11.1 - Temptation

Elaina and I sat in her living room alone.

The others had already gone to sleep. She slowly moved her glowing white hands over my wounds.

I winced as the pain in my shins drained away.

"Just relax," Elaina said softly. "It'll take some time to fully rejuvenate the tissue."

"How long?"

"Probably the whole night plus a few hours. That’s if you don't move around too much. At most, a day."

"Thanks."

"Of course!"

As Elaina closed her Spellbook and set it on the lounge table in front of the sofa, a million questions flooded my mind.

I chose one of them as she rose to go to the kitchen.

"Ela..."

She turned to me. "Hm?"

"...I met Ambrigado."

Her gaze never left me.

The kind-hearted smile on her face was gone, and her expression turned grave. She moved back to the sofa and sat back down next to me.

"Did you really?" she stared into my soul.

"I did."

"What did...What was...What happened?"

"We talked," I said.

"You...talked?"

"Yeah."

"About...?"

"Stupid stuff. His ideology, my powers, and his plans—"

"Like?"

I blinked and tried to look away from her. Her quick response left me annoyed.

"S-Sorry," she shifted away from me, and I just noticed she had leaned closer, eager to hear what I had to say. "Y-You were saying?"

"...He told me about a device, a machine, called an Atomizer. He said...it's able to detect who's a Normal and who isn't across the whole city. And he said...it can wipe them all out once it was ready."

"Did Ambrigado give any hints...to where we could find it?"

"He didn't."

She pondered quietly, as I continued.

"He went off on all this stuff about destiny crap—how Abnormals will always be hated by Normals, and such."

"Do you believe him?"

"What?"

"Do you believe him?" Elaina repeated. "Ambrigado's words. Do you think there's truth to what he said about Normals?"

"I...Well..."

"Jace, you shouldn't believe what he tells you."

"I-I get it, it's just..."

"And you shouldn't even think any of what he said makes sense!"

I looked away from her. "But...what if it did?"

"E-Excuse me?"

"What if it does?"

"Jace, you're starting to sound crazy—"

"No, Ela, hold on a second," my voice rose. "Sorry, uh...I'll keep it down."

"You're fine," she said. "The others won't hear us from upstairs. You can't trust anything Ambrigado tells you. Period."

"I can't help it if it makes sense."

Elaina frowned. "…His ideas should never make sense."

I met her eyes again. "And...just how do you know of his ideas, Ela?"

She froze. "I...I'm just going off of...what you're telling me."

I stood up and went to the kitchen.

I heard Elaina follow close behind.

She took a chair at the wooden table, and I poured myself a glass of milk.

Elaina began again. "Did he...Did he say anything else?"

"Yeah," I said, without looking at her. I took a sip of milk. "We talked some more. A lot more."

"Oh..."

"About you."

I glanced at her sitting at the table, and her face went pale.

That was probably the most spooked I've ever seen Elaina. But it was for a good reason. At least, it was good for my benefit.

If there was ever a time to confront her, this was it.

"Molecruel said—…that I shouldn't trust you."

Elaina shook her head and laughed. "Well, that's just dumb."

"Is it?" I took another sip from my glass, and again stared at Elaina.

Her eyes were locked on me. "Jace...? Are you...trying to say something?"

"How are your folks doing at Bethsville, by the way?" I asked bluntly. "I haven't had a chance to ask you. Sorry if that was insincere."

She swallowed. "Oh, no, that's...all right. They're, um...They're doing fine."

"Yeah? Have you shown any new Spells to them?"

"I did. I showed them a couple."

"And what did they think of 'em?"

"Ugh, Jace, why are you asking about my folks out of the blue like this?"

I finished my glass. "Because Molecruel said you lied to me about that whole trip of yours."

Elaina froze again.

"He said you lied about even going to Bethsville. You lied that you spent time with your parents. And, in reality, you were hunting Molecruel yourself—all the way at Eastern District, as a matter of fact."

"Ok, stop right there," Elaina folded her arms. "He's wrong—"

"Is he? Or are you covering up another lie?"

She squinted at me. "Jace, how dare you? You actually believe him?"

"I'm asking you a question."

"No, you're asking me shit based on what Molecruel told you about me! And—I can't believe this is even happening right now—you're actually starting to believe him!"

"Tell me then," I challenged her. "What did your parents actually think of your new Spells? Hm?"

"...You're being stupid."

"And you're being dishonest with me, Elaina. Want me to ask again?"

"Jace, shut up. My folks are doing fine, I told you. They're very busy, so I didn't get a chance to show them my new Spells."

"Busy? Or did you never show them a Spell in the first place?"

"You're just digging into my personal life based on what our enemy wants you to think! I don't know what's your problem—"

"My problem, Ela, is that you're still lying to me!"

"Jace, I'm not—"

"Your parents don't even like Magic. In fact, they must hate everything about it, don't they?"

She didn't answer.

"Is that right, or what?"

She still didn't answer.

I shook my head. "You're unbelievable."

"So what if they hate Magic?!" Elaina blurted out. "So what?! I don't have to care about what they think about my powers!"

"Then why did you lie to me just now about showing them new Spells?"

"I—...Ugh! You're being an idiot, Jace! You talk with Ambrigado and now you're acting like we're enemies!"

"I need to know if I'm in the lair of an enemy," I answered back.

Elaina's mouth fell open. "Jace...Jace, what are you saying?! We're not...I'm not..."

She took a step forward, and I took one step back.

"Ela," I interjected. "You better be honest with me right now."

"You're being unreasonable."

"Ela, I swear. You better be honest with me right now."

"..."

"Have you just been using me to get to Molecruel?"

She didn't answer me.

I kept up the pressure. "Elaina. Have you been lying to me all this time about Molecruel? Have you been lying about our reason for tracking him down in the first place??"

She stayed silent.

I shook my head and made for her front door.

"Wait...Jace, wait!" Elaina exclaimed, and I heard her rush after me.

I turned to her. "Ela, I am going to ask you one more time. If you lie to me, we're done. If you tell me you've been lying to me about our friendship, then—"

"My grandmother."

"...What?"

"Yes, Jace. It was just because of...my grandmother."

"..."

"But that's not the only reason I stuck around with you! I swear!"

"So, you did lie to me."

"Only at the start. Jace, please, I never intended to—"

The pieces finally fit together as I thought aloud. "You didn't arrive in time at the police station, because...you were just hoping that I would...kill Ambrigado...Y-You knew…You knew he would be there tonight…!"

"...No, that's...Jace, please..."

I nodded a few times, thinking of all the times I relied on her, thinking of all the times she helped me out of rough spots. And now, this girl, this Mage, had the nerve to tell me that I'm wrong to not trust her?

"I..." Ela began. "I...I know what you're thinking. About me. And I just—"

"You've been reading my mind this whole time, haven't you?"

"Jace..."

"You've been reading my mind so you can steer me towards confronting and killing Ambrigado. For you!"

"No, that's not...I...I was wrong..."

I stared at this Magician, this scheming girl. "...So was I."

"Jace, please—"

"Shut up, Elaina!" I yelled at her. "All this time...All this time, I thought we were friends, me and you! Hell, I thought we were...growing past just friends! And now...now I finally realize...!"

Her shoulders dropped. "No, what you're thinking isn't the truth!"

"Then you tell me, Ela. You tell me right now what's the truth."

Her eyes began to water, but I didn't care.

Her hands shook, but I didn't care.

Her voice grew nervous, trapped in her own web of lies.

But I didn't care.

"I-I lied to you, Jace. I did. You're right...and I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

I did not respond. I only listened to her pitiful attempt at remorse.

"I was wrong," the Mage repeated. "I was wrong to put you through all this. I was wrong in not being honest with you from the get-go. I couldn't face Ambrigado myself, so I..."

"You used me to get to him. That I could handle his moron henchmen, while you focused on getting to him. That's why you lied about going to Bethsville."

"I'm sorry, I..."

"I don't care, Elaina. Because of you, I suffered through hell. More than I should have. I went through a bunch of fights, put myself on the line...just so you could do your own thing."

"Jace, I'm sorry. I really am! Please, if you could just hear me out—"

"Why? Why should I?! Are you gonna curse me or jinx me if I choose not to listen to you anymore?"

"Jace...please...I don't...I don't wanna lose you...please..."

I balled my fists. "The moment you lied to me, Ela, was when you lost me." I turned away from her and walked towards the doorway.

"Hey!...H-Hey!" she called after me. "You're not...You're not actually—!!"

"I am," I replied. "I'm going to Molecruel. I'm done with you."

Just as I reached for the doorknob, it suddenly disappeared, and a cyan rectangle appeared in front of the door itself—fixed along the doorframe.

I wheeled around and saw Elaina holding her left hand up, glowing in a cyan aura. Her Spellbook was floating next to her, open and ready to obey her commands.

"I-I'm sorry, Jace," she said, avoiding my gaze. "I...I can't...I cannot let you join Molecruel."