Chapter 8

-~Down the Rabbit Hole~-

Hope's POV

We stumble and fall back onto the floor of the mansion's dining room that I've inhabited for the last few years.

As soon Ben and I are through, the portal snaps closed, leaving us collapsed from my quick idea of a getaway.

Ben groans and sits up. "What the hell was that all about?"

"Your damn cousin. Who else would be getting in my way?" I snap, irritated.

"No, not her, you." He states. "Are you seriously using me as leverage against Gwen? And what are you even going to tell her!?"

"It's the only thing that I could think of at the moment." I answer as I manage to pull myself up and brush myself off. "I don't know what we'll tell them yet. But the important thing is that Chief stays in one piece."

"That's another thing. What's the deal with the rune thing? What makes it so special, that you would actually pull a stunt like this?"

As frustrated and annoyed as I am, I sigh and calm myself down.

"I know that we both agreed to stop keeping secrets from each other, Ben, but this is a surprise." I offer him a hand to help pull him up off the floor. He takes it and when he's standing, I pull him in for a short kiss.

"Trust me… It's going to prove just how much I care about you." I try to convince him.

"That reminds me… I'm sorry that I pushed you away when I fought with Michael. I just got… carried away."

He waves it off. "Don't worry about it, I get it."

For a small moment a silence passes.

"Do you really think that he's… dead" He asks, breaking the quiet.

"Who? Michael? Probably. I don't think that he had enough strength left in him to get himself to help. I only wish that it was more painful for him."

I pull out a chair from the dinning table and take a seat. I rest my arm on the table and prop my head up with it.

"Not that it's any of my business… but uh… what's the story between you and him?" Ben asks.

I sigh at having to recall this part of my past. I hate having to think about things I've done in the past, things that I should have done, things that I shouldn't. Having to play the weak, second rate criminal for so long is just one of the things that makes me cringe.

The other major one was Michael.

"ugh… He was a dumb mistake that a curious, younger me made some years ago." I reveal. "I was still trying to figure out the whole 'love' thing at the time. I knew that I was in love, with you, but I didn't know how to love. He was pretty much my disgusting attempt at a practice round. Nothing more."

"Guess things didn't turn out so well, huh?" he comments.

"I could tell that from the beginning, nothing was ever going to spring from it, and I was going to be sure of that. But he turned out to be a fucking asshole all together. I mean, you heard him; he couldn't even remember my name! It was the same during our 'relationship', at first I thought that he was just joking, but it didn't take long for me to realize that he couldn't even bother himself that much."

Just talking about Michael gets me so frustrated. I should have ended him right from the start.

But that all fades away as Ben comforts me.

"Well, for what it was, I'm sorry that it didn't work out better. If it means anything, I've had my fair share of bad break-ups." He says and wraps an arm around me.

"I'm aware." I didn't want to sound like a stalker, but when I heard that the man I was trying to get with for years was dating someone else, I couldn't help but watch with a glare every now and then.

"I'm sorry that you had to face those heartbreaks. They must have been terrible for you. Much worse than having to deal with Michael, even." I joke at him.

He laughs a small bit and I smile.

It was true. I was sorry that Ben had to face the pain of ending a relationship.

But I wasn't sorry that the relationships ended. Ben was meant to be mine in the end. Any of those ungrateful, ignorant, whores he was with, don't deserve him.

"You were too good for them anyway." I gently kiss him. "You were meant to be with me. I'll treat you better than they ever could… in every way."

He smiles and we share the moment.

"So can I ask what was so special about that rock creature? You mentioned its name, I think. Chief, right?" he eventually breaks the silence.

I give a slight nod. "Yeah, he's a bit of a long story… but I suppose we have the time if you're really interested."

Ben gives a sign for me to continue and I begin the tale of my childhood pet.

"Well it all started when I was a little girl, 6 or 7 years old, just starting to learn the basics of magic. My father was teaching me the boring, basic, foundations of spell craft and sorcery. Things like magic language and meditation… all boring and tedious things."

Ben looks on with interest.

"Since that's the way his father taught him, he figured the same way would work for me."

"We'll did it?" Ben asks curiously.

I smirk and look right into his deep green eyes. "Do I give the impression of a reserved, respectful, and patient person?"

His charming laugh is the only answer I need.

"The way my father was teaching me wasn't working, and we both knew it. I was too impatient for him and wanted to do the powerful spells, the advanced rituals, and forbidden incantations. He wants to do the building blocks and ABC's of magic… textbook learning stuff." I explain.

"Sooner or later, my uncle Hex noticed as well. Funnily enough, he had the same problem I did when he and my father were learning magic. He was impatient and wanted more, and was annoyed at my father's slow pace of learning.

So, one day, he pulled my father aside and told him to try something with me. When my father came back, he told me that we were finally going to do some real magic."

I laugh, recalling the memory.

"I almost didn't believe him. But sure enough, he told me to watch carefully, and so I did. I observed his exact stance, his every movement down the finest of detail. I listened carefully to every ancient word he spoke, as he performed a summoning spell.

Before my very eyes, my father had created a rock sentinel, much like the ones that I commonly used to use when we would fight except it glowed with a blue color.

I was fascinated to say the least. Immediately, I wanted to try. My father gave approval.

I copied his stance, spoke every syllable of the same chant that he did.

The rocks formed, glowed to life with magic, levitated, and just as the creature was about to be complete, it crumbled to dust. I failed.

I couldn't even fathom that I did something wrong. I went over everything in my head, and tried again.

And again.

And again.

Each time another failure.

I didn't understand. I was doing everything right, but the spell would fail every time.

My father told me that he had kingly-kingly duties to attend to, and left me to throw my childish rage.

I performed the spell over and over until I became so angry, I went over my mana limit, and pasted out. When I woke up I continued to keep trying, only to conclude to the same result every time."

I check to see if Ben is still listening, and to my slight surprise, it's like he's hanging onto every word. So I resumed my flashback.

"I did that for almost the entire day, until it was almost in the late evening.

That's when uncle Hex stepped in.

When I had awoken from another over-exhaustion, he was sitting down next to me.

'Hope' he said, 'Listen to me for a second. There's something that your father hasn't taught you yet that's keeping you from completing the spell.'

I glared at him for the answer.

'You see, as much as you think the basics of magic are boring, they are essential. I was the exact same way as you as a child. But you let your impatient ways get the best of you here and you're still missing a very important piece to any kind of sorcery.'

He paused.

'You see, although magic is mostly the same in how it's used, the way its controlled can vary greatly. Everyone has a specific way how they can control magic.'

He exemplified by creating his own rock sentinel. But his glowed with a bright red.

'See, my brother's type of control is refined and peaceful so it's defined as a light blue color. Mine is chaotic and rash, so it's a bold red. You need find your own way of controlling magic.'

And so he helped me practice all night in order to show my father that I was ready.

That morning, I rushed to my father when he woke up to show him what I learned.

He was impressed and told me to try the spell one more time. So I did.

I concentrated and the spell went perfectly for the first time. I had made my first basic rock-sentinel.

My father praised me, before performing another spell on the rock creature. When he was done it had reformed itself to be more canine like.

He had given the creature more of an intelligent mind than just some golem made to do a simple task. He gave it a personality."

I laughed at the nostalgia and looked at Ben.

"My father told me to let the creature be a reminder to be patient with magic, and that if I am, I can be the strongest sorceress the world has ever seen, even more so than Bezel himself."

I finish the tale. "So I ended up naming the sentinel 'Chief'… short for 'Mischief' for all the mischief he caused me to have just for a basic rock sentinel. And from that day on Uncle Hex would help out with my training whenever he could, along with my father."

"I see… so that sentinel must mean a lot to you then." Ben concluded.

I sigh. "Yeah…Chief's one of the last remaining links to my father that I have left. I'm sure that nearly everything else has been destroyed by Adwaita."

Ben comforts me. "I'm sorry, Hope. Your dad seems like he was a pretty good guy."

"He was one of the most beloved rulers the Ledger has ever had. But I won't bore you with the history of the Ledger Domain's government and past emperors and such."

He laughs slightly.

"You know, Ben… you're the only person in this universe who will ever know this side of me. Everyone else will only remember me as a confident, lethal empress when this is all over." I tell him truthfully.

He smiles. "And that's what I'm here for."

Gwen's POV

"You can't be serious right now." Complained Kevin.

We were all gathered in the Plumber's HQ; Me, Kevin, Pierce, and the rock sentinel that Charmcaster wanted.

"Kevin! … He's part of our team… much less, my cousin!" I harshly remind him.

He only gets more aggravated. "Since when have we ever given into the demands of criminals? You understand Charmcaster better than anyone else here, Gwen. You know that she's just using us."

"Alright, alright. Calm down both of you. Let's just take this step by step. What's so important about this rock thing anyway? There has to be a reason why it would be so special to her." Pierce interrupts.

"I don't know… I tried to do a 'scan' of sorts to make sure it wasn't a trap or anything, But it's weird, like there's some kind of high level magic preventing me from seeing everything. And I sense something extra, like a secondary magic protecting the creature. It's so odd; I've never seen this kind of thing before." I inform our group of make-shift Plumber Leaders.

"So, in English?" Kevin remarks.

I sigh. I guess it would make sense he doesn't understand.

"The magic that's holding this creature together… is on Arc-mage terms of strength. I don't think that this was made by Charmcaster, it's beyond her level; even with her new strength that she's been hiding from us until now."

Kevin stiffens. "You're telling me that there are more powerful sorcerers out there?! Stronger than the one who turned an oil tanker into small missile by just throwing it at us? Bullshit. I don't buy it."

I was about to argue back, but Pierce speaks first. "…The scary part is that she's right. I was digging through all of the research and data that we have on the Ledger Domain to see if we can learn anything about how Charmcaster got so strong so fast. I came across some old history and information about them and found some pretty interesting stuff."

Kevin and I beckon him to continue.

"I'll try to sift through all the details and history, but there's actually a lot that's gone on in the Ledger… surprisingly enough its one of the only dimensions that the Plumbers don't actively try to keep tabs on."

Kevin growls. "Comon Pierce, spill it already."

Taking the hint, Pierce continues. "The Ledger Domain actually still has a social hierarchy. Only, it works a little odd. Instead of land of money, one would rise through the social ranks with their magical abilities. There're about five ranks that one could ascend to with the right amount of power.

The Armature mage is the lowest on the ladder. These are where all of Earth's 'magicians' lie, and users of 'false magic,' like slight or hand tricks or illusions. According to the Ledger, very few born outside of the Ledger Domain have ever been able to ascend past this.

Next is the Low Mage. This is where all of the untalented and least skilled magicians lie within the Ledger. Apparently not everyone is born with the skills to do even basic magic.

The Seasoned Mage is next on the ladder. Most Ledgerians never get past here. Skilled in the use of magic and they easily understand the fundamentals. Sounds like this is where the old Charmcaster would have placed."

"What about the other two? You said that there are five places on the hierarchy?" Kevin asks.

"I'm getting there, be patient." Pierce defends.

"The gap between the Seasoned Mage and the next placement is pretty big… or so says the research I found.

There are only a handful of High Mages found every generation. They can perform rituals single-handedly and are a master at their craft. The often hold the most power in the land and territories of the Ledger Domain.

It seems to be that this is where Charmcaster now stands, and where Hex would have back in the day. Let's just hope that he hasn't gotten any stronger as well. The last thing that we need is two High mages at our throats."

This was new information to even me. I would have never thought that we Charmcaster would reach Hex's level of magical strength at such an early age.

"But you said that there was another. That there's a even stronger mage above Charmcaster's level… how is that even possible?" Kevin complains.

Pierce sighs.

"Fortunately, the final and highest rank of mage hasn't been seen in decades. Arc Mages are usually only born once in a century. But they're magic is said to be so strong that they could possible manipulate time and space itself, or even somehow find the answer to eternal life.

They say that the first Arc Mage, Bezel, is still living today and is just living amongst normal humans to impress them with petty card tricks and other 'false' magic because he got bored of being the best sorcerer. There are many legends and myths that Bezel had created most of the magical tools and spells that are used today by modern sorcerers." He finishes.

A moment passes, and we let the information sink in.

"Well, at least she can't get much stronger," Kevin finally breaks the silence.

"Can Gwen even keep up with that kind of magic? I mean… I've never even seen the kind of spells that Charmcaster's been using. Materializing her magic into actual weapons like those blade things she was raining down on us? I've never even heard of that kinda thing. It's like its out of some kinda fairy tale."

He's right, and it's an honest question.

"Magics complicated." I say shortly.

Kevin looks to Pierce for an elaboration.

Readjusting his standing position, Pierce explains.

"Well you see there's no short answer. All magic stems from an ancient and nearly extinct species of alien, the Anodites. They were the 'masters' of magic to say the least, they pretty much invented the stuff. So, all magic users, sorcerers, and mages have at least a little bit of Anodite heritage.

The Ledger Domain is said to have been founded hundreds of millennia ago by Anodites, and that's why it's so potent with magic today.

Gwen actually has a decent amount of Anodite blood in her, more than most mages from the Ledger… an impressive amount actually. So, she should have the capability… but the resources and education of magic on Earth is so limited that it would be nearly impossible for her to reach Charmcaster's level without some sort of Ledgerian connection."

"The problem with that is that there isn't any." I say downhearted. Being unable to improve to keep up with that witch frustrates me like nothing else can. I've always felt that it was my duty to keep Charmcaster at bay and always have the upper hand on her.

A silence fills the distraught air around us as we all try to think of some kind of solution.

Moments pass, and nothing is said.

"… Well… there is one…" Kevin finally proposes.

Pierce and I look towards him to explain.

"You're not going to like it." He warns.

I sigh, "It's has to be better than nothing, I guess. Let's hear it."

Kevin clears his voice before revealing his grand idea.

"Well… we do still have our good ol' buddy Hex locked up in maximum security. Perhaps we could bargain with him to teach you somethings."

Pierce is shocked, "You can't be serious? That's… That's such a dangerous idea! Then we'd have two high mages on the loose!"

"Look, I'm not sayin' that we let him go. Maybe just an agreement to cut his sentence short after things blow over with Charmcaster. I've been keepin' tabs on the guy and I think his age is finally catching up to him. From what I've heard from the guards, he's actually been on pretty good behavior for a while."

Pierce frowns. "No… that's…" he stutters. "Kevin, just a few minutes ago, you were unwilling to even think about making deals with Charmcaster, why are open to doing the same with Hex? This is a bad idea."

Kevin steps up. "Alright there, Whiskers, lets hear your idea then. How's Gwen going to keep up with Charmcaster, huh?"

Time to step in before things get ugly.

"Enough you two. Look, I don't like it either, but if its our only shot then I'll do it."

Part of me is actually really excited about learning more magic. Books are great, but they're limited. Being able to take the opportunity and learn from an actual sorcerer in person would be fascinating and much more helpful. Especially one who has been doing magic his entire life.

"The only way to fight magic is with more magic. And right now, I'll admit, there's no contest in terms of who's magic is stronger. If we're going to beat Charmcaster and find Ben, we'll have to do things that we won't like, but need to be done." I continue.

Pierce sighs. "Fine. But what do we do about the rock creature?"

"For right now, we hold on to it. Charmcaster made it clear that she wasn't going anywhere without it." Kevin answers.

Time Skip

-~2 Months Later~-

-Location: Bellwood Prison, Maximum Security-

Hex's POV

"I said, GET YOUR ASS OUT OF THE CELL, YOU OLD MAN!" The warden yells. "MAKE ME SAY IT AGAIN, AND YOUR ASS IS GOING TO SOLITARY CONFINEMENT!"

Sighing, I stand up off my highly worn and torn cot and make my way out of my home-sweet-home of a seven by seven-foot cell.

Normally, they would cuff me and escort me out after giving me a thorough pat-down. But They've kept me in a straight jacket for so long that I can't even feel my arms anymore.

Warden Kiffman isn't exactly fond of me. He's a middle-aged man runs the prison like it's his pride, and everyone in it is tarnishing it. But he especially hate's those who have things that he doesn't. In my case, magic.

"It must be your lucky day, Warlock, because for some God forsaken reason, you have visitors."

'Visitors? I haven't had visitors… ever actually. Who would come to talk to me? I know nobody outside of this prison. At least not in this planet.' I think to myself silently.

"Maybe people like me because I don't spit in their face whenever I'm talking to them." I snap.

That will come back to bite me later, I'm sure of it. He'll probably spit in my food or something.

I see his hand twitch in anger from my snide remark.

"Another word from you… and you'll have to be visited in the infirmary! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR, HOUDINI!?" Kiffman shouts, intentionally spitting on me in the process.

Comparing me and my magic to some mere earthly magician is an insult, but I keep my mouth closed.

We begin walking, me in front, Warden Kiffman directly behind me, and two guards on each side of him.

It seems to be dinner time. I wouldn't know. I'm forced to each separately from the other prisoners because the guards are afraid that I'll cast some kind of spell or something and start a full-scale riot. So, I have to eat alone… under heavy supervision. You wouldn't believe how awkward it is to have people just stare at you while you eat, watching your every move.

All of the prisoners are eating and talking to each other, on the lower floor, sitting on tables that resemble in-door picnic tables.

A prisoner spots me on the catwalk, being escorted.

"HEY! HEX! WHERE YA GOIN'?" he yells.

'Oh God. No. Not Al'

Al is this guy who's in for a failed bank heist. He thinks he's the tough guy of the prison and that he runs the place. He's loud, obnoxious, and most of all; he thinks I'm a sham. He doesn't believe in magic and he's made it well known to all.

"You goin' to go perform a magic show!? Sound fun, watchya gonna do? Make Kiffman disappear? Or maybe pull a quarter out of his ass?"

Others start laughing. I pay them no attention.

"Where ever you're going, I'm not done with you, you hear me!?" he states before going out of view.

I'm already well aware that he's not done with me; he never is. He's always trying to antagonize me, anger, or frustrate me. He knows that if I even utter a single enchantment, I'll be beaten on the spot. He's been trying to humiliate me since he learned of my powers and hasn't yet succeeded.

We continue down halls of cells, some empty, some occupied by various criminals. Eventually we reach a solid steal, heavy door.

We before we enter, Kiffman stops our small convoy.

"Your visitors have requested to see you privately and in person, Although I don't know who in their right mind would want to actually see or talk to you." He insults.

"But don't get too excited, Warlock, because I'll still be in the room with you. And if you speak a single word that I don't understand, magic or not magic, I'll put two rounds into your fucking skull, got it?"

I'm fairly confident that the warden isn't actually armed, but I also wouldn't put it past him. Prisoners have suspiciously 'gone missing' or 'released early' whenever they really piss of Kiffman.

"I'll try not to speak a word with more than 3 syllables then." I jab.

Before I realize, Kiffman's fist makes contact with my face, right above my cheek, sending me toppling over to the ground.

"Get him up… NOW!" he yells towards the nameless guards.

They hoist me up to my feet, still restraining me.

"Speak again, fucker, I dare you." He threatens.

I don't.

Partially because I physically couldn't. I had bit my tongue during my fall to the ground and was still recovering.

"That's what I thought." He hisses at me. "Put him down and open the damn door… we don't want to keep our visitor's waiting, do we?" he tells the guards.

The guards drop me and unlock the heavy steel door.

Inside is an empty room containing a table with one metal folding chair on the side closest to me, and three chairs on the other. Besides those five pieces of beat-up furniture, there's nothing else in the room.

"Take a seat." Kiffman demanded, more than offered.

I did.

"Bring in the visitors." The warden told one of the guards.

He left out the door opposite of which we entered from.

Time passes.

Who could be visiting me? I don't know anyone outside these walls. The identity of my visitors has plagued my mind from the moment I was told of them.

Mysteries frustrate me more than anything else in this world. Knowledge is strength, and not having knowledge of something leaves you vulnerable and defenseless. Wars are won with knowledge, stupidity and ignorance lead to death.

So, the fact that I, for the life of me, can't even begin to guess who my guests are is a defeat. And I do NOT tolerate defeat.

I never have, and from the moment that I was forced out of the Ledger Domain, MY OWN HOME, I've been waiting and waiting to get out of this damn prison, and off this damned, backwater planet and KILL that shit-stain of a sorcerer, Adwaita!

'Oh, how I can't wait to get my hands on that prick, murder him, piss on his grave, and-'

My thoughts of wrath are interrupted by the loud sound of the steel door open once again, this time revealing my visitors.

Well… I'll be damned.

My most favorite people in the world walk in. The exact people who got me in this hell-hole in the first place:

Gwendolyn Tennyson.

Kevin Levin.

Pierce Wheels.

Before they sit, Kevin speaks.

"I thought we requested a private meeting." He comments to Kiffman, gesturing to the no name guards still in the room.

"My prison; My rules." Kiffman spits. "They will leave, but I stay the entire time."

Kevin opens his mouth to speak again, but Pierce cuts him off.

"That's more than fair, Warden Kiffman, thank you."

Kiffman smirks and motions for the guards to leave, and soon enough they're out the door.

They take their seats across the table and face me. Kevin on the left, Pierce in the middle, and Gwendolyn on my right.

"Hello Hex." Pierce greets.

"To what do I deserve the pleasure of having the trio, who got me in this dumpster of a prison, come and visit me." I question with heavy sarcastic respect.

Warden Kiffman's face twitches at my comment at his beloved and prized prison.

"We have a deal for you, actually. We need something that only you can provide us." The whiskered young man reveals.

Something that only I have possession of?

"And what could I possibly have in this… cesspool that would actually have you consider setting up this very meeting?"

This time Gwendolyn answers.

"We… I need to learn more magic. I need to learn from an actual sorcerer. One who spent their entire life dedicated to the craft. You're the only person on the planet who has that kind of skill."

A teacher?

I haven't taught magic to anyone but Hope when she was a young girl…

"I'd laugh if you didn't sound so serious." I answer. "Why should I even consider teaching and old enemy the secret magics of the Ledger? Especially my niece's petty rival?"

"I told you he'd say that." Kevin exclaims as if to prove something.

Pierce sighs, "Leave the talking to us Kevin, the last thing we need if for this to get ugly. He's the only one who can teach Gwen, you said it yourself."

"We don't expect you to teach me with nothing in return. What if we pulled some strings and got you out of here sooner?"

Getting out of this shit-hole? I'd do almost anything. Almost.

"Alright here sweetheart." I lower my tone in a serious manner. "Magic is the sacred art of the Ledger Domain, a direct colony of the ancient, now extinct Anodites. It's a sacred tradition that's only meant to be used by Ledgerians. The fact that you ended up learning MY home's art disgusts me. So… If I'm going to further disgrace the art of magic and teach some amateur outsider ape, you're going to have to do better than that."

Perhaps I'm pushing my luck. I'm not really a man of many morals. I've crossed lines in magic that I probably shouldn't have: attempting to raise the dead, forbidden rituals, even dabbling in blood magic. But teaching an outsider magic… that goes against everything I am as a Ledgerian. In-fact, it's law.

Magic belongs to the Ledger. It's the Ledger's thing. No other dimension, galaxy, or planet has magic. And it's been that way since the Anodites bit the dust.

I stand up, signaling that I'm done talking and that I'm ready to leave.

Kiffman smirks and turns towards the door.

"WAIT!" Gwendolyn practically shouts. "What if we could get you out of here… now."

I stop and turn around.

"That's more like it." I smirk, successfully calling their bluff.

Pierce sighs.

"Excuse us for a moment please." He asks.

Him, Kevin and Gwen all exit the room from the door they entered in, preparing to discuss with each other.

The exact moment the door seals shut, Kiffman speaks.

"Don't think for a moment that you're getting out of here." He sneers through his teeth.

I smirk. "I don't think that's up to you, Warden. In-fact, this is almost completely out of your hands."

His hands clench into fists, demonstrating how furious he is.

For the remaining time the room is dead silent and filled with Kiffman's contempt.

Finally, the door opens again, entering the same trio who left to discuss their own proposal.

They all sit back down.

"We've come to an agreement." Pierce states. "While we can't get you out of here today, we can pull some strings to have you free in the next few days."

"I believe I can survive a few more days." I answer. "While I'm still awaiting my release, if I'm going to teach real magic to an amateur, I expect you to do some homework."

Gwendolyn raises her eyebrow, questioning my demand.

"Get me a pen and paper."

Kevin complies pulling out a crumpled receipt from some gas-station and a pen from his pocket.

I carefully write down an old address.

"At this address I have a stash of some old writings and magical equipment that I used to teach Hope with. I expect you to study hard and know the information well by the time I'm out of here. Wasting my time and having to teach basics will only be wasting both of our time."

Gwen excitedly reads over the address.

Kevin peaks at it. "Morgue City? That's almost on the other side of the State!" he complains.

"Yes, I intended for no-one, especially none of you, to ever find it. And up until today, no-one has." I answer.

"That's not a problem, I'll be more than ready when you get fully released." Gwen states.

"Excellent, then I believe we have a deal." I finalize. "Warden, I'm ready to return to my cell." I smirk evilly at Kiffman.

Kiffman escorts me out with a push just to show how much he hates my early release.

We exit the door and are greeted by a new guard.

"Where's Smith and Thompson? They weren't supposed to leave position. They were to help escort Prisoner 13 back to his cell." He demands, more than asks.

This guard… seems oddly familiar, but I've never seen her throughout my entire time in this place. I can't make out her face due to the aviators she's sporting, but she seems to radiate a kind of familiarity.

"There was a dispute amongst a few prisoners, and Smith and Thompson were closest to help detain and stop them." She answers casually. "I'm here to fill their position while they're busy."

Kiffman grumbles something inaudible and excepts the answer anyway.

Immediately I can tell that something is off. That something isn't quite right. Nonetheless, I keep quiet.

We begin moving back to my cell, which is quite far from the visiting center.

As we walk, this identity of the new female guard escorting me continues to bother me. I check for a name tag.

I stop walking out of shock, realizing what's happening.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Warlock?!" Kiffman spits in my face.

I quickly think of a lie. "I…uh think I may have written down the wrong address back in the visiting center."

Kiffman laughs in my face. "Oh no! I guess that little brat will just have to wait to learn your 'magic'" he states with heavy sarcasm.

We resume walking and I do a double check just to be sure of my realization.

Sure enough, I'm correct.

This new guard is missing her name on her uniform; a requirement for all guards, at all times.

Combined with the fact that guards aren't allowed to conceal their face, there is only one answer:

This guard is a fake.

Kiffman must not care about his own rules enough to enforce them onto his own guards.

I have a strong feeling that I know who this 'guard' is, too.

About damn time.

I keep quiet and continue walking figuring that when the time is right, the pieces will fall into place.

We turn down a corridor and in front of me is Al, being escorted much like me, by a guard who also is concealing his identity and missing a nametag.

So… my 'guard' has made a close friend after all these years.

"Well, well… if it isn't Hex himself." Al starts. "I never got that magic show, you know."

I ignore him as usual.

Kiffman stops out advance.

"Shut up Al. I'm tired of you thinking that you're some kind of mob-boss around here." He spits. "And besides, Houdini here has a date with a girl to teach her in some 'magic' lessons. He's gonna teach her some slight of hand or something."

The female guard subtly taps the back of my foot, and signals me to pay attention to the fake male guard escorting Al.

He's staring up at some flickering lights.

While this is happening Kiffman and Al are bickering back and forth with each other.

While they're distracted, the female guard lightly shocks the back of my neck using static.

I get the message.

"You know what?! You two want to see some magic? Well, I've FUCKING had it with the both of you!" I yell, interrupting their argument.

Without any incantation or spell I rip myself free from my bindings and begin channeling my magic, dark red aura radiating from my hands.

Before anyone can react, I force the old florescent lights above us to burst and electricity surges down and electrocutes both Al and Kiffman.

It shouldn't be enough to kill them, unfortunately, but I follow my new ally's plan.

As quickly as it happened, the volts of electricity stop… and with it the entire power to this side of the prison.

Almost immediately I could hear the other prisoners turn full riot in the cafeteria.

Kiffman recovers quickly, Al's not so fast.

The female guard punches me in the gut, knocking the wind out of me. She quickly restrains me forcing my arms behind my back, manually holding them.

"YOU'RE DEAD HEX! I SWEAR YOU'RE NOT GOIN TO MAKE IT TO YOUR RELEASE, YOU HEAR ME!" he screams above all the noise.

The male guard is helping Al up and recover.

"BRING HIS ASS TO SOLITARY CONFINMENT! NOW!" he indicates to the female guard.

"And this one sir?" the male guard asks.

"HIM TOO! IM TIRED OF BOTH YOU SHITHEADS!" he screeches.

The solitary confinement rooms are only down the hall.

Kiffman slams open the sound-tight door.

The two guards shove Al and Me to the floor with a thud.

The warden slowly walks in with pure fury in his eyes, followed quickly by the guards.

Kiffman looks as if he's going to actually burst. His veins are flaring up and his face is red with wrath.

"You two… are…dead." He huffs." "All the years of trouble and pain that you've caused me, all the patience you've tested, all the embarrassment you've caused me! You're going to pay for it all right here and right no-"

"You talk too much."

Kiffman's interrupted by the brief statement. He turns around.

"THE FUCK DID YOU SAY TO M-"

Before he could finish, he's hit by some kind of sonic burst and is thrown across the small room, hitting the back wall, facing the door.

He's hardly conscious, and Al's face is one of pure shock.

"What the fuck? What the hell are you?!" he demands, scared.

"Shut up before you end up like him." The male guard states.

Sure enough, Al keeps quiet. For once in his life.

"Uncle… it's been too long. Did you miss me?" The female guard reveals, removing her guard's hat and glasses. Her silvery hair is released from is confinement and flows freely down.

Just as I had thought.

Immediately, my eyes scan her body, checking how much she's changed since I last saw her. She's grown…

She's no longer some arrogant, bratty teenager. But instead, a beautiful, more matured woman with a deadly composure, like she's plotted out every scenario and is already ten steps ahead of everyone in the room.

She reminds me of her father, my brother, with her complexity, and the thorn of a rose with her confident lethality.

"For six and a half years you let me rot in this shit-hole, Hope." I answer. "It's hard not to miss anything from the outside world… even you and your sadistic plan to wait all this time to break me out."

She huffs. "I guess I didn't miss you as much as you missed me."

Hope clears her throat. "Alright, here's what's going to happen. You wanted a magic show?" she gestures to Al. "You're getting one. And for my first trick I'm going to make this whole room of people disappear."

Kiffman comes back to his senses, listening fearfully, along with Al.

"You." She points to Al.

Al crawls backwards, away from her.

"You're going to be my assistant. You're going to help us disappear." She says in a sinister tone.

"W-what do you want from me?" he begs.

Hope smiles evilly. "Today's your lucky day. You get to leave the prison. You're going to run out the main gates, intentionally causing the biggest distraction you possibly can and then disappear by doing whatever you can."

Al's jaw drops. "But… that's suicide!" He argues.

"Well it's either that or whatever fate the Warden here is going to receive… and I don't think that you'll want that."

Al hangs his head in defeat.

"Perfect." My niece speaks.

She then turns to Kiffman, who's just about soiled himself.

"…And you. You won't be so fortunate. You're going to be part of the audience to our little disappearing act. You're staying right here." Kiffman's eyes turn wide with fear.

She begins to slowly walk towards him. "I hear that you gave my Uncle a particularly rough time, and while I don't necessarily love him like a niece should, family is family."

Kiffman tries to back up, desperately trying to find a way to escapes, but is already against the wall from earlier.

Hope continues her monologue. "I know a thousand curses and spells that could torture you to the end of your miserable days. One could slowly raise your blood temperature until it begins to boil inside of you, killing you ever so slowly. Another could decompose your body at an alarmingly fast rate, right before your very eyes, and you'll be forced to watch yourself turn into nothing but a skeleton within a few hours."

Now she's right in front of him, crouching to be eye level with the poor warden. She pulls something from her side.

Kiffman closes his eyes, terrified about what may happen.

The object is revealed to be a pair of handcuffs. She forcefully takes his hands.

"But then again, you hate magic. So I won't put you through that. Call me generous."

Kiffman sighs, relieved.

Hope continues, suddenly. "So instead I'll kill you in a more boring way."

In one swift move, she cuffs his hands around a pipe sticking out from the wall, chaining him to said wall.

Kiffman gasps.

"As a captain goes down with his ship; the warden goes down with his prison. And this prison is beyond saving with the kind of riot that's going on right now." She finishes with a sinister chuckle.

Michael's POV

Darkness.

I can't see anything.

I can't feel anything.

The pain has finally past. After mere minutes or entire centuries, I can't tell, but the pain has finally past.

So… this is death?

Is this purgatory? Has the world not deemed me worthy of neither Heaven nor Hell?

Am I to be left here, forgotten and numb?

How disappointing.

The silence grows. I never knew that silence could be so loud, but the ringing in my ears only grows more and more loud with each passing moment.

"Michael." Finally the torturous absence of sound breaks. A voice calls my name. Its voice is deep, ethereal, and echoes a number of times with no clear point of origin, as if the voice is only made up of said echoes.

"I have been waiting for you… waiting… for this."

Ben's POV

Only 20 minutes ago Hope and I had breached the prison, disguised with stolen guard's uniforms.

We had gone over the plan several times; enough to memories the exact paths to take to meet each other as we had. So far, all has gone exactly as we planned. We have Hex secured, and a distraction to make our escape easier.

The entire prison is in a full-blown riot. Fights amongst prisoners and guards are breaking out left and right.

"You… you can't so this to me. This is MY prison… I make the rules here!" The warden trembles.

Hope turns away from him, beginning to walk out of the room.

"Then stop me." she states, mocking him.

She loves this.

She loves taking the power from the powerful, and crushing it before their own eyes.

She loves demonstrating her superiority in raw power and toying with her opponents.

She loves watching them slowly break as they realize that they never stood a chance against her.

…And the scary part… is that it's starting to not even bother me anymore.

She steps on the weak and laughs as they fall to their knees. She gets a power-high from it.

It's a conflicting feeling. I feel sympathy for her victims, always hoping that she'll be merciful and end it quickly. But when it's over I can't help but smile as I see her face when she walks away from them, smirking evilly with the satisfaction of her power over her opponents.

Each and every time she's finished with a victim, she always rejoins and embraces me, as if she's silently urging me to share in her delight.

Sure enough, she approaches me as she walks away from the whimpering warden.

She wraps her arms loosely around my neck, pulling me in for a kiss, just as she has the hundreds of times before this. And I return it.

Even in our kiss, she fights for dominance but quickly lets up after I give it to her. On the occasions that I fight back, things usually turn more… playful.

But not this time.

Before things escalate, she withdraws, reminding me of the task at hand.

"Come uncle, I believe that we've over stayed our welcome." My silver haired lover states casually to her relative.

Hex says nothing but nods, making his way out of the heavy, reinforced door.

"That means you too." She says to Al, who promptly scurries out the door as soon as he's told.

Hope begins to seal the door before Hex catches it before it can fully close.

He pokes his head in to give a final message to Kiffman.

"Do you remember what you said to me before you through me in here for the first time?" he asks the warden.

Kiffman looks at him, trembling and tugging on his chains to try and break free. He gives no answer.

"You left me in here for three full days with not even a single meal. You left me in complete silence for an amount of time that would have driven most men insane."

Kiffman stops his tugging but looks on in fear as he seems to recall the memory.

Hex looks him dead in the eye.

"You told me: 'Feel free to scream, warlock, because no-matter how loud you scream, nobody will hear you.'

So," he pauses.

"Scream warden. Because no-matter how loud you scream… nobody will save you."

"NOOOO-" kiffman shouted before Hex sealed the sound-proof doo, leaving the rest of us in an eerie silence.

Warden Kiffman had just been given a death sentence, and nobody would find him before it would be too late.

"Good riddance." Hex clears the air.

Hope clears her throat. "Well then… let's leave."

Soon enough, we reach the only exit: the front gates.

There's a few skirmishes happening between the guards and prisoners, but there are still enough guards to effectively protect any attempts at an escape.

The front gates themselves are closed and secured.

"How the fuck are we supposed to get through there? The gates are shut tight!" Al complains.

Hex grunts. "He's right… those gates can only be opened by the chief of security. Only his computer console can open the gate. Even if the power were to go out, they're magnetized to be sealed shut until the power comes back on."

Hope sighs and turns to me. "Love… would you?" she asks.

On the wall next to me I find an electrical conduit.

"This will do." I answer.

"So, a lover now?" Hex asks his niece.

"There's a time and place uncle, I'll explain later." She answers.

I reach the small box containing electrical wires and such.

I place a hand on it and begin on of my favorite tricks. The box turns a familiar black and green pattern, a gift from an old friend: Upgrade. The pattern follows the wires and cords the entire way to the gate's control switch.

"Ready when you are." I inform Hope.

She regains her all too familiar evil smile.

"Get ready runner-boy, you're about to escape prison." She says to Al, whose visible shaking. "Don't worry, we'll cause a distraction so that you'll at least have a chance. Uncle, would you do the honors?"

Hex grunts, surveying our surroundings. He begins channeling his power and dark red aura returns to his hands. He stretches one hand out in front of himself.

"Fit apud vos non est vivum. Ad societatem civium hanc." He chants so only we can hear.

Hope chuckles. "Ooo… necromancy. Fancy." She comments.

Al twitches uncomfortably.

"I'd start running. Things are about to get rather… messy." The sadistic vixen suggests to Al before turning to face me. "Open the gate now, sweetie."

I do as told.

Immediately, the gates start to slowly open.

"HOLY SHIT!" a guard yells before spotting what Hex had brought back to life.

I scan the courtyard. About a dozen undead prisoners are clawing their way out of the ground and attacking the guards.

"Run Al, this would be your only chance at living." Hex informs his inmate.

Al gulps but begins to run before breaking out into a full-on sprint as he passes several undead. Soon enough he makes it passed the gate.

"WE GOT A RUNNER!" one of the guards in the watchtower yells, signaling Al's escape.

Hope sighs. "And then there were three. We should get going, nobody will notice us now."

She's completely un-phased by the entire event that just unfolded before us.

"And how do we exactly get through the gate? They'll still notice us." Hex asks.

The sorceress begins walking to the east wall of the courtyard. "We're not going through the gate. We're going over the wall."

She begins to create stepping platforms, much like Gwen would back in the day.

I follow and so does Hex. Each magical platform disappears after everyone steps off of it, erasing any sign of its existence.

Gunshots begin going off from the watchtower, either directed at Al or the undead prisoners that Hex summoned.

About half way over the tall wall of the courtyard, Hope ask nobody in particular. "Do you think he'll make it?"

I remain silent as I think.

Hex speaks up almost immediately. "I could honestly care less either way."

"You're harsh, uncle."

Hex almost laughs. "Says you." He states briefly. "You've changed Hope. You've grown sadistic and cruel and power-hungry."

"Sorry, the world has not exactly been kind to me, uncle. I'm only doing what the world has done to me." she states as she begins to summon a portal back to the mansion.

"I don't recall the world handcuffing you inside of a solitary confinement chamber and sealing it so nobody will ever find you." Hex argues.

I've decided to stay out of the family dispute happening before me as the situation is beginning to make me uncomfortable.

Hope retaliates. "It's done things equally as twisted. My father dying, leaving you as my primary caretaker… just to name one."

We've only just left the prison and they're already at each other's throats.

She's finished the portal and walks through it, I follow, and then Hex; leaving the chaotic prison miles away from us.

"Who is he?" Hex gestures to me. "Some cut-throat you found and fell in love with?"

Hope turns to me. "It's okay, you can take it off, Ben, there's nothing to hide from him."

I remove the aviators and guard's hat, revealing my identity.

For a short moment Hex just stood in disbelief.

Silence.

"Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me." he sighs exasperated, burying his head in his hands.

"He's with me, now. He left the plumbers who want him dead or alive for attempted murder." She explains.

Hex lifts his head when he hears 'attempted murder' and looks at me with a questioning look.

I sigh. "It's a long story; I didn't do it."

"I'm the one who broke you out of prison, Uncle. You play by my rules now." Hope reminds him.

He grunts. "And why did you, now of all times, after six and a half long years, finally decide to get me out?"

"Well…" she smirks, "I didn't think that you'd want to miss out on taking back our home."

That grabbed his attention.

"The Ledger Domain…" he mumbles.

Hope walks away to a bookshelf in the living-room. "I thought you'd perk up after that."

"No… I can't allow you to go back there. I promised Spellbinder that I wouldn't let you go back there. You'll be killed."

Forgetting the bookshelf entirely, Hope turns around in disbelief at his words.

"Excuse you? I don't know if you've noticed but I'm more than capable handling myself. I'm not some wannabe false mage. I can perform spells that haven't been seen in centuries; perform rituals that can alter reality!"

"YOUR FATHER AND I COULDN'T DEFEAT ADWAITA!" Hex yells, causing Hope to actually recoil backwards.

"Your father, Spellbinder, the 57th Emperor of the entire Ledger Domain, the strongest sorcerer of all nine houses that have ever produced a high-mage! And I, the only sorcerer who has ever been able to successfully perform blood-magic and necromancy without ANY repercussions: COULD NOT DEFEND OUR OWN HOME AGAINST HIM!"

Hope has an emotion on her face that I'm not sure I've ever seen her make. She's shaken… not scared, but her ego has definitely left her.

"Adwaita has the Alpha Rune. He has access to all of the Ledger's secrets." He calms himself. "I'm sorry, Hope. But he's too strong."

After a moment she hesitantly sits down on the old couch.

It feels weird seeing her in the light. I've never seen her doubt herself, but Hex's words must have hit her hard.

I can't help myself as I walk over to the couch and sit next to her.

She looks at me with vulnerability. I brush the hair out from her eyes, and she smiles lovingly.

"Adwaita took us by surprise. I plan to do the same to him." She finally speaks, finding her voice again.

Hex sighs. "Hope…"

"There's a resistance force. The people hate him; he rules tyrant with an iron fist. They'd follow us. You're a powerful mage, uncle; there's no question in that. But you're only getting older as the days go by." She reasons.

"You and I both know that you could never allow yourself to die without reclaiming our home. And we have at least one thing that we can surprise him with; he's never fought Ben before."

Hex sighs.

"Damn you Hope. You really are your father's daughter. Fine; we'll take back the Ledger."

Michael's POV

"Who are you? Am I dead?" I ask the wisp-like voice.

"My name cannot be spoken by any modern tongue." It answers.

"I am the only thing keeping you from death, my will alone is the only thing keeping you from passing on to the next world."

"Why?" I question.

"Patience boy, you do not want to anger me. You were born with a gift… my gift. Have you honestly never once questioned where your powers came from?"

"I… I just thought I was born with them… that maybe one of my relatives passed it down to me." I try to explain.

The voice laughs harshly. "Ha! Fool. You are nothing special. Without me you would have lived like any other filthy human. But you enjoyed having power, didn't you? You enjoyed thinking of yourself higher than others, and putting yourself on a pedestal for others to marvel at?"

"I'd be lying if I said that I didn't."

"Then I believe I have a use for you after all." The voice claims. "This world has taken my craft and corrupted it; using it to wage wars, for luxuries, for entertainment! Magic was never meant to be in the hands of man!

It was meant to be natural and uncontrollable; a force of nature."

"What are you saying?" I ask, clueless to what the voice is trying to suggest.

"I shall return you to the world. You will act as my hand and follow my orders. I will give you your body and grant you more strength then you've ever known before."

A second chance at life?

"Magic so strong that your own body will not be able to handle it. It will spread and corrupt you, taking pieces of you slowly and breaking you… until it even purges your soul. The only way to stop it will be to follow my order."

"And what is that?" I ask.

"Return my magic to me from the filth that has taken it for themselves. The Anodites, the Ledgerians, and other smaller races. I will grant you a small army… they are all that's left of my true followers. Now go. I will not contact you again, but I will be watching your every move. I am the creator and architect of magic."

I awaken with a start.

I'm still lying on the same field that I was killed in.

"Holy shit." I whisper. I'm still alive… and I feel great! Stronger even.

I check my wound. Its healed with a visible scar replacing it. A deep purple and black substance has filled the blood veins surrounding the wound.

'The corruption.' I remind myself of the voice's words.

Finally, I stand, looking up to the night sky.

"I should get to work… I have worlds to crush after all."

And there it is!

All 10,000+ words of it.

This is the longest chapter that I've ever written and I'm not sure if I'll stick with this kind of length.

I really hope that you enjoyed the chapter! The story is only beginning, there is so much more to come!

Thanks for sticking with me, I know that this chapter is long overdue, but as I said before, college has been keeping me very busy.

Be sure to tell me what you all think!

What do you think of the prison break? Warden Kiffman seems to have gotten exactly has he had coming for him, huh?

I was using the Alcatraz Island prison map from Mob of the Dead as a setting reference with the catwalks and all. I love the theme that map provides. If you haven't noticed yet, I've taken some inspiration from the COD: Zombie franchise, even using the name Morgue City.

What about the plan to retake the Ledger Domain?

Hope and Hex finally get to see their home again, but will it even look the same since Adwaita took control? Adwaita has proven to be one of the strongest practicers of magic in the universe, not even Hope's father could stand up to him. What other challenges will Hope and Ben face, once they enter the Ledger?

What about this new opportunity that Michael was given?

The quest given to him by the mysterious voice that claims to be the creator of all magic? That's a pretty big task, but his life depends on it. Originally, I had just planned to write Michael off as dead. But I've had a much better idea instead. He's going to play his part, believe me.

Well, once again, thank you all for reading my story. I apologize for the lack of updates, I wish that I could work more often on this story.

Please leave a review of what you think of the story!

I read all of them, and they always encourage me to keep writing. Reviews are like gold to me, they let me know that people are actually enjoying what I'm putting out and writing.

This story is growing faster and bigger than I ever anticipated! I can't express to you how much that means to me.

Thanks for reading. I'll see you all next chapter.

-The Dark Arrow