It seemed like he was knocking into the door that wouldn't open no matter what he did. Or more like the door was fake to start with - there wasn't any passway behind it. Jim wished he had seen it earlier - hadn't the life itself showed him more than enough times that he wasn't a good fit for something as big as protecting two worlds? But no, first, he had fallen for Blinky's encouraging speech, then had felt some safety after Douxie's help. And being able to survive Bular's frontal attack just had given another boost, not to mention that weird Soothscryer test which had been loose for interpretation… The list could probably have gone for longer if there wasn't that hostile troll Draal lurking around. Though, was it wise to cling to some kind of deranged delusion?

Maybe the teen had to thank the previous Trollhunter's son for opening his eyes. The warrior wasn't even the enemy, yet he had put a lot into the supposed spar and…

The gap, apparently, was too broad. Even decades of training wouldn't close it. Besides, what decades? Jim didn't have that much time to start with - even in the best-case scenario when the enemy side would somehow decide not to touch him at all, how many years he would have before his own body would start failing him? Thirty? Forty?

No, the teen had to resign now, before it led to any grim consequences. It was the right time to grow up - he wasn't the small kid to get overexcited because of shiny armor and a large sword. Yes, those were cool, but the stuff attached was simply too much. How could Jim protect anyone when he couldn't even fight?

If you know what's good for you, you'll stay down and live, worm.

Draal's words were harsh and mean, but weren't those true as well? Blinky might have imagined something extraordinary, yet the reality was the opposite.

Alas, it turned out that refusing the mantle wasn't that easy. Even throwing the amulet meant nothing.

"And no matter what I do, it just keeps returning!" Jim complained to Toby as he came to visit his best friend. "Good thing that Mom wasn't around as I have no idea how to explain flying circular objects to her!"

"Well, Blinky's said it's bonded to you or something," the plump teen shrugged.

"I didn't know it was that bad," the Trollhunter groaned. "This thing is basically haunting me! Just watch!"

To prove his point, he hurtled the amulet out the window. The magical object flew back in several seconds, hitting its owner's forehead.

"Ouch," Jim rubbed the hurt spot. It was the second time already, with the first one being his attempt to play baseball with the accursed thing. It was not that easy to believe in the amulet having its own will, but it's definitely was rather vindictive.

"Awesomesauce," Toby muttered instead of showing some sympathy. "And surprisingly practical. Not potential bump thing," he quickly added, noticing some clear annoyance in his friend's expression. "I mean, imagine summoning the amulet in a fight! How cool is it?"

"Nothing is cool here, Tobes," Jim scowled, throwing the magical object on the bed. It would return in any case, but whatever - he had already given up on getting rid of it the simple way. "There won't be any fights. I cannot hit anyone. Or punch. Or kick. Or…"

He stopped abruptly as the memories of his early childhood resurfaced. Back then, the boy had no problem with fighting.

He had scared everyone so many times. They had called him a monster.

Jim simply didn't want anything like that repeating once again.

"Jimbo, may I ask you one thing?" Toby broke the sudden silence. His careless mood had evaporated, making way for some genuine concern. "Why did you lie to Blinky?"

"About?" the lanky teen forced a laugh. He knew the answer well enough. So, apparently, his best friend had also noticed.

"About fighting," Toby stated firmly. "You told him that you never hit anyone in your life."

"I didn't count Bular."

"I didn't mean Bular," the plump teen sighed.

Jim paled. If there was anything he wanted to avoid, that would be his best friend learning about his unsightly side.

"Since when do you know?" he asked quietly.

"Since the very start," Toby responded after some pause. "You probably don't remember, but we hadn't become friends at once. And I saw one of your fights with other kids at the preschool…"

He waited for some kind of response, but Jim stayed silent.

"I knew that you hated those times, so I avoided mentioning them," the plump teen continued guiltily. "And I have noticed that you tended to run away from any fight since we had become friends, and…"

"Weren't you scared?" Jim interrupted him abruptly.

"What?"

"Scared," the lanky teen repeated. "Afraid. Terrified. Repulsed. Disgusted. Something! How could you see that and think 'oh, nothing out of the norm here'? Everyone else avoided me as if I were some kind of freak. A monster!"

He winced at the memory. It wasn't as if no one had ever tried to befriend Jim before Toby, but every attempt had ended the same.

"I'm sorry," Tobes averted his eyes. "For not talking with you about all of this earlier. I couldn't imagine that you suffered so much because you were afraid to scare me."

The lanky teen stood dumbstruck. Had his best friend actually said that? How could it be possible?

Jim had always imagined that if the truth had ever come out, it would have been the end of the friendship. It was disgusting - had he doubted his best friend so much?

"But isn't it scary to be around an unpredictable guy like me?" he asked quietly.

"Nah, it's just people being afraid of the unknown," Toby chuckled. "No one tried to understand you. And I can say for sure that Jimbo only used violence when there was no other choice… I saw it as well - you only snapped when other kids ganged up on you."

Jim had always believed that no one would have gotten the actual picture of those events. Everyone just kept seeing an aggressive kid without any attempt to get beyond the surface level, so he had simply given up.

"Well, now that we are clear about everything," Toby continued. "Can we talk honestly without hiding anything? Blinky genuinely believes that you refuse to fight because you lack self-confidence or something, but I assume the problem is elsewhere?"

Now that he could talk openly, it surely felt as if the heavy burden had been lifted from Jim's shoulders. Why had he any doubts about his best friend again? Tobes was Tobes, and that was one of the constants in his ever-changing life.

"I believe it's actually self-confidence, though not in a way Blinky thinks," the lanky teen admitted after giving it some thought. "Because I am not sure if I can stop after one hit."

"Maybe, you know, you shouldn't actually stop after one while dealing with trolls?" Toby mused. "If you are worried that you'll hurt someone, this is not that kind of situation. Remember Bular?"

"No, that's not my problem," Jim shook his head. "It's more of the lines… Just don't laugh, ok? I'm scared to become someone who enjoys fighting too much."

Like a monster.

He added the last one mentally - in the end, it was impossible to voice it.

Toby didn't laugh or make fun of his friend. He listened to that confession silently and asked after some pause:

"Why do you think so?"

Of course, it was too confusing. Jim mentally smacked himself for not explaining it better. It was more in lines of violence than fighting, actually.

"You've mentioned that fight with Bular," the lanky teen took a deep breath, mustering some courage to voice it. "At least a part of me was thrilled back then. At some point, it was eager to check out if trolls bleed, and if so, what color is their blood…"

It sounded even worse than it seemed in thoughts. Jim winced.

"To be fair, that dark guy wanted to cause way more harm to you," Toby hummed. "Something about goblet made from your skull…"

"Tobes, he's an evil troll, it's normal for him!" his best friend exclaimed in frustration. "But it's not normal for me to think that way!"

There was another awkward pause.

"So…" Toby started slowly. "You didn't even try to fight back against that douche Draal because you were afraid of… yourself?"

"Exactly," Jim frowned. "What's the worst, I have a feeling that the trolls wouldn't mind me being a violent guy. Have you heard that rule number two? Show no mercy, always finish the fight! It's their way of living!"

"I don't think that Blinky would force you to be like that," the plump teen pointed out. "I think he cares about you…"

"There's no problem with Blinky…"

Actually, Jim had noticed himself that the multi-eyed troll didn't treat him as a potential protector only. No, Blinky was genuinely concerned for his well-being too. Much like a good teacher. Or…

A father.

No, that one was just wishful thinking. The lanky teen had the same kind of feelings regarding Mr. Strickler. Did it mean that he was willing to latch into any male who was nice enough to him?

"I was thinking about Vendel," Jim shrugged off the previous odd thought - it didn't matter that much at the moment. "Probably other trolls want someone more aggressive as well…"

He had already met some of those after the introduction to the elder. Yes, no one was as hostile as Draal, but there was a lot of displeasure in their eyes.

"That's why I believe it's better to find someone else for this position," the teen finished with a sigh. "I simply cannot be the one they need."

He expected to hear some words of support, but Toby said something else instead:

"I've always believed that you were a great person. It's brave to fight against others, but it needs the ultimate courage to fight against oneself. You're right, you can easily become a bully like Psycho Steve. Perhaps, way worse, I don't know. But, Jimbo, you've chosen not to. Maybe I don't understand you well enough, yet… Back then, when you stood for Eli, you were really cool. You inspired all of us, all of the cowards that preferred to ignore that injustice. And I thought - 'Man, my best friend is a true hero'. You think you don't deserve that position, but you know what, Jimbo? You're the kindest and justest person I know."

"But," Jim tried to protest, slightly taken aback by that verbal onslaught.

"No 'buts' here," Tobes frowned. "Everyone has their dark side, but not everyone can overcome it."

The lanky teen chuckled bitterly:

"Isn't that from 'Gun Robot' part one finale?"

"So what?" Toby shrugged. "The point is that you can defeat those darker thoughts. You're better than that!"

Most likely, Toby was right.

Well, at least partially.

However, it wasn't that simple to shrug all the fears off overnight.

He can give such advice only because he has no idea.

Oh, yeah, there was that ugly doubt as well.

As a result, Jim had no proper sleep at night. Again. It had started to become an unpleasant habit.

Luckily, the school day turned out to be uneventful and dull. Jim thanked heavens for that because there was no need for more complications. There weren't any shared lessons with Steve too, and Eli was kind enough to point out where the ultimate bully stayed ready for an ambush.

Mr. Strickler approached Jim during one of the breaks, most likely, in an attempt to talk, but the teen found an excuse to escape him. Apparently, his relationship with his mom wasn't the only one that had suffered because of the Trollhunter's obligation.

No, no matter how much Toby tried to encourage him, Jim had decided already. That wasn't his place, and when the boy figured out how to get rid of the amulet, he would return to his regular dull life.

"So, you're not going to the Trollmarket today?" Tobes inquired on their way back from school.

"No," Jim stated firmly. "I've decided - I won't have anything with that place. I simply don't belong there."

Toby muttered something incomprehensible. Most likely, he wanted to argue but had no idea what to say.

It wasn't the first time when two friends disagreed on something, but the lanky teen was still surprised. He would think that Tobes would be more on his side, being more careful of two.

"If throwing isn't working, maybe it's possible to break that damned thing," Jim mused aloud, focusing on his biggest problem.

Toby stared at him in bewilderment:

"You know, Jimbo, that's rather low… Isn't the amulet protecting the world or something?"

"I understand that!" the lanky teen spat back with some annoyance. "But what should I do?"

He ran his hand through his hair, trying to find some other idea.

"Maybe we can dismantle it and find what exactly bonds it to me…" Jim drawled after giving it some consideration.

"Isn't that, you know, magic?" Toby inquired, some curiosity evident in his voice. His best friend took the amulet out of the bag, and both boys stared at it intently.

"Looks like a mechanism to me," Jim argued. All those gears and hands reminded him of some weird clock.

He couldn't shake off the feeling that he had forgotten an important detail. But what exactly? It just kept escaping him.

"I don't think it's much wiser than breaking it," Toby protested. "Will we be able to put it together when we finish? It would be nice if there was some kind of instruction or something…"

That made some sense. For a second, Jim wondered if Blinky could have something like that.

No, he had decided not to go down there anymore. They had to find some other way.

"Eli said he found some occult-related books at some weird bookstore," Tobes broke up his thoughts with a remark. "I think the name was GBT Mysterious Books or something…"

Now, that was an actual working idea. Well, most likely, they didn't have anything worthy at that bookstore, but what if? It was better to have at least some lead.

Some quick Internet research revealed that it was actually GDT Arcane Books, so Toby had been slightly off.

Both boys headed out to the store in question. Jim wondered what exactly he could ask there. A part of him begged him to reconsider. Was running away the right decision there? What about the world's safety?

No, he simply had to leave it to someone else. Someone worthy. Weren't there at least some battle-capable trolls at the Trollmarket? Even in the worst-case scenario, they had Draal, who apparently had trained to get the mantle one day.

The lanky teen was happy that his best friend didn't try to make him change his mind once again. It had been difficult even without that kind of conversation. The thing was that Toby cared about his well-being, so he definitely believed that being the Trollhunter was way better for Jim than giving up.

They arrived at the destination surprisingly fast. The lanky teen wondered how he had managed to never notice this bookstore before - after all, the area was pretty familiar, and this place stood out.

"I think it's actually magical," Toby voiced out his final decision after staring a bit. Jim couldn't help agreeing with him - somehow, GDT Arcane Books seemed surrounded by mysterious air. Not that long ago, he would have definitely chalked it up to his imagination, but now, with the knowledge about the entire secret side of the world, he couldn't be that sure.

Tobes shifted on his feet, obviously not that eager to go inside first, so his best friend took the initiative.

It was rather dark inside - a surprising contrast to the sunlit street. Undeniably, it added a lot to create an appropriate mood. Now Jim was even surer that he could find some answer at this place. He wouldn't even be that surprised if an actual witch appeared out of nowhere.

Toby tiptoed hastily after his best friend, never stopping with hushed 'awesomesauce' and 'oh my gosh'.

"How can I help you?" a polite voice inquired from somewhere above.

Jim might have expected a witch, but apparently, the wizard-in-training fitted this store as well.

"Douxie?" the lanky teen couldn't believe his own eyes, seeing his magic-user friend going downstairs.

The sudden realization struck Jim all of sudden. Exactly, that was the thing he had forgotten! There was so much trouble with getting rid of the amulet, but he hadn't considered asking the one with the best knowledge about that thing. Hadn't Blinky told him that Douxie had been connected to Merlin in some way?

"Jim?" it turned out that the wizard-in-training was as surprised to see him here. "Have I told you where I work?"

He was obviously trying to remember if he had ever mentioned something like that.

"What, this is that Douxie?" Toby butted in before Jim had managed to open his mouth. "The wizard?"

"I guess?" Douxie answered not too confidently, probably wondering what exactly the plump teen had heard about him.

"I've thought you were older. And more, you know, wizard-like," Toby made a weird gesture. Jim decided to interfere before his best friend said something inappropriate:

"I didn't know. I just needed something and thought I could buy it here."

"I see," Douxie nodded. "Then, it's lucky that you've come when I'm around."

"Why so?" Toby inquired curiously.

"Because we sell genuine stuff here only to people with ties to the supernatural world. Everyone else gets regular books that have nothing to do with magic. And as it's not common knowledge that Jim is the Trollhunter, you'd get nothing of worth," the young man explained with a shrug. "So what kind of book do you need?"

"Actually, I think you can tell me more than any book," Jim stated firmly, after giving it some consideration. "That's…"

He wanted to elaborate, but Douxie stopped him with a gesture:

"Wait for a second, I'll close the store first. It'll be better to talk without any interruptions."

He fiddled with his wristwatch, and all of a sudden, it transformed into a vambrace. Toby nudged his best friend and whispered:

"I take my words back, this is definitely wizard-like."

Meanwhile, Douxie waved his hand, and the door closed itself, with some locks appearing out of nowhere.

"Let's get upstairs," the young man proposed after finishing. "I'll introduce you to my team."

"Your team?" Toby asked, following Douxie to the stairs. "So, you don't act independently?"

"That would be difficult," the wizard-in-training chuckled. "Believe me or not, it's always better to have a good friend around."

"That's for sure!" the plump teen nodded eagerly. "I don't know what I'd do without Jimbo."

Jim listened to that lively conversation with a pang of guilt as he dragged his feet behind those two. Douxie had also helped him a lot, but now the lanky teen was going to throw off all that support.

Jim unwittingly turned to survey the upstairs. There was a pink-haired girl around twenty sitting on a chest and flipping through some book. He also noticed the familiar-looking black cat on one of the drawers. The unique Q-shaped fur patch left no space for any doubt.

"That's Zoe," Douxie pointed out to the girl, who discarded her book and slipped off the chest, approaching the visitors.

"Nice to meet you," she smiled. "Feel free to ask me for help if Casperan isn't around. Our fields of expertise are slightly different, but I can cover a lot too!"

"And that's Archie," the young man continued, turning into the direction of the feline.

"So he's your pet?" Jim asked, noticing that Zoe covered her mouth with a hand in a vain attempt to conceal a giggle.

"A pet?" an unfamiliar voice demanded with outrage. "So that you know, I'm Archibald, the proud associate to Merlin's apprentice!"

The lanky teen stared at the black cat in bewilderment as that one put on the glasses and stood on his hind paws.

"What an insolence!" Archie continued. "And to think that I actually showed you some kindness!"

"Arch, he hasn't known that you're not a regular cat," Douxie interrupted the outburst.

"What?" the familiar turned his attention to him.

"I forgot to tell Jim about you," the young man confessed sheepishly. Archie looked at him in bewilderment and then demonstratively turned away.

"I think he's offended," Toby commented, "Nana's cats act the same at times."

"Never mind him," Zoe shrugged. "He'll bounce back soon. Archie just hates to be treated as inferior. By the way, he's a true MVP at times…"

The cat's ears perked at the last one, but he remained in his offended posture. Toby made a careful step in his direction, probably interested in the feline.

"So, what do you want to talk about, Jim?" Douxie asked, remembering that his younger teen wanted to discuss something.

So, it was the moment of truth. A part of Jim wanted to delay that one, but did he have any other choice?

"This," he extracted the amulet out of his bag and put it before the wizard-in-training. Both Douxie and Zoe leaned over, examining it intently.

"Is it broken? Some malfunctions?" the young man inquired.

"Well, it worked weirdly, but it's not my problem with this thing," Jim shifted on his feet awkwardly. He felt like a kid who needed to confess about something that would disappoint his parents greatly.

"Do you know how to cut my bond to it?" the lanky teen finally had mustered some courage and winced at how loud it sounded.

Douxie and Zoe exchanged glances.

"Told you," the hex witch sighed. "It was a matter of time."

"Jim, that one is simply impossible," the wizard-in-training responded sadly. "Not with my level of skill or knowledge, at least."

"But why?" Jim didn't even bother with hiding his disappointment.

"Because Merlin used the intricate magic for the amulet," Archie got tired of playing the ignore game and jumped closer. "He meant to make it no different from a body part for better performance, so there are some unfortunate side effects…"

The teen shivered - he wasn't a big fan of the idea that the magical object was technically a part of him.

"Oh, that's totally sound like that old prick," Zoe huffed. "Creating the problems out of nowhere! Maybe we can tune it a bit," she suddenly mused.

Douxie frowned:

"I'm against it. We can break it for good."

"Haven't you seen the blueprints?" the witch hadn't given up on her idea. Apparently, Jim had gotten an ally in an unexpected place.

"Many times," the wizard-in-training confirmed. "Still, I think only the amulet's creators can mess with it without causing too much damage."

"Maybe we can contact them?" the lanky teen suggested, trying to grasp even that straw.

"Well," Zoe drawled apologetically, "let's say that Merlin is unavailable at the moment, and… Wait, Casperan, did you actually say creators?" her expression changed at the realization. "I've always thought that ass created the Daylight amulet alone!"

"No, Master got help from…" Douxie suddenly froze, then slowly reached his temples as if he got a sudden headache.

"Mordrax's miracles!" Archie exclaimed in annoyance. "I told him not to abuse the sleeping spell, but no, no one appreciates my advice! Of course, I can get that everyone would prefer to have that dork sleeping in the closet, but that was too much!"

Everyone turned to the cat at once.

"Do you mean that someone put Casperan under a sleeping spell regularly?" Zoe asked in bewilderment.

"That's quite mean," Toby commented.

"Why don't I remember anything like that?" Douxie wondered.

"Because of the side-effects!" the familiar huffed. "I imagine that you miss a good chunk of memories regarding events nine centuries ago!"

The feline jumped on the rails and dove down, transforming into his dragon form. Alas, it surprised only Toby, who started pestering Archie with some questions.

"That's a dead-end," Zoe stated grimly. "Casperan doesn't remember, and the grumpy cat won't talk."

"I see," Jim said quietly. Was it really that useless to try and find some way out?

"Oh, is it already that late? Sorry for leaving you abruptly, but I need to run!" the witch stated out of the blue and headed downstairs. On her way, she nudged Douxie and made some weird gestures. The young man nodded.

"Jim, can you tell me why do you want to abandon your position all of a sudden?" he asked quietly when the pink-haired girl had left.

"It's difficult to explain," the teen sighed.

"Just try, I'm a good listener."

At first, it was pretty difficult, but the more Jim talked, the easier it became. Douxie was right - his entire demeanor helped a lot. The teen explained the situation at the Trollmarket, shared the doubts of his own abilities, and mentioned Draal, who claimed to be a proper successor. The only thing he avoided was his own anxiety regarding his mental state - it was one thing to tell his old friend about that one, and other to share it with someone he had only met recently.

"I see," the wizard-in-training muttered once Jim had finished. "So, you believe that you're not enough."

The lanky teen averted his eyes instead of replying.

Douxie continued after some pause:

"I can understand why it's so discouraging. Trolls can seem unfriendly and distrustful, but it's not their fault. Humanity has done more than enough to provoke that attitude. Do you know why Merlin gave the amulet to trolls? Believe me, there were more than enough capable knights in Camelot. It was the gesture of trust, an attempt to forge an alliance, to fight as a united front. And it worked!"

"Doesn't it mean that the amulet should have a troll champion?" Jim asked quietly.

The wizard-in-training shook his head:

"I don't think so. The amulet picks its wielder for a reason, and if it landed in your possession, there should be a reason for that too. I've wondered a lot about it, and I feel that you're meant to recreate that alliance of the old times. Trolls have already forgotten how to trust humans, and someone has to remind them."

"But am I good enough?"

"You are," Douxie smiled in encouragement. "I don't know you for that long, but I've learned more than enough. You're kind and compassionate, with a strong sense of justice. You worry about your close people. Besides, you are willing to sacrifice your dream to have the adventure to ensure that the world gets the best protector. Jim, you simply need to believe in yourself more. Besides, you're not alone. And as for fears, well, everyone is afraid - it's just that you need to learn to overcome those…"

"You know, Blinky also said something along those lines," the teen chuckled awkwardly. "I'm such a mess for making everyone worry about me…"

"Please, don't misunderstand," the young man gave Jim a light pat. "No one is forcing you to do something you hate. But I ask you to think a bit about your final decision. If it's actually too much, I promise to find a way to relieve you of that burden…"

Jim would never have imagined that one day he would have ended with a legit inner conflict. One part of him was eager to just abandon everything and return to the old life, while another one insisted on fully grasping the Destiny. Initially, the reluctance had been more prominent, but right now, after receiving encouragement from both Toby and Douxie, the scales started to tip.

"You're uncharacteristically quiet tonight, kiddo," Barbara pointed out as they had dinner together. "Is everything alright?"

Surprisingly, his mom stopped to make attempts to fish the truth out of him, so the teen started to think that he had managed to throw her off his track. It seemed that she had simply decided to give the boy some space, but her patience was already on its limit.

"Just some troubles," he mumbled vaguely. "I think I've already found a solution…"

That was a lie - Jim still had no idea what to do.

"Is it about chess club?"

A sudden question made the teen freeze momentarily. He used 'chess club' as a code for trollhunting, but how had Barbara figured out that it was that one and not school play or studies?

Well, he got a response before asking.

"Mr. Strickler told me that it put you under much stress," the mother smiled sheepishly. "Yes, I've talked to your teacher again. But Jim, what could I do when you avoided me lately?"

Apparently, even Mr. Strickler had connected the dots. The boy wondered if he was that easy to read.

"Would you mind telling me a bit about your new hobby?" the woman asked quietly after the silence dragged on for too long.

He was simply too tired, so he gave up. Besides, no one demanded the entire truth, so perhaps, Jim could get away with a vague description. Taking out all trolls, magic, and amulets and leaving the complications and anxieties - wouldn't that work perfectly?

"Not that long ago, two weird guys approached me about joining the chess club," the teen began slowly, carefully picking each word. He had to be attentive not to let any supernatural detail slip his attention. "They were loud, pushy, overdramatic…"

Especially Blinky.

Jim unwittingly smiled at that memory. He had clearly overreacted himself back then. But how could anyone blame him when it had been his first encounter with the supernatural?

"They told me that chess was my calling and that I should fully grasp my Destiny…"

Ouch, he shouldn't have mentioned that one. Luckily, Barbara thought of it as a joke as she chuckled:

"Destiny? Wow, they were surely overdramatic!"

"And you know, I believed them initially," Jim continued with a wistful expression. "For the first time in my life, it felt as if I found something that fitted me perfectly. It brought the meaning, the feeling of belonging. It was as if someone had whispered - that's your place, Jim!"

Those were his true feelings. No matter how much he tried to deny it, his soul was attracted to the mysterious world underground.

"I found some courage and made new friends," the teen stopped abruptly, not sure how to proceed.

"But you faced some complication," Barbara prompted quietly.

"Yes," he nodded. "There was obstacle after obstacle, each one worse than the previous one."

Jim closed his eyes, remembering those.

Bular, the roaring merciless monstrosity.

Barverra, the heartless killer.

Skepticism at the Trollmarket.

"At first, my friends helped me, but there's a limit to everything," he continued. "And then there's a guy there who worked his butt off to get to his position, so, me getting into the club out of sheer luck is some kind of the personal insult to him."

The mother's face darkened:

"Are your trainers aware of bullying?"

So, she had misunderstood. Well, Draal could count as a bully technically, but the main problem lay elsewhere.

"Mom, that wasn't bullying," Jim shook his head. "He simply demonstrated to me how much behind I was. Basically, everyone can obliterate me effortlessly…"

In haste, he picked up rather suspicious wording. Could 'obliterate' be even used regarding chess?

Well, at least luck still remained on his side as Barbara evidently calmed down.

"Look, kiddo, I know only some basic things about chess, but I can say something for sure - you like that club greatly," she stated with a sigh. "When you talked about it, there was so much excitement in your eyes. Don't let some bullies ruin that. So what if they seem undefeatable? You know what? The higher is the pedestal, the more painful is the fall. I bet all those jerks act high and mighty and keep underestimating you. Use it against them. They will be gloating and playing around like total morons while you keep focused and vigilant. And the second they open up or reveal their weak spot, you'll crush them!"

The woman's expression changed midway through her speech. Jim stared at his mother's sudden outburst in total bewilderment. He had never known she had a side like that.

Crazy thought that the woman might have brought up the third rule of trollhunting crossed his mind for a second, but no, that one would be too farfetched.

"Is it still about chess?" the boy asked instead. Honestly, that advice was way more fitting his actual obligation.

Barbara chuckled in embarrassment:

"Well, that was from my martial arts training. But don't you think it fits any situation?"

"I guess?" Jim replied not that confidently.

Yes, the entire conversation took a bizarre turn out of nowhere, but the teen was still happy that they had a proper family conversation like before. Perhaps, he had no need to sacrifice everything.

"Jim, are you thinking about quitting the chess club?" the mother asked, breaking his reverie.

"I'm not sure," he answered honestly.

"Don't," Barbara smiled at him and ruffled her son's hair. "Especially if you feel that you belong there. Do something you want to do - and don't worry about naysayers. What do they know?"

Her words brought some sense of comfort. Jim missed that feeling so much. Perhaps, he still wasn't one hundred percent sure what path to take, but he definitely had a lot of support…

A/N: Jim is more reluctant in this story than in the original because of his childhood experiences