The Legacy of Darkness

  Chapter5

  I shook off the confusing feelings about my second-in-command and focused on the situation before me. The Joyce’s home was closed off and silent giving off the idea of explosions and fire. There was a burning smell emitting from up the stairs and rubble cluttered the grounds. The furniture was in pieces (I bet the cat did it) and glass littering the dark room. Part of the kitchen was blown up (talk about intense). Kaito whistled. “Jane really outdid herself this time,” he muttered. “Yeah,” I agreed, scanning the mess for any blood stains. Oddly enough, there were none. As powerful as Jane was, she liked to keep a low profile when attacking individual places, not wanting to attract our attention, only to spring her surprise when we least expect it. The police had been here, judging by the yellow do not cross tapes securing the perimeter. Not that they could do anything when enchantments and sorcery was involved. I tried to turn a man into a dog once when I was four. Turns out, he was the President of the United States. Oops. Big mistake there. “Where do you think the Joyce family went? People don’t just disappear in thin air, even with magic. It always leaves a trace,” I waved my hand slowly through the damp air, concentrating for a scent or clue about the assailant. “It definitely wasn’t Jane herself. She hates doing the dirty work,” Kaito examined a glass cup gingerly, one of the only remaining artifacts preserved from the raid. “She was behind the attack in general,” I reminded him. “But someone else must have led all the other intrusions.” “You think it could be the same person?” Kaito asked. “It could be.” “But the question is –“ “Who?” I finished. What an exhausting day. I groaned and flopped onto my luscious bed (yup, you probably guessed – I’m rich. But I’m not spoiled. No butlers. Nope. None. Sadly) All the members of the Resistance have sleeping quarters in HQ, so I suppose you could say we’re one big family (without actual parents). All the doors need ID proof (and no, I don’t mean ID as in One Direction, I mean ID as in identification) to open and HQ is practically impossible to break in. I put up the barriers and shields myself. The only bad thing? All the Resistance has a roommate. And Kaito is mine. I growled in frustration when I heard the lock click and the door slide open. What does it take to have some privacy here? I rolled to my side and sat up reluctantly. As much as I wanted to just knock myself unconscious with a hammer and sleep, I needed to discuss what we saw at the Joyce’s. “So? What do you think?” “What do I think about what?” he said, sitting down beside me. “Don’t play dumb with me, mister!” I snapped. “What are you talking about?” he raised an eyebrow. “The Joyce’s!” I exclaimed exasperatedly. Kaito shrugged. “They could’ve been kidnapped or killed.” “There was no blood,” I reminded him. “Okay then. Let’s review what we know so far. Jane’s been targeting different places with different people all over the globe,” he listed slowly. I nodded – Suddenly, a throb of pain shot through my head. I groaned, clutching my skull in agony, unable to hear what Kaito was saying. But it didn’t stop there. The pain increased until it became unbearable. Then – A small path of light opened in my darkened vision. It widened to a house. Perhaps one with many memories, but all that was left was dust and wood, with spots of red (blood?) dotting the grass. Rain poured from the sky like someone has slit a knife over the world and opened a deep wound. A figure dressed in black robes stood at the entrance. Behind it was an old, frail-looking man, shivering from the cold and covered in cuts and bruises. “Where is it?” the figure said quietly. Its’ voice sent a shiver of fear down the old man’s spine. “I don’t know!” he whispered frantically. “You’re lying. I can see it in your eyes. Now tell me or I’ll kill you.” The robed statue held a whip in its right hand, twitching it ever-so-slightly, making the elder flinch. “I don’t know!” he begged, his hands trembling. The standing figure curled its long fingers around the whip. “Then you die.” Its voice held a hint of remorse, like it was truly going to regret its next action. The rain fell harder and thunder boomed as the black snake struck, sinking its fangs into the old man’s flesh. The man screamed in terror and pain, cut off with a choke, blood spewing everywhere as he fell into the never-ending abyss of death.