Jaiden Price's Story

“Two lattes, a grilled chicken, chorizo and red pepper sandwich, and the Woods Special. Can I get my two favourite customers anything else?” Phoenix asked, provoking a giggle from the two old ladies in front of him. They confirmed that no, they were perfectly happy, and Phoenix told them to call him over if they did need anything. They were approaching closing time, but he knew that Daisy and Phyllis would be out well in time for them to close up. They came in at the same time every day, like clockwork, and always ordered a latte each. Sometimes they would treat themselves to a pastry or a cookie, other times, they would stick with a sandwich, others, just the coffee. But they’d been coming since he opened, and they had stayed coming, even after the attack. And that meant a lot.

And, bang on time, Daisy and Phyllis left, leaving them with plenty of time to clean up. Usually, Phoenix took as much time as he and the staff needed clearing up, but tonight was different. He didn’t rush anyone, but it seemed they were out in record time. Later that evening, there was going to be a town meeting of some kind to try and put a plan in place to prevent something like the festival attack happening again.

Phoenix would have been lying if he had said that the thought of it didn’t make him more than a little nervous. Following the attack, people had stopped gathering in public. The most people he’d seen in one place was his daily lunchtime rush, and even then, he could see the look of anxiety on their faces, the way they looked over their shoulders any time the bell on the door rang. People were afraid. But apparently this was a call to action. An attempt to try and take things into their own hands. And after everything that had happened, he couldn’t blame them.

In an attempt to distract himself, he’d spent the night before baking. He had filled a tray with his ultimate comfort food brownies to bring to the meeting with him, but he also had a smaller box balanced on top. Phoenix had said he’d swing by Alex’s with them to drop them in to his abuela, but in reality he didn’t want Alex to have to walk through town alone. Phoenix had been finding it hard, but it was nothing compared to Alex. And probably understandably so. Phoenix didn’t like to dwell on that night. The memory of seeing his best friend on the ground, covered in his own blood and the way that Phoenix had just… left still haunted him. He could only imagine what it was like to have been the one on the ground.

He called his goodbyes to the rest of the staff as they locked up, pulling his coat on and tucking his scarf into it. Winter had fallen as harsh as ever, and he knew it was a matter of time before it began to snow. At least this winter, he lived right above the cafe and had a functional heating system, meaning he didn’t have to venture too far into the cold every morning. He didn’t waste time walking the familiar path back to the house, eager both to keep warm and get out of the dark. He’d never been afraid of the dark. The things that went bump in the night were commonplace in this town and often showed up first thing to his cafe in search of their usual coffee and croissant, before going home to bed. But all that had changed now.

“¡Hola, Abuela! Te traje unos brownies!” He called as he let himself in to Alex’s house. “I’ll leave them in the kitchen!” he added, switching back to English. He’d picked up a decent level of Spanish having spent a significant portion of his childhood in their house, but Abuela frequently bemoaned his grasp of grammar. He left the box of brownies into the kitchen and stopped to kiss the old lady on the cheek as he did so. The old lady chuckled and called out in Spanish, telling Alex that Phoenix was here.

Rosie had gone straight from class to the town hall to help set things up. She hadn't organised the meeting, hut she'd been spreading the word and encouraging people to come, despite how afraid they are. She'd drawn the line at telling her students, though. She wasn't risking any of them getting hurt if anything did go wrong. They were kids. This wasn't their fight, as much as they might have wanted it to be.

And even if she hadn't organised it, she'd somehow found herself being asked to speak. Maybe it was just because, if she could control a class of rowdy freshmen, she could control a crowd of scared townspeople. Or at least that was what she told herself to calm the slight anxiety. She dug her phone out of her bag and sent a few texts.

To: Markus
you better get your ass here tonight because i've somehow been roped in to speak

To: Zada
babe apparently i have to talk at this thing so you better be coming

Things had been rough on everyone since the attack. But sitting at the top of a classroom, staring down at the empty chairs of students who had been murdered... she'd gotten her freshmen to rearrange the classroom so those empty seats weren't there and so their classmates wouldn't feel as they were sitting in their fallen classmates' seats. Rosie had wondered if she would have been able to make a difference if she had gone. If she could have saved even one of their lives, would it have been better? Or would she have been beating herself up that she hadn't done enough? She took a deep breath and took her seat on the stage as people began to trickle into the hall. She couldn't dwell on that now.

Alex had been like this for weeks but it didn’t hurt any less to see him like this. The hollow smile did nothing to reassure Phoenix, but he returned the smile anyway. Phoenix returned the look that Abuela gave him with a small reassuring smile, promising to look after him.

Alex didn’t wait particularly for Phoenix, only glancing to make sure he was following, but Phoenix caught up easily. It was like being with somebody else entirely as they walked in silence. Before the attack, there had seldom been a silence between them, always filled with laughter or teasing. Now, Phoenix knew not to try and fill the space with noise. Even he found it hard to know what to say.

The contact of Alex’s arm pulling him to a stop shocked Phoenix out of his thoughts as he mentally prepared himself for an attack, but he saw nothing. Just Carl. Phoenix took one look at Alex’s face and thought for a moment about suggesting they ditched the meeting and went back to his apartment instead. And then Alex started moving again, apologizing in more of a mumble than anything. Alex actually spoke as they reached the town hall. Phoenix just shrugged. “It’s okay. I get it. Everything’s different and weird and… Just… know I’m always here, okay? Even if you just want to get drunk or drink tea, or… I dunno, sit in silence on the floor. Any time of day or night.” They’d been friends long enough that he knew he didn’t have to say it, but sometimes a reminder was needed. Alex clearly wasn’t in a great frame of mind right now. And besides, there was plenty of nights when Phoenix found himself awake at three, four, five in the morning, unable or unwilling to go back to sleep.

Phoenix was glad that the first person they ran into was Kay. It was hard not to smile in her presence, and her energy was practically infectious. Her outfit put them all to shame as they huddled in their jackets and scarves. He left the two of them for a moment as he went to put the tray of brownies down for people to take as they pleased. He got back just as Kay put a flower crown on Alex’s head, struggling to balance it on his curls, and Phoenix couldn’t help but laugh. Then she bounded away, and Phoenix could see the slight change in Alex’s expression. He wasn’t in a flower crown mood, but Phoenix knew he didn’t want to hurt Kay’s feelings. And so Phoenix very obviously reached over and stole the flower crown from his head, balancing it on top of his hair instead.“Bullshit, we all know I’m the cuter one wearing this,” he declared.

Alex started to ask wear Phoenix wanted to sit, before darting to an unoccupied seat.“This is perfect. I’m afraid if we sit any closer to Rosie’s skirt without sunglasses, we might do permanent damage,” he joked. The exact location of the seat hadn’t escaped Phoenix either, but if he was being honest, he was happier here too.

He caught that familiar, sickening scent before he saw her. He didn’t even turn around to acknowledge her, not wanting to grace her with a reaction. But he could feel her eyes on him, see her out of the corner of his eye. But instead he kept his eyes forward, trying desperately to keep his expression neutral despite the twisting in his stomach and the anger that rose within him. The only outward reaction was a clenching of his jaw as Camila kissed Alex’s jaw. She slunk away and Phoenix had to resist the temptation to glare at her as she did so. Thankfully, a distraction came in the form of Rosie getting to her feet and walking to the podium, the room starting to fall silent at that single action.

The hall filled up relatively quickly, which Rosie was pleasantly surprised by. She spotted Kay bounding around, handing out flower crowns and trinkets. The small smiles they produced didn’t escape her notice, and that meant a lot. People looked scared, and confused, and angry. A smile wouldn’t change or erase any of that, but it was a start. It made things seem a little less terrible. Kay quickly ran up to the front and threw her a necklace, which Rosie caught and pulled it over her head, before going to stand at the podium as the last few stragglers came in.

“Good evening, everyone,” she said, and silence fell over the room. “Okay, wow. This isn’t high school English, don’t worry, guys, you can relax,” she added, getting a few giggles out of the crowd. “It’s wonderful to see so many of you guys here. Thank you to the wonderful Kaylessa for these trinkets and to everyone who brought anything. I know that things have been scary… and I know people are afraid. But we rallied around tonight, and that’s a good start. We fought them off once and we can fight them off again. So, let’s get this started. First, Chief Kaner is going to discuss what the police force is doing and what volunteers are needed for them, then I’ll open the floor back up for a discussion. So please welcome Chief Kaner to the stage and hold any questions until the end.”

Rosie took her seat as the police chief stood up to drone on about increased vigilance and whatever. He had never been the most engaging of speakers, but Rosie had long ago perfected the art of listening to boring speakers. Her students tried, but some were always more engaging than others. It was only as the crowd gave polite applause that she came back to herself, getting to her feet. "Thank you, Chief Kaner. So, now that we're aware what the police are doing, it's time to discuss what we can do. So, first up is... voluntary patrols. I'm aware some have already been running, so would anybody like to fill us in and let us know what we can do to help?" She asked, glancing down towards Markus. She highly doubted he would speak up, but maybe someone else might.

Rosie just raised an eyebrow and shook her head a little as Markus asked if his speech was any less awkward. “It was fine, not shitty at all, Markus. You need to give yourself a little more credit,” she said, with a half grin. The update at least put her at ease. She couldn’t go on the patrols, what with having to mark papers and prepare for her classes, but Markus had at least been keeping her in the loop. In a time like this, she'd found herself taking some degree of leadership on this thing. Mostly, she used the information to advise her students to stay away, or to answer any questions they did have. She couldn't do much, but she could try to protect them. Markus turned to walk away, having updated her in his usual brief manner, but instead Neden reappeared in their usual energetic manner.

The grin on Rosie's face rapidly disappeared as Neden mentioned what they’d found during the week. “No. No, he didn’t.” She said, turning to stare down Markus. She just sighed as Neden explained that they’d had a hiccup. And that they now had a guest. She knew exactly what that meant, unfortunately. It meant things were now more complicated than they had been two minutes ago. Neden disappeared as quickly as they’d appeared under the pretense of getting food. Rosie turned fully to Markus.

“Were you going to bring this up?” She asked, folding her arms and raising an eyebrow. “Markus, if there’s one of them, there could be more. What are you going to do with our little… problem?” She asked, keeping her voice low, little more than a hiss to prevent anyone overhearing. “We need to deal with this.” She glanced around and saw Travis looking at her, giving a wave. She smiled back and return the wave, before turning back to Markus. “As quietly and as quickly as possible.”

To give Markus his credit, he told Rosie the full story once they left, away from where they might be overheard and cause a panic. They thought the hunter might be a valuable source of information, but he hadn’t said anything yet. His training was surprisingly good, and he hadn't cracked yet. But he couldn’t stay locked up in Markus’ basement forever, and they needed to do something with him. They spent the next few days trying to hatch a plan. Rosie could use her abilities to get him to talk, reveal everything him knew. But she wasn’t eager to do that. If he escaped, her giving away an element of her ability could potentially be used against them. It was only when she was in Travis’ shop, picking up a few things for dinner, that she had her brainwave. Getting a human to talk to the hunter could work. Let them think there was somebody on their side. Someone who could help. And they wouldn’t be giving away a tactical advantage.

Their plan came together relatively quickly after that. Rosie made a stop into Phoenix's café on her way home from class and managed to talk him into bringing Jaiden and Violet out for drinks. Markus and Rosie had both agreed that they needed to get Jaiden and Violet out of the house, just in case things went wrong. And a third party would keep them accountable. That and, well, from what Rosie could see, they all needed a night out with friends. She hadn't seen Jaiden that withdrawn since she'd first arrived in Greythorne, and now she was possibly worse than she had been then. And as much as Phoenix was pretending that everything was fine, Rosie knew it wasn't. She didn't know the details, but the marked absence of Alex from Phoenix's surroundings seemed to be part of the problem. And Violet had changed too, but possibly the least. Rosie could still see the old Violet every time she went to Markus'. She'd changed, of course she had. They all had. But Rosie could still get a smile out of her, which was more than she could say for some of the others.

She headed straight over to Markus' after class. Travis wasn't going to be finished for another while, but Rosie wanted to be there early in case Violet and Jaiden needed more persuasion, and because, as ever, she had essays to be marking. She wasn't sure whether or not Neden would be coming or if they were doing patrols that evening.

When he'd woken up the morning after the meeting, everything had felt like a horrible dream. And then it hit him again. None of it had been a nightmare. It had happened. And it felt like somebody was kicking him in the chest all over again. But he'd gotten up, as normal. He'd gone for his run, taking a different and slightly harsher path, but one that he knew meant would pose less of a risk of running into Alex. He'd gone home, showered, and gone to work.

And that had been his routine. Pretend everything was normal. Pretend that he didn't stare at his phone, waiting for a text that didn't come, writing texts he'd never send. Pretend that it didn't feel like somebody had cut off his left arm. Sure, he didn't need it, but not having it made things so much harder.

Abuela still came in, like she always did. Phoenix couldn't lie to her, couldn't tell her everything was fine. He gave her her usual supplies of bread and pastries when she came in instead of dropping them over before or after work.

"He misses you too, Phoenix, querido. He just can't say it." He didn't need to say anything. Abuela could always read him like a book, and lying would be a waste of time. He just smiled sadly and handed her the bag of baked goods.

Get up. Go for a run. Go to work. Pretend like the dark circles under his eyes didn't give away the fact he was snatching only a few hours of sleep every night and that that sleep was seldom restful. Nightmares plagued him from the moment he closed his eyes. And it wasn't like he had anyone to talk to them about.

He knew from the moment he saw Rosie's face that she was back into "caring english teacher" mode, and it at least gave him a couple of seconds to brace himself. But she didn't mention him, just said that she'd been around at Markus' and thought Jaiden and Violet needed a night out. He didn't know how she managed to talk him into agreeing to bring them out. But she had always been extraordinarily persuasive, even without having to use her abilities, so he found himself having committed to the plans.

He'd taken his time getting ready, waiting for an excuse to arise that would mean he didn't have to go. Going would just be a few more hours of pretending that everything was fine. It was bullshit, everyone knew it, but Jaiden didn't need his stupid crap on top of everything she was dealing with. He'd even put on eyeshadow and eyeliner to stretch it out, but eventually, there came a time when he had to leave to go meet Jaiden and Violet at Markus'. Shoving his phone in to his pocket, he turned and left, making his way across town.

He knocked on the Markus' door and was let in by Rosie, who chattered in her usual charming way, giving out about her freshmen. He just smiled and nodded, forcing a laugh at appropriate points, and mostly just prayed that Violet and Jaiden would appear soon. He loved Rosie, but he just... wasn't in the mood for that constant chatter right now.

There was more people here than Phoenix had been expecting. A plate of baked goods was handed around, somebody explaining that Violet and Jaiden had been baking. The atmosphere was familiar and warm. It might have been comforting at any other time, but now, more than ever, Phoenix felt that absence, that feeling of nothing where usually there was something. His half smile felt more forced than ever.

And then Travis arrived. The shift in the atmosphere was considerable as people regarded him with considerable, and perhaps justified wariness. His joke fell flat and did nothing to reduce the tension. Phoenix spotted Jaiden slipping out of the room, and silently followed her out, slipping in to the kitchen after her. Being away from the crowd was an odd relief, feeling like tension had been removed from his chest.

"Hey," he said quietly, careful not to scare her. He wasn't entirely sure what to say. He knew not to ask her if she was okay. None of them were okay. Asking what was wrong was a stupid question, he knew exactly what was wrong.

"You did a good job on the baking," he said with a small smile. "Listen, we don't have to go to the bar or whatever. We can just go back to mine and do whatever. Sit in silence and stare into space. Watch a movie. Whatever. I think Markus and Rosie just want us out of the way... just in case." He didn't know exactly what was going on, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that they seemed to be the ones everyone else turned to.

Rosie smiled as Travis complimented her outfit. "Thank you. In terrible times, someone's got to bring the colour, right?" She said, before heading back into the sitting room where the others were. She could feel the shift in atmosphere the moment the others saw him, and internally, she prepared herself. Markus hadn't been terribly receptive to the idea, and she was pretty sure Neden had only agreed because, tactically, it made sense.

Travis' quip about being accepted on to the patrols fell about as flat as Rosie had been anticipating, and she just internally winced. She knew why the others were hesitant, but they needed to be able to work together if this was going to work. She ran a hand through her hair as Markus clarified that she would be starting things moving. She cleared her throat, not willing to give anyone a chance to ask any questions.

"So far, our house guest has been pretty unwilling to talk. He's also been pretty damn stubborn and has put up a fight. But he seems to recognise us as "monsters" which is why he's been so stubborn. But he might be a little more receptive to another human, which is where you come in. Pretend to be his friend. Pretend to sympathise. I don't care what you have to tell him to get information out of him, just do it. And if he's not talking, we'll... figure something else out." They didn't want to just kill him, not when he could potentially provide information, but he was also a liability. If he escaped, they could have a real issue on their hands. "One thing that opinions have been divided on. Do you want one of us down there in case he does put up a fight? I don't think he's seen me yet, I can go down with you. I'm... probably the least threatening." She said with a small smirk, glancing at Neden and Markus.

Phoenix held his hands up in apology as Jaiden jumped with fright. It was easier to scare all of them now, but especially people like Jaiden. People who had lost somebody special to that attack. He still felt a little bit of guilt that after... well, that he hadn't been totally there himself in the days following. He should have been there for her, should have been there for everyone. And he'd tried but... his heart, his mind hadn't been in it.

He just smiled as she said going to his apartment sounded better. He couldn't help but agree. At first, it had seemed like a good idea but now, he realised his mind wasn't in the right place for partying or drinking. Going back to his and doing nothing and not having to do it alone sounded like the best option. "It's fine, I get it. We all... we all had stuff to deal with. And besides, we're here now, right?" He said with a slightly forced smile. "That counts for something." There was no point in pretending things were normal. They weren't, they were so very far from normal. And they both knew it. But at least they weren't totally alone.

"Well, then, we better go before Rosie chases us out with a threat of a Hamlet essay or something," He joked. "Do you wanna go see if Violet's coming or not? I'll see you guys outside," he said. When he stepped outside, it was cold enough that he could see his breath in the air. He'd always hated winter. It was too cold and the days were too short, with never enough sunshine. No amount of snow or frozen clouds of breath would make him change his mind on that.

He frowned as he swore he could hear footsteps, feel another presence, just out of sight. He took a step or two away from the house. "Hello?" He called, starting to wonder if his imagination was beginning to play tricks on him.

Travis insisted on going down alone. He did have a point however, so Rosie just smiled and nodded. Waiting was easier said than one, however. The whole time, she felt like... something was wrong. Like something was going to happen. Travis seemed to be gone a while, and it was putting Rosie on edge. Then she sighed and got to her feet. "Screw this, I'm going to check on them."

The minute she was within sight of the hunter, he lurched out of his seat. She didn't have time to do anything more than scream before he had grabbed her, something sharp pressed against her neck, and his hand clamped firmly over her mouth. Her blood ran cold as he called her a siren. He already knew what she was. They'd already lost their element of surprise. Then two gunshots rang out and the hands grasping her fell limp as the hunter fell to the ground.

"It's... It's fine," she said as she stared at the body. She also was okay with him being dead if it meant she didn't get a nail driven in to her neck, but they'd just lost a valuable source of information. Especially considering he already had information on them. Then Markus burst in. Rosie caught the look at her, but before she could move to stop him, Markus had Travis pinned to the wall. "Markus-" she warned, but a distraction arrived in the form of Neden. "I'm fine," she said, folding her arms as they asked her if she was okay. Then she separated Markus and Travis, ordering Markus to go cool down. Rosie led the way upstairs, flopping down onto the couch again as they reached the living room.

"Leave him out in the woods, someone or something will deal with him," Rosie suggested as a way of dealing with the hunter. She raised an eyebrow as she noticed Travis was limping slightly as he entered. "Is your leg okay? He threw you over that chair pretty hard," she remarked with a small smirk.

Kaylessa skipped from the grass that was between the lake and the town until she got back into town, holding on the destroyed flower crown, looking through some of the shop windows until she got more towards the outskirts, where most of the residents lived, cutting through the woods to admire the plants and to enjoy some time away from the bustling town. Kay loved all the seasons, and besides spring when all sorts of flowers, trees, and fruits would bloom, but she really enjoyed the calmness and how everything shined in the winter. Plus the coldness didn’t really affect her.

While walking closer to the edge of the forests met a clearing, she heard someone talking out loud, saying hello. Kay peaked through some branches and saw it was Phoenix and darted out towards him. “Phoenix!” Kaylessa just about shouted with a smile and went to hug him, but then remembered the conversation she had with Zada and what she had told her, and just backed off Phoenix and her frown slowly dissipated. “Sorry…” She apologized, holding the crown close to her chest and not making eye contact with Phoenix.

Phoenix jumped a little as somebody ran out from the trees, relaxing a little bit when he saw that it was just Kay. He smiled and held out his arms to match her hug, raising an eyebrow a little when she stopped short, pulling away. “It’s fine. Everything okay?” He asked, noticing the way her eyes didn’t meet his and the way she cradled something to her chest. It was after a moment he realised that it was a flower crown, a little battered and the flowers a little wilted. He knew immediately what it was. Alex’s flower crown, the one Phoenix had hurled at him when… Just thinking of what had happened made it feel like somebody was kicking him in the chest. He held out a hand. “I can fix that for you if you want,” he said softly, guilt settling into his stomach like a weight.

“No!” Kaylessa just about shouted, pulling the crown away from Phoenix as he reached for the crown. She stared down at it, now thinking about the question he asked her before offering to fix it. Wanting to bring up the reason she was upset, that she liked Alex and thought he liked her back as well, and how she’s hurt by what he did to the gift she gave to him. “Everything s not okay.” Kay bursted out after the pause of silence between the two. “I like Alex, and he did this! And I thought he liked me but then he hurts me by doing this. And then you ignore me by not answering the door.” She continued, no longer with the expression of sadness or gloom, but a little bit of annoyance and spark in her words. “Zada told me the truth, about how men are.”

Phoenix quickly withdrew his hand as Kay snapped at him. This wasn’t like Kay. He didn’t think he’d ever seen her so angry and upset in all the years he’d known her. He wasn’t even entirely sure he’d even seen her even the slightest bit angry. There was a moment where neither of them said anything… and then Kay began ranting. The minute she said Alex’s name, it felt like a punch to the gut. He found himself glancing away, not quite able to look her in the face. The thought of Kay liking Alex… it didn’t sit right with him, and he didn’t know why. Then she accused him of ignoring her, and he turned back. “Kay, I wasn’t home, that was why I didn’t answer the door.” He snapped, perhaps a little too harshly. He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair, trying to get his thoughts in order. I thought he liked me. Why was that sentence weighing so heavily? Why did the whole rant feel too heavy, too uncomfortable?

“I should… probably be honest. I… I damaged the flower crown. I stole it from Alex during the meeting to tease him. Then… we argued, and I got angry, and I… threw it on the ground. I’m sorry. I was upset, and I wasn’t thinking straight. So… let me fix it?” He asked again. “And for what it’s worth, Kay, I know exactly how exactly how men are.” He said with a knowing smile. It was forced and it didn’t quite meet his eyes. He forced the smile to stay in place, even as it hurt.

Kay’s eyebrows stayed scrunched you as she had a look of annoyance on her face, and it didn’t seem to change much when Phoenix said he wasn’t home, if anything she just looked more pouty as she exhaled through her nose. He should have been home. She wanted to talk to him, it wasn’t until he spoke again that her expression actually changed. She was confused. So Alex didn’t hate her, but Phoenix destroyed the crown. And the two friends were shouting and mad at each other? Something she’s never seen or heard of between the two. “Why?” Kaylessa asked bluntly, not saying much else. Phoenix quickly asked her to clarify what she meant. “Why were you and Alex arguing? You two are like, super friends.” She asked again, curious about what was going on, moving on about the flower crown.

Phoenix just frowned as Kay asked why, before she elaborated that she wanted to know why they were arguing. He sighed, having to take a moment to get the words straight. To figure out what he wanted to say. To wonder if he should say anything. It was between him and Alex but… she probably deserved something in response to him damaging the crown.

“It’s… it’s complicated, Kay,” he eventually got out. “I… Alex is dealing with a lot right now, Kay. He’s hurting. And… I messed up during the attack, and that hurt him, and… I was only going to make things worse. So… we’re not really talking right now, I guess.” He explained, shrugging a little. He couldn’t look her in the eyes, and there was a lump in his throat that was slowly making it harder to breathe. “So are you going to let me fix that flower crown or not?” He asked, holding out his hand.

Kaylessa turned her head and had a confused look on her face as Phoenix said it was complicated. She never understood why people said that, always confused her. But as Phoenix continued about him messing up and then not talking, a frown came across her face. “Oh.” Is all Kay said, only sort of understanding what he was saying, but felt like she shouldn’t ask anymore.

When Phoenix spoke up again about fixing the crown a smile came across Kay’s face. “Yes!” She exclaimed and handed it to him. “But you keep it. Give it to him when you talk again.” She said with a smile and shine back on her face. “Wait.” Kaylessa said out loud before thinking for a second. “Does Alex like me then?” She asked, looking up and Phoenix, genuinely wondering and since the two were such close friends Kay thought he would obviously know. “He’s always giving me really nice compliments. Not like Rosie or Travis saying stuff, but ones that meant a lot…”

Phoenix managed a smile as she handed the crown back to him. The minute his hand touched it, the flowers began to bloom again, their colour returning and their leaves returning to strength. It only took another minute or two before the whole thing was back to its former glory, a few more brightly coloured flowers having grown around the frame. He went to hand it back to her, but she insisted he keep it and give it back to him. His smile slipped. She made it sound like that was a given. The way Alex had acted that night, Phoenix wasn’t sure he’d ever want to talk to Phoenix again. Her next question made his gaze drop to his feet, the lump in his throat threatening to close off his breathing.

“Kay… I’m not saying he doesn’t. But… Alex is like that with everyone. He’s always giving compliments and he flirts with everyone he talks to.” Everyone except me. “Just… I don’t know. He’s… I don’t think he’s in a place for anything like that right now, okay? I… I don’t want you getting hurt over this.” But what did he know? Alex had been like that with everyone but him. And now look where he was. Maybe Alex had never really cared for him at all and had only put up with him, desperately searching for an excuse to get rid of him.

Kaylessa stayed quiet as Phoenix spoke, not entirely sure how to feel with what he was saying, if it was true or not. He would never lie to her, but what if he was just wrong about Alex’s feelings towards her. She felt something special between the two. Maybe just like with the two arguing, Alex’s feelings were complicated and Phoenix didn’t understand them. Though before Kay and Phoenix could continue, Jaiden and Violet showed up. Kaylessa had a smile come across her face as she saw the two girls. “Hi!”

Kay's bright "hi!" was an abrupt change in tone, and Phoenix turned to see Jaiden and Violet were back. Their presence was a welcome distraction. He'd told Kay the truth and... he could tell she didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to see her get hurt, but if she wasn't going to listen to him, there wasn't much else he could do. Not now, at least. He didn't want to continue with this conversation either. All of the guilt, the anger, the pain of the past few days was sitting in his chest like a physical weight.

He forced a smile as Violet asked Kay if she was coming with them. "Yeah, we're going back to mine, just to relax for a while. I've got brownies and we're probably going to make some hot chocolate and find something dumb on TV to watch. You want to come?" He asked. He liked Kay, he really did, but the thought that she might keep asking questions and talking about Alex wasn't exactly one he was totally okay with. But he wasn't going to just walk away and not say anything. And besides, she might cheer Jaiden and Violet up a little. That would be worth it.

"I also have that tea you love," he said with a raised eyebrow and a smile. "Come on, it'll be nice." Being in groups like this made the absence of Alex feel all the worse. He had always just been there. It had been said more than once about them that they practically came as a pair. Phoenix could handle being alone. It was when it felt like he should have been there that the hole was felt. But what could he do? He wasn't going to risk making things worse. As much as he wanted to, he knew he wasn't the right person right now. So he'd just have to... wait and hope. Just like he always did.

"Come on then, let's go. It's too cold to be standing around like this," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets and heading back towards his apartment.

Rosie just nodded as Neden said they were going to deal with the body. Rosie had learned that when it came to Neden, it was generally better not to ask too many questions. She didn't react, simply stared at her shoes as Trav asked them all to at least listen to him. And then Neden left, leaving the two of them alone for a few minutes.

"I'll tell them you did it to save me," she said quietly. "They'll... they'll respect that much. But I need you to tell me something, and I need you to tell me the truth," she said, sitting forward and holding his gaze. "Travis, how did he know I was a siren? He called me pretty little siren and knew to cover my mouth. I don't look like a siren from mythology."

But before Travis could answer, Markus came back in. He still looked deep in thought, and Rosie looked at Trav. Don't say anything. She got to her feet. "I think we could all do with tea, yes?" She said in her usual bright banner, brushing herself down and heading out to the kitchen. She pulled down a few mugs and put some water on to boil, leaning against the counter as she did so. Suddenly, things seemed much more dangerous. Things had felt... wrong since the first attack, but the feeling was worse than ever. Nothing like this had ever happened before. She knew that much. And she'd heard the stories, of towns like this that were destroyed and its surviving inhabitants forced to move and scattered across the world. She didn't want that to happen again. She wouldn't let it happen again, not if she could do anything to stop it.

Even if it had been the last thing he’d wanted to do at one stage, he was glad he brought the others round. It made him feel a little less alone for a while. It made things feel a little more normal. Made it a little easier to deal with. But it couldn’t last forever, and all too soon, he was alone again. He went back to his repetitive routine. Run, work, sleep. Repeat, repeat, rinse and repeat, over and over again. Sometimes he went to Markus’ to see Jaiden and Violet. He perfected his Opera Cake recipe at 3AM one morning. Abuela still came for her bread and pastries, and Phoenix pretended he was more okay than he actually was. She’d always been able to see right through him, and her sad smile as she left told him that that hadn’t changed. But it was either that or probably end up crying at work when he spoke to her, and he refused to give in to that.

Kay appeared to have forgiven him, at least. She still asked if he’d spoken to Alex again, and he’d force a smile and shake his head and say no, they were just too busy. The flower crown still sat on a bookshelf in Phoenix’s apartment, the only place he could find for it where it wasn’t going to be staring him in the face every time he walked into the apartment. She still seemed convinced that Alex had genuinely meant the flirting, and he wasn’t sure what else he could do or say to convince her otherwise. How could she not have known that he was like that with everyone? Was it because she’d only ever really seen him with Phoenix, and he had never been like that with him? Or did she just really believe that he was different with her? He’d told her to bring him the brown flowers she mentioned. Maybe the flowers might make him smile and it would be worth it.

He didn’t want to leave his apartment, but his cupboards and fridge were so low that he really needed to get groceries. Travis always stayed open a little later to serve the night-dwellers, which meant that Phoenix was able to call in after work. Travis was pleasant as always, but Phoenix wasn’t particularly in the mood for a chat. He took his groceries and left again.

There was a strange energy in the air as he walked back to his apartment. He couldn’t explain it, but it was… oddly familiar, and not in a good way. It was a tension, as if something bad was about to happen.

He’d just gotten back into his apartment and put the groceries down on the counter when he heard the first scream. Something told him to slam the door and lock it, told him to hide. But instead, he sprinted back down the stairs, back into town. The hunters were back. He met one almost at his door, but before he could react, a vampire appeared from nowhere and tackled the hunter, their teeth already in the hunter’s neck. Phoenix turned and ran, running back towards town.

He didn’t expect to see Abuela there. He wasn’t, however, surprised to see her punch a hunter who was at least a foot taller than her in the face and knee him in the groin. “Abuela! Where’s Alex?” He called. He didn’t give a damn about their fight, he needed to make sure he was safe. He hadn’t dealt well with the first attack, so if they were going to be attacked again, he had to try and help. “He went to the graveyard!” Abuela called back, and Phoenix took off running again, avoiding the hunters as best he could.

Rosie and Travis excused themselves from Markus'. He insisted on walking her home to make sure she got home safe. And it was there that he told her the truth of why the hunter had known who she was. She wasn't exactly happy about it, but it did make sense at least. It was an answer.

The next few days were quiet. Too quiet. Neden and Travis stayed passing on the information from the patrols, and everything was quiet. Considering they'd captured and killed one of the hunters, Rosie knew that quiet was certainly not a good thing. It was a matter of time before they retaliated. And they needed to be prepared. The patrols got bigger and patrolled for longer. She and a few of the other teachers stayed after hours to make sure the kids who stayed late got home safe, walking or driving them home themselves if needed. They were preparing for an attack, if they couldn't make it obvious.

So when she heard the screaming start from town, she knew exactly what it was. She'd stayed after school to make sure the drama kids got home from rehearsal safe. When they'd announced they were doing a production of Macbeth, Rosie had gotten roped in as director. It was turning out better than she'd imagined, but that afternoon, she hadn't been able to focus on any of it. She was just getting her stuff ready to leave when the screaming started. She and the others had prepared for this. Their first priority was to get the kids home safely.

She and half a dozen sophomores had ended up too close to the centre of town, where the worst of the attacks seem to be concentrated. She'd decided that it wasn't worth getting them all home, and instead was going to bring them back to hers. There was enough room and she could keep them safe. And then a hunter ambushed them. Her kids were ready to fight, but not as ready as Rosie. He hadn't expected her to take flight and kick him in the face from the air. But he recovered quickly and grabbed her ankles, yanking them towards her. She leaned into it and drove the force of her weight into it, knocking him out. She hit the ground and yelled for her students to run. And they ran, just like she'd told them to. They were kids. They didn't need to fight this fight, they needed to be safe. She got to her feet and started following them, catching up to them easily. She was going to protect these kids, no matter what. No matter what she had to do.

The next few days came by like a blurr for Jaiden. It was a mix of returning back to her normal everyday things, and then with the introduction of a Hunter and his body being taken care of, Jaiden knew what she had to do. She began training with her abilities, thanks to some help with Markus. He was able to gather some other Pyrokenetics in the town who helped her focus and know-how to contain it. They practiced in secrecy and private as the days passed. They all knew. They knew what was coming, it was obvious. They just didn't know when. Jaiden had always practiced slightly with her connection to fire, but never spent as much time as she did. The days were exhausting and seemed to go on forever. With the ever-growing dread, and with slightly more control, Jaiden had started to fall back into her old ways. Going out with some friends, and staying in Markus' home lately. Things had felt off in the following days, just something didn't feel right. About anything, and she didn't know why. Not until the day arrived.

Jaiden was out among the town, enjoying her day for the first time in a very long time. She went among the shops and checked to see if there was anything she wanted or needed, but there wasn't anything of real note. Passing from storefront to storefront her day went by rather quickly, and as the sun began to dip, fear and anxiety began to slowly creep inside once more. The air felt colder. No sign of wind or movement, but just cold. As if even nature knew what was about to happen. She found herself walking down the street in the dark when it happened. Screams. It started out in the distance of just one, and then another joined in, and eventually, it was a crescendo of multiple people screaming as they ran through the town. She felt her heart sink as reality hit her. It was happening again. Just when everything started to feel normal once more. She began to finally take a few steps back and as she turned, she saw what was going on just down the street. A dark figure rushed out from between two buildings, tackling an elf in the process to the cold hard ground, and a gunshot rang out. The elf went silent and still as a pool of blood began to form. She felt sick as others rushed past her, whether to action to help or in fear as they made their escape, but all she saw was the same thing the night of the festival. People screaming, running for their lives and to find safety, and Hunters. Everywhere. There was too many this time around as they seemed to swarm from the surrounding treeline as they made their way into town.

The young witch finally snapped herself back into reality as someone pushed past her, forcing her against a brick wall. After a moment of shaking her head, Jaiden found herself pushing herself against the wall and into the middle of the street. Looking around for any sign of someone needing help. She wouldn't run away, not this time. She was a coward last time, and someone she loved dearly paid the price for her actions. She was a coward, and she hated herself for it. Feeling so helpless and defenseless. Too scared of her past actions to use her abilities to help someone else. To use it for good, or at least in a just manner. She shook her head, seeing two more Hunters run after a group of small children, cornering them in an alleyway. Jaiden quickly gave chase after them and stopped about five feet away from the Hunters. A large lump formed in her throat as she tried to hold back the anxiety as her hands shook. After a brief moment, she called out to the Hunters, "Aye, Fuckos! Get the fuck away from those kids!" Jaiden lunged forwards, punching one in the back of the head as she gave a short burst of fire towards the other Hunter's abdomen, using it as a distraction. The first Hunter whirled around as he grasped the back of his head in pain, mumbling something under his breath about how they'd all pay. She heard and had enough, without even a single moment of hesitation, the two Hunters were consumed by a sudden wall of fire, that slowly drew in closer and closer, the light bouncing off of the buildings. Giving the scene a hellish glow as the two Hunters crumpled to the ground as they screamed, and suddenly were silenced as they turned to ash and dust. Without a single look of remorse on her face Jaiden turned to the group of children that had been herded like cattle. "Go find your parents and hide, don't let anyone find you. This isn't your fight, got it?" her voice was compassionate and somber but was cold as ice at the same time. She quickly turned on her heels and left to go find others that were in need of help, or maybe even one of her friends to help, if they weren't busy. All she hoped was that everyone was okay, and that nothing bad had happened just yet.

The following days had been an absolute mess. Markus had been busy with trying to figure out what to do with the whole Hunter issue, as losing their only real form of information had been expired all too quickly. Patrols became stricter, longer, and larger groups were sent out as it wasn't safe. Things hadn't felt right since the first Hunter showed up, and with how things had only seemingly got worse over the next few days both Markus and Neden grew paranoid. They added new members to the patrols and made sure everyone was combat-ready and knew what to do if another attack were to transpire. It was like the worst thing that could possibly happen, was starting to happen and it was only a matter of time until it made itself known. That was until today. Markus was tending to things in the town, getting a few personal items, as well as supplies for the house as three people were in his home. He hadn't realized how expensive food was for three people, but he couldn't complain. As much as he never wanted to admit it, his friends were his family and he was happy to help them any way he could. He was in town the entire day as he had multiple errands to run, and by the time he was done with everything the sun had already started to go down. He began to slowly make his way through the town and back to the direction his home was in, midway through the entrance of the forest he stopped. Everything went cold and silent. The forest itself was normally so lively with animals, the wind would blow and make sounds throughout the trees. But not now. Now it was eerily silent. It was then that he heard a faint whisper among the trees. Spriggans and TreeFolk all alike were hidden throughout the woods, which was what made the forest such a fantastical, yet horrifying place. If one wasn't any wiser they could end up as some fertilizer for one of them.

Markus' hair on the back of his neck stood on end as he couldn't tell what it was, not until it was too late. Screams were heard coming from town, and that it when it hit him. Hunters. They were here, again. The church bell went off soon enough, alerting the people in the town of what was happening, as everyone knew if the church bells went off, it was to signal the arrival of danger. Markus began to make a bee-line for the town when a sharp and searing pain shot through his leg. Looking down, a large arrow had embedded itself into his right calf. He groaned in pain as he took a moment to collect his thoughts, they were hiding in the woods. It only made sense. Quickly he turned, grabbing one by the throat as he went for a sneak attack from the shadows. Markus simply grinned, and in an instant a crescent of red sprayed through the air as the Hunter was dropped to the floor, a fresh and gnarled wound bled out from the neck. Markus looked around for more, ducking behind a tree as he pulled the arrow out from his leg, seeing the wound heal within seconds. A chuckle erupted from his throat as he witnessed two more Hunters peer out from within the trees, "If you're going to fight, at least make it fair." he said with a low growl, his eyes twinkled with some mischief before lunging forward with inhuman speed. He already had his hand wrapped around another Hunter's throat, squeezing tightly until he heard a satisfying crunch and the Hunter's body went limp. Markus dropped the fresh corpse and slowly stalked his way through the woods, hearing a twig snap behind him he ducked behind a tree.

Familiar voices came from the entrance of the woods, seeing a group of children and then an all too familiar face appear quickly behind them. Rosie had been ushering a group of her students to safety. A small smile appeared on his face as he went to greet them, but yet again a searing pain shot through his side as he fell to his knee. A deep growl erupted from deep within his chest as he flashed Rosie a look. He looked down at his side, yet again another arrow. With a groan he removed the arrow, snapping it in half with ease. This wound seemed to take slightly longer to heal, but within a minute it had already healed over. He turned to where the arrow came from, seeing another Hunter hiding behind the trees in the back. Markus helped move the students and Rosie hide behind some trees themselves. He knew what he had to do, he wasn't as useful as he could have been otherwise. He quickly tossed off his shoes, removing his shirt and tossed them to the side, "You may want to look away." he said softly. the transformation was quick, but too slow for his liking. It always was. His bones having to break and crack, reform from human and into that of a wild beast's. His muscles and tendons, and every fiber of his being shifted from his human form, to that of an overly large wolf. A low, gravelly growl escaped the beast's mouth as it looked around for a moment. It had always been something he hated, and used for last resorts, but this time it was the only option he had if he wanted to ensure the safety of his friends. The wolf slowly lowered itself close to the ground as it peered around the side, staring into the darkness. Picking up on the scent of the Hunter, Markus slowly slinked from where he had been hiding with the others and made a straight bolt and out of sight as he chased the Hunter. A pained, human scream sounded as the sound of snapping and growling, bones breaking and flesh tearing and all went silent within seconds. After a few moments of nothing, no sound or movement a figure slowly exited from the darkness. The figure slowly made its way from the darkness, blood-covered dark matted fur, dark blue eyes scanned the area as a howl escaped its lips. A triumphant howl sounded but was quickly silenced as the trees themselves seemed to stir to life. Roots began uprooting themselves, gaps, where there were trees prior now existed as the treefolk, had been awoken from their slumber, ready to defend their home and the people within it.

The following days had been hell on earth. From locking herself away after the night she had spent with everyone, to spending long nights and mornings in the local library. Violet had been studying everything she could to try to learn something, anything about herself. Anything about what she had become, but there was nothing. Nothing about someone having been a ghost that had become what she was now. There were no answers, and maybe there never would be. But as the days went on, it only grew more painful. The mark on her wrist had grown from a simple numbing throbbing pain, to at times an immobilizing sharp ache. She never understood why it would randomly cause her pain, nevermind where it came from or why. All she knew now was that she was different from before, not just shunned to the outside and made to look on as an outsider, but now she could do things. She always could move things around or summon things to her will if she so desired, but this was different. She spent the following days researching and practicing her newfound abilities. It was now that she was in the woods, northside of the town. She sat beside a tree, reading a few of the books that she had borrowed from the library. She hadn't planned to have been there as long as she did, but it was like something else was calling out to her from afar. Always out of reach, both literally and figuratively.

It was only when the sun began to go down that she decided it would be best for her to get her things and head home. Markus made it a point for her to never be out by herself when it got dark. She took a detour, though a pathway she hadn't been to in years. A place she avoided at all costs since the accident. Since she became a ghost, and whatever it is that she is now. The all too hauntingly familiar scene and smell laid before her eyes through the treeline. Violet slowly walked through the trees, keeping her backpack close by as she shuffled into view of the lake. She felt a large lump form in her throat, it was the first time she had been there since, wanting to reject the reality the best she could. But with everything having gone to shit already, she had to face the facts, even if she didn't want to. Violet set her things down along the treeline next to a birch tree and walked to the water's edge. Sitting down, and gently tracing the water's surface with her fingertip. But, the moment her finger touched the water, frost gathered and quickly began to spread out over a small patch of the lake. Violet quickly scrambled backward from the water. She blinked, but the moment her eyes landed on the lake she gave out a heavy sigh. The rippling water was just as it was, no ice, no frost. Nothing. She hadn't had visions or memories of the event in years, and now...Now it happened for the first time in over a decade. Quickly getting to her feet she mumbled to herself, "I knew I shouldn't have come here..." she mumbled. The sound of a twig snapped alerted her, causing her to pause for a moment. Looking around she didn't see anything of importance, that was until a voice spoke out from behind the tree line. "You're right about that." a deep, yet oddly calm voice called. Violet snapped her attention to where the figure sat, his face was blocked from view as he was looking away from her. "Who...Who are you?" she questioned, an eyebrow quirked.

The man smirked, turning his head to look at Violet, his face still obstructed from view due to the cloak he was wearing. The only defining features that could be seen were a very squared jawline, brown gote, and beard. The man slowly stood, rising to his full height which easily towered over Violet. "In time, my dear. But for now, I think the real important thing is your friends. Remember?" he mused. Violet took a step back when the man spoke, something was familiar about him, but she didn't understand why. Not yet anyway. A lump formed in her throat at the mention of her friends, and how they were more important than anything at the moment. She was going to ask what that meant but then a scream was heard far off in the distance, which caused her to look away. Violet snapped her head back to where the man had stood, and when her eyes landed back there he was gone. Without a trace. There was no sound of him leaving, nor was there even a sound before he made his presence known. Violet didn't know what to do, she couldn't move as she tried to figure out what to do. Does she go to help whoever screamed, or simply ignore it? It was only when what sounded like several people running along with the trees that caused her heart to race, as well as sink. They were all dressed in black and were running at high speeds to the direction of the town. She immediately understood what was happening, she began to make her way from the lake, that was until three figures stepped out from the treeline. They had to crouch down from the upper branches of the trees as they exited and entered the clearing. Violet knew that Spriggans and treefolk had existed in the town before, but these...These were far too large to be normal ones, nevermind how old they looked. Ancient moss and foliage had spread across the majority of their bodies as they stretched. Violet watched in silence as they looked at her, before looking at each other and then back at her before walking past her and towards the direction of the town. The fact that the ancient treefolk started to awaken caused her heart to race even more as her palms began to sweat. She didn't know what point she'd serve in trying to help, but if what was happening was what she thought, then she had to do something. Anything to help those she cared about, and that's what she would do.

The ensuing days had been nothing but preparations and over paranoia. Neden had always been one for being over the top in everything they did and always seemed to be paranoid about something or someone. But those days were an entirely different kind. With the way patrols were being pushed towards and adding new people, making the rules be harder and the guidelines of what to do in case of an emergency or attack. They spent days without sleep, choosing to stay up most nights, hard at work even if they weren't patrolling. With the events that transpired between Travis and the Branded, Neden had to take matters into their own hands. They stayed up later and longer, ate less, slept less, but trained more. Trained harder, and longer than they ever had. They knew something bad was coming and it would be coming soon, but Neden didn't know when or why. But just that something dark was coming their way, and there was nothing to do to stop it. All they could do was help the others prepare and that is what they did. While on one of those days, Alex approached them and asked for some help. That he'd need someone in the next few days to come with him to the graveyard so he could do a special thing for him to be able to have a proper vision? Something along those lines, Alex hadn't been exactly very clear on what he wanted from them, but they obliged. What was the worse thing that could happen? It could backfire and he could end up hurting himself? Which, would be oddly amusing. The day finally came when Alex came to them and said it was time to go, taking a few things with them just in case if things went south, not like they needed this to happen for them to bring their things with them anyway. A few knives, their main choice of weapon and a few other things that they kept hidden in their overcoat.

Neden followed Alex to the graveyard and kept a small distance between them as they walked, keeping their eyes on anything and everything. Neden silently followed Alex as he tried to find the perfect spot that he wanted to set his things up. When he finally chose a spot Neden helped him set everything up and took what he didn't need, placing it on the side of the gravestone. They gave him a few feet of distance in case anything backfired or went horribly wrong and simply watched. Neden nodded as he told them to just sit tight and not to worry, and that he wasn't sure what was going to happen exactly or what they possibly could witness. Neden simply shrugged as he began whatever he was doing, as Neden didn't really have the biggest interest in Necromancy or things along the things that pertained to death. Whether it was still the angel part in them or not they weren't sure. All they knew was that it made them uncomfortable, but not because it went against nature itself, but because they were dealing with someone who wasn't even entirely sure if he was doing it right. Neden simply stood there watching as it all unfolded, when nothing seemed to be working as even Alex said he wasn't sure if he was doing it right, "Look, if this doesn't work any time soon I'm gonna go. I have more important things to-" they started but were silenced as a dark mist began to form around their feet. Neden dug in their pockets for a moment, but stopped as suddenly dozens of spirits formed around Alex. Their eyes widened for a moment as their heart raced, but took a deep breath as they spirits moved in closer to Alex and formed a semi-circle. [i]Holy shit...He actually did it..., they thought to themselves as Alex's otherwise stupid idea of a summoning actually worked.

They watched in silence and awe as it only lasted a few short seconds, but it was enough to take in. Alex sat there in silence, in a daze as who they presumed to be past necromancers themselves, or some other witches gathered around Alex. Everything happened so quickly, as the spirits quickly faded away, as did the mist and they were left alone once more. Neden blinked back into reality as Alex began to tip over, clearly still in his daze. Neden reacted on instinct and helped keep him from slamming his head into anything and helped lower him to the ground, backing away a bit to give him room to breathe. Neden looked away as Alex quickly scrambled to his feet and emptied his stomach. Patting him on the back awkwardly as he did so, seeing as that it could be the only thing they could do to comfort him. Neden didn't know what he saw, but whatever it was, it wasn't good. All they knew was that Alex was incredibly panicked and speratic, more so than usual. It was then that Nedne heard screaming coming from the town. their heart sank, it happened. It was happening again. Another attack. "Alex we need to get out of here now! It's not safe." they said as they shook him by the shoulders. Neden looked at him as he gestured to the town, obviously telling them to go and help. Neden shook their head, "Not leaving you behind, you idiot." they said as they helped Alex to his feet, but watched as he took off like a rocket. Shaking their head they quickly followed after him, and watched as another figure came running into the graveyard, but was stopped by a cloaked figure. Neden didn't see what happened exactly, as it happened too quickly. All that they knew was that Phoenix went down, and the Hunter was ensnared in vines and was quickly silenced.

"No!!" they exclaimed as they ran towards the direction Phoenix was in. As Neden ran, they stopped by Alex and forced him to his feet, "Get to your fucking feet you idiot!" they said coldly as they helped him as they made their way to Phoenix. Thankfully Alex was easy to help over to where Phoenix was laying down in the grass, obviously losing blood all too quickly. Neden placed Alex down next to him, quickly turning their head behind them seeing more figures emerge from their hiding spots. Hunters, and lots of them. "Fanfuckingtastic" Neden muttered out loud. Looking back at Phoenix and Alex for a moment they spoke, "Do what you can, wrap this around his wound for now." they said as they tossed him a wrap of gauze they had stowed in their pocket. Turning to face the encroaching Hunters, Neden dug into their pockets and retrieved something that glinted in the moonlight. Whistling softly into the wind for a moment, Neden smirked. They'd have back up soon enough, but until then they'd have to do what they could. Turning the end of the pen, in a flash it changed its appearance from a normal household pen into that of a sword. With a deep breath, Neden brandished their weapon as a Hunter rushed them with two plain steel daggers.

Neden dodged the first strike of their blades, twirling the sword around as they engaged in combat with the Hunter. The Hunter went for a single strike, easily dodged with Neden's speed and agility. "'What even are you?" the Hunter hissed between her teeth. A smirk spread across their face, "Pissed off, darling." they quipped, quickly going in for a lunge of their own, the Hunter got in a quick slice along Neden's left arm as the Hunter blocked the blade with their other dagger. Neden hissed at the Hunter for a moment, but smirked as not even a drop of blood seeped through the coat. The Hunter went into for another jab, but was forcefully yanked backward by what appeared to be vines and branches. A smirk appeared on Neden's face as they looked around, Spriggans and treefolk of all kinds finally arrived and had made quick work of some of the Hunters. "Head into town, the town's people need your help more than us." Neden called out to the dozen of Spriggans, who simply nodded and left for the town. Neden took another quick look around and ran back to Alex and Phoenix, who were still laying on the ground, "You both need to get out of here, now. Find someplace safe and you'll be fine. Got it?" they questioned. Neden took two steps away from them and stopped before they made their way back into the town. Stopping as something didn't feel right, it was too quiet. The Hunters had been picked off far too easily and it just didn't sit right with them. Neden knew more were out there, hiding among the trees. Before they turned back to speak to Alex and Phoenix, the slightest sound of a twig snapping along the treeline caught their attention.

Without even thinking, Neden stepped in front of Alex in a split second, and a moment later the crackling of a gunshot went off. Neden slowly looked up at Alex as they turned to look at him. A small smile creased their lips for only a second as they collapsed to their knees, holding their side. Everything went silent, except for the doll sound of static and ever so quiet ringing sound in their ears. Neden didn't even have a second to think of a better option than getting in the way of Alex and blocking him from being hit. A chuckle sounded for a moment before Nedne let out a soft groan as blood came spurting from their lips. Neden bent over and coughed, blood splattered across the old stone and grass. Looking down at their hand finally, they saw that it was coated in blood and a large mess of flesh and blood covered their jacket. "I'm sorry...I wasn't much help...I wish I could have done more..." they muttered, their breathing became heavy and labored. Neden was losing blood and strength at an all too fast rate and their vision began to blur. Sitting back against one of the headstones they let out a chuckle, "You did good though, Alex...Don't let them tell you otherwise..." they said softly. There was nothing left to say or do, and after a bit of silence, all went quiet. Not even the sound of wind or animals chirping. A figure slowly stepped out from the treeline and slowly began to make its way over to Alex and Phoenix. As the figure grew closer they slowly raised their weapon and went to open fire.

In what seemed like a blink of an eye, and an unknown figure rushed at the Hunter, knocking them off their feet. The weapon scattered across the cold stone below and out of sight. The Hunter looked up at his assailant in confusion. After a brief moment of silence, the Hunter brandished a large, curved knife and went for a quick strike. The other figure dodged out of the way with incredible speed, grabbing the Hunter by the shoulder and flipped over them. Now standing behind the Hunter, the figure gave a quick few jabs along the back and kicked at the lower lumbar, causing the Hunter to crash to the ground. "What...What are you?" the Hunter questioned, looking up at the figure with dark, jet black wings that seemingly blended in with their attire, as they spread out more. No smile or chuckle, but an icy cold tone came forth as the figure spoke, "Death." the figure said simply. In a blink of an eye, a dagger was logged into the Hunter's forehead, burying deep within the skull, and the Hunter went still. The winged figure slowly stood up, wiping the blood from their weapon as they put it back into their cloak's pocket. As the figure slowly walked over to Phoenix and Alex, an all too familiar face gave a small and friendly smile, "I'll explain later, but we need to get out of here. Now. Can you carry him or should I?"

Time seemed to pass by slowly as Jaiden made her way through the tow, tucking and ducking out of the way as Hunters and supernatural beings fought. She didn't know where she was going, or what she was going to do, all she knew was that she wasn't going to be on the sidelines again, not this time. After making sure that the group of children she had helped, were safe and secure with a group of fellow witches, she quickly left them and found herself running through the town square. The sound of her shoes hitting the bare asphalt beneath her weer muddled among the chaos. Stores and homes alike had been broken into as the Hunters ravaged the town in search of any targets. Jaiden stopped in her trace when she saw a young half-elf woman being thrown against a brick wall as a Hunter pounced at her from the shadows. The Hunter went for a quick jab at the side to silence the screaming half-elf, but in turn let out a pained scream as fire began to creep along his arm, spreading its way down his entire body as it spread, until he was entirely engulfed in flames.

The young half-elf collapsed to the ground, shaking and sobbing as she tried to regain her composure. Jaiden simply laid a hand on her shoulder as she comforted her. After exchanges words, the young woman ran off into a nearby building where some werewolves were allowing others to hide as they kept watch and fought anyone that dared to approach that they didn't know. Jaiden gave them a small nod before she turned and left, knowing full well that everyone in Greythorne was looking out for each other, they were all family after all. Jaiden turned and snuck through a darkened alleyway, knowing where she was headed. She had to find Markus, and she had a feeling she knew where he would be. But as she turned the corner, she ran into something which caused her to stumble backward. Slowly stepping out from the darkened alleyway was an awkwardly tall, yet terrifyingly muscular Hunter, dressed in full black. He silently stared down at her, his eyes never leaving her's as his face portrayed no emotion aside from a sick and twisted smile.

Jaiden slowly began to back away, and as she turned to run she felt an overly large fist grab her by the shoulder and all too easily pull her back into the darkness. She kicked and screamed, trying to get the hold the Hunter had on her loose, but it was in vain. His grip was too strong, slowly wrapping his other hand around her throat as he pushed her against the alleyway's wall. She could feel his immense strength, and sheer hatred for any and all none human entities. His skin was oddly cold and seemed to hold no life or humanity, but he was human in every sense. She struggled to get free, and as everything slowly began to grow dark as her lungs began to tighten and constrict as the air in her lungs was being forced out she began to slowly give up. There was no point in fighting back, losing consciousness and strength all too fast began to wear her down as well as using her powers as much as she had. With what remaining strength she had left, she attempted to at least try to burn his arm as a last attempt. She didn't know what she was alerted to first. The smell of burning flesh, or the sickening crunch and then the screams of the Hunter as she found herself slamming into the ground below as the Hunter was slammed to the ground and out of sight by some unknown force. Gasping for air as she turned onto her side after being forcibly slammed down onto her back, Jaiden's eyesight began to slowly return. Through fuzzy and blurry vision, she was able to make out a form in the darkness. Something was hunched over the Hunter, or what remained as crunching and flesh being torn apart could be heard. Jaiden slowly began to take a step backward but tripped over her own feet. She tried to focus on the form in the dark as it slowly began to approach her. At first it was hard to tell who, or what it was. But as the figure drew closer, an all too familiar face revealed itself.

From the dark hair, pale skin, and green eyes, a friendly smile spread across his face. The figure knelt down in front of her, saying something to her that she couldn't exactly understand as she was still trying to recover from the attack. All she could make out was, "Get to safety" and "I'm sorry." she didn't understand what he meant when he said it, but as she saw the all too familiar form of Markus begin to hobble away, she couldn't help but feel a ping of dread and worry. She watched as his all too familiar form disappeared into the darkness and was gone, leaving her alone in the alleyway. Jaiden slowly rose to her feet, feeling a small trickle of blood go down her forehead as she must have hit her head as she hit the ground. Jaiden gently touched her throat, feeling for any signs of damage or wound as her neck ached. She assumed the most was a simple bruise, but with how much the choke had, she doubted the gloves the man had were only normal gloves. She shook that thought out of her head as she had more important things to focus on. She looked out of the small area she was in, and saw more Hunters rushing into town. Taking a few deep breaths she decided to join the others once more, but was taken aback as what seemed to be large roots began to sprout and overturn the asphalt below her feet. She looked around as her heart began to beat rapidly as spriggans and the other treefolk easily overtook the town, protecting a few groups of others as more Hunters rushed them. The rogue Hunters were easily dispatched of, their bodies being torn to shreds or impaled by the treefolk. With the new arrival of the forest dwellers, Jaiden couldn't help but form a small smile on her face, with the small spark of hope with the arrival of them possibly meaning the tides were turning in their favor.

Markus had made a bee-line for the town, his feet carrying him at an incredible speed as he rushed through the forest. He made a quick stop at his home as he had changed back into his human form before leaving where he had first shifted. He grabbed his gun, two knives, a small bottle from hidden underneath the floorboards in his room. Quickly shoving the items into his pockets he ran out of his home and back into the woods, there was civilians and Hunters alike. For those that lived in Greythorne, he told to hide in his home and that they'd be safe there if they so decided. He spotted two Hunters from the corner of his eye, and rushed at them with ease. Tackling one which he slammed into a tree, the other he quickly took out with a jab to the windpipe. The first Hunter slowly began to regain his composure as he slowly began to rise to his feet, Markus lunged at him with brute force, slamming him into one of the trees, which resulted in an old and pointed branch impaling the Hunter partially through his spine. Rendering the Hunter paralyzed. Markus watched as a small trickle of blood spilled from the Hunter's lips as the life in his eyes slowly faded. He turned around to see the other Hunter gasping for air as he rolled along the ground. Markus reach down, grabbing the Hunter by the collar of his shirt, hoisting him into the air and in one swift motion a crescent of blood filled the air as the Hunter's throat had been torn clean from his neck, his corpse falling to the ground with a thud.

Markus gave a deep exhale, wiping the blood from his mouth as he made his way through the forest and back into town. By the time he had made it back, spriggans and treefolk had already taken over the tow, helping to dispense of the Hunters as best as they could. A small smile creased his lips as he made his way through the streets, helping those that he could. A Hunter creeped out from one of the alleyways and snuck up behind Markus, who only turned around and in one swift motion, a knife had found its way deep in the Hunter's abdomen. A soft grunt echoed from his lips as the Hunter collapsed, the knife never leaving its place in his abdomen. Markus turned the Hunter over onto his back, removing the knife that had been lodged into the side of the armor, right below the ribs. Wiping the blade clean of the blood, Markus looked around, keeping the weapon in his right hand as he made his way through the town. Dodging out of the way, Markus huffed as a vampire flew across his path as she slammed a Hunter into one of the parked cars. He gave her a quick glare, but then a small nod and smile as he turned away and kept on making his way through the streets. He didn't exactly know where he was going, or who he was trying to find, all he knew was that he wasn't going to let his home be taken over by Hunters this easily.

He turned down one of the major streets in the downtown part and stopped. Something didn't feel right, it was too oddly quiet compared to the other streets he ran through. There was no signs of outward disturbances or fighting among supernatural kind and Hunter. Markus began to take a few steps back, when the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. By the time he had turned around, it was too late. That hot searing pain in his leg as another arrow was shot into the back of his leg, rendering him to the ground. Letting out a low growl he looked over his shoulder as two Hunters were crouched behind some cover atop one of the building rooftops. Markus slowly rose to his feet as he ripped out the arrow, snapping it in half. He ducked behind a few cars as he planned his next course of action for those Hunters, when he heard a few screams and then were silenced. Peering over the side of the car he looked up at the rooftop where those two Hunters were prior. Instead in their place, stood an unknown figure. At least, he didn't recognize it right away. It was one of Neden's Spriggans, Percy to be specifically.

Markus knew he could trust them enough to get what needed to be done. But now, he couldn't focus on that, he had more work to do. He rose to his feet, feeling the pain in his leg all but gone he began to walk once more. As he was walking past one of the larger alleyways, he heard a scuffle and a familiar voice. Kaylessa. He quickly dipped in through the alleyway, being sure to not make a noise or make his presence known until it was time. In the darkness, due to the faint light of the moon, he was able to see the form of Kaylessa being baked up into a corner by a Hunter. Watching as the Hunter raised his weapon, Markus jumped into action, tackling the Hunter to the ground and silencing him with ease as he snapped his neck in one swift motion. When the Hunter went still and silent, Markus stood up and turned, walking back over to Kay as he helped her to her feet. "Kay, are you alright?" he said softly as he held her up, making sure she was steady enough on her own two feet. He gave her a small nod as she confirmed she was okay, but shook his head when she apologized for being weak. "You're not weak, Kaylessa. I'd never consider you like that." he said with a small and genuine smile. The two began to get back into the action, and begane running through the streets once more. He was going to answer Kaylessa's question when she asked about seeing any of the others, but they were cut off when a young druid spoke up. Saying that Neden and Alex were in the graveyard. "Why would they be in the graveyard....Alex is an idiot-Kay don't....Ah fuck..." he muttered as he watched Kay run off in the direction of the graveyard.

As much as he wanted to give chase, he knew he had more to do. He continued going around the town and helping clear out the remaining Hunters. He had taken out two more easily as he snapped out of their necks and slammed the other's head into a wall. Markus walked past another alleyway and stopped when he heard muffled screaming and a struggle. Rolling his eyes he ran into the alleyway without a second thought and stopped in his tracks. He saw a Hunter pushing Jaiden up against a wall, slowly squeezing his hands around her neck. The life in her eyes began to fade, causing Markus to snap into action. He rushed the Hunter at full speed, taking him to the ground as Jaiden was let go and fell. There was a small scuffle for a minute as Markus tried to subdue the Hunter. He didn't know what happened exactly, all he knew is that before he had silenced the overly large Hunter for good, there was an unbearable pain in his side. Markus pushed himself away from the body as he struggled to catch his breath, everything hurt. The pain slowly coursed through his veins, as whatever type of coating the Hunter had used on the blade had started making its way through Markus' bloodstream. Markus slowly stood up as he grabbed his side, making his way to Jaiden. Helping her up as best as he could as he could feel his strength beginning to fail him. He looked at her through the pale moonlight from above, a small but saddened smile that reached up to his eyes as he looked at her, "I shouldn't have left you...I should have stayed with you. I'm sorry, Jaiden. I should have been with you. Just...Just get to somewhere safe and when this is over, I have something to say to you." he said as he gently cupped her cheek as he gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead before he disappeared out of sight and into the darkness as he struggled to make his way through the streets.

Markus made it down the street for about a block or two before collapsing, his back sliding against a wall of one of the buildings, a small blood smear as he sat down. His breathing was growing fainter and fainter by the minute as he could feel whatever was on the blade was affecting him more than anything else did. But, if this was how he was going to go out, so be it. Having fought for Greythorne-no. Having fought for his family and friends in Greythorne would have been enough for him, he just wished he could have done more..

They cried more that night than either of them had in years. Phoenix held it together until he was out of Alex’s sight and earshot, but the shock of seeing himself covered in his own blood was startling, and the realization of what had almost happened- what had happened, if only for seconds, minutes- hit home. And once the levee broke, it didn’t take much for the floods to start again. Just pulling on clean, dry then clothes was almost enough to set him off, but the fact that they smelled like Abuela’s washing detergent, that they smelled like Alex, sent him into floods of tears. Hugging Alex again when he got back into the kitchen. Laughter at Phoenix having to rescue the hot chocolate and the mac and cheese that turned into tears all over again. Phoenix waking them both up when he woke up from a brutal nightmare, already choking on sobs.

It got better with time. Once the shock and the horror and the guilt of the night was over, things got easier. Phoenix thought Abuela was actually going to cry when she came back the next morning to find the two of them sitting in her kitchen as if the past few weeks had never happened. And as horrible as the night before had been, that feeling of familiarity as the three of them sat in the kitchen and chatted and laughed made everything feel so much better. It felt like coming home.

But not everything was the same. It seemed their entire lives had been shaped by dumb, reckless decisions- and Phoenix’s decision to kiss Alex again after Alex insisted on walking him back to his apartment was no different. He realised the minute that he did it that he might have messed up, that he might be ruining everything they’d just fixed. But then Alex was kissing him back, and god, it just felt so right.

Figuring things out at first hadn’t exactly been easy. It was only when they stopped trying to figure things out and just let it be what it was that everything seemed to fall into place. They’d kept it just to themselves for a while. But they had to tell Abuela. Her reaction was… not what they’d expected. Apparently she’d been waiting for this to happen since they were kids. And after Jaiden “broke” into Phoenix’s apartment at three am to find them making out on the couch, they’d stopped trying to hide it.

After everything that had happened, Phoenix wanted to make sure that nobody was spending Christmas alone. His parents had been planning on coming home for a week or two then- but given that they’d had two major attacks so close together, they were reluctant to, and so were spending Christmas in Australia. Phoenix was oddly conflicted about the whole thing, but didn’t let himself dwell on it. It meant that he didn’t have any commitments and could do something good.

After the chaos that had been Friendsgiving, Phoenix should have been reluctant to invite that many people over again. But after what he felt was careful planning, he was convinced that he would have totally been able to handle it. It took Alex talking him out of it and Abuela offering up her house before he agreed that maybe the apartment was a little small. And he invited people who didn’t have family in town, or who didn’t get along with their family, over to Abuela’s for Christmas dinner, complete with Secret Santa. In return, he just asked people to bring a side, a dessert, or board games for after dinner.

He spent the entirety of Christmas Eve finishing up the last few things he needed to do. It was different to every other Christmas, but not in a bad way. It felt good to be doing something, something that would put smiles on everyone else’s face, and that was what mattered. At half one in the morning, Alex finally convinced him to go to bed.

And even still, Phoenix naturally woke up early. The sun was only starting to rise, the soft light filling the bedroom. Alex still seemed to be asleep, so Phoenix quietly slid out of bed and went to the kitchen. It was still a little strange, having someone else living in the apartment with him. Not strange in a bad way, but just in a way that struck him every now and when he had the place to himself. The apartment seemed smaller, but cosier, feeling more like there was constant life in it. Maybe it was the stones and feathers and other odds and ends that Alex appeared home with that were now scattered over the apartment, or the way that things were just never left in the same way that they had been when he was living alone. And he wouldn’t have changed any of it.

The coffee brewed and a selection of pastries piled on to a plate, he made his way back into the bedroom and put a mug of coffee down on Alex’s bedside table. “Morning, asshole,” he called with a grin. He sat cross-legged on the bed beside Alex, his own mug of coffee in his hands. “Merry Christmas.”

Nothing had quite been the same since that night in her house. Nothing had happened that night- Kay had plopped herself down beside Kay and Trav and they’d chatted until Kay started to fall asleep. But Rosie had texted Travis the following morning after he’d left to ask him for dinner.

They’d gone for dinner a few times, gone for coffee a few times, but things never seemed to quite work out. She’d kissed him after their second time going for dinner, but it had been interrupted by her phone ringing. And things like that kept happening. Rosie didn’t mind. She liked just going for dinner or grabbing coffee or going for a walk together.

But after the attack, she’d also taken on a more proactive role in defending the town. Well, specifically, in protecting her students. They were taking it in turns to walk or drive some of the younger students home, as well as any of the older students who lived a little further away. When some of her students wanted to learn self-defence, she agreed, on the condition that it was only to be used if they had no other choice. The most recent attack had been bigger, more aggressive, more damaging, and just telling the kids to run and hide wasn’t going to be enough before long. They had to learn to fight back.

She’d been surprised when she’d gotten word from Phoenix, inviting her around for Christmas. Then he had explained what he was doing and that he didn’t want anybody to feel alone, and she’d gladly agreed. She hadn’t been all that surprised to find out that he and Alex were together. She’d felt sorry for Kay, of course, but she could remember what the two of them had been like in high school. She was only surprised that it had taken this long.

It was nice to sleep in for once. Even still, she woke up relatively early, stretching and yawning. Travis was coming around to hers first and they were going to Alex’s abuela’s place together. She reached for her phone and sent him a text, before having a quick shower and getting dressed.

To: Travis
Merry Christmas! Christmas breakfast at my place?

Hayden had completely lost track of his days over the past few weeks. He’d known that it was close to Christmas, of course, but he hadn’t realised exactly how close it was until he woke up Christmas morning, went out in search of breakfast, and found everywhere closed. It was only then it sank in what day it was.

Something in him had been urging him to try and find this town for a while now. He’d driven all over BC, it felt, before finding himself in the tiny town the day before. He’d arrived into town, and that constant driving urge finally settled, something in him releasing a contented sigh of “here.” He didn’t know why he was here, or what he was supposed to do, but something told him that it was going to be here for more than a few days.

He’d asked the day before if there were any elves in town, anyone like him. The owner of the B&B had shook her head, before going “Oh, wait, we have a half-elf. Her name’s Kaylessa Valven.” They’d written down her address for him. He didn’t know whether or not he should visit, given that it was Christmas Day. But he didn’t have anything better to do, and he figured that if she seemed busy, he could claim to just be stopping by.

But even as he reached her front door, he reconsidered. Maybe tomorrow would be a better time, maybe she had plans today or just wouldn’t want to see anyone. But before he could knock, the door opened, and he was confronted with a young woman, probably about his age, with long dark hair, and big blue eyes. "Uh, hi, sorry, are you... Kaylessa? Sorry, it's just someone told me you're the only other elf- well, half elf in town, and, well, I'm an elf so I thought I should... come say hi. I'm Hayden, by the way. Oh, sorry, are you just heading out? I can... come back?" He rambled.

The days following the attack had everyone on edge, and Jaiden was no exception. But this time she refused to hide away from the world and let it control her like it had the first time. Instead of shutting herself off from the world, she continued to go out and help the others with cleaning up and repairing the town once more. Helping sweep up broken glass, ruined buildings or public spaces, and homes. A large majority of people refused to leave their houses unless they were certain it was safe, and as such Jaiden found herself making multiple trips per day helping people in their homes, as they made room for others as some homes weren’t safe just yet, or were entirely destroyed in the attack. This time more people had been brutally slain, both supernatural and human, and as such a result of most situations, loved ones were lost. A feeling Jaiden knew all too well.

This time she made it a point to help those that suffered the most. A family who lost a child or sibling, or even a parent. She helped in any way she could, often resulting in helping make clothes and food for them as they didn’t have the energy or mental stability to cook for themselves. As the days passed on, patrols had resumed as they did before, if not more so. They became more strict, and lasted longer. Often making rounds with shifts, Markus was home for a while when he wasn’t at meetings, not being in the patrols like he used to. Which Jaiden noted as odd, but seeing how it took so much out of everyone, she didn’t think much of it. She had been so busy with the attack and the aftermath, that by the time she arrived back at Markus’ home she wasn’t surprised to see him in bed already. But as the days had gone on, one thing struck her the most. She was at first happy to see that Alex and Phoenix had gotten over their rough patch and were spending more time together again. But it only took her to end up paying Phoenix’ home a late night visit for food that she found out the truth. Once she unlocked the door and made her way in, she walked in to see Phoenix and Alex being more than friends. She simply told them not to pay her any mind, took some food and left for her home again. While the new development in that area wasn’t entirely surprising or shocking, she was more surprised by the fact that they didn’t tell her. That was probably the part that hurt her the most. Not being told by who she considered her best friends, were now dating. Not that it changed anything in her mind. She was happy for them and wished nothing but the best for them.

But as Christmas came around, and after she received the invitation to Christmas with the group, she happily accepted. As a custom among them, they always went with a secret santa option. What surprised her, was who’s name she got out of all of them. Kaylessa. She didn’t really know the half elf that well, and after some digging and trying to figure out what she liked. She settled on some small things. Some candles, a drawing kit, and after spending three days on it, she finally finished her main part of the gift. It wasn’t much, but she hadn’t sat down and worked on a project in a long time. She was no professional by any sense, but it turned out alright. It was a simple wall art of a forest made of dark and light greens, with splashes of orange and reds. With the occasional pink and blue. What stood out was the pastel dressed figure, who wore a flowey sundress, who was standing next to a wild doe with large yet elegant antlers. After making sure that the drawing was perfected, or at least how perfect she could get it to be, she printed it out and wrapped everything up and waited for the day to arrive when they would go to Phoenix’s for the party. Something she eagerly awaited. But on Christmas morning she was stirred from her sleep as she could have sworn she could smell something that took her from her otherwise pleasant sleep. Fumbling out of bed and into the hallway as she slowly began to wake up to the smell of freshly made breakfast.

The days following the attack for Markus were, rough to say the very least. He didn’t exactly remember what happened, or how he got back home that night. But when he woke up two days later, he talked with Neden who explained everything. That they had found him injured, and on the verge of passing out from his wound that wasn’t healing. It was then that he remembered what happened. The Hunters, the attack, being stabbed….Everything. It hurt. Not just in a physical sense, but in an emotional sense as well. He didn’t want reality to be the one that was playing itself out, but when he looked down at his side, sure enough the wounds was still bleeding rather badly. Taking that as a sign of fate, Markus begrudgingly accepted his reality of being on a limited amount of time. But he ensured that Neden kept their end of the deal, no one could know. Not now, not so early. Just in the off chance of there possibly being...something to help. Maybe not a cure per-say, but something to help slow it down than what he already used. Something to give him more time than he was already borrowing, but he knew it was slim.

He went about his days as normally as he could, even with his slowly failing strength and moral to continue on. But seeing his friends and the people in Greythorne working together, building everything back to how it was before as well as they could. Seeing them work together like this once more kept him going, kept giving him something to fight for, not just himself. He couldn’t think of himself anymore. The connections he made with the people in his time in Greythorne, the people he grew to slowly yet begrudgingly grow to warm up to needed him in a time like this. He wasn’t a leader per-say, but he was someone that people looked up to, especially in times like this. He did what he could to put on a brave face and carry on like everything was normal, even if he knew better. Knew he was on borrowed time, and that his time here in Greythorne, as well as life was slowly coming to an end. His part in the patrols became less physically involved, and he became more of someone who worked behind the scenes while Neden took his place as the face or more so, the poster child of the patrols of Greythorne. He knew he could trust Neden, even if the way they tended to do things was somewhat unethical.

It was only when he received the invitation to Phoenix’ for a Christmas party that he normally would have declined, but seeing how things were going, he couldn’t reject. Not this time, not when it could be his last. He needed to spend as much time with them as he could, something he regretted not doing sooner. He was surprised when he pulled out a name and saw who he got for giving a gift to. Phoenix. He didn’t really know him all that well, considering he was Jaiden’s friend compared to his own. But with that knowledge, he didn’t even care that he ended up just asking her directly what he liked. And after some extra badgering, she told him. He thought on it for a while, and while he wasn’t the best gift-giver, what he settled on was fine enough. It was simple, he ended up deciding on one of his own leather jackets, and a coffee mug. It was a basic white coffee mug with a silly pun on both sides. He wasn’t sure if Phoenix would really appreciate it, or even like it. But he figured he would at least get a small chuckle out of it. Deciding to not spend so much time worrying on it, he wrapped the gifts and tucked them away from any prying on and awaited the day when he would go with the others to Phoenix’s home. On Christmas day, he woke up early while Jaiden and Violet were still asleep and prepared them a large Christmas breakfast and awaited them patiently. “Merry Christmas, Jaiden, Violet.” he said with a small smile as they slowly emerged from their rooms, both rubbing their eyes and yawning as they were drawn out from the smell of breakfast.

It didn’t take Zada long to find and scoop the dead bird up from the ground. Its red feathers were a tragic, but beautiful, contrast to the snow. Then she put it in a large zippered freezer bag, and wrapped that nicely in a gift bag, complete with beautiful tissue paper and curled ribbon. That would do. Zada then finished getting ready, applying a deep red lipstick to her lips and putting on her coat. The last step before heading out was grabbing the baklava she’d made for the event. Phoenix had asked everyone to bring something and, honestly, you couldn’t have too many sweets at a Christmas party. She also just, really loved baklava.

She took the walk to Maria Garcia’s house at a leisurely pace: she’d left in plenty of time, and there was no way she would be late. She enjoyed seeing the town in winter, even if the beautiful cover of snow came at the price of a frozen lake.

When she arrived at the house, everyone was just standing in a group outside. Zada was a little confused, and shot Rosie a quick ‘what’s going on?’ look, but didn’t bother trying the door. If everyone was grouped outside like this, there must be a reason. She noted the newcomer in the group, but didn’t make a move to introduce herself. She did, however, greet Kay warmly. It wasn’t long before Neden arrived with a… Comically large bag slung over their shoulder, and it was they that ushered them all inside. The first thing Zada did when she stepped through the door was look for Alex, and when she found him, she said, “Was there a reason we had to wait out in the cold until everyone arrived?”

Alex just stared at her, as if he didn’t have a good answer to her question, and then stood up and attempted to take the baking dish from her, “Here, I can-” Zada didn’t let it go, but instead held tighter to her dish, “I’ve got it.” Alex started to direct her to the kitchen, which she ignored. She knew where it was, she was in Maria’s book club. She went and put her dish with the rest of whatever else was there. All presumably made by Phoenix. She couldn’t help but smile at it all, it really was incredibly kind, and made the town feel more like home, and her friends feel more like family.

She took off her coat and settled down in a chair just in time to listen to Neden’s little speech about presents, and the hats. Zada had no intention of wearing one, and even upon Neden’s insistence that she put it on, just stared blankly at them. She watched as everyone put their own hats on, some with more reluctance than others, and sighed. There was really no harm in wearing the hat, so she carefully perched it on her head, as if to try not to mess up her hair. Still, the whole thing was… Charming, and she couldn’t help the ghost of a smile that appeared on her face.

She’d never had a Christmas that involved this much gift giving (the years she even celebrated had been more private affairs), and the whole thing really was pleasant. Though she wasn’t entirely sure what to think of some of her gifts, she still gave Neden a small smile, “Thank you, these are lovely.” She decided to go ahead and put the necklace on, even as she thanked Neden for the gifts, partially because the color made her look a bit more festive, and partly to show that she did genuinely like at least one portion of her gift.

After Neden was done, Zada picked up the gift she’d brought, and held it out to Alex, but made no move to take it to him. After a short moment, and a confused look, he stood up and took the present from her. He moved slowly, as if he were expecting her to jump up and bite his head off at any moment. He took the gift back to his seat to open it, shooting Phoenix a wary glance as he sat down. “I drew your name. It made me think of you.” Zada didn’t know what reaction to expect from Alex opening the gift, but pure elation hadn’t been it. She had to admit, though, she was kind of glad he liked the bird.

When Phoenix said Alex could finally have his gift, a wide-and goofy-grin spread across Alex’s face. He loved getting presents, and this was no exception. He set his coffee precariously on the bed, grabbed the present, opened it up quickly, and turned the pocketwatch over in his hands a few times; looking it over. He nodded at Phoenix’s explanation-he had always liked shiny things. He opened it up to look at the face, before shutting it back and looking up at Phoenix, a smile on his face, “This is great.” He figured he could carry it at work: he often had to dress up a little more than he would like, and couldn’t wear all of his amulets and other paraphernalia as easily, and he often felt he needed all the protection he could, working with the dead. He leaned over and kissed Phoenix on the cheek, “I’m gonna break this thing, though, I want you to know that. There’s no way I won’t.” Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, “Thank you. I love it.” He picked up his cup and took a long drink of his coffee, “You can’t have your present yet, though. I don’t have it. I’ll give it to you at the party.”

He’d had to keep it at Abuela’s, because otherwise he would get excited and give it to Phoenix early, and then he’d have nothing to give on Christmas, and that would be a disaster. They spent a short amount of time talking and drinking their coffee before they had to get going. They wanted to make sure they were there before the others so they could get things set up. Alex also wanted to make sure he had the gifts he was bringing squared away: one for Jaiden (that she was going to love), and one for Travis, who he’d drawn for the secret santa exchange. He’d had a little bit of trouble with that one: he hadn’t known Travis for an excessively long time, and admittedly mostly talked about himself (and the town) when he saw the man. It was probably fine, though. He’d finally decided on giving Travis something he’d found in the woods, which was where he generally went for his gift ideas.

Soon enough they were headed to Abuela’s house, with more foods and baked goods than Alex thought necessary. “What was the point,” He said as they walked, “In asking everyone to bring something, if you were just going to make all of this, anyway?” He wasn’t upset, in fact he found it amusing. He knew that Phoenix just wanted everything to be nice for everyone, but he thought that Phoenix tended to do too much, and stress himself out.

In Abuela’s house, all the pictures of Phoenix were back up, plus new ones that Alex didn’t even know she had. If you didn’t know better, walking into the house, you might just think that Phoenix was her grandchild, and not Alex. Alex couldn’t help but chuckle, “You’re definitely her favorite…” The two spent a little time getting things set up and ready before Alex excused himself to go get Phoenix’s present from its hiding place; and evidently missed the first knock on the door. Everyone made their way inside just as Alex was sitting down to wait for them to arrive. Zada asked him why he’d made them all wait outside, and Alex didn’t know what to say to that. He was a little confused, and he was certainly scared of Zada, so instead he sort of just ignored the question off and tried to help her with the dish she’d brought, but she brushed him off and went to drop it off herself.

He stood still for a moment, face blank as if processing what had just happened. He’d never known how to take Zada, and this was no exception. Soon enough, though, he turned to the others with a charming smile, “I didn’t hear you knock, I didn’t leave you outside on purpose. The door wasn’t locked, though, you could’ve come in at any time.” He noticed the elf accompanying Kay pretty quickly and offered a warm smile, “I’m Alex. This is… Well...” He paused for a second, not entirely sure how to describe the house, “My grandparent’s house. Welcome.”

It wasn’t long before Neden was ushering them all into the living room passing out hats and talking about gifts. They’d gotten everyone something? Alex put on the hat happily enough; he had to admit that Neden had brought some real holiday cheer with them, even if it was a bit… Much. Neden announced that they could open their gifts, and Alex did. He wasn’t particularly thrilled with them, but he smiled and thanked Neden. It was a nice thought. But then, there was the last one. Now, a sword hadn’t been something Alex was expecting to get for Christmas. But when he opened it, his face lit up in a sort of childish wonder, and before he could even think about it he found himself saying, “Oh my god, this is incredible.”

Soon afterwards, Alex noticed Zada holding something out to him. He waited a second, and it became clear that he was going to have to get up and go to her. Fine. He didn’t particularly like being treated like some sort of animal or whatever she thought of him as, but he wasn’t about to argue with her, either. He was, frankly, terrified of her, and the careful way he approached, and how quickly he retreated back to Phoenix’s side made his fear pretty evident. She said the gift made her think of him, which made him even more wary, because he knew she didn’t think very highly of him. Still, he opened the bag slowly, looked inside, and grinned widely. He pulled the freezer bag up out of the wrappings and looked across the room at Zada, “Thank you! This is great… Really, I like it. I can use this.” There was nothing but sincerity in his tone; he was really, genuinely, thrilled. The look on her face dampened his enthusiasm a little. He wasn’t sure if he was meant to not like the gift, or if that was just what her face always looked like, but he decided not to dwell on it.

Alex turned to Travis, grabbing a small box and handing it to him, “I um, I want you to know that I’m about eighty percent sure this isn’t haunted.” The disclaimer came even before Travis had a chance to open up the pocket knife. Alex had only recently felt comfortable enough to go into the woods again, though never far, and nearly never alone, and he’d found it out there while he was digging around for things. He’d cleaned it up the best he could, and just hoped that Travis would like it, or at least not hate it.

Then he gave Jaiden a gift. He had been planning this particular present for some time, it took a lot of effort and time to get everything together to make it perfect. Inside was a fanny pack, since she’d liked his so much. He waited a moment for her reaction, then smiled and said, “The real present is inside.” Inside, however, was just filled to the brim with various different glitters.

He didn’t wait around for her to open it, in fact he started to walk away even as he told her to open up the fanny pack. He handed Phoenix the tell-tale red envelope of a Christmas card, wanting to make sure to give it to him quickly in case Jaiden murdered him. “Merry Christmas, Phoenix.”

The smile on Alex's face made Phoenix sigh a little in relief. He knew it was a little old fashioned, but it was still useful, and still pretty. His grin just widened as Alex leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, before admitting that he was probably going to break it. Phoenix just laughed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, trust me, I know that," he teased back. He just picked up the pillow next to him and hit Alex with it as Alex said he had to wait. "You asshole, I should have made you wait too."

They finished their breakfast, finished up the last few things for the dinner, and then started packing up the stuff to bring to Abuela's. As per usual, Phoenix had perhaps over-catered a little, especially considering that he'd asked people to bring food anyway. But, when Alex remarked on it, Phoenix just rolled his eyes. "Because if everyone showed up with sides, we'd have no dessert. And if everyone showed up with desert, we'd have no sides. And if everyone showed up with board games, we'd be totally screwed," he said. He knew that Alex probably knew, he'd probably heard Phoenix muttering to himself trying to figure out who was likely to bring what, before just giving up and deciding to cater for the worst case scenario.

Abuela's was already feeling like home again, the photos back in their proper places. Phoenix hadn't realised how many of photos of him there was until Alex pointed it out, and then he couldn't stop seeing it. He didn't even know how she'd gotten some of those photos unless she'd been on to his parents for them (which, admittedly, was not outside the realms of possibility.) He just laughed in response to Alex's comment about him being the favourite. "It's because I can make her sopapillas and you nearly burned the kitchen down when I tried to show you how," he called as he shoved up his sleeves and got to work doing the last minute prep.

He only realised that the others had arrived when he heard Neden yelling something about wanting to give them all presents, and Zada brushing past Alex with her usual distaste, saying something about him not letting them in, and Alex retorting that the door wasn't closed. A distraction soon arrived in the form of Neden handing him a hat. He grinned and pulled it on as soon as they handed it to him, before spotting a newcomer, someone that he didn't recognise and that was sticking pretty close to Kay, looking a little overwhelmed by the whole situation. "I'm Phoenix, nice to meet you," he said. Alex had rolled his eyes when Phoenix had said he was going to presume that more people than were invited were going to show up, and he'd been right. But he didn't mind. It was nice to see the excitement in Kay's face as she introduced him to people.

He took the small pile of presents from Neden with excitement and attempted to balance the flower crown on top of his christmas hat. That would have been more than enough- and then Neden handed him and Alex "matching presents." He gasped with delight at the sword, looking over to Alex in excitement. "Holy shit, this is so cool!" He gushed.

He just shrugged a little in response to Alex's look as Zada handed over her present to him. She hadn't been asking Phoenix anything about ideas for Alex, so it was much of a surprise to him as it was to Alex. Upon seeing the dead bird, Phoenix shot a look of confusion at Zada. But, of course, Alex loved it, and Phoenix just grinned to himself and shook his head.

"Maybe- before you open that-" Phoenix said, spotting that Alex had handed Jaiden her present. Once the glitter got everywhere, there would be no dragging Jaiden back. "Here. I hope you like it, I... really didn't know what else to get you," He said, handing Jaiden a flat, heavy object. He'd been pestering Alex for ages, trying to get him to help him to come up with an idea, but Alex had initially suggested the fanny pack as her secret santa present, so he'd stopped asking after that. He knew that she'd been having a rough time of it over the past few months, and knew that they probably hadn't helped things by her finding out about them the way they did. So he'd put hours into the scrapbook instead- handwriting some of her favourite lyrics into it, writing out her favourite recipes so she could make them herself, pressing some of her favourite flowers, and finding every single photo they had together over the course of their friendship, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the blurry, and sticking them in to it. "I left some room at the back so you can add more to it if you want."

Alex left to go retrieve Phoenix's present at last- or maybe just to escape Jaiden's wrath. But he was back quicker than expected, handing Phoenix an envelope. Phoenix raised an eyebrow as he began to tear it open. "If this is an IOU I swear to god I'm break..." he trailed off as he looked at the two tickets in the card. Two tickets to an MCR concert. When they'd started announcing dates, Phoenix had said in passing that he'd been so pissed off when his parents didn't let him go when he was a teenager, but that they probably had a point. He would have been a liability, he would have given them all away. Alex hadn't really said anything, but Phoenix had just presumed it was because he'd heard enough of the complaining at the time.

"Holy fuck-" was all he could get out, just staring at them. This... this wasn't even a "local" venue, this was at least a few hours of a drive away. It was probably almost a day of a drive away, if not more. "Thank you so so much-" he managed to get out, wrapping Alex in the tightest hug he could muster.

Rosie grinned at Trav's reaction. She'd wondered if it was a little bit cringeworthy, if he would even like something like that, so she was glad when his reaction was genuine. They spent the morning together as Rosie made her mom's stuffing to bring to Phoenix's, as she figured most other people would probably be bringing desserts. It was nice, just relaxing with somebody like this, doing their own thing as they kept each other company. She knew that the dinner was bound to be a little chaotic, but honestly, she was looking forward to it.

They left together, Rosie carrying her baking dish and her presents, having given the bag of drinks she'd also decided to bring to Travis to carry. They met Kay outside, and she awkwardly returned her hug as best she could while balancing the dish in her hands. There was a guy, about Kay's age, standing beside her, and Rosie was pretty sure she hadn't seen him around town before. He'd certainly never been in any of her classes. But Kay answered that question by introducing him. "I'm Rosie," she said, also shaking his hand. "We don't get many elves around these parts besides our Kay here, so it's lovely to meet you!" She said. Travis made a comment about them all being weird, and Rosie batted for his arm. She spotted Zada arriving, who shot her a quizzical look. Rosie shrugged a little, before Neden arrived and led them all into the house.

The scene that ensued was chaos. Neden had, of course, brought presents for everyone, but especially Rosie. She beamed with delight at her presents. "Neden, these are amazing, thank you so much!" She gushed, standing up to hug the angel. The rest of their presents made Rosie watch with interest. The swords were... an interesting choice, and she made a mental note to make a bet with Neden later to see how long they could go without injuring themselves with them.

Zada's present to Alex, and more accurately, their reactions to it made Rosie laugh. She stood up and passed a small bag to Zada. "Happy Christmas, babe. It's no dead bird, but..." she said with a teasing grin. She'd gotten Zada a bottle of their favourite red wine, a selection of slightly obscure but interesting-sounding novels, and a hair comb she'd found entirely by chance.

They spent a while talking, Hayden explaining things to Kay, telling her that he was a healer too. He didn't know why, but he decided against telling her that he was a druid. Maybe it was because he presumed she wouldn't know what it was- or maybe it was because he was afraid she would. He didn't mind it, never had minded the respect his position had earned him, but he liked just being normal for a while.

He had intended on excusing himself when Kay said she was going to meet with her friends- but instead, she asked him to come along. So he went, curious to see more of the town and to see what the other people were like. Upon shaking hands with Kay's two friends- Rosie and Travis- Hayden got two very clear cut impressions. A good one of Rosie- warmth, energy, authenticity. But there was something... off about Travis. Hayden's polite smile slipped for just a moment as he tried to figure out what it was, but then he fixed it back on as if nothing was wrong. He laughed a little as Travis said the people were a little out there- but it didn't take long for Hayden to realise that he wasn't lying.

Inside the house was chaos to say the least. One person was handing out presents left right and centre, and even had some for Hayden. Nobody seemed terribly surprised or upset to see him there, which was nice, making him feel included almost right away. Hayden opened the presents to find a deep green crystal necklace, a book of poetry, and an denim jacket that looked like it would just fit him. Considering that they hadn't known he was coming, he was extremely happy with those presents, and was glad to be engulfed in the chaos of the party. There were, however, a few things he still didn't understand, like why the dark, vaguely threatening woman gave one of the guys- Alex, he had said his name was- a dead bird, and why Alex had seemed so happy about it. The blonde one- Phoenix, wasn't it?- had jumped up to hug Alex and appeared to be fighting back tears. After a few minutes like that, he gathered himself to excuse himself and go finish the cooking.

Hayden laughed a little and leaned in to Kay. "So do you want to tell me a little about all of these people?" He asked with a grin.