Wizards Aeterna
The Battle for Everything
Chapter Three: Sins of the Father
Justin, Max, and Alex sat side by side on a couch in The Lair, looking over one of their final incantations. Jerry turned the page of a large book, reading over its enchanted words. "We're almost done with magic lessons," the Italian man declared, his voice mellow and optimistic. "Max, I'll still be giving you assignments, but our classroom days are just about done. You'll all have access to The Lair at all times, so be responsible."
"Thanks, Dad," Justin replied, looking away from his studies.
"It's just like graduation," Max added, his voice slowly growing deeper as he reached maturity. Still, he maintained his childhood optimism.
Glancing at the smile on her little brother's face, Alexandria felt her heart warm over. Placing her fair-skinned hand on her brother's, the Latina smiled, lovingly chuckling under her breath. Nodding his head, Max welcomed his sister's affection before returning his attention to his father.
"It only seems fitting that the last spell I teach all of you is the first one my father taught my brother, sister, and I," Jerry concluded. "Alex, Justin, Max, please step forward. The three teenagers rose up and walked forward, stopping just in front of their father. Their excitement and tension rendering them nearly still, the Russo siblings looked to their father. "Wow, you guys are never this quiet," the man joked. "Sorry. Okay, here we go. Now, hold out your hands by your side." Alex, Max, and Justin opened their arms, nearly holding their neighbor's hand. "Now Justin, since you're the oldest and most experienced, you should begin. Repeat what I say." Justin nodded. "Nobisunum sint." Let us be one.
"Nobisunum sint," the eldest child repeated, his voice serious and almost grave. Slowly, a mist of red, flowing energy matching that of his mana formed around Justin's hands.
"Now, Alex," Jerry continued, stepping in front of his daughter. "Say, 'Incordeet inanima.'" In heart and soul.
Finally at peace, Alexandria closed her eyes, feeling her magic flowing within her veins. "Incordeet inanima," she repeated, looking down to see blue energy flowing around her hands and uniting with Justin's red energy.
"And finally, Max," the middle-aged man concluded, stepping in front of his son. "My youngest child. Say, 'etnoneris usque in perpetuum.'" And may it be forever.
Pushing himself to remember, Max let in a deep breath through his nose (something his big sister had taught him). "Etnoneris usque in perpetuum," the youngest of the siblings concluded, feeling his emerald energy coursing and flowing around his hands, uniting with Alex and Justin's.
"Whoa," Justin exclaimed, his reaction only existing in thought. "That felt…incredible."
"I felt it, too," Alexandria agreed, her thoughts mingled into a greater whole.
"It feels kinda weird," Max added, not aware of his current state of being. "Hey, wait a minute…"
"We're sharing our thoughts, Maxi," the young woman explained. "And if you listen close enough, you can hear our hearts together."
Basking in the wondrous feeling, the Russo siblings allowed themselves to drift deeper into their soul-selves. For the split second they were united, they experienced memories, truths, fears, joys, and love. Feeling something abnormal, Justin broke his concentration for a moment, severing the connection.
"Wow," Max exclaimed, snapping back to reality. "That was…wow. How long were we out, Dad?"
"Only two seconds," Jerry answered. "This is a precious gift, you guys. It'll help strengthen your bond as brother and sister. As a whole, the spell will be greater than its sum, but at any time, each of you can use your part of the incantation to be near one of your siblings in spirit. Obviously, you won't be able to mind meld like you just did, but it's a way of keeping in contact, no matter the distance."
Walking over to her father, Alex tightly wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling her smile-blessed face up against him. Her eyes closed, the young woman felt her heart warm over. "Thanks, Daddy," she exclaimed, her voice peaceful and gentle. Caught somewhat off-guard, Jerry slowly returned the gesture, warmly embracing his beloved daughter. All was silent.
Staring subtly at his sister, Justin felt someone was wrong: something was different, and it all had to do with Alex. All on a deeper level. Max didn't see it, though. Only Justin saw. Only he knew. However, his thoughts were unfocused. All he knew was that something had changed: nothing more and nothing less. He couldn't let that ruin the occasion, though. Putting a false smile on his face, the young man joined his sister and father, followed shortly by Max.
"We've gotta tell Mom," Alex happily declared. "Come on!"
As the young woman began to run for her mother, the doorway to The Lair opened. "Guys," Harper called in, her face reddened with fear. "Hurry!" The group ran out into their secret room in the cellar of the Sub Station, entering once more into the realm of humans. Locking and sealing the door behind him, Justin made sure the family's haven was protected.
Following Harper, the group stood beside Theresa as she stared intently at the small television atop a shelf. Holding her mouth with her right hand and holding herself with her left, the mortal woman watched in horror.
"Oh, god," Jerry whispered, his voice trembling. Alex took Harper's hand as the six viewed a severe news broadcast.
"Reports have been flooding in that New York is being assaulted by an unknown force," an African-American anchorwoman declared, struggling to maintain her composure. "At first, we believed this to be a terrorist assault, but the nature of this incident has revealed something far worse. Something beyond our comprehension." Behind her, images taken from security cameras and a live news feed played out: Men and women desperately ran away from one location, screaming, crying out, and even trampling one another. Suddenly, the cameraman turned back to the heart of the tension, fleeing pedestrians knocking into him and obstructing his trembling shot. A tall, male individual dressed in torn jeans and a black hoodie concealing his face slowly walked forward, unhindered by the raging crowds around him. Flaring out his hands, the man released an invisible wave of energy, propelling roughly ten people on either side of him outward, causing a grizzly sound of shattering glass and brutal impacts off-screen. Suddenly, the view of the camera shot upward before crashing, causing the station to cut to another source.
"Helicopter reports of the area are scattered," a man with dark sunglasses loudly announced, trying to speak over the sound of the propeller blades spinning above him. "No one's been able to get close to the attacker. For unexplained reasons, our radio and equipment has been stalling on and off. We believe it may have to do with the reported attack on the city." The camera panned down to the city, zooming in as close to the scene below as possible. All that appeared were blurry images and a large clearing where only one figure stood. In an instant, the image fell out of focus.
"We've lost control!" an unseen man cried out off-camera. "The copter's being pulled down." The land below the craft rapidly growing closer, the cameraman returned his gaze to the reporter, who promptly leaped from his seat and out the open door. "Holy shit, he just killed himself!" an indeterminate voice cried out.
Beneath the view of the aircrafts, buildings made of glass began to shatter, raining down on the desperate crowds below. Then, massive, cascading flames arose from the sewers, destroying streets, igniting fleeing men and women, and choking out the air with black smoke that smelled of agony and burning flesh mingled with blood.
"Oh my gosh," Alexandria exclaimed, unable to look away from the horror. "What's going on?"
"I've gotta get to Juliet," Justin declared, pulling his wand from his pocket.
"It's too dangerous," Jerry shouted, unable to control himself. "We need to get inside The Lair. That thing's getting closer and killing everything around it."
"I only need a second to find her," the young man replied, his voice staunch and brave. "I have her blood. It's just a matter of getting her here."
"As soon as you find her, get back here," Jerry gave in. "We'll be waiting in The Lair when you get back."
"If I'm not back in five minutes…" the eldest Russo child began, his voice growing grave.
"It won't come to that," the boy's father replied, firmly placing his hands on his son's shoulders.
"You have to seal The Lair if I'm not back in time," Justin persisted. "I know what I'm doing, and you guys have to keep each other safe." Running to her child, Theresa tightly hugged him, her eyes burned and blinded with tears. "I love you guys. I love all of you. But you have to get inside. Now!" Harper grabbed Alex and Max's hands, forcing them towards the door.
"Justin!" Alex cried out, trying to fight back without hurting her friend. "Justin, you can't go alone! I'll come with you!"
"Not this time, Alex," the young man shot back. "You need to keep them safe. Promise me you'll stay with them." Defeated, Alex nodded her head and pulled her mother and father close to her and the others. Waving his wand, Justin vanished, leaving only a mist of red energy behind.
Fleeing into the secret room, Alex shut the door to The Lair behind herself, having made sure she was the last one in. "We can't leave him out there like this!" Theresa cried out. "He's our boy! We should be with him, protecting him!"
"Mom," Alex gently replied, placing her hand on her mother's shoulder. "He's going to be okay. It won't take him long to find her. But for now, we have to stay strong."
"Hold this place down," Max added, trying to appear brave. Silently, the group fell into prayer. Her eyes closed and her hands wrapped around her family, Alex remembered Mason: his photograph still under her pillow. Come on, Justin, she told herself. I can't lose you, too.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Juliet, followed closely by Justin, who held the key to The Lair in both hands, entered. Justin quickly closed, locked, and sealed the doorway.
"My baby," Theresa cried out, running to her son and hugging him. "Thank God you're safe." Justin closed his eyes and held his mother.
Max quickly wrapped his arms around the vampiress, his eyes closed and his touch innocent. "We're gonna be okay, kiddo," Juliet said, gently stroking the boy's hair.
Alex walked beside the blond young woman, showing no trace of emotion. "Hey," she said, getting Juliet's attention. "…Glad you could make it." After a second of silence, the two let out relieved sighs in harmony before lovingly embracing the other.
"Thank you guys," Juliet said, holding Alex tight. "And Justin…that was the most idiotic…caring, selfless thing anyone's ever done for me." The couple came together and kissed before resting their heads on their lover's shoulder.
Harper, Theresa, Alex, Max, Justin, Jerry, and Juliet sat next to one another, the chairs and couches arranged in a circle in the heart of The Lair. Taking the stand, Jerry opened a single pane of the stained glass wall, letting lights from the Magical Realm shine into the room. "The Council has all the information from the sightings," the Italian man declared, watching the lights take shape. "If there's a connection, we'll find it." Altering its color and shape, the beams formed an image of the shrouded assailant.
"Whoever…whatever that guy is," Justin began. "His powers aren't from magic. There's no trace of mana from any of his attacks."
Slowly, the attacker's image transformed into that of a teenage boy with blue-dyed hair and several facial piercings, proceeding to touch the shoulders of a young brunette woman before pressing her against the wall of an alley, kissing her passionately. Gasping, the teenage girl collapsed on the ground, leaving the boy smirking with bloody lips. Unsettled, Alex covered her mouth, unable to look away. The lights contorted the image of the boy, rendering it a hawk almost black in color.
"What is it?" Max asked, awestruck and disgusted.
"He's going after women," Juliet declared. "Obviously a shapeshifter. An incubus?"
"Looks like it," Alex answered. "But how could it attack in broad daylight and have power like that?"
"Couldn't that girl from MidWest?" Max asked. "Before her and her friend died?"
"Maybe he's more than an incubus," Justin suggested. "But where did he come from?"
"And how long has he been out there?" Alex added. "The Council would've stopped him if they knew…How could he stay hidden from them this long when he's been in plain sight?"
"I have no idea," Jerry answered, cupping his mouth in his right hand. "I've been trying to reach the Elders, but our connection keeps failing. The secret's out…the people know they're not alone. The Elders know that…We've got nothing left to lose."
"Can we go to them?" Theresa asked. "I can stay here and protect The Lair."
"Mom," Alexandria replied, her voice soft and timid. "You don't have magic. If you stay here alone, you'll die. I have to stay here."
"If she's staying, I'm staying," Max declared, throwing himself onto his feet.
"No, Max," the young woman shot back, putting her hand on her baby brother's shoulder. "You're too young: Your powers aren't strong enough yet."
"We can reach the Elders through our portal," Jerry explained. "But no one of us can stay here alone. The stakes are too high. Not just for The Lair, but for everyone. We've all seen what that thing can do…going at him alone would be suicide." Remembering the carnage in the world she fought so hard to love, Harper forced herself to stare at the ground, avoiding eye contact with the others.
"I'll stay behind with her," Juliet declared. "My Vampire blood can protect me from that thing's sway."
Clenching his fist, Justin made a decision: I can't be selfish…Dad, Mom, and I have to be the ones to appeal to the Elders…and there's no way Max or Harper would be able to survive all this…Forgive me… "They're right," the young man declared, catching everyone off-guard. "Alex is the most qualified to guard The Lair, and Juliet may be the only one of us that thing won't be able manipulate." Harper gazed at the young man she'd known her entire life, her eyes reflecting great shock and disbelief. "I don't know how long we'll be away, but if you guys need anything, you're the only one who can walk through the streets safe, Juliet." It has to be done. Stop thinking like a child and start being the leader you have to be.
Juliet warmly embraced her lover, whispering a passionate goodbye and blessing. Leaning towards the young woman's ear, Justin whispered something of his own, making sure no one else could hear or determine his words. Slowly pulling apart, the Italian young man glanced at his sister for a split second before making his way towards the stained glass door.
"We have to go," Jerry declared, fighting off the growing urge to forsake everything and protect his child. "Now."
Theresa hugged her little girl and kissed her one last time on the cheek. "You'll be okay," she whispered, gently stroking Alex's long, dark hair. "I love you forever." Harper, trying to restrain herself from breaking down in tears, tightly hugged her oldest and truest friend. Alex returned the gesture, gently stroking her hand up and down her beloved friend's upper back. Choking out gasps, Harper slowly let go, unable to see through the tears. "I love you, Harper," Alex whispered, taking her friend's soft hands before giving her a parting blessing in the form of a kiss upon her lips. "And don't worry about me…we'll be fine." Trying desperately to be strong, the redheaded young woman nodded, clenching her eyes to stop the tears.
Jerry tightly embraced his only daughter, his breath heavy, though he maintained his composure. "I'm so proud of you, angel," he declared. "You've grown so much, Alex…I know you two will be okay. We all believe in you." Kissing his child on her forehead, the middle-aged man expressed his thanks to Juliet, and awaited his wife and children at the door.
"Promise me you'll be okay," Max begged, pulling his sister and Juliet together in a trembling hug.
"We promise, Max," Alex warmly replied, leaning down and kissing her baby brother on the crown of his hair.
"Promise us the same," Juliet declared, her voice bold and strong for the boy who needed assurance now more than ever.
Nodding, the boy managed to choke out an agreement. "Will do," he vowed. Pulling the teenager close, the vampiress gently kissed him upon his head, and then urged him to join his parents.
"Alex," Justin said, standing close to his sister. "Thank you…I promise we'll all walk away from this…but I have to tell you…no matter how much I try to hide it, or how many times I've screwed up…I love you. I couldn't have asked for a better sister…and whatever you've been fighting…I'll be there to help you." Remembering the beast trapped inside her mirror, Alex merely nodded. No…No, you won't. Hugging her older brother, the Latina listened to his heartbeat one last time. "Thank you," she whispered. "Save everyone." Swallowing hard, the young man mouthed his agreement before turning and walking towards the door.
"I know we've had some…issues in the past," Harper said, staring into Juliet's human eyes. "And I'm sorry…thank you…for being a good friend to all of us. I know you and Justin will be happy together, and I love you for that." The two hugged for the first time. Letting go, the young woman looked at Alex. "Just promise me…Promise me you'll keep each other safe," she cried out.
"We swear it," Alex and Juliet answered in harmony. With that, the Russo family and Harper slowly entered the Magical Realm, professing their gratefulness, approval, and promise of safe return to those who would sacrifice everything for the greater good. Finally, the door closed behind Justin, leaving Alex and Juliet alone.
Silence filled the air for a moment. All was calm, though fear, tension, anxiety, and a looming sense of death made its way into the blood of the two friends. "…Alex," Juliet finally said, breaking the silence. "What happened?"