?/?/? - ? - ?

Do you think you're deserving then?

I guess you do, now that you've arrived at this point. After so many years I thought you'd be different. But…

I guess I was wrong about you.


Eric Lyons

I guess I have superpowers.

I'm just kidding, but I guess it's something like that. It's not really superpowers, but more like magic. Or maybe not even that. Maybe something worse like Victoria said. Just thinking it sends chills down my spine. How do I even have something like that? Why does thinking about it piss me off so much? If I was like, six or seven, I'd probably be ecstatic. But sadly, things aren't like that anymore, because I know what this means. And I don't want to say it. I really don't want to...

My gut instinct is to just run again. To somehow sneak out of the house and run into the woods or something. But my head is telling me that's a bad idea, so I just stand there, my anxiety building in my chest. Thousands of thoughts are going through my head, each of them reminding me of what I don't want to be. I just don't want to say it because it burns my heart to think about it. I just need to run. To find a place to hide. Somewhere no one can follow until I'm ready. But where?

I stare at Hilda. She just waits for me to say something, but I feel like my mouth is glued shut. I want to scream, or yell, or shout. But I just stare, and squirm, and almost cry. I feel tears prickle out of my eyes, but that can't happen. I don't want it to happen.

"C-can I please... use the bathroom?" I ask.

Before Hilda can even respond, I'm rushing out the door. Much to everyone's surprise of course, but I don't have time right now. I quickly open the first door I see and lock it. This is the bathroom. Thankfully it's the bathroom. There's a tub, and sink, and toilet. A cabinet which I guess has medicine in it. Is there anything in there to cure this thing I have? Nope. I doubt it. Instead, I just slide onto the floor and hold back tears.

Not only do I not belong in this world and caused that weird portal thing in the woods, but I also have deadly powers of something. Something I absolutely don't want. Why the hell do I have this thing? Why is it me? Why the hell is it me of all people? I don't know. I don't have any answers.

Someone is knocking on the door, but I ignore opening it. It's so awful of me, but I can't focus on anyone right now but myself because my suspicions were confirmed. I do have something in me. And it's something that's going to get me killed...

Why do I have it?

Why?


After turning the knob, the water starts to shoot out of the faucet.

I'm not sure what I expected really, but the initial spray of the liquid makes me flinch before I realize it's no harm to me. It starts to pour down the drain like a waterfall, producing little droplets that splash out toward me from intense impact. After the first burst rushes out of the sink for a bit, the force of the water calms down somewhat, retaining a constant stream of glistening liquid.

My eyes focus on the small stream that crashes into the porcelain sink. The light overhead allows the water to shimmer with tiny dots that stretch and shrink as it sloshes around. It reminds me of diamonds almost, or even stars that scatter across the sky. The droplets themselves through wobble and whine, the physical strains becoming too much for them to bear before it finally flattens itself, joining its brothers and sisters that are sent tumbling down into the abyss.

I can see all this, and I know I shouldn't be able to. My eyes, they don't feel like they're my own. Normally I wouldn't pay any mind to something as mundane as water, but now I can't help but notice the little details. The ripples, the dots. The sheer movement alone. It's because of that thing in me.

It's the same with my hearing too. The pouring liquid sounds like a roaring waterfall to me, yet I can still hear things outside the door as if they were being produced right next to me. I can hear the continuous blow of the air conditioning, the slight squeaks in the floorboards, the conversation Hilda and her friends are having about me on the other side of the door. All of it.

They're whispering to each other outside, although I can still hear them loud and clearly. It's not too hard to pinpoint what their conversation is about anyway, especially after what just happened today.

"So now that he knows, what should we do?" David whispers.

"Give him enough space until he's calm enough to talk to us," Hilda responded, "We shouldn't immediately put him on the spot after what happened."

"I don't know how he would be able to calm down after all that," David questions, "If I was him, I'd honestly be panicking right now."

David was right, I was panicking. My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest. The only reason I wasn't freaking out right now was so that I didn't concern them even more. They already had enough to worry about, one more thing might just do all of us in. Besides, they probably had no idea what was happening to me either. They were probably freaking out just as much as me. I had to keep reminding myself that they were still the same age as me, or at least somewhere close by it.

I back away from the door and stare into the mirror. I look like a total train wreck. It's been so long since I've actually seen myself, and now that I have, I'm not that surprised as to why people have been avoiding me in the city. My hair was a tangled mess. My face was riddled with dirt and bruises. The jacket I have was completely wrinkled and worn. Even the new clothes I got from Victoria's place didn't last that long, being covered in blood now after what happened before.

How long have I walked around like this? Ever since I fell off the wall of this city? Or maybe at the start, when I started falling from the sky? What if it was from before I came here? During a day long forgotten? Why can't I remember? No matter how hard I try, even if I strain myself to the brink, I can't remember anything.

Who even am I?

Seeing myself causes my hands to shake.

Realizing this, I quickly start washing my face. My eyes begin to blur, and a crushing pain rises in my chest.

No. Please not now.

I quickly splash more water onto my face and then wipe it away. My breathing staggers a bit. The aching feeling in my heart isn't going away, but thankfully my eyes aren't tearing up right now. It's just my heart that hurts right now. Why? I don't know. I don't know anything right now. That's why I was counting on Hilda.

After I had that vision of her, I thought she might have some clue of what was happening to me. But now that I'm here, everything is even more confusing than before. I expected to feel a sense of relief when I found her, something at least that made me realize that I finally found an answer to the problems I've been wondering about for ages. But instead, I'm only left feeling empty. Empty and sad...

I look up again. The water has washed away all the sweat and dirt from my face. I ruffle up my hair a bit. It's not tangled anymore. It hangs off a bit in front with its spikey ends. It's messy, but it's a kind of messy that works. Like your hair was designed to be that way. It looks normal. I look normal. For the first time, I can look in the mirror and imagine myself as if I was a normal kid. A kid who would wake up and begrudgingly go to school. A kid who'd meet up with his friends at lunch and joke around about the stupidest things.

Just a normal kid.

But when I look in the mirror, someone else is standing there. It has my face and clothes, but there is someone else. Someone different. Something different.

"You're something completely different from a human Eric…"

That's what Victoria said.

That's the last thing I would want. Everything being messed up because of me and my… abnormalities.

I look at my hand. It glistens in the light from the water. It looks normal. But I know better now that nothing is ever just "normal" around here. So, I extend my hand up in the air and stretch my fingers out. I don't even know why I'm doing this, but I still strain them to produce something. Anything to just give me the confirmation I need. To show that there is something...

I wait, straining my hands to feel any sort of power or pressure that will release itself. It shakes, it's kind of hurts, but I stretch my fingers as wide as I can and wait for something to come out. Anything to come out…

Nothing comes out.

My hand drops. Nothing is ever going to happen, is it? I'm never going to see this "thing" for myself. All I'll ever know is that there is indeed something there, but I'll never get to see it. And everywhere I go people will stare at me, wondering when it's going to unleash so they can run away. And I'll never know what it is.

Maybe Victoria was right...


Hilda

It was quiet in Hilda's house.

She hadn't realized it until she heard the faucet running in the bathroom, the sound slightly muffled through the door. Usually, there was always something going on in the house, no matter the time of day. Maybe a pleasant conversation with Alfur, a quick game of Dragon Panic with her mum. Now, it was as silent as the graveyard she went to with David and Frida.

She thought she had finally gotten used to the cramped apartment after the incident with that strange house, accepting it as her new home despite the desire to return to the wilderness. But now, the setting felt foreign to her again. A forest of concrete and stone that she was not welcome in. A world full of uncertainty staring her right in the eyes yet making no moves toward her. It was as if fate itself was carefully messing with her life upon a thin string. A string toyed with endlessly. And that silence was the very thing bringing her to the brink. But there was nothing she could do. She couldn't explore or escape or even try to solve the situation. They didn't even know any of the details about what was happening.

Despite the irritation of not knowing what was happening, she tried to ignore it. There wasn't much she could do anyway to better the situation anyway. Besides, her mind was preoccupied with other thoughts. Much darker thoughts then what she was used to.

Today she had almost been killed.

There was no other way around that fact. Today she had almost been shot by a former scientist who she once respected. Almost killed in an alley with no chance to ever say goodbye to her friends or family. Today that almost happened to her because she was trying to protect some kid she saw in a dream once.

She fidgeted with her hands at the thought of it. Somehow, even though it lasted a second, she remembered every detail about that moment. The shattering sound, the heatwave from the blast, and then the fire. That roaring explosive fire that snapped past her. It had been five hours since that had happened, but it felt like years to her.

After everything that happened before, Hilda had no idea if anyone would want to say anything about it. It had been a crazy few hours, and she was almost positive that the silence between everyone would stretch on for eternity.

But finally, after what felt like years, someone did speak up.

"Is he still in there?" Frida asked.

The world felt like it awoke with Frida's words. In reality, she had said the words normally, but to Hilda, it felt like a booming presence. that snapped her out of her thought. Her senses quickly returned, and she watched as Frida peeked over the couch to confirm if the boy was still inside. Hilda decided to look as well out of curiosity. She noticed the door was still shut tight, most likely locked to prevent them from checking on him.

"Looks like it," Hilda said, settling back down on the couch, "he might be in there for a while after what happened."

"Great," Frida said, turning back to the group, "so we can't even do anything."

"I doubt we could do much even if we did know what he was going through," David said, nervously looking down at his hands.

A sight tinge of fear invaded Hilda's heart. No matter what angle looked at it, she was worried that David might've been right. What if they couldn't do anything to help him? His situation was the most strange thing Hilda had ever seen before in all her days of exploring. And it didn't help that the entire week was muddled with confusing events like that portal from Friday.

"We could try and speculate with what we know so far," Alfur suggested, hopping onto the couch, "what do we know about him?"

"Well… we know he has a good understanding of magic," David said.

"If you could even call it that," Frida remarked.

"And he must be pretty powerful if Victoria wanted him," Raven said, "she tried to use that awful looking machine to extract something out of him."

Just the mention of the machine sent chills down her spine. She remembered hearing the boy screaming out in pain when it was turned on. The crackles of lighting. The burning flesh. In the hallway, his cries echoed hauntingly as they approached the room. Even when it was finally turned off, his body went completely limp from its effects on him.

"I always knew Victoria was a bit eccentric," Alfur said, "but I didn't think she was capable of doing all that."

"People are full of surprises I guess," Raven said.

"And what is this supposed to tell us exactly?" Frida asked, "we barely know anything about her involvement."

"It tells us that Victoria was desperate," Raven said, "and that she was willing to kill if it came down to getting whatever is in that kid."

Everyone paused for a second when Raven said that, the reality sinking in about what could've happened if they didn't intervene.

"Victoria was never like that before," Alfur said, his voice saddened by the thought, "she always sounded so knowledgeable in her broadcast. What could've happened to lead such a person down that path?"

"I think she was really upset about her lab being destroyed," David suggested, "she did seem pretty steamed about it."

"No, that can't be it," Hilda said, remembering an encounter she had, "she talked about something regarding after that event. Something that completely ruined her life. Her lab getting destroyed was just the starting point of what eventually happened to her."

"Then maybe it was that boy who caused it," David said, "after we blew up the lab, he met with her afterward and something happened between them."

"You really think they have some deep personal history?" Frida questioned.

"Well it's just speculation Frida," David said, "nothing is really confirmed until he tells us himself."

"So, we have nothing on him," Frida said, "we're just grasping at straws at this point."

Despite her pestering, she couldn't blame Frida for acting that way. A lot of scientifically impossible things had just occurred, and there was no explanation for it. Even Hilda herself could feel her unease growing. But she wasn't willing to drag the kid out of the bathroom and start slamming him with questions. That just wasn't her.

"When he's ready to talk he'll talk," Hilda said, "he just needs a little space."

"I'm sorry, but how much space does someone like him really need?" Frida asked, glancing at the bathroom door.

"I'd assume a lot after getting shot twice in the chest," Raven said.

"I know that, but it seems ridiculous," Frida said, "wouldn't he want to know what's happening as well?"

Hilda really did hope that was true. After what happened before, she was worried he might never talk to them again.

"We just have to wait," Alfur said, "nothing gets solved it we rush through this."

Despite Frida's obvious annoyance she begrudgingly slumped back against the couch and stared out of the window, watching the raindrops speed by. Hilda hadn't even noticed it was raining until she followed Frida's gaze. Back then, she used to rely on Victoria's broadcast to know what the day would bring. Now, even that was all in shambles.

She softly petted Twig, who snuggled next to her and offered a reassuring feeling of comfort in the cold room. He was always there for her, even in the most stressful of times. Even though her mum was out, she was thankful he was there. She wondered what he might've been thinking about this entire situation. If she could read minds then maybe, but she was never really into the whole superpower craze like other kids at school were. The best she could do was just guess like everyone else.

So she guessed that Twig was relieved right now. Relieved that Hilda was alive and sitting with him right now. A small part of her felt relieved too, knowing she got to live to see another day.

Maybe that was all that really mattered in the end.


Frida

The sky was shrouded with grey.

It reminded her too much of the lab, where she all she could see was grey. Not even darkness, just a dusty worn-down grey that coated the entire area in an oppressive fog. She noticed the grey on the ceilings, the floor, the machines. Even the shotgun was tinted grey within its silver outline. All she could think about was the lab where she watched Hilda almost get shot.

She had been in dangerous situations before. The Tide Mice. The Ghost. The Dark Hound. None of them even came close to what they went through in that lab. Gunpowder flying. Heart pounding. Anticipating the next time the gun would flash. And then after all that there was the fire. It was a huge whirlwind of death. Something usually contained in the lighters and fireplaces around the city. Then they heard the police sirens. There was no doubt in her mind that by now that they were at the scene of the incident. `

What would they find there that could clue back to them?

Obviously, they'd be confused by the unrealistic state of the area. The boy in the bathroom had sprouted fire from his fingertips and practically destroyed the place. But what else could they find? A child's imprinted boot in the dust? A ripped piece of clothing that can be traced back to an address or store? A pool of blood that could be used for samples to identify a person. What if they tracked them that way?

What if they found out Frida was involved that way?

If her parents discovered that she had trespassed an abandoned property and was involved in a shooting? Lord have mercy on her soul. She could forget exploring with anyone. She wouldn't even be allowed to leave her room for the next fifty years at least. Actually, forget about punishment, they'd probably just kill her themselves for her stupidity.

She could almost visualize the conversation they'd have. To find out that their daughter of all people was involved in something so dangerous.

The amount of trouble they could all get into was astronomical. They'd never be allowed to see each other ever again. So, she wondered why? Why were they treating the situation so lightly? As if rescuing that boy hadn't almost ruined their entire lives. What was the point of getting him? And if he is so important, what could he possibly have to make up for all of the trouble they'd soon get into?

Of course, she knew it was wrong to leave a boy in the hands of Victoria, especially after what she did to him. But this was something more. Something so dangerous that Raven somehow described it perfectly with just a few words.

If Victoria was willing to kill to get that boy, what else could be coming their way for him?

She started looking over to the dining room table to distract herself, as if anything else could take her mind off the event. Everything was cleared from there. All the plates, the glasses, the décor. All that was left was a bunch of medical supplies Johanna had brought out for that boy when they first arrived. She still remembered that moment very clearly.

They managed to carry his unconscious body over to Hilda's neighborhood and burst into the house. Everyone was freaking out when David opened the door to Hilda's house. Alfur was panicking. David was panicking. Even Hilda herself was in shock. The only one who looked even remotely calm was Raven, although Frida had guessed beforehand that he had been in this situation a thousand times.

When they walked in, there was a scream. Frida remembered jumping when she heard it. Everyone knew it was Johanna, who rushed over to the group and started freaking out herself. If Frida thought David was panicky, then she had never seen Johanna in action before. The poor woman barely had any time to catch her breath before practically hugging everyone and checking for bruises or wounds.

The second she saw the boy though, her moderately terrified expression completely broke. Frida had never seen Hilda's mom in a more mortified state, and it killed her to see Johanna be shoved into this situation. She watched as she quickly called the hospital for assistance, and this time Raven didn't stop her. They said they'd arrive soon, but then "soon" turned into an hour.

Despite her lack of medical knowledge, Frida helped Johanna in any way she could to at least clean the wound for when the doctors arrived. Alfur helped as well since he was the smartest person in the room. They obviously weren't trained surgeons, but they managed to at least get it bandaged and make sure there wasn't an infection. But even then, it seriously looked like the boy was going to die. His injuries were so severe at the time, and his white skin was getting even paler by the second.

During the time, Johanna was completely silent. She had a grave expression on her face, but she somehow kept working. She decided to go out to track down the hospital herself. She said she was going to drag them over here herself to help him. She was terrified to leave them alone, but she trusted them all with the responsibility that they could take care of themselves. Such a massive weight on their shoulders when Frida knew all that had happened before.

They hadn't informed Johanna yet about the circumstances regarding the boy. All Hilda told her was that the boy had been shot and that he needed help. Johanna didn't bother to press for further details, just knowing her daughter was safe was enough for her. She would find out soon though, she felt like everyone in the room knew that. Then what would happen?

All of Frida's life was filled with responsibilities. Everyone knew her as that one girl who always stuck to the rules, or as that one girl who made all of the annoying rules. She didn't mind it, she considered herself humble in that department. At least that's what she liked to tell herself. It was only when she met Hilda that she realized how vital that role was to her. The imperfections that were finally uncovered almost made her lose the only friendships she had. But now that was over. She thought she could finally move on with how flawed she was. She grew to accept it.

But now things have changed.

She knew he was going through this too. Just like them, he was confused. She knew that perfectly well. But she couldn't help herself. She wasn't going to lie and say it didn't bother her, because it did. It was unfair. Unfair to be put into such an awful position while that boy just sat there in the bathroom contemplating life. There were no answers, no reasons behind anything.

Suddenly she got up, startling everyone in the room.

"Woah, Frida what are you doing?" Hilda asked, blocking Frida's way before she could storm to the bathroom.

"I'm tired of this," she replied, "that boy is just sitting in there twiddling with his thumbs, and we're supposed to wait here and take it?"

"We just have to be patient Frida-" Alfur repeated.

"Patient?" Frida interrupted, "he has all the answers were looking for. About the fire. About Hilda's strange dream. And the huge freaking portal. I mean, how can you all be so calm about this?"

"The kid barely knows what's going on himself," Raven said.

"So that whole fire trick he did back at the alley didn't mean anything to you?" she countered, "or the fact that he survived not one, but TWO shotgun bullets from point-blank range?"

"I don't think someone would be willing to talk after all that stuff happened," David pointed out.

"Obviously not David," Frida said, "but he knows something. Something big enough to cause all this commotion. We can't just sit here until he feels like talking to us. We need to understand what's happening here if he wants help."

"And we will," Hilda said, "for now though we just need to calm down and think this all through."

That might've been true, but somehow all Frida could think of was the sound of gunshots ringing throughout the air.

"I'm the only one thinking this through," Frida said, "this isn't one of your little forest adventures anymore Hilda. It's something much worse, something right under our nose."

"You don't think I know that?" Hilda said, "of course I want to know what's going on too, but something like this always comes at a price."

Suddenly, it was like she was back in the lab. Hilda's home vanished beneath and transformed into that shriveling mess called a building. All she could focus on was the swarm of grey around her. The grey sky. The grey pillows. The grey shotgun. Each layer of grey began to tower onto one another like the ocean.

"I can't believe this! I thought you of all people would be the most distressed about this!" Frida shouted.

It was an instant. A tiny flicker of red in a sea of grey. She had never acted this way before, but the situation was unique given its circumstances. She needed to know, and now it felt like everything was getting drowned out. She could barely notice everyone except Hilda.

"Of course I am Frida, but getting angry at us won't solve anything," Hilda said calmly.

"Are you kidding me?" Frida said, a little hurt by the words, "you really think I'm mad at you? That couldn't be further from the truth."

"So it's him then?" Hilda said, staring at her.

"Of course it is Hilda!" Frida blurted out, "do you remember how you almost died today helping him?! You could've died in that alley with us as the only witnesses. Did you think about that? How we all almost saw you die there!?"

In the heat of the moment, she felt for certain she was right. She was always right, even if it was annoying for others to admit it. She was right on every test. Right on every question. And she was right about this too. She had to be. Hilda had to admit it.

But then suddenly Hilda's face turned red.

"He practically died helping me too!" Hilda countered, "do you remember all that!? How he jumped in front of me to block one of the bullets?! Or helped me and Twig escape from that room before Victoria found us?! Or even when he made that weird fire thing to disarm her before she caused any more damage! Do you remember all that?!"

Everyone was completely silent now.

Hilda's words stretched out for a long time, echoing in the small space. Outside, Frida didn't move, but something changed inside her. She had somehow forgotten about it. In the chaos with the fire, she had forgotten that very fire saved Hilda's life. Possibly all of their lives since Victoria's gun was destroyed in the aftermath.

Frida stared at Hilda, and Hilda stared right back. She knew Hilda wouldn't do anything, and Frida knew she wouldn't either. She would never go that far again. But she couldn't understand her. She thought she had Hilda all figured out now, but some things never really did change.

Just like her.

"Guys… I think maybe we could… calm down?" David suggested, "maybe we could… get some drinks? Like water… or juice or… something…? I think maybe that could… help us out a bit?"

Click!


Hilda

Her heart had stopped from the sound.

Not literally of course, but for her everything else immediately seemed to freeze in place. She was so caught up in the argument that she almost didn't notice it. The keyword there being almost. She still found herself watching the bathroom door slowly open. It was the strange boy, who sheepishly stepped out into the hall and closed the door behind him, staring at the group with nervous eyes.

"Um… hello again…" was all he said, fidgeting a bit with his jacket.

There were billions of things she wanted to ask him, yet she knew she couldn't. His eyes looked weary. His posture was somewhat rigid. With his current state, she wasn't even sure he could get through an introduction.

"Are you okay?" Hilda asked, remembering his initial escape to the bathroom.

"I'm fine now... thank you..." he said, looking down at his hands.

Unsurprisingly, Frida made the first move toward the boy, quickly moving past Hilda to confront him.

"There you are," Frida said, approaching him quickly, "would you care to explain what took you so long?"

"I… just kind of… was in there… you know?" the boy answered, his voice five times smaller than before.

"Right…" Frida said, unenthused by the words, "so are you ready to talk now?"

"I-I…" he started, "I-I don't know what's…"

The last few words dropped to a mere whisper. She couldn't look at him like this anymore.

"Frida, he's nervous," Hilda said, stepping next to Frida, "how about we give him a little space?"

Frida looked at her, but there was no anger behind her gaze. More of a plea to know, to find out what was happening. It was a plea that she understood yet know she couldn't do. So, despite her reluctance, she finally stepped back a bit into the group while keeping her eyes focused onto the boy.

"I-I'm sorry… I didn't mean to-" he started to say.

"You don't need to apologize," Hilda said, "everything is fine."

The boy had grown quiet now, staring at the group.

"Did I interrupt something… when I come in…?" the boy asked, backing away a bit.

"Of course not," Hilda said, ignoring the conversation from earlier, "did you find everything all right?"

"Yeah…" he said, "thanks for letting me clean up."

Looking at him now, he looked so much better than how he did previously. Except for the clothes of course. He still had on that bloody jacket for some reason, the faded blue contrasting greatly with the dried crimson.

"Uh… is there anyone else here…?" he asked, looking at the group behind her.

"If you mean anyone dangerous then no," Hilda said, "you're completely safe with us."

The boy seemed to relax a bit after hearing that, quickly letting go of his rigid stance.

"That's good… I wasn't sure before," he said.

Noticing the change in behavior, Hilda decided to approach the boy. He didn't flinch or back away when she got closer, instead, he just stood there, observing her.

Hilda began observing the boy as well. In terms of looks, he appeared pretty average, almost pathetically so. The only thing that really stood out about him was the faint scar on his neck and his bloody clothes. Other than that, he looked like any other kid in the city. Spikey black hair. White skin. A small round nose just like her own. Nothing unusual about him at all.

Yet she knew there was something off about him. She could practically see something near him, readying to attack at any second.

"You said your name was Hilda right?" the boy asked, snapping her out of her concentration.

"Yep," she confirmed, "and what about you? We never really got your name before."

"Oh yeah…" he said, glancing away awkwardly, "it's um…"

The boy breathed in deeply and managed to stutter out a sentence.

"It's… Eric…" he said, "Eric Lyons to be specific…"

Eric.

Even his name sounded normal, but it seemed to match him perfectly.

Hilda quickly thought back to anytime she ever heard that name during her short time in Trolberg. She had never heard the name before in her school, nor anywhere else in the city. In fact, there was only one other person in the city whose name came close to his.

"Like Erik Alhberg!" David said, beating Hilda to the realization, "I knew it sounded familiar."

"Except his name is spelled with a k at the end," Frida pointed out.

"I don't know who that is," Eric said, looking a bit anxious, "is he like… an important guy?"

"Just the leader of the safety patrol in this city," Hilda said, "you don't need to worry about him right now."

Eric looked confused but didn't say anything more about the subject.

"So, your name is Eric?" David asked.

"Yeah," he admitted, "It's… really nice to meet you."

Eric's attention was now turned toward Hilda's only two human friends, who stood nearby the end of the corridor staring at the boy suspiciously. Well, only Frida was doing that. David was trying his best to not immediately back away at the sight of him.

"You must be David…" Eric said, "Uh… I'm really… really sorry about scaring you earlier."

"It's fine," David said, managing to contain his composure, "It's nice to get to know you under normal circumstances now."

"You to," Eric said, raising his hand to shake it.

Everyone instinctively flinched before realizing that no flames produced from the boy's palms. Eric himself quickly realized his mistake and shoved his hands back into his pockets.

"Oh yeah… sorry," he said, "I-I kind of forgot about that…"

"I-It's fine," David managed to say, "It's fine, you're totally fine."

It took Hilda a second to realize that David was mostly talking to himself at that moment, attempting to keep his calm after the slight shock.

"I'm really sorry," Eric said again, "I didn't mean-"

"N-no, it's okay… I just wasn't prepared," David said, still shaken up, "It's kind of weird knowing… you have that fire thing… but it's okay…"

"Not to mention that healing thing," Frida interrupted.

Everyone's attention quickly turned his attention toward Frida, who stood there with an unphased look in her eyes.

"Um… are you Frida?" Eric asked.

"How do you know our names if we didn't tell you what they were?" Frida asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"… I-I heard someone yell your name back in the lab…" Eric quickly said.

"You don't need to remind me," Frida said, her hands clutching her jacket.

"Oh… yeah," he said, looking slightly embarrassed, "it's… nice to meet you."

Despite his attempt at peace, Frida said nothing more.

Suddenly, Hilda felt like the boy was moving away from her. His skin had turn cold, and now his body was tensing up again.

"W-what is that?" Eric asked.

Hilda looked below her to find Twig inserting himself in between Eric and her. He usually did that when someone new approached her, but this time Twig wasn't baring his teeth at him. Instead, he was contently observing the boy, making no aggressive movements toward him.

"Oh, Eric this is Twig," Hilda said, lifting him up for the boy to see, "he's my pet deer fox."

"Is that like… a cross between a deer and a fox?" he asked.

"Something like that," David said, confirming Eric's suspicion.

"Are those antlers on his head?" Eric asked, moving in a bit closer to get a look at them.

"Yep," Hilda said, "but they're pretty sharp, so you probably shouldn't get to close."

"…Noted," Eric said, backing away.

"You shouldn't be too scared," Hilda said, "he's actually really friendly. Isn't that right Twig?"

In response, the little deer fox licked Hilda on the nose, causing her to giggle.

"Uh, yeah," Eric said, "well, it's nice to meet you Twig."

Once Twig was set down, he remained next to Hilda, watching the boy closely.

Eric's eyes finally landed on Raven, where his expression morphed into a strange mixture of emotions. From what Hilda could pick up, it was mostly between confusion and surprise.

"Um, sorry if this wrong... but... you talk right?" Eric said, "I don't know really remember..."

"Sure I talk," Raven said, "hopefully that's not too offputting or anything."

Surprisingly, Eric looked somewhat unphased by that fact, although Hilda did notice him glancing between her and Raven.

"N-no…" the boy suddenly said, "somehow… this is… the least confusing thing I've seen all day…"

"The least?" Alfur asked, "how so exactly?"

Now Eric's eyes had widened.

"D-did anyone else hear that?" he asked, "Or am I finally going crazy?"

While his words seemed confusing at first, it didn't take long for Hilda to realize her mistake. Eric, despite his terrifying abilities, hadn't signed the paperwork to see Alfur yet. No species could until they did.

"Oh! Silly me, we completely forgot to tell you," Alfur said, coming to the same conclusion as Hilda, "you might not know this, but I'm an elf, so you won't be able to see me until you've signed the proper paperwork."

For what seemed like the fifteenth time today, Eric went completely silent. Possibly from both confusion and fear.

"W-what? I have to sign some paperwork to see someone?" Eric asked.

"It's not much at all," Alfur said, "you only need to sign a few documents and you're good to go!"

Hilda expected Eric to faint or stumble back into the bathroom, but he didn't move a muscle.

"What's your name?" Eric asked.

"Why it's Alfur," he responded, "it's a pleasure to meet you Eric."

Eric was silent for a bit, looking down at his hands. They were slightly shaking now, but he didn't seem to notice. He was staring past them, somewhere else. It was an expression so common that Hilda was able to spot it from a mile away. She even found herself doing it sometimes. But those only happened in school when class was too dull for her. This was something else. A different kind of look that only happened to certain people.

He was looking back on something.

Something long before.


Eric Lyons

Victoria tried to kill me, but during the chase, I remember three things happening.

The first thing I can think of was that the machine was turned off by some invisible force. I didn't see any sort of hand or person by the control panel, it just seemed to move by itself. Then there was the second thing, where during the initial confrontation, Victoria's gun seemed to jerk up into the air when she fired her shotgun at us. It was like someone intercepted the shot by grabbing the gun and pointing it away from us. And then that led to Victoria hitting something, but it looked like she was just trying to swat a fly. At least, that's what I saw. But Hilda screamed someone's name.

That name was Alfur.

I can't see him, but he was there. Helping me. And Frida and David helped as well. They helped me by opening the door so we could rush out of the room before Victoria could shoot us. And Twig helped me by pushing me and Hilda out of the way of the bullets. And then there was Raven. Or rather, the Great Raven. The same entity that this city worships and Trevor almost killed. I knew he seemed familiar, but it wasn't until he actually spoke that I realized who he was. His ability to fly and speak must've meant he relayed information to Hilda about my capture. The god of this city actually helped me to...

And then there was Hilda. Who sprung to action when she heard I was in trouble. Who risked her life to save me, and literally jumped in front of a shotgun blast to keep me from harm...

They all helped me when no one else did. Even in such an awful situation. They all helped me…

I can feel tears start to well up in my eyes, but I don't cry. Instead, I hide them away, so Hilda and her friends don't have the chance to see them. Compared to me, they've been through much worse. And yet I'm complaining. I'm the one acting like I've been through hell. Instead of actually trying, all I did was run.

Run from the adults. Run from Trevor. Run from Claire. Run from Victoria.

I tried to run away instead of act, and where did that get me?

"Are you okay Eric?" Alfur asks me.

I can't see the… elf… but he must be standing on Raven's wing. Even after getting hit with a shotgun, he's asking me if I'm okay. My heart begins to pound remembering what happened. How old are these people? Hilda might be my age, but again, I really don't know. Yet they saved me. And what did I do?

"I-I just…" I choke out, "t-thank you… so much…"

Everyone goes silent. Even the rain outside has slowed down to let my words echo around the house.

"I-I just can't believe you guys came for me," I continue, feeling the need to clarify myself, "you had so much more to worry about, but you saved someone like me. And that… that just means so much to me because..."

No one even dares to move now, but I pay no mind to it. All I can think about is what Claire said. And what Claire showed me. And what Victoria said. And what Hilda told me. And all I can think about are the adults of the city shunning me because of what happened that day. Everything that happened on Friday because of me...

My voice lowers. I feel like I might start to cry, and I don't want to. Especially in front of them. But I continue because now I know...

"I'm the one who caused the portal," I say, "I'm the one who doesn't belong here."

It feels like everyone in the room has stopped breathing from my answer.

"What are you talking about?" Frida asks, "are you saying you caused that?"

"Not specifically," Eric said, "but I have a feeling I have some involvement with it..."

I feel my brain tingling. The sensation is familiar to me. It's the same feeling I get whenever my head starts to burst out in pain and show me a new vision or memory or whatever. But right now, nothing is happening. All I can feel is Hilda's hand slide into my own. It's the only thing that keeps me from falling apart right then and there.

"Eric, we want to help you," she says, "if you tell us everything from the beginning, maybe we can clue some things in about what might've happened."

Her eyes are determined, her stance is confident. She wants to find out what's going on just as badly as I do, and yet I've been holding back. Is it because there's a part of me that doesn't want to know?

Maybe...

But then I see her friends standing there, and just like with Trevor, I feel an odd sense of comfort being near them. They risked their lives to save me, so...

I have to try, at least for my parents. For now, I'll stay, and I'm going to figure this out with them. I'm going to find the truth.

And I'm going to go home.

"Okay..." I say.


So... about this coming out in November...

Yeah, this one is on me. Obviously I intended to post this chapter earlier. But the pieces just didn't seem to fit. And then I kept fiddling with dialogue, which I'm still unsure I did right. And then I kind of fell out of Hilda. And then something very tragic happened in my family and I had to attend my services to that. And school has been such a pain and UGH!

Obviously, I didn't want to be gone for this long, but thankfully I'm back. I have two other chapters written after this, and if I'm not stupid I should be able to publish those in quick succession after this one. To everyone who has stuck by this story so far, thank you so much for being patient. I hope this chapter at least is worth the wait, and if it's not... I hope the other to at least will. Thank you guys so much for following my story. And even though I'm LITERALLY three months late, Happy New Year everyone! I promise this story should have quicker updates now, I'm excited to continue this story.

With Love, FluffyTail