Slumping arms were a dangerous sign. Voluntary, not so much. Involuntary, however, if your arms were trembling, falling, without any input whatsoever from yourself… that's when it gets life-threatening.

I remembered we discuss this before. Not here, not as a lesson… but as a stern warning bouncing across white porcelain walls as I laid sprawled out against the bathroom floor.

Magical deprivation. Complete depletion of every single ounce of magic still left in your body. The first time I ran out my juices wasn't a deliberate choice, how the hell was I supposed to know that sensing magic equals a high risk of death?

Not like I had a guideline to follow, did I? No instructions at the back of the box, no manual that came with the package. By all accounts yes, that incident way back when was a total freak accident that by good fortune didn't wound up being my one-way ticket to the afterlife just yet.

It wasn't a mistake you'll find yourself repeating twice. After the first, anybody would have learned their lesson then. I certainly did. At least, I thought I did…

"Abort! Stop it! Stop it now!" Irene's shouts were almost maniacal, I've never heard her voice so utterly lost of composure. "Put your arms down! Just try again!"

She can say that, she can shout that, that don't make it true. I put my arms down now, there was no try again. This is all my magic right now, you think they just grow from trees?

Of course you don't, Irene. You know more than anyone here that I shouldn't stop now. Once I was seeing memories, feeling emotions… there was no going back from that.

So why are you telling me to stop? Why are you walking towards me right now? Why are you trying to stop this?

I can't let you stop this.

"Ash!" My voice had aged up significantly, it sounded older than it should, frailer than it should. "Keep… keep her away!"

The shock, I don't dare spare the glance to see it, but I certainly did hear it. Irene continued to walk.

"You don't dare," there was anger. "You can't," there was panic.

I can. I did.

Those footsteps stop. Taking its place came a sharp whistling whoosh cleaving through the air. I know that sound, I heard it so many times over. The swing of a sword can never be mistaken.

Orders. I've never given any orders before. I guess tonight was just the night for never befores. Looks like you weren't just the only one, Ash.

Unfortunately, you weren't.

"Elf!" Irene snapped. "Stand aside! You know that this is going to kill him!"

I couldn't see what was happening behind me, and I wasn't going to let my focus stray now. I kept my hands up, even though I couldn't. The smoke was intensifying, the glow was shining… it was happening.

"I have my orders," Ash's voice was so strained. Those eyes, I didn't want to imagine how they looked right then. If they hurt, if they hesitated, I know they definitely did but even still, she stood firm. "Keep away from my Master."

"When I said you have to be there for him in the car, I didn't mean it like this!" Irene was only just shouting, still standing in place. "You're about to let your master die! Are you sure you want that?"

I didn't hear Ash's reply, I couldn't hear it. Everything started feeling distant, sounding distant, looking distant. Million-mile echoes down a million-mile tunnel - I know this feeling too well. It was happening again.

My magic, it's -

"He's turning white, Elf!" An echo over and over. Irene, I think. "His face - look at it! Is that what you want?!"

Delirium. Depletion. Death.

I don't want it.

"I don't get to want! This is what my Master wants!"

Ash sounded so far away saying it. Ash sounded so sad saying it. Don't say that, Ash… I won't let you say that.

Keep your arms up, keep your focus up, keep your will up. Persevere. What's after the smoke? What's after the glow? It was still murking, it was still shining - what's next? What's after?

Ah, that's right. It was supposed to…

Something exploded. Something fell.

Fall.

My arms.

I fell.

There was no thud. I heard. There was no pain. I felt. What's next? What's after? I forgot. What did I need to do next? Why was I lying on the floor? Why wasn't I moving at all?

The smoke… it wasn't supposed to be clearing, should it? The glow… it shouldn't be disappearing. That's not what comes next. It shouldn't be going away.

"Don't go!"

Did I even say it? Did the words even leave my lips? Was I imagining? Was I dreaming? I don't care, I can't let it go. I have to stand, I have to try again.

Try what again? I thought I did it? Did I fail? I thought I shouldn't- wasn't suppose to fail. No, I succeeded. I did it.

That's why the smoke was clearing. That's why the glow was disappearing.

Right?

"Stay back!"

Who… who shouted? Who did it? It was loud. It was painful. Was that the explosion? Why I fell?

"Do not move from there, I'm warning you."

I can't move, regardless. Don't need to yell. I… I… I don't think you're yelling at me, are you? Your eyes. Irene, your eyes… you aren't angry, you're frightened.

Who's scaring you?"

"Get away from him!"

A flutter, was it? The wind must be picking up, everything was flowing. The strands of my sticky hair, grains of dirt and grime careening across the white paint.

Everything was blowing.

Including that too, swaying so closely by my eyes - the slow graceful flutter of a violet cloak.

Sera Nas.

She was staring. Only staring. Those golden, piercing, glinting eyes. They looked so curious, they looked so confused. I can't see your face. Your thick hood shrouding you, your purple mouth veil hiding you.

You're reaching your arm at me, but you aren't going to hurt me. I can see that, I can see you.

But they can't see you. They can't see you're only curious. They can't see you don't mean any harm.

I have to tell them, I have to get up.

Don't touch me just yet.

"Sera Nas!"

Another explosion, another shout. It broke our stare away. Sera immediately looked up, I trailed along after.

It took a moment for my eyes to focus, but once they did, I knew exactly what I was staring at here.

A blade pointed, a blade outstretched, the glimmer of moonlight shining across its surface, and just lurking beyond it, the glow of emerald eyes stared steady and ready.

Sera… every inch veiled, every part hidden, yet despite it all - the shock in her eyes meeting Ash's, the quiet gasp underneath her veil, they were as plain as day for all to see.

Everybody knew what that look in her eyes was - the trembling, the way they stared so tender. They were far louder than any shout, any yell.

"You know who I am, yes?" Ash took a step forward. "Just as much, you too know just what it is I am capable of."

Wait, I didn't tell Ash this. I don't remember telling her. Who told her? Who -?

Amanda.

You're quaking in your boots, you're standing there so far behind from everything - yet you're staring at it all like everything was going just fine.

Since when, Amanda? What'd you tell her to do? Play pretend? I thought you knew Sera's story just as much as I do… you should know she despises liars.

Didn't I tell you before Ash was a terrible liar?

"Sadly, I cannot say much of the same," Ash, much to my utter shocked, admitted. "I do not know you, nor will I claim that I ever have."

Sera made a noise. It was quiet, so quick… no one even heard it. But I did, only because I was making that same noise too - a grunt, a very confused grunt.

"I understand if you find that statement rather perplexing, but just know that I speak only but the truth."

Only but the truth…

So that's what you told her. Amanda, you little minx. You did know. You didn't tell Ash to pretend, you told her to be genuine. I didn't think of that. I should have. Especially after everything that's been unraveled these past few days, I should really know better.

Honesty was the best policy.

Ash continued being honest.

"You have been summoned forth to another world," She said, giving rise to another short bewildered grunt. "As was I. Understand that you are no longer in the realm of Asteria. You are now on Earth. A realm detached from all you have known."

Irene wasn't saying anything… I suppose she thought Ash had this all under control somewhat. I did too. So why were her eyes still lingering that edge in them?

Why was she still so frightened?

"If you wish to know why, if you must know the exact reason," I can hear it from her too now. Ash also had that edge. "You will draw those hands away from my Master's neck."

My neck?

I looked.

I gasped.

Sera just growled.

Those weren't hands. I thought she was just reaching for me, I thought she was just curious. I didn't see what they saw. Now I did.

It wasn't her hand.

Something else emerged from the dark slit in her cloak. A hand? I couldn't call that. Too many fingers, too many sharp edges, it didn't even have flesh to hide the many mangled broken bones.

If it gripped, if it even touched my neck - it couldn't. It'd just crush it in an instant. She'd crush me… she was about to…

I thought you were just confused.

"Do as I say, Sera," Ash lowered her blade. "I implore you."

Rapid blinks below a furrowed brow… her eyes weren't as tender anymore, they looked annoyed. They looked at me.

Those glowing yellows really were deceiving…

I found that I couldn't stare at them for long. I couldn't even stare anymore, hear anymore.

Here comes that feeling again.

It's been days since I slept. This wasn't a good time to break that streak. But my body wasn't listening to me anymore. It's had enough… it's had enough a long time ago.

Sera just kept staring at me… so irritated those eyes look, like a child being told no… and like a child, she begrudgingly listened.

I can't see that hand on my throat anymore. That gap in her violet cloak had closed shut.

You really were going to kill me, weren't you Sera? That's evil, man. Too evil…

But… that's what… I get, right? Summoning… a fantasy villain…

Just...what… the fuck… was I thinking?

Heh...