The blessed souls

Ch2: Blaze

Not gonna lie, when my best friend started crying liquid shadows, I should have asked about it. Sorry guys, that was on me. But, can you really blame me? What would I have even said? By the way, Addie, do you know why you have liquid shadows for tears now? No way, I'd rather not die at the hands of my childhood friend. If there's anything I've learned about girls, it's to not question anything they do. No matter how creepy it may seem. 

Look, before I continue this group journal thing, I might as well say a few things. First is my name. It's Leonel Huitzilopochtli, though people call me Leo for short. I go to school at Phoenix Academy AND, I'm an eighth-grader. People usually refer to me as the school prince (I don't know why. I'm not precisely what'd you'd call 'princely'). Now that I'm done introducing myself, I'll get back into it. 

Before I'd ever met Addie or Niko (or anyone for that matter), I'd been an average little boy in an average home in a calm neighborhood. I lived with my birth parents in a happy family with my expecting mother and my handsome father. It used to be great until I started getting these... nightmares. I never really knew why though, not until later. 

The nightmares always went along the same lines. A man cloaked in flames crying out for freedom. I remember always getting this eerie feeling when he'd look directly at me. Before I could even ask him if he needed help, I'd always wake up. 

It was because of these nightmares that I'd managed to worry both of my parents. They thought something was wrong with me (True. There really was something wrong, but not what they'd thought) they figured that it was something in my mind. After all, I'd changed, terrified that they'd either leave me because of the man. My mood was unbelievably unstable. I felt as if I were cursed. 

I guess that it really was my fault... what lead up to that day. 

My parents had dragged me off to get myself tested, and, surprise-surprise! About a week later is when I got myself diagnosed with BPD. Don't look at me like that. I promise I'm not insane, just a little unstable. But who isn't?

After that consultation, everything kinda spiraled. It went from my parents doing too much for me to my own mind's blood-curdling screaming. Let me out! Cut my chains! It had begun crying. I hated it. But, I suppose I owed that voice my life. If it hadn't been for him, then I'd have died in the fire with my family. 

***** 

The very first day of school was absolute garbage, and we all know it too. Ever since what happened with Addie, that voice in my mind has gotten louder, more crazed. It reminded me of a rabid dog in a cage.

FREE ME NOW! RELEASE ME, GET ME OUT! He would cry. I almost heard the clanging of his chains. "Shut up already..." I said under my breath. He didn't listen. 

By the end of the second school day, I walked toward her. She'd changed, not her personality, but her physical appearance. She'd gotten taller, and her hair had darkened into an obsidian black, and her skin had paled. If it weren't for the navy uniform, I'd have thought she'd become monotone. Her eyes were a purple so dark that it seemed black. She was terrifyingly beautiful. 

Despite this change, she didn't seem too bothered. Nor did she try to talk about it with our friends. I didn't like that.

"So, are you gonna tell us what happened? Or do we not deserve an explanation?" I felt myself say. I tried to ignore the look of shock and fear on her face. I couldn't help being irritated. 

"Leo. I-" She began. Her gaze hardened. She looked a little irked as well. "Look. I don't know what happened, and if I did, I'd tell you. So... drop it." She stood confidently. 

I don't know why, but this triggered something. I suddenly felt as if I were on fire. It was overwhelming, and I opened my mouth. I know I said something, but I don't remember what. Only that I'd stormed off.

*****

I walked home, completely ignoring Addie and Niko's attempts to catch my attention. 

Let me out... GRANT ME, MY FREEDOM BOY, CUT MY CHAINS!

I wanted to be alone, try to keep myself in check. I took a deep breath, the sound of screaming calmed when I heard Niko yelp and Addie's scared cry. I turned to see Niko on the ground with some weird twenty-something-year-old holding Addie by her wrist. He seemed to have some sort of tattoo because of a sting and pincer tattoo on his neck. 

"You... you're the first, aren't you? My master wishes to see you." I froze when he looked at me, his pupils so dilated that the whites of his eyes weren't visible. He bared his teeth at me, almost as if smiling. "To find the second, I must damage the first." He rasped, pulling out a knife and aiming at her eye. "You wouldn't mind a missing eye, would ye lass?" 

I felt the familiar heat of my rage return. One thing I noticed about the voice... it was no longer howling or screeching for freedom. It was now rattling the chains in my mind. The voice's eerie whispers were melodic. 

It's time...

It's time...

It's time...

It is finally time.

I felt as if a dam had broken, releasing a wave of pure fire. I heard the CLANG of a falling chain and joyous laughter. 

I'm free! Thank you.

My vision was now engulfed in light... and I couldn't control my movements. 

"Finally!" Said the voice. I- er... my body, moved to look at the man. The man in my body narrowed his eyes. "Scorpling..." He growled. The man cackled, bringing the dagger down with the precision of a scorpion's sting. As Addie cried out, I felt my body shoot a pillar of white flames at the man who released a high-pitched screech. A puddle of toxic green goo escaped his neck, and he collapsed. I couldn't see much until the light died down.

I realized I could move again. Addie was holding her right eye, with Niko checking on her and the man. He looked up and seemed kind of ticked off. "What was that? What did you even do?" He said.

"I don't know," I admitted, running my hand through my hair. It was strange, terrifying. But I was more concerned with my friends. "You good bro, 'Cause we need to get Addie home and prolly call someone to make sure Mr. Creep here is alive." 

Niko let out an exasperated breath. "All this... All this, and we haven't even gotten past the first trimester." 

I looked at my brother, saying something that shocked even me. "Now's not the time. We have to get Addie and this man some help."

And we have to find out what this man is.  I thought to myself. 

 That is... or was a Scorpling. The voice. Darn, I thought it'd be gone.

Who are you? 

I heard him chuckle. 

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My name is Blaze. It's nice to formally meet you, My champion.