Several hours later, Croix found himself sitting in the passenger side seat of his mom's car, staring out the window anxiously as the neighborhood slipped by him.

It was nearly dusk by the time he'd gotten home, giving him only a few brief minutes of relaxation before going right back to where he'd been a majority of the day.

His mom, her eyes focused on the road, gave a suddenly dejected sigh. "It's a shame your dad won't be able to see you tonight. He was so excited to see you perform. Had the date marked and everything." She sighed once again, glancing over at him. "But of course, that business trip popped up out of nowhere. We're both really sorry."

In truth, Croix wasn't all too torn up over the matter. His dad had missed out on numerous special occasions due to his cumbersome work schedule, making the current one more like a drop in the bucket. He was certainly disappointed, but his emotions were more occupied by Aamodt and just how he'd stop the child in black's plan for that night.

He looked over at his mom, who'd focused her attention back on the road. She'd be in the audience with all the other adults, all the other parents ecstatic to see their children perform the play they'd been working passionately on since August. She, like everyone else, was in danger the moment they walked into the school auditorium and took their seat.

Croix shivered at the very thought of his mom being just like what Ms. Velltri had become, a mindless drone under the direct control of a sadistic, evil creature. And what would he do then? What would Aamodt do with a crowd of entirely at his will? What was he planning after that? He had no idea, which frightened him even more.

For now, he'd focus on what he and Landen had planned out earlier that day in detention. It was all any of them had at the moment.

He felt the stiff tug of the walkie talkie his friend had given him earlier. The plastic electronic, no larger than a business card, was covertly slipped on under his brown cloak. He'd have some difficulty in finding a safe place to hide it once he switched into his costume at school but figured they'd be at least one good pocket to use.

Crystal Bay Junior High came into view along the road. Croix unconsciously gulped down a swell of fear as they swung around towards the back parking lot beside the auditorium. It must've been fairly loud because his mom patted him gently on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, Croie. You're going to do fine. Everybody gets the jitters before big things like this."

He appreciated the encouragement, feeling a sense of determination at his mother's words. He smiled up at her. "Thanks, Mom. That means a lot."

"Don't mention it, sweetie. It's what I'm here for."

She brought the car to a halt out in front of the exterior auditorium doors. With a deep breath, Croix unfastened his seatbelt and pushed the door open with his wind magic, floating out of his seat and onto the concrete pathway leading up to the building.

Several other cast and crew members were as well getting dropped off by their parents, creating a consistent stream of kids filing into the building. He was about to shut the car door and join the flow of people inside but stopped himself suddenly.

Spinning around, he looked his mom directly in her glowing blue eyes. "I love you, Mom!" he called with a cheerful beam and a wave.

His mom looked perplexed at this, took back by the sudden show of open affection by her son, especially in public. She was on the cusp of asking if he was feeling unusually nervous to say such a thing but quickly brushed the thought away, instead returning the smile and blowing him a maternal kiss.

"I love you too, Croie!" She hollered back with the window rolled down. "You'll do great!"

And with that, she was gone, driving away from the lot only to return in just a few hours time. A feeling of regret gnawed at Croix as he watched her drive away. A part of him wished he'd warned her of what was to come that night, even if she wouldn't have believed him. He'd just have to try his very hardest against the coming darkness and do everything in his power to save the people he loved most.

What followed was a straight hour of preparation by the cast and stage crew. Finishing touches were put on the sets, power cables were connected, microphones were sound checked, makeup was applied, costumes were adorned, and a few early arrivals in the audience were already claiming the best seats in the theater.

Croix had quickly slipped into his costume, a flowing and regal set of silken blue robes that nearly touched the floor when he hovered at his standard height. He'd as well already had the proper alterations down to his shadowy face in the form of powder and just a little bit of blush to his cheeks.

He'd given himself a brief look in a nearby mirror and couldn't help but feel proud of how far he'd come since the production had first gotten started. So much had happened in such a short period. It was incredible that an organization almost entirely comprised of kids had been able to plan and produce an act so elaborate. It was even more amazing that they'd been able to do it for several years now at Crystal Bay.

The glow of pride stuck with him as he continued to stare into the mirror, only trickling away when the voice of Ms. Velltri called for the entire cast to assemble. Reality returned.

He bunched up with everybody else near the closed red curtain. Nearly everybody was ready. Each actor or actress in their fantasy-esque robes or armor or tunic, taut but colorful leggings intertwined with riding boots or sired slippers. It was a romantic picture of delightfully archaic dress, perfectly captured by the costume department to paint a warm picture of what days-gone-by had once looked like.

That was to say, except for Aamodt, who stood off from the rest of the group, his arms crossed as he looked away from everyone else. He was dressed in a tattered set of obsidian robes, his ink-black hair disheveled by purposeful gel, and his already pale skin powdered to an even more ghostly shade. What was most striking was that this was the first time Croix had seen the boy in black without his concealing set of glasses, revealing a pair of startlingly dark eyes that seem to blacken in the light.

Ms. Velltri came marching out from the lower prep room with the last stragglers getting into the crowd of thespians. Her complexion looked a little more drained since Croix had last seen her, almost to that of a muted gray. Her butterscotch hair was as well a darker shade, with what looked like wearied, bloodshot eyes that spoke of painful exhaustion.

Still, the blonde human woman regarded everybody with her trademark smile and seemed almost ready to explode with contained excitement, giving a slight squeal before she spoke.

"Well everybody, this is it! After everything we've done, after everything you've done, we're finally at the end of it all!" She clapped her palms together. "My oh my has it been one ride for us all. Auditions, practices, costume fittings, dress rehearsals, more practices. It seemed like opening night would never come, and we'd just be preparing for this fateful night forever."

She smiled even brighter. "But tonight we know that isn't true. Tonight, we know that all of our hard work, perseverance, and determination does pay off in the end. And now we've got a crowd of all your parents and friends just waiting to see you giving it everything you've got! Don't hold back, not even for a minute, because this is your guys' time to shine. This is where you all deserve to be."

It was hard to tell who started the clapping, but in just a few seconds Ms. Velltri was getting a standing ovation by the already standing cast members. The woman glimmered with appreciation at the kind display and profusely thanked everyone as they continued to show their appreciation for their teacher.

As Croix clapped along with everyone else, he couldn't help but shoot a glance over at Aamodt, curious as to how the strange child would react to such a thing. To his discomfort, the child in black was staring right at him, grinning from ear to ear as the rest of the class continued to cheer for Ms. Velltri. He brought a single finger to his lips, pantomiming a hushing gesture, his face still smirking cruelly.

But instead of looking away, Croix glared back at the human, shaking his head stiffly, much to the surprise of the twisted child.

I hope you're ready Landen Croix thought to himself. Because he sure is.