Demons Within
Chapter 33: Descent
"To sell your soul is the easiest thing in the world. That's what everybody does every hour of his life. If I asked you to keep your soul - would you understand why that's much harder?"
― Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead.
Things between the gang had somewhat mellowed out after returning from their vacation in New Orleans, though the trio of Liam, Jade, & Tori would use their final weeks of relaxation away from their dear friends in order to recover from the emotional events that had transpired. For Tori, the reunion with her older sister had caused her to feel so many things at once that she never truly had a moment to clearly decrypt those feelings while Jade & Liam had dealt with the surprising reveal of not only his current familial ties but also a bit of his lineage. Once they returned, Jade wasted little time in relaxing, mostly with Liam and Tori at the latter's home. Though she was normally the main one involved with drama or some conflict, even she had to admit that she had her fill for a bit. Tori and Liam themselves worked to build their half of the relationship, the former doing his best to show how important she was to him.
Andre and Cat's relationship only grew after their time in New Orleans. Taking in the sights and sounds of the bayou, they only became closer as a unit. To make things even more interesting, Cat Valentine somehow managed to form a relationship with Andre's grandma, though she'd still get a bit thrown off from the woman's random antics; not that anyone could blame her. This left Beck, the odd man out to have to deal with the inevitable return to L.A. While everyone else had their significant other to keep them company, he was left alone, save for a particular phone contact that brought a smile on his face.
Lucille.
That's right, after going through the cleansing ritual with both Lucille and Celeste, the two managed to hit it off during the Mardi Gras festival. Though the full nature of their relationship was still unknown, what was clear was the mutual attraction between the two. In fact, the two had shared phone calls and text messages ever since he left the city and things only seemed to get better. While relaxing in his RV, he was in the middle of a conversation with the young woman when someone knocked on his door. Considering the lights inside were off, and it was after dark, he turned over in his bed, flipping over the phone so that its light wouldn't be visible.
"Becky, open up!" that voice. That dreadful voice that haunted his soul for months had finally come around once more. "Beck, I know you're in there. I saw your phone light up."
"Shit..." he hissed just barely out of hearing.
"Maybe he's asleep...?" another voice, while still retaining its meekness, held a distinct darkness to it. "Try calling. If he's awake, he'll have to answer."
Beck knew this trick, it was some spooky way for the girl to figure out if what he was up to. Prior to his encounter with Liam's family, he could only fear the act when it happened; like an evil spirit would expose him to her thus blowing his cover by forcing him to answer or face the taunting of the deceased souls summoned. His heart raced when his phone suddenly vibrated and the room suddenly fell into deadly silence. The vibrations from his phone, the steady rhythm of his heart, and even his breath all appeared louder than ever.
He clenched his eyes, almost mentally preparing himself for the terrifying spirits that were to come. The thing is though, they never showed up... With one eye cautiously opened, he watched as the lit screen soon faded to black, the vibrating ceasing and allowing the peaceful evening to return. The final thing he remembered seeing was the silhouette of the girl thanks to the moonlight casting her shadow over him. Still, he refused to move, his body never moving until the figure not only disappeared, but the sounds of Robbie's car pulling off faded from his ears.
Once he was sure they were gone, he finally figured out just how much of an impact she still had on him, even when he'd be rid of her demonic grip. He wiped the sweat from his brow, shivering from the disturbing air still lingering, he peered out of the window one more time before dialing a number. Several rings later, his efforts were rewarded by the drowsy voice of Lucille.
"Beck? *yawn* I thought you fell asleep..."
"N-not exactly..." he replied through heavy breaths.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I just had an unwanted visitor show up not too long ago."
"Her?"
"Mhmm..."
There was a pause that only served to make his heart race. When she returned, he could tell that she was more alert and serious.
"Alright, I'm listening, sugar."
The month-long vacation had finally passed and, after a couple of months, it seemed that the effects of New Orleans had shown the massive change in the group. For starters, Ahrya and Robbie were still pretty sour about having to miss the trip with the gang and yet, seemingly made no movement to try and hang out once they all came back. Unless in class or involved with a performance, the couple rarely interacted with the group; all except for one.
During Sikowitz's acting routine, the coconut lover had chosen several students for his usual improv exercises. Among them, several original pairings were made until he came across two names that hadn't been chosen: Jade & Ahrya. Coming to terms with this realization, he released a frustrated sigh before calling the two on stage.
"Alright ladies, I want a good, clean performance," he warned. "Your challenge revolves around two bitter women meeting for the first time at the grave of a someone dear to you both after years of avoiding the other. Jade, you are the widow while Ahrya will play the role of the dead man's sister."
'Oh goodie...' the goth rolled her eyes before attempting to get into character. 'If this isn't asking for trouble...'
"And action!"
"Lance!" Jade pretended to break down. "Why did you have to leave me so soon? I know that we swore 'til death do us part' but, I never knew death would be so selfish and want you all to herself...!" she then dropped to her knees, her sobs coming off as truly realistic. "It seemed like just yesterday, we were walking along the shore of the beach when you found a helpless baby turtle under a swarm of gulls and rescued it from those wretched creatures and now..." she bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears threatening to overflow like a broken dam.
This was when Ahrya stepped on the scene; her footsteps catching Jade's attention, her sorrowful gaze suddenly morphing into a hate-fueled glare.
"Hello, Rachell..." he tone, while devoid of discernable emotion, still carried a measure of turmoil. "...it's been a while."
"What are you doing here?!" Jade snarled at the stoic Ahrya.
"I came to see where they buried my brother. Isn't that obvious?"
The class watched closely, interest and worry mixing amongst the teens in attendance, none more so than Liam himself.
"What's obvious is, you broke Lance's heart all of those years ago," Jade pointed her sharpened nail at the girl. "which is why I ask again: Why are you really here?"
"How dare you question my intentions?!" the violet-eyed girl growled. "He is my brother and I loved him!"
"Oh give me a break, Leah! You left him behind once you found out he and I were together!" the young man began to pick up that something wasn't right. "You didn't even attend our wedding! After we said our vows, we found out that you not only didn't support our union, but you stole his half of the inheritance. You left your own brother penniless just to stick it to me and you know it."
The sense of realism behind Jade's words seemed to cut deeper than any knife ever could. She stared at the goth, seeing anger and ruthlessness radiating from her eyes, but somehow, maintained her character.
"I did what had to be done, Rachell. My brother Lance, while the kindest of souls, was never the sharpest tool in the shed. That was proven when he chose to pick up a stray like you." The classroom erupted into a chorus of 'Oohs' at the implications being made. "Before he took you in, you bounced from one failed relationship to another, at least until you managed to accept your destiny of being a whore." Collective gasps filled the room now, as Ahrya continued her verbal barrage. "If I recall correctly, you mistook my brother for one of your tricks until he opted to show you the finer things in life."
"That was a part of my past that we both left behind..." the amount of hurt pouring out was enough to fill several buckets. "That's not who he saw me as."
"But it's the truth!" Ahrya snapped. "You and I both know what you are. We both know the truth, Rachell! My brother was blinded by your make-up and charm, somehow falling under your spell and look at you now? A bottom feeder playing princess... Pathetic."
At this point, even Sikowitz was beginning to grow uncomfortable, but once look from Jade West halted any attempts at stopping the scene.
"It's funny," Jade smiled, her expression darker than the deepest abyss. "You go on and on about how naive your brother was. You brag about stealing his part of your family fortune and how you 'know the truth'. But let me ask you something, 'sister-in-law'." She narrowed the gap between them, growing dangerously close to the ornery girl. "I know something about you that you've kept a secret up until now."
Ahrya narrowed her eyes, not liking where this was going.
"I learned that you're not really his sister... Leah."
Violet started to expand the implication made by Jade (or Rachell as she was christened). To those watching in the audience, this scene was beginning to pick up but, only one looked on suspiciously. The whispers and murmurs formed a sickening symphony in Ahrya's head as she placed a hand on her chest, feigning offense to the statement.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she spat, mortified at what she was hearing. "It seems the death of my brother has truly destroyed what few brain cells you had remaining." her attempt at appearing nonchalant became more obvious with each passing second, and Jade knew exactly why.
Buried in her heart, she was more than confident in her words for the unscripted moment in time that the duo was tasked with creating. It was no secret by now that both Jade and Ahrya had grown to be more vicious rivals than the former and Tori Vega. They constantly butt heads when it came to anything even remotely close to assignments revolving around the two cooperating. Neither was willing to bow out to the other as shown in their excessive attempts at outdoing one another. Over time, the alleged rivalry soon morphed into a deep-rooted hatred for each other.
While Tori & Liam would find themselves the unwilling targets in the continuing saga between the young ladies, it was mostly a direct war between the goth and prep, so it came as no surprise when the two would find any opportunity to throw barbs; especially if said barbs were personal. This was just the nature of things; a normalcy that normally required little, if any, action at all.
Something about how things were progressing, however, spelled a difference from 'normal' occasions.
"I found evidence that revealed that you and Lance were never biologically related."
Violet orbs shot opened in shock at the words being hurled at her; her mind unable to decipher the lines of reality and fiction presented by the goth in front of her. If it was any consolation, even Liam's curiosity was further piqued as he too could sense there was something a bit,s weird in his girlfriend's direction for the skit. Deep down HE knew the truth of he and Ahrya's relationship, right? She was his cousin whom he accepted as his sister and never brought the subject to her and yet, he found himself questioning even that. His mind would ponder this for only a moment before he was snapped back into the present.
"You're crazy!" Ahrya declared, her very being growing more and more unhinged at the statement. "Lance and I, we grew up together. He took care of me and protected me when we were children! After his mother abandoned him, we later learned that we shared the same father. I am his sister!"
"Funny, because I've met his mother and she's said otherwise," it then became clear, even to Sikowitz who stared slackjawed. "She never once mentioned you. I also ran into someone else who told me everything about you; his real sister. Face it, you're a fraud."
That was it!
With as much of her rage as she could muster, Ahrya lunged at the girl with a viciousness uncharacteristic to most of the other students. The two rolled all over the floor with Sikowitz failing miserably to separate the two; this was mainly because his definition of 'separating' was him pleading with the ladies to break it up. It took both Robbie and Liam to actually physically remove the girls from one another, each to their respective partner.
"I'll rip you to shreds, witch!"
"Ahrya!" Robbie's eyes widened in terror at the forbidden name as he struggled with his girlfriend.
"Try it, and I'll show you just how much of a witch I can be!" the goth snarled, much to Liam's bewilderment.
"Jade, that's enough!" he his voice, devoid of anger, still commanded enough authority for Jade to calm down. "You're better than this, love."
The swiftness in how Liam's tone switched from authoritative to benevolent made the goth want to melt in his arms which impressed even Tori, who was so sure that her scissor-wielding girlfriend would've turned her anger unintentionally towards the young man. The feeling of tranquility washing over her was visible by the goofy grin plastered on her lips. Soon, her grip on his arms loosened up as the tension throughout her entire body seemed to disappear almost in an instant.
In truth, her mind had taken her back to their most recent adventure in the bayou. From their mishaps to their encounters with spirits, it was clear to Jade that she wasn't being controlled but, rather, she perceived the tone as a warning for her not to cross the line that would lock her back into her old way. Time stood still for her as she took a deep breath and settled into the one she deemed her guiding light.
"You stay out of this!" a voice broke the air of peace, plunging both Jade & Liam back to earth. Both turned their attention towards none other than Robbie Shapiro, his face nearly beet red now. His own anger apparently boiled over towards his dorm mate. "You've caused enough trouble!"
At that moment, the bell rang and thus, saved everyone within the room from experiencing World War 3.
One by one, the students filed out of the room, their murmurs pertaining to the four soon becoming lost in the sea of students mixing into the hallways. Liam figured that it was only a matter of time before this little outburst became public knowledge. It seemed to him that once he and others returned from their vacation, all of the good vibes soon disappeared without a trace, replaced with the stressful antics of his 'sister' and roommate. Now, he and Jade stood only a few feet away from the couple, neither side willing to budge an inch.
While the reason for Jade and Ahrya's feud was as made clear earlier in the school year, this new development between Liam and Robbie was a mystery, even to the former. He thought that whatever was off between him and the curly haired boy had been settled long ago. He eventually surmised that the idea was nothing more than a fairy tale at this point and he steeled his gaze at the fuming male across from him.
"Mr. Shapiro, while I'm sure there's a reason for your anger, I suggest you take it up with the guidance counselor." A no-nonsense Sikowitz demanded; this only proved his reasons for leaving the two behind was the correct path. To his astonishment, he was stopped by an unnaturally focused Liam who never removed his gaze from the boy.
"It's alright," he finally cut his gaze to the old man. "Whatever Robbie has to say, let him say it now. I'd love to hear what's on his mind."
Despite his better judgment, the teacher agreed and took a seat nearby, in hopes of preventing any further altercation that may occur. In the meantime, Jade and Ahrya stood back from their respective lovers though, they made a mental note that their own issues had yet to be resolved. The ungodly silence between both boys made the situation even tenser as Robbie stepped forward. His shoulders rising and falling as if he were carrying the weight of the world on them.
"You're still doing it," his voice shook with each word that passed. "Instead of coming to your sister's aid, you choose to defend and comfort Jade! What kind of a sibling does that?!"
Rage.
Fury.
Hatred.
These three things flashed in front of Liam; the only way they would be any more obvious would be if they were hung off of a neon sign for all to see. Still, he showed no reaction, choosing only to raise an eyebrow in complete disinterest once more. While similar to their last encounter on the matter, only Jade could pick up that his reaction was a complete contrast to the previous time. That night at Tori's house, the night that led to the two sharing their official first time together, she knew that Liam was harboring intense rage at both the nerd and 'sibling' but this time? This time there was no struggle, no war within to be had. Everything about his demeanor exuded a legitimate detachment.
"You're still beating that horse, huh?" his crossed his arms. "I told you, everything you do for Ahrya, I do for Jade. She's my girlfriend... as well as Tori," he added just as Robbie parted his lips to interrupt. "I love them both equally and uniquely so don't even think of crossing into that territory."
"That's what I'm talking about!" he erupted again, not caring about how crazy he might've appeared at the time. "Tori? I can understand completely! She's smart, funny, down to earth, and sweet; who wouldn't want to date her?!" Despite the warning, Robbie still dared to step into the beast's domain without any thought to the consequences that may befall him. During his rant, he failed to notice Liam violently shoving his hands into his pockets, his second attempt at resisting the urge to wring his neck. "But Jade? How can you truly say that you love her?! She's the complete opposite of Tori!"
"Robbie..."
"She's devious."
"Rob..."
"...sinister, violent, devoid of empathy..."
"...stop..."
"...mean, spiteful, angry, borderline demonic..."
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" The near empty room, once again, fell silent under the young man's interjection, his thunderous voice echoing throughout. Robbie couldn't help but tremble slightly at the sudden act of verbal force, but he somehow managed to stand his ground. Normally expected to deliver a full-on physical assault, Liam didn't give in to that desire. Instead, his eyes narrowed into slits, his emerald pools burrowing a hole into Robbie Shapiro's soul. "You don't know anything about Jade, do you?"
"W-what?!" he yowled in complete disarray. "Of course I do!"
Liam simply shook his head slowly, his lips locked into a tight line.
"No, you don't," now it was Robbie's turn to raise an eyebrow, confusion dripping from him like sweat on a scorching summer's day. "IF you knew Jade, you'd know that she's suffered greatly throughout her life and, while lashing out at others is certainly not the way to go, she handled it the best way she could." he spared a glance to see the shocked and blushing face of his beloved goth, who had remained quiet up to this point. "You also would've known that she's worked hard these last few years to better handle her issues by opening up and addressing them as soon as she can instead of bottling up her feelings and letting them explode. Besides, if I recall correctly, you had a similar defense mechanism when I first met you."
"I- I don't know what y-you're talking about!" It was clear that Robbie's guard was cracking; his lip quivering from the implied accusation made about him. "Unlike that monster, I know how to express my issues, like a normal person!"
"Was that before or after you got rid of that puppet?"
The words were cold and deliberate, the perfect combination to make the lanky boy's heart nearly beat out of his chest. "What are you talking about? Shut up!" Try as he may, his attempt to come off as intimidating seemed more like a last-ditch plea.
"We both know that, compared to me, you're about as intimidating as a poodle, Robbie... Sound familiar?"
Darkness filled the mind of Robbie Shapiro, his inner self, plunged into the depths of the mental abyss, a place where his more dire secret had been supposed left to rot within the psychological prison that lay at the bottom. "I'm warning you..." he clutched his skull, eyes growing wider behind the thick-rimmed glasses that allowed him to see. His head felt like he'd been hit with a hammer repeatedly and all he wanted to do was stop the hell that was coming.
"What are you going to do Robbie?" Liam taunted, his sense of justice finally coming out in full force. "This is exactly what you sound like when you talk about Jade! You can dish it out, but you can't your medicine, you spineless worm?! Go ahead, Robbie!"
"No..."
"Prove that damn puppet right, and stop trying to 'better' yourself." he pressed on, intent on showing the boy the same treatment, that had been shown to Jade. "Prove Rex right!"
"Liam, please," He turned to find himself lost in his emotions, the sight of Jade West forcing his rage to subside. "I think he's had enough. Let's just go..."
"Yes, I think it best too. Mr. Shapiro's clearly learned his lesson so let's just agree that things are going to be settled between you all and that's final. Understood?" He was relieved to see everyone nodding in, albeit reluctant, agreement. Everyone, except Robbie himself...
"Mr. Shapiro?" He suddenly stopped his shivering, a strange calmness suddenly flowing within him, as if he was experiencing true nirvana. "Robbie Shapiro!"
"Y-yeah... sorry..." his voice was no louder than a hush but it was enough for those around him to hear him. "I'll do you a favor and move out to another available room by tomorrow."
Before anyone could inquire further, he willed himself out of the classroom, snatching his bag on the way out. Ahrya soon followed after him but made sure to flash one more glare at Jade who shared a look with her significant other before they too made their way to their next destination. They were just glad that Tori had an exam that prevented her attendance in class today.
"I am such an idiot..." Liam groaned into the phone.
"Liam Alexandre" he shuddered when he heard his middle name being used. "If you don't cut out all of that self-bashing, I'll come down there myself and put you on my lap."
"But, mom... I don't know what happened? One minute, I'm dealing with a major decision and the next, Tori and Jade are mad at me! Neither one of them will even talk to me!"
Celeste, hearing the turmoil in her son's voice, decided to cut him some slack. Right now, he needed some encouragement, not reprimanding.
"Okay, baby. Why don't you start from the beginning."
{Flashback several hours ago}
Despite the major hiccup, things began to die down rather quickly for the gang; it was Friday after all. Andre and Cat had a movie date planned. Beck said he had a video date with someone, obviously trying to hide the fact that it was with Liam's sister. It turned out that Tori & Jade had an engagement that would require them both to be on the other side of town which left Liam pretty much on his own, at least for the night.
Not one to be dejected, he opted to stay after school and work on some of the few remaining details before the school year finally concluded.
Unlike his time prior to Hollywood Arts, Liam had become a model student academically, touting A's and B's (with the occasional C in math; he hated that subject!). Whether through tutoring or his determination not to fail, he managed to be one of the top seniors both in the subject of grades and talent. So, what project could possibly require so much attention from the young man?
College.
After finishing a virtuoso for his piano class, he found himself remaining at the massive instrument just trying to focus on the one thing that actually made him nervous. Before changing schools all of those years ago, he never gave college much thought and yet, inside of his bag lied a major task. One by one, he reached into his backpack, pulling out a few envelopes that were stamped with various seals from the respective universities they were sent from.
UCLA.
Notre Dame.
Julliard.
LSU.
Ball State.
All acceptance letters.
About fifteen colleges wanted him to join their ranks on either full or 3/4 scholarships. After reading each one, he would find that there were multiple scholarship types available to him should he choose them. The question would be where would he go? If things couldn't get any worse for his mind, he had another issue that would need to be dealt with long before graduation.
Tori & Jade.
He dug a hand into his hair, hoping to relieve the stress running through his mind only succeeding in scratching a minor inch in a particular part of his scalp. A bitter smile formed on his lips before emerald gems cut to the door of the classroom. Nobody was there but, the door was door was partially open, which was odd to him considering he had shut it firmly hours ago.
"Maybe the janitor...?" brows tightly knit, Liam gathered his belongings cautiously, his eyes never leaving the ajar entrance. While it was safe to say that he wasn't easily spooked, no one could blame him for being on his guard. From his early encounters with those three rich brats to his trip to New Orleans, he'd be a fool not to prepare for something when suspiciousness rears its head.
His body shivered as he stalked silently towards the door. His mind began to race with ideas of what could happen once he entered the dark hallway; none of which were enough to deter him from finding out. He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat as he pressed forward, his footsteps silent as the morning breeze. He turned the corner his fist ready to pummel anything that dare strike him but, he found nobody there.
"Dammit..." he groaned in frustration. "...I'm really going nuts..."
"Took you long enough to admit that." a soft voice giggled from behind him.
At that moment, Liam nearly jumped out of his skin at the unseen voice, causing him to drop his book bag, along with the contents in it. Despite how quickly he freaked out though, he was able to pick up the owner's voice even faster.
"Real funny, Tori..." he huffed at the tickled girl, clearly not amused at her joke. "Seems both of my girlfriends are pranksters, huh? Wait, I thought you and Jade were on the other side of town already?"
She remained silent but did nothing to hide the blush that crept along her cheeks. "We were supposed to be gone about an hour ago but, we really wanted to see you before heading over there. We stopped by your dorm but only found Robbie, who was apparently packing some boxes, and he told us that you were probably still here. "
With the sweetness of this gesture, combined with her adorable tone of voice, Liam's irritation soon vanished only to be replaced with a semi-embarrassed expression of his own that slowly shifted into confusion. "Wait, we?" His answer would come in the form of Jade West nearly mauling him from behind with a massive hug that forced him to the ground. Grumbling something undetectable by the two, he managed to lift his head up enough to get a somewhat clear view of both girls. "Nevermind..." he exhaled sharply, the effects of the move accomplishing its goal.
"I knew I took your breath away, tiger," she leaned down to kiss his temple just before she let him up fro his prone position. "My super glomp attack is unstoppable." She continued to cheer her success when the crinkling of paper caught her ear. Looking down, she saw the small pile of envelopes scattered near and under her feet, wasting little time in scooping them up before Liam could get a hold of them himself. "What have we here?" her eyebrows rose in interest once she noticed the insignias on the top left corners. "Tori, I think our boyfriend's been up to something without our knowledge."
Looking a bit befuddled, the Latina was shown the college letters and soon, her expression turned from wonder to amazement as her honey brown eyes settled on her beloved, although she was taken aback when she saw his grimace. "Liam? Did you get accepted by all of these schools? That's amazing!"
"It's nothing really..."
"Nothing?" Jade scoffed. "Judging by the looks of things, it's a pretty big deal, dontcha think?"
"I guess..." he kicked some imaginary dust, shoulders slumping to show his ever-increasing discomfort with the subject. "Can we just move on and enjoy each other's company before you girls leave for the weekend?"
"Not until you tell us what it is that's bothering you, Liam."
"Yeah," Tori chimed in. "It's almost as if you didn't want us to know about this."
With the cat out of the bag, Liam could only sigh. He knew there was no getting anything past them both; maybe one or the other, but both? He'd be better off trying to perform a root canal on himself.
"It's not that I didn't want you to know, just... not yet... I'm having a rough time making a decision because of some personal reasons." He felt their eyes locking onto him, the heat of their respective gazes threatening to burn through to his soul if he didn't proceed. "With everything that's been going on, everything seemed like it was crashing down on me. I mean, I don't know where you two will be going and..."
"You felt like by you making a decision, you'd be leaving us behind?" Tori watched him nod slowly, the guilt of such an act visible in his downtrodden orbs. "Liam, you should know us better than that! There are so many things that could have broken us apart, some nearly had, but we've made it through them all and we've grown stronger because of it!"
"Yeah, but..."
"But nothing!" she cut him off, anger now burning brightly from her soul. "You purposefully kept something from us because you didn't trust us enough! You've told and shown us countless times to put our trust and faith in you only for you to do the complete opposite? That's low, Liam..."
Before he could take the chance to explain himself, she pushed past the stunned boyfriend.
"Tori..." he could literally hear the sounds of his heart shattering; was Tori leaving him? As desperation began to shroud him, he turned to the only person left, but, he regretted that decision. On her face, an unreadable expression was firmly in place only accentuated by the equally foreign gaze she was giving back. It was a simple mistake; surely she wouldn't hold this against him. "...Jade..."
"I should go check on, Vega," her words came so swift, so harsh that she could only twist her body and make her own departure down the corridor, her form soon overtaken by the darkness.
{Flashback End}
Back in the present, he sat on the edge of the roof hours after the girls left him standing in that hallway. Not too long after that, he made his way out of the building and did his best to contain the emotions burning wildly in his body. He didn't know how to feel which never was a good sign. When he arrived at his room, Liam would find everything of Robbie's gone. From posters to books, anything remotely close to a representation of the nerd was stripped bare. Then it hit him: He was alone...
He would settle for trying to meditate but only after trying to message the two girls but, as expected, he received no reply. Another hour passed before he finally made his way to the roof. Once he was at the top, he would find the roof devoid of any other souls. With the feeling of loneliness gripping at his heart, he did the only thing that made any sense: Contact his mother... If anyone could help him through life, why not her?
"So, that's it."
Up to this point, Celeste had held her silence, content with hearing everything from him before rendering any form of counsel. While he was explaining what happened, she couldn't deny the different sorts of negativity that resided in his soul.
Helplessness: that's the only word he could think of to describe the state he was in at that moment.
Lost: he didn't know what to do after what had transpired.
Guilt: his tone held the slightest chance of him giving up on things, despite all of the work he put into building it.
Loneliness: He didn't like the feeling of being abandoned by those who cared for him, especially for one bad decision.
"Wait," her voice snapped him out of his funk if only to focus on what she was about to tell him. "Have you done anything else that might have added on or contributed to their anger towards you?"
He took a moment to search his mind but couldn't come up with a viable result. "Nope. This is the first time in a long time that I've been in this position. Before today, I hadn't dealt with this for over two years."
"Did anything out of the ordinary occur today?" he could hear in her voice, a need for him to rack his brain for anything, no matter how insignificant he might've thought it to be.
"Not that I can recall. The day just went by like a normal one... We had our classes, hung out, then we went to acting class where Jade got into it with..." Suddenly his eyes nearly burst out of their sockets. "Ahrya."
"Huh? Who's Ahrya?"
"She's my other sister, mom, or rather, she's my cousin."
"Liam..."
"What is it?" he sounded legitimately clueless. "What's wrong?"
"That girl is not even related to you. At least, she's not in the family records."
Scrunching his face, the ebony teen rubbed his forehead as he tried to make sense of things. "I don't get it. Back when Aunt Cecilia led me through the mausoleum, she mentioned something about having a daughter with eyes that resembled hers. How can that be anyone else?"
"Because she never had children... Why do you think she did what she did to rip you away from me?" her words felt like someone had stabbed Liam in his stomach, the intense pain rushing through his system made him a little woozy but he managed to keep himself together. "In our family, Lucille, Cecilia, and I all have duel eye colors. You were the exception when you acquired your father's green eyes and that was a recessive trait. That means-."
"For Ahrya to be her daughter, she'd have to have the same eyes as you three. But, I still can't understand how she fits in our family if she's not in the official family tree. Maybe adoption?"
"Not likely. Cecilia wanted a child gifted in spiritual arts. She wouldn't want a child if they weren't guaranteed to have that direct bloodline..." Suddenly, a realization hit her like a bag of bricks. "There might be another way that she was able to exist in our family. Jericho..."
"Uncle Jericho? What does he have to do with any of this?"
"Liam? That thing is NOT your uncle..." the graveness in her voice resonated with a darkness not felt since their encounter. "Jericho is the name of that shade that almost killed me before you volunteered to leave with my sister. He was summoned by her decades ago and given a human form. What color eyes does this girl posses?"
Ignoring the dull headache that was coming, Liam did his best to keep up with all of the information being fed to him. "Both of her eyes are purple, why?"
"So that's how..." she muttered to herself, finally able to put the puzzle pieces together. "Liam, you said that Jade and that girl have had altercations in the past?"
"Yeah, they've been at each other's throat since the school year started... They even went at it earlier in class today."
"What happened?"
"Um... They had to perform a scene. Of course, they started throwing insults disguised as skit lines when Jade mentioned that she wasn't my sister and suddenly she freaked out. We were able to break them apart but then I got into an argument with my, now former, roommate. We went at it for a little bit until he started acting weird." At this point, Liam had been pacing all over the roof as he conversed with his mother. He must've predicted that she was going to ask for the details so he opted to beat her to the punch. "At first he was raging out like an animal but then, almost instantly, he grew quiet and more composed without anyone telling him to. After that, he smiled and left without so much as an explanation. Ahrya followed him and shot a glare back at Jade before disappearing. I haven't seen them since that class."
"Son, you need to find out where Jade & Tori have gone!" the urgency in her voice left little room for debate. "If this girl is the daughter of that creature and Cecilia, then she's a danger to mankind. Shades are able to possess the minds of those who are emotionally weak."
"Emotionally?" like Celeste earlier, the gears finally started turning for him. "Oh no..."
"What is it?" she panicked over the phone.
"Jade might have been possessed at that point but, Tori wasn't there when this happened. Is it possible that the possession can jump onto others?"
"Yes, it is very likely..." Suddenly a familiar ping sound forced Liam to pull his ear away from the device. Instinctively, he put his mother on speakerphone once he saw that it was several text notifications popping up on his phone, seven in all. "Something wrong, child?"
"I think I know where Tori and Jade are, mom. I have to go..."
Before she could reply, he clicked the end button and got to work on reading the list of the messages. It was a typical ransom note only, whoever sent it had decided to make a game out of it. The sender was unknown, but, he was no fool. He knew, at least to some degree, Ahrya had to be behind this. This would mean that Robbie could be in danger as well. Scanning over the messages, he pulled out the major parts needed for him to remember.
1. The sender had both girls captured while they were en route to their destination.
2. The game was to find and rescue them but, no police were to be involved or else they would lose their lives.
3. He would have to follow a list of clues in order to properly locate them before time ran out.
4. For some reason, the first clue called for him to locate and bring along an 'old enemy' to be involved as well.
5. Liam was to answer his phone anytime the unknown captor called or he forfeited.
6. If he was caught cheating (i.e. police, or any other outside interference) it would be game over.
With these facts, Liam wasted little time getting to his car wondering just who would he consider to be an old enemy. Obviously, that meant it was someone that he was on good terms with now but, at some point, hated with every fiber of his being. Then it hit him, just as he was putting the key in the ignition. He quickly pulled out his phone, searching his contacts furiously until he found the only name inside that would even come close to that description. Hitting call, he anxiously waited as the dial tone served to taunt him. Each ring was more torturous than the last and he mentally prayed that the individual wasn't asleep or out of commission.
"Hello?"
"Hey! Listen, I have little time so I need you dressed and waiting for me outside. I'm on my way!"
"Wait, what?"
"It's an emergency! I'll explain when I pick you up!"
*sigh* "Okay, I'll get a shirt on and I'll be looking out."
"Thanks."
"Bye..."
With that completed, Liam's eyes darkened, the warring spirit inside of him showing itself as a result. Whoever had kidnapped Jade & Tori, he was going to make them suffer, and, if it turned out that Ahrya was indeed the mastermind?
"Grande Ezili, have mercy on their souls... because I won't."
The spirit of Bosou relished the brand of justice that its host was planning on inflicting. A new wave of demonic hatred rushed through the young man as he drove into the night to the first of possibly many destinations.
Okay, so this was a long one as well, but, this was basically the introduction to the final arc of this fic. To be honest, I never thought I would've reached this point on any story but, here we are. This particular arc will be known as 'Endgame'. The main premise is that, after a series of events, Jade and Tori wind up being kidnapped by an unknown captor. Of course, it's safe to assume that Ahrya had something to do with this and yet, there is definitely more to this story. As things progress, Liam will find that certain people can't be trusted and others are just as guilty as the perpetrator(s).
I thank you all for your patience and continuous support. Be on the lookout for the next chapter, it may be just as long as this one. I'm going to be aiming to update at least once a week if not more often.
When I started this back in February 2017, I had absolutely no idea that this was going to wind up where it is now. The original plan was for it to be a Trina Vega centered story where after disappearing, she would later be found by Liam who would have to convince her to return home. At that point, he would find that she had gotten pregnant by him the night she left and for over two years had been raising their child alone until she meets another guy who becomes her fiance during the time skip. Basically, it would've turned into Trina having to make a choice, go back and fix things with her past, or leave it all behind for a new future.
And yet, we've ended up with a love triangle that later turned into a polyamorous relationship between Liam, Jade, & Tori. (Even I didn't see that coming) Now, a lot of decisions have to be made. Love and friendships will be tested. The heart and soul will endure far more than many think it's capable of handling. But, no matter what happens, the end is coming.
I can't wait to bring you all the next chapter and I hope you enjoy this. Have a good night/morning.