Post by ParamountKeymaster on Oct 30, 2015 12:56:08 GMT -5
The ancient doors to the castle slowly creaked open, the groans of the worn, rusted metal echoing through the vast corridors. Cautiously, Patrick poked his head inside, warily staring down the dark hallway. It was impossible for his human eyes to see more than five feet into the shadows, and it was too eerily quiet to deduce whether or not anything was in there. If this castle was indeed occupied, its residents were hiding themselves fantastically, and that possibility only made this venture all the more nerve-wracking.
"Van..." Patrick squeaked, searching for any excuse not to enter this haunting structure. "Are you sure this is the place?"
Positive, his inner Brit calmly replied. This is where the tracking spell led me, and from what I can tell, he hasn't moved since I cast it.
"Oh... Great..."
Come on, Pat, don't be a pansy, Ray snapped. We fought demons in a graveyard. We can handle a haunted castle.
Personally, I'm questioning your decision to confront this issue alone, Van continued.
Patrick gulped once and shakily stepped inside, pushing the door closed behind him. "Ace has been through enough. I'm not letting her torture herself anymore."
We could've at least brought someone other than her to help...
Van, we know how to deal with this guy now! Ray insisted. We don't need any help!
"He's right..." Patrick murmured. "This is my rivalry. My best friend. My problem."
Having made up his mind, Patrick created a small ball of light, letting it rise above his head and follow him as he tiptoed through the hallway. In the dim silver glow, he scrutinized his surroundings nervously yet tenaciously. He kept his eyes and ears tuned to any sign of life, the faintest twitch in any shadow, the tiniest noise resonating through the hallowed halls. But there seemed to be none. Only the silhouetted shapes he himself cast. Only the shuddering echoes of his own breaths and footsteps.
But Jack was here. Even disregarding Van's divinations, Patrick just knew that Jack had to be here.
The thought of confronting the body-snatching demon might not have been one he was about to turn away from at the expense of his best friend, not to mention his girlfriend, but he was still pretty uneasy about it regardless. In what felt like no time at all, Jack had intruded upon Patrick's life, absconded Evan's body twice, and displayed and/or acquired the powers of strength, flight, invisibility, intangibility, fire, blood, shadows, Paramount Key know-how, and who knew what else? He was dangerous. Unpredictably so. That was plain and obvious.
So, to be fair, confronting Jack alone probably was a stupid idea on Patrick and Ray's part.
He could only hope he was ready. Ready to face the demon that had quickly risen to the title of Patrick's mortal enemy. Ready to duel one-on-one with the vessel that once belonged to his dearest friend. Ready to put an end to this madness once and for all.
His walk eventually led him to a large room, incredibly spacious, and from what he could tell in the minimal light, very intricate and well-decorated. Clearly this had once been a ballroom. Suffice to say, Patrick found this room even more haunting than the hallways, as the wide open space provided his light with less surfaces to reflect off of, effectively enveloping him in the chilling darkness. The gothic architecture in perpetual ruin didn't exactly help. Still, he pressed on. His journey had to end somewhere.
Sure enough, he finally caught sight of a unique shape a little ways away. It was resting on the floor in the middle of the ballroom. It was mostly dark, but with faintly bright tints here and there. And upon further investigation, Patrick found that it was distinctly human-shaped.
"Evan...?" He was about to run up to the figure when Van brought him to his senses...
Patrick, wait! It might be Evan's body, but it's more than likely still Jack in there.
"R-Right..." Still, he couldn't resist approaching his best friend's still form. There was only one way he was going to find out who was in control, after all.
He paled up as he neared the body. Evan was still clad in that suit. Jack's trilby was still nestled on his head, and Jack's cane was lying next to him on the floor. His eyes were closed, his face tranquil, as if he was merely in a deep sleep.
Well... What're you waiting for? Ray questioned. Might as well exorcise him while he's down!
Patrick nodded and held his hands over Evan, bright blue energy igniting in his palms.
"Patrick?"
"Eep-!" The magic retreated before he could cast any spells. He stumbled back a few steps, staring wide-eyed at the young man in the suit and questioning if it was Evan or Jack who had just spoken to him.
The host opened his eyes. As Patrick brought his ball of light closer to his friend's face, he saw that Evan's brown irises had paled considerably. They had no glow to them, not that of Jack's or even his own. They were practically lifeless. But they were still Evan's regardless.
"E-Evan?" Patrick breathed.
"Yeah..." Evan softly responded.
"Evan... where's Jack?"
"He's here."
"...Where?"
"In here..." Evan rasped, weakly lifting his arm to point a gloved finger at his head.
Patrick shivered once. "Y-You mean... he's still in your...?"
"Patrick, you need to get out of here," Evan hastily insisted.
"W...? Dude, I gotta help you!"
"NO!" Evan's shout echoed off the ballroom walls like a mighty thunderclap. "Patrick, you can't stop him by yourself! It's too late for you, and it's especially too late for me! Just forget about me and get out of here!"
Patrick couldn't believe what he was hearing, mouth agape and head slowly shaking. He couldn't accept that Evan had given up hope like this. "Evan, no! I-I won't let him hurt you anymore!"
Evan stared at the ceiling, an insane smile creeping across his lips. "Yes you will. And you know."
"Evan, please...!"
"If you love me..."
"Don't let him do this!"
"...let me go."
The blue light returned, sparking furiously around Patrick's fists. "Jack, I swear I will-!!"
But before he could do anything, Evan's body disappeared into the floor, whisking the cane away with it.
"!!!" Patrick tensed up, hastily dissipating the abjuration energy and instead channeling evocation energy. The circle beneath his feet and the light sphere above his head filled the ballroom in eerily glowing shades of green and silver. He had a gut feeling that all of his worst fears had been realized.
Truth be told, that was only still on the horizon.
The beast is loose, boys... Ray murmured.
This can only end so well... Van gulped.
FINDERS
KEEPERS
LOSERS
WEEPERS
Patrick jumped when, one by one, the shadows in the room rose up and surrounded him like an army of demons... each one vaguely resembling a silhouette of Evan. Black tendrils lashed out at him, wrapping around his arms and neck and snuffing out his magical energy before he could evoke any spells. He desperately struggled against his restraints as one shadow tendril in particular grabbed him by the shirt, its owner slipping out of the darkness and into view shortly thereafter.
His mind blanked as he stared up with a wide, panicked gaze at the blazing silver eyes and fanged grin of what appeared to be an Evan-shaped Præt'nos.
Jack was in control.
"Welcome to the end of eras
Ice has melted back to life"
He threw Patrick backwards into the chaotic, swarming mass of shadows. Black tendrils continued to ensnare the boy.
"Done my time and served my sentence
Dress me up and watch me die"
The dark figure seemed to split open, allowing Jack to hatch out of it and hover over his captive audience member.
"If it feels good, tastes good
It must be mine"
He adjusted his gloves and the brim of his trilby in a suave, show-offish manner.
"Dynasty decapitated
You just might see a ghost tonight"
Patrick anxiously yanked his arms free and threw a blast of light at Jack, hoping to blind him right off the bat. Unfazed, Jack merely summoned a wall of shadows. In any logical situation, the light should have disbanded the darkness... and yet it remained, shielding the demon from the harsh glare.
His glowing eyes and smile were somehow still visible through this black barrier.
"And if you don't know, now you know"
The shadows engulfed him...
"I'm taking back the crown!"
...then he threw them at Patrick, sweeping him away in a tidal wave of blackness.
"I'm all dressed up and naked!"
As the mage flailed about in the torrent, Jack prowled after him in his shadow form.
"I see what's mine and take it!"
His long, clawed hands tossed Patrick around like he was a mere plaything.
FINDERS
KEEPERS
LOSERS
WEEPERS
"Oh-oh yeah-ah!"
Patrick scrambled into a clearing and made a mad dash down the nearest hallway, with Jack and his shadows still in hot pursuit.
"The crown!"
In a fit of hysteria, Patrick threw spell after spell at the black shapes surrounding him. Light, fire, holy power, pure force...
"So close I can taste it!"
...but no matter how many shadows he forced away, more and more of them just kept coming.
"I see what's mine and take it!"
The shadows caught up to Patrick, sweeping him off his feet once again and down the hall at blinding speed.
FINDERS
KEEPERS
L̸ƠS̢E͟R̸S̸
W̷E̢EP̴ERS
"Oh-oh yeah-ah!"
Finally, the shadows flung Patrick away, sending him flying haphazardly into a wall mirror. The glass shattered, its reflective shards clattering to the floor along with the disoriented mage. Patrick was too petrified to get back up, whether it be from physical pain, sheer terror or both.
Dammit, Patrick, we're not getting anywhere like this! Ray protested. Move over! Let me handle this!
Ray, I don't think your spells are well-suited for this situation! Van insisted.
Well, SOMEBODY'S gotta do SOMETHING around here! Ray shouted as he forcefully assumed control of their body.
As Ray picked himself up, Jack calmly approached him, once again in human form. Shadows continued to loom over him. In his walk, he knelt down and grabbed a large glass shard.
"Sycophants on velvet sofas
Lavish mansions, vintage wine"
Red light ignited in Ray's hands. He was only halfway through charging his fear spell when the shadows wrapped around him, pinning him against the wall and breaking his concentration.
"I am so much more than royal
Snatch your chain and mace your eyes"
He tried again, only for his focus to fall on Jack as the demon pressed his cane against Ray's neck. As he sang, Jack slit the glass shard across his host's forehead, slicing open his right temple.
"If it feels good, tastes good
It must be mine"
Jack did the same for the left. To his own surprise, Ray was too stymied to act as he watched Jack mutilate Evan's face.
"Heroes always get remembered
But you know legends never die"
After carving the symmetrical gashes in his host's head, Jack dropped the shard and raised himself off the ground. Droplets of blood slowly floated from the wounds.
Ray could've sworn his fear spell had backfired. Either that or he really and truly understood what Patrick had felt. Jack's display of power was simply too terrifying to do anything about except observe.
"And if you don't know, now you know"
A brief, chilling silence befell them. The beads of blood hovered over Jack's head like little red stars. Shadows swirled around Jack, and every now and then, one would flicker in front of his face, briefly showing Ray the mortified expression of the brown-eyed man trapped in his own body.
"I'm taking back the crown!"
Jack threw his arms back, and with one mighty thrust, not only did the blood droplets crystalize and launch themselves at Ray, but more blood erupted from Jack's head wounds and hardened into red, crystal horns.
"I'm all dressed up and naked!"
Ray yanked his arms free and anxiously created a red barrier that dissolved most of the blood shards, with a few making it past and scraping across his skin.
"I see what's mine and take it!"
Jack swung his arm like a puppeteer, commanding his shadows to gather around Ray while he was distracted. The black wisps snaked across every part of his body, wrapping around his limbs, swirling through his mouth, nose and ears.
FI͡ŃDE̴R͘S
̶
ĶEEP̶ÈR͢S͞
LOS̴E̸RS͡
͝
̡WE̸EP͠ERS҉
"Oh-oh yeah-ah!"
Ray desperately struck the shadows with any necromancy spell he could think of, but to no avail. Shadows had no life force to manipulate.
"The crown!"
Before he could try any enchantments, the shadows grabbed ahold of Ray and threw him into a dark corridor.
"So close I can taste it!"
The mage turned himself around in midair, catching sight of Jack long enough to launch an enchantment spell at him. If he could just confuse Jack long enough to halt this madness...
"I see what's mine and take it!"
No such luck. Jack simply flew above the spell's range and struck Ray with a spell of his own, leaving the necromancer and enchanter's mind too scrambled to go on.
FI͡ŅDERS
̡KE͠E͘P͡ERS͜
LOSERS
̷
̢W̕EEP̀ER͞S̛
"Oh-oh yeah-ah!"
With Ray out of commission, Van quickly took over. Just in time, too, as it suddenly occurred to him that they were falling down a staircase and he managed to cast a levitation spell over himself before he could crash at the bottom. Shakily, Van touched back down. He didn't even have to question where he was before the answer was revealed to him.
Lanterns lining the room ignited. As far as Van's eye could see were stone walls, iron bars and chains. The dungeon.
Shadowy, gargoyle-like faces danced across the walls, projecting Jack's voice from every angle...
"MORTAL KINGS ARE RULING CASTLES
WELCOME TO MY WORLD OF FUN
LIARS SETTLE INTO SOCKETS
FLIP THE SWITCH AND WATCH THEM RUN"
Then, all of a sudden, the shadows vanished and Van was left standing alone in the middle of the dungeon.
He nervously looked around, equally as terrified as his other facets. The one thing that scared him most was this sense of helplessness. Jack's rapid-fire attacks offered them little to no time to react or prepare any effective spells. Neither Patrick or Ray had even touched Jack himself, and Van was worried that he would prove to be just as inadequate. This was Jack's game. Jack's rules. And he was winning easily.
Guys, I'm freaking out here! Patrick shuddered.
Waht teh hlel is eevn hnipepang rgiht nwo?! Ray slurred, his thought processes still unfocused.
Van was tense. This silence was eating at him. Jack could've been anywhere, lurking in the shadows, ready to strike when he least expected...
"J-Jack...?"
KABOOM
"OHH-OHH-YEAH-AHH-OHH-OHH-OH-OH-OH-OH-OH-OH-OH-OHH!"
Darkness engulfed Van, as black and ethereal as shadows but as wild and searing as flames. The shapes condensed above Van's head to reveal Jack's leering face.
FI͜͝N̴̷D́͠EŖ́͢S̕͢
̴̡͡
̶͝K̀EEP̸͠E͡R̛S͞
̶̴͞
L͞O̢͟҉Ş͟ÈR̴S̶͢
̵̶̵
W͞͠E͘͢EPE͝R͜҉S̴̛
Van lifted himself slightly off the ground, his levitation spell still in effect. An indigo arcane circle ignited beneath him. He did his best to ensnare the shadows with this light, melding them with each wave of his hands.
"I'm taking back-back, taking back-back the crown!"
But the shadows did not obey, gathering underneath Van and launching him high into the air.
"I'm all dressed up and naked!"
In his horned, human form, Jack flew up to Van, took his hand and spun him around in a mid-air dance.
"I see what's mine and take it!"
He then pushed Van into an open prison cell with all his might. The mage threw a bright green spell behind him to reduce the force of his collision with the wall.
F҉Į̴N̢͜D̕E͜R҉S҉
͘͡K҉̸̀E҉̧́E̵͠҉P̡ERS͘
̨̕
̴L̛O̧͟S̕É͞RS̴
̷͟
̸͡͠W͘͜E̵E͝͏P̧ER͡S
"Oh-oh yeah-ah!"
Without thinking too hard about it, Van pressed his hands against the wall and altered the shapes of the stone bricks, causing them to jut out into rows of enormous spikes that surrounded him and would hopefully shield him.
"The crown!"
This proved to backfire tremendously when Jack's shadows effortlessly ripped the spikes free, turn the pointed end on Van...
"So close I can taste it!"
...and drive them first into the loose fabric of his clothes, then into the wall, leaving him pinned against the cold, stony surface.
"I see what's mine and take it!"
Jack touched down at the front of the cell, shadows dancing around him, flames igniting behind him.
F̸͜͏̡͘I̧̡͘͠N̸҉̕D̶E͝҉͡R̵̡͡S̶̛̛̀͠
́͞
̵̕Ḱ̛̛̕E͢͢E̡P̷̡̢̛È̛͡͞R͘S̵̕͘
̢̨҉
̵̡̛̀͡L̸͞Ó̷̡S̢͡E̕̕͢͟͞Ŗ̀S͏͠
̵͟͞
͠͏W̨͞҉̕E҉̧̧͢͝E̢̛͏̷͢P̀̀͜͞͡É̵Ŗ͢͠Ś̷̡̀͟
"Oh-oh yeah-ah!"
The tri-personalitied mage was effectively trapped. He stood there rigid, eyes flashing between emerald, pea and forest green as control involuntarily switched between the three. Patrick wanted to protect himself, conjure a portal, or just do something to escape Jack's wrath. Van could've granted them the added strength to break free, or perhaps think up a means of distracting Jack. Ray just wanted to pound the everloving snot out of the demon, or at least compel him to back off.
But the fact of the matter was... all three of them were too scared to do anything.
F̶͏̴̴͘I̧͢͞N̛̕͝D̛҉̴ÉR҉̴̶̧͝S҉̡͢
̶̴̕͟
̵̸̴̀͘Ķ͜É̷̛͢͞E̶̕P̴̴̧̡̕E̴͟͝͞R͢͞S̷̶̢̨̀
́͘
͘͘͟L͡O̴̢̧͠͡S̴Ȩ͟R̷̨͏̵S͏̷͜͠͝
̡̢̕͞
͘͟͟͟͢W͝͏͞Ę̷̵̷͝É̸҉̸Ṕ̷̨Ȩ̷̛́R̸̵̶S͏̡
Jack slowly walked up to his prisoner, a devilish grin on his face, a cold fire in his silver eyes, a hellish glint in his crystal horns. He knelt down to the mage's level. He gently took the mage's chin in his gloved hand.
And in what was undoubtedly the single most horrifying moment in Patrick, Van and Ray's life...
F҉͟I̷̛̕͞͠Ņ́͜͟͞D̵É҉Ŕ̡͢͝S̡̢͡
̵̡́͜͠
̧́͠͞͞K̨̧͜È͝͞͝E͜͠P͏̷̶̶E҉̕͝R̸̛̛͠҉S̕͟
̵́̕͢͟
̨̡̧́L̢͟O̵͢͢҉́Ş̸́͡E͏͏́R̨̛͘Ş̀
̵̨̀͜͠
̴͘͟W̴͜͢҉E̸̡̕͘͢E͢҉͘P̵҉̕͜E̶͘͝Ŗ҉̀S̶̨͜͞͡
...Jack leaned in and pressed Evan's lips against the mage's.
"Van..." Patrick squeaked, searching for any excuse not to enter this haunting structure. "Are you sure this is the place?"
Positive, his inner Brit calmly replied. This is where the tracking spell led me, and from what I can tell, he hasn't moved since I cast it.
"Oh... Great..."
Come on, Pat, don't be a pansy, Ray snapped. We fought demons in a graveyard. We can handle a haunted castle.
Personally, I'm questioning your decision to confront this issue alone, Van continued.
Patrick gulped once and shakily stepped inside, pushing the door closed behind him. "Ace has been through enough. I'm not letting her torture herself anymore."
We could've at least brought someone other than her to help...
Van, we know how to deal with this guy now! Ray insisted. We don't need any help!
"He's right..." Patrick murmured. "This is my rivalry. My best friend. My problem."
Having made up his mind, Patrick created a small ball of light, letting it rise above his head and follow him as he tiptoed through the hallway. In the dim silver glow, he scrutinized his surroundings nervously yet tenaciously. He kept his eyes and ears tuned to any sign of life, the faintest twitch in any shadow, the tiniest noise resonating through the hallowed halls. But there seemed to be none. Only the silhouetted shapes he himself cast. Only the shuddering echoes of his own breaths and footsteps.
But Jack was here. Even disregarding Van's divinations, Patrick just knew that Jack had to be here.
The thought of confronting the body-snatching demon might not have been one he was about to turn away from at the expense of his best friend, not to mention his girlfriend, but he was still pretty uneasy about it regardless. In what felt like no time at all, Jack had intruded upon Patrick's life, absconded Evan's body twice, and displayed and/or acquired the powers of strength, flight, invisibility, intangibility, fire, blood, shadows, Paramount Key know-how, and who knew what else? He was dangerous. Unpredictably so. That was plain and obvious.
So, to be fair, confronting Jack alone probably was a stupid idea on Patrick and Ray's part.
He could only hope he was ready. Ready to face the demon that had quickly risen to the title of Patrick's mortal enemy. Ready to duel one-on-one with the vessel that once belonged to his dearest friend. Ready to put an end to this madness once and for all.
His walk eventually led him to a large room, incredibly spacious, and from what he could tell in the minimal light, very intricate and well-decorated. Clearly this had once been a ballroom. Suffice to say, Patrick found this room even more haunting than the hallways, as the wide open space provided his light with less surfaces to reflect off of, effectively enveloping him in the chilling darkness. The gothic architecture in perpetual ruin didn't exactly help. Still, he pressed on. His journey had to end somewhere.
Sure enough, he finally caught sight of a unique shape a little ways away. It was resting on the floor in the middle of the ballroom. It was mostly dark, but with faintly bright tints here and there. And upon further investigation, Patrick found that it was distinctly human-shaped.
"Evan...?" He was about to run up to the figure when Van brought him to his senses...
Patrick, wait! It might be Evan's body, but it's more than likely still Jack in there.
"R-Right..." Still, he couldn't resist approaching his best friend's still form. There was only one way he was going to find out who was in control, after all.
He paled up as he neared the body. Evan was still clad in that suit. Jack's trilby was still nestled on his head, and Jack's cane was lying next to him on the floor. His eyes were closed, his face tranquil, as if he was merely in a deep sleep.
Well... What're you waiting for? Ray questioned. Might as well exorcise him while he's down!
Patrick nodded and held his hands over Evan, bright blue energy igniting in his palms.
"Patrick?"
"Eep-!" The magic retreated before he could cast any spells. He stumbled back a few steps, staring wide-eyed at the young man in the suit and questioning if it was Evan or Jack who had just spoken to him.
The host opened his eyes. As Patrick brought his ball of light closer to his friend's face, he saw that Evan's brown irises had paled considerably. They had no glow to them, not that of Jack's or even his own. They were practically lifeless. But they were still Evan's regardless.
"E-Evan?" Patrick breathed.
"Yeah..." Evan softly responded.
"Evan... where's Jack?"
"He's here."
"...Where?"
"In here..." Evan rasped, weakly lifting his arm to point a gloved finger at his head.
Patrick shivered once. "Y-You mean... he's still in your...?"
"Patrick, you need to get out of here," Evan hastily insisted.
"W...? Dude, I gotta help you!"
"NO!" Evan's shout echoed off the ballroom walls like a mighty thunderclap. "Patrick, you can't stop him by yourself! It's too late for you, and it's especially too late for me! Just forget about me and get out of here!"
Patrick couldn't believe what he was hearing, mouth agape and head slowly shaking. He couldn't accept that Evan had given up hope like this. "Evan, no! I-I won't let him hurt you anymore!"
Evan stared at the ceiling, an insane smile creeping across his lips. "Yes you will. And you know."
"Evan, please...!"
"If you love me..."
"Don't let him do this!"
"...let me go."
The blue light returned, sparking furiously around Patrick's fists. "Jack, I swear I will-!!"
But before he could do anything, Evan's body disappeared into the floor, whisking the cane away with it.
"!!!" Patrick tensed up, hastily dissipating the abjuration energy and instead channeling evocation energy. The circle beneath his feet and the light sphere above his head filled the ballroom in eerily glowing shades of green and silver. He had a gut feeling that all of his worst fears had been realized.
Truth be told, that was only still on the horizon.
The beast is loose, boys... Ray murmured.
This can only end so well... Van gulped.
FINDERS
KEEPERS
LOSERS
WEEPERS
Patrick jumped when, one by one, the shadows in the room rose up and surrounded him like an army of demons... each one vaguely resembling a silhouette of Evan. Black tendrils lashed out at him, wrapping around his arms and neck and snuffing out his magical energy before he could evoke any spells. He desperately struggled against his restraints as one shadow tendril in particular grabbed him by the shirt, its owner slipping out of the darkness and into view shortly thereafter.
His mind blanked as he stared up with a wide, panicked gaze at the blazing silver eyes and fanged grin of what appeared to be an Evan-shaped Præt'nos.
Jack was in control.
"Welcome to the end of eras
Ice has melted back to life"
He threw Patrick backwards into the chaotic, swarming mass of shadows. Black tendrils continued to ensnare the boy.
"Done my time and served my sentence
Dress me up and watch me die"
The dark figure seemed to split open, allowing Jack to hatch out of it and hover over his captive audience member.
"If it feels good, tastes good
It must be mine"
He adjusted his gloves and the brim of his trilby in a suave, show-offish manner.
"Dynasty decapitated
You just might see a ghost tonight"
Patrick anxiously yanked his arms free and threw a blast of light at Jack, hoping to blind him right off the bat. Unfazed, Jack merely summoned a wall of shadows. In any logical situation, the light should have disbanded the darkness... and yet it remained, shielding the demon from the harsh glare.
His glowing eyes and smile were somehow still visible through this black barrier.
"And if you don't know, now you know"
The shadows engulfed him...
"I'm taking back the crown!"
...then he threw them at Patrick, sweeping him away in a tidal wave of blackness.
"I'm all dressed up and naked!"
As the mage flailed about in the torrent, Jack prowled after him in his shadow form.
"I see what's mine and take it!"
His long, clawed hands tossed Patrick around like he was a mere plaything.
FINDERS
KEEPERS
LOSERS
WEEPERS
"Oh-oh yeah-ah!"
Patrick scrambled into a clearing and made a mad dash down the nearest hallway, with Jack and his shadows still in hot pursuit.
"The crown!"
In a fit of hysteria, Patrick threw spell after spell at the black shapes surrounding him. Light, fire, holy power, pure force...
"So close I can taste it!"
...but no matter how many shadows he forced away, more and more of them just kept coming.
"I see what's mine and take it!"
The shadows caught up to Patrick, sweeping him off his feet once again and down the hall at blinding speed.
FINDERS
KEEPERS
L̸ƠS̢E͟R̸S̸
W̷E̢EP̴ERS
"Oh-oh yeah-ah!"
Finally, the shadows flung Patrick away, sending him flying haphazardly into a wall mirror. The glass shattered, its reflective shards clattering to the floor along with the disoriented mage. Patrick was too petrified to get back up, whether it be from physical pain, sheer terror or both.
Dammit, Patrick, we're not getting anywhere like this! Ray protested. Move over! Let me handle this!
Ray, I don't think your spells are well-suited for this situation! Van insisted.
Well, SOMEBODY'S gotta do SOMETHING around here! Ray shouted as he forcefully assumed control of their body.
As Ray picked himself up, Jack calmly approached him, once again in human form. Shadows continued to loom over him. In his walk, he knelt down and grabbed a large glass shard.
"Sycophants on velvet sofas
Lavish mansions, vintage wine"
Red light ignited in Ray's hands. He was only halfway through charging his fear spell when the shadows wrapped around him, pinning him against the wall and breaking his concentration.
"I am so much more than royal
Snatch your chain and mace your eyes"
He tried again, only for his focus to fall on Jack as the demon pressed his cane against Ray's neck. As he sang, Jack slit the glass shard across his host's forehead, slicing open his right temple.
"If it feels good, tastes good
It must be mine"
Jack did the same for the left. To his own surprise, Ray was too stymied to act as he watched Jack mutilate Evan's face.
"Heroes always get remembered
But you know legends never die"
After carving the symmetrical gashes in his host's head, Jack dropped the shard and raised himself off the ground. Droplets of blood slowly floated from the wounds.
Ray could've sworn his fear spell had backfired. Either that or he really and truly understood what Patrick had felt. Jack's display of power was simply too terrifying to do anything about except observe.
"And if you don't know, now you know"
A brief, chilling silence befell them. The beads of blood hovered over Jack's head like little red stars. Shadows swirled around Jack, and every now and then, one would flicker in front of his face, briefly showing Ray the mortified expression of the brown-eyed man trapped in his own body.
"I'm taking back the crown!"
Jack threw his arms back, and with one mighty thrust, not only did the blood droplets crystalize and launch themselves at Ray, but more blood erupted from Jack's head wounds and hardened into red, crystal horns.
"I'm all dressed up and naked!"
Ray yanked his arms free and anxiously created a red barrier that dissolved most of the blood shards, with a few making it past and scraping across his skin.
"I see what's mine and take it!"
Jack swung his arm like a puppeteer, commanding his shadows to gather around Ray while he was distracted. The black wisps snaked across every part of his body, wrapping around his limbs, swirling through his mouth, nose and ears.
FI͡ŃDE̴R͘S
̶
ĶEEP̶ÈR͢S͞
LOS̴E̸RS͡
͝
̡WE̸EP͠ERS҉
"Oh-oh yeah-ah!"
Ray desperately struck the shadows with any necromancy spell he could think of, but to no avail. Shadows had no life force to manipulate.
"The crown!"
Before he could try any enchantments, the shadows grabbed ahold of Ray and threw him into a dark corridor.
"So close I can taste it!"
The mage turned himself around in midair, catching sight of Jack long enough to launch an enchantment spell at him. If he could just confuse Jack long enough to halt this madness...
"I see what's mine and take it!"
No such luck. Jack simply flew above the spell's range and struck Ray with a spell of his own, leaving the necromancer and enchanter's mind too scrambled to go on.
FI͡ŅDERS
̡KE͠E͘P͡ERS͜
LOSERS
̷
̢W̕EEP̀ER͞S̛
"Oh-oh yeah-ah!"
With Ray out of commission, Van quickly took over. Just in time, too, as it suddenly occurred to him that they were falling down a staircase and he managed to cast a levitation spell over himself before he could crash at the bottom. Shakily, Van touched back down. He didn't even have to question where he was before the answer was revealed to him.
Lanterns lining the room ignited. As far as Van's eye could see were stone walls, iron bars and chains. The dungeon.
Shadowy, gargoyle-like faces danced across the walls, projecting Jack's voice from every angle...
"MORTAL KINGS ARE RULING CASTLES
WELCOME TO MY WORLD OF FUN
LIARS SETTLE INTO SOCKETS
FLIP THE SWITCH AND WATCH THEM RUN"
Then, all of a sudden, the shadows vanished and Van was left standing alone in the middle of the dungeon.
He nervously looked around, equally as terrified as his other facets. The one thing that scared him most was this sense of helplessness. Jack's rapid-fire attacks offered them little to no time to react or prepare any effective spells. Neither Patrick or Ray had even touched Jack himself, and Van was worried that he would prove to be just as inadequate. This was Jack's game. Jack's rules. And he was winning easily.
Guys, I'm freaking out here! Patrick shuddered.
Waht teh hlel is eevn hnipepang rgiht nwo?! Ray slurred, his thought processes still unfocused.
Van was tense. This silence was eating at him. Jack could've been anywhere, lurking in the shadows, ready to strike when he least expected...
"J-Jack...?"
KABOOM
"OHH-OHH-YEAH-AHH-OHH-OHH-OH-OH-OH-OH-OH-OH-OH-OHH!"
Darkness engulfed Van, as black and ethereal as shadows but as wild and searing as flames. The shapes condensed above Van's head to reveal Jack's leering face.
FI͜͝N̴̷D́͠EŖ́͢S̕͢
̴̡͡
̶͝K̀EEP̸͠E͡R̛S͞
̶̴͞
L͞O̢͟҉Ş͟ÈR̴S̶͢
̵̶̵
W͞͠E͘͢EPE͝R͜҉S̴̛
Van lifted himself slightly off the ground, his levitation spell still in effect. An indigo arcane circle ignited beneath him. He did his best to ensnare the shadows with this light, melding them with each wave of his hands.
"I'm taking back-back, taking back-back the crown!"
But the shadows did not obey, gathering underneath Van and launching him high into the air.
"I'm all dressed up and naked!"
In his horned, human form, Jack flew up to Van, took his hand and spun him around in a mid-air dance.
"I see what's mine and take it!"
He then pushed Van into an open prison cell with all his might. The mage threw a bright green spell behind him to reduce the force of his collision with the wall.
F҉Į̴N̢͜D̕E͜R҉S҉
͘͡K҉̸̀E҉̧́E̵͠҉P̡ERS͘
̨̕
̴L̛O̧͟S̕É͞RS̴
̷͟
̸͡͠W͘͜E̵E͝͏P̧ER͡S
"Oh-oh yeah-ah!"
Without thinking too hard about it, Van pressed his hands against the wall and altered the shapes of the stone bricks, causing them to jut out into rows of enormous spikes that surrounded him and would hopefully shield him.
"The crown!"
This proved to backfire tremendously when Jack's shadows effortlessly ripped the spikes free, turn the pointed end on Van...
"So close I can taste it!"
...and drive them first into the loose fabric of his clothes, then into the wall, leaving him pinned against the cold, stony surface.
"I see what's mine and take it!"
Jack touched down at the front of the cell, shadows dancing around him, flames igniting behind him.
F̸͜͏̡͘I̧̡͘͠N̸҉̕D̶E͝҉͡R̵̡͡S̶̛̛̀͠
́͞
̵̕Ḱ̛̛̕E͢͢E̡P̷̡̢̛È̛͡͞R͘S̵̕͘
̢̨҉
̵̡̛̀͡L̸͞Ó̷̡S̢͡E̕̕͢͟͞Ŗ̀S͏͠
̵͟͞
͠͏W̨͞҉̕E҉̧̧͢͝E̢̛͏̷͢P̀̀͜͞͡É̵Ŗ͢͠Ś̷̡̀͟
"Oh-oh yeah-ah!"
The tri-personalitied mage was effectively trapped. He stood there rigid, eyes flashing between emerald, pea and forest green as control involuntarily switched between the three. Patrick wanted to protect himself, conjure a portal, or just do something to escape Jack's wrath. Van could've granted them the added strength to break free, or perhaps think up a means of distracting Jack. Ray just wanted to pound the everloving snot out of the demon, or at least compel him to back off.
But the fact of the matter was... all three of them were too scared to do anything.
F̶͏̴̴͘I̧͢͞N̛̕͝D̛҉̴ÉR҉̴̶̧͝S҉̡͢
̶̴̕͟
̵̸̴̀͘Ķ͜É̷̛͢͞E̶̕P̴̴̧̡̕E̴͟͝͞R͢͞S̷̶̢̨̀
́͘
͘͘͟L͡O̴̢̧͠͡S̴Ȩ͟R̷̨͏̵S͏̷͜͠͝
̡̢̕͞
͘͟͟͟͢W͝͏͞Ę̷̵̷͝É̸҉̸Ṕ̷̨Ȩ̷̛́R̸̵̶S͏̡
Jack slowly walked up to his prisoner, a devilish grin on his face, a cold fire in his silver eyes, a hellish glint in his crystal horns. He knelt down to the mage's level. He gently took the mage's chin in his gloved hand.
And in what was undoubtedly the single most horrifying moment in Patrick, Van and Ray's life...
F҉͟I̷̛̕͞͠Ņ́͜͟͞D̵É҉Ŕ̡͢͝S̡̢͡
̵̡́͜͠
̧́͠͞͞K̨̧͜È͝͞͝E͜͠P͏̷̶̶E҉̕͝R̸̛̛͠҉S̕͟
̵́̕͢͟
̨̡̧́L̢͟O̵͢͢҉́Ş̸́͡E͏͏́R̨̛͘Ş̀
̵̨̀͜͠
̴͘͟W̴͜͢҉E̸̡̕͘͢E͢҉͘P̵҉̕͜E̶͘͝Ŗ҉̀S̶̨͜͞͡
...Jack leaned in and pressed Evan's lips against the mage's.
