Lexie didn't know what to do or say. She felt frozen like she was watching a horror movie play out.

The men in black were real??

They certainly seemed real, standing there with identical grave expressions, like they had to carry out a deeply odious task. They were not large men, but their presence seemed to loom over the small living room, shadows dominating the medical textbooks Emma kept haphazardly on a shelf behind the couches.

And their eyes were trained Xena, unblinking. Lexie thought maybe they didn't look entirely human.

"We need to talk to Xena Lightlark," one of them said and Lexie's heart stuttered.

Shit. Xena was right and I was wrong. Even worse, I walked her right to the slaughter.

Xena was the first to snap out of their little stalemate. In one explosive movement, she spun around and bolted for the front door.

"Xena!" Emma called as the men shared a look. They didn't look shocked. They probably expected it.

"They'll never take me alive!" Lexie heard Xena shout as the door slammed and she took off down the lawn.

As one of the men rolled his eyes and seemed about to give chase, Lexie made preparations of her own. She opened her inventory getting ready to trip them up if they went after Xena. What she wouldn't give for magnet powers right now, so she could trap them in the room while Xena got away. Maybe she could figure out a card combination to keep his feet pierced to the ground.

But unfortunately for her, he didn't run.

He sighed, lifted a dark orb in his hand and simply disappeared.

A teleportation orb. Great.

Within seconds, he was back, holding a struggling Xena by the back of her shirt.

"Let me go." She was pushing and beating his chest.

"Quit that," the man said and turned to his companion. "You, sedate her or something."

"Don't you dare!" Emma and Lexie said in unison. Lexie was about to either make them dance clumsily or blast confetti in their face, but Emma stepped in and efficiently wrestled Xena from the man's hand. To be fair, the man didn't try too hard to hang on.

"Don't you dare grab my daughter," Emma said firmly, looking madder than Lexie had ever seen her. "Who do you think you are? The only reason I let you in my home was because you said she was in danger, but that doesn't give you the right to manhandle her."

"Alright, this is getting out of hand." The first man pushed his hand through his hair, his expression shifting quickly from annoyance to exhaustion. "We're not here to hurt or manhandle anyone. We're just here to talk."

"I'm not going anywhere with you." Xena hissed like a cat still clinging to Emma.

"And you don't have to. But you should at least hear what we have to say first. I can guarantee you that it's to your benefit."

Xena shook her head. "I don't care what you say or how many million credits you offer me. I'm not getting shipped off to Planet Fae or any colonies."

"Believe me, you won't have to," the second man scoffed. "Do you think just because you're a Lightlark you automatically get a Fae Visa? You think we just give those out? You truly believe it's that easy?"

Xena didn't say anything, her eyes still trained on him suspiciously.

"There are still several tests that you must pass," he continued. "Aptitude, strength, fortitude, heck even your body composition must be monitored to ensure that it can adapt to the job without a compatibility suit, which costs several million credits per piece. Even if you wanted to, you're not guaranteed access to the Fae Planet. People wait for years to even get a chance at getting a Fae Visa and you think we're just going to give you one?"

"You're not the first illegitimate Lightlark we've found, miss," Number One said in a less impassioned voice. "Amadeus Lightlark was neither discreet nor discriminatory with his affections. We've found plenty of his children. Most of them didn't awaken with the right affinity so we left them alone and never bothered them out with news of their heritage. And even with those who do have the light affinity, none of them so far has passed training to grant them access to the Fae planet."

"Meaning all of them were a waste of our time," Number Two said with a grim smile. "And you probably will be too."

Lexie and Emma frowned at the man. Lexie really didn't like him.

"How come I've never heard of any of these other Lightlarks?" Xena demanded. "I searched the NET and didn't find anything."

"For logistical reasons, the Lightlarks cut a deal with the government to hide these affairs, so anyone who does not join the Lightlark family is stripped of the name and gets to keep their adoptive name. If they don't awaken, they're never even told that they're a Lightlark. That was why your true name was hidden until you came of age as well. Of course, if you're deemed useful enough, then you can join the Lightlark clan and receive all the many perks that come with it. But if you'd prefer to continue your life as it is…" He ran a disdainful glance around the apartment. "Then, of course, that's your prerogative as well. But I think you should at least hear the offer, just for…how do you earthlings put it, 'Shits and giggles'?"

Earthlings? Lexie suspected the man speaking wasn't from Earth but he didn't look Fae either. The alien face, pointy ears, and long hair were prominent Fae features and he didn't have those. He didn't speak like the Fae either, although she detected a weird accent. He also looked mostly human. Maybe he was a human raised on Planet Fae?

Emma, on the other hand, didn't seem curious about that. Instead, she looked down at Xena and ran a hand over her hair. "You knew?"

Xena glanced up at her and nodded. "I found out on System Day."

"Oh Xen-Xen. Why didn't you tell me?"

Xena sighed. "I wanted to deal with it. I didn't want to worry you."

"That's not for you to decide. I'm your mother. It's my job to worry about you."

Xena didn't deny it, simply turned back to the men. "So if I listen to what you have to say and I still don't want to go with you, you'll go away and leave me alone forever?"

"Of course. You'll be stripped of the Lightlark name, and probably restricted from using your affinity, but you'll be able to carry on life as a Cole."

"Restricted from using her ability?" Lexie spoke up finally. "You mean with the Tilling bands?"

"No. Something similar but a modified version, more refined and less…barbaric," Number One said. "It's not meant as a punishment. It would simply prevent you from using light magic but you should still be able to pick up any other magical affinities you want, within reason."

"Why not Light magic?"

"It's dangerous in the wrong hands, especially untrained. The only adequate human trainers of Light magic are Lightlarks and so if she refuses to become a Lightlark, we can't have her walking around with the powers either. She becomes a danger to herself and others." The man trained his eyes on Xena. "I know you've already felt it, what I'm talking about."

Xena paled and grew silent.

"What is he talking about?" Emma asked but Xena shook her head.

"It will only get worse," he continued. "If you don't learn to control it, it will eventually consume you and cause you to lash out at others. And then you might seriously hurt someone."

Xena took a second to think about what he had to say. She stared at the two, jaw clenching while still clinging to Emma.

"Fine," she said. "I'll listen to what you have to say."

Number One shrugged like he didn't care one way or another. "We can have this discussion in front of your legal guardian but I'm afraid no other other parties may be privy to what we talk about." He turned to Lexie with a pointed look.

"Why not?" Xena asked. "She's my best friend."

Number One thought about it. "If she's going to stay, then she has to be bound by a stringent magical nondisclosure that may or may not affect her in the future."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Before Lexie could fully consider the implications of that, Emma turned to her and said, "No that's fine. Lexie dear, would you mind going home? I can have your father come get you if you want."

"No need." Number One reached into his pocket and retrieved another teleportation orb. He handed it to her. "Take this for your trouble. It will get you right to your destination with a single thought."

Lexie shared a look between all three and understood she was being dismissed. But she held Xena's gaze for some time.

Do you want me to go?

Xena hesitated, then nodded. Her eyes seemed to say something else. I'll tell you about it tomorrow.

Lexie finally acquiesced and took the orb.

"I'll see you," she told Xena, giving her an awkward hug before she left.

As she stepped out of the house, she was tempted to hang around the windows and try to listen in, but suddenly the curtains fell and it was like all the sound had been muffled in the cottage.

Lexie sighed and began home.

She didn't use the orb though, not only because she wasn't sure how to use it. But also because she'd walked back from Emma's home multiple times and it wasn't late enough for her to worry. Besides, Hovelton was very safe and she knew how to defend herself.

The bigger reason she saved the orb was because she thought it might come in handy later.

Teleportation orbs were expensive and could typically only be acquired through an approved organization like the Hero's association. So now that she had one, she wanted to save it for when she really needed it.

She tucked it into her pocket and continued home, considering everything that just happened. This was an interesting night to say the least.

She stared up at the stars. Both Xena and Dewie were having big nights and she was concerned about both of them, but she couldn't currently talk to them yet. Dewie might still be busy with his parents. And Xena was busy with the men in black.

She hoped they were both okay.

To take her mind off her worry, Lexie decided to text Elvira on the way home about the <Handy Helper> contract instead.

"Would you like to do it now?" Elvira asked during the video call. "I can summon Meerp for you. He is my family's [untranslatable] in our home on Planet Fae. They are like slime butlers."

"Oh, that's cool. Is it okay if I talk to him, or it, first?

Elvira sounded surprised. "You want to meet Meerp?"

"Well, yeah." Who didn't want to meet a slime butler? "I mean, to ask its permission before we sign the contract. I don't want to force him into something he doesn't want to do."

"That is kind of you, although unnecessary. Meerp are not slaves but they are not like what you're thinking either. Conversation with you might confuse it."

"Oh..." Lexie was disappointed, and perhaps Elvira sensed it because she sighed.

"Then again, I suppose it couldn't hurt. We can set up the meeting tomorrow so it has time to ready itself for the conversation. I'll be there to translate."

Yay! Success. At least one good thing had come of the night.

"You still haven't explained to me why I need a contract for this creature card and not the other one, the <Party Hopper>."

"Ah yes, well, whether a contract is needed depends on the species and the nature of the card."

"Meaning?"

"It's complicated. We can discuss it more when I return from Planet Fae."

"Cool," Lexie responded. "How's the trip?"

"Dull. My cousin is involved in another minor Orcan war and my father continues ranting about Eldritch attacks."

Elvira's father, while being only partially Fae, was heavily outspoken about Fae politics. He believed that the Fae were too magnanimous with the non-Fae creatures living on their planet who didn't abide by their system of government and their rules. He was particularly angry about the Eldritch.

According to Elvira, her father thought the Fae should enact clauses to restrict and monitor Eldritch movement due to the outbursts of demon-led attacks on Earth in recent times. As of yet, the Eldritch Lord had received no repercussions for the things his creatures did, almost like the Fae were scared of him.

Lexie didn't know enough about the topic to comment one way or another, but from the way Elvira described it, it was something that was mildly a concern, but certainly didn't deserve the level of attention that her father gave to it.

Lexie and Elvira concluded their conversation as Lexie approached her cottage.

The flickering lights in the window drew her attention first.

She frowned, instantly on high alert as she crept close, opening up her inventory and selecting <Let's Have A Blast> just in case. She crept close to the window, crouching behind the flower pot, and looked.

In the blinking lights, she saw him. A strange man was sitting at the dining room table.

She couldn't see his face clearly from this angle, but his body was broad, and covered by a dark coat. Plus he looked very tall. Gigantic in fact, probably close to seven feet. He sat nearly perfectly still, as though he did not need to breathe or even fidget.

Then Lexie saw her father come in from the kitchen with a steaming cup in his hands and a plate full of cookies.

He smiled at the stranger and murmured something she didn't quite catch. The man said something in return and Aiden laughed.

Lexie's father placed the cookies down on the table as well as the steaming cup of cocoa topped with marshmallows. They'd only had a few marshmallows left when Lexie last checked, so she was a bit resentful that it was going to this stranger. She wondered who he was.

She bent again and crept around so she could peek through the other window in the kitchen. Here she was also close enough to catch a few words and phrases, including when her father sighed and said,

"...I'm seeing her again," he said. "In my dreams. And in nightmares. I don't know if it's really her or if I'm going mad again."

The stranger had picked up a cookie and was analyzing it as though he'd never seen one in his life.

"Madness," he said slowly, in a voice that could only be described as a rumbling whisper, "is its own type of superpower." He took a bite of the cookie, the tiniest bite possible, chewed a few times, and frowned. "Interesting."

Aiden didn't seem comforted by the words. If anything he seemed even more troubled. He rubbed his hand over his face

"I assume," the stranger said, "that's not what you called me here to discuss."

Lexie's father's face turned grim, and in a second, it was like something about him shifted. A hardness entered his expression, and all joviality disappeared.

"A year ago, you told me the Eldritch had nothing to do with the unstable dungeons," he said.

The man didn't respond. He simply took another bite of his cookie.

"You said the Hechtl we found was likely a mere coincidence."

"Likely," he said. "At least according to my investigations."

"But I have it on good authority that the Hechtl wasn't the only Eldritch creature that spawned from an unstable dungeon in that year. And that you were aware of the problem before I told you, yet you pretended it was the first you'd heard of it."

"Meaning you've been speaking to my brother." He sounded almost amused. As amused as a monotone voice could sound, that is. "You should know, Neqal is a well-known liar, rabble-rouser, and a harlot. He said whatever he said so you would become upset with me."

"Two things can be true at the same time. He could have told me that to sow discord between us, but he could have also been telling the truth. Was he?"

The man didn't answer. He picked up the cookie and took another nibble, this time musing on the taste for several more seconds.

"These are not like the ones they serve at the embassy," he said. "What do you use to get that crumbly but soft consistency?"

"This is you avoiding the question."

"This is me reminding you, Archmage, that you have zero right to know about Eldritch affairs."

"I'm not asking as the Archmage, Litchie. I'm asking as an old friend."

"Is that what we are?" Once again, monotone amusement. "You realize admitting such in public would result in even worse shunning than what you endure now."

"That's why I'm not admitting it publicly." Aiden sounded frustrated with the stranger's hedging. "We're alone here."

"Are we?" Suddenly, faster than a blink, the stranger's eyes shifted to where Lexie stood.

And even through the refraction of the glass, she saw something that made her jerk back with a cutout scream.

She bumped into a flower vase which crashed onto the floor. She barely registered it. Fear pounded in her heart, and all that was in her mind was escape.

It was a similar fear to what she'd faced when she saw the Hechtl for the first time. It wasn't entirely rational, just a prey's drive to run from a predator it knew it could not defeat.

She needed to get out of here.

But her moves were clumsy and by the time she'd stumbled to the front yard, the door opened and Aiden was calling, "Lexie?"

She froze. Her father's voice gave her pause, and had some of the fear receding from her mind so she could think.

He rushed towards her, took her by the shoulders, and turned her around.

"Are you okay?" Concern glinted in his eyes. "Did you hurt yourself?"

Lexie shook her head slowly, but somehow her gaze still traveled from her father to the man standing at the doorway. Looking at him again confirmed that what she saw the first time was accurate.

Though his face looked like that of a man with harsh features, upon closer inspection, it seemed like he was wearing a human mask, with stiff expressions and tight skin with little to no give.

And in place of eyeballs, there were only swirling dark pits of nothingness.

Lexie's heart rate spiked again. Chills ran down her spine and her breath ratcheted in his chest.

"Look here," Aiden said, pulling her chin away. "Look at me, Lex."

She blinked and the fear reduced again.

"You're okay," he said, smiling weakly. "It's okay."

"I'd advise you not to look into my eyes again, child," the man said. "Don't stare at the abyss if you do not want the abyss to stare back."

That's plagiarism, Lexie's brain spat out but she took his advice and focused on Aiden who was giving her a comforting and guilty look.

"I thought you were spending the night at Xena's place," he said.

"Something came up," she responded, then whispered, "Who is that?"

"No one. Just one of Max's old friends."

It was an obvious lie that had Lexie's heart rate shooting even higher. Who was this man that Aiden would need to lie to her about him?

She didn't say anything to her father and tried to school her features into something resembling a smile as she nodded at the stranger who moved a little closer.

But as the moonlight fell on his face, Lexie was hit with instant recognition.

She recognized him from the pictures that Logan had sent, the character profiles. He was one of the characters that her brother had gone into deep length about and one of the major antagonists for the game's final arc.

His name was Il Naem Y Ylich.

Demon King. Lord of the Eldritch.

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