Arc 3 - Chapter 22: Sean vs Elizabeth

“Get back here now!”

With her left palm, she allowed the clouds to crawl and slither. Spreading out far and wide, it misted into fog, and made it seem as if it held the secrets of the abyss. But that was all within the irises of her eyes.

Inside the dark, he was left to feel the stings. Unwilling to take it any longer, he pushed his left hand into his pocket, and took out a simple lighter. Bringing it up…

It evaporated.

‘Shoot finally…’

Submering himself in the dark, the layers of shelves only hid his presence. Masking in it, bathing in it, it only worsened Elizabeth’s eyes that roamed in strain.

Seeing that he had already freed himself, she extended both of her palms outward. Having her palms facing inward, she breathed softly through harsh nostrils.

“Sean! You better get back here right now!”

From the tips of her fingers, two clouds formulated within each hand. And from her nails, it sped through the air like a sonic, and sizzled the wind like they were knives. Unrelenting in stamina, in energy, the two clouds split up to search for the runaway elf.

And from beneath her boots, more clouds sprouted from her body.

‘This should do it…’

Unfortunately for her, Sean already had a counter-measure.

From the highest point of the bookshelf, Sean clung onto the wood like a koala. Gripping the wood with bare fingers, he shivered from the cold, one that crystallized the wood below. Holding his breath, any body heat he was forced to bestow was a grounds for defeat.

‘Just enough … just long enough …’

His eyes focused on the desk, the embers from the window fluttered. Sean could only push out a grin … before he heard creaking.

‘Uh oh …’

Right at the moment, he felt the wooden behemoth tilt forward. His fingers tightening on the wood, all of his body weight hunkered on. And he felt his whole body topple down.

Sprawling on the ground, all of his arms and legs were outlaid. Hitting the back of his head, he hissed air, while turning his head around. His eyes catching the shelves, they collided against one another as it reached its peak.

“Shit.”

With the last bookshelf toppling down, all roads left to where he last stood. Elizabeth, who sniffled the air with whiskers hunking her cheeks, dented the floor with her sprint.

Dilating her eyes, she adjusted her pupils to see in the dark. Her arms pulled back, and her body quelled in motion…

“Sean!”

Jumping back, he barely avoided a single fist that scraped his nose. Feeling some of it bleed, he began his trek toward the light, one that unleashed the fiery inferno.

Gliding through the air with the bottom of his boots, the tips of them scratched the wood. Making her dance, making his clothes swift against his body, he held his breath the more he played.

“Now!”

From the wooden floor, ten pillars of clouds rose from hell. All trajected toward his body, he froze for a split second, and felt his hair clam on his forehead. Waiting for them to strike, would he dodge? Strike? Leap?

He dissipated.

“Huh!?”

Melting like imaginary wax, he was none other than one of his clones. Catching her completely off guard, it was clear that he played the cat like a fiddle. Feeling her whole body clench, to tighten, she turned toward a man from her peripherals.

Standing idly like a doof, he had his hands in his pocket.

“Hehe. Missed me.”

“Enough.”

From the wooden door to his right, Sean noticed a man wearing a brown jacket and khaki pants. Having the same attire as every other guard, there was one thing different.

For one, he had blonde hair, with no facial hair sprouting his cheeks or jaw. His hair all greased with oil, it softly glowed by the embers from the window. Sean immediately raised his hands, as he chuckled up a smile.

“Johnny! Hey man, how's it going! Not wanting to be rude and all, but uh … can you control Ellie for me?”

“Then would you mind explaining to me what you’re doing?”

Sean glanced to his right, and noticed Elizabeth having her hands low to her sides. Looking like she balled her hands, all of her knuckles tightened the longer she stared at him.

Looking like he was analyzing him, all of his movements were guided by her sharp-like irises. Avoiding her gaze; would be physically impossible.

“Just trying to get the info. You didn’t have to be in the way you know?”

“But why go to such lengths?”

“Well we’re low on money. Didn’t you hear? Our group was victimized by your father. So yeah, of course we needed some answers … and some cash …”

“But money’s not benefiting your group. Hell. It’s the complete opposite even…”

Sean only grinned, but he didn’t chuckle. His face slowly faltering in sweat, he had it all hang by his buckled knees. Straining the wood with his leather boots, he gulped, as his hands raised higher than the strands of his hair.

“Just let me go. You hate your father more than I hate him. Where was that spark you had? That will to fight? What happened?”

Sean tilted his head to the right. With his body fully in the window, the flames from behind rose up like ashes from a graveyard. But then Johnny tilted his head down.

Right in front of his feet … of his boots, he didn’t allow any thoughts or memories to rush through. No. He—

—“You’re just a clone are you … I could tell by the shadow of the flames.”—

Elizabeth lunged at Sean, her right foot denting the wood beneath her heel.

His whole body evaporating in front of her, she almost stumbled, as she hunched forward. She lowered her hand to her pocket, and noticed a faint …

It was gone.

“Oh no…”

Elizabeth turned to Johnny, her eyes widened with sealed lips.

Finding his gums to slightly strain, he wavered his head in all directions until he pinpointed at Sean. Seeing that he was behind a desk, he stood idly, away from the window but near the shelves.

But Elizabeth didn’t hold back. Lunging at him once more, she had her arms clench and bulge from excess strength. Along with the clouds from below, they were shooting up like traps in a war torn jungle.

“Woah woah woah!”

Feeling like every cloud grazed his clothes, he jumped and slid through the skin of his teeth. His hair swaying with the wind, and his organs shifting in and out, he hissed air through the confines of his throat.

‘She’s much angrier than before, damn.’

Without heeding to his hips, or even to his holsters, he maintained his breathing that withered. Like he was breathing in dust, sand, paint; anything coarse was within his lungs. But imaginatively. Figuratively.

Her columns of clouds, ones that were as sharp as razors, were grazing close. Edging more and more to his body, he felt his soul be on the border of his throat. And it wasn’t long before he glanced at the door to his left.

‘I got to get out of here! Fast!’

One single cloud brushed his face, and it pinched his nose and cheeks. Making that the last straw, he twirled his body like a ballerina, all to avoid a couple of strikes.

Creaking the wood, he dashed forward to the wooden door. Unwilling to look back, he breathed heavily as his lungs ballooned up and down. The door became smaller and smaller, it was like he was running in his dreams … until the door swung open.

“G-Ah!”

A group of maids pinned their barrels at him.

Crawling to a hefty halt, he quickly raised his hands, as his own chest stung his heart. Hearing two pairs of footsteps from in back of him, he was surrounded by both fronts. With Elizabeth readying the clouds, and the maids all having their barrels gunned at his face…

“Sean. The card. Drop it.”

He froze.

Feeling his face and body be covered in sweat, the tension was all too riding on his shoulders. Unwilling to take the helm of his breathing, even his own knees began to buckle. The pressure finally crawling around him … he … he …

He laughed.

As if denial or insanity had rained on his soul, he laughed harder than he had ever done. Lowering his right hand, he pressed it onto his stomach, as his abs soared from the excess ventilation. Making the maids, Elizabeth, and especially Johnny to gawk at his laugh, he took two steps back.

“What’s so funny!?”

Slowing down his laugh, tears already rolled down from his cheeks. Using his right hand, he swept away the water, which crusted the crevices of his eyelids. And especially his dead skin.

“Man it’s just … Well, here.”

Pushing his left hand into his pocket, he took out the small note that he had. Having it with his fingers, he showcased the laminated paper, and turned it sideways for everyone to see.

Having everyone’s eyes be obsessed with the card, he then pushed up a smile.

“But look closely.”

It dropped to the—

—Floor. Passing through his boots.—

Still being on the floor, it was like a horrible glitch in the making. Pushing the corners of his lips to his ears, he cocked his head back, and gleamed under everyone’s surprise.

“Turns out I just won.”

Glass shattered, and everyone turned toward the main window.

Leaping out through the frame, they barely caught ginger and black. Looking like he jumped out of the window, the maids shook in pure anger, while Elizabeth and Johnny strained their brows.

Unfortunately for him, the house wasn’t second, but third story.

‘Shit—’

Landing in a random bush, hard, his back ached and burned. Somewhat protecting him, he groaned low, and lifted his head with eyes barely operable. Leaving littering his hair, he got up from the ground nestled in dirt.

As he dragged his feet across the gravel.

‘At least I made it…’

Chuckling out air through his mouth, he raised his right hand near his lip. Clearing away blood, his left hand was balled into a fist, one that held a single laminated note.

Feeling the wind blew in smoke, and the heat all too oven-like, he continued to walk with a limp to his step.