It's been two weeks since Kazaf and Jez noticed the magical protection ward of New York Shadowhunter institute down. What could be even worse by now?
After finding out the guardian angels of the institute had been killed or missing. And, they have a psychopath named Lilith still hiding in the shadow to handle. Magnus and Alec really in tension and wondering how much longer they can endure all the incidents that happened recently.
Especially what happened today morning, Alec received an urgent call from the institute regarding the violent attacks cases in the institute that happened all of sudden. The parties get involved not from external, however, the attacks were caused by the internal, few of the shadowhunters were trying to kill each other this morning. Magnus was worried about that and insisted to follow Alec back to the institute for assistance.
The time was almost reached noon.
"Do you think it's a coincidence?" Kazaf asked gently, regarding the attack cases in the institute clearly. He focused on making the cocktail juice at the same time.
"I'm not sure. It's hard to say as I'm not going there to see the actual situation." Jez staring at Kazaf who quite a professional like when making the cocktail. "You seriously enjoy the normal life like this."
Kazaf grinned. "Told ya. I hope to live a simple life like this if I can a long time ago. But maybe it's my fate, I can never get what I want that easily. Not until Lilith gives me a chance to let me have a proper excuse to stay away from that immortal troubled life."
Jez slightly nodded her head. "Hell yeah. Despite your inconveniences of cannot using power and facing the risks of death at any time… To be honest, I'm glad to see you able to enjoy this kind of simple moment."
"Thank you." Kazaf smiled.
"You are most welcome, my prince." Said Jez.
"You really can't change the way you call me, doesn't it?" Kazaf shrugged.
"Forgive me, it's kind of a habit to me," Jez smirked.
"Well… Bad habit indeed." Kazaf replied.
A magical portal suddenly appeared in Magnus's loft. Magnus walked out from it a moment later.
"Hey, how the situation in the institute now?" Kazaf asked in concern when he noticed Magnus's tired expression.
"Uncountable cases about the shadowhunters suddenly get crazy and attacking each other violently in the institute." Magnus sighed heavily and sat on the couch in the living room.
Kazaf poured some mixed vodka cocktail for himself and Magnus.
"Thanks." Magnus took the glass from Kazaf.
"You look like hell, Magnus." Jez frowned on Magnus's sweating face.
"To correct you, I'm actually back from hell." Magnus sighed. "You all should see it yourself. It's insane, bloody mess everywhere! I tried to use my magic to CALM those crazy peoples, but not sure how long my magic will last. Alec had no choice but have to lock those affected shadowhunters separately in the dungeon for safe."
"So, how is your investigation? Are those attacking cases related to anything dark magic or what? Is there any sign of demonic possession?" Kazaf asked.
"Why the shadowhunters acted weird and become wildly all of sudden?" Jez crossed her arms, measured Magnus's complicated expression.
"That's what I'm trying to get some professional guidance and advices from you, brother. And, Jez… Please share your experiences and thoughts with me too." Magnus looked serious, he took a deep breath and continued to ask. "Do you ever heard that any SPECIAL CASES of demonic possession on Shadowhunters?"
"How special it is?" Kazaf frowned.
"The special cases I meant is someone who got possessed not only losing their minds and become violently. However, they are losing their natural abilities to become the shadowhunters too. Which obviously to see is when they get possessed, then those angelic runes on their skins were disappeared. Also, the possession is more like a scary disease that spreading to others so fast and hard to do prevention. And this is the worst part because I don't even know what the routes of infection."
Jez exchanged a quiet quick glare with Kazaf. Then, she asked Magnus again. "Do you guys ever tried to get the demons out from the shadowhunter's body?"
Magnus sighed again, replied in a defeated tone. "There's no way to separate the demon out from them. I can't believe that I'm actually saying this but… Although all the crazy signs showed that these cases are caused by demonic possession, however, we have tried all the ways as we can to try to separate the demons from them, but the ways we used were totally useless. Not even my magic worked."
"It's truly weird. Because it seems… It just feels like there are none of the demons inside them. Although it looks like the demonic possession. Do you guys able to get what I mean?" Magnus added.
After took a small sip of the drinks, Kazaf asked in a soft worried tone. "Your alexander still staying in the institute?"
"Yeah. He forced to stay there to handle those troubles. He's damn busy right now as the new head of institute… Haiz. Such bad timing for him to accept the promotion of the head institute." Magnus commented quietly.
"Maybe it's good timing for him to learn something too," Kazaf said. "By the way, since the cases become such thorny and not even you able to handle... Do your Alexander mind if I'm going there to check it myself?"
"But you're lost your power." Magnus shook his head worriedly.
"I'm not losing my power. I just had some issues with using it." Kazaf corrected Magnus calmly.
"It's the same for me. If you can't even use the power to protect yourself, then I won't let you risk your life like this." Magnus said.
Kazaf sent Jez a silent glare.
Jez nodded and helped to persuade Magnus. She ensured with a firm tone. "Don't worry about the safety of your brother. Magnus, I can be assisting to keep an eye on him."
"Is it a good idea?" Magnus doubted that.
Meanwhile, Magnus's cell phone was ringing. Magnus answered it immediately when noticing that Alec is the one to call him.
"Hi, Alexander." After greeting Alec, Magnus spoke after a short silence. "What!? You wish to get Kazaf for helping?"
Kazaf gave Magnus a happy grin when his gazes met Magnus's.
"Fine." Magnus sighed heavily when he hung up the phone.
"Alec said the situation in the institute is getting worse. He has totally no clues on how to fix this mess and wish to get your assistance…" Magnus explained.
"Then, what are we waiting for?" Kazaf drank up his drinks and put his empty cocktail glass on the table.
"Do you really think that it is a good idea?" Magnus still feeling worried. Then, he admitted in a whisper tone. "I don't want you to get any hurt…"
"I promise that I won't use any magic power, okay? Just only provide my professional consultant services." Kazaf replied.
"If he breaks this promise, I will help you to kick his ass later," Jez said to Magnus.
"…Excuse me?" Kazaf sent an unbelievable look at Jez.
However, that quite convince Magnus in somehow.
"Let's do it then." Magnus shrugged.
Kazaf sighed. "Portal, please."
Magnus shrugged and opened a portal directly to the institute immediately.
New York Shadowhunter Institute. The underground dungeon. The young shadowhunter team that familiar with them were gathering together at there too.
"What the hell of this?" Jace asked angrily. "I've never seen the crazy thing like this before. Why their runes had been disappeared? Are they going to lose the angelic ability forever even after this kind of whatever damn diseases cured?"
Kazaf and Jez observing the shadowhunters those locked in the jail quietly. The shadowhunters had been possessed were growling and hissing like the demons, they fighting at each other crazily like the zombie some more.
"Kazaf, Jez… Do you two have any idea of this?" Magnus asked worriedly.
"It's Lilith." Jez said.
"Yup." Kazaf agreed with a nod.
"Lilith?" Magnus and the rest of the shadowhunters gasped.
With a deep sigh, Kazaf spoke in a serious tone. "They've been possessed by demon indeed. However, the problems quite sticky and worse than the normal demonic possession cases. Because the demons those hogging inside in these Nephilim's bodies, they had eaten the souls of the body owners."
"What? You mean their souls had been eaten by the demons?" Clary asked eagerly in shock.
"I don't understand. What is that mean again? Do you mean that they will never have a chance to recover from this mess and back to their normal self again?" Isabelle clenched her shaking fist, eyes' gazes fixed on Kazaf.
Kazaf slightly nodded his head and looking around all the young shadowhunters and Magnus. Then, he made a further explanation in detail. "Once the soul is gone, there's nothing left inside. That means your shadowhunter friends were no longer here. I will suggest you all kill them to avoid their body misused by the demons and causing more sins. This is the last mercy that you could give them at this very last moment."
Alec asked after took a deep breath to soothe his racing heart. "Is there anything you can do to help them, except for killing them?"
"I'm sorry, but no," Kazaf answered honestly. "Like what I said to you, they have already gone."
The young shadowhunters looked broken and devasted. All of them sent each other a silent sad look, not really wanted to accept the suggestion given by Kazaf.
"Even though the problems we are facing are quite sad, but there's still have some bright sides to look into it. Let's say about the good thing. First of all, the demon who had eaten the soul of the body owner, they will be trapped inside the body. That means the demon won't able to transfer and get into another body." Said Kazaf.
"Glad to hear it." Alec sighed.
"Among the person I knew who got this kind of ability, Lilith is the main suspect who probably will do such an evil thing." Kazaf sighed sadly, then he looked at Alec. "Alec, I'm sorry for your loss. But I think it'd better you make a quick decision to avoid further loss. I heard Magnus said that your defense system not even rings the alarm before the attack cases, right?"
"Yeah. That's why it quite hard for us to track where are the demons come from." Alec answered.
"These demons aren't the normal low-rank demons that you all can't handle as usual. And, the defense system in this institute only able to detect the normal demonic activities. However, like what I told you, the angel who supposed to look after your institute had been missing, or the worst… They might have been killed. The guardian angel of each institute usually will assist to do the clearing job on the special case like this, and they will also report this kind of unusual demonic activity to the upper-rank angels. But since your guardian angel nowhere to find, that also explained why your people get attacked in defenseless condition."
"What should we do now?" Alec asked Kazaf. "Any better suggestion?"
"I would strongly recommend a complete lockdown of this institute temporarily until we get rid of threat successfully. Which means, make a sealing protection rune from inside and also by the external. Then, we may stop the demons keep coming in continuously effectively. Stopping your people from going out also can prevent them from accidentally bring back any unwelcome guest while coming home. Stay at the institute is the safest way now, what do you think?" Said Kazaf.
"Lockdown?" Isabelle blinking her beautiful eyes. "Even we do so, our rune may not effective enough to do the full protection for a barrier purpose."
Alec raised his concern too. "Izzy is right. We actually got trying to put some protective runes within the institute area. No matter what, I'm afraid that we might need to differentiate those who already been possessed by demons but not yet showing any symptoms now, before whole the situation completely out of control."
"Well, that's not the thing you need to worry about." Kazaf shrugged.
"Why?" Jace asked in confusion after he exchanged a quick glare with Alec.
"Because we are here. That's the reason why you asking me about coming here to help in the first place, doesn't it?" Kazaf smiled.
"Kazaf, remember what you have promised me." Magnus reminded in a serious glance, worried about his brother might forget that he promised won't using any power.
"I know, I know. Don't worry, I won't using any power of mine." Kazaf ensured.
"We are not affordable to take any risk that might probably cause you to lose control." Magnus hummed.
Kazaf smiled softly at Magnus. "I know." He repeated. Wondered was trying to show his determination to Magnus or just wanted to make Magnus less worried about him.
"So… Where to start our job?" Alec looked around everybody. "Who will in-charge to set up a protection ward? And, who going to find out every shadowhunter who had been possessed?"
"We need to wait for a while. The savior is on the way now." Kazaf said firmly.
"Who else wants to come?" Clary looked confused.
Before Kazaf speaking, Alec's cell phone ringing. Watching that Alec answering the phone call and acted respectfully. Some of the keywords mentioned by Alec raised the attention of everybody.
Emergency – Lockdown – Restricted movement control – A representative from the clave.
After hanging up the phone, Alec informed everybody in a serious manner. "The official notice from the Clave. They marked the attack cases here as kind of emergency status, we are going to have a complete lockdown of restricted movement control like what Kazaf mentioned. Also, we will have another representative from the clave coming here for assistance."
The young shadowhunters stunned and gazing at Kazaf with a shocking look.
"You already knew that, right? But how?" Magnus asked Kazaf.
"Since ancient times, the way states of emergency has been dealt with the same way," Kazaf replied in a teasing tone. Then, Kazaf gave instructions directly. "Come on, ladies and gentlemen. You all gotta start your work now. Alec, you are going to meet the representative from the Clave and please also assist to make some necessary arrangements on your people. And, the rest of you will need to find out all the shadowhunters those already possessed by the demons with the assistance of Jez."
"What about me?" Magnus frowned.
"Chocolate, you will be assisting me to get ready all the protection ward of the institute." Said Kazaf.
"Well…Okay." Magnus nodded.
"Sure, then let us start our job." Said Alec in a relieved tone. He might be a lack of experience to handle such an emergency case. But with the assistance of Kazaf, he starts feeling the hope that things will get better soon.
"Oh yeah, how can I missed up this one?" Kazaf raised his voice in a louder tone and he gazing at the woman who just walking to them.
Everybody looked confused and followed Kazaf's glare to somewhere.
"Mom!?" Isabelle shouted in shock when she saw her mother, who is the one she least expects to see here.
"Why are you coming here?" Alec looked worried. "Mom, we are having a lockdown here. You should not be involving yourself in such a crisis here. The New York Institute had been isolated by the clave to stop the spreading of the demonic possession cases."
Maryse answered firmly, full of determination. "I'm well aware of the matters you mentioned, Alec. That's the reason why I'm rushing to here at the last minute. Your father cannot come due to some important matters that need his attention, also I put my faith in him to assist take care of Max, if any of us can't make it through the unexpectedly incident."
"Mom…" Alec can't help himself but hugging his mother Maryse tightly in return.
Maryse using her warm smiling face to encourage all of her children and Clary.
After that, she looking at Kazaf and Jez.
"Dearest mother-in-law of Chocolate, could you please assist the rest of the young one to find out those who had been infected?" Asked Kazaf politely.
"Sure." Maryse sighed but not correcting how Kazaf calling her.
The rest of the young one worrying that Maryse might be having quarrel or any fight with Kazaf. All of them breathing carefully, stay in silence and observing the reaction of Kazaf and Maryse. However, out of their expectation, Maryse actually being kind to Kazaf.
"I heard Alec said about you are under the blood oath curses by Lilith." Maryse's voice is low but full of concern. Not the sarcastic tone actually, but more like a warm greeting.
A wry smile showed on Kazaf's face. "I'm fine."
"Thank you for protecting my children from any harm and from the threats of Valentine and Jonathan." Maryse said gratefully.
"No need to thank me. This is what I have to do because you all are family to Magnus and me." Kazaf replied with a warm smile.
Maryse slightly nodded her head at Kazaf, and then she gazing at Jez carefully. "You aren't a human, right?"
"I am a demon." Jez shrugged in a cool manner. Not wanting to hide her identity at all.
Maryse frowned a little bit, which made Alec spoke quickly to avoid the tension between his mother and Jez. "Mom, Jez is on our side. Although she is the demon, she is the harmless good one to us." Said Alec.
Maryse blinked her questioning eyes but she chose to let go instead. "Fine. Then, let's stick to the plan which Kazaf mentioned." All the young shadowhunters looked surprised indeed because Maryse's reaction was far too better than what they thought. It's definitely a good thing though.
Then, Maryse changed her attention to Magnus, who standing beside Kazaf. "How are you?"
"Huh?" Magnus stunned.
"Take care of yourself and also your brother." Said Maryse.
"Uh…Sure. Yeah." Magnus sent a weird look glare on his fiancé Alec immediately. Alec shrugged with an innocent face, also full of confusion.
"I'm very sure that you are not possessed by any demon. So, that means you sincerely start to learn to accept my little brother as your son-in-law." Kazaf smiled sincerely. "Thank you, Maryse. Trust me, you won't regret your choice."
Maryse looked away from Kazaf, sighed softly. "It's not my choice to make either. My son won't let go of Magnus Bane, it seems I stand no chance to persuade him too."
When the rest of the young shadowhunters looked happy, Alec and Magnus exchanged a quick hopefully glare on each other.
"…I'm still learning how to accept this. I hope it's not too late for me to try." Maryse sighed.
Magnus said with a slight nod on Maryse. "Thank you. I won't let you down."
"Thank you, mum." Alec feeling gratitude indeed.
After took a deep breath, Maryse tried to re-focus on their main mission. She looking at the shadowhunters. "Let's get the job done first. Then, maybe we can be having some family bonding time later… If all of us could still be alive after this disaster." She added the last sentence in a softer tone.
"I'm looking forward to that." Kazaf smiled. Then, he looked at Magnus. "Come on, Chocolate. You better give your best shot on this mission. So after these dramas, you can finally enjoy your lovely family bonding time with your in-law family."
Magnus chuckled. "Needless you to say. I'm all for efforts." He gazing into Alec's deep glance.
Alec's wide smiling face looked at his beloved fiancé. "Yeah. Let's do it together."
[To Be Continued]