A Quiet Place

Triston sat in his kitchen shirtless, tiredly rummaging through his daily mail. The day was beautiful, however he lived near a busy road, so the noises you typically hear on a nice day like today was instead drowned out by the jarring chaos of people's commute to work. Triston was a freelance blogger, so he was use to the day to day hustle of working from home, and loved every minute of it. But today . . . he was feeling lazy and uninspired. That privacy and freedom was exactly what he needed at this time in his life, however he would be lying if he said he didn’t procrastinate from time to time.

Not only was he a writer . . . well, blogger, Triston was also an amateur sorcerer. That’s right, he had the unique ability to command the forces of nature itself! His father was a sorcerer . . . and his mother a sorceress, and a powerful one at that. Unfortunately his father died long ago, however his mother, Morgana, was very much a part of his life for many years . . . and he hated it. Once he left home to go to college, it was the most liberating moment of his life. Now that he graduated and succeeded in striking out on his own, he didn’t take that freedom for granted.

His mother had a watchful eye, and couldn’t help herself when it came to meddling with his life. She had always been the “helicopter mom” people talk about these days. Always fretting about the things he did, the spells he cast, and the people he met. What was more infuriating was how right she usually was. Her ever watching cosmic eye drove him insane! Now he was his own man and successfully running a business. He felt accomplished in that. Content.

While grabbing a cup for his morning tea, he saw a package under a stack of mail. He sat down with a curious expression that turned into a frown after realizing he forgot the Tea Pot. He looked at the stove pointing his finger towards the pot. An invisible force seized the tea pot and made it float over to where he was sitting. Hovering in mid air, the pot tipped over on its own and poured the hot tea into his cup as if it were being poured by an invisible person.

He carefully took a sip and settled back into his chair. He was very handsome and had a very toned sexy body. He was having a lot of fun right now, not wanting to be tied down to any one man. He picked up the stack of letters, most of them fan mail, and set them aside, leaving behind an unmarked package. He picked it up and frowned, must be from someone local, a neighbor perhaps? He narrowed his eyes using his magical senses before letting out an exasperated sigh and tearing open the package. It was another book, likely sent from mommy dearest. He tilted the large envelope and dumped a small black book on the table.

He looked over the book then inside the envelope. There was nothing else. That was weird considering how his mother loved writing him notes . . . well demands . . . every time she contacted him. If she wanted him to study some book describing magical theory or the dangers of the arcane again he was going to light the house on fire and port to another dimension. He studied aspects of magic that interested him . . . but he never really cared for the nuances of the topic. His mother was a lifelong expert in many fields, however specialized in demonology. He could care less about the creatures. He cared more about just living his life and enjoying it, rather than fearing what could come from the craft.

He opened the book while taking another sip of tea. The book was clearly infused with some sort of magic . . . but it was so faint, he couldn’t distinguish what it was or from whom it was placed. It wasn’t particularly old, but it also wasn’t new. The spells that were set in the pages . . . were so weak. That definitely didn’t seem like his mother's work. There weren’t any traps or curses that he could see. A truck honked loudly as it drove by his window just as he began scanning the pages, making him jump.

“God I can’t wait to get out of here!” He said in a flustered tone, taking his tea and the book up to his room. As he continued to read the first page, he soon figured out it was a story! A beautiful land and a lost prince. He didn’t bother reading too much of it and instead continued to skim through the pages. He came to the end of the story, but noticed a significant section of the book afterward. “This is way more than an epilogue, could this be another story?” He continued to skim through the pages and realized this was a detailed spell of some kind!

He finished his tea and settled back into his bed. He glanced at his computer, but he knew he wouldn’t be working today. Spellwork really did interest him. He loved learning about new spells and rituals. He got himself in trouble a number of times when he was younger with his mother, messing with things he learned from her books. Magic came much easily to him now, but he still felt a thrill when he got a new spell to work.

He continued to read the little book. The words were so clear to him. The spell was intended to create your own realities! Now that is a powerful spell indeed. Usually the closest people came to meddling with reality was when someone made contact with a Djinn . . . and those were . . . nasty creatures. A spell to create your own dimension, giving you control of the design and the intent of everything you sense, felt, saw was unfathomable. The book laid out the details of the spell in such a way, it seemed to address every question that came to mind as Triston read. This book was a work of art, extremely well written and thorough. The spell gave the caster their heart's desire for exactly 24 hours. It created a world . . . a dimension, that only you could access and interact with. You had to create a predetermined set of rules within that dimension, you just had to leave it within 24 hours, otherwise you would be trapped in whatever reality you created for eternity.

Triston looked up and realized that the room was dark! He had been squinting his eyes in the dim red glow of a sign across the street! As if shook out of daydreaming he looked around, jumping at the sound of a semi-truck’s air brakes. As the massive vehicle accelerated again, his entire house seemed to rumble. He closed the book and stood up stretching. He was still shirtless, so his toned muscles shook as he rolled his shoulders and back. “Damn I’m hungry! I cannot believe it’s night-time already!”

He spent some time making some dinner and answering some emails he missed throughout the day, but he couldn’t stop thinking about the spell. It was by far the most powerful piece of spellwork he had the privilege to review, and for once it wasn’t under the watchful eye of his mother! He was excited to try it. He wiped his hands on his tan pants as he finished up his pasta sauce and portioned him some food, which he scarfed down with a side of plain white meat chicken. He had to at least eat right today if he skipped the gym.

He threw his empty bowl in the sink and ran back upstairs with a large glass of water. Another truck laid on its horn as the traffic outside stopped. Oh he definitely had something in mind for this world he was hell bent on creating. He jumped on his bed and opened the book back to the spell section. He had a great photographic memory, which would serve him quite well once he tried this spell out. He held up his hand and a glowing light filled the room allowing him to read the pages easier.

He read through each section, using some spells to help remember and categorize the sections within the book. It actually wasn’t a hard spell to cast, you just had to be very careful. The big thing was getting back to your point of origin before that 24 hour mark. He had plenty of ways, both magical and mundane to make sure he wouldn’t lose track of time. He would of course have to make sure those ways would work in the dimension he planned on creating.

His heart was racing as he wrote down his plans for the spellwork. He wanted to try something small . . . but meaningful. He wanted to create a place with no people. A beautiful place. A quiet peaceful place. He needed to make sure there was no living creature that would hurt him in this place. Any waterway would only be 5’ ft deep so he couldn’t really drown, and it was surrounded by mountains. The weather wouldn’t change, it would be beautiful and sunny and 75 degrees outside at all times. There wouldn’t be a night, only a sunset.

He leaned back and smiled. He didn’t really like the night. I mean he wasn’t afraid of it or anything, but he always felt like there was too much to do during the day. Night was sleep, and sleep was a waste of time. He had cast countless spells to refresh his body so he wouldn’t have to sleep. He appreciated the night, but he missed this day, so he wanted it back.

He made sure to write into the spellwork that he would never need to make any sort of bodily function. His health would be maintained at all times. He would never be hungry, but never be too full either. All foods in this space could be consumed without ever feeling pain or regret and with no consequences to the body. Nothing would hurt him, nothing would hinder him.

He reviewed the spellwork a few more times, but smiled when he finally felt like he was finished. He stood up and stretched again. He felt good and excited. He pulled on his tan pants again and left his shirt off. Why would he need a shirt in this place? He put on some socks and some gym shoes and stood in the middle of the room with the book. He felt the book's power flair up as he touched it with magic, then fade into nothingness.

He frowned for a moment. It’s weird to have what little spellwork was entrenched in this book just fade at a magical touch. He had scanned the book before without affecting the spell. Strange. He scanned it a few more times making sure nothing weird happened. His eyes glowed white as he did so. Nothing.

“Well that’s fucking weird.” He said out loud looking around for something in the room that may have messed with the books spell. He didn’t actually need anything from the book itself. The instructions were clear and the spellwork was going to be crafted using his own power, not anything or anyone else's. His eyes settled on a drawer near his bed. Inside was a powerful pendent his mother gave him when he left the house. She had promised to leave him be and not spy on him in any way as long as he promised to keep the pendant wherever he lived. If he needed her help, all he had to do was call out to her while holding the pendant. It was the equivalent of someone having a gun in their house for protection, or bazooka, knowing his mother. It was a compromise he was lucky to have her agree to.

Morgana was powerful enough to check up on him or cast any matter of spells from anywhere on earth. She was so protective after his father died soon after he was conceived. She never said exactly how he died, only that he had. When she was younger, she hunted demons and banished them back to their dimension. Triston gathered that she had friends or acquaintances during that time, yet he had never heard her speak to them or even mention them. It’s like that chapter of her life was closed and over with since Triston’s birth.

Morgana was an enigma to Triston. His own mother, a mystery. He snorted and laughed to himself as he began to write the spellwork on the wooden floorboards. Throughout his life, she was a stern model of success. The world seemed to just . . . bend to her will. She ran a very successful law firm in New York and naturally demanded respect from all sorts of people, both magical and not. When he was a child, she seemed to only show warmth and compassion when Triston got himself in trouble. Outside of that, she seemed so . . . cold. She went through the motions of being a mother, but she . . . had these walls up. Always walls.

That’s likely how Triston came to resent her. She needed to control everything, including him. Yes it was to protect both Triston and herself . . . but that control was overbearing. As an adult looking back at those times, he knew he acted out to break down those walls. To get her to show that compassion and warmth.

He finished the last part of the diagram, stepping back to look at his work. He smiled and double checked his work. If this went as expected, he would be spending the next 24 hours in paradise, and the 24 hour time period would actually be the equivalent to 12 hours here. He would barely miss much of the productive part of his day tomorrow since he typically didn’t wake up until 11 am anyways! Theoretically he should feel as refreshed as getting a full 8 hours of deep sleep! That was something he missed since moving to this city. The quiet.

He grabbed a device from his dresser. This was his backup should anything go wrong. It was a magical artifact that could break any spell he could interact with. This should count. He didn’t plan on using it, but if he learned anything from his mother, it was how to be careful. He peered at the pendant, but shook his head and stood off to one side of the diagram. He spread his arms wide and began the incantation.

Incantations helped sorcerers, witches, warlocks and the like, focus and shape the raw energies that make up magic. There were many ways to focus your thoughts to shape spellwork, but incantations were the most common. It was like picturing a blueprint and then gathering the wood and nails needed to construct it before actually building. This also depended how much magic you could essentially hold while shaping a spell. You couldn’t cast spells beyond your capacity to gather and store magic energy. This typically increased with age and practice. When he was younger, he could only manage small spells, like lighting a candle, however, as he got older and could hold more magic power, he was able to proficiently shape larger and larger spells. This . . . was a large spell.

He clenched his jaw and tilted his head back in the now dark room, his light spell had disappeared. The room shifted and groaned as the diagram glowed a bright blue. His eyes glowed that same blue as the city outside his windows began to blur and fade. The room shuddered as there was a flurry of silent light swirling outside of his window. Tristons body flexed and he was breathing hard as he continued to build the spell, pushing his power out around the house. He wasn’t actually transporting the house itself from Chicago to this dimension . . . it was more like . . . making a carbon copy foothold into this new world and then transporting his essence. His actual body was still going to be back at the house, likely passed out on the floor. He probably should have done this sitting down or leaning against something.

He was sweating now as he finished pushing his power out to complete the last of the spell work. Then suddenly that symbol momentarily glowed a dark red before blinking out along with the glow from his eyes. The power surging outside of his windows dissipated and a bright light flooded the room. Triston stumbled back and fell on his butt against his dresser. He could barely feel his arms as he sat there catching his breath.

He heard the sound of birds and . . . nothing else. It was peaceful outside. He looked out the window and saw the bright blue sky rather than the street lights and utility poles. He stood up looking around. The place was a mess, but nothing seemed too much out of place. Now, theoretically nothing magical could have come with him into this dimension at the time the spell was cast unless written into the spell. To test that theory he walked over his nightstand and opened the drawer where that pendant was. Nothing. He then checked his pocket and felt the artifact he intended to bring with him. His fingers wrapped around the small stone artifact. He smiled widely before bounding out of the room and downstairs. He pulled on some sneakers before pushing open his door and practically jumping off his porch.

It was . . . beautiful. Instead of cars and sidewalks and concrete . . . there was grass and beautiful flowers and a beautiful lake. The air was fresh and clean and the sun was warm and pleasant as it washed over his body. The grass was full, like a perfect pillow under his feet and everything was so . . . perfect. There wasn’t a brown leaf or broken twig anywhere and the flowers were . . . from all over. A mixture of tropical plants and plants you would find in the grasslands. He looked up and the sun was bright . . . but he noticed faint patterns in the blue sky similar to the ones he drew on the floor. As he looked around he saw a breathtaking view of a mountain range, which seemed to surround this land for as far as the eyes could see.

He put his hands up and giggled with pure joy and a sense of accomplishment. Not only was everything beautiful . . . he no longer felt tired or groggy! Every ache and pain in his body was gone, he felt absolutely great! He breathed in the air and surveyed the house. He looked so out of place and so much uglier than this rest of this world, but it was a familiar waypoint. Something he would recognize and feel attuned to, which is why he included it in the spellwork. There would be no getting lost with a house as your marker!! If he did get lost he could port to a mountain peek and scout the area.

To test that, he looked to the other side of the lake, closed his eyes and with a snap, he was instantly standing in another location next to the lake looking at his house from the other side of the water! He laughed and ran into the perfect wood! He kicked off his shoes, using a quick spell to port them back into the house, and smiled as his feet landed on the cool spongy moss covered ground. He ported around surveying the valley. It was perfect, what he always wanted! One part of the valley was a picture perfect garden, which he liked and included in the dimension. Instead of porting there, he enjoyed the walk. Not a rock or twig hurt his feet as he walked along the lake at the edge of the beautiful woods. He checked his watch, it had already been 8 hours!!! Time flew when you were having fun. He didn’t feel tired at all as he picked up a rock and skipped it into the perfect mirror-like water. He approached the beautiful hedges of the garden and found a beautiful tree and sat down at the base of it. He just sat there watching the lake and the sky before he, and only because he wanted to, drifted off to sleep.

He woke up, not with a start, with a gradual feeling of warmth and peace. He stretched his arms and looked over the beautiful scenery again. He stood up looking over the water and noticed that the sun was starting to set, casting a beautiful sun-kissed glow over the land. He smiled and saw the roof of his house on the other side of the valley. He looked down at his watch. 14 hours had gone by. He felt so refreshed and good right now, he was a little sad the time went by so quickly. That was when Triston heard a twig crack in the distance in the garden. Triston looked up and took in a bit of power. Someone was here!

He cautiously walked over to the garden entrance. The trees were so beautiful and a mixture of trimmed hedges and lush tropical plants. His feet connected with the cool gray stone path that wound through the perfectly manicured garden area. A massive maze of beautiful plants and trees. He looked at the sole of his foot and noticed not a spot of dirt was anywhere! This world was so clean and comfortable! He smiled before hearing another rustle of trees in the distance.

Triston was concerned since there wasn’t supposed to be any animal other than some birds and butterflies. He even added some Coy fish in the lake, but nothing else. He really wanted it to be more about the landscape and fresh air than anything else. He had complete control over the spellwork and created every aspect of this dimension, so what on earth was causing the trees to move at all?

Triston moved towards the back of the garden, preparing a defensive spell just in case. There was something off about this area, something wrong. Was there a distortion in the spellwork? He couldn’t access the spellwork now that it was cast, but he would definitely need to double check it when he returned to the real world. Just then the bush nearest to him rustled and he heard a voice! Triston jumped back and raised his hands. He looked into the shadows and saw the silhouette of a man!

A deep smooth voice came from the trees. “Wait, don’t shoot!” The voice said. Triston hesitated in blasting whatever it was with lightning, his specialty. The shadow rose and slowly stepped out into the light. The first thing he saw was a human leg with black cloth running shoes! He backed up putting his hands down as a handsome man stepped out of the trees with an innocent smile on his face.

The man was strikingly handsome. He was about Tristons height and clearly athletic, wearing black shorts and a blue tank top. His proportions, his chest muscles and abs, and face were so symmetrical, Triston wondered if this was just spellwork or if this was indeed a real person!

Triston noticed the man had rings on his right hand, one on his thumb and the other on his forefinger. Triston stammered as the man continued to look him over with keen interest. His slim waist and large arms and that face looked almost fake, but Triston couldn’t help but to get aroused. The man smiled as he continued approaching Triston.

“I am so sorry for bothering you in this world man.” He said casually. Triston had no idea how this guy knew what was going on. “Don’t worry, I’m a sorcerer like you! I tried this spellwork recently, and got stuck. I was in my dimension for God knows how long, and then I was transported here. I have no idea how any of it happened.” He said with an almost pleading look on his perfect features.

Triston thought about what he said and relaxed. “I suppose that could have happened. But I thought I had complete control over the spellwork.” Triston eyed him for a moment. “How did you come across this spell?” He asked. The man looked at him for a second.

“A black book showed up in the mail. It was interesting spellwork and I thought I would try it.” He paused and looked around. “Clearly it didn’t work out well for me. I’ve been here . . . or in some dimension for months . . . I think.” He raised his hands. “Don’t have my phone or watch with me . . . didn’t think to bring them.” Triston looked back at the house and then at his own watch. “Did you know there was a time limit?” He asked in an almost accusatory tone.

“Well, yes . . . but I missed the access point within the 24 hour mark.” He looked over Triston’s shoulder at the house in the distance. “Was that a part of your spellwork?” He asked nodding towards the structure. Triston nodded. “That’s actually there so I wouldn’t lose track of the point at which I entered. That’s my house and I included that in the design of this dimension.”

The man smiled slightly looking over Triston. There was a look about him that was . . . confident . . . in control. As if he knew more than he let on. The lack of concern and excitement . . . no desperation, being in a situation like this, is what made Triston suspicious. One thing Triston learned from his mother was not to trust other people, especially magic users. The man stretched out his large hand, his rings glinting in the setting sunlight. “I’m Nicholas by the way.” He said with a smile. Triston hesitated but took his hand. The man's hand was so warm and . . . strong. The man's eyes seemed to glow green.

Triston let go and began to walk out towards the lake. “So i’m assuming you would like some help getting home?” Triston said. But at the same time, while looking away, his eyes glowed as he scanned the other man for any malicious spellwork. Surprisingly the man had nothing. Matter of fact, he couldn’t register any magic on him at all. He turned around, the man was staring at him innocently. “So, what happened to your magic?” Triston asked, suspicious . . . but also kinda feeling bad for the man.

Nicholas looked down as he walked next to him then looked up at the lake towards the house. “Over time my magic was . . . sapped by the spell. You don’t realize it now, but some of your power is used to maintain the connection between this dimension and the real world.” He had a pensive . . . slightly eager look on his face. “But now with you here, I can finally get back!” He turned towards Triston with his bright green eyes.

Triston admired the man’s broad shoulders and perfectly toned body. His light blue tank top caressed his muscles so perfectly it almost looked as if it were attached to his skin. He looked down at his watch. 20 hours. The man walked up to him and put an arm around his shoulders. “Thank you so much for not melting me with a spell. You are the first person I’ve seen in . . . I honestly have no clue.” His forward embrace was warm and made Triston instantly aroused. He thought he felt a flicker of . . . something radiating from the man, but he wasn’t sure.

They both walked back towards the house leisurely. Triston asked him a few more mundane questions, like where he came from and what kind of spellwork he specialized in. Most of it seemed reasonable, except when Triston asked about Nicholas and his family. The man took obvious steps to avoid answering the question. When they were close to the house, Nicholas smiled and took off his shirt, revealing his toned sexy body. His pale skin glowed with the light of the setting sun. He stared at Triston with those cool calm eyes.

Triston took another glance at this watch and fidgeted nervously. Nicholas slowly got up as a slight smile stretched across his perfect features. He walked over to Trison and gently grabbed his hand, standing up close to him. Triston felt the warm breath fall over his neck and lips as Nicholas closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against his. His touch was hypnotizing. They both just stood there in silence, their bodies so close in the warm sunlight for a moment.

“I miss Earth so much!” he said, with emotion and pain in his voice. He grasped Tristons hands tighter now. The warmth emanating from his sexy tight body and the mood was just all so arousing. The man opened his eyes, his bright green eyes. Triston realized the man’s presence was almost pushing him, causing them to both move up the stairs to his porch. How far had they walked? Nicholas was gently rubbing Tristons arm as his lips got closer. “With your place of origin I can finally get free of this place!”

Nicholas noticed a strange feeling along with a new look in the man's eyes. It was a cold look that actually sent shivers down Tristons spine. His perfect lips were so inviting . . . and close. There was an invisible force that seemed to hover between them, pulling them towards each other. This perfect man . . .

That look Nicholas gave him, that finally shook Triston from his trance. He blinked and realized what the man said. He remembered the spellwork in and out, and remembered . . . only one person could enter the dimensional access at a time. Triston immediately stepped back, but the stranger maintained his firm grasp on his arms.

“What the hell?” Triston yelled as he summoned his power. Nicholas clenched his jaw, making the muscles underneath his face pulse and twist. His lips drew back into an evil smirk and that was when Triston felt . . . his power.

Triston immediately muttered a spell, blasting Nicholas in the chest as he screamed “FUCK OFF”. He turned around, looking down at his watch. 15 minutes left. He approached the door to the house but felt an invisible force grasp him and yank him back. Triston landed on the grassy ground with a thump. He didn’t feel anything, thank god for that part of the spell, but there was a coldness in the air now as Nicholas slowly got to his feet. Triston thought quickly and ported to the other side of Nicholas instantly. As he reappeared he struck the man with another force spell, blasting him in the back. Nicholas just stumbled a few steps forward before slowly turning around. There was something in his eyes. It was wrong. A shadow seemed to appear around the man. He cracked his neck and then quickly turned around with a hand out manifesting a giant stream of fire!

Triston ported out of the way and re-appeared on the roof of the porch. He formed an ice arrow out of thin air and launched it at the man, who in turn ported behind him and kicked him in the back. The breath left Tristons lungs as he flew from the porch to the ground below with a sickening dull thud. He looked up and saw Nicholas crouch down, his feet wiggling within his tight black running shoes before jumping inhumanly high into the air. Triston ported away near the edge of the lake. The man’s feet landed where his head was in a low animal like crouch. His lips were pulled back wide in a sneer as he let out a low inhuman growl. Now his eyes were pitch black!

“Oh fuck, a dem . . . “ Nicholas immediately opened his mouth impossibly wide, his face stretching, showing black around the eyes, before belching out a steady massive stream of fire. Triston ported back to the roof of the house panting. The demon wasn’t lying, he could feel the drain on his power now, especially so close to the time limit. He looked down at his watch. He didn’t have time for this.

Triston stood up as this creature looked back, his neck wrinkled and his teeth looked sharp now. “God damn it, what do you want from me!” He yelled as Nicholas approached the house. This time Triston began laying down some protective spells around the house and him. The man cocked his head and smiled. “Oh dear boy, I already told you! I’ve been trapped here and you are my key to getting out! My prince!” Triston frowned. “A prince? What do you mean? I created this place, how were you able to enter it?” He said, honestly confused.

Demons were interdimensional beings that couldn’t really die, only be banished to their home world we call Hell. Sorcerers for millennia have made sure all barriers to our dimension were closed to them. Even without magic users to defend the realm, entering our world was still hard. As spiritual beings, they had to possess and consume a soul to actually interact and “enter” our world. By establishing that foothold in our reality, they could enter by taking the form of a human. Triston knew this because his mother specialized in demonology and worked tirelessly to prevent and exterminate demons who tried to enter our world.

Tristen fired a beam of white light from his hands, supposedly very effective against demons, but he was no pro like his mother. Nicholas held up his hand and with a snarl blocked the spell with a black mist around his hands. He crouched down, his toes curled and dug into the ground as his body was pushed back from the force. Could this demon have known about the dimension Triston was going to make and entered it? Since this dimension wasn’t Earth . . . was it then susceptible to demons?

Nicholas laughed, his pitch black eyes staring up at Tristen. His muscles flexed as he rolled his shoulder as he approached. “Who do you think sent you that book!” Triston threw a fireball at him, which Nicholas swatted away with ease. “Didn’t you read the story? I literally gave you a warning!” Triston stumbled back realizing what happened. This whole thing was a setup!!! “Fuck” He mumbled as he looked down at his watch. 10 more minutes. “Think of this as a shortcut to possession!” Nicholas said as he disappeared.

Triston looked around before a strong hand appeared around his throat. The demon lifted him up violently as he choked and slammed him on the roof with a thud. Nicholas laughed as he leaned in close, straddling Triston’s dazed body. “I have some unfinished business with your mother, and . . . . “ He let out a long black tongue, which snaked its way over the side of his cheek. It was rough and sliced his skin as he struggled in the demon’s grasp. Nicholas’s neck and abs wrinkled and his shoulders bulged as his cock grew hard within his pants, sliding against Triston’s thigh. He leaned down. Triston saw the fine wrinkles around the eyes . . . those ancient eyes, as a smile stretched unnaturally wide almost splitting that perfect face. “. . . and with my brother!” He whispered in Triston’s ear.

It all clicked. His mother, the secrets . . . her specialization in demonology . . . and now this demon. His father and his ability to sense something emanating from Nicholas before he showed his true colors. No human has the ability to sense demons without the use of a specific spell, and that “bad feeling” he had before was him sensing this demon. His mother . . . no his father . . . was a demon!”

Triston let out a cry as he embraced Nicholas with his power lifting them both into the air! The demon's eyes were wide as he squealed in surprise. Then Triston ported them both to the top of one of the mountains. Triston gathered as much magic as he could and used a force spell to shake Nicholas off of him. The demon flew into a snowy rock with a thud. Without missing a beat, Triston rose his arms, his eyes glowing white with power, and called forth a massive lightning bolt, which struck the demon with such force it shattered the rock! There was a loud crack afterwards as steam rose up into the air.

Triston immediately ported back to the house with a loud pop and landed right into his room. He saw the glyphs on the floor glow blue again just as he launched his body into position and grabbed hold of the spellwork. The house shook and the outside dimension with Nicholas in it, blurring and twisting. Within moments Triston collapsed onto the floor as the glyph faded breathing hard. He looked down at his body and the now dim glyphs on the floor. He looked outside and saw the utility poles and buildings and heard the sweet sound of cars and people. He sighed and laughed to himself as he sat up.

“Not too bad for my first battle with a demon.” He said to himself with a self satisfied expression. He slowly got up and looked around then outside. He was back, he did it! He ran over to his nightstand and looked inside. He saw his mother’s pendant! It was over! He shook, now the adrenaline fading from his body and slowly walked downstairs. His laptop was still open and there was a cold pot of tea. That’s when he remembered the black book!

He quickly ran back into his room and spotted the book next to the circle, however, it was floating to a specific page, the letters now glowing bright red before bursting into flames. “What the fuck?” He yelled as he picked up a blanket to put out the flames. As he did this the front doorbell rang. His heart stopped. He slowly stood up and looked out the window. He couldn’t see who was on the porch and nobody seemed to be outside at all. Even the traffic was clear! He felt that foreboding feeling again and knew. The demon was back. He looked at the pendant and thought about calling his mother, but refused. He didn’t need her help the first time he fought him, and he didn’t need it now. He knew what Nicholas was, and he did have the means to stop a demon!

He pulled out the artifact from his pocket, something he forgot he had until now, before walking down the stairs. He felt the wrong power as he came within eyesight of his front door. The outside light seemed to dim. As soon as Tristons feet hit the bottom stairs, he felt a rush of power and his body suddenly froze. Every joint, every muscle, even his eyes couldn’t move. He fell forward with a thud, his head smashing into the floor. He felt blood drip from his forehead as he lay there.

The front door slowly opened wide. He could smell the air pollution and hear the rustle of leaves from the tree in his small front yard. That’s when he saw Nicholas’s tennis shoe slowly wrinkle and the toes within move with each slow deliberate step he took towards Triston. He felt unseen power wrap around him again and flip him violently over so that he was looking up at Nicholas.

His handsome flawless face looked quite unamused. The dark feeling emanating from his body was much more potent than before. Floorboards creaked as he walked further into the house and casually shut the door behind him, casting a shadow over his chiseled perfect body. His eyes looked human now, but the energy he gave off was anything but. Nicholas walked around Tristons paralyzed body looking around the house. “Not a bad place, i’m sure mommy helped pay for all this.” He said, noticing the cold kettle of tea on the table. A smile stretched across his sexy features again. He rose a hand, and there on the table the kettle began to shake and steam. Nicholas looked down at him, flexing his chest and winking before raising his hand up making the kettle float over to where they both were. “How about some tea Triston? Would you like some tea?” He said as he crouched down. Deep in his bright green eyes, Triston saw a blood red ember glow. This creature was pure evil hiding behind a human face.

Triston felt the heat from the kettle as Nicholas brought the steaming pot close to his face. He reached out with his magical senses and connected with the artifact. With desperation Triston mustered as much power as he could, and poured it into the artifact in his pocket. The magic seeped into the device, making the stone warm in his pocket. It was a strange power, a power used to cancel and destroy spellwork. He attempted to form some sort of blast spell, however the device was already breaking down whatever structure he tried to give it.

Nicholas laughed as he grabbed the kettle and lifted it above Tristons face. With pure rage and panic, Triston released the power all at once with a loud “BOOM!” The force holding his body was released as a wave of force whipped out and struck Nicholas and the hot tea kettle. With a squeal and a steaming hiss, Nicholas was launched into the air and blasted into the far wall of the kitchen with such force the cabinets exploded in a rain of wood chips.

Triston immediately struggled up to his feet and ran upstairs. He heard a loud screech behind him and the sound of wood hitting the floor. Triston breathed hard as he frantically made his way towards his room. He needed that pendant after all. With that, he felt a wave of dark energy fly by his left shoulder, striking the bedroom door frame in front of him. The wood crumbled as it decayed and fell apart. Triston tripped and rolled into the nearby bathroom as another dark force disintegrated his bed.

“Fuck!” He screamed, backing away from the entryway to the bathroom. He slammed the door with his foot before standing up. “Fuck fuck fuck!!” He immediately placed a protective ward over the door and backed far away. He thought of porting . . . but that was MUCH harder to do in the real world. With a twinge of hope, he felt his pockets for his cell phone, but realized he left it on the kitchen table. What he did find was the artifact, however it was now just a hunk of stone. Before he could think of anything else the bathroom door opened, the protective ward breaking as if made of thin glass.

Tristons hope to find his cell phone was replaced with dread as Nicholas held it up in one hand, as if casually scrolling through his own phone. Aside from his toned muscular body, his face looked worn and bruised. The skin under his eyes sagged and there were red splotches of burnt flesh all over his handsome facial features. What was more apparent were the two horns that began to push through his scalp. He rubbed his chest and abs, making the skin stretch and wrinkled as he glared at Triston.

“Well you just keep making it easier and easier to find mother!” He said in a deep inhuman gravelly voice. The skin wrinkled unnaturally around his neck and lips as he spoke, his eyes pitch black. He rolled his shoulders and let out a laugh. He then playfully held the phone to his ear and he sarcastically pretended to dial. Then, to Tristons horror, he said in Tristons own voice, “Hey Mom? I need to meet you, can you come by?”

Triston knew he didn’t actually dial the number, but he truly didn’t understand this creature's capabilities. Nicholas laughed again before pocketing the phone and looking at his own reflection in the mirror. Triston had a feeling the demon was going to start gloating. Probably some villainous monologue, so he scanned the entire upper floor and formed a teleportation spell in his mind. His heart sank as he realized he could only port a few feet. Nicholas turned his face from side to side, looking at himself in the mirror. “This skinsuit has served me quite well so far. I guess I can use yours now to get close to mother huh?” He said with a wicked laugh.

Power emanated from his body as he laughed. He slowly turned with an evil grin. That’s when he noticed those sharp teeth again. The demon let out a grunt as his muscles tensed up and bulged. There was a cracking noise as he began to breath hard. Then the skin around his upper back and shoulders began to push out at points before splitting apart as large tooth-like spikes protruded from his skin. He continued to laugh, raising his hands. His neck was wrinkled, however, his face was tight. His toes wiggled and spread out wide within the confines of his shoes before ripping apart, revealing demonic black feet within! His body convulsed as whatever within his human skin grew in size! The back of his scalp tore apart as two large horns pushed out the back and curled downward. At the same down, his abs and chest wrinkled and sagged as he reached up to his tight lips and stretched them further apart revealing a mass of teeth! With a muffled laugh he pulled the lips down and apart. The face stretched and became formless as the unrecognizable human face ripped apart, revealing the true horrifying features beneath.

The creature grabbed the broken neckline of his human suit and slowly yanked the skin away from his chest. The skin wrinkled and made a wet squishy noise as he pulled it down his muscular gray body in one fleshy piece with a groan. The skin slapped on the bathroom floor as the demon rose to his full height with a cracking noise. It had so many sharp teeth in its mouth, the lips looked permanently stretched back into a grin.

Triston furrowed his brow and mouthed the word “gross” before allowing himself to smirk as the demon kicked the now empty skinsuit aside. That was just the amount of time Triston needed to prepare the spell. His eyes glowed white before his body disappeared in a bright light flash. The demon roared and looked around in confusion. Triston appeared into the closet at the other side of the wall. He was breathing hard and knew it wouldn’t be long before the demon found him. All he had to do was get to his nightstand, which unfortunately was right by the open door. He thought fast then prepared another spell. This would be it, he gathered all the energy he could and formed the spellwork in his head. He specialized in lightning attacks, however if he added a little extra light and force power to this lightning bolt, it would back quite a punch, which would give him time to get to that pendant.

As lightning started to arch between his hands. He heard the low ragged breathing of the demon as it entered the room. It’s tan, black, and gray skin was well muscled and his upper body was coated in sharp spikes. His eyes now glowed a lightless black as he turned and looked at the closet doors. He saw the light under the door and laughed.

“Whatever spell you think will kill me, save the energy. I’m invulnerable in my true form! A full fledged demon on earth! We haven’t seen that in decades!!” He laughed again before reaching for the closet door. Black energy swirled around his body as he whipped it open.

Triston stood there with two hands full of lightning! He looked worried and scared, however with a scream of determination and rage he launched the lightning bolt at the demon, draining every ounce of his power. There was a loud crack that blasted the drywall away and made all the clothes fly around him. The wooden framing of the closet and part of the room broke apart as the lightning bolt struck the demon right in the chest with a loud squeal. The demon flew into the air and struck the dresser and wall, both of which had exploded in shards of wood. The pieces of wall that were left revealed the insulation. A pipe exploded with water at the same time.

Triston leapt to the nightstand grabbing the pendant. He whispered, “Help” into the spelled piece of jewelry just as the demon rose up in complete rage. Triston was immediately bound and lifted into the air with black power. The demon's eyes were red now as his hot breath washed over Tristons face. He could barely breath and the pain was unimaginable as the demon looked up at Tristons close to unconscious body.

“HOW DARE YOU!” The demon yelled, the lights outside dimming as the last glow of daylight faded. “I AM THE SON OF AMERAN, ARCH DEMON OF HELL!!!” He spat as the dark energies from his hands shot through Tristons body again. His vision blacked out for a moment as the pain wracked any and all senses. That was when the room was filled with a blinding bright light. An invisible wind picked up outside as the white glow intensified. The demon screeched as it’s gray skin began to burn and peel away. The dark energies binding Triston released and he fell to the floor in a heap.

The windows were bright white, as if staring directly into the sun. Triston shielded his eyes as he saw the large demon stumble and fall down on one knee, it’s horns now disintegrating, making him look like a large bald man. The light grew more intense and the demon's screech became an echo as Triston closed his eyes. Within moments everything was silent and he saw the light fade from behind his eyelids.

He slowly looked up to the bedroom door and heard the echo of high heels on his wooden steps. “Triston?” A woman's voice sounded. It was clear and calm, however there was a hint of worry in that woman's voice. A lump formed in Tristons throat as he tried to sit up. Morgana glanced down at the floor in the hallway, kicking aside the empty suit the demon wore moments before continuing to his room. She stood in the doorway looking at him with those knowing eyes. The two just looked at each other for a moment. She scanned the state of the room then saw the spellwork on the floor. She sighed and adjusted her glasses with a smile.

“I see you’ve been busy. Very impressive my dear. This spell was not easy to cast, and from the looks of what you have here, and the traces of spellwork still in the air, you got it to work.” Triston smirked and looked down. That was going to be about as much of an affectionate hello as he was going to get. “My only question is . . . why on earth did a demon attack you?” She said with a frown, sitting on what was left of the bed. Triston looked down, not knowing where to start. “From the beginning my dear.” She said lightly, but not in a way that suggested it was anything less than a demand.

Triston told her what he had done. He told her about the book, he told her about Nicholas, and he told her about what Nicholas had told her. They both sat in silence as she stared at him for a few minutes. He wasn’t sure how she would react to all this, but she couldn’t get mad at him. She finally let out a sigh, getting up and walking to the window.

“Well . . . it sounds like you have had an interesting 24 hours.” She said staring out at the now night sky. The red glow from the sign across the street made her hair ethereal. “The demon probably possessed someone who sent you the book. The shortcut he intended is actually brilliant, which is why dimensional spellwork is typically banned or regulated.” She paused and looked his way. “. . . and no, I'm not going to scold you for that. I think that lesson has been learned. Besides, I’d be lying if I said that I don’t use a spell like that from time to time.” She shifted, leaning against the window sill. “As far as that demon being my son and your brother . . . that was simply a lie. That isn’t possible.” She looked at him with concerned eyes. “Half demons are born in this world, and don’t survive long. They give off . . . certain indicators . . . dark ones. You see, half demon children can’t control their powers once born, so they typically kill those around them before dying themselves.”

She stood up and walked around the room looking at the spellwork on the ground again. “Unless of course people with magic guyed the process and protect the baby. Before you ask, no, I didn’t do that for you.” She sighed then looked up at Triston. “So you see, that demon existing in his true form like that couldn’t have been born from a human like me. It would have been more believable to say you had a demon father by itself, but not a full demon brother.” She laughed to herself shaking her head.

“No Triston, you are human, but I would be lying if you weren’t touched by demonic forces. We both are actually. You see, a long time ago, my friends and I infiltrated a college where an entire football team was completely possessed and taken over by a demonic horde. Very rare, and very dangerous. The demons themselves were easy enough to get rid of, however the Archdemon Ameran . . . and later . . . Satan himself . . . “ She paused and looked out of the window again. “They were a different story. The whole thing, the whole college football team’s scheme . . . it was a part of a grander game. A game Satan punished Ameran for interfering with. During the final battle, your father was . . . killed. Now Satan was able to bring everyone who was still alive back in time before these events occurred. He rewrote the stories of everyone involved. Only a student of the College and I survived. Now she forgot everything and has lived her life accordingly, however, I was unable to forget due to some spellwork placed on me by your grandfather, Merlin himself.”

Triston sat there stunned. “Merlin?” He whispered. His mother rolled her eyes, “yes yes, Merlin. You forget we live a very . . . very long time.” She said, dismissing the thought. “But your father died at the hands of something so . . . much bigger than us . . . it was a lot to handle. Your father didn’t know I was with child at the time, and after . . . “ She looked at Triston with watery eyes. “I was terrified. The forces of good and evil are so much more than how we understand them or even deal with on this plane, and that vastness in power scares me. I felt insignificant . . . “ Triston finished her sentence, “which is why you created a life in which you had complete control of everything . . . including . . . “ He stopped short of saying it, but she nodded.

They stared at each other, her eyes looked down at her hands haunted. He stood up and walked over to her, giving her a hug. “I’m sorry mom. I promise to be more careful, and I promise to stop pushing you away.” She sniffed in his arms. “No my dear, I need to let that fear go. There is nothing I can do about it so I need to let you live your life and make your own mistakes.” She looked around, wiping her nose and laughed. “Even big ones like this.” They both laughed. The traffic was quiet that night, and Triston slept soundly.