Chapter 16: The Shadow and The Shine

Chapter 16.

The other Jakob stood, his arms wrapped around Bjari in a hug. He turned his head and whispered into Bjari's ear, 

"Goodbye." 

Then from the Jakobs hands, long shadow claws, the colour of darkness, sprouted. From the shadows, Jakob could only watch in horror as the other Jakob plunged his hand, claws and all, into his uncle's chest. 

No! 

From the shadows, Jakob screamed as he watched his uncle die for the second time. Bjari looked at the other Jakob with a look of pain, moments before his body dissolved into ash.

The other Jakob looked up, grinning like a wolf standing over a fresh kill. His mouth split to his ears in a smile, showing long dark shadowy teeth the colour of nightmares. As he laughed, with movements of chaos, smoke and darkness swirled around his body.

"Since I am the world-killer, then I might as well kill everyone that I love," The other Jakob shouted with a laugh.

NO!

Jakobs heart erupted in pain, willing himself to move, but forced to watch as the other Jakob stepped forward. 

Claws made of darkness reached towards Asta.

Before he could witness the horror of watching his cousin die, Jakob woke up. Sweat poured down his face as he struggled to sit up. His heart thundered in his chest as Jakob struggled to steady his breathing. What was this? Jakob thought, fear gripping his heart. I've already seen them die, but this… this time… Jakob paused with fear as realisation struck him.

I… I killed them. 

They would still be alive if it wasn't for me. 

A groan laced with pain left his lips as a million questions raced through his head. Why did I see them like this? What does it mean? Am I truly the world-killer?

Mind racing and afraid to fall asleep, Jakob lay in the darkness. It seemed like a lifetime before the birds began to sing. A lifetime before the daylight crept in through the cracks around the windows. A lifetime spent lying with his thoughts.

Finally, the torment ended as Acantha knocked on the door signalling breakfast, jolting Jakob from his fears. The familiar sound brought a sense of relief, grounding him in the waking world. 

Acantha, sensing Jakob's distress, entered the room with a furrowed brow and concern etched on her face. The lines on her forehead deepened as she noticed Jakob's sweat-soaked face. "Nightmare?" she asked softly, already aware of the torment that Jakob had been through and what his dreams could bring. Acantha's eyes reflected understanding, and she pulled him into a warm hug, a comfort within the storm. 

As dawn painted the sky in hues of orange and pink, the two of them started to prepare for the day ahead. 

"We are going to head to the Academy today. Although you don't start for another week, the principal wants to have a meeting with you. And besides…" Acantha paused, placing a comforting hand on Jakobs shoulder. "It isn't safe here anymore."

Jakob nodded, his dream painfully aware about the dangers his presence could bring to others. If he could have left sooner, he would have. 

The air hummed with anticipation, and the impending departure lingered in the room. Acantha, though adept at masking her emotions, couldn't entirely conceal the worry that flickered in her eyes. 

Adjusting the strap of Jakob's bag, she spoke in a reassuring tone, "Be careful, don't let fear define you." Jakob met her gaze, finding solace in her words, yet the lingering question of the dream still haunted him. 

As they made their way out of the house, the two of them were surprised to find a familiar figure sitting on a tree stump sipping on his tea. Rising to his feet, Ingolf approached the two of them and Jakob braced himself for the farewell he knew was imminent. 

"I have this for you lad," Ingolf said, pulling a bundle of cloth from his pack. 

"What is it?" Jakob wondered aloud as he reached for the cloth package. As he pulled away the cloth, a glimmer of metal sparked his curiosity. In his hands, glinting off the light shone a pair of brand new Hupoks. A smile graced Jakob's face as he gazed upon these blades. 

"I heard about what happened and I can't imagine what you are going through. It is tradition to use the bones of the dead in the forging of Hupoks. I have used the ash from your house so that your family, and your home, will never be apart from you, right by your side as you keep padding through the snow."

The blades seemed to shine with a hidden light as Jakob clipped them to his waist. Tears started to fall down his cheek as he could have sworn that he heard Bjari and Asta speak to him. Gratitude flooded his heart as Jakob realised the importance of these blades. This was a way to never forget what his family had done for him and to honour the fight they had made. 

"May Asta's speed and Bjari's strength be with you always."

"Thank you, Ingolf, for everything," Jakob said earnestly. Ingolf, the stern instructor with gentle eyes smiled. 

"It's time for you to spread your wings, lad. Remember, the world out there can be both a battleground and a canvas. Embrace the challenges, learn from them, and never forget your training." With a firm handshake and a pat on Jakob's shoulder, Ingolf bid him farewell, the weight of experience and wisdom evident in his parting words. As those words echoed in Jakobs mind his fist clenched, a sign to the world that he was not going to go down without a fight. 

"Now go lad. Go and make those bastards pay for hurting you."

2 Years Earlier. 

Lucas started to dream. 

At first there was just light. Nothing could be seen. Lights dimmed and from the light an image started to appear. Shadows, like ink, gave life to the picture. Small details started to stand out. Lukas noticed the marble, decorating the floor in brilliant shades of white and grey. That was odd, it looked just like the marble in his adopted father, Rigor Reproba's house. Could this be Rigor's house? Lucas recognized a table, forged out of a giant slab of oak and furnished with flakes of gold, that whispered with familiarity. 

It certainly didn't smell like a dream—the tantalising scent of fresh bread, the lingering aroma of wine.

What did I drink last night? Lukas smirked, thinking back to the night before trying to remember if this current hallucination was caused by the events of the night before. 

His internal monologue continued, "Nothing too out of the ordinary for a Reproba party," he smiled, reliving the previous night's escapades. "A little bit of flirting here, some dancing there. One could almost get tired of it all."

The night had begun with the welcoming of the guests. "Nothing too unusual here either," Thought Lucas, already forgetting the most boring part of the night. His older brother Ricardo… well sibling… actually the son of the man his mother had entrusted him to, had been greeting people as well but that wasn't unusual either. 

Why was he having this dream? Was this actually magic?

The dance had followed the welcome, with Lucas, a picture of elegance and sophistication winning more than a couple of hearts from the ladies as he swept them away with a dance that whispered the tales of the southern lights. 

"Nothing unusual about that. One had to maintain the image of prestige that Rigor had set for his children, and myself, as members of the Reproba name." Lucas thought, remembering the many rules his adopted father had set for Ricardo, Eloise and himself. 

"After the Dance was when it had started to get interesting," Lucas remembered fondly. 

After the Dance he had snuck away with a girl. This was quite interesting because this particular girl, Jasmine, had been of an interest to Ricardo. Ricardo had been trying to get close to Jasmine because of her status as daughter to the viscount. Seeing her as someone more than her status, Lucas had developed a strong friendship… he laughed… "No, not a friendship, not after we held hands and kissed under the stars."

Together, the pair of them had opened their hearts to one another, and had progressed into something that even Lucas hadn't predicted. The one moment of peace during that night had been with Jasmine. Talking about everything, yet nothing at all, an hour passed before the two of them had realised it. To avoid getting caught by Ricardo or one of his cronies, Lucas had sent Jasmine back to the hall while he stayed outside alone. 

"That was where the chaos started," Lucas remembered a grim expression fixed on his face. A close friend, Marco, the ten-year-old elven son of Selena the Spellweaver, had run into Lucas. Handing him a bucket, an urgent whisper for Lucas to get rid of it, Marco had then flickered, like a candle back into the hall. 

With a hint of shame, and a taste of annoyance, Lucas remembered disdainfully as before he had a chance to react, that was how Ricardo's cronies had found him. Standing with the very bucket that had dumped paint over Ricardo. 

Unable to find an alibi, Lucas had surrendered to his fate. If he mentioned he was with Jasmine, then he was as good as dead. Admitting his whereabouts risked exposure, yet silence meant surrender.

"Luckily," Thought Lucas, with the hint of a smile. "Luckily, it was when Ricardo had been alone, because if Marco had done it in front of all of the guests, then Ricardo's mother, Lucas's adopted mother, would have overreacted and kicked me to the streets."

As it had happened, due to the focus on Ricardo's night, the day had progressed relatively normal with Lucas just being sent to his room to be dealt with after the party. Then falling asleep, without a chance to eat, hungry, Lucas had started to dream. 

"So, this dream couldn't be due to anything I ate or drank, so what exactly is happening?"

His question was soon answered as someone Lucas recognised walked into the room. Jaw hit the floor as he recognized himself. No, yes that was definitely him. Dark hair the colour of ebony, eyes as green as jewels, jawline that had helped with his 'social' connections. 

Following Lucas, was Ricardo, a shorter, pudgier man that took after his father. 

"I'm sorry for last night. It wasn't my fault. I had nothing to do with it." the dream Lucas said midway through a conversation.

"I know you didn't do it, you wouldn't be so sloppy" Hissed Ricardo, a frown on his face. Clenching his fist in a cold anger he continued, "But you know who did, and you will tell me the name of that bastard."

"I can't do that," Said dream Lucas, stepping back and putting up his hands in a sign of surrender.

Good idea, thought Lucas as he watched. Despite the incident from last night, Lucas was not someone who ratted on his friends, and Marco, despite his impulsiveness and stupidity, was a close friend of Lucas's.

"I didn't ask," Said Ricardo, raising his voice in anger. "Sooner or later I will find out who did it and the longer it takes, the more it will hurt." 

I hope you can escape from this Marco, thought Lucas. Ricardo looks really serious this time. 

"I can't tell you," Said dream Lucas, turning away from Ricardo. In a voice so quiet that only those closest to him would have heard he whispered, "I hope he won't find you."

The vision continued as dream Lucas left the room. Ricardo, in a fury stormed off and Lucas found himself forced to follow him. 

I wonder why I can follow him? Thought Lucas, curious at how this vision was unfolding. I haven't heard of this type of vision before. What type of magic is this?

Watching, seemingly invisible to any one in the dream, Lucas watched as Ricardo marched out of the house, into the city. After a little while, Ricardo ran into Porky, one of Ricardo's lackeys who Lucas had named because of his similarity to a pig. 

"Boss," Porky stammered with a slight bow of his head to show reverence to Ricardo. "I have some news about last night,"

Oh, no thought Lucas, many things had happened during the party and there was not a lot that he hoped Ricardo would find out. 

"I talked to one of the stable boys, well I paid them and I'm going to need that back by the way, but I know you are good for it. So ol Johnny said, or it might have been Billy I can never tell the difference between the two of them…" 

"Enough!" Screamed Ricardo, spit hitting Porky's face, eyes glinting with fury, growing colder and colder by the second. "What is the news you bloody idiot!"

"Sorry boss," Stammered Porky as he shrank back in fear. "They.. they said they saw Marco run past them with a bucket before giving it to Lucas."

Ricardo took a deep breath, lips quivering in rage, "So... he is at fault then, the two of them are close."

Lucas's smile dimmed in horror as he realised the implications of what was going on. Ricardo thought that he and Marco had planned the paint prank together.

"Oh no, he has completely misinterpreted this"

"I have found where Marco is." Said Porky, cheeks quivering in fear, not daring to look Ricardo in the eye. 

"Then let's go and show him why he should not mess with me."

Lucas could only watch as his heart started to pound with fear. Ricardo and Porky stalked the streets, heading closer and closer to one of Lucas's closest friends.