#P.O.L:Origins

[lightningmastertrilogy]

Tara jumped away again, but she didn’t realize she was throwing herself right into another wave until she was midair. Her eyes widened, and she felt the air approaching her grow stronger. She turned so that she would land on her hand, then used it to push herself forward, before pulling one of her guns and firing it behind her. The impact of the shot gave her the push she needed.

“So you’re using your pistols? Isn’t that cheating?” Baldur grinned, and cracked his knuckles.

“You told me to come at you with everything I’ve got! Haven’t you?” She answered, and slipped down, pushing herself away with another shot. “In a real battle, you have to give everything you’ve got, even if it’s cheating!” She yelled, as she continued to make her way towards him.

“That’s right. That’s exactly the kind of attitude you need to have, young lady.” He affirmed, and took a deep breath.

He then bent forward, and launched another attack. Tara jumped, and used her guns as a push from below, making her jump even further into the air, avoiding his attack.

She smiled, the rush of adrenaline taking over her senses. Baldur watched her carefully, and though he was going easy on her, he wouldn’t allow her victory just yet.

Tara pointed one of her guns at him, and took the shot. Baldur merely smiled, and right as the bullet was about to hit him, he used an uppercut, changing its direction, and destroying it in the process.

He transferred his penergy into his legs, and leaped towards Tara, breaking the ground below his feet in the process.

He headed towards her at an incredible speed, and out of panic, she attempted to shoot him again, only to groan in frustration and shoot to the side, getting out of his way.

He laughed, crashed against the wall, and used it to push himself towards her again, chasing after her. He then threw a punch into her direction, one that she did not manage to escape.

The air pressure caused by his attack struck her down, resulting in her crashing brutally against the ground.

Baldur’s eyes widened. He may have gone too far.

He landed, and ran towards the girl. “Are you okay?” He asked, unable to see the girl due to the dirt in the air, caused by so much destruction. To his surprise, a bullet went through his shoulder.

He jumped back, and took his fighting stance. His arm now felt heavy, but he could still use it.

There was Tara, standing before him, looking as if she was about to fall. Blood was pouring from her head, and cuts were all over her body.

However, her eyes contained a fire that he has never seen before.

“We can stop. You’re injured.” He insisted, despite knowing what her answer would be.

“No…” Tara breathed out. Her body was shaking, and she was panting. Her vision was becoming blurrier by the second, meaning she didn’t have much time before she would pass out. She opened her mouth, only to close it. She didn’t need to waste her energy on talking.

Taglist: @lycobra, @cadewrites, @rhyaxxyn, @badman-blr, @ruehyte

Ask me and I will add you to the taglist!

[lightningmastertrilogy]

I was watching an anime lately and there is this thing i like about the preview for next episodes. They don't reveal a thing or spoil and instead they are skits of the characters acting silly.

That gave me the idea, why not make previews for chapters in my book? A little bonus of interactions that couldn't happen in the chapter!

[lightningmastertrilogy]

I’m so tired so why not make a meme out of my ocs and the current chapter?

[lightningmastertrilogy]

Path Of Lightning: Origins chapter 17: The fox

Chapter summary: Bob faces off against the assassin, engaging in a fight to death for the necklace.

Word count: 3k words.

Read all chapters here | Read on Wattpad.

Taglist: @cadewrites, @lycobra, @ruehyte, @love-killed-the-superstar, @rhyaxxyn, @badman-blr

New chapter:

Silence lingered in the room, as the fox and the author observed each other for what felt like eternity. No one was willing to land a hit. 

Bob kept his composure, though his body was itching to make the first move.

People give off auras, some are stronger than others, and this woman’s aura was about to suffocate him. He couldn’t see her eyes hidden behind the masks’ lenses, but he still felt like they were digging into his soul.

And then, in the blink of an eye, she was dashing towards him. Her speed was hard to follow, so he quickly wrote something on his notebook, creating a line before him just in time to shield him from her blade. His eyes darted to the other hand. The assassin raised her other sword, and with a swift move, Bob made another line to block it.

She silently leaned forward, as if challenging him, before pulling away and bending down, and sweeping his legs.

The author barely had time to react, and as he was falling backwards, he saw her arms outstretched to her sides, ready to cut him in two. She swung both her swords towards him, and he clicked on the tip of his pen, making it light up.

A blue light circle showed up behind him, and he let himself fall into it, letting it swallow him, and avoiding the tips of the katanas by an inch.

The assassin jumped backwards, looking around for the author. The circle was gone the moment he fell into it, and she had no indication of where he could be.

There was nothing but silence, no sounds of breathing, no footsteps, no presence. He was gone.

The assassin knew better than to relax though, and she was right, because she swiftly turned around, gliding in a circle, and cut a ray of light that was heading towards her.

“Impressive.” Bob walked out of another circle, and smirked, his pen brushing against the notebook’s paper. “You’re not an intruder I should underestimate. I am quite intrigued by you.” Dozens of blue circles appeared around the room, surrounding them both. “However, you’ve made your choice, and now I must write you off the story.”

A circle appeared in the space between them and the woman backed away and raised both her swords in defense. The blades lit up for a moment, with purple energy surrounding them, then disappearing.

Bob’s pen brushed against the paper, and a ray of light burst out of it and towards the intruder, who cut through it with her weapons.

Without losing his focus, the author kept writing and more circles surrounded the woman and fired magic at her. She cut all the lights with her swords, but it was all in vain. Cutting the magic only served to multiply it and all the lines that she cut froze in space around her.

Her eyes widened, and a shadow enveloped her right as all those lights around her exploded.

Bob watched as the room lit up for a few seconds, only to be dulled by all the smoke created by the damage.

He stood there, keeping the tip of his pen on the paper. There was no sound of movement, and while his attack was not enough to kill, it should have knocked the intruder out.

He felt something. It wasn't sound, or even aura, in fact, there was nothing at all. It was mere luck that he looked up.

The woman was falling towards him, with her swords raised up to strike him down.

He let his pen slip through the blank page, creating a portal that absorbed the woman, only to spit her out through another on the other side of the room.

“You don’t know when to quit, do you?” He frowned, panting from the sudden attack. Lights appeared behind him, taking the forms of arrows. He launched them at her, as she ran towards him.

She put her swords back, and pulled a couple of shuriken from her waist bag. She avoided a couple of the arrows, before throwing the shuriken at the author.

He opened another portal before himself, and the other opening appeared right before the assassin.

It was a foolish attempt, or so, he thought.

The woman jumped backwards towards that hole, allowing the shuriken to pierce her back and arm. She pulled one of her swords, and thrusted it into the portal, making it appear right before Bob, and with a turn of her wrist, she angled it well enough to impale his notebook.

She pulled away, right before the portal and arrows disappeared.

Bob groaned and threw his notebook away. He wrote a spell on the palm of his hand, and started chanting under his breath.

The assassin headed towards him once again, but this time, she disappeared from his sight, and the next thing he knew, her sword went through his body, causing him to scream in agony, and vomit blood.

He grabbed her by the arm, and smirked. The woman only stared back unmoving.

“I have you where I want you.” Blue chains appeared on his arm, before turning into flames.

The woman kicked him away, and watched him drop to the floor, and watched as his flames took over his body, until it disappeared.

It disappeared, leaving a blue glowing rabbit staring back at her. Its ears twitched, and the floor beneath them became black, yet she heard a single drop of water echoing in the background.

The rabbit ran by her, and with every jump, she heard a drop, and with every drop, a mirror emerged from the darkness.

She looked up, and she was no longer in the same room, not with the moon staring down.

She slowly took every shuriken from her body, while patiently waiting for the rabbit to finish its job, and when she turned to look at him again, copies of herself came through every mirror.

The assassin put back her swords, and placed her hands on her hips, silently watching. Her shoulders shook for a moment, as if suppressing a laugh.

She raised one of her hands towards the enemies and gestured towards herself, anticipating their attacks.

                                             -P.O.L:Origins-

Meanwhile, the building started to slowly regain its old shape but most of the doors were still blocked. Liz was leaning against the wall, moving her injured shoulder and testing it, while Nosaru tried to contact her sister.

“Hello?” Aiko’s face appeared on the tablet’s screen. She took a book off her head and it looked like her office was a mess. She fixed her hair and took a look at her sister. “You look troubled.” She stated.

“The place was attacked and we’re stuck. I don’t know how many are there but I heard what sounded like a fight nearby. You think you could send some help?” Nosaru asked, hoping to get some support.

“Oh please, I took care of that ages ago.” Aiko answered with a smug expression. The confusion on the younger sister’s face made her smile grow wider. “I had a feeling that things would go wrong, so I sent backup.” She explained. If anything, Aiko had some good intuition.

Nosaru sighed in relief and smiled. “I can’t decide if you’re amazing or scary.”

“Amazingly scary?” Liz suggested.

“Isn’t my pet impressive?” Aiko commented in amusement. “Nosaru, pet her for me, would you?” She said much to the blonde’s dismay and ended the call.

Nosaru smirked and put a hand on her partner’s head, making the blonde groan.

“Liz! Nosaru!” They both turned to the person calling their names. 

Tara and Yuki ran towards them, able to reach them now that the walls were taking their former shapes.

“Are you okay?” Tara asked and kneeled beside Liz when she noticed her bloody clothes. The blonde nodded with a reassuring smile, while the ice user sighed in relief.

“We need to get into the room!” Yuki said and Nosaru nodded and followed him while Liz leaned against Tara for support.

They ran to the room and tried to open the door, but the moment Yuki tried to touch the handle, it shocked him, making him pull his hand away. The door was protected by a magic field.

Nosaru put a hand on his shoulder, making him move away. She summoned the knight’s phantom surprising the group except for Liz who caught a glimpse of it earlier. The phantom’s sword crashed with the wall but the field blocked the sword, causing Nosaru to stumble backwards at the impact.

“What was THAT?” Yuki yelled at the sight of the knight. He yelped when he noticed chains tying Nosaru’s back to the phantom. Tara only watched in awe.

“I’ll explain later, we need to figure a way in first.”

“Perhaps we need to use magic? It is a building for wizards after all.” Tara suggested, while Liz’s eyebrows shot up, before she touched the necklace around her neck.

“Then how were the intruders able to get in and change its shape?” Nosaru asked, but as soon as she did, her eyes widened. “Are you suggesting that they might have magic knowledge?”

“It’s possible.” Tara said. It was the only possibility she could think of. A wizard must have betrayed the others.

“In that case, try this.” Liz took off her necklace and handed it to the knight, who looked back at her confused. “Bob gave it to me, so maybe if you have a magical object you can break it.”

Nosaru looked in surprise, before taking the necklace, and wrapping it around the handle of her sword.

                                            -P.O.L:Origins-

The fight in the other room continued, as the assassin battled her own clones.

She ran towards them, avoiding their attacks, and heading towards the farthest ones. The first clone in her way drew its sword, and attempted to cut her, only for the woman to duck to the side, and kick the copy in the face, before pulling it by the arm using it as a shield for an upcoming attack from behind.

She pushed them towards each other, resulting in one of them getting impaled and disappearing into smoke. She jumped to the side, dodging another slash, then punching the clone in the stomach, making it collide with the others.

“It’s useless. The clones will keep coming, and you will eventually run out of energy to fight.” The author’s voice echoed in the room, and she looked around trying to find its source.

The assassin then turned to one of the mirrors, and pulled one of her swords, and attacked it, breaking it.

The shattered glass started glowing, and she jumped backwards, as the shards turned into blue flames, merging together into the rabbit from before.

The assassin turned and dashed towards the clones, and every step she took on the water, caused a circle to glow, leaving a mark for the rabbit to follow.

Three of the clones rushed towards her, so she jumped towards them, then used one's shoulders as a push for another jump.

The clones ended up being the victim of the rabbit, its mere touch sat them on fire.

Unfortunately, more clones emerged from the mirrors.

The woman's eyes looked left and right, before she pulled more shuriken.

She threw them around with precision, shattering most of the mirrors, and as more rabbits took form and sought her, she fought off her clones, using them as shields.

She pulled her other katana, and blocked one attack after another, while setting more of her enemies on fire.

She ducked an attack, making two of the copies stab each other, and used her shuriken to destroy the rest of the mirrors, emptying the dark room once again.

There were no more rabbits, and no more clones.

She was alone, with no exit.

"Give it up." The author spoke again. "You have no way out. If you stand down, your punishment won't be severe."

The assassin crossed her arms, as if thinking about his suggestion. She then shrugged, giving him her answer.

She heard another water drop, and looked down.

The once dark water started glowing in blue.

Her eyes widened in realization, and she looked around, still not seeing a way out.

She then looked up to the moon, and a purple circle appeared beneath her feet. She jumped high with the force of that circle pushing her forward.

The blue 'water' took the form of a giant flaming rabbit, following after her.

Purple energy surrounded her sword, as she raced against the beast to reach the fake moon.

She slashed with her swords, sending the energy in her swords towards it, and allowing herself to fall into the flames.

The energy reached the fake moon, breaking the dark surroundings into a thousand mirror shards, bringing her back into the room.

Bob stood in the middle of the room, glaring at the falling woman, whose body was filled with burns.

He sighed, and created a light in the ground to catch her. However, the woman opened her eyes, and turned towards him.

A circle appeared again on her feet, suspending her in the air.

Bob's eyes widened and he took his pen to write and spell, but the woman already jumped, reaching him in the blink of an eye.

His heart stopped when the woman landed behind him.

He blinked, realizing that he was still breathing, and that she did not cut him in half.

He turned, only for the hand holding his pen to hit with the blade, forcing him to drop it.

He groaned in pain and grasped his hurt hand, then looked at the woman whose blade was now an inch away from his throat.

The burns from her body were healing.

"Regeneration? Are you a demon?" He asked, sweating as he tried to figure a way to escape.

The woman simply titled her head in amusement.

Her free hand held the necklace.

"When did you get that?!" Her only response was to twirl it around her finger. "That object is not a toy." He stated, straightening his back as his glare hardened.

At that notion, the necklace disappeared from her hand, only leaving traces of her purple energy.

His eyes widened, and he clenched his teeth.

“Where did it go?”

He received no response, only the blade touching his neck enough to cause the smallest of cuts.

Letting out a shaky breath, he moved his thumb on his injured hand, writing something with his blood.

The woman jumped backwards, but chains emerged from the ground, catching her.

Shadowy lines surrounded her bodies, before going towards the author to attack him.

He prepared himself to fight back, only for the wall to fall apart, surprising both Bob, and his enemy.

Nosaru appeared from the other side, and when she the assassin, she equipped a gun and shot at her.

The woman’s shadow broke her chains, allowing her to dodge the shot, but only barely, as the energy broke a part of her mask, revealing a hint of her golden eye.

She and Nosaru locked gazes for a split second, before the purple shadow enveloped her body, causing her to disappear from the room.

Bob placed his palm on his face, and sighed.

He then looked at Nosaru, who seemed as disappointed as he was. The others walked into the room, and Liz shot him a concerned look.

“Bob! Are you okay?” She asked, but still held on to Tara.

“I could ask you the same.” He walked towards them, concerned at all the blonde.

“It’s just a flesh wound.” Liz grinned, and Nosaru sighed deeply.

He chuckled at her response, but his face soon turned somber.

“I should have been more careful.” Bob said and loosened his tie, frustrated.

“Aiko sent some help, so hopefully they might be able to track her.” Nosaru informed him then unequipped her weapon.

Bob sighed, thinking of the consequences this could have. The fact that a penergy user managed to get inside meant two things. That woman was either a witch, or she had a wizard help her. He leaned more towards the second one. Wizards and witches awakening penergy wasn’t impossible, but was a rare case and they mostly don’t use it because of their pride.

That meant that someone betrayed them. But who?

                                            -P.O.L:Origins-

The masked woman was transported to a building outside. She stared at the moon, although a real one this time, before chuckling and removing her mask.

“What an entertaining night this turned out to be.” She smirked, and looked at the quiet streets. “It’s up to you now, Chameleon.”

The Chameleon she was wondering about, ran as far as he could the moment he received the necklace.

He had green hair and brown eyes. He wore a green and yellow hoodie, along with black jeans. Just like his partner, he had a mask on his face, but this one was completely white, with no patterns.

It was the simplest of masks, to cover his identity.

His gaze went from left to right, watching his surroundings.

He suddenly stopped and jumped away, avoiding what looked like an energy bullet. He lifted his eyes and was met with the sight of a trio.

It was no other than The End, Copycat, and Malik.

“I’m afraid this is where you stop.” The End pointed his gun at him, looking extremely serious considering what he was about to say. “I am the End.”

Chameleon blinked.

“I am Copy Cat!” Copy Cat introduced himself then pointed his finger at Malik. “And that is-“

“DON’T!” Malik yelled, and grabbed his friend’s arm, pulling down.

“Sandy!” Copy Cat finished, making him groan loudly.

“I hate my life.” Malik stated, and crossed his arms. “Why do you always do that?! Why must you embarrass me every time?”

“This is our trademark bro! You can’t run away from who you are!”

Chameleon watched the strange scene unfold with wide eyes, and all he could say was…

“This… This might as well happen.” 

Next chapter: The Chameleon.

[lightningmastertrilogy]

Path of Lightning: Origins chapters 12 & 13: To be like you

Summary: Ryu has a hard time fitting in, even within his family.

Total word count: 4.7k words.

Read on wattpad: 12 & 13.

Read Chapters:

Chapter 12:

Ryu let out a long sigh the moment he stepped out of school.

He gripped his backpack straps tightly, before nervously looking around. His eyes lingered on some of the kids gathering together and laughing, as they headed home together.

His eyes moved back to his shoes, and he proceeded to walk forward, only for a kid to knock him down as he ran in a rush.

He groaned in pain, then pushed himself up. He just wanted to go home and get over with it, so he fastened his pace.

Meanwhile at home, Nosaru stared at intently at a manual then at the device attached to the TV. Her eyebrows moved upwards, as she continued to glance between the two.

"Just how many cables does this thing need?!" She ran a hand through her hair before sighing. She opened her eyes and gave in to her impulsive thoughts, as she threw the book across the room. "I don't need manuals. I'm a professional." She muttered and started working.

When Ryu finally arrived, he was met with a big mess. He looked in surprise at the wires taking over a good part of the living room, along with a manual that he almost stepped on. He yelped when he saw his sister’s head pop up from behind the sofa.

"Welcome home, Ryu!" Nosaru said, still panting from the fight she had with the cables, but what caught his eyes were the console and the cd case next to it. "Is that a playbox U?!" He exclaimed and jumped on the couch before picking a controller. The action made his sister smile fondly.

"C'mon sis! Play with me!"

"I don't know how to play." She replied, shaking her head.

'It's okay! I saw one of my classmates play it! I'll teach you!" After a few rounds, he regretted it. "How did you…?" He stared at the screen in shock. He lost every round.

"It turns out I have skills." Nosaru said, pleased with herself.

"But… but Leo is the coolest character! He can't lose!" Ryu argued, still in disbelief. "Rematch! I want a rematch!"

"No one is perfect, Ryu." His sister said, jabbing him playfully. "What confuses me is that the game is called Final Fatal Round… If it's 'final' then how come it has so many sequels, movies, comics and even an anime…?" She voiced her confusion.

"That's what we call 'milking' a franchise." Aiko said, sitting next to them on the couch. Her sudden appearance made them both jump off their seats.

"Where did you come from?!" Both siblings shouted.

"I was here the whole time." Aiko answered with a shrug, while the two squinted. "By the way, about this mess you made…"

"I was going to clean it." Nosaru said.

"Good. I'm so exhausted!" Aiko said and stood up. "I'm going to take a nap." She said then went upstairs.

Ryu's eyes wandered on her for a moment, before he looked at the younger sister with hesitance. "I've been wondering… you have being kinda weird lately. Do you… want to talk about it?"

"What do you mean by weird?" Nosaru asked, furrowing her eyebrows. She didn't think he would notice. Did she make it too obvious for him?

Ryu stared at her for a while, then shook his head. "Nothing… Anyway! Thanks for the game!" He hugged her than ran to his room.

She sighed and buried her face in her hands. She felt guilty for hiding things from him, but it was for the best. He was better off not knowing their family secret.

Ryu collapsed on his bed and grabbed a comic book. "I'm not blind… I know what's going on." He thought as he stared at pages. "I'm just not good enough like you Leo." He said, staring at a panel of his favorite hero.

                                           -P.O.L:Origins-

The next morning, Liz and Yuki walked together in the hallway.

"I still can't believe that you're paired with her." Yuki said with disbelief, while the blonde was focused on the book in her hands. "How was it?" He asked, trying to take a peek at whatever the blonde was reading, only for her to pull the book away.

"Why is it so important?" Liz asked, then closed the book, knowing that he would keep distracting her. "Everyone is making a big fuss about it and I don't understand why. She’s just like everyone else."

"You're Nosaru Akina's partner! The person who could possibly take charge of Aether in the future! The cold and distant member who avoids everyone! We are talking about the Ice queen!" He explained his point with frantic hand movements as if it would make his point clearer.

"She's not an ice queen, she's just grumpy… and that's ironic coming from an ice user." Liz commented, frowning. "So this whole heiress deal…You know there's Aiko too."

"Well, there is room for debate. Aiko is a genius, but Nosaru is obviously stronger when it comes to a fight." Yuki said. "To be honest, a lot here prefer Aiko for obvious reasons."

"That's hilarious… they should try being her 'favorite subject'" She muttered and shook her head when she remembered the woman's scary smile. "Anyway, the old man is still kicking, so there is no use talking about this." She said, before shoving her hands into her pockets. She didn’t like thinking about someone’s father dying, not when it hit so close to home.

They both passed by the cafeteria and saw the blue haired girl sitting alone looking grumpier than usual. Liz sent her friend a smirk that made him shake his head desperately.

"You won't make me sit next to the ice queen!" Yuki protested but it was in vain since the blonde gripped his arm and dragged him along.

She had a strong grip.

"Hello!" Liz greeted cheerfully. "Mind if we sit with you?"

"Yes." Nosaru said, but of course the blonde ignored her and sat.

"You know maybe we shouldn't…" Yuki was about to leave but the blonde forced him to sit. "…Fine."

"What's up Grumpy?" Liz asked with the book still in hand.

"Is that what I think it is?" Nosaru's eyes focused on the book, her eyebrows moved downwards.

"Oh, and how do you know what it is?" Liz smirked. "Don't tell me you read this stuff,. Never expected that from yo-"

"AIKO reads it…" Nosaru blushed from embarrassment, while Liz's face lost all colors at the mention of the oldest sister. "Should I worry about the fact that my partner is a pervert?"

"Yes." Liz answered immediately which made the blue haired girl snatch the book and hit her on the head with it. "Ouch! I’m joking! I just think this stuff is bad to the point it’s hilarious to be honest." Nosaru just rolled her eyes.

"She's… she's over there!" Yuki exclaimed suddenly when his eyes landed on a brunette in the distance, and he accidently froze the table.

"Hey!" Liz backed away from the frozen table then followed her friend's line of sight. The girl had emerald eyes, and long brown hair. It was hard to make out what clothes she was wearing under her long cloak, but Liz managed to see their black color. "Don't tell me that's the girl you have a crush on." He nodded and kept staring until the blonde turned his head away. "Stop staring or she'll think you're a creep!"

“You mean like you?” Nosaru commented, as she took a sip from her coffee.

“Hey!”

"What am I supposed to do?!" The ice user asked. "I'm too nervous to talk to her!"

"Tara might not be a penergy user, but I assure you she can take you out with one shot." Nosaru joined the conversation, and Yuki sighed.

“Yeah I know- Wait,you know each other?" Yuki asked her, hopeful instead of scared. She shrugged in return.

"We sometimes train at shooting together."

"How about we go talk to her?" Liz suggested and put an arm around Yuki who looked as if he was about to get a heart attack. He violently shook his head.

"Nope, nope, nope…" Yuki said but his protests were ignored once again as Liz dragged him towards his crush.

"I am surrounded by idiots." Nosaru muttered before deciding to follow them. She didn't want the poor sniper to be intimidated by those idiots.

"Hi!" Liz greeted the girl who turned to her, confused. "I'm Liz! I'm new here!"

"Oh, hello!" Tara stuttered and blushed. Liz resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow, questioning the girl’s nervous stance. "I'm Tara. It's a pleasure to… pleasure to meet… to meet you!" She said with a warm smile.

"H-hi!" Yuki said with a large grin that was totally unnatural and the blonde shook her head at her friend's hopelessness. Fortunately, the brunette did not notice.

"Hey Tara, I hope they're not making you uncomfortable." Nosaru smiled at her, a sight that was even more unnatural. She then glared at her and Yuki, much to her relief. “I hope these two aren’t making you uncomfortable.”

"Oh, not at all!" Tara said, tucking her hair behind her ears. She had trouble looking at them in the eye.

"Don't worry partner! We're friendly!" Liz said with a grin and put an arm around Nosaru.

"Can't you keep your hands for yourself?" Nosaru complained only for the blonde to ignore her.

"So, you come here often?" Yuki said, while Tara blinked at him. Nosaru and Liz groaned.

“Tara, this is my partner. Liz, this is Tara. She is an excellent sniper.” Nosaru stepped in, saving him.

“You’re giving me too much credit.” The girl chuckled, still avoiding eye contact. Liz came to the conclusion that the girl was just shy. Not the best combination with a line of work that involves a whole community. “Liz, is that it? Do you have powers?”

“I can summon weapons.” Liz smiled.

“Like Nosaru? That’s cool!”

“Nah, just melee weapons.” She said, then wrapped an arm around Yuki who looked like he was dying from embarrassement. “My friend here, Yuki, is an ice user. He’s the ‘cool’ one.” She winked, and the brunette laughed softly at the pun, while Nosaru gave her an amused look.

"Oh, really? C-can you make something?" Tara asked and her smile widened. He stared at her for a moment, before snapping out of his daze.

"Yeah! Of course!" He joined his hands together and created a rose with his powers. The girl stared at it in awe which made him gain a bit of confidence.

"Aw they're adorable." Liz commented and the blue haired girl nodded. For once they agreed on something.

"So, you’re a sniper?" Yuki asked.

"Yeah! You see, my dad is in the military and he taught me all kind of stuff so I can defend myself, but I just fell in love with the rifle! I can have my distance and still get a critical hit! You see what makes rifles special is that…" Tara kept rambling about her obsession with snipers, and her stuttering and nervousness were suddenly gone. The ice user listened to her and tried to focus on what she was saying but his brain couldn't match the girl's speed. The partners stared at her, surprised by the change of attitude.

"Do you… have any idea what she's talking about?" Liz asked her partner while staring at the girl in disbelief.

"No, but I'm impressed by the sudden change." Nosaru answer.

Out of nowhere, the blonde felt something heavy fall on her, colliding her with the floor. She groaned and pushed away the person who fell on her. She grabbed them by the back of their collar and pulled them up.

The person was a child. He had a blue spiky hair, matched with blue eyes. He stared at her, frightened. She couldn't help but notice that he looked really familiar, but she couldn't figure out why.

"Hey! Whose child is this?" She asked with an annoyed tone.

Nosaru stared at her brother in shock. "Ryu?"

Chapter 13:

Nosaru felt her heart stop as she stared at her brother. Her head was filled with questions.

Why was he here? How did he get here? How is her father going to react?

"Sis?" Ryu turned to her confused, once Liz let him go. "What is this place?"

Yuki and Tara gasped while Liz was still confused about everything. Everyone in the room started glancing at each other and whispering. Those whispers were too distracting for the blue haired girl.

Her mind went blank and she couldn't answer. She was startled when her sister stood between her and Ryu. Aiko was out of breath, she was panting as if she was running.

"To dad's... office" she managed to say between her rushed breaths. She took her brother by the hand. He followed her silently, feeling confused and scared from all the stares he was receiving.

Nosaru ignored them and followed her siblings.

"What was that about?" Liz asked with a frown while Yuki and Tara stared at her wondering how someone could be so clueless.

It wasn't until they reached the hallway, that the blue haired girl found her voice again. "How is he here? How did dad find out?"

"Well he called me and asked why I was late... I told him I didn't find my tablet... And he made the conclusion." Aiko said after finally regaining her breath. She ran a hand through her hair, avoiding eye contact with her sister.

"How could you just forget your tablet?!" Nosaru exclaimed.

Aiko stopped, took a deep breath then turned to her and started counting her fingers. “I go to work, I do the housework, and I also have to come here! Do you seriously expect me to remember anything anymore?"

"Um... Please don't fight!" Ryu intervened, as the two glared at each other. "I... Know everything. I heard you talking about it. I want to have cool powers too. I want to be like you." His expression lit up towards the end, but Nosaru’s only darkened.

"No you don't." Nosaru said with a forceful tone. Her sister touched her arm and nodded towards the door.

Aiko opened the door and the three entered the office. Hiroshi was sitting at his desk, signing some papers. He stopped and looked at them.

Nosaru looked down.

"Ryu." He address the child calmly, but both girls noticed the sternness in his voice. "How did you come here?" He asked, looking back at his work.

"I found this... A-and I clicked on some button that brought me here." Ryu answered, his hands holding into the tips of his shirt. "Can I be like everyone here? Can I be helpful too?" He asked with a bright smile.

Hirsohi didn't smile back. He gave his daughters a look that told them to leave. The blue haired girl wanted to protest but decided against it, and followed Aiko outside.

Once they were alone, she kept pacing around, not bothering to hide her worry while her sister rested against the wall.

"How can you be so calm?" Nosaru asked.

"I'm sure he'll make the right decision." The older sister answered, but her words only made the blue haired girl more upset.

"Is the right decision throwing him into this dangerous life?! Is that his way of protecting him?"

"Aren't you being a hypocrite right now?" Aiko said with the slightest hint of anger which caught Nosaru off guard. "You both think that what you're doing is right and that it's the best for everyone. The truth is that you're not giving Ryu the right to choose. He might be too young to make decisions, but the day he makes one, I'll respect it. I won't hold him back."

Nosaru's eyes widened and she remained silent. Was she really holding him back? She didn't consider his feelings. She only thought about protecting him because she couldn't stand feeling that pain again. The pain of losing someone dear.

The moment the thought crossed her mind, her vision blurred and she no longer looked at the hallway, but at a grave.

She saw people dressed in black, but she couldn't make out their faces, the eyes were hidden, but their lips were moving.

She couldn't hear what they were saying, she didn't want to hear what they saying.

She only focused on the stone that had her mother's name written on it. She only focused on the emptiness that was in her heart.

She felt as if she was suffocating.

She snapped from her daydream –or nightmare- when she heard Aiko call Ryu's name.

Following her line of vision, she noticed Ryu was running in the hallway, ignoring his sister. Nosaru felt someone shaking her. She looked at Aiko who was saying something, but she couldn't focus on the words.

"What...?" She said, dazed.

"Let's go after him!" Aiko repeated and let go of her before running after her brother.

Nosaru's heart skipped as she came back to her senses, and followed her sister.

Ryu ran and ran until he was out of breath, and his legs started to shake. He wiped away the tears and looked around. He was outside, in the garden. He looked down at his feet, feeling sad and deceived.

"It's not fair... I'm not weak like he said. I'm not useless. I can prove it to him, so why won't he give me a chance?!" He said, unaware that someone was watching him. "Why won't anyone give me chance to be more than just a burden?!" He yelled, then sighed.

He sat down on the grass, pulling his knees to his chest and burying his head into them, sobbing quietly.

"Hi there." A guy surprised him. He had two boys following him. His hair was black, and his eyes were brown and mischievous yet, a young boy couldn’t know that."My name is Jun, and I accidently heard you talking. It looks like someone thinks you're not good enough. That's cruel."

"M-my name is Ryu..." Ryu answered, using his sleeves to wipe his tears. He took the hand that Jun offered him, and stood up.

"What if I gave you an easy job that will help you prove yourself to everyone?" Jun said with a kind smile. "I'm sure you're more than meets the eye."

Ryu thought about it. Maybe he had a chance to prove to his family that he wasn't a good for nothing. So he nodded.

Meanwhile, Liz, Yuki, and Tara were walking outside.

"So, now the third member of this crazy family is here... great." Liz complained and put her hands behind her head as she walked.

"Do you… think they’re okay?" Tara looked at them, worried.

"I'm sure they're fine! Don't worry!" Yuki assured her, although he wasn’t too sure of it. He knew their boss was strict, but he wouldn’t be so harsh on his children. At least he hoped he wouldn’t.

“It’s just that, Nosaru is always on edge whenever her father is mentioned.” Tara stated. Liz looked at her in curiosity, before turning her head to the road again.

She stopped when she heard a noise nearby. "Did you guys hear that?"

"What?" The pair asked and the blonde almost slapped herself. She forgot that her demon blood gave her stronger senses that the others.

She walked towards the source of the sound, and she saw Jun giving Ryu some coordinates and sending him away. Tara and Yuki followed her, and saw the scene as well.

"Those Akina kids act all high and mighty, it’s honestly disgusting." Jun said with a smirk to his friends. "Maybe this way they'll learn a lesson."

"Are you sure this is okay? If they find out..." One of the boys said.

"It's fine!"

"I wonder about that." Liz walked towards them. "Where did you send the kid?"

"Oh look, it's the Akina siblings' pet!" Jun said earning a laugh from his friends. "Mind your own business! Besides, what are you going to do? Beat me up?"

Liz stared at them for a moment, before smiled sweetly, and in the blink of an eye, she grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up.

Yuki whisteled. “Not so tough now, are you?” He turned the grass beneath the other two to ice, making them slip before they could make a move.

Jun struggled, but he couldn’t escape her grip.

"Oh, right! They said you were a mercenary!” Jun said, and Liz’s eyes widened. “You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?!”

“Shut up.” She said, tightening her grip, and glaring at him.

He looked at her with fear, but didn’t back down. “You’re… a killer… I might have a grudge against the Akinas but I’m not trusting someone like you with a kid!”

She dropped him, clenching his fists.

She was furious, but she couldn’t deny that he was right. She couldn’t trust herself either. She looked away, hoping to hide her discomfort, but it was replaced with surprise when she felt a hand resting on her shoulder.

She turned to see Tara giving her a gentle smile, to reassure her, as Yuki picked up the tablet, against Jun’s weak protests.

“That’s funny, you send him somewhere dangerous, then you have the nerves to lecture someone.” Yuki glared at him, before handing Liz the tablet. She looked at him in confusion, while Jun gave him a look of surprise.

“What? No! It’s just an abandoned street-” His eyes widened.

“And those streets are where penergy users hide, and more often than not, criminals too.” The sniper said, as he looked down in shame.

“Hey, Liz. You should go. We will keep an eye on them.”

The blonde looked at the two, speechless. She didn’t understand why they acted this way, why they trusted her, but she didn’t dare waste it.

She clicked on the button.

-P.O.L:Origins-

Ryu found himself in an empty and abandoned street. He gulped, scared. He was supposed to get some object from an old building but they all looked the same to him. He felt his resolve getting weaker.

Did the boy trick him? How was he supposed to go back?

He looked at the tablet in his hands, confused. Which button did he press again? He got lucky the first time.

"Is that a child?" He heard a man's voice, which made him turn in a heartbeat.

Three men stood there. Their clothes looked old and dirty. One of them had tattoos all over his body and another had a scar on his face.

They were scary looking, and the boy took a few steps back.

"That thing you're holding looks expensive! How about you give it to us?" One of them said, giving him a fake smile.

The child's legs started shaking and he fell on his back. He was certain that it was all over until he heard her voice.

"Would you kindly leave him alone?" Liz walked towards them with a smile. "It's not nice picking up on children." She picked Ryu up, helping him stand, before moving in front of him.

"Huh?" The one with the tattoos stood before her with a menacing glare. "It's none of your business-" His words were cut out when he felt her fist collide with his face, resulting in an immediate K.O.

She looked at him, unimpressed, before cracking her knuckles and taking a fighting stance.

The two men shared a look before running towards her. The scarred one attacked with his fist. She moved her face to the right, to avoid his punch, then  hit his face, which angered him.

The one with the tattoos ran towards her in an attempt to tackle her, but she jumped in the air, before using his back as a booster, resulting into him falling flat on his face.

She turned to other man right as he tried to punch her again, and lowered her head as she moved to the side, dodging his fist and punch his stomach.

She then noticed the third guy gaining consciousness and rushing towards her with a knife in his hand. She jumped to the side, avoiding the blade at the last second, before gripping his arm and hitting it with her elbow, making him drop the knife.

She knocked him out by kicking him in the stomach, sending him to his friends.

Liz looked at the unconscious men, pleased with her work, before turning to Ryu.

"Well, that was easy. You okay there, kid?" She asked him, and raised her eyebrow, while he stared at her with his mouth hanging open. "What? Cat got your tongue?"

After few minutes, he finally calmed down, but he still looked upset.

"Why did you come here?" Liz asked.

He looked at her then at his feet, as if he was ashamed. "I always felt like a burden to my family... They always worry about me, they do a lot for me. But I can't do anything for them. Whenever I try to help them, they just push me away!" He said, and gripped his sleeves. "I want to become someone they can rely on! I want to be a hero!"

The first thing that crossed the blonde's mind was that the thought was childish, then again, he was a child.

"Why don't you tell them how you're feeling?" She suggested, and he looked at her with confusion. "Tell them how you feel, and I'm sure things will work out. And if you think that being a hero is easy, then you're wrong. The world is dangerous. Take your time and think about it, okay?" She offered him a smile, and after considering her words, he smiled back.

“Can I really make that choice?” He asked. “Won’t they just say no?”

“Maybe.” Liz shrugged. “My… dad was always so stubborn about things, but he cared for me deeply, and respected my choices. Maybe, your dad would do the same?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know if he even loves us anymore.” He sighed, and the blonde frowned, wondering what could make a child think that. “Ever since mom died, he came home less and less. Even if he is around, it’s like he’s not with us, you know?” He tried to explain, and looked up to her.

Liz gave him an understanding smile.

“Yeah… I think that he might still be grieving. He probably loves you, and if he doesn’t, well, that’s his loss because you seem like a cool kid.” She hesitated, before ruffling his head, making him chuckle. “I lost my dad too, a few months ago.”

“I’m sorry.” Ryu said, looking at her with a sad expression.

“I’m sorry too, about your mom.” She said, then took a deep breath, before pulling her tablet. “We should go back.”

-P.O.L:Origins-

Nosaru and Aiko stopped by the garden and they witnessed a very strange scene. Jun and his friends were frozen from the bottom to their shoulders. Tara was practicing her sniping on them while Yuki cheered for her.

"What on earth is happening here?" Nosaru asked then shook her head. "No, forget it. Have you seen my brother?"

The pair looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Yuki ended up explaining what happened to the siblings.

"What?!" Nosaru turned to Jun and she equipped one of her guns. "Send me to him right now!" She pointed the gun at him and he only stared at her in fear.

“Look, I didn’t mean to! I just wanted to scare him off!”

Aiko put a hand on her sister's shoulder, calming her down. "Liz went after him, so I'm sure he's fine." She reassured her then glared at the boys. "As for you, I'm going to make sure you regret this. Am I clear?" She said in a sweet yet scary voice.

They were interrupted by the shining light, and two people appearing from it. Ryu ran towards his sisters and threw his arms around them.

"I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble." He apologized. Both sisters shared a smile.

"It's okay, we're just glad you're safe." Aiko said, while Nosaru patted his head.

Ryu pulled away and had a big grin on his face. "It's thanks to Lizzie! She was so amazing and she beat the bad guys like it was nothing! Like a hero!" He said while the blonde just stood there awkwardly.

"Thank you." Nosaru said with a grateful smile and her partner smiled back.

"As expected from my beloved pet!" Aiko said and threw an arm around the annoyed blonde.

"I'm not your pet..." Liz muttered, before allowing herself to smile at Yuki and Tara, grateful for their help and trust

Perhaps… things could be okay, for someone like herself.

Somewhere in England, in a library, a phone was ringing. A man picked it up and sat at his desk.

"The author here. How can I help you?" Bob asked. He listened to the caller then sighed. "Am I really needed for this if it's just a meeting? Fine, I'll be there." He hanged the phone and headed towards the exit.

"Is something wrong?" Feng asked. He was putting new books in the empty shelves.

"Pack your things, Feng. We're going to Japan."

[lightningmastertrilogy]

Path Of Lightning: Origins chapter 6: Which side of the coin are you?

Chapter summary: Liz and Bob have a much needed talk, while Nosaru learns about the device.

Word count: 2.6 words.

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The days have been a blur lately. Liz couldn’t get herself to work on anything, and she trusted her companions to take care of any job that would come their way. They were more than capable.

She was cleaning the pendant with a small white cloth. She did this for a while, despite the fact that it was shiny after the first few wipes. She sighed, and put the cloth away, before putting the object inside her drawer.

She had no idea what to do, so she just stared at the window, trying to focus on anything. She tried counting the number of the cars in the street, but her mind still went back to that day.

The memory of the illusionist flashed before her eyes for a moment, and she quickly grabbed her arm, tightening her grip on it.

There were no veins.

“Are you going to mop again all day?” Romeo peeked from behind the door, looking worried. The girl hasn’t said anything, nor did she ask him to leave, so he slowly pushed it open and walked in. “You could go on a job with me to clear your mind.”

“Leave her alone Romeo.” Jack walked by, stopping at the door. His eyes travelled from Romeo’s eye catching hat, to Liz’s sulking form. “She doesn’t have to do any jobs. I would even prefer it if she stopped being a mercenary at all.”

Romeo’s eyes widened, while the blonde tensed.

They both looked at him in surprise.

“Come on Jack, I’m being serious.”

“So am I.” The old man simply said. “You don’t have to follow in my footsteps. I never forced you to.” He added, before going to the living room, leaving the two both surprised and confused.

“What’s his deal?” The orange haired man asked, before looking back at the blonde. “I bought you some food since it lifts you up when you’re like this.” He said with a smile. “So, how about you sulk in the other room instead? Change the scenery.”

Liz just rolled her eyes and stood up.

“Sure, mom.”

So, Liz found herself chewing on a hamburger while watching a black and white movie with Jack. The man hasn’t said much, and gave all his attention to the T.V.

She had to admit that watching this was more interesting than staring at the same pendant for hours.

There was knocking on the door, and that caught Jack’s attention. He looked wary, but still moved to open the door. He looked in surprise, as a young man stood at the door, with a small smile on his face.

It was Bob.

“Bob? I haven’t seen you in forever.” Jack said, as he moved away to let the man walk in. “Or, do you go by the author now?”

“You can call me by my name, sir.” Bob said, walking in.

Romeo came from the other room, only to stop in his tracks, shocked to see him there.

“Bob?”

“Author.” Romeo rolled his eyes.

“Okay, author.” He bowed a little, and put on his performer smile. “What brings you to our domain?” The raven haired man sighed, then turned to the blonde, who stared at him curiously while eating.

“I guess I’m here to steal Liz for a bit.” He stated, and the blonde kept staring as she slowly continued to chew her food. She swallowed it before finally responding.

“I’m a minor.”

And so, Romeo and even Jack couldn’t contain their laughter, as the young man stared at her with a shocked expression.

-P.O.L:ORIGINS-

“I can’t believe you played me like that.” Bob said, as he walked through the streets, with Liz by his side. The blonde just smirked.

“You played yourself.” Liz said, placing both hands on her hips, before leaning to the side to meet his eyes. “You dragged me out to talk about something I don’t want to talk about. So, that’s what you get.”

“What a difficult child.” He muttered as he rubbed his neck. “Look, it’s not like I’ve learned much anyway. I just think that you should know even the smallest bits about yourself.”

“I know enough.” Liz said, shoving her hands into her pockets. She stared around, looking at the people in the streets, too busy with her own lives to look at anything but the road before them.

“Oh, is that so?” The author said, feeling somewhat annoyed. “Then, why are you here?”

“I was bored.” She said, and he just rubbed his temples, starting to wonder why he even bothered with this. “Besides, there’s something I’m still curious about. How do you know Jack and Romeo? You look like a rather… respectable member of society.”

“And what does that make you?”

“A recipe for disaster in society.” She said, grinning, and that made the author smile in return.

“Would that convince you to hear me out?”

“We’ll see.” The blonde answered, too curious to hear about the story to refuse.

-P.O.L:Origins-

Nosaru stood in her father’s office, arms crossed, and gaze fixed on the antique furniture. It’s been a few days since she brought back both the illusionist and the device. Aiko was given the task to inspect it.

The blue haired girl thought that it would end at that, but here she was, listening to her sister rambling to her and their father about it. She was -unfortunately- mesmerized by the device.

"Am I really needed here?” She asked after letting out a sigh, receiving a bewildered look from her sister.

"How can you not be interested in this thing?" Aiko asked as she almost shoved the device into Nosaru’s face, who took a step back out of worry. "It contains a huge amount of energy, right in the crystal! It's powered up! Can't you see it?" She noticed her younger sister's glare. "Oh right! You can't. That's my power."

"Aiko. We’ve already been through this. You told me that you wanted to talk about it." Hiroshi said as he rubbed his temple, looking as annoyed as his youngest daughter. "You still haven't told me anything."

"Oh! Sorry! You see the crystal here?” She eagerly pointed at it. “It absorbs energy from the demons’ blood, and from what I can gather, this type of crystals could be used as converters." She explained with a huge smile.

"Adaptable to humans?" Nosaru asked. “How does that work?”

"The crystal needs to absorb Penergy too." Aiko said, she casually moved the hand that held the device, much to the other’s two’s concern of her dropping it, and rested her free one on her hip. “The blood sample that Nosaru brought definitely belongs to a half demon. It’s perfect to convert to fit humans.” She said, her smile dropping for a moment, as she watched the news sink into her father’s mind.

Hirsohi sighed. "We need to get rid of this."

"We can't! Can you imagine how useful this could be?" The oldest sister argued.

"Aiko, that blood can be dangerous." Nosaru intervened. "If someone uses it…"

"Demons have great healing powers! Imagine if we could use them! Many lives could be saved!" Aiko stated, and brought her hand to her chest. "Our mother's life could have been saved if we had this!"

Nosaru looked away, gritting her teeth. She closed her eyes, as if trying to block out something.

Hiroshi stood up and walked towards them. He stared at the sample in his daughter’s hand, and contemplated what to do. "If the blood turns out to be useful, then we use it for healing benefits. If it doesn't, we get rid of it and never speak of it again. Am I clear?"

"Yes." Aiko nodded.

“However, no one must know of this.” He continued, before resting a hand on Aiko’s shoulder. “If you can make a medicine out of it, then we must never reveal its origin.”

“If you can make one, wouldn’t that mean that it will run out eventually? That you’ll need more demon blood?” Nosaru asked, looking both unsure and uncomfortable. “It doesn’t feel right, to use someone like that.”

The two stared at her in silence, and while the father kept a stoic expression, Aiko’s face started to show remorse.

Nosaru glanced at them for a moment, before taking her leave.

Aiko sighed, before turning to her father.

"I keep wondering where this duty is taking us, dad." She said, before putting both the device and the sample on the desk. "I can’t tell where it took Nosaru, and I hope I don’t find out where it could take Ryu."

"Aiko, it was her choice." He said as he took a seat. “And soon, it would be Ryu’s too.”

"I get it." She said as she pushed herself away from the desk, and slowly walked around the room. "Our family has been through this for generations. This duty has been passed on to us, but it doesn’t have to tear us apart, or to ruin us. Nosaru made that choice to make you happy, but you just can’t let go, can you?"

“Aiko.” He said her name, almost as a warning.

"You need to stop hurting her, dad. You need to stop pushing her away." She turned to face him, and sighed, before giving him a determined look. “And you will drop the idea of making Ryu join.”

That was the last thing she said, before she walked away.

Hiroshi leaned into his seat, and his eyes wandered to his family’s picture. He said nothing, only brought his hand to his face for a moment, before letting it slip down.

He then resumed his work.

-P.O.L:Origins-

Liz leaned back into her seat, as the waiter came back with Bob’s drink. The blonde didn’t feel like ordering anything, considering she was still full from earlier.

The author stared at his tea, waiting for it to cool down.

“I lived here since I was a child. My parents were respectable wizards, so I always worked hard to become one as well-”

“Hold up!” Liz interrupted him, with both her hands raised to her sides. She gave him a look that he could only describe as disbelief. “Did you just say wizard?”

“Yes.” He said, annoyed at the interruption.

“That’s a thing?!” She asked, leaning in. He sighed, realizing that the girl had little to no knowledge about the world they lived in. “Is it like using Penergy or…?”

“Wizards are completely different. Penergy is something that you draw from your soul, it is an essential part of you. Magic is something that is not connected to neither soul nor body. We draw energy from objects, and from contracts that we make with other creatures.” He explained.

“So, are there still plenty of them around?” She asked, looking down. Bob just stared at her instead of answering.

“I didn’t have many friends. I was always chasing after something, even as a kid. I met Romeo when he was still innocent.” He avoided the question, and started telling her the story. He took a sip of his tea, before putting the cup down. “Jack only showed me kindness, and at first, I wasn’t aware of what he did for a living. Romeo and I were close friends, until something came up and I had to leave for a while.”

“Why?”

He glanced at her, before staring down at his cup.

“Sometimes people change, and you can’t do anything about it.” Bob continued, and whether that was an answer to her question, or the remaining part of his story, she didn’t know. “When I came back, I found out that Romeo has already killed, and I couldn’t convince him to stop doing it.”

Silence fell between them, and Liz started to wondered as a memory played in the back of her mind…

...Did Bob look at Romeo, the way Jack looked at her after her first kill?

“Do you think we’re bad people? Monsters?” She asked, gripping her right arm.

The man looked at her, studying her somber expression, before pulling a coin from his pocket. The blonde looked at it curiously.

“Killing is unforgivable for me, however, deciding if someone is good or bad, is nearly impossible to.” He started, as he focused on the coin in his hand. Liz watched him with interest, wanting to understand his point of view. “Jack has been killing people for decades, yet he took two kids under his wings when no one else would. Someone you see as bad, could do a lot of good, just like the opposite could be true.”

The blonde tightened her grip on her arm, and sighed.

“What about a demon?”

The author threw the coin, quickly catching it and checking which side it fell on. He then moved his hand forward for the mercenary to see.

“You can’t get to choose which side the coin will fall on, or which road life takes you.” He stated, before turning the coin to the other side. “That doesn’t mean you can’t make your own choice. You can turn the coin, because there is no reason why you should follow such rules.”

Liz looked at the coin in surprise, then at the man sitting before her.

“Which side of the coin are you?” He asked.

That question stuck with her as she walked inside the apartment she shared with the two mercenaries. She noticed that Jack hasn’t moved from the couch, watching what seemed to be another black and white movie.

She moved towards him, and sat beside him as he turned down the T.V’s volume.

“How did things go with the author?” He asked, staring at her in concern.

Her shoulders were slouching down, as she stared forward.

“We barely talked about my… problem.” She answered

“I see.” He coughed for a moment, and the blonde looked at him worried.

“Are you okay?”

“It’s just a cold. Romeo left to buy me some medicine.” He stated. “What is troubling you?”

Liz leaned back into the couch, crossing her arms.

“When I started killing, I could feel the rush and the pounding of my heart. It made me feel alive, more than I ever was. That feeling would go away once I see the light fade from their eyes, like blowing a candle out.” She started, her expression hardening. “I would feel empty, and it made me want to kill more, just to get rid of the numbness.”

Jack looked away, sighing. He didn’t wish to interrupt her, so he let the weight of her words pile up on his heart.

“I felt invincible, like a monster, until that night…” She turned to him, the hardened features turned into curious ones. “I met that girl, and she won. She had me at gunpoint, and I’ve never felt weaker, not until what happened with that man. She could have shot me, and I was sure she would but…”

“She didn’t.” He finished for her.

“It’s all I could think of.”

Jack thought to himself, before resting a hand on her shoulder. He couldn’t offer her much comfort, or advice without sounding like a hypocrite.

However, he could offer her a truth.

“No matter which choices or roads you take, I will always be proud you. You must remember that.” He smiled warmly. “I’m proud to call you my daughter.”

Liz smiled back, before hugging him. “I’m proud to call you my father.” She said, as her eyes caught a lonely coin, forgotten on the small table.

[lightningmastertrilogy]

Path of Lightning: Origins chapter 4: Cursed blood.

Chapter summary: The mercenaries are given a mission that is about to change everything.

Word count: 2.1k words.

To read the previous chapters, go to the page ‘my writing.’

Chapter:

Liz was used to criminals and anyone who was up to no good. She could spot these people miles away. She didn’t mind them too much, since she was no saint, but something about this client felt wrong.

She liked to trust her instincts, and their told her not to trust him.

She was leaning against the doorway, while Romeo stood next to her, watching their leader’s conversation with the man.

The man was sitting on the sofa, his hands were intertwined, and he kept his posture straight. He wore a black suit, an organized sight compared to his wild orange hair. He was carefully studying his surroundings, but he made sure to never let his eyes linger on something for too long.

"What do you want?" Jack asked. He crossed his arms, leaning back into his chair. The room was too small to hold more than one sofa, much to their dismay.

"Why don't we start by introductions? My name is Damon." Damon said with a forced smile, and reached his hand for a handshake, but Jack only glared at him. Damon withdrew. “I’m here to ask you for a favor.”

"And that is?” The mercenary raised an eyebrow, and Liz smirked when the man’s smile disappeared.

"Straight to the point I see." Damon started with a polite yet suspicious smile. "There is this man who is working on a device that I am interested in. I need you to get rid of him, and bring the device to me. I will give you a fortune for it."

"How much?" Romeo intervened.

"As much as you want." He answered.

"What is this device?" Jack asked.

"You don't need to know that. Your job is to bring it to me, that's all."

Jack stood up and looked at the man sternly. "We are professionals. We don't like to rush into a job without knowing details. So you can give us more information, or look for someone else who could do your dirty job."

Liz whistled, while the hat wearing mercenary panicked.

"Hey, Jack! Maybe we shouldn’t be too stern on our client." Romeo said, fearing that the job might slip away. The money they have at the moment won’t keep them fed for long.

Damon stared at the leader, thoughtful, before answering. "If you insist. The device works depending on demon blood and makes it compatible for humans. For example, if you inject a demon with the modified blood, he dies, but if you inject a human, he receives demons powers."

"I thought demons don't exist in our world, so what's the point of making such a thing?" Romeo asked.

"That is wrong. Not all demons were banished to another world. Some managed to stay here, lived with humans, and even had families with them. Pure blood demons are impossible to find, but there are always half demons walking around." Damon explained. "You don't need to worry about the device hurting you, you don't look like demons to me." He smirked.

"That's reassuring…kind of." The shadow user said, rubbing his neck.

"Where is this man's location?" The leader asked after a moment of silence, and Damon smiled.

-P.O.L:Origins-

Nosaru sat in her father's office. She was crossing her arms, staring at the empty chair before her. She tried to avoid as much eye contact as she could.

Hiroshi akina was a calm and careful man, so if she were to turn and look him in the eyes, she would feel uneasy by the worry in them.

"Why did you call me here?" She asked, and Hiroshi looked at her for a brief moment before sighing and crossed his hands.

"I received information that there is a man working on a device that involves demons."

"What?" She couldn't stop the surprise from slipping through her voice. "Demons barely exist here anymore."

"But half demons do. If someone finds out about this device's existence, I can't even imagine how much chaos it could bring." He said, rubbing his temples. “I would hate to ask this of you, but most capable members are on their own missions right now, and you’ve proven yourself to fit that category.”

"I will get the job done." She said right away, and walked towards the door.

"Nosaru." His voice stopped her, and she turned around, waiting to hear what he had to say. "He is a tricky man, don't let him fool you. The men outside will give you a report about his Penergy." He explained before adding. "You can always refuse the job. You have been working too much."

The offer was tempting, but she felt the need to prove herself to him, no matter how deep her wounds were. "I'll take it." She ended the conversation.

He took a deep breath, and turned to look at the family photo on his desk. He then tore his eyes away, looking back at his papers.

Meanwhile, the mercenaries stopped in front of an abandoned factory. It was the location that Damon gave them.

"Are you sure this it?" Romeo asked. "It looks haunted."

"Of course a mad man working on something illegal wouldn't do it in an obvious place." Liz answered. "Unlike that Bob guy." She added with a smirk.

"Enough talking. The sooner we get the job done, the better." Jack said and used his knife to unlock the stuck door. He pushed it open, and was the first to walk inside.

He stopped in his tracks when he was met with a couple of workers. They were in their uniforms, and the lights were on.

His partners followed him in confusion.

“Did we break and enter the wrong place?” Romeo whispered, while his leader just looked around. Did his client set them up?

The walls looked newly painted, and the whole place looked recently used.

“What’s going on?” One of the workers asked.

“Sir, you better leave or I’m calling the cops.”

“Why would a working factory not have any security?” Jack questioned, slowly reaching for his knife. The more he studied the place, the more suspicious he became.

Liz blocked one of her ears with her palm, wincing at the noise of the workers’ chatter.

Something was definitely off, and they all knew it. She, however, had the more reason to think so, as she couldn’t smell anything from the men.

Along with her hearing, her sense of smell was strong, and she could notice every distinctive smell in the room, except there were only Romeo’s and Jack’s.

...And a third one.

She smirked, before equipping her scythe and charging in.

“Follow me!” She yelled, and Romeo called out for her, before running after her.

"I should've known they would send someone." A voice said, in the darkness. It stopped him in his tracks.

"What the… what is this thing?" Romeo asked as the lights turned off and on, and the painting and workers became nothing but dust that came together, forming a demonic creature. Its teeth looked sharp enough to easily cut them in pieces, and its grey massive form left them no place to run to.

“Oh, we’re screwed.” The hat wearing man said, as she got into a fighting position. He looked at his leader, fearful.

"We’re doing this.” Jack confirmed, and while Romeo looked doubtful, he sighed and and glared at the monster.

Jack threw his knives but they didn't have any effect on the monster's hard skin.

The monster appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye, and he barely avoided his claw before trying to stick the knife in the monster's arm, but the blade shattered. He rolled to the side avoiding another attack.

Romeo took the opportunity and his energy charged in his hand in the form of a circular saw. He threw it at the monster and it cut through its shoulder, causing it to bleed. The injury made the demon angrier and it charged some dark energy into his claws and threw it at him.

Romeo managed to escape into his shadow, and he appeared again next to Jack.

The demon launched rays of energy through its mouth so fast that it would have been impossible for them to avoid it.

The shadow user had to think faster, so he grabbed Jack’s arm and they both fell right into his shadow, escaping death at the last second.

They both appeared behind it, and the leader felt slightly dizzy from what they just did, unlike Romeo who was used to it at this point.

They had no cover, as the place was already abandoned a long time ago, and anything that could have been used as a hiding has been taken away.

Jack quickly looked around. There was nothing but four walls and stairs. There was no escape from this thing.

"Romeo, I need you to charge your energy into my knives when I give you a signal, okay?" Jack said and the young man looked at him surprised, but decided to go along with the plan.

Romeo tried to distract the monster by creating shadow clones that were getting brutally smashed by it.

Jack inspected the monster and waited for an opening. Once he saw one, he pulled his knives and yelled. "Now!"

Romeo aimed and shot his energy towards the weapons, and the shadows surrounded them immediately. Jack felt a burning sensation in his hand, as they couldn’t support the powers much longer, so he quickly threw his knives right into the Demon's eyes and they went right through its head, killing it.

The demon fell and slowly disappeared, leaving them more confused than happy with their victory.

"Are demons supposed to be this weak?" Romeo asked as he brushed the dust off his clothes. He looked around, expecting something else to come up, but that was it.

"No. I don’t think it was a real demon." Jack stated, frowning.

Meanwhile, Liz found herself in a large room, full of devices. She looked around, ignoring the figure hiding in the shadows.

A flame was thrown towards her, and she avoided it without even looking, still curious about her surroundings.

The man glared at her. He looked in his forties, and his hair was short and well kept. He wore a suit that was covered by a lab coat.

A flame appeared in his hand. "You're going to regret following me kid." He said.

"Oh, a Penergy user? I'm into that." She smiled, finally turning to him.

The man stared at her with an unreadable expression. "You mean you're into older man that are Penergy users or…?" He asked, clearly confused and uncomfortable.

"I did NOT mean it that way!" She corrected herself, feeling embarrassed. She really needed to fix her words choice.

She shook her head, and decided to get this over with, as the man didn’t seem that much of a threat to her.

She ran towards him ready to strike with her scythe, but he launched the flames at her. She cut through them and attacked him, but he surrounded himself with fire at the last second and she was caught in it.

She didn’t feel the flames burning her, they weren’t even warm. It only confirmed her thoughts. She ran through them, and saw him running away with -what she assumed to be- the device in his hand. She replaced her scythe with a knife and threw it at his hand, cutting it slightly, making him drop the device.

Once the it fell to the floor, it got activated and the crystal attached to it started brightening.

Liz felt sick. Her vision started blurring, and her heartbeat started racing.

She fell on her knees and clutched her sides as she felt a crushing amount of pain. The veins appeared on her arms, and reached her face. She started coughing up blood.

The man looked at her in confusion, then at the device.

His eyes widened, when he connected the dots. He watched the blonde trying to get up, only to slip and fall again. Her confident demeanor was completely gone, replaced by vulnerability.

"What an unexpected turn of events." The man said as he walked towards her.

He lifted her chin up, and she growled at him. He let her go when he noticed her eye color flickering between red and blue. "Do you know how hard it to find some demon blood?"

"What do you…mean?" She asked while trying to resist the pain.

"You mean you don't know? What a poor foolish girl." He said and picked up a syringe from the work desk, along with a gun. "You are a half demon."

Liz’s eyes widened in horror, and her eyes settled on red.