chapter 19 hunted

"Let's warm up with a light workout."

"CIRCUS MAGIC!! ROAMING PERFORMERS!!" Jojo's voice echoed across the field like a ringmaster announcing a deadly act. Suddenly beneath our feet hands burst up from the soil—skeletal, decayed, some still wearing rotted gloves or bracelets. They clawed for air like drowning corpses. The scent of death and mildew filled the night.

Then came the undead.

The entire field was soon covered in dead people springing up—even the loan sharks rose again.

As far as the eye could see. "Kill them," Jojo commanded with a crooked smile, "but leave her head intact." He pointed straight at me.

Crystal's scream tore through the night like a dinner bell. The undead reacted instantly, heads snapping toward us like animals catching the scent of meat. Then they charged.

"Luca!!" I cried out.

Luca stood firm. He took a deep breath, and the air thickened around him. With a powerful exhale, he unleashed a roaring twister. Wind howled across the field, ripping the undead from the ground and flinging their bodies through the air. Limbs snapped. Bones scattered. Some were torn clean in half but it wasn't enough.

"Did you get them?" Madison asked anxiously

The answer came in the sound of bones cracking—again. The severed limbs began twitching. Torsos dragged themselves toward scattered heads. Rotten tissue stretched and fused, repairing itself with grotesque precision. The horde began to rise again. Suddenly, a blur shot through us—the dead green-haired loan shark, faster than before. he lunged at us, slamming into our group like a freight train. We hit the ground hard.

"Ugh, not this shit again," I groaned dragging myself up.

I raised my hand and summoned a massive magic circle high in the sky. The symbol spun with blue light. Water vapor gathered instantly, coiling above like a brewing storm. Shards of frozen rain launched downward like arrows from the heavens. The temperature dropped sharply, breath fogging in front of our faces. With a flick of my wrist, crystalline ice shards plummeted toward the earth. They hissed through the air, striking the undead with brutal force. The temperature plummeted further. Frost raced across the ground. I clenched my fists—and in an instant, a massive surge of ice erupted from beneath, freezing the zombies mid-step. Their bodies locked in place, pale blue and unmoving, like grotesque sculptures trapped in time. The gang stumbled back to their feet. My body ached—bruises already forming—but that was nothing compared to what might come next.

Jojo clapped slowly, mockingly "Yes, yes... good... keep me pleasured," he cooed, lifting his hand

"CIRCUS MAGIC!! HUMAN CANNONBALL!!" he bellowed.

One of the frozen zombies twitched violently. Cracks spread through the ice like spiderwebs, and then it shattered. The body convulsed, bones crunching and folding inward. Then—snap—its bones caved in with horrible crunching sounds. Ribs folded inward. The spine coiled. The entire corpse twisted and compressed until it formed a sphere of bone, spikes jutting from every angle.

Then the flesh followed.

Rotting skin and muscle peeled away from the limbs, squirming toward the bone ball. It wrapped itself tightly around the orb, sealing it like a grotesque fruit. The stench of death grew stronger. You could hear it—squelching, oozing, pulsing. The sound was wet and brittle, like stepping on frozen twigs soaked in blood. What once was human was now something else—a cannonball made of agony.

The ground rumbled.

A massive cannon burst up from the soil, rusted and wrapped in barbed wire. It aimed without guidance. The ball of flesh launched itself inside—and, after a few seconds of harrowing silence—it fired with a shriek.The cannonball shot through the air, shrieking like a banshee. I dove out of the way just in time, the blast whistling past my ear and tearing into the ground behind me.

But Jojo wasn't done. With a twirl of his hand, more of the frozen undead began to crack and collapse. One by one, they folded in on themselves, compressed, and molded into new cannonballs. The earth trembled as more cursed cannons burst from the soil. He turned the battlefield into a hellish shooting gallery.

"Scatter!" I shouted, trying to keep everyone moving.

We did our best to dodge, weaving between blasts. Madison was grazed on her arm, crying out as blood streaked down her sleeve. She stumbled back—just as another cannonball aimed for her head.

Time slowed.

Without hesitation, I lunged forward, slamming into her and pushing her out of the way. The force of the cannonball smashed into me. I flew backward like a ragdoll, slamming into a tree with a sickening crack before crumpling to the ground, unconscious.

"OH NO!!!" Madison screamed, her voice shattering in panic. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sprinted toward Dominique, feet stumbling through the smoking debris.

"DOM!!" Luca yelled, his voice raw with fear. Both of them ran to her, completely ignoring the risk. More cannonballs crashed around them, whizzing through the air like thunderbolts. Explosions rocked the earth, flinging rocks and dirt in every direction. The shrapnel tore at their skin, leaving gashes and bruises, but neither stopped.

"DOM!! WAKE UP!! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!" Madison screamed, shaking Dominique's body.

"DOMINIQUE!! DON'T DIE!!" she wailed through sobs, her hands glowing faintly with healing magic as she pressed them over Dominique's chest, desperately trying to stabilize her.

"MADISON!! LOOK OUT!!" Luca cried. He stretched both hands out and summoned a swirling gust of wind that clashed against the incoming cannonball. It stopped just in front of them, suspended in a turbulent sphere of spiraling air. His arms trembled violently as the cannonball pushed back, gaining momentum with every second. More cannon fire rained down like meteors, lighting up the battlefield in blasts of dirt and rocks. Luca clenched his jaw, muscles straining, sweat beading on his forehead.

He risked a glance behind him—Madison was on her knees, hands glowing brighter now as she worked to heal Dominique's injuries. On the other side, Crystal sat frozen in a fetal position, rocking back and forth, whispering "no, no, no" like a broken record, completely lost in her fear.

A lump formed in Luca's throat. Tears welled in his eyes. He gritted his teeth, but the cannonball inched closer—he was losing control.

"MADISON, TAKE DOM AND RUN!" he shouted, voice cracking. "I can't hold it much longer!"

"I can't leave you here!" she cried, gripping Dominique tighter. "If she wakes up and you're gone, I don't know if she'll recover!" "I've grown to care about you guys so much," he said, shaking with emotion. "I know I'm not perfect... but you accepted me. You... you made me feel like I belonged." The ground around them shook with another impact. A shard of stone shot across Luca's face, slicing deep into his right eye . He screamed in agony, blood instantly pouring down. Reflexively, he dropped one hand to cover his now-useless eye. The wind weakened—his barrier faltered. The cannonball lurched forward, now only inches away.

"LUCA!!!" Madison screamed.

"I'm sorry I was mean to you when we first met," she sobbed, clutching Dominique protectively.

He smiled through his tears. "It's okay. I see now what you were trying to protect."

"I'm sorry, Madison... even though I couldn't protect it," he said, glancing at her with his famous, playful grin. "I'm glad I was a part of it."

"LUCA!!!" Madison's scream tore through the air, echoing across the battlefield like a cracked bell—raw, ringing, and unforgettable.

Meanwhile, Chris sprinted across the scorched battlefield, flames blasting from the soles of his boots as he used his magic to rocket forward. Alec clung to his back, arms locked around his shoulders, barely conscious. The wind howled in his ears, and the ground blurred beneath him. Behind them, the monsters thundered through the chaos—three horrific hybrids: with the torso like that of a rhino's armored bulk, a long tail with a snake head at the end and a head that looked similar to a lion's. Their snarls echoed through the smoke-filled air, hungry and relentless.

Chris didn't look back. He didn't need to. He could feel the heat of their breath, hear the ground crack beneath their charge. "Damn it! This is why I didn't want your ass to come!" Chris shouted, glancing back at Alec with a scowl. In rapid succession He summoned a trail of magical circles—glowing red with runes that pulsed like a heartbeat.

"Try this on for size," he growled.

As the beasts stepped on the path behind him, the circles exploded into towering pillars of flame. The blasts sent shockwaves through the forest, charring trees and lighting up the sky like firecrackers. The ground quaked with each eruption. The creatures roared in pain and fury, smoke and ash cloaking the air.

Chris didn't stop. He twisted midair, launching a jet of flame from his palms to propel himself higher into the trees. His eyes glinted with battle-hardened focus.

"You want me?" he muttered to the monsters chasing him, voice low and furious. "Come burn for it."

I land and drop Alec near a tree, throwing my head back to catch my breath. "I need to build more muscle," I huff. But my victory is cut short as the beasts are still alive, charging toward me. I quickly dive out of the way, rolling to my feet. Two beasts stand before me, growling, while the third circles Alec's unconscious body.

"Tsk, you rat bastards!" I roar, my voice dripping with anger. They charge, flames shooting from my feet, trailing behind me as I dodge their attacks. The third beast lunges at Alec, its snake tail whipping through the air, aiming for him.

"Damn it!" I mutter. I raise my hands, conjuring several magic circles around their bodies. A wave of heat pulses from my fingertips as I direct the fire. The flames explode outward in a violent burst, igniting the beasts in an inferno. They roar in agony, backing away. That gives me just enough time to swoop in and grab Alec, taking off before they can recover.

"For some reason, my flames don't burn them," I mutter under my breath. "I need a strategy, or else I'm done for." I scoff. "Doesn't help I'm carrying dead weight."

The beasts' howls echo in the distance as they close in on me. My heart pounds, but I can't stop now. I glance around, then quickly place Alec on top of a thick tree branch.

"What was that binding spell Mrs. Dean taught me?" I rack my brain, feeling the ground tremble beneath me as the beasts approach. "BINDING MAGIC! BLINDING CHAINS!" Steel chains wrap around Alec's body, locking him to the tree. "Now do me a favor, and stop slowing me down," I mutter, irritated.

The beasts dash toward me, faster this time. I inhale sharply, pulling my shoulders back, and then with a sharp exhale, I throw my fist forward. Flames explode from my hands, scorching the air around me. The heat intensifies, pushing the beasts back as they shriek in pain. The fire doesn't just burn—it burns with a vengeance, covering them in an unrelenting wave. I keep blasting them, each wave of fire more furious than the last, stepping back to catch my breath.

But I notice something. Only two of the beasts are being hit by my fire. I glance over quickly and see the third one rushing toward Alec again. Damn it. I race toward it, fists already ignited.

The beast strikes with its snake tail, its serpent head snapping toward Alec. But before it can bite him, I'm there, throwing myself in the way. Its fangs sink into my side, and a jolt of pain races through me. Venom pours into my veins, but I don't care. With a growl, I rip its teeth out of my side with a flaming fist, my hand burning as it tears through the snake's flesh. I set its head ablaze, and the beast recoils in pain.

I fall to the ground, coughing up blood, but I push myself to my feet. My vision blurs, and I stumble, but my glare never falters.

"Tsk, protecting people isn't my thing," I mutter, spitting blood. "I was always bad at it." My throat tightens, and I swallow hard, leaning back against the tree. My mom's voice echoes in my head, screaming at me to run and save myself.

And the messed-up thing is... I did. I was a puny runt back then. The last thing I saw as I ran away crying was my mother smiling at me with tears in her eyes, while being strangled to death.

"Why the hell am I remembering that?" I say with a chuckle, my voice hoarse. "Is it because my life is flashing before my eyes?" I smile, unfazed. "Women are so fragile," I mutter to myself.

The beasts shake off the fire and find their footing, their roars rattling the air. "Despite being weak, she died with a smile on her face," I say aloud, forcing myself to stand. "The least I can do is the same," I add, closing my eyes as the beasts leap for me.

I flash a cocky smile, waiting for them to maul me to death. But then, out of nowhere, I see HER face.

"AGGGHHHHH!!!!" I scream, as if her face has ignited something in me. My body erupts in flames—an uncontrollable explosion of heat and fury that bursts outward all at once. The beasts are thrown back, howling in pain, trying to brush off the fire.

"No!" I whisper, gritting my teeth. "I'm not ready to die. Not yet!" My grin spreads wide, wild and menacing. "Men don't run away," I taunt, waving my hand toward them, daring them to come closer.

Blood spews out of my mouth, but I don't give a damn. The first beast lunges at me with a savage growl, its fangs snapping. I don't dodge. Instead, I let it sink its teeth into my shoulder. Pain explodes through me, but I fight through it. Grabbing its throat, I shove my fist deep into its gaping maw. A magic circle flares to life in front of me, and in the blink of an eye, fire erupts from the backside of the creature. It releases me, screeching in agony as flames devour its insides. It writhes, thrashing and burning until it finally drops, dead.

But before I can catch my breath, the other two beasts charge. My heart pounds as flames shoot up from the ground between us, forming a wall of fire that halts them in their tracks. With a burst of speed, I propel myself onto one's back, using the momentum to grab its head with both hands. A searing rage fills me as I blow fire directly into its open mouth, flooding its throat with flames. The beast's body jerks violently, then collapses, lifeless.

The last one, though, is faster than I expected. It swipes at me with massive paws, knocking me off the beast's back. My body slams into the ground, and the poison in my system starts to take its toll. My vision blurs, my limbs feel heavy, and a cold numbness crawls through my body.

"Tsk, not now," I groan, trying to steady myself. The beast darts forward, its powerful legs propelling it into the air. I barely have time to react when a chain suddenly wraps around its neck, jerking it backward. I look up to see Alec, barely standing, his body trembling with exhaustion but still holding the chain with what little strength he has left.

"Mind if I borrow your chain?" he teases through gritted teeth, his voice strained.

"You bastard," I grin, forcing myself to push through the pain. The beast roars, pulling hard against Alec's grip, dragging him toward it. I gather every ounce of energy left in me and launch myself high into the air, feeling the world tilt beneath me as I shoot toward the creature.

"DO IT NOW!!" Alec yells, yanking the beast's head upward, the chain tightening around its neck.

"AAAGGGHHH!!" I scream, feeling the force of gravity slam into me as I plummet downward, flames bending around my arm like a spear. With one swift motion, I drive the fiery spear into the beast's eye. It roars, tossing me off as its body spasms in pain. Just as it's about to land on me, Alec pulls the chain again, redirecting the beast's fall. It crashes elsewhere, its body burning from the inside out. It lets out one last howl, a twisted, guttural sound, then goes still.

I drop to the ground, gasping for breath, my body on the edge of collapse. Alec stumbles over and plops down next to me, sitting heavily in the dirt.

"You look like shit," I mock, my voice weak but teasing.

He glances over at me, unfazed by my words. "You're no beauty yourself," he retorts, his tone tired but with no malice. There's a dry humor in his voice that makes me chuckle despite everything.

"Yeah, I'm aware," I murmur, my chest rising and falling heavily.

"Why'd you save me?" Alec asks bluntly, his eyes narrowing at me as if trying to figure me out. His voice is unexpectedly serious.

I hesitate, unsure how to answer. Silence hangs between us for a long while.

"I—I don't know," I say at last, my voice quieter than I intended. "Maybe because the little boy who abandoned his mom..." I look away, trying to swallow down the lump in my throat. "Wanted to prove he wasn't the same person he was when he did that."

The words hang in the air, heavy and raw. Before either of us can say anything else, I start coughing up blood again.

Alec, unfazed, hands me a handful of leaves. "Here, eat this."

I glance at them weakly. "What the hell are these?" I mutter, struggling to lift my hand.

"They're called Bright Jack-in-the-Bush. They eliminate most poisons," he explains, still sounding like he's about to pass out.

"Most poisons? What if it doesn't work on the one I've got?" I ask, my voice slurring a little.

"I'll bury you somewhere real nice," he quips, deadpan.

I weakly reach out and take the leaves, shoving them into my mouth, chewing as best I can. "By the way, where'd you get these? They're kind of warm," I say between chews.

"...the pocket near my ass," he mutters, eyes closed, as though he's about to fall asleep right there.

I choke on the leaves, almost laughing despite the pain. "You've got to be kidding me."

I wake up, my head ringing. Still, I look around and see Madison crying, her face pale with fear, and Luca holding his eye, wincing in pain. I reach out, grabbing her arm and the back of his shirt, just in time for a cannonball to crash behind us, sending debris flying.

"Are you guys okay?" I ask, my voice sharp, concern lacing every word.

"Thanks to you," Luca says, his voice shaking, tears welling up in his eyes. The cannon fire doesn't stop; it continues to pound the building, shaking the ground beneath us. I drag them toward the loan shark building, desperate to find cover.

"Luca, use your wind to grab Crystal!" I command, my eyes scanning the battlefield as we dodge cannonballs. The fire is relentless.

A swift gust of wind cuts through the air, gathering Crystal up as she floats towards us. We dive into the building just as another round of cannonballs slams into the walls, the sound echoing like thunder.

We huddle behind the walls, the building groaning under the strain of the constant bombardment. My breath is coming in quick, shallow bursts, heart pounding in my chest.

"Luca, here. Let me see," Madison says, her voice full of concern. She reaches for his injured eye, and he leans in toward her, pain flashing across his face. "Healing magic, angelic touch," she whispers. A soft, white light surrounds his eye, and the warmth of her magic begins to ease the tension in his face.

I catch my breath as the building rattles from the cannon fire outside. I glance at Crystal, and my stomach twists. She's hyperventilating, her hands trembling as she rocks back and forth on the floor, eyes wide with panic. I can't afford for her to fall apart now.

"Crystal, now isn't the time to break down. You need to get a grip," I mutter, my voice low but firm. "You will die if you keep standing around like this."

Her eyes snap to mine, the pain in them almost unbearable. The tears are falling freely now, but it's not just fear that's causing them. It's anger, frustration—self-loathing. She swallows hard, shaking her head as if trying to shake me off.

"Easy for you to say," she whispers, but her voice cracks. "I can't even use my magic without hurting myself, unless it's on a surface."

I took in her words; however, she needs to stay close to us for all our own good.

"Okay, but you can't just stand around—"

"YOU JUST HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS, DON'T YOU, DOMINIQUE?!" she screams, her voice breaking with fury. "WELL, SORRY IF I'M WEAK COMPARED TO THE PRODIGY, WARRIOR GIRL FROM A SPECIAL PLANET!!" Her words cut into me, and I feel a knot of rage form in my chest. "THIS WAS THE VERY REASON I SAID WE SHOULD LEAVE YOU AT A CHURCH!!!" I shout back

I've been trying so hard to keep my cool, to be the one who holds it all together, but hearing that—hearing her say that—I can't hold back anymore.

"I TRIED TO WARN YOU THAT OUR LIFESTYLE ISN'T MEANT FOR SOMEONE LIKE YOU!!" I shout, my voice raw with frustration. "BUT YOU INSISTED!"

Her face crumples in pain, but the anger doesn't fade. She pushes herself up, her fists clenched at her sides as she takes a step toward me, and another.

"You think I wanted this?!" she yells, her voice trembling with emotion. "YOU THINK I WANTED THIS?!" Her words are louder now, each one more desperate than the last. "YOU THINK I DIDN'T KNOW THAT I'M NOT STRONG ENOUGH? YOU THINK I DON'T FEEL IT EVERY SINGLE DAY?!" Her body is shaking now, not from fear, but from the raw emotion she can't contain. " I'VE BEEN FEELING IT SINCE MY PARENTS DIED!!".

I take a step back, but my anger doesn't subside. I feel my neck heat with a deep, burning rage, my cheeks flushed red. The air between us crackles, thick with unspoken words and the weight of everything that's been left unsaid for too long.

"I TRIED TO WARN YOU, CRYSTAL!" I shout, my voice hoarse. "I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO BE HERE! BUT YOU INSISTED, YOU—"

"AND JUST WHAT THE HELL DID YOU WANT ME TO DO, HUH?" she screams, cutting me off, her fists trembling. "BE AN ORPHAN IN A CHURCH WITH PEOPLE WHO WOULDN'T CARE IF I DIED?"

"NEWS FLASH: YOU'RE AN ORPHAN IN A MANSION WITH PEOPLE WHO DON'T CARE!!" I shout back, my voice cracking with the weight of my words.

We stand there, staring each other down, the silence stretching between us like a taut wire ready to snap. The cannonballs still echo in the distance, but in this moment, it's just the two of us—fighting, not with magic, but with words.

Crystal's breath is coming in ragged gasps now, her whole body shaking. "I'm not like you, Dominique. I'm never going to be like you," she spits out, the words full of bitterness. I instantly regretted my words. I swallowed the lump in my throat as we both stared at each other in silence. "I hate you," she uttered, her lip curled in a vicious sneer. My stomach dropped at her words, and I couldn't respond. All I could do was turn away. I open my mouth to respond, but something in me falters. I want to keep fighting, keep yelling, but the drive evaporated.

I looked over at Madison and Luca, who stayed uncharacteristically quiet. It seemed their fighting spirit was fading away... like mine. My mind continued to wander until a sickening thought occurred to me. "Uh, guys, why did it get so quiet all of a sudden?" I said, standing up. Everyone else started to look around in panic.

"Luca, all I could do was heal the area around it, but I'm sorry, your eye is gone," she said, helping him up. "Quickly, here," she added, ripping the hem of her skirt and tying it around his missing eye socket.

Suddenly, Crystal started screaming and pointing at the doorway. I turned to see them—distorted, grotesque balloons floating in. The skin was patchworked together, stitched with uneven, jagged seams. They pulsated in a disturbing rhythm, shifting slightly in midair like bloated creatures. Some had mouths, their lips pulled back in unnatural grins, while their eyes were wide and unblinking, staring at us. Others had slithering tongues that dripped like melting wax, and ears that twitched, as though they were listening for something. The flesh was a sickly grayish-pink, peeling and moving in ways that didn't seem natural.

The more they floated toward us, the more their fleshy bodies twitched and warped. The grotesque wriggling of their limbs seemed like an impossible nightmare made real. As they moved closer, their limbs would twist unnaturally, sometimes even folding back on themselves, making squelching noises like wet rubber being twisted. Each one of their mouths opened slightly, revealing rows of sharp, needle-like teeth that chattered. A sickening, wet sound echoed from them as they squirmed.

We started to run toward the back of the building, but it was hard climbing over the debris from the roof that had caved in earlier. "We need to get over the fallen pieces—hurry!" I yelled.

"No! We won't make it in time!" Crystal yelled, running away.

Luca and I managed to get to the center and were helping Madison over the fallen pipes when Crystal, who had run for the corner, screamed. We looked up and saw the flesh balloons gnawing and chewing on her. The sound was like squishing, gnashing bones, and the grotesque crunches were nauseating. Their mouths were sinking into her flesh as they tore at her.

Then an eerie laughter echoed from above.

Jojo was descending from the roofless ceiling, clapping. "How do you like it? It's my circus magic spell called 'Patch Puppies,'" he grinned.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!! GET AWAY!!!!!" Crystal screamed.

Her hands glowed orange as she activated her magic. The glow flickered violently, the power building within her. And then, with a sudden, deafening burst, the energy exploded from her palms. The force of the explosion was so intense it sent shockwaves through the air. The flesh balloons, their bodies no match for the sheer power, were torn apart—limbs flying, skin splattering across the room. Their bloated forms disintegrated in the blast, their parts falling to the ground with sickening splats.

However, as the smoke cleared, the horror we saw was worse than any of us could have imagined. Crystal was standing there, trembling, but her arms were gone. The explosion had torn them from her body, leaving only jagged stumps of flesh. The skin around the holes was charred and blackened, with blood oozing in slow, sickly streams. Her face was badly burned, patches of skin missing, and her eyes were wide with shock and pain.

Her body seemed to slump under the weight of the injury, her knees buckling as she crumpled to the ground. Blood pooled beneath her, her arms lost forever in the blast. The stumps where her hands used to be still leaked crimson, each drop a painful reminder of the cost of her magic.

She slowly glanced up at us, a pained expression in her eyes. Her lips trembled as she whispered, "I... I can't... feel..."

Then, she collapsed.

"CRYSTAL!!!" Madison shouted, rushing to heal her.

Jojo chuckled softly, then turned to me. "It's your blood I want, not hers," he moaned, licking his cracked lips.

I trembled. I didn't want to be here. I wasn't strong enough to beat him. What could I do? What should I do?

Sounds of someone throwing up reached my ears. I glanced back and saw Madison puking. She wiped her mouth, trying to control her shaking hands. "I'm sorry, I'm just a bit overwhelmed," she confessed tearfully.

"HEALING MAGIC!! ANGELIC TOUCH!!" Madison shouted, beginning to close Crystal's wounds before she bled out.

"I-I don't want to die," Crystal pleaded weakly as tears fell from her cheeks.

Madison, sobbing, shook her head. "Yeah... I know, Crystal."

"Dom, he's moving again," Luca warned, practically handing me his hand in fear.

"It's time for the next act," Jojo said, pulling pieces of a flesh mask that had melted to his face. "CIRCUS MAGIC!! JUGGLING KNIVES!!"

Knives of different shapes and sizes materialized. "NOW!! BLEED FOR ME, MY DEAR!!"