Mrs.Boonchuy stared at the doll in her hand. She didn't know what to think. The kid she'd found wandering near her family's house was magic. She'd thought he was a shaman's child with his ability to use the wind, but he'd said that he was a witch. It didn't feel right, but kids don't usually lie, or at least, lie well.
Chris was genuine when he told her that, as if it were obvious. Mrs.Boonchuy glanced at the child. He looked unsure as he stared at her daughter. It was expected, though. A kid his age wouldn't have the sort of common sense that someone even a few years older than him had.
'A witch's child…' What was she supposed to do now that she knew that? Maybe search for places known for the presence of witches? She couldn't really travel all the way to that place on the other side of the country… what was it called? Salem. That's it. She couldn't travel all the way there just for a kid like that, but maybe she could send some information to CPS once she had found places like that?
It was hard for her to imagine a kid like this getting lost on his own here, though. Then she'd have to do some searching here, too, just in case. What was she doing?
'...oh, right, Chris,' she turned to look at the boy. He had the same expression, only he was staring at her now. Why was he staring? Was she staring? She needed to say something.
"So did you want to play with this?" Mrs.Boonchuy held out the doll as green eyes flitted down to meet the shiny plastic ones on the doll. Chris took it at that moment and stared. Then her daughter broke out of her little thinking face to stare at Chris and the doll. A smile was slowly building, and Mrs.Boonchuy knew what came next.
Unfortunately for Chris, she wasn't going to stay around for it. "Have fun, you two," she said, giving a foreboding smile as she made her way out, closing the door behind her to the sound of excited ranting.
An excited scream rang out as Mrs.Boonchuy walked down the hall. She found herself chuckling as she ran into her husband, who was standing in the doorway with a huge smile on his face.
"What's got you all cheery?" Mr.Boonchuy held up a card with the text "Beachcade" printed on it with sparkling eyes. She didn't know what to think, but she didn't have to as he started.
"I just won a $100 gift card to one of the best arcades near the water!" Huh, that was pretty good. She went to congratulate him, but then Chris's voice rang out as he dashed by with Anne hot on his tail.
"Leave me alone!" Anne didn't seem to be listening as she kept chasing him down the stairs and past her father, who was now out of the foyer. Mrs.Boonchuy snorted and laughed, with her husband's look of confusion making it even funnier.
"What happened?" Mrs.Boonchuy stopped at that as she remembered what she'd just seen. Magic was real, and her husband needed to know! With that goal in mind, she decided to sit him down at a table in the kitchen.
#
Half an hour passed as Mrs.Boonchuy told her husband about magic being real, of trying to convince him. The time wasn't as well spent as she hoped, with his face still painted with a skeptical hesitance.
"...I don't know what to say," Mr.Boonchuy said, staring up the stairs towards their daughter's room. Mrs.Boonchuy knew the feeling; in fact, she was still feeling it. It was no surprise then that Mr.Boonchuy kept the same scrunch that she knew too well.
She'd seen it many times before with every investment he'd made, even with some of his more… unusual interests. She remembered the moment he'd brought in that big box with that gaming computer he spent a little too much time on. Though it was fine. She knew at that moment that meant he was happy and that's all that mattered… even though it was quite expensive.
"Are you sure you weren't seeing things?" She shook her head. "No, it was real," Mr.Boonchuy's lips thinned as he sighed. "Ok, I believe you," that wasn't true. Mrs.Boonchuy knew her husband, and that wasn't his 'I believe you' face. He was still skeptical, and she couldn't blame him. She needed a way to convince him, but how?
He just needed a chance to see. Maybe spending the day with Chris might work? He had that card after all.
She also knew that Chris would recover his magic by tomorrow if those headaches he kept having were any indication of what he'd talked about. The shop was closing early tomorrow, too, so it was the perfect chance for them to spend time together and have Chris reveal his magic just like earlier.
"Ok then, how about this?" Mr.Boonchuy gave her a confused look. He probably thought she dropped it. That wasn't what she planned at all. "We'll have you spend the day with Chris tomorrow at that arcade you were talking about, after the store closes, so you can see his magic for yourself." Her husband's frown deepened, but he didn't disagree. Good, now all she had to do was tell Chris, and things would work themselves out.
#
Things weren't working out. First, it was the traffic. The roads were jam-packed for a Thursday. It wasn't uncommon, but the congestion was insane. Then came the arcade. The games Mr.Boonchuy was expecting weren't there. The place looked more like a social club than an arcade as he and Chris realized that someone had booked the place for the day.
Mr.Boonchuy wanted to curse his luck as he remembered his wife's words. "-and remember you aren't coming back until dinner, so have fun," fun, huh? What did that look like without the arcade he'd been looking forward to?
'More importantly…' he turned to Chris. How was he supposed to entertain a kid while they were stranded near a beach without a swimsuit? Should they walk back? He looked up at the bright morning light and frowned. The sun was shooting down full force, making it more likely that they'd just pass out from heat stroke than get home.
'What does that leave?' He turned to the beach. There wasn't anything besides the salt of the sea and some strangers sunbathing. 'Should I join?' It was better than nothing, but then he remembered the little guy who followed along. What was his wife thinking? Chris was just a kid, an unusual-looking kid, but still a normal one.
Mr.Boonchuy sighed. He turned back to the street and saw a random man handing out fliers. Was he there before? Eh, probably just him being distracted. 'Maybe he lives near here?' The man handing out fliers didn't look all that well off either. Someone handed the man ten dollars after reading it.
'Wait, what?' Was this someone promoting a charity? 'Hm, maybe it is a good idea to talk?' It wouldn't hurt to ask for directions and donate some cash. Either way, it's time well spent.
"Excuse me!" Mr.Boonchuy called out as the man in shaggy clothing turned to him. The smile on the man felt unnerving as Mr.Boonchuy approached, Chris staying behind on his word. Mr.Boonchuy fished for his wallet as he arrived, the thing slipping from his fingers into his pocket again like always.
"You're promoting a charity, right?" The unnerving man nodded as he held out a poster talking about an upcoming project called 'The Lord's Refuge, a church for the wayward,' written in a dark ink that looked almost hand-printed with the style of the cursive.
The poster spoke on the plans for communal rooms to rest and eat for anyone in need. The unnerving man's mouth began to move, losing the unsettling look that made Mr.Boonchuy reluctant to approach as a passionate smile came to their face. "It's an amazing idea thought up by a local priest who's recently left another place of worship!" That was pretty admirable.
Yes, it was admirable, but also a little… odd. He'd assume a priest who'd left his church might prioritize his next place to live. Then again, maybe this project was his way of finding a place to stay? He lingered for a moment as he finally got a good grip on his wallet.
'Does it matter?' Churches took donations all the time, and one that planned on housing the less fortunate was worth donating to. Mr.Boonchuy pulled out a ten like the last person, and the man took it like it was a second thought before shoving the poster into his hands. Mr.Boonchuy held back a look of discomfort before placing it in his pocket.
"Oh, thank you," Mr.Boonchuy nodded before moving on to his real question. "I wanted to ask something, actually." The man's face stayed in its eager smile as Mr.Boonchuy asked for good places to pass the time nearby. The man was more than willing to oblige as he pointed out a cafe nearby, along with a more obscure-looking bookstore that's known for having a few standouts visit once in a while.
Mr.Boonchuy thanked him for the recommendations as relief came over him. He walked back to Chris soon after and led him to the shop with a collection of dark green patio furniture that some were sitting on while sipping drinks ranging from yellow to green to blue.
Mr.Boonchuy hadn't seen that kind of drink before, but hey, it was his time off, so why not try something new? Walking in, he made his way to the counter as a teen manning the counter looked off into the distance. He looked a little off, but anyone working on a day like this would be with a beach just outside.
Mr.Boonchuy thought on the beach as he felt a pang of regret for not bringing anything to swim in. The boy at the counter finally snapped out of it as he finished his thought and turned to him and Chris. "Hi-Hello, what can I do for you today?" The teen stuttered like he hadn't expected anyone to approach him. Mr.Boonchuy wanted to roll his eyes at the boy, but looked at the menu instead.
"I'd like to order an iced blue(?) tea and…" he turned to Chris, who was frowning as they tried to look past the counter to the menu. Mr.Boonchuy realized the issue and lowered himself a bit. "Hey, what are you in the mood for?" Chris shrugged as a few seconds of silence passed.
"Apple blood?" Chris said, sounding distracted. "You mean apple juice?" Chris shrugged again, and Mr.Boonchuy took it as a yes. Looking back at the employee, he ordered some apple juice, and the boy rang him up. Soon enough, the pair were walking out with a paper cup of iced blue tea… whatever that was, and a juice box.
Next on the list was to check the bookstore… after their drinks. It was a nice day, and they didn't want to rush. After all, nothing really happens on a slow day like this.
#
There was something off today. I knew that. Sure, things were bad, but something in my head was nagging at me. That's what I was trying to find out at the moment. Mr.Boonchuy had been too distracted to talk to me much besides the few times he asked me to do something.
I was currently staring at that drink with an intensity that I couldn't understand. 'Apple juice?' Apples didn't have juices, did they? It was always apple blood. It was another thing that was different. First, the po'lease… or was the word police? Who cares. Then came the reveal about the lack of magic for the Boonchuy's. Now it was apple juice. There was something off, and I needed to know what it was.
'No more reacting to things as they come… at least for now,' a voice in my head agreed as I felt my nagging feelings intensify until I remembered one detail I'd literally put out of my mind until now without realizing. I'd only noticed it recently, but there was a barrier keeping things out that I didn't remember putting there. Though knowing that it was there didn't make it any less confusing for me.
Pushing that aside, I decided that it was about time to bring down what was keeping my only mental passenger from talking with me. Slowly, I exerted my mental energy as I envisioned a steel wall, not unlike a vault, smooth and sturdy with a shine that looked brand new, before I strained to pull it down. Eventually, it sank with a slow grind into the earth of my mindscape.
'Finally,' a growling, pompous voice that I was too familiar with echoed out. 'I thought you'd maintain this rampart for eternity,' I watched with my mental eye as Titus made his way inside. He felt a little different, but I assumed that was just his irritation. It had been a while after all.
I wondered what to say to the thing I'd been stuck fighting for as long as I could remember. Was there anything to say to it- no, it wasn't right to just dismiss someone who'd promised to help me. Titus was trying to help, so maybe I should start taking this more seriously.
'Thank you for the consideration,' the voice startled me as I jumped in my bright green chair I'd been sitting in next to Mr.Boonchuy. "Are you alright, kid?" Mr.Boonchuy glanced at me from his seat, his drink sitting on a tiny metal table littered with patterned holes like a coven scout's helm, except way smaller and positioned in a way that looked nice.
"Yeah, I just saw something fly by," Mr.Boonchuy frowned as he said something about mosquitoes. I took that moment to dive back into my head. 'I forgot you could hear that,' Titus sent his amusement at the response. Ignoring that, I thought back to Thai Go. I tried to remember what we'd been talking about.
It had something to do with the food? Though I already did that. I had soup and slept in a bed at the Boonchuy house. 'There was something else…' I felt a mental prod before I could start again.
'You were supposed to learn the basics of glyphs and essence,' right, that was it. I wanted to learn how to use the glyph magic that I could cast and that essence stuff. Then I remembered what I said a minute or two ago.
'I can't.' Titus sent confusion, and I frowned, my mind reflecting my uncertain intent. 'I need to figure out where I am,' it was eating at me, and I couldn't put it off as I did with most of my problems on the Boiling Isles. 'No more reacting,' I repeated to Titus and myself.
I sensed a reluctance from Titus. 'We have other concerns,' I nodded, standing as I turned to Mr.Boonchuy. "Um, sir? Mr.Boonchuy?" The adult put down his drink and focused on me. A look almost like an inward pride glinted in his eye.
"Just call me Mr.Boonchuy," I nodded and asked about maps that show the world. Mr.Boonchuy gave me a strange look and pulled out his phone. "There are maps on most phones," he showed me an image of a blue, green globe with white littered across in random shapes and patterns.
"What's this?" I looked up to him, and he shrugged. "It's the Earth and all the continents?" He smiled a little tightly as his pride shifted to confusion. I didn't really care. I started swiping around, looking for my home. Time passed as my frown turned irritated. I couldn't find the Boiling Isles.
"...what are you looking for?" Mr.Boonchuy interrupted as he leaned down to see the screen hovering over some random island I was looking at. "Where's The Boiling Isles?" His brow raised at the tenseness in my voice, and he leaned back. "The Boiling Isles?" He put on a thoughtful face before shrugging.
"Never heard of it," he'd never heard of it? Why? It wasn't hard to spot. It was a big body-shaped piece of land, as far as I remembered from Raine's occasional lectures. It had to be somewhere.
"Is there another place I can look?" Mr.Boonchuy nodded. "We were about to visit a book shop, actually," my eyes widened, and I made my way out of the green colored collection of chairs and tables. "Where is it?" I heard footsteps coming from behind as Mr.Boonchuy caught up.
"Slow down," he gestured to an old-looking section of the building with worn, pale bricks lining the exterior of a mahogany interior with a shine that was either from the sunlight on the window or a recent wipe down.
I made my way over as I reached up towards the door handle, stretching my hand before opening the door. Tiny bells rang out, and I found myself in the shop. A man who looked older than Mr.Boonchuy was sitting at the counter with a disinterested look. He didn't give any attention to Mr. Boonchuy or me, so I walked past barely noticing Mr.Boonchuy tossing a paper into a small can near the counter. Making my way down one of the rows, I looked for maps, books with maps, or whatever else was there.
I went through each row in a rush. I wanted to find something that showed my home, the only place I knew in my memory. That wherever this was could be found near the Isles. I looked up and down the shelves until I reached a section labeled fantasy. I went through like before as Mr.Boonchuy trailed a few aisles behind. Then a person-shaped obstacle stopped me.
I stumbled back as my eyes darted up. The first thing to hit me was the orange hair. It was familiar, but not in the way that it was with Eda. The person had it cut short with some blue triangles hanging on her ear that matched the blue eyes that looked nothing like the scammer who'd been pretending to be my parent.
I shook off the thought as I stared up at her. Beyond that initial flicker of Eda, there was something else there. A faint nagging scratching in the back of my head started as the strange woman's face turned from surprise to concern before switching to a glimmer of excitement.
"Hey, kid, is that cosplay?" The woman adjusted her glasses as she leaned down. "And those eyes, you must have gone all out!" I shrank back at the sudden cheeriness. "Y'know, I know this one character that has the same shade," the woman spoke as she dug through some kind of bag on her side.
'My eyes?' I reached up towards my face with a bewildered look. That was when the short-haired woman pulled out a familiar cover. It was that Goodwitch Azura book. Again, that same woman in her white outfit and her pointy hat. I saw the eyes again and remembered Anne's words about my eyes looking like her doll of the same character. Azura… Azure, it was a coincidence, but then again… maybe the author had seen me before?
…well, no, that was stupid… but, maybe? I looked the book up and down before reaching out and turning it to look for something that showed the person who'd written this. Fortunately, a picture of a woman was printed on. I stared for a moment as I looked up at the person who'd handed it to me. I looked back down at a picture of an orange-haired woman with spectacles covering blue eyes that matched a pair of blue triangle earrings.
'No way…' My face scrunched up as I looked at the woman standing there. Were they serious? Was this some kind of mind game on their part? She'd just given me something that gave her away. Maybe they were telling me to secretly tell me that they knew me?
I looked up at the sparkling eyes. There was no way they didn't know me. 'Should I try to be subtle?' I let the thought bounce around. It kept moving back and forth until I decided that I should.
"So… Goodwitch Azura?" the woman nodded frantically. "They didn't quite get the eyes right, but they almost match the same shade as yours that I would've wanted for the character." I looked back down and saw what she was talking about. It wasn't quite the color my eyes had as I realized that she might be saying this might be about me. I looked for the indication in her expression. There was a sparkle in her eyes, but just below it- maybe below it(?)- there was a knowing look.
I could see it in her eyes, the way she looked at me. I stared at the sparkling look again. It had to be what I thought, but just to check. "So the character… why is it Azura?" The woman's eyes turned thoughtful. She shrugged soon after. "I wanted to have the character's name based on something I liked," the answer was so casual, so unbothered, yet I knew her saying it was based on something she liked was her saying she'd seen me before.
A part of me questioned my logic at this point, but I needed something familiar at this point, and if I knew her at some point, then I should find out more. I looked down at the author's name. Mildred Featherwyle sat on the hardcover in a fancy script.
"So… your name is Mildred?" She nodded, giving me an odd look. Then she glanced down and saw her own name. "O-oh, yes, I wrote this," her expression turned a little awkward as I stared. I didn't know how I looked, but the way she reacted made me think she got this kind of attention.
The silence dragged on as I stared, and her gaze flickered around. "Look… if you have a pen and paper, then I can give you my autograph. I felt my brows scrunch with the sudden suggestion. "Autograph?" Mildred looked a little more relieved at the reaction.
"Yes, do you know what an autograph is?" I shook my head. I mean, why would I? Tons of stuff are spotty for me. Mildred sighed as she searched through her bag until a notepad revealed itself from the top of her bag. She frowned as she turned it towards before sighing.
"I'm almost out of space…" she flipped through her notepad to the back as she clicked on a pen that'd been hanging just off to the side on one of the bands of metal. "So who do I make this out to?" Her expression turned back around as her smile forced itself back on her face.
"...Azure," Mildred perked up at that, and I quickly came back to reality as my confusion was replaced with panic. "-I mean, I'm Chris!" Then my mind went back to the girl who'd shown me her doll and spoke again. "Actually, I know someone who's a bigger fan! Her name's Anne, and she has a doll of your character," I smiled back as the woman's expression shifted from confusion to surprise.
"Oh, that's nice of you!" She ruffled my hair as I held down the urge to swat at her. "What a good friend! I'm betting she'll appreciate it," I nodded before she turned down again and wrote, hesitating just at the end as she focused back on me. "Is her name with an e or without?" I gave a strange look since I didn't really know.
'Did I ever see her name?' I thought as I went through my memories. 'Nope, I haven't,' The whole search was relatively short, considering how little time I spent with the girl, which explains it. 'So I'll just have to give a guess?' I went to open my mouth as Mildred stared, only to be stopped as the voice of Mr.Boonchuy rang out.
"An e, it's with an e," I turned back to see his smiling face. "Thanks so much for doing that. I appreciate this, and I'll make sure this gets to my daughter," he said, taking it gently as Mildred finished ripping it away from her collection of paper. I stared up at Mr.Boonchuy, confused as he continued chatting. How long had he been there? I remembered he was a few aisles away, so I must have been talking for a while, but the most concerning thing about his presence was…
'Did he hear me say my real name?' I thought back to the police that had shown up at The Boonchuy's place and felt a little tightness in my chest. 'They'll forget about it with how quickly I corrected myself. It was barely a mumble, too, so I'm not worried,' I shook my head, waving off the thought.
"You're…?" Mildred's voice brought me back as Mr.Boonchuy stared. "Oh, I'm… just call me Boonchuy," his lips turned upward as he held out a hand. "It's what most people call me," Mildred said and took his hand with a . "Then call me Mildred. It was good meeting you and your… daughter's friend?" She gave an odd look at that last part, and Mr.Boonchuy chuckled awkwardly at the observation.
"Yes, it was good to meet my daughter's favorite author." A short silence followed before Mildred coughed a little as she looked past Mr.Boonchuy down the narrow aisle. "O-oh, sorry," he stepped to the side, and Mildred made her way to the front. I lingered as I watched her move out of sight before I remembered why I was here.
'I thought you wouldn't get distracted?' A voice rose in my head, and I flinched. 'Don't do that!' Titus chuckled at my reaction, and I could only sigh. 'Are you sure you'll find what you want here?' I gave a mental shrug at the question.
'It's a bookstore. Shouldn't it have maps for geography?' I could see the shake of his as I went back to going through aisles. Eventually, I found what I was looking for. Skimming around, I found a book titled 'World Geography: a Coverage of West to East,' I pointed it out to him as Mr.Boonchuy grabbed it from the shelf and read the title himself.
"Why were you searching for this?" He gave me an odd look. "Are you interested in the world?" I nodded, hoping that would get the book to me quicker. Mr.Boonchuy sighed and looked between me and the book. "It seems a little outside of your age…" My lips thinned with the gnawing feeling of curiosity and impatience.
"I just want to know more. I-" I thought back to the adult's phone, and words poured out. "-want to know everything that's out there. I want to see it all!" Mr.Boonchuy's face turned hesitant as he looked at the book again, like it might just be a mistake waiting to happen. I hoped he would let me see it. My words were genuine, even if phrased a little vaguely.
"Please," my earnest look drilled into the hesitating man as he held the one thing that might tell me where my home was when even a phone failed me. I couldn't use my scroll either since there wasn't any connection that could pull up a map. So this was it.
Mr.Boonchuy let out a groan and lowered the book for me to grab. I took it quickly and went to work. I flipped to the index and looked for the names of locations in the world. My eyes flicked to continents before moving down to countries and then islands. My expression tightened as I closed it, but I only picked the book up and went to check it out.
Mr.Boonchuy moved after me, keeping pace this time. "So you're interested in geography?" The question was sudden, and I didn't have an answer for it. "Yes? I just want to get this checked out so I can start reading more," Mr.Boonchuy didn't give any more words, only another look that told me he was still thinking over why he was going along with this.
I wanted to say something to convince him, but then Titus broke me from my thoughts with a shout. 'Stop!' I staggered before confusion took over. 'What is it?' I didn't get much more out before I heard an odd noise come from the front. Mr.Boonchuy had the same look on his face as he went to check.
'Stop him!' Titus's voice came again, and I didn't hesitate to grab onto the older man's pant leg. "Chris, what are you-?" His volume dropped at the sudden wariness on my face. He stepped back and went down to one knee, his voice quiet and patient. "What's wrong?" I glanced past him to the end of the aisle as footsteps started up.
"Oh, Boonchuy, was it? I wanted to ask something before I go," I jumped and turned to the shelves like I was looking past them. "Oh-" I held his mouth as something- no, Titus told me something was wrong with this. There was a nagging otherness that came from where I'd heard that voice. I turned back to Mr.Boonchuy. His confusion was palpable, and I could only shake my head.
"We need to leave," I whispered, and he moved my hand. "What are you talking about. You aren't thinking of stealing that book, are you?" He humored my whisper again, and I shook my head. "Something's wrong, I can feel it." I frowned as I thought of how to phrase this. "We just need to get out of here. There's something that isn't right about Mildred," Mr.Boonchuy gave a strange look and rolled his eyes.
"So that's it," his voice rose in volume with a sigh that looked both relieved and annoyed. "You're just frightened of talking to a stranger again," I felt confusion at the clearly wrong answer. What was going on? The previously concerned man rose to his feet and put on a lax expression. "I'm over here, Mildred," A spike of emotion came to me, and I dropped my book and ran.
The feeling made it feel like everything would be fine as long as I made it to the door. It felt more and more right as I got closer to the door. A thought in the back of my mind told me what was happening was Titus, but I could get angry later. I just needed to get out. That didn't last long as the blur of a large body loomed over me.
"Where do you think you're going?" A large hand landed on my wrist as I went to rip it away. Though that wasn't what happened, as a dark-veined palm kept me in place. "H-hey, what are you doing?!" I turned to the sudden noise and saw a weirdly happy-looking Mildred dragging Mr.Boonchuy along with him.
"There are other people in the store. Don't make me call the cops!" That didn't look to bother Mildred as her grip remained unchanged, along with her expression. Mr.Boonchuy didn't seem to notice. He turned to the counter. "Sir, there's-!" Then he noticed us. Suddenly, he wasn't as confident as he had been. Mr.Boonchuy looked like he wanted to say something, but it wasn't the time for that.
"What do you want from us? Is this some kind of kidnapping?" The old man and Mildred's eyes snapped to Mr.Boonchuy. "You aren't part of this," they answered simultaneously before looking back to me. "Chosen, we will be taking you back to the priest soon. Do not worry," I looked on, bewildered. I didn't know what this was about, but they had essence, and there was only one person with essence besides Titus and me.
'He found me,' memories of that odd place came back to me, and the furious face of Josh, taken over by that robe guy, falling with me into a flash of light. I'd barely survived then, and now he had people moving for him. I bit my lip. 'Were they already possessed?' Mildred had been acting until she went to the front, and the store owner was just sleeping, so…
I searched for what caused this as a blank piece of crumpled paper sat on the counter. 'Was that always there?' I thought back to the moment I entered the store. I hadn't been paying much attention, but the only crumpled paper I'd seen was the piece that Mr.Boonchuy threw away. 'Did the paper have it?' I had to ask Titus.
'I couldn't sense anything over your constant barrage of thoughts,' Titus quickly answered, leaving me surprised. 'Wait, you can't sense things when I'm thinking?' Titus shook his head. 'I can't sense well, but for something as obvious as essence puppeting something at such proximity…' anger hit me, but before I could get my words out, he sent a short burst of thoughts I'd been saturating my mind with.
That shut me up quick as anger turned inward, becoming frustration. I was reacting again. I needed to be proactive. That's why I went to transform. Limbs elongated, and nails thickened as my body grew with a strange amount of hair accompanying it. The pain wasn't there, but I remembered the pain back at the beach. It was better not to think about it right now.
I threw away the man's hand and rushed over to do the same with Mr.Boonchuy and Mildred. That's when something odd happened. The same inky essence that had been possessing Mildred burst out and leapt towards me. It was too sudden to react as the stuff sank into my skin with a piercing pain of tens of needles sinking into my skin. My body started to jolt in pain all over again as it pushed its way through. Even my transformation was affected as my body shrank back in some places while growing in others.
It hurt a lot, but not quite as much as before that fire. Though I didn't have time to think about it, I tried to refocus and stop whatever was happening. I started to clumsily wave my hand in a circle, cycling my magic to try and see what was happening. Each current sent to my hand was cut off when it reached the areas of growth, like a clogged pipe, but that didn't stop me from trying again.
While this was happening, Mr.Boonchuy finally freed himself from the now loose grip of Mildred, who had a sort of hazy look in her eye, as if she'd just woke up. Though Mr.Boonchuy wasn't paying attention to that. He was looking at me with startled eyes.
"What's happening?!" He cautiously approached. I wanted to move away or tell him to keep his distance, but all I could do was cycle and try casting again. This time, I managed to weave past a few of the blockages and up to my elbow. That's when I noticed something odd. My magic approaching the area of intrusion seemed to repel the foreign essence like a hand flinching away from fire. That's what I thought, at least, when the pain receded closer to my hand.
'That's weird…' Why would it shrink away from magic? I'd been using plenty of magic with glyphs. Wasn't this the same stuff that made it? I didn't receive any answer as things started to settle in other parts of my body. I had no idea what was happening, but the intruding essence was cut off, so I decided to flood more into my arm to keep it from starting again. My magic slowly made its way up like a glass being filled. The foreign essence started to vanish like the air as more and more of it was eaten by the energy in my arm.
That's when I noticed the store owner's hand clamping onto me and the figure of Mr.Boonchuy trying to pull him off. Though that wasn't all that happened, as the same pain of needles hit my neck this time. I grit my teeth and tried to divert magic to my neck, but when I did, the other chunk of essence in my arm gained ground. I was helpless to stop the other as I felt the sharp pain move towards my head.
'Is this it?'I thought. It couldn't be, not after doing so much to survive. I tried to rage against the inevitable as I sent current after current of magic up, but those same blockages stopped me as I gave ground to the other invader in exchange for my last-ditch effort. My mind rushed with panic as I tried to come to terms with what was happening. That's when a voice rose from my mind, one that brought a new hope.
'Keep your magic focused on that other chunk of essence. I'll take care of this one,' that's all I heard before I went back to pushing against the essence in my arm, and a new feeling joined the others in my body, moving against the second chunk of foreign essence.
After what felt like hours of fighting on both fronts, the essence in my arm was ground down to nothing by my magic, and that second chunk felt almost insignificant compared to when it first entered. In contrast, that strange feeling was much more significant as it consumed the last bit of the second intruder. It headed back into my head after that as I saw Titus reappear with a much more defined form.
That was it then. I let out a breath as my transformation came undone and I was back to my normal look. I looked around at the bookstore where all of this went down. I looked at that crumpled paper on the desk. Finally, I looked at the three people involved in all of this and saw only one was fully aware, and fully wordless at my suddenly normal body.
"...I can explain?" I gave an awkward smile before remembering what kind of situation this was. "Though we should get out of here first," I turned to the door and made my way out, hearing a pair of feet follow along with me. Moving through the threshold of the store, I had one thought as the brightness of the sun hit me. This was going to be a long talk.