Aeris soared through the breaking dawn, smooth and effortless beneath Echo's weight. He reclined slightly, arms folded behind his head, wind tousling his hair as golden light kissed the mountain peaks below.
"They're gonna lose their minds," he muttered. "Especially Jarek. His behind might explode from the surprise. Literally combust."
He chuckled at the thought but sobered quickly. As the rooftops of the city came into view, so did a different thought—one that weighed heavier.
Maybe… maybe he should keep this to himself. The crypt. The stick. The cloud. The voice.
It was too much. And somehow, it felt personal. Sacred.
He grabbed the stick, feeling the cold edge of the black metal. "Not yet," he whispered.
By the time he slipped back into his room through the window, the sun was already up. Aeris dissolved like mist behind him. As his feet touched the floor, he glanced at his phone.
Seventeen unread messages.
Zayden the Rapper:
BRO where are you
Did you get summoned again??
WHAT IF HE GOT KIDNAPPED BY THAT REALM'S SPIDERS
OMG. DID HE TURN INTO A SPIDER HIMSELF??
I don't think I can kill him if he's a spider. Maybe Cassian can.
Pinky Thorne:
Let's not joke, man. What if something happened?
Zayden the Rapper:
OMG... WHAT IF HE TURNED INTO A SPIDER HIMSELF?
Plot twist: Echo is now eight-legged and emotionally unavailable.
Cassian Shimmer:
We're not joking anymore. Should we tell someone?
Zayden the Rapper:
I mean... technically I don't think I can kill a spider-Echo.
He'd be too slippery. Too many legs.
Echo let out a snort, shaking his head. "I'm going to smack this idiot."
He quickly typed a message:
"
He typed back one message.
Echo:
Alive. Meet tonight. Warehouse. 8.
He collapsed into bed, too tired to explain, muscles aching in places he didn't know existed.
When he woke, the light outside was already fading.
His skin was damp with sweat, his sheets tangled. Shirtless, he stood in front of the mirror—and blinked.
"…What."
His frame was different. Leaner, sharper, cut like a blade. He flexed instinctively—his biceps tensed, abs clenched.
"Okay. That's… definitely new."
He took a long shower, then threw on his usual hoodie and headed for the abandoned warehouse just beyond the edge of town—their usual meeting spot when they needed privacy. No prying eyes. No questions.
The moment he pushed open the side door, voices rang out.
"YO!"
"HE'S ALIVE!"
"I TOLD YOU HE'D BE FINE!"
Cassian crossed the floor in three strides and pulled him into a hug, a rare break in his calm demeanor. Lior clung to his arm. Even Thorne gave him a subtle nod and a pat on the back.
Zayden? Zayden fell to his knees, hands raised dramatically.
"We thought we lost you, man! I was already rehearsing your eulogy! I cried. Real tears! I even started writing a diss track against the realm. It was gonna be fire."
Echo peeled Lior off him with a half-smile. "Chill. Stop clinging to me. This is yuckk."
Jarek burst out laughing. "Says the guy who vanished without a word like a dramatic girlfriend."
Cassian raised an eyebrow. "Seriously though, where were you?"
"I just needed to clear my head," Echo said, voice low but steady. "Didn't mean to freak you all out."
"Yeah well," Lior muttered, "we thought you got summoned and turned into... nothing."
"But we didn't tell anyone," Thorne said, folding his arms. "We agreed, right? No word about that place. Not until we understand what's happening."
A round of nods followed—until Jarek raised his hand.
"Okay but—counterpoint—I didn't exactly not tell someone."
Cassian turned slowly. "Who."
"My mom."
Groans echoed through the warehouse.
"She keeps trying to listen through my door!" Jarek protested. "I swear she thinks I'm in a cult or something."
Echo deadpanned. "Let's be honest. She probably just thinks you're umm keeping busy. You're twenty-six. With no company."
Everyone broke down laughing.
"Aww man, stopppp it!" Jarek whined, but even he couldn't keep a straight face.
The group eventually settled down, talking long into the night. Then, as the hour grew late, they drifted off one by one, heading home under quiet stars.
The next day passed like any other.They met up in the park with the famous water tower there. They chose their benches.
Lior brought snacks. Zayden beatboxed badly. Cassian pretended not to laugh. Jarek recounted some exaggerated fight stories at the gym. For a moment, life was normal.
Then, it happened.
The world shuddered.
No warning. No time.
The air turned thick, syrupy, like it was trying to drag them downward. The sky above them dimmed—not with clouds, but with something older, heavier. Shadows crawled across their skin. Time warped, slowed.
And then—
Darkness fell.
A voice, cold and regal, echoed through the void.
"The game is about to begin shortly."
A light split the dark. Their bodies vanished into it.
One by one.
And in the far distance, something stirred.
Something waiting.
Summoned again.