"You wound me, as ever, Kairine. . ." said Vierre as his crystal blue eyes stared us down. He glanced around at the crowd of people. "Do any of you truly know who I am? Do you even know who this girl is?"

Why was he here? Why return after all this time? David beat me to it.

"What do you want, Vierre?" asked David as he charged a flame spell in his hand.  He looked around his surroundings and thought better of it. "Tell us now, or see your way out of here. . ."

I appreciated him thinking of where we were, but this was no time to play coy. Vierre certainly wasn't going to. I knew him too well. Last year, he destroyed the library with no care in the world. The thought of which boiled my blood. I had also heard that his family vanished in the time that he was gone—but I didn’t want to believe he would have had anything to do with that. Then again, there was no way to be sure. We had to assume that he did… 

"As I said, I only wanted to visit a couple of old friends," he responded as he stepped closer to us, even while we backed away. A wide grin formed across his face as his eyes flashed a bright crimson for just a moment. I knew in that moment that the corruption of Black Mystia had overtaken him completely. Whatever was left of his true self from before the book, before he learned the secrets of dark magic, was gone.

"Vierre, you need to leave. . . Now," I told him pointedly. I glanced around at everyone who had huddled together, some on their comm stones, likely calling the Maji Guard. They knew what was about to go down, and that was precisely what I wanted to avoid. "David. . ." I whispered to the man bravely defending me. As he glanced back at me, I nodded toward the door, hoping he would get my meaning. We needed to do whatever we could to lure him outside, away from the bystanders. The last thing I wanted was for any of them to be caught in the crossfire should this devolve into a duel, which I felt could happen at any moment.

David nodded back at me as he began to move slowly toward his left. I moved along with him.

Vierre kept his eyes on me as an aura of black energy formed in his right hand. I struggled to see a way out of this. I was aware of what could come at any moment.

Vierre raised his hand toward us. In a single movement, I shoved David out of the way as I erected a veil of psychic energy before me. The black energy clashed with my barrier as sparks and electricity exploded in all directions. Vierre's grin widened into a cackling smile as he kept up his attack. Focusing with all of my strength, a pain shot through my head, but did nothing to weaken my resolve.

In an instant later, the spell rebounded from my shield, zipping through the air directly at him. Gods damn it! "David!" I screamed to him, but it was too late as the blast struck Vierre, sending him flying as he crashed into a table. Splinters and wood fragments exploded outward as he slumped to the floor. What had I done? I dropped my barrier as my hands collapsed to my side. This was the last thing I wanted to happen. As awful a person Vierre was, I never wanted to. . .

Just then, gasps rang out among the crowd as his hand moved, and a gasp of my own caught in my throat. To my shock and horror, he rose to his feet. But just as he did, a piece of flesh dripped from his face like dissolving liquid. He glanced up at me, his eyes glowing with the colour of blood, the same wide grin painted across his face—just as a big glob of flesh fell limply from his lower jaw. It was as though he were liquifying as we watched! What was happening to him? Had I accidentally accelerated the Black Mystia corruption?

My hand flew to my mouth as more pieces of flesh and muscle fell from his face and hands while he laughed. "What a wonderful gift you've given me!" he bellowed in laughter as he looked down at his hands. "Alas, I am freed from the curse of flesh and mortality. . . What a truly wondrous gift, Kairine!"

He leered across the lounge as screams rang out, people rushing for the exits. Pandemonium had ensued in what was once a peaceful restaurant.

"Are you mad?!" screamed David, in horror at what he was seeing. He frowned back at me, stunned. I could only shake my head in response. This was never what I wanted at all. I never wanted to hurt him! I was only defending us!

"Madness is in the eye of the beholder, you fool!" snarled Vierre, or whatever was left of him. I wasn't sure anymore. Hoards of people crashed into me on their way to the exit. I knew the Maji Guard would likely be arriving at any moment, and I didn't want to stick around to see them. Tugging on David's shirt, I urged him to go, but he only shook me away.

He shook his head. "What the Undergrave has happened to you?!" he shrieked as he glanced back at me once again. I didn't know if it was a look of disgust or what. . . And I wasn't exactly in a hurry to read him.

Shame and sorrow washed over me as tears gushed from my eyes. I knew. He didn't need to say it. He was disgusted with me, with what I had done. I remembered back to his words in the library, that he wished he could get through to Vierre, to save him. Obviously, that was impossible now, and I was certain that he blamed me.

But then, he snuck a look at me again—however, this time, his eyes seemed compassionate? I didn't even know anymore if he was really livid with me or if that was in my head. Though I knew I only had one recourse.

"Vierre, you need to stop all of this." I pleaded with the madman—though I didn't know what he was anymore, with his skull visible, stark white and glistening in the warm lights. It was as though he had suddenly transformed into some sort of undead creature! How was this possible? Had my psionic energy really caused this, or was it his own spell?

"Why should I stop?" replied Vierre, as he glowered at me. "When the fun has only just begun!"

David charged a flame spell in his hand as he turned to me, motioning toward the door. I recognised his intent instantly. Perhaps Vierre would follow us if we ran for the door, and we could get him out into the streets where it was safer.

Slowly, I crept away toward the door, David following along with his eyes locked on the monster. Just then, a thought flashed through my mind as I looked at him. It must have been David's, as though he were reaching out to me, communicating telepathically. "He's not Vierre anymore; he's a monster. . ." he said. "Perhaps you were right, and there was never a human heart in there after all."

I knew he was right. Vierre was a monster. But it was more likely that this only brought forth the monster that was already there, and there was never an ounce of humanity within him to start with.

"Are we passing messages now?" said Vierre, his question hanging tantalizingly in the air. My eyes widened as I stared at him. It was impossible, wasn't it? There was no way he could be listening to our thoughts. . . Right? "Messes with your mind, doesn't it? Can I or can't I read your thoughts? Wouldn't you like to know?"

David looked at me. "Don't listen to him, Kairine!" he told me. "Don't let him get to you. He will try to get into your head. Don't let him!"

I nodded to him. I knew he was right. The monster was just trying to get into my head—and he was doing a good job of it. Turning and making for the door, I looked back for just a moment to make sure David was following me. He was, but his eyes never once left our opponent. As we made it outside, I could feel the cool breeze of the night against my skin as sparse rain drips fell from the sky upon my hair. Great, I thought. So if we start any fires, the rain will put them out.

I turned toward the door, focusing my psychic energy; a shimmering barrier formed—just as David came flying out of the doorway and crashed on the road. "David!" I cried out as I ran to him.

"Oh, pay him no mind. . ." said Vierre's voice from the doorway. But there was something different about it. It grew colder, raspy. With each passing second, it was changing. It seemed the transformation into whatever he was becoming wasn't quite finished yet. "Let him rest a while. . . So that we can have a quiet moment to ourselves. After all, it has always been about you and me, has it not?"

I crouched on the road next to David as I glared up at the undead monster that had now emerged from the doorway. "What do you want from me?" I asked. I knew what he wanted, though. It was what he had always wanted.

He wanted me.

I looked about for something, anything I could use to defend myself—and my eyes fell upon a large stone brick which I guessed was left behind from some construction. My mind ran through all the possibilities. I could try using my telekinesis to lift the brick—but I had never been able to control it. I didn't know if I could direct the brick to its target while avoiding bystanders, who were all crowded at either end of the street.

I glanced down at David, wishing and hoping that he was okay and that he would awaken at any moment. I needed him now more than ever.

Vierre began his approach. I inched away as my eyes instantly flashed back to the brick. It was now or never. It was either this or—there was no alternative. I had nothing else. Quickly, I shot my hand out to the brick as I focused all of my energy on that single object.

My attempts were met with cackling from the monster. "And just what do you expect that will do?" he chided me.

But I ignored him and continued to focus all of my might on this single task before me. Astonishingly, the brick started to move. Just an inch at first—then suddenly it flew from the ground, locked onto Vierre and crashed square into his chest. He flew backward against the wall as cheers erupted from the crowd. 

Rain drips turned to pouring rain as I stood, my eyes locked on the monster lying on the ground—he wasn't dead. Some semblance of life emanated from his body. Just then, as though to prove me right, there came a cackle echoing throughout the streets. The crowd fell to hushed whispers and silence. "Do you think this is over?" He said, his voice colder, with nothing left of the Vierre I knew. "It will never be over!" 

He rose from the ground, his crimson eyes glistening brightly in the night. Oh, no! Was he ready for another round already?

I looked around for anything else. But there was nothing. "Vierre. . . You really need to quit all of this!" I said. "If there is some shred of the boy I knew once, just stop."

He suddenly seemed to grow and tower over me. "Stop. . ." His voice echoed, shaking the earth beneath my feet. "Calling me that!"

His words cut deep, and I couldn't believe it. Was he completely detaching himself from the boy he once was? Was he shedding his old life entirely? Finally, David stirred awake and he glanced up.

"I. . ." Started the monster as a grey mist began to coalesce and envelop him. "Am. . ." The mist became like a grey, flickering flame around him. "The Dark Lord Evilon!!!" 

"I don't care what you call yourself!" cried David as he flung a large fireball the size of a watermelon straight for the creature.

But before it could hit, the monster vanished, the fireball exploding against the wall behind him. We looked around, but he was gone. We looked at each other, the same question echoing in both our minds: Where could he have gone?

Evilon, that was what he was calling himself now. He was shedding his old life and everything that he was like a bad habit.And I knew he wasn't finished with me at all. Not by a long shot.

Wherever he was now. . . I knew he would be back.