“Jon!” His mom calls. “There’s someone at the door for you.”
“Ok!” Jon yells downstairs. This day has been crazy already that he can’t imagine it getting any worse.
Grateful for the distraction from his current problem, Jon heads downstairs to answer the door. He passes by his sister Zoe coming up the stairs in a huff. Probably some argument her and his mom got into again. It doesn’t concern him though, so he passes by trying to ignore the heated air about her. They bump shoulders, neither of them paying attention enough to the other.
“Watch it.” Zoe growls as she continues upward.
He sighs, holding back the retort he was saving up for now. There are more important matters to attend to. Jon continues downstairs and gets to the door and opens it to a strange sight. He half expected Karyn to be at the door or even one of his friends he made this year, but instead he sees Sarah of all people standing there looking concerned.
Trying to hide the disgust from his face, Jon replies in a calm tone. “What are you here for Sarah?”
Sarah exhales trying to shake off her anxiety. “Oh good, you are normal. I was afraid that I was going crazy for a second.”
“What do you mean?” Jon asks.
“Well, um, how do I put this.” Sarah stumbles to find the correct words. Jon almost found it cute if he didn’t know the harsh side of her. “Um, Karyn came to me for, um, advice?”
“Advice?” Jon tilts his head.
“She was spewing some nonsense about you. I just took it as her usual griping and ignored most of the conversation.” Sarah pauses as if it’s hard for her to say. “Karyn asked me if I knew any good clothing stores.”
“Is that all?” Jon asks, clearly unimpressed.
“You don’t understand. She’s not herself, she’s crazy about you Jon. I was able to barely escape her unending questions by losing her in a store at the mall.”
Jon’s hair stands on end. “You’re sure she’s changed?” He asks suspiciously. “This isn’t one of your plans to get me to help you, is it?”
“JON!” Sarah yells. “Do you think I would lie to you about this?”
He sighs. “Fine I’ll come with you to see Karyn, but don’t pull any tricks.”
The conversation ends at that. Contrary to how he spoke to Sarah, Jon was actually concerned that Karyn might be a completely different person. He knew he didn’t wish anything like this on her, so there was bound to be another force at work here. He just honestly wanted to keep up the facade that he had everything under control, even though everything was quickly falling apart under his fingertips. Biting back the anxiety welling up in his chest, Jon followed Sarah to the mall to confront the new Karyn.
---- Leon’s Perspective ----
“Rain clouds are gathering.” I said to my companions. “It’s either a sign that we should move or that the evil is already upon us.”
“It’s barely been a day since we arrived.” Sakura replies. “How is this really happening?”
“Fantasy and reality are closely linked, after all. Sometimes reality comes from fantasy and other times fantasy is based on reality.” I conjure up a shadow humanoid. “It should come as no surprise when we use unexplainable magic.”
“Uh, should we really be talking now?” Astred interrupts. “Didn’t you say that evil was gathering?”
“Not specifically, but yeah you’re right. We should get going.” I turn to the direction of the ominous presence I had been feeling for a while now.
“Hold on.” Astred stops me. “Can you at least allow me to walk around now? I think we are past the point where I need to still be hiding.”
I sigh. “If that’s what you want, fine.”
She nods and disappears from the holographic display on my wrist. The bike we had kept close by transforms into a female humanoid and begins walking around. “Ah, it’s been awhile since I actually moved in this form.”
“I’m just glad that there’s actually a use for those pointless pieces of metal attached to that bike.”
“You lack tact, Leon. Sometimes I’m surprised I’m your brother.”
“Eh. Bluntness is merely a trait I acquired over the years.” I say wryly.
Sakura steps in between us to stop our bickering once again. “How am I supposed to move around as fast as you two?” She asks.
“Just hang onto Astred. She uses the wind to fly and with the storm approaching, a strong gust shouldn’t take anyone by surprise.”
“So long as I get to fight something, I’ll be fine.” Sakura sighs. “All this waiting is just making me impatient.”
I laugh. “You’ll get your fight soon enough. Just don’t pass out if it goes on for too long.”
“That’s my line! Don’t think you can best me there.”
I shake my head and leap several meters up in the air towards the source of the power. I always seem to attract the strangest of people. The man we will be confronting is no different. I doubt even Astred knew as much as I did about the man. I knew that we were similar in nature, since we both had been trapped in the shadows. Even if I had finally found the light, I couldn’t sense a speck of that within him nor could I tell if he would ever be more than a speck of darkness. I was saddened by that fact because it meant that no matter how hard I wanted to save him, he was already beyond hope. Murder is not something I have ever done, but if necessary I might have to defeat him as an enemy and not as a person. He declared war upon me by showing his presence and as we all know, a war can only be won with casualties.
---- Jon’s Perspective ----
When Jon arrived at the mall with Sarah, he saw a sight he almost wished he could unsee. Not only did Karyn looked changed, but a countless number of people were surrounding a man who clearly wasn’t normal. It looked like they were all worshipping him. Jon looked around and didn’t see a single other person walking around that wasn’t already at his feet. Sarah started walking over their herself, but Jon grabbed her arm.
“There’s no way I’m letting you get anywhere near him.” Jon says to Sarah’s face.
“But Jon, he’s such a wonderful man. Why can’t you see that? He’s everything anyone can ever want. Why don’t we make him a king? Screw our government, everything will be alright if he runs the world.”
“I don’t believe in things that are obviously wrong. Open your eyes, your belief is unfounded.”
Sarah strangely looks at him, “Actually you’re right. He’s evil.” The moment she said that all eyes in the food court turned our way.
“What do you mean he’s evil? And why did you change your mind so fast?”
“Obviously because you said it, dork.”
Jon barely has time to register what Sarah said before a powerful voice rings throughout the room
“Jon, my boy! How wonderful it is to finally see you.” The man standing in the center of the crowd addresses him. “I’ve learned so much about you from your grandmother. She’s says so much about you that I feel like I’ve known you forever.”
“Why would my grandmother ever talk to you about me? She’s had to live all alone ever since my grandfather went adventuring!” Jon spits the words at him.
“I’m sorry.” He bows in a respectful manner. “I forgot we weren’t talking about the same person. Let me introduce you to who used to be your grandfather.”
A woman Jon hasn’t seen before steps out of the crowd. Jon can’t help but be revolted at her appearance. She looks like someone whose job is to look pleasing to the eye. Uncontrollable anger wells up in him and he chucks the box holding the stone on the ground to smash it.
The man clicks his tongue a few times. “Jon, I’d thought you’d be better than this. You just gave away the location of the thing I wanted.” The man shrugs, “I guess all that talk about you being the greatest Madison was just a fluke.” The man appears in front of Jon’s face, causing him to jump back. “I’ll be taking this now.” The foreign man collects the stone from the rubble of the shattered box as if it was his all along.
“Hey!” Jon yells after he regains his composure. “That doesn’t belong to you!”
“Oh my, did I forget something? Ah yes, I did. I didn’t tell you my name. I am known as Gog.” Gog leaves Jon baffled there as he disappears into the crowd with the stone.
“What am I supposed to do now?” Jon mutters to himself and walks through the mall dejected, leaving Sarah standing there unsure who she should follow.
