where you lose yourself.” That was something repeated multiple times that night. “It seems like you got yourself in a sticky situation and didn’t have girlfriends to take care of you? I mean, I was there too, with girls, but then they--” Oh that’s right. Eliana was left at Delirium. There was no text from Amelia or Sylvia to let her know they were indeed okay. That being said, her night went fairly well. Will tried to befriend her (sorta - or pry for information) and Tristram gave her a ride home. How was he? The Infi-Knight’s son occasionally sends her texts but for the most part, they both were busy because of school and her training for the tournament.

Also, she wasn’t THAT great of a friend. “--got sick and had to leave for the night. I’m not here to judge you, I drank and aimed to have a good time, so I guess that makes me not as innocent too, huh?” That was rhetorical. “Just.. don’t let it eat you alive, okay? We all make mistakes but that doesn’t mean we're terrible.” Eliana gave Kayla a rare, yet genuine smile, “It’s kind of sad, don’t you think? That we tend to think our value is equivalent to the damage our mistakes cause.”

Kayla listened intently to Eliana, but...it just wanted to make her explode, ”Ellie, this wasn’t just any mistake! This wasn’t just any person! It was….it was,” oh god...if she told her it was Leon, his reputation, his eligibility would crumble, ”It was someone I really care about…” that’s when it hit her, Eliana’s words really hit their mark, it only took her explosiveness to realize it, looking down at the ground she spoke, ”No...I’m sorry you’re right, it is sad, it’s sad because the one person I wanted to be with I got to be with and I don’t even remember it. I don’t even know how he feels and at the end of the day...it feels like a huge mistake...why did I even have to like him…” This was all so heavy….and Ellie had to bear the brunt of it, looking up at her, tears glistening her eyes she said, ”I’m sorry,” her voice choked up a little, ”I’m sure that this is probably...a bit too much, but out of everyone in this school, Mayweather or Delphina, I feel like you’re the only person I could have told this to…”

The amount of emotions in this situation was… a lot to handle. Her feet planted to the ground, refusing to let her escape, run from the emotionally charged blonde, Eliana absentmindedly rubbed her hands on her zombie wedding dress, feeling the fabric, as she watched the girl spill her heart. Okay. What should you say?


And yet, Eliana said none of those options. Why did I even have to like him... Her right hand held onto her left arm at the thought of walking in on Elijah and Gianna, the morning after Delirium. How could she tell Kayla to confront her crush she made a mistake with if she, herself, couldn’t even talk to the pyromancer, her past crush? She went as far as putting him in a vicious nightmare just to get away from him… if Ellie told Kayla to do that, confront her problems full speed ahead, that would make her a hypocrite. “You’re right… this is a lot to take in, but that’s okay.”

In this moment, Eliana made a conscious decision to not advice Kayla. Instead, she offered her arm for Kayla to grab onto, “Did you know I absolutely hate Halloween? And Keats plans to change my mind! Do you think he can do it?” This was Eliana’s way of saying, let’s get your mind off of this, let’s enjoy ourselves and… be friends. After the Fear Fest, they both can attempt to face their foreboding issues, take on the beasts they don’t want to face, but right now?

No.

They were going to enjoy themselves. Not lose themselves, nothing like Delirium. Tonight, they would forget their worries and get spooky.

If Kayla didn’t feel the way she did, she might have gasped in surprise, and yet she felt such surprise at Ellie’s question. This was probably the first piece of information that she had learned about her outside of her sister; was this an invitation perhaps? Kayla couldn’t help but blush, maybe it was the innocence of it all, just two people who had known each other all their lives and yet were experiencing true friendship for the first time. In a way….Ellie was cute and Kayla accepted her arm, ”No, I didn’t, but I heard you talking to your friend….I don’t suppose he could show me what Halloween is all about too?” Kayla smiled, genuinely smiled, despite the feelings she felt for Leon, the embarrassment of it all, Ellie had….lifted her spirits so to speak, which was rather ironic considering the circumstances. ”Maybe he could show the both of us?” she spoke as they trotted towards the bus.

Within time, they both entered the bus. Dorothy and Zombie Bride. Eliana’s chartreuse green orbs scanned the seats, in search for her two-day companion. Briefly, her stare fell on Lucas, sitting next to Brenna, enjoying himself. She even caught sight of Elijah sitting in the back with Amelia. The fates were smiling upon her when she saw that Keats chose to sit near the front, since all the seats by his friend were taken. Before walking to a seat, she waved at Amelia (truly the only person she was willing to acknowledge on the bus that wasn’t someone she already talked to).

Glancing toward Kayla, having not yet led the way, Ellie chuckled, “I like the Wizard of Oz.” And with that, they sat in the seat in front of Keat’s. Poking her head over it to look at him, Eliana did the official introduction, with an underlying playful tone, “Keats, Kayla, Kayla, Keats. We’re ready to be impressed."

"HE WANTS ME TO BE A STRIPPER!?"

Well, it wasn't exactly a stripper costume, but the light blue blouse and harem pants at first reminded her of a badly paid belly dancer. She could hear the clink of the chains attached to the pants, and feel the frilly material of the top. But Ananya only had herself to blame for this.

When the topic of Fearfest cropped up in a phone call back home, Ananya never expected her brother to take such interest in it. From the moment it left her lips, she should've known she would've regretted it. How was she to know that Adarsh would want to bring her misery-- I mean, "help" his sister by picking out the very costume she had been avoiding for years? It was true that she loved Princess Jasmine from Aladdin, but it wasn't really appropriate for her to walk around in that, not to mention Ananya simply didn't believe she had the body or beauty of Princess Jasmine herself to pull it off.

But here she was, standing outside the mail room with a half opened parcel in her arms, the barest hint of blue poking out of the edge of the box, almost like it was taunting her. Ananya could hear her brother's voice now, telling her that he knew she wasn't going to dress up for some creepy Halloween tradition, and that he only wanted to "help" her.

That cheeky little bastard even slipped in a small card with nothing more than a winky face on it! Ananya wondered how long it would take to angrily stomp her way back home to Arizona. Probably a while, but the satisfaction of hitting Adarsh on his head would be worth it. Ananya closed the box in her hand completely, making sure that the costume inside wasn't poking out anymore before walking back to her room with the intent to toss the damned box under her bed and pretend she'd never seen the thing.

In contray to the fair Indian woman that lacked confidence in her own body, Gianna strutted down the sidewalk wearing a Grecian Goddess costume that showcased her legs, stomach, back, and shouders. As if the cold temperature didn't bother her, she did not wear a sweater or jacket to keep her comforted and warm. There was something relieving about the brisk wind against her bronze skin. The temperature would surely drop as day turned into night. Did she mind? No. Her body turning numb from bone-chilling weather was the least of her worries.

Gianna had already sent some of her little birdies with her luggage to the bus. Tomorrow was her birthday. Just another day that reminded her that she was still alive and had goals to achieve before time stopped. Her weekend would be full of relvery, fun, and... decision making. If there was one skill the Delphina Sovereign had mastered it was the art of acting. Regardless of how much she felt mentally and emotionally, she would make people believe what they wanted to believe. The tyrant on campus who will change the status quo in her favor and the favor of all those who followed her lead. The world was her stage, she was one of the star actresses, but the phantom that constructed the play was an insane man that held information beyond anyone that walked campus, that was the son of a super that was seen as nearly a god, the Infi-Knight, and whose actions were unperdictable giving him an advantage over her and those she cared about. To say these past two weeks she had a lot on her mind was an understatement.

You're going to be my new plaything.

Since that night on the roof, she hadn't bumped into Tristram again and no soul knew what she was going through.

With you still alive, I don’t have to worry about those pesky friends of yours poking their noses where they don’t belong.

What was his plans? How was she and her companions interfering? There were unanswered questions that she knew would never be answered. She thought she had the upperhand. No, it wasn't like she let her power get to her head... she just knew no one had a mind like her's. A mind that learned from a mastermind boy whose thoughts were beyond his years. Vincent. All the people worth living die and the rest of us? We live to suffer.

Abandon Lucas Farweight. Cut him down to size for me.

Why not Brenna as well? What was Lucas doing that made an insane man deliberately want her to get involved? Her designated puppy who was rather simple with his intentions. Gianna knew cutting Lucas out of her life would do more damage for the both of them than good. There was no good in losing a friend. But, to lose his trust and friendship or to lose him to death himself like she did with everyone else? If there was one thing Gianna knew about Lucas, he had so much to learn before he could handle beasts like Tristram.

The entire time she walked down the sidewalk, her heels resounding in the area, her eyes were glued to her phone checking her notifications for the Delphina Times, her emails, and all things social media. Her head went up to a loud yell that involved the word: Stripper. "Kinky. Your boyfriend got you something special?" Gianna acknowledged the gorgeous Indian woman, who so happened to be walking right beside her.

How did Ananya let herself get so distracted so she couldn't realise anyone was around? She almost jumped out of her skin as she heard the low purr of a tanned Goddess beside her. It took a moment to register what exactly was said to her as Ananya gaped in surprise. It wasn't just the costume she was wearing that made her seem like a Goddess, but she seemed to hold the power of one.

And this time, Ananya knew exactly who this Goddess was.

After the whole drunken party event, Ananya was a little more aware of the things that were brought up on the school's social media page. She was only caught by Lucas at the beginning of the party trying to sneak in because she didn't exactly know who Gianna Daniels was prior to the party. Of course, Ananya had heard of the gorgeous Queen of Delphina, but to know enough to pass off as a friend? The fact that Ananya thought that the plan would work made her cringe everytime she remembered that evening.

"No- Er," Now Ananya found herself in a predicament. How exactly was she supposed to explain her surprised shout earlier? She couldn’t just tell Gianna that her brother sent her a skimpy Disney princess costume. That would sound way too weird. And we’ve already established that lying was not Ananya’s forte, so that was out. So what did she do?

She gaped like a fish trying to scramble enough of her coherent thought to form a single answer.

"If it makes you feel better, 90 percent of females that go here will dress like they work the pole." Gianna took a moment to put her phone in her purse, before bringing all her attention to the girl she had yet to learn the name of. "'Merica. The place where the only clothes girls can find at costume stores are practically underwear. I'm Gianna, by the way. I don't think I've ever had the pleasure of meeting you before."

Ananya swallowed, planning her introduction carefully but... "And I'm mortified, but you may call me Ananya." A joke was always good when introducing yourself, right? She closed her eyes, wincing as she regretted her introduction straight away. How was she so bad at this!? This wasn't like her! Last time, she could blame the drink for her awkward mouth, but what now? "I erm, don't have a boyfriend." Trying to refer back to earlier, Ananya then gestured to the box in her hand, "it was a joke sent by my brother, he just likes to meddle a lot."

Gianna perked her body at the word joke. "Today is going to be full of 'jokes'. Can I have a look? You had me at the word stripper. You can't just scream that outloud without assuming someone will get curious. In this case, me. I'm curious." Reaching the entrance door, Gianna held it open for her and offered, "We can hide from the public eye if you'd like." Cupid's Pysche intently stared at the foreign beauty, while she added, "Ananya. What a pretty name. I'm sure you'll have a boyfriend soon enough. Men like 'em exotic."

Ananya made an unsure sound, hesitant to follow Gianna through that door, but it would be too rude to just leave her like that. Plus, would it even be okay for her to tell the Queen of Delphina no? She reluctantly walked through the entrance awkwardly with her grasp on her parcel tight. Deciding to ignore the exotic comment, she continued. "I was over-reacting, er- it's just a Princess Jasmine costume that I never expected." To prove her point, she opened the box enough to pull out the pants, carefully handing it over for Gia to inspect before pulling out the top. The costume itself was a pretty blue, an off-shoulder top with gold trimmings with... something that should've resembled pants. It was sheer, the shorts just covering the important bits but leaving nothing to the imagination. Ananya cursed her brother.

"Ooooh. I love it. Yes, you'll definitely try it on for me." Anya was smart to watch her words around Gianna. If there was one thing about Gia, she was a wild card. For the most part, she could be civil, but who knew if the one time you told her 'no' she let all hell loose? Taking the safe route was always for the best when it came to a woman, who hid most of her intentions and emotions from the majority of people behind a smile. The tall beaut handed the box back to Anya and gestured for her to continue to lead the way. By the looks of Gianna's expression, Anya wasn't going to lose her anytime soon.

Was she bonkers? Or was Gia so blissfully unaware of Ananya’s discomfort? Maybe she got off on making others uncomfortable. Ananya pressed the box against her chest as if she was trying to hide its existence. ”I- I’m sorry- I don’t think- I’m not very, err,” she sniffled, taking a moment to figure out what she could say that would not incur the wrath of the tall villain from beside her. “Comfortable? Yeah, err, not very comfortable with that. Comfortable with wearing this outfit, I mean.” And wearing this in front of a beautiful woman like Gianna Daniels, but Ananya was not going to admit that out loud.

Gianna contemplated Anya's words briefly, as if deciding what her fate would be. "Fine. I won't force you to wear that, but please know that you wear the outfit not the other way around. No one was born with confidence. This is coming from personal experience." Rather than continue walking forward, the Delphina sovereign stopped in her tracks and turned her body to face her new companion, "Here's your options because I will not be happy if you don't come in with some kind of festive attire. It's the holidays, everyone should live a little and enjoy themselves. You can take me to your room and I will make a costume out of your attire, this is assuming you do not want to give your brother's gift a chance, or you can come to my room and I'll give you something." She nodded at her thoughts, already thinking of the clothes she has that would look lovely on Anya, "I'm a bit taller than you, but I'm sure I still have some clothes left over from my highschool days. And I promise, I'll cover the parts on your body that matter. So what's it gonna be?"

”I was never aware that I needed a costume for Halloween this year.” Usually Ananya would hide herself in her room during the festive period if possible, but after opening the video and watching the deranged clown speak, she was almost positive that she wanted to attend this year. Ananya stepped through another set of doors, waiting and keeping it open with her arm long enough for Gia to pass through. She eyed Gia’s attire as she made her decision. Surely the Queen of Delphina would have a spare costume – especially something that wouldn’t cause her to freeze outside. ”If you wouldn’t mind, maybe we could go back to your room? I love Princess Jasmine as much as the next four year old, but I don’t think getting hypothermia is worth it.” She sniffled again, nervously waiting for an answer.

"You're with me, so of course you need a costume." Nodding at her decision, Gianna led the way to her bedroom, usually open for anyone who wanted to visit her. The lights were dim when they entered and the room itself had a romantic tone to it. Perhaps it was because of the candles laying about? Or the pink sheer drapes? Or the fact that the room itself was lighted red (so it can be assumed Gianna changed the lightbulb to give her room this type of color). No, she wasn't trying to seduce anyone, this type of atmosphere was more therapeutic than anything and it smelt like chocolate.

Going straight to her closet, assuming Anya would take a seat whereever and make herself at home, Gianna went for one specific dress that was at the far back."A outfit can be whatever you want it to be... so I'll let you decide." Gianna pulled out a dress bag and unzipped it slowly.

Eventually, she revealed a surprisingly elegant dress for someone like her to wear, which had a mask hanging from the hanger. "Junior prom was a masquarade. You could be a vampire or a witch depending on your mood? I no longer fit it but hey, it's one of the finer things I own."

It was already decided as Gia lead Ananya to her room. Anya wasn’t sure whether she was more surprised, or anxious. Surely this wasn’t a bad thing, right? Maybe making friends with the Delphina monarch wasn’t a bad idea. Ananya didn’t care much for the Delphina versus Mayweather feud, at least from what she’d heard about it. Why should some feud between schools matter when her focus was to master her abilities to help her people back home? ”Thank you,” Ananya sat herself down on the edge of the bed as she looked around the room curiously, taking note of the differences between the two rooms.

Ananya’s side of the room was pretty bare, nothing except for a few post-it notes to help remind her of homework or future events and two picture frames on a desk nearby her bed. Here, in Gia’s room Ananya felt like she was intruding on someone’s private space. It felt intimate, and the smell of chocolate almost caused her stomach to flip, reminding her that she was starting to get hungry. When Gia pulled out the dress from its bag, Ananya forgot about her hunger.

”It’s beautiful,” She stood up, walking towards Gianna to touch the material of the dress. The black fabric brushed her palm, and when she saw the mask she fell more in love. ”You have a really nice style.” It was an understatement, the Queen in front of her was more than just stylish, but it was all she could say. ”Are you sure I can wear this? It’s awfully pretty and I wouldn’t want to ruin it…” She chewed on her lip.

"A beautiful dress for a beautiful girl. Someone needs to put it to good use, might as well be a girl I could tell my mother would've loved." Gianna handed the fairly conservative girl her dress and then temporarily dismissed herself, "I'll wait outside. Just let me know if you need help or anything." And without further ado, Anya was left alone inside of Gianna Daniel's bedroom.

Ananya smiled, feeling a pang in her heart when Gia mentioned her mother. She took the dress carefully, as if it were a new born child, before gently placing it over the bed. She thanked Gia once more before she could leave, hoping that the Delphina monarch knew how grateful Ananya was for the dress. As she slid out of her clothes, Ananya wondered what her own mother would’ve thought about the dress. She thought back to her own time at high school, wondering whether it was a good idea to have skipped out on the prom and parties before when she didn’t have to spend her time dealing with her heritage.

As she slipped her hands through the lace sleeves of the gorgeous dress, a thought suddenly struck her. She had the dress and the mask, but what about the shoes? Thinking about her wardrobe, Ananya realised she probably didn’t have anything that would work with the dress she had, unless flat shoes with the sole on the verge of falling apart counted. Biting down at her lip, her eyes landed on Gia’s wardrobe.

’Would it be bad if I peeked inside for shoes?’ Probably. Ananya wasn’t even sure if Gianna and her shoe sizes were even the same, but it was worth a try, right? Swallowing her nerves, she pulled the dress up just enough for her to step forward on the carpeted floor towards the closet.

She peeked inside, hoping to find Gia’s collection of shoes nearby but almost cursed her luck to see that it was just clothes. ’Maybe it’s a little further in…’ Ananya pushed past the clothes. Her feet pressed against one of the wooden planks, and almost tripped as the plank moved up due to her weight. ’Of course I’d end up breaking something, I can’t get away with this.’ Ananya regretted her choice to snoop inside Gia’s closet tenfold as she kneeled down carefully, hoping to see if she could fix whatever problem she had caused. As her hand reached out, her eyes spotted something dark under the plank. Curiosity got the best of her as she pushed the plank up just enough to see a singed file hidden beneath the floorboards.

Ananya almost cursed under her breath as her eyes scanned the file. She delicately took out the file, eyes widening as she noticed a name scribbled at the corner of the cover. ”Eliana?” The name sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t quite put a face to the name. Wasn't she mentioned in one of the Dear Sophia articles? Before she could consider opening the file, Ananya realised that a picture had fallen out of the folder as she had picked it up from its hiding spot. With the intent to hide the picture back into the folder where it belonged, Ananya couldn’t help but take a peek at the picture. It was of Gia and a good looking man together. Ananya couldn’t recognise the man either, cursing herself for her lack of knowledge, but she did notice how happy Gianna was in the picture. She looked even more beautiful in the photo, the look of genuine happiness suiting the queen. Ananya felt a pang of guilt hit her in the gut. She was definitely not supposed to have seen this – any of it. Letting out a shaky breath, Ananya quickly slid the picture back into the file, before gently setting the file back in its place and then covering the file with the plank.

Quickly leaving Gianna’s closet, she dusted Gianna’s dress to remove any indication that she had been snooping around where she shouldn’t have been. ”Er-“ She headed towards the door, opening it a smudge to peek her head out through the door to find Gianna. ”I- I’m done.” She couldn’t shake off her guilt as she avoided Gia’s eyes.

Her guilt was translated as bashfulness. With her hazel orbs, Gia surveyed Anya's figure , taking in all of her. Keeping quiet for a second or two, the slender woman walked past the Naga and opened up a case on her dresser that held her make up. Rummaging through her case, she quickly pulled out a deep, rich burgundy lipstick that would go well with Anya’s skin tone, while emitting elegance and regality. The Naga was going to spend today with the best person on campus anyways (she had no choice). Might as well make her look absolutely divine. Approaching the girl, Gianna opened the lipstick case and whispered, "Keep still and open your mouth like this.” The senior displayed with her lips how Anya should make her mouth, slightly ajar, so she could apply the lipstick perfectly.

And then, Gianna painted Anya’s lips to add to her ensemble. "I should’ve asked first, but I needed to see this color on you. Now you can tell the world you indirectly kissed me.”

Closing her case, Gianna gently grabbed Anya’s arm and turned her body to face the body mirror. In less than a minute, Gianna was able to apply moose in Anya’s hair to give her an erotically untamed hair-do that draped to her left side. Finishing everything off with the mask. Gia added, "I suppose you need shoes... I don’t think you’d fit mine, do you have anything?” In a sense, Gia wanted Anya to feel beautiful. When a girl puts time into their looks, they take in their features, and Anya had plenty of features she could gloat about but didn’t. If there was one thing she hoped to achieve by the end of tonight, it was giving Anya the attitude to strut her beauty rather than hide it away.

Ananya’s cheeks grew dark at the mention of the indirect kiss. Did that count as a first kiss or was that just a joke? She couldn’t figure out how to respond to Gia, so she resorted to gaping like a fish. It worked, because Gia was able to finish perfecting the make-up over Ananya’s tanned features. By the time Gia was done with fixing her hair, Ananya felt different. She had to admit that Gia had done a really good job, as she almost didn’t want to touch her hair fearing she would ruin Gia’s hard work. ”Thank you, so much!” Her cheeks were still flushed from the earlier comment, but there was a grateful smile on Anya’s features. The guilt still ebbed away inside Anya, for snooping around where she shouldn’t have. She felt so bad she was almost ready to confess what she had done, but the fear of Gianna’s reaction stopped her. She sniffled, looking down again before answering Gia. ”I- I don’t have any heels, but I do have some flats in my room.” Hoping to escape her guilty conscience - and maybe the fact that she may have just had her first kiss, indirectly, with the Delphina monarch - Ananya scurried out of the room, taking quick steps towards her own room on the next floor and to grab any pair of shoes she could find. She didn’t have many to choose from, but she was able to find a very old pair of black professional shoes with the smallest hint of heels that she had forgotten about.

Slipping them on, she refused to think about how she had no reason to poke around Gia’s closet now that she had found some appropriate enough looking shoes. She took her time to return back to Gia though, unsure whether to return or to just carry on to the bus. Was Gia even waiting for her? Part of her hoped not, so she wouldn’t have to be reminded of how happy Gia looked in that photo. The photo didn’t seem like it had been taken long ago, but comparing how Gia looked in the photo to how she was now, it seems like she’s just not that happy anymore. Ananya could only wonder why - maybe it had something to do with that guy she was with in the photo. She knocked on Gia’s door when she finally arrived, opting to speak through the door. ”Gianna? Er, if y-you’re still in there, shall we head for the bus?”

Gianna wasn’t in her room, though. Instead, she tapped on Anya’s shoulder, "You walked right past me. Yes, let’s go. Have you met Lucas Farweight or Brenna Lancaster yet? Well if not, you’ll meet them soon. I absolutely adore you. I’m sure they will too.” and with that Gianna led the way, making sure her new pet snake followed her to the bus where she sat right in front of Lucas and Brenna, ignoring Elijah, who sat in the back, entirely.

"What do you guys think? Doesn’t she look gorg?”

Surrounded by men dressed in fine tuxedos and shades, the true men in black, Virgil stopped at the fork of a sidewalk that led to either Mayweather Old West or Old East. He held tightly, possessively, onto his Panasonic DVX200. Today was the day he would capture movie magic… while on his “date” with Amy Stevenson. A goddamn sweetheart that one. The young Italian pup had told his new friend he’d pick her up at her room a little before departure because he had something to do prior to that. What was this something, you may ask?

He was officially moving on campus. Okay, he wasn’t going to stay in his dorm every night since his Uncle Leo didn’t live too far away, but he was going to crash here when he didn’t want to travel back to his family’s house. He expected late nights sneaking around and capturing glorious candid shots for his documentary. It was going to be lit. He took a moment to clean his shades and debated on whether or not he was actually going to dress up for the two-day festival. Maybe he should just be a gangster? That would be easy and not too far from the truth. Placing his sunglasses back on, he nodded to himself before following the path that led to Old East. The right one.

As he walked, all those that saw him with at least a dozen men carrying some of his shit, moved out of the way and did not meet his gaze (or any of them for that matter). Virgil wasn’t trying to be intimidating, he just had a lot of shit that needed to be in a convenient, easily attainable place.

Why not use some of his cousin’s men to transport his belongings?

Once he entered the building, he looked down at a piece of paper that had his dorm information: Room 1B. Roommate Min-soo Myeong. Usually, Virgil would do a basic background check to make sure he wasn’t rooming with some psycho or something but the young boy was aiming to have a normal college career. That meant, he’d learn about people the good ol’ fashioned way - by asking questions, inquiring further, and ultimately, getting to know them.

No time must be wasted. After he unlocked the door with his key card, he threw it open which announced his arrival. Virgil had no idea if his roommate was going to be in or not. Snapping his fingers with his free hand (not the one holding the camera),the short boy observed all his men piling in. They surveyed the space, from the width to the length, and whether or not they could fit most, if not all, of Virgil’s shit. This was a new dawn, a new age for the littlest Hart. Unfortunately, his roommate wasn't in. Such was life, but that was okay. He was on the clock and needed to pick up Amy.

Leaving his men to take care of his belongings, Virgil strolled on out of his dorm with his classy suit, deciding he'd just be a gangster since he didn't want to change out of his attire. Bleh, he had to walk to the other dorm now. Why couldn't Amy be in the same building?

The moment he stepped outside, he spotted something strange...


Making sure his camera was indeed on record, he approached the enigmatic being, who was by the fountain waiting... for him? Virgil looked left and then right... no one seemed to be noticing this guy with such a dope ass costume on. Unobservant teens these days. It reminded him of something from Lord of the Rings.

"Heyo! Can I get a name? That's some cool effects you got going on... you know the smoke coming from your cloak. You definitely take Halloween for-serious."

The obscure figure did not say anything immediately. Instead, a hissing groan escaped his lips. Holding onto his camera and pointing it at his new subject, Virgil smiled, "Even got the act down too. Cool."

Virgil watched his camera screen as the figure gradually made his way to him. When the space between them was no longer and they were only inches away from each other, the unknown entity brought his scrawny and grotesque hand out to lift Virgil's chin to look up at him. There was a sour smell coming from this man and even with Virgil looking up, he couldn't make out the face within the hood.

"Where is Vincent..." hardily audible words left the figure's mouth but thankfully, Virgil was able to catch the name.

"Vince? My cuz, Vince?" The clocked man did not say anything in return, he just kept his fingers on Virgil's chin. "Sorry, guy, if you were good friends with my cousin he died last year when his school burnt down." To those who did take the time to look at the fountain, they'd think Virgil was insane and talking to himself.

The hand let go of the young boy and hid back away under the clock.

"Shame... I could have saved him..." There was a loud ringing noise coming for a distant, possibly the nearby church bells, that caused the figure to screech in pain. "I...must leave."

"Wait! What do you mean you could've saved him? What do you know?"

"I know... enough. Virgil, look for your grandmother's journal and say hi to my brothers, your dad and uncle."

Before Virgil could even get a name out of the weird man, he dissipated in darkness. Stunned for a moment, Virgil intently stared at the fountain wondering what the hell just happened. Going to his camera and ending record, he played back his footage only to see that he caught nothing on tape... a phantom? "Wait... my dad only has one brother and that's his twin." The Italian boy didn't know what to think with the sudden appearance of his possible uncle? Maybe the next time he returned home he'd tell his family about it. Yeah, that sounds like a plan. What was he doing again?

Oh yeah! Amy!

Checking the time, Virgil realized it was exactly the time he said he'd be at her dorm. SHIT. He was going to be late. Booking it, he ran to Mayweather Old West to pick up his date. When he reached her dorm, he fixed his posture, caught his breath, cleared his throat, and then knocked on her door, "You all good?"

After a surprisingly eventful morning, Amy had taken some time to relax - or that would have been the plan, if she didn’t have to get ready for the rest of the day. At least she’d been smart enough to actually buy an outfit, seeing as none of her usual wardrobe really screamed Halloween at all. Not that she was really a fan of over-the-top stuff, but she couldn’t exactly turn up without anything. That seemed like it was breaking some kind of unspoken rule.

So instead she’d bought the first thing that fitted her and she was willing to wear - which had turned out to be a pirate costume of somewhat questionable historical accuracy. Okay, so the neckline was a bit lower than she was used to, and the pants were definitely, um, form-fitting, but it wasn’t enough to be impractical and she’d left her shopping a little too late to be spoilt for choice. At least it was comfortable enough, and she’d tracked down a pair of boots that meant she wouldn’t break an ankle going down any stairs. Could be worse.

Once she was ready, she’d just spent her time relaxing, reading a few chapters from a book she’d borrowed from the library. Virgil said he’d pick her up here, right? Okay, so technically he should’ve been here by now but it had only be a couple minutes and she wasn’t the type to get impatient unless someone was seriously late. As long as they didn’t miss the bus, anyway.

Sure enough, it didn’t take too long before there was a knock on the door, and she heard Virgil call through. "You all good?"

”One minute!” She called, as her eyes scanned the pages of the novel. Folding over the corner of the page, Amy shut her book and placed it on her nightstand. Fairly sure there wasn’t anything else she needed, she grabbed her phone and headed over to the door. Pausing for a second, she looked back at the room one last time to check she hadn’t forgotten anything before heading out.

”I guess Fear Fest is still on, then?” she laughed softly as she stepped outside, eyes sparkling with mischief as she pulled the door closed behind her and looked him over briefly. The outfit definitely suited him, and she didn’t comment on the stereotype, mostly because it didn’t really occur to her. After a second, she looked up at him with a teasing smile. ”I’ve got to say, Virgil, I didn’t take you for the fashionably late type of guy.”

Like a wounded puppy, Virgil pouted at her teasing. She was right. He was rarely fashionably late. His late mom would have whooped his ass if she knew he was even a second late picking up up a girl, specifically one he was going on a date with, saying things like ‘I’ve raised you better than that’ or ‘You’ll never get married at this rate’. That’s what she said to his brother, the infamous Cerberus, at least. Hey, now his brother had the gorgeous model Carlotta Milano (Hart) as his wife. Parenting done right.

Although Bianca had the most potential of maxing her necromancy abilities out, since she was their grandmother’s legacy, Lucio Jr, his older brother, had the militant mindset to control an army of the dead strategically and for the benefit of the family. Of course, his operations were in Los Angeles but if anyone had the brains to be the legacy of Witching Hour, it should’ve been him. And yet, Lucio could careless, so long as he was respected and could continue to build onto the Hart name, keeping their grandparents’ traditions alive, he’d be satisfied.

Lidia, one of his sisters, on the other hand, was quite bitter that she was the third necromancer born into the family. Their father and Uncle Leo value the feats their children can and could accomplish while alive but there would always be a hint of favoritism and unfortunately for Lidia, since she was neither the legacy nor the strategist, she would never be seen as great (constantly second-rate). One can say Lidia didn’t like Bianca all that much because of how reckless, foolish, and ‘not all there’ her dear cousin was. Someone who did not have the mental capacity to be the great Romilda’s successor.

Vincent would have gone far as Amadeo’s descendant, the next best Ultimatum, if only he didn’t die... but enough with family politics! It was time to make an impression on his new friend. “My bad. I’m usually on my A-Game. Today, not so much.” His brown orbs surveyed her attire and his lips curved into a dimpled grin, “I better be careful. People gonna’ notice you.” Leading the way down the hall and ideally out the building walking in the direction of the bus, the Italian pup shrugged, “Halloween is cool, I guess, but I’m lookin’ forward to catching the mischief on tape. The stories my cousin’s told me… legendary. Are you prepared?” Virgil pulled his camera up and pointed it at Amy’s face, quickly hitting record.

Honestly, the majority of footage he gets on tape he keeps as stock. Rarely does it ever make it to the final film - plus, it was nice having a collection of footage of his friends. Memories he can look back on when he’s older and possible gift material for the holidays or birthdays.

As Virgil spoke, Amy found herself holding back a laugh. It was obvious she didn’t mind him turning up late or anything, and honestly the look on his face would’ve made up for it either way. Part of her was curious about what had made him late, but it seemed nosy to actually ask so she stayed quiet. Of course, she wasn’t oblivious enough not to realise she’d get ‘noticed’, considering the circumstances. Eh, she’d deal with it if she had to - but there’d no doubt be plenty of people at the Fear Fest who’d draw a lot more attention than she would. Hopefully, anyway. Being in the limelight wasn’t really her thing if she could avoid it.

Despite that, she felt relatively comfortable as she followed Virgil down the hall. Now that he’d turned up, she found herself looking forward to the rest of the day. Speeding up to walk alongside him, she didn’t actually notice him raise the camera at first, speaking lightheartedly. ”I’m as prepared as I have to be. What’s life without a few surprises anyway?” she grinned brightly as she turned and spotted the camera.

”Besides, it helps us get to know each other, right? I’m looking forward to it - although you could at least try and get my good side on camera, Spielberg.”

He gave her a coy smile to her remark. She was witty, he liked that. People needed more humor in their lives, especially during this day and age. Staring at the screen, he gave her fair face a closer look, while complementing, “You have a nice voice. It’s kinda soothing. Has anyone told you that before?” Was he being creepy? Maybe he was… he didn’t really know. He just liked the air she carried around her, a pleasant girl to be around, unlike a good portion of people he knew, and her voice was bright, warm, as if beams of sunshine had melted into sound.

It was nice...

Not wanting to make this awkward between them, he brought his camera to his side and shyly ran his hand through his hair, “So yeah, how about that bus?”

"Really? I always thought it sounded kind of weird." Amy looked equal parts surprised and happy with the complement, glancing at Virgil with a smile before continuing. "I'm glad you like it, though. I mean, I kind of ramble sometimes, so it'd probably get annoying otherwise." She paused, mumbling absentmindedly just loudly enough for him to hear. "Especially when I'm nervous."

Catching sight of Virgil once again, she looked slightly embarrassed. "...I said that out loud, didn't I?"

Virgil chuckled and gave Amy a nod, not saying anything in response, simply observing… her. He didn’t mind listening. He was loquacious himself, so at least they had that going for them. Two people who got lost in their words.

Looking for something to distract from her admission, she looked over Virgil's appearance once again. You know, now that she thought about it he did seem kind of cute in a cheeky, excitable sort of way. Then again, she needed to get to know him properly, but they had the whole of Fear Fest for that - God, she didn't even know what went on at Fear Fest yet either!

Okay, Amy. Not helping.

She took a few seconds of walking in silence to calm her thoughts before she looked back at him, confidence returning slightly. "Anyway, you’re right, we should probably get to the buses. I think it'd sabotage both our plans if we don't even make it to the Fear Fest, right?"

“Right.” Virgil led the way and held the dorm door open, only to meet his gaze with her’s and unexpectedly ask, “Do I make you nervous?” His expression grew serious and was filled with genuine curiosity. If he made her nervous, he’d have to make sure to hangout with her more so she wouldn’t be uncomfortable around him. Unfortunately, before Amy could answer, Virgil’s attention was brought to his vibrating phone and he gestured for her to give him a second. While still holding the door, he grabbed his phone and saw a text message from someone he rarely received text messages from. His older brother.

From: The Hound of Hades
We heard you’re in the tournament. You’ll be seeing us soon.

In Lucio’s terms, soon meant… very soon. Wait were they all coming or just him and his immediate family (Lucio’s wife and children)? Walking away from the door, Virgil looked visibly sick to his stomach. He was not ready to see his older brother or worst, his father… why did he have to be in the tournament again?! After pocketing his phone, he cleared his throat and nervously laughed, “If I broke a leg or something, do you think I’ll get a ‘get out of jail free card’ or in this case, tournament? I’m…. going to be so bad, Amy. I’m nothing like Vince.”

”Okay, you weren’t making me that nervous, but now I’m definitely nervous. What brought this on?” Amy looked genuinely concerned about Virgil, trying to figure out what could have gotten him in such a state so quickly. ”You can’t go hurting yourself to get out of the tournament. As much as anything else, if they really want you to compete, they’ll probably just find a healer.”

After taking a second to actually look at how freaked out Virgil was, she shook her head slowly. She was curious about why he was so worried, but the content of the message wasn’t her business. Interrogating him probably wasn’t about to help anything. She spoke softly, gently, making eye contact with the panicked Hart in an attempt to calm him down. ”Are you listening to me, Virgil?”

As much as he could have zoned out, when Cerberus (his brother) or Empyrean (his father) were brought back to his reality, Virgil’s senses scaled from 5 to 11, real quick. Attentive and alert, he looked back at the girl, who was making sure he was alright. Man, now she knew he had family issues.

Way to go, Verge! You’re not suppose to make a lady worried.

“Uh, yeah. I’m listening…” He took a moment to breathe in and out, a couple of times, something his mother taught him when he was struck by the fear of his family. When he was all good and done, his cheeks were kissed a light pink, embarrassed that she had to see that, “My family can be rather intimidating, more so my side in LA than my family here. But that ain’t saying much since this side is pretty bad too.” He gritted his teeth. His family’s reputation wasn’t something he was necessarily proud about but it was the family he was brought into and the reputation he HAD to add to with his own.

“Eh-hem. Looks like my big bro will be coming down soon… He didn’t give me a date or anything, and I know he ain’t gonna reply to my text since he’s a massive troll… like, he KNOWS he gets under my skin. He’s just like my father, it’s kinda stupid, really. Being in the tournament is not the problem. It’s my family… being there…. watching me. That’s the problem.” Steady cowboy. Ranting to an acquaintance sorta, friend sorta, was dangerous for a Hart. Tightening his grip on his camera, Virgil brushed all his building anger to the side, “I’m not here to bring the mood down, we’re here to have fun! Let’s go have fun.”

”Virgil.” Amy spoke in a level tone, concerned but still firmly refusing to leave the topic without saying anything. ”If it’s about the tournament, I can help you. I’m competing too, after all. I’m not going to pretend I know what you’re dealing with, but there has to be something I can help you with, even if it just means helping you get ready.”

She was worried she might be overstepping some kind of boundary by refusing to leave it alone, but Amy was nothing if not stubborn. If she could help, then she would - if there were consequences, then it was her choice to bring them down on her. ”Just keep it in mind, alright? You don’t have to do everything yourself.”

After that, she decided it was probably time to leave the subject alone. With a placating smile, she looked up at him. ”But you’re right. Today, we’re here to have fun. So let’s worry about all of that later, okay?”

...she was so caring. Virgil blinked dumbly at Amy as he listened to her words. The only living person he knew that had a heart pure as gold, which Amy reminded him of, was his aunt Belissa, who honestly shouldn’t even be with his uncle, but c’est la vie. She was forced in a situation she couldn’t refuse and now she belonged to the Capo Famiglia of the family.

Did Amy know the dangers she could face by getting closer to him? Probably not. That was for another time, he guessed, and yet learning to train with a fellow classmate sounded rewarding. Exciting, even. He didn’t really know much about Amy or her powers, maybe they could train together in the Control Room? He had yet to really explore that building besides during class… has it been two weeks since Delirium? Eh, regardless of how long he’s been in upstate New York, anything to help him not make a fool of himself in front of potentially his father, assuming his father was coming along with his brother, would be grand! “Got it. No serious talk. Just fun. Yes, sounds good to me.” Stopping in his tracks, he saw the busses and noticed how PACKED they all were.

“Time to go hunting for seats?” He noticed Gianna, with a mysterious masked girl he did not know, in one of the busses, sitting and talking to… Brenna and Lucas? Yeah. That’s the bus he wanted to be in. Wait. No. He should let Amy pick. That was the gentleman thing to do. “So which bus would you like to start at first?” On his back was a backpack filled with clothes and other necessities. Nothing over the top. He’d probably keep it on him rather than put it in the luggage compartment.

Looking at the busses and having been completely oblivious to Virgil's dumbfounded look, Amy just shrugged. It didn’t really bother her where they went either way, so she just pointed at the one he’d been looking at without really paying attention to who was inside - although whether it would have changed anything if she'd noticed wasn't really certain. ”That one’s fine. Hopefully we can find a couple that aren’t taken yet.”

Despite her worries about everything, Amy found herself smiling brightly at Virgil. She wasn’t sure what Fear Fest was going to be, but for some reason she was looking forward to it regardless. If nothing else, she had a feeling it’d at least be an experience to remember. ”Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get going!”

Lucas looked up, expecting only Gianna as he heard her voice. His mind did not have the time to process what she said before he saw both Ananya and Gianna. Who each took their seat in the row in front of him and Brenna. Gianna he thought he could expect the unexpectable. Yet still, she managed to somehow surprise him. She very much looked like a goddess and it stunned Lucas. But the guy was used to having his mind stop dead in its tracks. So a mere moment of surprise his brain started functioning again. Until he looked at Ananya. His mind just gave up. It didn’t expect her and definitely dressed like that. His eyes literally had to do a double tap to make sure what he was seeing was real. “I… wow.” It was quite clear Lucas was at a loss of words for a moment. Though he managed to get it together quickly enough.

When she took a seat in front of him, he leaned over to her right, to the side of the window, away from the other two. Softly he whispered: “So you’re going to keep the dress on this time? Or slither out of it like last time?” The whispering its goal was not to keep it a secret from everyone. It was loud enough so Brenna and Gianna could have heard it, but the others on the bus couldn’t.

Ananya had followed behind Gianna like a lost sheep, unsure what to do. She almost felt bound to follow along with whatever Gia wanted because of her kindness, and maybe the fact that Ananya feared Gia a little didn't help. Ananya slid into her seat in front of Lucas and a gorgeous dark haired woman in a skin-tight costume, her back straight as she gazed around to see who else she recognised on the bus. Shamefully, if she didn't count Gia or Lucas, it was only Amelia that she recognised.

She was content with being left out of the conversation. She didn't know any of them enough to be able to strike up and maintain a long enough conversation with the trio of friends, but Lucas had to surprise her. "I can assure you that nothing will be coming off!" She spoke a little too loudly as heat rose to her cheeks, rivalling the dark colour of her lipstick as her gaze flickered between the two ladies. How could he bring up such a thing when Gia and Brenna had no idea of the context!? Ananya wanted to go home.

Oh shit. Gianna almost forgot. Her mind may have been intrigued by Lucas and Anya’s interaction, it seemed like the two were well acquainted. Good. But her mind was immediately ripped back to reality. Pulling out her key card, she turned her body over and handed it to her puppy to fetch her something… important, “Babe, can you go to my room and get me something? I’ll text you the specifics.” There were no complaints from Lucas. He seemed to have an inkling of an idea of what he needed to get without knowing the details and so he picked himself up and left the Fear Bus.

Last Friday, Gianna had taken a trip to a place she hadn’t visited in awhile… seeing an old friend, who went by the infamous name, The Oracle. Cupid’s Psyche had dragged naive Nocturne (Virgil) with her since he had easier means on getting inside the high-security mental asylum prison. Gia would have considered bringing Lucas and Brenna with her, but she didn’t think any of them were ready to meet a woman like that yet. Perhaps that’s a story for another time.

Grabbing her phone, she quickly texted Lucas:

To: My Pup
The file. Get the picture of the masked figure. There’s notes on the back I need... I’ll tell u more soon enough.

Turning her body once more to face Brenna, who Gianna couldn’t help but feel slightly bad that there were some things she had yet to tell her. She hoped her apprentice would understand that her and Lucas had to focus on different areas for their overall mission. It didn’t help that Gianna brought a new girl into the family without discussing anything with anyone. There was something about Anya that intrigued her and she wanted to see how far she could take this girl, getting her caught up in a far bigger mess than she ever thought she’d be in. Maybe, just maybe, Anya could keep an eye on Lucas since Gianna would like to assume she had yet to be on Tristram’s radar.

With Lucas gone, Gianna could now drop a heavy bomb, making sure it wasn’t conspicuous enough for eavesdroppers but low enough for only Brenna’s and Anya’s ears, “Brenna, I think I need to take off my pup’s leash. I’m worried he’s getting far too distracted with… someone.” Gianna’s eyes glanced over to Eliana before adding, “And I feel… he’s too dependent on me. Space might do him some good, don’t you think?” It was obvious this topic made Gianna anxious. She cared about Lucas, but for his own good, at least temporarily, she needed to distance herself. This would also mean Brenna needed to distance herself too from Lucas, for his own protection, but as far as the Ice Queen knows, it’s for his own growth (not because some psychotic man hated Lucas’ guts).

Giving Brenna a short moment to take in this information, Gianna shook her head at her thoughts, “This is not a request. I know this needs to be done… and unfortunately for you, this means your workload will pick up, since he won’t be as involved with us for a little while. BUT, I don’t want him completely out of the picture.” The Delphina’s Matriarch brought her attention to Anya and sweetly smiled, her eyes tender and with care, “And that’s where you come in.”

Brenna surveyed this newcomer that Gianna had brought with her onto the bus. She was suspicious of her, even if she did seem to have Gia’s stamp of approval. Now days, Brenna didn’t trust just anyone. Oh hell, who was she kidding? She hadn’t been a trusting person even before all of this started.

As Lucas walked off, her eyes followed him, watched as he went off to fulfill Gia’s wishes. She was still reeling from that kiss, short as it may have been. It had felt strange, having Lucas kiss her, but she wasn’t altogether upset by it. Once Lucas was out of her sight, she put her full attention on Gia, and what she was saying.

Brenna wanted to argue. To say that if anything, she’d much rather be closer to Lucas than further. But Gia was adamant that it wasn’t a request, nor was it optional. It was a necessity. And so Brenna agreed, reluctantly. ”If that’s what needs to be done, then I’m okay with it. I’m guessing our new friend here will take on some of Lucas’ responsibilities?” Brenna asked, gesturing to Anya.

Ananya remained quiet, eyeing the two women with skepticism. There were too many questions running through her mind, but she felt she couldn't quite voice them out as she expected to feel lost even after she would be clued in. Plus, Ananya had an inkling feeling that if she did bother asking, then she wouldn't exactly get the whole truth from either of them. Ananya almost shrunk under the eyes of Gianna, as if it would help her get out of the mess she had found herself in.

What responsibilities? Why was she being included in this shifty get together with three- now two Delphina students? Ananya was a Mayweather student, not a Delphina like either of them, so what made them trust her enough to involve her in their plans? "I- I don't know who you think I am, but I'm sure you've gotten something wrong." Ananya took a risk, questioning the Delphina monarch but not without averting her eyes, knowing this was probably a bad idea. But then again, her life returning back to Mayweather has just been one bad idea after another, so how bad could one more possibly be? "I met Lucas in that club like two weeks ago, but I don't exactly know him, or anything that is going on over here. Surely you've got someone that's... more competent?"

Gianna stared out the window and softly replied to her apprentice, “No Brenna, that won’t be necessary” Pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, the Delphina senior let her gaze take in the campus, her eyes trailing to the dorm off the distance that she almost fell off of, due to circumstances, “I just need you, Anya, to… be there for him. Don’t worry, you won’t be burdened with his work… I’ll take care of it.” Her voice was genuine and careful, it was obvious Gianna had a lot going on in her mind and she didn’t know how to approach this situation without giving too much away, “Lucas doesn’t know how to… deal with his emotions. In a sense, I’m his safety blanket, but I can’t always be there for him. I can’t always protect him from himself.”

Turning to Anya, Gianna gave her a deadly serious look, “You’re not involved. That’s a good thing. I’m not one to usually do this, but I can’t go cold turkey on him. I’ve already made up my mind. I need to… let him go, so he can grow. But he can’t be completely alone. I can tell you now, he won’t be easy to keep tabs on, but for me, can you do this? There’s far bigger… beasts out there. I can’t be enemies with everyone.”

Was it really worth it? Ananya sniffed, looking away for a moment as she thought things through. Prior to all this, Ananya never really spent much time with anyone else in school. It's safe to say that Anya never had any proper friends, but she didn't exactly mind. Sure, it got a little lonely, but at least she was able to focus on making herself better. But there was only so much training she could do on her own, maybe she needed someone to help her work on her weaknesses. Maybe this won't be such a bad thing...

"If... you can promise I'm not getting myself into something I'll regret... I'll help you." She couldn't go around Mayweather, or Delphina at this point as Anya was sure she was acquainted with the villains more than the heroes - without any friends should things go wrong. Plus, Lucas was an alright person, as far as Anya could remember so... how bad could some 'babysitting' really be?

“You know I can’t promise you anything. How do we ever know we’ll regret what we’re going to do until we actually do it? I can and will, however, make sure that this favor of yours has nothing to do with me. And, when you need aid, all you have to do is ask.” Gianna knew she wasn’t being the most ‘convincing’. She wasn’t going to tell this hero a lie. That getting involved with Lucas would lead to no regrets, but this was the only option she had to protect him. “Ananya, if I had any better ideas I would try them out, but I don’t. Do you know how it feels to be constantly discriminated against because you’re labeled and set on a path you can’t really fight against? We, ‘villains’, support each other because no one else will and this is the only way for me to help my friend. I’m putting my pride aside and asking a complete stranger to make sure he doesn’t kill himself. So please, if not for me, for your obligation as a hero. Protect him.”

That wasn't very assuring. In fact, Ananya just felt more concern as her mind thought up of all the ways this whole thing could go wrong. Though, Ananya valued Gianna's honesty in the matter. "Right..." When Gia appealed to her hero side, Ananya sighed. It was probably a stretch to call Lucas a friend, when she could barely remember much of the time she had spent with him at Delirium, but she couldn't deny that she wanted to help. If she couldn't help out a 'friend', then how would she keep her people safe? "I'll try. I don't know how exactly, but I'll try to help."

The full moon stood high in the cloudless sky. The night was illuminated by its pale light and the millions of silvery stars. Despite the stunningly beautiful piece of glowing artwork, the heavens had a difficult time casting away the many long shadows that ruled over the night. In the gardens of Mayweather there were a few spots to truly soak up the serenity of the night sky. Hidden benches and corners where one could waste away their waking hours looking at the unchangeable. Many considered the gardens one of the few peaceful places of Mayweather campus. The one place where someone could be truly alone. But only a few people knew about its nighttime serenity. Only those plagued by a restless night seemingly knew of the calm place. Sadly, recently Lucas came among those ranks and he had no intention of keeping that a secret. He profaned the gardens’ very heart in a unique way. He started fighting in it.

The gardens echoed with grunts as a bare chested freshman flew against a tree and then dropped down on the ground. Blood came out of his nose as he looked at Lucas, standing over him. The difference in physique was as clear as the difference in look: Lucas stood like a giant. His sweat evaporating off his skin in whiffs of steam. His breath was strong and looked like white dragon fire. Beneath him laid the freshman, with a cry for mercy in his eyes. His body not even a tenth as muscular as Lucas’. The skin on his side either scrapped by the bark or bruised by some other hit.

An individual who was (or well is) plagued by restless nights due to insomnia and many other things was none other than Eliana. She cherished the school gardens like she cherished her own garden, back at her family’s estate. There was something enchanting about a garden at night. The pitch-black curtain draped over the sky, while luminous stars materialized amongst it. Some were dull, merely flickering now and then, but others radiated brightly. The moon had a calming presence and hid all of the girl’s imperfections… she liked the night.

Of course, when there was light.

The flowers were simple. Something to look at and appreciate. From the small grove of trees to the lipstick-pink peonies. The aroma of the earth was intoxicating. If you inhaled deep enough a sweet mixture of lilies, blossoms, and the dew from the early evening rain would crawl into your nostrils and give you inner peace. Even if it only lasted a moment. A moment of her time was enough to give her strength to take on the next day.

Ah, but winter was coming and soon enough, the sun would stop washing over the garden. Frost would take over, ceasing any growth from furthering. The golden glow of the morning would disappear and the sugar-frost of winter would hide the magic that every garden could give, if only you took the time to take it in. This fine night, the wind died down and the golden glow was replaced with drenching shady glades with silverlight. The sounds of the night become phantoms lost in the darkness and the footsteps of those who aimlessly wandered in the area were heightened in volume.

Eliana didn’t wear anything extravagant, it wasn’t like she was attending one of her father’s conferences any time soon or a socialite gala her mother would appreciate her making an appearance at. Her only concern for the next couple of weeks was to train, train, train, and as such her attire would be conventional and comfortable. Stopping in her tracks, Eliana caught sight of an unpleasantry. “You gotta’ be kidding me.” She whispered to herself. Turning on the heel of her sneakers, Eliana’s new aim, rather than mental peace, was to go somewhere else. Far away from here. Truly, she had no time for Lucas’ pettiness.

Lucas helped the kid up. It was obvious he could barely walk. He was the very definition of bruised and broken. But managed to form a faint smile on his face as he hobbled towards the group of other freshmen and sophomores. Though obviously one wasn’t having the time of his life. “What the hell man! You were supposed to teach us how to get stronger! What’s beating us up going to do?”

Lucas looked at him with a cool gaze. One of pure disinterest. “Who do you think you are?” The big mouth took a deep breath. Seemingly to gather courage to stand up to Lucas. “Justin.” The other boy said with a defiant tone. “Justin… Hmmmm.” With a quizzical look Lucas looked straight into the kid’s eyes. But Justin kept standing tall. Full of defiance. Until he buckled, due to the fist in his stomach. “Justin… I find your lack of respect… annoying.” His voice didn’t change from its cool, uncaring tone. “However, I find your entitlement straight up despicable.”

“You are nothing but a sack of skin filled with meat and bones. I’m not going to train you. I’m going to break you.” He looked up at the rest of the gang. “You’re all weak. Made weak by a school that no longer accepts the fact that you should be strong. When you step out into the real world, there will be no cops to come for your rescue. No heroes that fly in to save the day. You’ll only have you.” He looked down at Justin, ready to give him another kick just so he would understand the lesson but then some strange noise from the path caught his attention. He swiftly turned to his ‘class’: “Training’s over.” Like cockroaches they scattered through all paths except the one Eliana was walking on.

Lucas took a deep breath in, trying to keep himself calm. A task which was nigh impossible. His body was burning. His mind turned numb. He was on a high of natural drugs. Endorphins and adrenaline. In a more stable state, he might have walked away. Hell, probably in a drunker state he would have. If only to honor his agreement with Mitch. But not now, not when Lucas had released the chains and let the animal run rampart into the night. With a swift swing of his arm, he cracked off a branch from a nearby tree, about 2 meters long and picked it up. Throwing it from one hand to another to check the balance and maybe rethink the situation. Instead of sanity keeping him down, he just decided and threw the spear. Not at Eliana but next to her, to draw her attention. “So how did you do it, huh?” he said, closing in fast. “Some sort of dream you conjured up? Did you make him dream of you? Or did you give him something more…physical?”

The branch went darting past her, inches away from her head. Why couldn’t he leave her be? In an ideal world, he would not exist and yet here he was trying to get a rouse out of her. Him? Who was him? With a quizzical expression, Eliana turned to see Lucas making his way toward her, “What are you on about?” Her voice came across as exasperated and full of limited tolerance. Seriously, did he have nothing better to do? What did he find out now? That she gave her body to some random stranger who couldn’t possibly be attracted to her unless she invaded his mind?

What an idiot.

“Y’know what, it doesn’t matter. Go back to your childish games, I have better places to be.” That doesn’t involve you. She waited for his reaction because if she turned her back to him, he could potentially throw another branch at her but this time aim to not miss. He was not to be trusted, ever.

He had covered the distance between them now. Staring straight down at Eliana as he couldn’t believe what she was trying. Did she really think he was that blind or stupid? Well, maybe. But that would be equal to underestimating your enemy. “Don’t play coy with me.” He sneered, as he walked passed her grabbing the spear he just threw. Keeping his side at her. If she meant what she said, about having better places to be, she wouldn’t have stopped and turned around. She did that because she finally understood he was a danger. That was good. Other people’s fear was power to him. But in return, he could not show fear to her.

Looking down at the spear in his hand, it felt as if he had one more chance to walk away from all of this. It would be such an easy thing to do. Just walk away from the trouble. But no, he did that already when he made his promise to Mitch. He kept his distance, kept his promise. But she moved into his life this time. Whatever she did to Keats, he’d get vengeance for that and so many more things. Still not looking at her, he said: “You know, back in September, I just thought you as annoying. A small thorn in my side.” He snickered at the few memories. Insulting her sister, sealing Milo in a locker. Those were the good times. But then he turned at her. With fire in his eyes. Involuntarily his fists started growing gold again. Like a comet. Arcs of yellow lighting carved into the wood in his hand. Leaving behind veins that glowed with an amber color. “But then you started crossing a line.” With small steps he started walking around her. Like a tiger cornering its prey. “Putting me down a second time. Letting me tumble through my nightmares. If you were half as brave as you make out to be, you would have fought me. You’d lose of course and you know that.” He leaned in, getting a good whiff of her. “And that’s what you’re afraid of. Even now. No honor. No spine. Just a big mouth and some stabs from the shadows. That’s all you are. All you can ever be.”

Now standing in front her he looked her from top to toes. “I’m talking about Keats. And don’t pretend you have anything to do in your life. It’s way past midnight, so I very much doubt you have any place to be and… well you’re you. So I very much doubt you have anyone to go to either.” Unless of course, she was on the prowl to corrupt some more of his dwindling circle of friends.

“If you were ‘half as brave’ as you act to be, you would learn to let go.” With disappointment in her eyes, Eliana let out a heavy sigh. Always in his own world, never stopping to look around and think. This isn’t a game. Life isn’t some game where you could learn to forget by causing others misery. That would only take a toll on him... because he would never compare to those that are better than him. No spine? He wasn’t worth her time. No honor? The only honor that mattered to her was what she brought back home. The honor that would make her father proud. This endless feud was getting old incredibly fast. He could hurt her. He programmed himself to think strength was simply a physical matter.

And yet, that didn’t make him a threat, She wasn’t scared of him, she wasn’t afraid of pain. What he did to her would never compare to what she could do to herself. He was a coward. A coward that hid behind his violent actions because it helped him sleep at night. “What would you do if you had noone to bother?” She looked up at him and gave him a soft smile, nothing malicious. There was genuine care and concern in her expression. “Believe it or not but Keats wanted to spend time with me. Just look around you, Lucas.” She gestured around them, at their campus, at the world, “There aren’t any definite lines. We create our own limitations. We’re miniscule compared to what waits for us out there” With no hesitation, she stepped closer to him, breaching a space she wasn’t all to comfortable with herself but she felt it to be necessary, “And quite frankly, you’re not someone I see lasting very long... because you’re too focused on everyone else but yourself.”

Lately, people have showed her more kindness than she was use to and perhaps going this way would be more beneficial than picking a fight. Something came over her, a feeling she didn’t necessarily understand but she approached the beast, cautiously and rested her dainty hand on his cheek. Her chartreuse gaze pierced his blue and her expression was kind. Incredibly kind, like the time she took care of him in the infirmary, she brought her defenses down to make him alright, even if it were only for a moment.

Lucas was honestly shocked she took a step forward towards him. Usually, he was the one breaching personal space. It was a way to push people off their balance. He definitely wasn’t used to being on the other side. Yet, there was something different. While he used it to intimidate and make people uncomfortable, she seemed to do it to get closer to him. Not just physically. The sudden hand on his cheek felt warm. A jolt traveled down his spine. It was the product of the unexpected touch. When her eyes locked onto his, for just a moment, he felt his flames extinguish. The massive inferno searing and burning everything inside of him vanished and was replaced by the night’s gentle serenity. For the first time in ages, he could feel what a cooling breeze was.

He couldn’t help it. His eyes closed involuntarily. She had him in the palm of her hand. Not through violence or malice or hate. This was the first act of kindness, an act of pure serenity. Not even Gianna, in better days, could have done this. It felt so good he wished it would never stop. Even his heart, which should be beating like a savage animal in its cage, was being calm. But in the dark serenity of his closed eyes, memories flashed. Old ones. Painful ones. Right when he almost leaned in on the touch, his eyes snapped open again.

The fire inside was ignited once more. With a swift hand, he pushed her hand away and took a step back. His breath was deep and angered, as he yelled: “I did let it go!” for nobody around him to hear. “You think it’s an accident I haven’t done anything to you? I could’ve gotten your sister. Or burned your journal. Every day I had an opportunity to ruin you!” The yelling did not calm him down. If anything, it made everything only worse. He turned away from her and threw the amber veined spear at a tree. Like golden lightening, it flew through the air. Hitting the tree and drilling through its bark. But it still did nothing to calm Lucas down.

He turned back at Eliana. A person that had cost his year. Keats turned his back on him. Gianna was Mrs. Lovelace’s prodigy and Brenna was Gianna’s. It all made sense now. She said it wasn’t a game but she very much played it that way. Even Mitch was her friend before his. He was alone. Totally alone in a school filled with enemies and turncloaks. The thought tipped him over the edge. In blind anger he dashed forward at Eliana, trying to grab her throat with his right hand.

Why was it when she attempted to show care and kindness, it was taken for granted or brushed aside? How could she be a hero when all she seemed good for was… creating a false reality. When he started yelling frantically, her heart picked up in octave and she tried to keep control of her breathing. Not because she was angry or sad, no, she was preparing for him to hurt her. She was preparing to protect herself like she had done many times before.

Her lips muttered, “I don’t want to do this anymore...” But she had to. He gave her no choice. There was never a choice in the matter. People would hurt her no matter what and all she could do was protect herself in the only way she knew.

Or so she thought…

While Lucas charged at her with blood rage, his eyes glazed over and in a split instant, his perspective was altered. Eliana’s form shifted to his sister, Lana. They were still in the same place, Eliana simply masked his view to see what she wanted him to see and that was, his sister. For the first time in her college career, she revealed her ability to create illusions in present time. The same reality, just altered. His hand wrapped around her neck and she allowed him to choke her or well, in his case, his sister. Behind the mask she conjured up, her eyes were clouded by frost. She was stronger when her target was closer. If that meant putting her life in danger, so be it, but he wouldn’t enjoy what he saw.

Lana cried and whispered, ‘Lucas, what are you--’, losing her breath a lot faster than Ellie was herself. His eyes deeply stared into her’s and with as much strength as she could muster, she lifted her hand and methodically, yet weakly, did a graceful motion and blew her breath in his direction. Her sleep inducement slipped into his mouth and soon enough, his eyes rolled over, causing him to loosen his grip and drop to the ground.

Once he freed her, her legs gave out and she collapsed to the floor, Eliana wrapped her hands around her neck, which now was graced with Lucas’ hand mark, and tried to catch her breath. Her world started to go dark… no, don’t fall.... her body fell over and her eyes closed shut. She was right beside Lucas unconscious on the garden floor.

“Lana!” With a scream, he woke up, seemingly sitting on the path in the gardens. But Lana was gone. Above him, the night sky was once more a beautiful artwork of nebulae and celestial objects coursing through the great empty void. Yet Lucas couldn’t care less. His memories slowly pieced themselves together. His dash forward. The strangling. The whispers of his sister. “Lana!” He yelled out once more, fearing for her. This wasn’t what he wanted. These days he might not be sure what he did want but this was not it. “Once again you’re in here.” Said a familiar voice.

“Darkstar?” Lucas was definitely confused now. “Where’s my sister! Where is…” more memories pieced themselves together. First, it was Lana, then Eliana, then Lana again. The imagery in visions kept on shifting back and forth. “Where is she!?” He yelled out again, as the Darkstar did not show himself. He started walking down the path, slowly realizing the world around him was just a fabrication of the entity. “I know you can hear me. Where is she? Where are they?” Eventually, the path led him to the side of a small stream. You could even see the other side of the flowing water and the stones on the bottom through the clear water. Seemingly kneeling at the riverside was the familiar figure of the Darkstar. A black-hooded, humanoid entity. With powerful strides he moved forward, eventually standing next to the Darkstar who still said nothing. “Well!?” Lucas demanded. Normally he would be thrilled to meet the Darkstar again. But there were greater issues right now. He may have harmed his sister and he couldn’t get that thought out of his mind.

“You sister is safe.” Said Darkstar, who swept with his clothed arm over the water. The transparent liquid turned silver in front of the hooded figure. Once large enough, the reflection morphed into the blurry image of Lana, laughing in a seemingly well-lit room and dressed to impress. Lucas looked at the reflection, barely understanding what was going on. “Then…who…” “I have been neglectant, Lucas.” The Darkstar admitted, surprising Lucas even more. “I thought your simple, human problems were just that. Human and insignificant.” Lucas clearly took this as an insult. But knew more was to come. The hooded figure once again swept over the water with his arm. Revealing another face. That of Eliana. “You’ve been confronted by a force that even influences me.” The Darkstar’s voice was grave and heavy with worry. It did not fit him, according to Lucas.

“Eliana? I mean, yeah she’s powerful but you’re something different. She can only manipulate dreams. What concern do you have for that?” Lucas asked. “I cannot fully explain my concern. As you should understand what I am for that first. And as we discussed, such endeavors are hopeless. So I will keep it simple. She can… weaken me. Gravely.” That did not explain much to Lucas. It sounded just as vague as the Darkstar always was. But after the first two conversations, he knew pushing the subject would get him nowhere. As the Darkstar rose from the ground, so too did the stream. The water suddenly lifted up from its stone bottom and flowed, untethered from the ground, next to Lucas and the Darkstar. The silver, reflecting pool began to grow on the side of the suspended creek. “What I will do is… highly… Unusual. Normally I would refrain from these actions. They rarely assure a favorable outcome. But these are, ironically, times of need. I have told you that there are an endless amount of possible futures before. As many as there are choices we make. I will show you two of them. Two extremes from one choice. Please, step in.” Lucas did as the Darkstar bid.



His lungs filled with air again as he got pulled out of the silver liquid. It felt as if he was choking. “One side of your future.” Said the Darkstar, standing next to him as Lucas realized how much his lungs liked air. “We all die?” he asked confused. “A possibility. Are you ready for the other side?” Lucas looked down on the ground. Taking some time to process what he just saw. Taking a deep breath this time, he once again stepped into the silver liquid.



“No!” This time he wrenched himself from the silver. “Never!” he yelled at the Darkstar. “That will never happen!” But the hooded figure just watched him for seconds before it answered: “It could… even now. Through choices and consequences. But I did not show you this to warn you for one future or another. Though, sadly, our time here is at an end. You must return. Think about these visions, if you will. For I will come back to them soon enough.”

His awakening, this time, was rather gentle. He was lucky, maybe, for falling into the grass. It wasn’t the softest surface, but it could have been a lot worse. Like usual he kept his eyes closed a little longer as his body woke up too. But when he opened his eye he scrambled backward. Before him laid Eliana, seemingly sleeping. Though the marks and his memories told him it might have been worse. “Oh shit no!” As quickly as he scrambled away from her, he now went towards her. First checking her wrist for a pulse, which was there luckily. But Lucas wasn’t satisfied yet. He put his ear close to her mouth. Hoping to hear her breathe. Yes, she was still breathing and living. He admitted, knowing full well she couldn’t hear him. “If we have to go down… I want it to be fair.”

Of course, she might have looked like she was sleeping but there could still be something wrong. Lucas realized that. Carefully he looked over her, trying to see if she broke any bones or anything. Still assured, he jumped to her other side and traced his finger on her spine. Trying to determine if anything was wrong there. So far so good. It gave him the green light carefully carry her to a tree and let her sit down against it. To Lucas, she was still unconscious. Which wasn’t really good news. “Eliana?” he lightly tapped her cheek, trying to wake her up. “You up? You awake?”

No, I’m not awake. Eliana thought to herself when she heard his voice pierce into her ears. She had woken up when he picked her up and brought her to the tree. The mere fact he touched her like he actually cared made her stomach curl. Hopefully waiting this out would get him to leave her be. Leave her alone. Forever.

A girl could dream.

To give him some assurance she wasn’t comatose, she furrowed her eyebrows as if she were dreaming something unpleasant and let her head tilt to the side. Even with her attempts to look like she was nightmare stricken, she seemed fragile like a moonflower. Moonflowers were destined to bloom only at night, and then fade and fall when out came the morning light. How long would it take for him to give up and go about his sorry excuse of a life? Too long. If there was anything the hero wanted, it was for him to feel absolutely terrible. He had literally just choke her to the point that she passed out. He was a horrible person. There was nothing he could say or do to change her mind. She tried to be kind, to show him compassion, but he spat that back into her face. Feel guilty, you deserve it.

A little reaction was enough to calm Lucas down a little. It would appear she was dreaming. Or rather having a nightmare. He found it quite ironic that someone who induced nightmares usually was suffering from them now. But his mind soon returned to his own visions. Rather exhausted he sat down against the tree as well. Not too far from Eliana, taking a deep breath as he watched the grass beneath him. He couldn’t get the visions out of his head. They forced him to think about his past decisions. Every time he bullied Eliana or one of her friends. To the good times, before Delphina’s fire. Yet his mind kept digging. It went to when he met Gianna. Suddenly memories of his high school awoke in his mind. Eventually, all leading to one.

One thing Lucas could not do is talk about sadness. Sure, he talked to Gianna about hating. But talking about sadness or grief was something else to him. For his whole life, he had to deal with it alone. However, a person can only go so far without breaking. Yet, right now felt odd to him. As if he could suddenly say things and just think Eliana would listen. Of course, she couldn’t. She slept. But he could imagine she heard but didn’t judge. Or worse, use the information to her own advantage as so many more did these days.

“Sometimes I almost wished I never met her.” He admitted. His voice was filled with something no person but his sister had, the trust to hear in earnest: sadness. “Things… I would have been so different.” He continued, sniffling. “God, things would have been so different.” For once, he did not try to numb the pain. For once, he allowed himself to feel it. “They could have been so much better. Maybe…you and I would have been friends.” He threw his head back, looking up at the universe above. The cosmic orchestra kept on playing above. And he knew, that even with all his might, he could not make it change a tune. “I really wished I was someone else, sometimes. But I’m not. I’m me. I am my circumstances, choices and their consequences.” He looked next to him, at Eliana. For once, the sight did not fill him with anger. Only a lingering sense that things could have been different. But he just sighed and said: “And I guess you’re one of my consequences.”

He got up again, wiping away a tear that just crawled out of his eye. Then, looking at Eliana, he realized he couldn’t just leave her there. He did cause her situation and despite the fact that they were each other’s nemeses, he didn’t want it all to go down like this. If he had to beat her, it would be in a fair fight. Like during the tournament. He lifted her up in his arms and started carrying her to the infirmary.