Well, the Chauvin trial's over and the man was convicted of what the whole world saw him do. (Ironic how the day of the verdict also came with a weird cold snap for my hometown, but I digress).
It's hard to celebrate something like this because at the end of the day, a man is still dead and America still has a racism and police brutality problem. Even so, at least this case has accountability and the verdict also gives hope that things can change. We just have to hope that the right people hear the calls to action.
Anyway, here's chapter three's rewrite.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Yu-Gi-Oh GX or Night World. I only own the idea and any characters I make up.
Let's begin.
Chapter Three: The Other Side
Jesse was cold.
Who wouldn't be? The icy March air would give the impression that it was still winter.
The breeze ruffled his blue hair lightly. He blinked his green eyes a few times, the wind causing them to string a bit. He was nowhere near dressed for the weather, wearing a lightweight, sky blue hoodie over a white t-shirt, black jeans, and white running shoes.
He stood looking at the bay and thriving city across it. Boston by starlight.
It had taken him a long time to come back after… what happened.
He'd lived there once when his parents were still alive. Though where he had lived was more in the suburbs with the white picket fences and little birdhouses.
Boston had changed a bit, but Jesse hadn't. He was still the young man who loved sunny days and the clear blue water of the bay. Who had lived simply, feeling grateful there was enough food on the table, and who had dreamed of doing something with animals someday.
Until everything changed.
He had always thought that their kind was always on the same side, that they were united.
He was wrong.
Jesse frowned, his eyes misting over for a moment.
Well, that was in the past now. His parents had been dead for years, and if the night they died still haunted his nightmares, no one knew but him.
"There you are!" Called a voice from behind him.
Jesse turned to see a girl about ten years old with long raven-blue hair and brown eyes running up to him. She was dressed for the weather, a black skirt with matching leggings, red buckle boots, and a yellow turtleneck under a maroon-colored jacket.
Her name was Blair Flannigan. She was also a witch and a member of the Circle he was in.
Circles were groups of witches. They went by names like Midnight, Twilight, etc. Jesse and Blair were part of a Circle called Eclipse.
They were the outliers of the magical community since they welcomed NMP's, non-magical people, into the group, which is a gray area in the rules.
The Magic World had put in laws after the Witch Hunts so that they could protect themselves, which included not telling the NMP's about magic nor doing any magic in front of them. The reason the area was gray was that the NMP's in the group had learned of the Magic World on their own.
Circle Eclipse was also the enforcer group of the Magic World. If a witch broke the more serious laws, such as killing an NMP or a fellow witch, they track them down and bring them before the Magic Council for trial and punishment.
That punishment often being a death sentence.
Anyway, back to Blair. She wasn't much of a fighter, but her magic was healing and support-based. She was brought into the group after losing her mom to a Dark Circle.
Another quick explanation; Dark Circles operate outside the law of the Magic Council. They do rituals that conjure natural disasters, plagues, famines, or they use their magic to kill. Hurricane Katrina was actually called up by a Dark Circle, this being known only to the magic community.
"We were looking for you!" Blair huffed. "Come on, we have a job to do!"
Jesse nodded. "Right!"
They walked for a while until they reached the docks. It was deserted, given the weather. He was sure even the homeless had moved on.
Their group was already there.
The first was a short kid with sky blue hair and glasses. He was short, but he was actually fifteen.
His name was Syrus Truesdale.
Even though he was wearing a yellow turtleneck, a dark blue parka with matching boots, and gloves, he was still shivering. Then again, where Syrus came from, it was warm almost all year-round.
Syrus had been abandoned by his family after his powers came out.
The guy next to him was the second tallest and fourth oldest of the group, being eighteen. He had long brown hair, matching brown eyes, and an infectious smile.
His name was Atticus Rhodes, the group's pretty-boy heartthrob.
He was probably the only person who could take a simple windbreaker, scarf, and jeans and look like a model. He wasn't even bothered by the cold air.
Atticus ran away from home when he learned of his powers.
Blair walked over to another boy about Syrus' height. He had short, well-brushed brown hair and was just as bundled up as Syrus, and also still shivering.
His name was Marcel Bonaparte. Marcel had also run away from home.
The next one was a young man about two inches shorter than Atticus and sixteen. He had brushed back black hair and stormy gray eyes. He was dressed like a CEO in winter with a long black coat.
His name was Bastion Misawa.
Bastion came from a long line of witches, one of the last remaining pure-line families. He was the only member of the group who was still in contact with his family, since both his parents were members of the Magic Council.
The last member of the group who was present was a muscled, African teen with long black dreadlocks under a dinosaur bandana. He was the most thinly dressed, in just a vest over a t-shirt, cargo pants, and combat boots, and he didn't even feel the cold.
His name was Kenzan Hassleberry, the group's military brat.
Hassleberry lost his parents in a landslide and discovered his powers while bouncing around in the foster system.
"Hey, guys," Jesse greeted them. "What do you think of my hometown?"
"I-it's c-c-cold!" Syrus shivered.
"C-c-covenu!" Marcel agreed, his voice revealing his French origins.
"Doesn't feel bad to me," Hassleberry said, oblivious to the cold.
"That's because I swear you're a walking heater." Atticus cracked.
"I wouldn't talk if I were you, Atty," Blair remarked, trying to warm her hands.
"Even so, I never would have guessed you were from Boston, Jesse. What with your Southern accent and all," Bastion pointed out, his voice revealing a British accent.
"Well, living in Georgia for eleven years will do that to you." The bluenette reminded him.
"Anyway, where's the boss?" Atticus spoke up.
"Right here." Came a voice from behind them.
They all turned to see a tall man, taller than Atticus, emerging from the shadows. He had short dark brown hair and green eyes behind a pair of glasses. He has a black coat with a long red scarf.
His name was Alik Harman, the leader of Circle Eclipse and a member of the most powerful witch families in the magic world. The Harmans are considered royalty since they are direct descendants of Hellewise, the mother of all witches.
"What's going on, sir?" Blair asked.
"You remember the witch we've been chasing for some time?" When the group nodded, he turned to Blair. "Blair, use your aura sense. What do you see?"
Blair closed her eyes, focusing on her magic. Behind her eyes, the world changed. She could see the world in vibrant colors, representing the essence of all that was around her.
She noticed something off though. There were splotches of aura leading off the edge of the harbor.
This meant only one thing. "Something was dragged into the bay. Something dead or dying."
Alik nodded. "Where's it coming from?"
She pointed to the warehouses.
"Jesse, go look."
Jesse nodded before activating his magic.
In a single fluid movement, Jesse transformed into a panther. Hands and feet became paws as fur spread all over his body. Dropping down on all fours, the only thing that seemed to remain human-like were his eyes.
Stalking over to where Blair pointed, he realized they found the witch's hideout. He sniffed the air, before turning back to the others, shifting in the process. "This is his most recent lair. And he wasn't alone, there's another scent here. It's still fresh, so it couldn't have been more than an hour ago."
Harman then turned to Marcel. "Think you can look back."
"Oui." He nodded before looking through his bag.
He pulled out an ornate-looking bottle with a white liquid inside. Carefully unscrewing the top, he took a sip of the drink and handed the glass to Blair.
Barely two seconds later, Marcel's eyes became completely white.
Getting his bearings, Marcel saw he was inside their target's lair. The place was a mess and it probably smelled just as bad.
He turned to the entrance when he heard footsteps.
Someone entered the lair, but it wasn't their target. It was a male dressed in all black with a scarf wrapped around his head, a sword in his hand.
'A hunter!' Marcel gasped mentally.
He moved some of the clutter on the floor around with his foot before fully coming inside. He then slowly walked inside, watching his surroundings closely. When he was near the center of the room, he stopped.
Looking past him, Marcel saw someone moving in the shadows behind him. It looked like a homeless man at first until he looked closer at his face.
That was when he realized it was their fugitive.
He must have made a sound, one that the hunter heard even if Marcel didn't, because he acted before the other did. The hunter pivoted his left foot, drawing his katana in the same motion, and without breaking his movement, stabbed the witch square in the chest.
"Too slow." He heard the hunter taunt.
Marcel could only watch as the fugitive struggled for life while stuck on the blade. He could see him try to fight back but was losing the fight
"Good luck with that," The hunter said, seeing it too.
Eventually, the struggle stopped.
Grimacing, Marcel watched the hunter pull his sword out of the now-dead fugitive's chest. He then pulled a cloth out of his back pocket and carefully cleaned the blade. The sword was then slipped back into its sheath with a swift clink.
The hunter then turned back to the body. Marcel watched as he bent over the corpse and reached into his back pocket, pulling out a switchblade knife.
Moving closer, the young witch observed as the other boy very carefully carved a capital R onto the witch's forehead.
When Marcel saw that, he almost stopped breathing himself. He knew that mark, and he knew the phrase that was said next.
"Don't mess with a rogue."
After the Rogue said his piece, the vision ended. Blinking, Marcel found himself back on the docks, the rest of the group watching him expectantly.
"What did you see, Marcel?" Blair asked, giving back the potion.
"Our target is dead," Marcel explained, visibly shaken. "The Rogue got to him first."
"Again?!" Hassleberry asked, exasperated.
"Are you sure?" Jesse asked.
"Oui," Marcel nodded. "I saw him leave the mark."
"He probably dumped the body off the pier." Blair speculated.
"What is this, the third time?" Atticus rambled. "How is he able to get to them before we do?"
"Probably because he doesn't have to wait for the Magic Council's orders." Bastion reminded the older boy.
"Since the target is dead, we'll move on to the other reason we're here," Harman spoke up, getting everyone back on track.
"What's that?" Syrus asked.
"The Council's gotten wind of some young girls going missing from the area. They wouldn't tell me any other details, but they were definitely shaken."
"The Council was scared?" Jesse asked, not quite believing it.
"This must be quite serious." Bastion stated.
"They've had some sightings of the missing girls near some old warehouses," Alik continued. "Jesse, do you know the area?"
"Probably the old housing area."
"Lead the way."
As they left, Atticus asked, "We're not waiting for Sartorius?"
"No," Alik answered. "I told the siblings to stay at the base tonight."
(Eclipse Base)
Elsewhere, a young man was sitting at a small table, reading tarot cards. He has long raven hair and purple eyes.
This was Sartorius Saiou. He was another member of Circle Eclipse as a fortune teller and seer.
As he looked through his cards, he felt a jolt go through his body followed by intense pain. He struggled to get up, only to lose his balance and fall to the floor.
The thud didn't go unheard. A few moments later, a young woman came rushing in.
She had hair the same color as Sartorius, only much longer, nearly reaching the floor. She also had the same eye color and was dressed like a Shinto priestess.
Her name was Sarina and she was Sartorius' younger sister. Like her brother, she's also part of Circle Eclipse, except her specialty is exorcism.
When she saw her brother trembling on the floor, she immediately rushed to his side. "Brother, are you okay?"
Sartorius continued to shake as his sister tried to help him sit up. The moment he was upright, his eyes snapped open and began to glow.
His sister almost jumped back when that happened. Would have, too, if she didn't know what was going on. This happened whenever Sartorius had a vision.
Though he was staring at the floor, that wasn't what he was seeing. In his eyes, he was witnessing an apocalypse. Cities were crumbling, the skies were dark, and there was almost no sign of life.
As he was watching this, he heard a voice speaking. Subconsciously, he began repeating the words aloud without knowing it.
From the bond of maiden and phoenix
A warrior is born
The elements give their blessing
Binding fighter and shifter
Only together can they win
And through fire, they will heal
Then, just as quickly as it had begun, it was over.
Sartorius' eyes stopped glowing and he slumped forward, unconscious. He would have fallen on his face again if his sister hadn't been holding him up.
Sarina managed to half carry, half drag her brother over to a bed in the room, and lay him down. She was worried and had every right to be.
Sartorius had had visions like this before. And they had all come true.
And that is that.
I had to change a few things since I cut some details from the original story, but now this chapter is finished.
Anyway, read, review, and stay tuned.