Clara
As we sprint, the thunderous clang of heavy metallic footsteps slams against the floor behind us. Like a drumbeat signaling doom.
No one said anything about two artifact users down here.
My legs ache as we turn sharply down another hallway. "What do we do!?"
Alister doesn't answer. His brows are drawn together, mind clearly racing. His eyes flicker upward toward the ceiling. We're almost near the central area now, that open chamber of branching halls and high ceiling.
"Shoot that pipe." Alister tells me, pointing to one at the corner where faint steam is leaking out.
When the bullet hits it, a huge gust of hot steam fills the air, and we wince as we pass through it. Alister then directs us into the hallway to our left. I glance back at the thick fog starting to form, making it hard to see where he is. Was that for covering where we are going? I'm not sure this trick will last long.
Zach huffs beside me, holding Micah tightly in his arms. "Wait, I think I remember something Rubecca told me. She said there are twenty charms—each one lets the user change their body into something else. And he must have..."
"The one shaped like a hammer." Alister finishes his sentence. "That one lets the user mimic any solid surface. Wearing it like an armor. Leora had a blacksmith make most of these artifacts."
Zach nods frantically. "Yeah! Exactly. He's chosen metal, obviously. But the catch is, it eats up stamina. The denser and harder the material, the more it drains him."
Interesting. Doesn't this mean he's still soft on the inside while his skin has hardened like a shell?
Alister hums for a second. "Did you see sprinklers on the way here?" He suddenly asks me.
I nod while trying to keep pace. "Yeah, many places. There are some just ahead."
"Perfect."
We reach the spot in seconds. Alister skids to a stop, abruptly whirling around.
"What are you—!?" Zach protests as Alister snatches the kid out of his arms.
"Stay here." He orders. "Don't let him step foot into this hallway. Make sure he doesn't change into anything else."
I plant my feet, glaring at Alister. "Are you crazy?! He'll die!"
Alister rolls his eyes like I'm being dramatic. "Trust me," he answers. "I'm not that lucky." He then shoves me forward. "Go."
I toss Zach a gun to atleast defend himself. And after that, we're running again—without him. Leaving him dumbfounded and forced to trust us.
I want to scream at Alister again and tell him, with all seriousness, that if he tries to sacrifice our friends, I'm going to cripple him for life, but something stops me. He's still staring at the ceiling. My breath catches as I realize his plan.
"Will it work?" I ask when we finally stop at the end of the hallway.
Alister looks at me and smiles, probably relieved he doesn't need to waste time explaining what to do. After he sets the kid down, letting him cling to his leg, I toss him the Hirudin dagger. He stares at it as his eyes glow and the dagger levitates. "Only one way to find out. Shoot."
Aiming for the two fire sprinklers, I do just that. Water pours from the ceiling like a curtain of glass beads, soaking the floor and coating the walls in shimmering sheets.
I then point the gun at the overhead lights lining the hallway. Each shot bursts a bulb into sparks and dust. Slowly, the space grows dim but not as dark as we would have liked.
We can hear it now—the unmistakable weight of metallic feet slamming against the ground. He's coming.
Alister pulls a gun from his back and holds it out to me. I drop my spent one and take it. The kid clings tighter to his leg, trembling, burying his soaked face into his thigh like he's trying to disappear into him.
I shoot out the remaining lights to our left and right. Finally plunged into darkness.
A gunshot rings out, and in the distance, we can just make out the fight at the start of the hallway. The faint silhouette of the metal man crashes into Zach, fists swinging. Sparks fly as Zach blocks with some kind of stolen metal pipe. The force sends him skidding backward, boots scraping across the slick tile, arms shaking from the impact.
The man charges again, but Zach sidesteps the first punch, ducking beneath a blow that caves in part of the wall behind him. Dust and debris spray across his shoulder as he rolls out of reach, springing back to his feet.
Zach uses the moment to spin around and slam the pipe against the man's head. A hit that would've broken his skull if it landed on anything human. But it bounces off uselessly, the vibration probably stinging his fingers.
I can barely watch. Every second feels like a coin toss. "Are you done!?" I whisper to Alister, watching his haunting silver eyes in the dark. My heart's hammering against my ribs so hard just from hearing them fight.
Zach stumbles, parries another brutal swing, and when the metal man raises a fist to crush him again—
"NOW, PUSH!" Alister shouts.
Zach moves instantly. With a grunt, he grabs the man's arm mid-swing. His feet skid across the wet tile as he plants his weight, twists, and slams his foot into the man's stomach. The force of the kick knocks him backward—straight into the drenched hallway where water drips from the ceiling.
I might be imagining it but for a split second, I catch the moment his expression shifts from fury to something else entirely.
Horrific realization.
But he's too late.
The thick, sparking cables that Alister had cut from the ceiling using the dagger begin to slither forward—dragged through the water like predatory eels, pulsing with electricity. Alister uses his ability to quickly wrap them tightly around the man's limbs, binding him in place. Then, with a wicked grin, he shoves some live wires into the man's mouth and ears.
A crackle of white lightning explodes outward, illuminating the hallway for an instant like a camera flash. His body convulses violently, jerking against the wires as sparks fly from every joint.
It's not a scream we hear, but something deeper. A sound, torn from inside him, muffled by the wire. The hallway flashes white again and again as the electricity pours into him. And then, stillness. Only the drip of water. Only the hiss of the last few dying sparks. The smell of burning ozone and wet metal floods the air.
Alister exhales. "That'll do."
I don't think it would have worked if his organs had hardened like his skin and muscles. Did Leora tell Alister about this weakness too?
I notice Zach carefully moving towards the body. Probably to break the artifact.
"Ugh, do you have to smile like that while doing all this?" I say to Alister as he lets go of his ability and the glow in his eyes dissappears.
He huffs a laughs but I can sense it's weaker. "Aren't you the one who said I should smile...more often?"
"You ok?" I squint at him, trying to analyze his features.
"It's dangerous to go through here. We'll circle around and meet up." He calls out to Zach, who gives him a thumbs up.
I hear the quiet crying of the kid again as Alister picks him up and lightly shoves my back, urging me to move left.
I hope the kid didn't see all that.
When we finally enter a lit hallway, I can see just how drained Alister is. His face is deathly pale, lips tight with effort. Without a word, I free my hands and tuck the guns into my waistband. Reaching out, I offer to take the kid from him.
He complies with a heavy sigh. "A shame I won't get to see you in action anymore."
My heart does an unnecessary backflip, and I avoid looking at his eyes as I follow him.
We find Zach slumped against the wall at the next turn. I gasp and rush to him. He's tugging down his shirt, having just used it to grab and break the charm—the broken object lies in two pieces at his feet. But it's the blood on his side that sends shivers down my spine. I grab the hem of his shirt and lift it. There's a dark purple bruise on his abdomen and a cut, which thankfully isn't deep, but still leaking blood. It makes me realize how little I have appreciated Zach and all he does and goes through for us. Not to mention the trust he had in Alister to follow his lead.
Behind me, I hear Alister click his tongue.
"Still alive?"
Zach manages a smirk. "Is that any way to talk to the guy who's about to carry your half-dead body out of here?"
"It'll be fine." I say quickly, pushing the panic down. "We still have the healer's goblet. Let's go, we're almost there." I try not to glance at the charred corpse still steaming beside us, soaked under the broken sprinkler.
We walk on. Zach beside me, hissing through his teeth and muttering that this isn't what he signed up for. Alister's steps grow heavier. His head dips forward.
He's done. Running on nothing but willpower now.
Even the boy looks worried about him.
"Stop looking at me like that." he grunts, frowning. "I'm not that weak, and I don't need...anyone's...help..."
I let him keep blabbering as I lower the kid to the ground, before hurrying to his side just as he stumbles. His knees buckle—and he collapses into my arms, completely unconscious.
"Clara, let me—" Zach starts.
"I've got him." I cut in, forcing a smile. "You're already hurt. And I'm stronger than I look."
My quivering legs disagree. I ignore them and try to think of a way to adjust him onto my back. But as I shift, my foot slips and I crash to the ground, flat on my back.
Alister lands on top of me, knocking the breath clean out of my lungs. For a second, I'm paralyzed—arms sprawled, mind going blank.
He's everywhere. All of him. Warm, solid and alarmingly heavy, and very much draped over every inch of me. His face is nestled into the crook of my neck, breath ghosting over my collarbone. His leg is wedged between mine, and I can feel the contours of his body.
My hands twitch, aching to do something. But I know myself too well, so I shove them over my burning face before they can betray me, squeezing my eyes shut as heat floods my body.
"Zach…" I whine pathetically, muffled behind my palms.
A chuckle escapes him as he shakes his head. "You gotta be kidding me." He steps forward, crouches, and slides a hand between our stomachs, grunting as he lifts Alister by the torso. "It really doesn't take much to get you going, huh?"
"S-shut up and move! You're dying, remember!?" I snap as I stand up, practically glowing with shame. I quickly pick up the kid and carry him in my arms, relieved to atleast be able to carry someone. But I'm still unable to meet his confused, innocent stare.
As if the poor kid hasn't been traumatized enough.
"I feel like I'm the only one who remembers." Zach mutters, dragging Alister like a reluctant sack of potatoes.
♡.......💙.......♡
The elevator doors slide open when we reach the surface, only for us to be met with a wooden board blocking the way.
I lift my foot and kick. It turns out to be a movable shelf. And just like that, we're back in Everley's office.
But the once-organized space isn't how it used to be. Not with broken bottles on the ground, books flung out of shelves, and belongings scattered across the floor. And definitely not with a pile of six bloody, bruised staff members... with Stephanie sitting proudly on top of them like a queen on her throne. Her black hair has fallen loose from its ponytail, cascading down her back like a waterfall as she stares at us, wide-eyed.
"Wow." Simon's voice echoes from the far side of the room, where he's casually rummaging through our bags that they somehow managed to get from the cabins. "You all look terrible."
He, of course, looks completely untouched.
"Great to see you too." I greet, rolling my eyes.
"What the hell…" Stephanie breathes, hopping off her pile of victims. "Zach's about to die, Alister's… already dead, and you have a child?"
Zach lets out a short laugh before grimacing in pain. He carefully lowers Alister to the floor. "That's... alot exaggeration."
"What did happen?" Simon asks, glancing suspiciously at Micah, who in return hugs me tighter, distressed.
I glare at Simon as I pat the kid's back.
"I'll explain in the car. Right now, we need to get out of here. Their backup will be here soon." I glance around the room, looking for something.
"Do you have the dagger?" he asks. I nod and toss it to him. He catches it easily.
"Great. Now we can finally leave." Steph says, picking up a glass bottle filled with red liquid. She uncorks it with her teeth and, to my utter horror, pours the liquid over Alister's head in a careless attempt to wake him up.
I quickly rush over, snatching it from her hand and slamming it on the table. "We can't leave easily." I assert, and notice Alister still isn't waking up. "Some staff are still active, and our car will definitely get noticed leaving the property."
"So basically." Stephanie smirks. "You don't want things to stay quiet?"
I pause. "Steph…"
"Leave it to me. Being loud is my specialty."
Before I can stop her, she turns and vanishes into the attached bedroom. A few moments later, she returns—wearing a surgical mask and a blonde wig that makes her look like a deranged nurse from a low-budget horror film. I don't even know why Everley has that wig.
She just struts out of the room like she's walking onto a runway.
I set Micah down and hold his small face in my hands. "I'll be right back, ok? Stay with them for awhile." He whimpers, brows knitting in response. "It'll be alright. I know you can be very brave." I say as I pat him on the head and walk towards the door.
"I'll see what she's up to." I tell the others as I exit the room. Once out and alone, I activate my invisibility. The familiar heaviness in my lungs returns as I push forward, following her out to the front door of the building.
In the darkness of the night, people are gathered out for the bonfire activities.
She pauses in the center of the gravel clearing, eyes scanning the crowd of staff and guests milling about the estate. Then she raises a pistol skyward.
Bang!
A sharp crack cuts through the air.
Bang!
With another, people flinch. A bird takes off from a nearby tree, conversations die, and heads whip toward her.
She sucks in a breath.
"I HAVE PLANTED A BOMB ON THIS PROPERTY!" Her voice is ragged and manic, echoing across the valley. Then she lowers the gun, sweeping it toward the terrified crowd. "AND I'M GOING TO SHOOT EVERY ONE OF YOU!"
She fires a third shot, this one into the trees.
That does it. Panic explodes.
Screams erupt instantly. People drop their coffee cups, bolt from benches, trip over themselves trying to flee. A couple runs out of the cabins. A man trying to run accidentally falls into the stream. A family picks up their kids, yelling and making their way out of the property.
I walk back to the building, hiding at the threshold. I let go of my invisibility, seeing as how theres no need for it.
Stephanie grins like the devil. Waving her gun overhead like a lunatic general mid-victory.
This... is working?
I glance around, scanning the perimeter, and that's when I see him. Far from here, half-hidden behind the corner of a cabin, a staff member stands, pistol aimed straight at Steph.
I sigh, lifting my arm to take aim, and fire.
The moment his body hits the ground, the panic amplifies. Someone screams. "It's real, it's real!" People begin sprinting, throwing themselves over bushes, climbing fences, diving behind decorative statues.
Steph cackles and kicks over a potted plant for good measure, then bellows. "FIFTEEN MINUTES UNTIL DETONATION!"
I feel laughter rise in my throat despite the tension.
Steph glances over her shoulder, and her brow arches sharply. "What are you still doing here? Go get the others! We're making a run for it!"
"Right!" I gasp, spinning on my heel and rushing back into Everley's trashed office.
Inside, Zach and Simon are by the window, watching the chaos unfold like it's some kind of theater. Zach leans on the frame with tired amusement in his eyes. Micah is crouched beside Alister, gently shaking him, worry creasing his tiny brow.
"We're leaving! Now!" I shout, slinging my bag over one shoulder, and scoop Micah up with the other arm. "Grab everything!"
Zach grits his teeth and forces himself upright. He hefts his pack onto his back and lifts Alister's body with his remaining strength. Simon gathers the rest of the gear, carrying four full duffels, and we finally run out of the office.
Steph is still outside, in the middle of spouting a string of creative obscenities, and fires another warning shot into the night sky.
"Dial it down, Steph!" Zach yells at her, and she turns to face us.
Together we finally start to make our way out of the property, through the storm of fear, along with everyone around us.