•Blaine•

Thump Thump

I stirred on the soft carpeted floor, my eyelids heavy as lead and refusing to open. The ground was so comfortable, and I felt zero desire to get up any time soon.

Thump Thump

I shifted with a sigh, the simple sound was managing to break through the hazy fog of my sleep.

Thump Thump

My eyes fluttered open. I was slightly annoyed that the insistent beat playing in my ear drum wouldn't relent.

With a stretch, I let myself drift back into consciousness. When I could focus, I saw my living room ceiling above me.

My brows knitted together as I took in the familiar surroundings from my spot on the ground. What was I doing napping here?

I sat up and slowly looked around. My eyes wandered over the couch, the ottoman, the white brick fireplace, and the wooden bookshelf by the television.

Everything was as it should be, neat and tidy... actually it was all extremely neat and tidy.

I took in how perfectly everything was arranged and felt the hair on the back of my neck rise. Something felt wrong.

I got to my feet promptly, and let my gaze scan the room once more. My mother's cabinet, that usually held little trinkets and breakable items in the corner, was uncluttered and in pristine condition. My eyes were drawn to the fine craftsmanship that looked brand new.

I could've sworn the wood had begun to chip on the left side. I cocked my head at the piece of furniture.

"Hm," I hummed to myself, the sound cutting through the space like a knife.

My eyes widened when I realized what else was setting me on edge.

The house was oddly quiet.

There was an overwhelming stillness encompassing the atmosphere. I listened carefully for sounds of life. I couldn't hear anything though- no birds chirping, or cars driving by.

The whole place appeared frozen, as if plucked right out of a picture. Nothing was out of place and no sound was to be heard.

Thump Thump

The singular sound seemed to be coming from the kitchen. My head turned towards it curiously. I had thought the sound was ringing in my ears.

"Mom?" I called.

Thump Thump

My feet began to carry me forward into the foyer. I turned the corner, only to find the kitchen and dining room completely void of presence.

The kitchen counter was on the right, separating the actual kitchen appliances from the dining table that sat on the left. There was no evidence that someone had been in here. It was all exactly as it should be.

"What?" I muttered to myself in confusion.

I walked up to the sink that had a window viewing into the backyard. I peered outside to see the place completely still, not even the wind was around to brush things around. The patio was all set up nicely, and looked untouched.

The kitchen was cleaner than I'd ever seen it. The marble counter was spotless, every cookbook and kitchen utensil was being held in its rightful place.

Thump Thump

I whipped back around at the sound once more. It wasn't coming from this direction or rather it had moved.

Thump Thump

My eyes narrowed as I traced the sound back towards the living room. Who moved back there? What was this person pulling and why were they-

Azure and Cerise?

"Azure?" I called, marching out of the kitchen and right back into the living room, "Cerise?"

I came to halt as I found the room empty once more, a frown settling on my face.

What was going on?

My gaze scanned the room intently. Something had to be openly wrong, or off, or at the very least telling.

Just as the thought crossed my mind, I saw a sort of flicker in the center of the room.

It was quick, like a glitch, tearing across the image presented.

Thump Thump

The sound echoed behind me, but I ignored it, my focus fully set on the discrepancy in front of me. I walked toward the flicker, my hand reaching out as I got closer.

When my finger touched the flicker, the pristine image of my living room was pushed back on all sides as if an invisible force was pressing aside the picture from the point of contact.

My eyes widened in awe as I caught a small glimpse of another image behind the one I was in. I splayed my fingers, making my hand flat and with a determined shove- I pushed my hand forward.

The living room around me washed away, leaving in its place a much more familiar version of my house.

The room was slightly darker and looked more lived in- the sun was setting pulling its light away.

In stark contrast to the normal space, two outlined human figures stood across from each other with their hands out. One was red, small and more feminine of a figure- and the other was blue, tall with a male physique.

This was Azure and Cerise. It suddenly all came back to me- the Umbra, Jacob, and the ritual taking place. I was currently in the ritual.

Before my eyes, my own figure was revealed outlined in yellow. I still stood in between Azure and Cerise, my hand reaching out to touch my crystal that had been pulled from my chest.

"Not bad," a familiar voice acknowledged, "But not great either."

I tensed and felt my heart rate soar erratically. My chest swelled in anticipation at hearing someone other than myself. It didn't help that the voice sounded ominous, as if it was coming from all directions. The voice echoed around me like a blanket. 

"You're slow with hearing, but more adept in using visual cues. Not to worry, I have a good sense of what needs to be accomplished."

Wait a minute. 

I knew that voice.

I whirled around sharply, my heart racing.

The voice chuckled in amusement.

"Still not quite getting the hearing I see."

My gaze narrowed determinedly, before I closed my eyes and focused on the direction of the sound waves. In the silence, I was able to pick up the trail and follow the path to its origin. I turned my body to the left, slowly moving to make sure I was still following the voice.

When I was sure, I opened my eyes.

Who I saw was what I expected, however that didn't lessen the shock shooting through my body.

There, sitting on the couch was me.

My eyes widened, as I stared at my own reflection. My blonde hair was surfer mopped like normal, and my brown eyes were glinting knowingly. The reflection was even wearing the same worn out jeans and black t-shirt that I was.

"How is this...happening?" 

My duplicate smiled, my own brown eyes lighting up at me.

"Well who did you think was going to guide you through your crystal?" He said gesturing around.

I rose a skeptical brow, "We're in my crystal?"

The mirage nodded, "Yep. This is it. The place where you can see the minute details, and matrix of your power."

"I don't understand," I glanced around the living room pointedly.

It all looked very mundane and exactly like my earthly life.

What was I supposed to be learning?

And how was I supposed to learn from myself? I'm here because I don't know how to use my crystal.

"I'm not actually you," he stated, as if he knew what I was thinking, "I'm just a manifestation created through the power of your crystal."

My crystal. So that means...

"I'm going to be learning directly from my crystal?"

The manifestation nodded, "Bingo."

He then stood from the couch, an almost somber expression washed over him. The identical copy standing before me made knots form in my chest. But as I forced myself to meet his heavy gaze, it was obvious that I was looking at someone else. There was a weight and a supernatural knowledge behind those eyes that appeared like mine.

"Focus," he stated seriously, "Do not let your heart guide you, but rather the power within."

My brows furrowed at his sudden instruction.

"Wait what exactly does tha-"

Before I could fully get the question out, my crystal self disappeared in an encompassing flash.

In a blink, the room was now dark. There was only a small sliver of light, provided by the rising moon, that sliced into the living room.

I was alone once again.

Ding Dong

The sound echoed around the house, ringing through the silence.

My eyes flew to the front door. Someone was here?

Knock Knock Knock

I walked into the foyer cautiously, eyeing the front door that was now draped in what seemed like shadowed mystery.

There was only one way to get rid of the subterfuge. I took a deep breath and peaked through the peep hole on the door.

Max and Philip?

I opened the door quickly, and sure enough my two best friends stood before me. Max was impatiently tapping his foot, while Philip was casually leaning against the door frame.

"Finally you answered!" Max said shoving past me to get into the house.

Philip gave me an easy smile, "Cranky here had a rough day, he's in a mood."

Philip then slid into the house too. 

"There's no mood!" Max insisted making his way into the kitchen, "I'm just hungry and in desperate need of your mother's homemade lasagna."

"Correction, you want Ms Linda's lasagna to get out of your mood." Philip followed him into the kitchen.

I stood dumbfounded at the door.

How the hell did they get here?

I closed the door and walked into the kitchen after them. My eyes flickered between the two in pure bewilderment, "Guys, how did you-"

"You're such a smartass."

Philip shrugged, "Don't hate me for being right."

It was then I noticed the fresh pan of lasagna sitting on the counter.

This wasn't here earlier.

My attention lifted to Max and Philip who each grabbed a plate from the stack on the counter. They then began elbowing each other to get to the lasagna first.

"Boys there's enough to go around for everyone," a voice sounded from behind me, causing my whole body to jump.

I watched with wide eyes, as my mother passed me and made her way into the kitchen. There was a playfully stern expression on her face as she placed her hands on her hips and faced my two friends.

"Now I know you don't mean to rough house in my kitchen," she stated sternly.

"No Ms Linda," Philip shook his head.

"Sorry Ms Linda," Max apologized

"Very good," my mother nodded, "Now dish up one at a time and eat! I didn't make all that for it to be fought over and not enjoyed."

Philip and Max both grinned.

"Yes ma'am."

"Can do!"

My eyes fell to my mother who I knew couldn't be here right now. That meant Max and Philip weren't really here either.

My gaze flickered between the three before me, my mind running through what was occurring and why that might be.

The whole interaction felt familiar, like I had seen it multiple times before. But that's what felt odd I think, it was almost too on the nose.

"Blaine," my mother called, drawing my attention. "Aren't you hungry? Dish up before it's gone."

Almost on autopilot, I found myself moving toward the counter- my eyes falling to the delectable, cheesy layered dish. I could practically taste the crumbled sausage and rich marinara. It smelled... I paused my nose scrunching up.

It smelled...like nothing. There was no scent coming off the dish.

"Dude we're not going to wait for your slow butt when we want seconds," Philip stated around a mouthful of lasagna.

I instinctively rolled my eyes, looking to my red headed friend- and then I froze.

His eyes were a thick inky color. The darkness swirled and filled his entire socket, but only for half a second. Then he blinked and it was gone.

It happened in millisecond, and I was now looking at his regular pale blue eyes.

My gaze flickered from Philip to Max, and I suddenly remembered how skeptical I was of all this just a second ago. I shook my head trying to collect my flying thoughts. Every notion in my head seemed to rush past me without my control. I couldn't grasp on to anything stable.

"You ok Blaine?"

I looked to Max who was watching me in concern. I examined his eyes carefully. They were normally a dark brown color, but I was looking for that murky darkness that I saw in Philip.

"Blaine?" Max repeated.

I watched closely, not taking my gaze off him. Max blinked, his orbs shifting and after a moment it appeared. It was a quick flash of inky, darkness.

It looked like an Umbra

"No," I breathed taking a step back from both Philip and Max.

"Woah Blaine what's wrong?" Philip stepped forward in concern.

I immediately stepped back again. This must be what Azure and Cerise were talking about when they said an Umbra had invaded Jacob's body.

"Uh nothing," I began making my way back to the foyer. "I'll just...um be right back."

"Where are you going?" My mother stepped in front of me, blocking the exit with her arms crossed.

When I met her gaze, I saw the shadowed murkiness behind it.

Damn it they were all infected! I felt a sense of terror crawling its way up my throat as I looked at my mother. Her concern slowly being overshadowed by something unsettling.

"Uh..." I stammered, "I just wanted to take a walk, get some uh...fresh air."

"You sure you're good man?" I looked to Max who was wearing a smile, but it only served to unsettle me more. There was something twisted behind it. Just like the manifestation of my crystal wasn't actually me, this was not my mother or the real Max and Philip- these were monsters wearing their bodies like a disguise.

"Oh I see," Philip cooed in a voice much more distorted than before. His eyes became clouded with darkness again. This time it wasn't temporary. The darkness flooded from the side of his sockets, and circled until it filled the entire space.

"You've figured it out," Philip's voice grew deeper and turned into a grotesque growling.

"You want to leave?" Max challenged, his own voice warped, "You're going to have to fight us to do it."

I watched in horror as my best friends slowly transformed into something unrecognizable. Their black eyes bulged, and their limbs twitched unnaturally as shadows darker than night began oozing on their bodies.

Philip's bones cracked as he jerked and shifted. He reared his head at me and scowled viciously, before letting out a terrifying screech. Then he charged, arms swinging out towards me.

"Philip no!" I shouted ducking below his swing and moving behind him. Philip missed my head barely, his body colliding with the table resulting in a loud bang.

Before I could even process what to do next, Max was behind me shrieking and grabbing onto my shoulders. I struggled against his grip before a guttural shout was torn from my throat.

"Ahh!"

Pain erupted on my skin as a dark energy filled me almost violently, poisoning my blood stream. It was as if acid was being injected into my very being, tearing through my veins with vengeance.

I felt myself grow weak.

Philip's distorted form charged at me with a wicked gleam, and then my vision was filled with complete darkness.

Then nothing.

Suddenly, there was a light flash- bright and all encompassing around me.

My body felt like it was floating and then I was abruptly placed back on the ground.

The light faded and I saw the kitchen before me. I was standing in the foyer entrance, and the pain was gone.

"Now I know you don't mean to rough house in my kitchen," my mother's voice caused my gaze to snap to the familiar scene before me.

She was looking across the counter, hands on her hips and a playfully stern expression on her face.

"No Ms Linda," Philip shook his head.

"Sorry Ms Linda," Max apologized.

Max and Philip had plates in hand, and their elbows out to block each other from the lasagna on the counter.

"Very good," my mother nodded, "Now dish up one at a time and eat! I didn't make all that for it to be fought over and not enjoyed."

Philip and Max both grinned, elbows dropping.

"Yes ma'am."

"Can do!"

I searched the interaction before me, eyes wide in bewilderment. What just happened?

"Blaine," my mother called, drawing my attention like the first time. "Aren't you hungry? Dish up before it's gone."

My gaze locked onto my mother, heart pounding as I scanned over her familiar features. Where was that crippling darkness behind her green eyes? Why was I re living this moment?

When the pain had seized me, it felt like I was dying- or what I imagined death to be like. If this was all according to the ritual, was that failing?

"Blaine," my mother's voice sounded, sterner this time. I blinked refocusing on the woman in front of me. "Let's go, dish up," she insisted.

Her light green eyes were warm, but there something shallow about it- like the true nature of this being was just under the surface.

The first time, my hesitance made the Umbra attack- so I stepped forward, trying to get my muscles to relax. I cut a piece of lasagna- that still lacked smell- and placed it on a plate.

How was I supposed to get out of this?

I let my hearing stretch behind me, to keep track of my mother, while my eyes stayed fixed on Max and Philip.

When I set the spatula back down into the pan, Max and Philip settled down at the counter. My eyes trailed their movement, before I followed suit and sat down on the last barstool.

How long would this go on? And if this was some sort of test, what was the way out?

"Blaine?" Max called causing my gaze to flicker to him, "Why are you so tense?"

Just like before, I saw dark murkiness invade his usually brown orbs. The thick ink swirling before dissipating completely.

The tension in the room had rose once again. It was evident that this was going to get violent once more. The only solution to that problem was...to fight back.

All of sudden it was starkly clear.

The only way out was to summon my crystal and win this battle. I felt a wave of terse unease crash into my body.

"Blaine?" Philip prompted, his tone warning.

I ignored him, focusing on the crystal energy resting within me.

"It's not them," I muttered to myself. "It's not them."

"What are you talking about?" Max asked, his voice beginning to distort.

I began to feel the power running through my chest- stronger and more potent than usual. I clung to the sensation like a lifeline. I could do this.

When I looked to Max and Philip, their eyes were dark voids once more. I could see their human demeanors melt away- they were monsters, not my friends. In a blink, they both transformed into a distorted blend of Umbra and human.

I stood backing up, but instead of doing it out of fear I did it to prepare. My hand flexed at my sides, the crystal energy taught and ready.

Philip growled at my actions, charging at me like a bull once more. I barely managed to avoid his reach, diving to the floor.

I scrambled to get back up on my feet. I watched Philip and took a breath, focusing on my crystal.

When the power trailed to my hands, I prepared to strike. 

When he charged again, I was ready. 

Wham!

I swung at Philip's head causing him to twist back, his hands gripping onto the counter.

Max dove at me next, arms outstretched to grab me. I stepped back and brought my leg up to land a firm kick to his stomach. Max screeched and stumbled, falling against the counter.

With a firm wave, I summoned a spread of yellow crystal shards. The objects appeared with a sharp cling catching the soft moonlight.

Both Max and Philip's heads snapped up at me, the darkness completely taking over their arms. With a low growl, they bolted at me with wild swings.

I had anticipated the attack, thrusting my hands forward- causing the shards to fly towards the two. They fired in a spread, causing two in the middle to strike through both their hearts.

"Ahhh!" They shrieked painfully.

Max and Philip stumbled back and immediately dropped to the floor. For a moment heavy breathing filled the foyer. They then began to disperse into black smoke. Max and Philip screeched and flailed, as painful screams sounded from them.

I winced and looked away.

When the shrieking stopped and the black soot faded, their bodies were gone.

One left...

I pulled my crystal shards to me, the sharp objects darting to surround my form. I held my hands out as I creeped forward, eyes shooting to the Umbra disguised as my mother.

"Don't hurt me," she pleaded.

My eyes went wide and my crystal shards lowered the slightest bit.

She looked terrified, green eyes misting and brows contorted together. Her lower lip began to quiver and I instantly felt guilt flood through me.

"I-I'm sorry mom," I spoke softly, "I-"

This wasn't my mom.

The thought raced through my mind, just as a flicker of the shadowed Umbra revealed itself in her irises.

"You're...you're not her," I asserted, my crystal shards rising around me. I lifted my hands in front of me defensively, trying to ignore the way they shook.

"No please!" She begged, the desperation in her voice making my heart tighten. "Blaine, I'm your mother please don't do this."

I knew this wasn't my mom, but she looked and sounded just like her. I didn't want to hurt her.

But I didn't have a choice. This training was going to help me protect my real mom, who was back in the real world.

Still, looking at the very image of my mother and faced with what I had to do- made my insides curdle.

"I'm so sorry," I breathed shakily.

Before I could hesitate any longer, I slashed my hand forward sending a spread of crystals her way.

The center golden shard pierced her heart, causing her body to stumble back and sink to the floor.

Without thinking, I rushed forward onto my knees catching her form before she touched the ground.

I watched in pure horror, as my mother released a gut wrenching scream that tore through me. Her face contorted unnaturally, mouth open in a way that was too long, pain bleeding from her eyes.

Her physical body turned to soot, but I hardly noticed, my eyes locked on her deformed face.

The dark smoke soon surrounded us, until finally her face began to fade away.

Then she was gone.

My arms were still out, stuck in the shape that had held her body. Even though she was no longer there, all I could see was her distorted face tattooed in my mind.

A bright flash ensued.

I felt my body floated away once more, but this time I didn't touch the ground.