Derek snarls as he ignites his sword on fire. Derek and Victor charge at each other. The first clash of their swords rings out.
Akisha and Superiors Jackie and Eugene gather the remaining enemy and bind them with wards so they can’t use their magic and try to escape. Akisha looks on as Victor fights Derek alone. She is worried about what will happen if Victor loses.
Superior Charles walks up to Leo as they listen to the swords clashing. He places a hand on Leo’s shoulder and asks, “You understand what will happen if Victor loses?”
Leo takes a moment before he responds. A single tear runs down his cheek as he fears the outcome. “If Victor dies, Derek can do whatever he deems fit to me, even if that means killing me without any repercussions to him.”
“You better hope Victor is strong enough,” Superior Charles mentions.
“He is strong enough, Superior,” Leo affirms.
Superior Charles lets go of Leo’s shoulder. “He might not be.”
“What do you mean?” Leo asks as he looks up at his superior, eyes wide.
“Victor hasn’t been able to break the connection from the artifact Derek is wearing. Until Victor does, Derek is the stronger one right now,” Superior Charles explains.
Victor and Derek continue clashing swords. Derek kicks Victor in the stomach and then tries to kick Victor in the face. Victor blocks Derek’s kick and grabs his leg. He flings Derek onto his back and then attempts to stab Derek in the face, but Derek rolls out of the way. They continue to attack, block, and counterattack. Derek finds an opening and knocks Victor to the ground.
Derek brings his fiery sword down upon Victor. Victor places his sword over his face before he’s sliced in half. Victor usesan air pulse, sending Derek backward. Derek recovers quickly and rushes after Victor, tackling him to the ground. Both swords fly out of their hands, landing several feet away. Derek aggressively tries attacking Victor with his magic, but Victor blocks everything thrown at him.
Derek lunges and grabs Victor’s head between his hands. Victor shouts in agony as Derek tries to use his telepathic ability to scramble his mind. Victor’s eyes and mouth start to glow brightly. Victor places his hands on Derek’s face, trying to push him back. But Victor is unaware he’s intertwining their abilities. A bright flash comes off them, and they fall to the ground.
“VICTOR!” Leo shouts, running to him.
“DON’T!” Madame Jeanette grabs Leo and pulls him back. Superior Charles assists, wrapping his arms around Leo.
Leo struggles to break free. “He needs my help!”
Madame Jeanette places her hands on Leo’s shoulders. “We cannot get close to them,chéri.”
“Why won’t you let me help him?” Leo cries out, still struggling to escape Superior Charles’ grasp.
“Leo, you can get hurt.” Madame Jeanette looks back at Victor, lying on the ground. “He is alive. I can hear his heartbeat. But he is not on our plane right now.”
Victor and Derek are in a dark, unknown place, shooting Fire Magic at each other. Victor doesn’t stop to think about what’s going on as he tries to defend himself. Victor tries to look for Derek’s aura and realizes that he can’t sense anything. Could it be because Derek learned how to hide his aura from empaths?
Derek occasionally presses his finger against his temple. It’s as though Derek is trying to read Victor’s thoughts. Victor realizesthat neither of their abilities are available wherever they are. Victor can’t think about it now; he must stop Derek.
During their battle in their new environment, Victor notices Derek patting his left breast. There must be something Derek has on him. But Victor can’t figure out what it is. He tries to bind Derek with Air Magic. For a brief moment, Victor can see a glow from an artifact that Derek keeps touching. He tries to grab it, but Derek casts a flamethrower spell at Victor. Victor uses an air pulse to send him backward, avoiding getting torched.
The glow is dim because of where they are. Whatever it is, the artifact is becoming weak. And Victor can tell Derek is getting weaker. Victor tries to go after the artifact, but Derek keeps defending himself from Victor’s advances.
Victor’s friends follow Lucas and Jon back into the open area. They notice Victor and Derek are on the ground while everyone keeps their distance.
“What’s going on?” Lupe asks as she wraps her arm around Amber’s.
“Victor’s consciousness is in another realm with Derek,” Wren explains. “Derek is a telepath, and he connected his ability to Victor’s. Unfortunately, we have no idea where they are or how long they will be this way. But we can’t get close to them because when they return, there is a possibility that an orb will appear. Your consciousness will be lost forever if you are within that orb.”
Lucas spins around in shock. “Are you serious, Wren?”
Wren nods. “It’s a very rare occurrence. But it’s been known to happen. And it is very,very, dangerous if we try to intervene.”
Victor’s body starts to twitch. His head turns towards everyone; blood is coming from both nostrils. His friends gaspand hold each other. After a moment, a bright orb starts to appear between Victor and Derek. As the orb grows, two shadowy images move around within it. The orb crawls outward, rushing toward everyone.
“Get back!” Superior Charles shouts.He grabs Leo and pulls him along as the group rushes to find cover. Some run into the forest, some hide behind the SUVs. Superior Charles stands behind a tree, observing. If the orb gets closer, they will have to run even further away.
The six attackers in bindings remain on the ground. They struggle, trying to move as the orb approaches them. They become engulfed by the bright light, and then it vanishes. Their bodies lay there, lifeless.
