Esper Chapter 11: Mysteries, Lies and Truths

Part 1

(My head…all these voices…they haven’t stopped since the incident.) Harper Wolf dug his thumbs into his temples, trying to block out those distant whispers reverberated in his mind. (I can’t even sleep at night. At night, they’re worse!) The sounds of a little girl crying, as loud orchestral music, and police sirens blared would penetrate each and every dream! (…That one voice, it’s his. I know him way too well.) A familiar voice, one that he could focus on, looked for solace, his friend. (A bossy one, constantly thinking.) The unfamiliar busybody only thought of work, and planning, rarely delving into frivolity. (More cynical thoughts, of course.) Depressed and embittered, another lacked any key to escaping their own wandering thoughts. (Then there’s the greedy one; only wanting.) An ambitious voice, one that refused to allow others to obstruct their goals remained steadfast.

Yes, Harper was hearing others’ thoughts. He could hear familiar voices, faint but ever present everywhere he went, while others would get louder as he passed individuals on the streets. (Man, that girl is fine as shit!) Some would think. (I need to earn some extra money for that car.) Others would go on about. (That bastard! He didn’t even call me back!) People would scream in their heads! (…Should I turn myself in…) Was whispered. What would a young man like him do? Could he use this power to help? He didn’t know…not until… (It’s not worth it…Just one step…) The subway… (Then it’ll all be over…) He watched another young man. (I…I love you…I love you, Mom! Dad!)

(Seriously?!) Harper wanted to stop the boy, but an entire train platform, two sets of tracks, and an ocean of people separated them! His own inability to move at a moment’s notice would allow a preventable tragedy, one that would be all his fault, to take place! (No…don’t kill yourself! Don’t die! Your Mom! Your Dad! They’ll be sad!)

His foot left the platform as the train approached, but then…words, thoughts, visions, were blasted into the boy’s mind! Words like, father, mother, sadness, regret, guilty, suicide, love; and visions of his parents blaming themselves for his death halted the boy in his tracks! The train whizzed by…and the boy lived, none the wiser to the fact that Harper had saved him.

Part 2

“Well…say something!” Amala Singh’s amethyst eyes shot ferocious scorn toward Calvin Wolf! The man could only counter with an expression of disbelief. His son, Harper, shuddered behind him, feeling tension pollute the air like static before a lightning strike! That vile criminal accusation, it was snarled aloud, stealing the voices of all parties involved!

“Amala…?” Nicolaus Thompson’s personal knowledge of Amala was limited. For her to have not only revealed such a traumatic experience, but confronted an object of said ire before him, a near unswallowable lump of discomfort lodged itself in his throat.

“…It’s been some time since we’d last seen each other.” Calvin finally broke the hushed silence. With an awkward air gripping the quiet cul-de-sac, it felt like time slowed to a crawl for both Nicolaus and Vergil Trask, who basically wandered into a hostile reunion. “Are you not sleeping well? You have bags unde-”

“Shut up, you piece of trash!” Unrestrained vitriol was dragged from deep in Amala’s soul! The man before her was unforgivable! “I want you…I want you to go ahead and lie again! Lie like you did on the stand all those years ago! Right here, right now, in front of your son, to my face, to the world! Say…say you didn’t m-molest me! Say you weren’t the reason that Chelsea, Sasha, Loran and Patricia…all killed themselves…!” As strong as she tried to appear; ignoring her own voice cracking, and tears welling up in those resolute eyes, the adrenaline alone kept Amala from falling back on her unsteady legs. Unyielding in her beliefs, she felt wholeheartedly, her actions were righteous…or at least…

Harper, Nicolaus and even Virgil all waited with baited breaths as the setting sun collected the last of its warm rays from across the darkening sky. “Amala, I know what happened at Mrs. Helga’s was horrible for you…and I didn’t help at all-”

“You were the cause, you bastard!”

“…Amala…”

“Say it! Lie! Lie!”

With a deep sigh, Calvin locked eyes with Amala again, and spoke frankly. “…I didn’t molest you or any of the other girls.”

Nary a flinch in his delivery, and that shook the young woman to her core. “…You…you’re still lying! I knew you would!” Though she’d demanded that answer, it wasn’t what she truly wanted. Resolve, that which drove Amala’s decision to confront her former instructor was unknowingly riddled with doubt.

“Amala, please…it’s been years, and those girls’ deaths, they were on my watch. I live every single day thinking about them, about what happened to you, about how I failed!” Calvin covered his face with his hand, removing his glasses in order to wipe away building tears.

“Dad…” Harper wanted to console his father, but the look of wrath building on Amala’s face stopped him cold. “A-Amala, that’s enough! My Dad…whatever happened to you…you heard what he said!”

(What do I do?) Nicolaus’s brain rifled through options, but there was no perfect thing to say. He was an unwilling participant in the matter, but to a small degree, he was completely involved! Amala was his friend, and he wanted to support her! “Let’s leave.” What he settled on had about as much impact as a leaf falling into a brush in the middle of autumn.

Everyone turned and looked at the well-meaning, yet ultimately inept young man. “Nicolaus…” With eyes filled to the brim with conflict, Amala turned to Nicolaus seeking any type of reassurance. “…You believe me, right? That he’s lying…”

A multitude of emotions conveyed through looks rested piled onto Nicolaus’s unconfident shoulders. Harper, broken before the sight of his crying father. Amala, seeking solace in her lone ally. Vergil, awaiting the answer of his mentor, already at his own wits’ end! Everyone awaited Nicolaus’s answer! All eyes on him, Nicolaus considered flying away, but quickly discarded that drastically inane plan! “I-I…don’t know.” An ill-made decision. Every part of Amala's demeanor, all at once, drooped. Her face became almost totally frigid, eyes glassy, and tiny shoulders relaxed as if all strength leaked from her body.

“I can’t apologize enough for everything you had to go through! Chelsea Becke was one of my top students…she would’ve been an incredible dancer! Watching such a horrible thing happen…those girls poisoning themselves…” Calvin spoke with a wavering voice. Harper just stood by, watching his father physically breaking down, falling to his knees. “It’s one of my greatest failures in life to have allowed it on my watch! If I can do anything to…”

By the time Calvin had looked back up to her, Amala was ambling off down the road. “Hey!” She ignored calls from her ‘friend’, Nicolaus as she slowly walked away. “Vergil, you go home! I’ve got to check on her!”

“B-B-But…Nicolaus!” Off he sped, ignoring the teen!

Amala made her way into the woods, moving as if the cold winter’s air was carrying her about, like a discarded plastic bag, aimlessly floating along. “Amala, wait up!” Nicolaus grabbed the tiny wrist of the despondent woman. “…” That unswallowable lump of discomfort was still firmly lodged in his throat. (Damn! I kind of hoped I wouldn’t catch up. I still don’t know what to say!)

“Nicolaus…why didn’t you back me up?” Amala couldn’t bear to make eye contact with the only bastion of comradery she had left in the world. The failing left her heart muddied, mind clouded, eyes ready to burst with tears, and her weary body was at its limit.

“What…I…I don’t know. Having something like that just dropped on me…I never knew all the stuff you went through! You only slightly mentioned it…”

“…For so long I’ve felt alone. Maybe I was better off that way, not relying on anyone.” Amala attempted to tug her hand away from Nicolaus, but he held tight!

A twinge of anger, feeling slighted, propelled him to the end of his already thinned patience. “Look, I’m sorry, ok?! You just…you dropped all that onto me, ok?! What was I supposed to do?!” Nicolaus’s mouth outran his mind! “You disappeared and left me with your work, don’t care at all about what happened to those cops’ bodies, or are even bothered that Carl died! You…you don’t even care about what I’m going through, so don’t act like I’m the only one in the wrong here!”

“…” Snatching herself free of Nicolaus’s grasp, Amala went about enveloping herself in purple haze. “Sorry…for being such a selfish brat.” She shot up into the sky and rocketed off!

(…fuck…) Was all Nicolaus thought as she disappeared into the dark sky, leaving his hoodie sleeve and heart partly singed.

Part 3

Sapped of energy, Nicolaus slogged into his dark apartment, struggling to process all of the day’s events. After collapsing onto the couch in the living room, he saw a message had come through on his phone, just then. Without even glancing at the contents, he slung the device across his dimly lit living room! The young man’s frustration peaked in the form of a minor tantrum. Confusion ran amok in every aspect of his life, and Nicolaus wasn’t even sure if he had reliable allies anymore! Tucking his head deep into the couch cushion, he slowly forced himself to sleep. At least, that’s what he wanted, but the constant sound of an annoying messaging tone irritated the young man awake!

“Fucking what?!” Yelling at no one, his phone continued to chime. “Agh…who is it?” Using his telekinesis, he lazily retrieved his phone from a corner of his apartment. Text after text came in from the hyperactive sleuth, Aran! Any messages received prior to entering his apartment were ignored in favor of wallowing in an anger fueled self-pity party. He quickly skimmed through the messages, with one or two standing out as concerning.

[I think I’m going to get arrested!] And… [I’ll need you to bail me out!] Instantly floored by the thought of the young man being jailed! [The Trenton police station! Quickly!] The absurdity overcame a slowly growing headache as Nicolaus fell from the couch, openly laughing to the point of a stomach ache!

“Wait…is he for real?” Preparing a response, and finally comprehending what was being conveyed, left Nicolaus unsure, as was routine when dealing with Aran. “If he’s serious…no way I’m picking him up!” Still troubled from earlier, he elected to just climb back up onto the couch, cover his head, and sleep once again. Aran was an adult, despite his looks. It wasn’t Nicolaus’s place to rescue the young man! However, Aran wasn’t doing anything other than trying to help him. “I don’t care! I’m not going to get involved with the police. We talked about it today, he’s been compromised. I can’t go out of my way to help him!” With his eyes closed, Amala’s distant look, that was burned into the mind of the often-cynical Nicolaus haunted him. “…Like, why would he even reach out to me in the first place…after all, we’re basically strangers.” ‘Strangers’, that meant something to Nicolaus. A stranger, someone who doesn’t know you, sometimes can change your life, even if only by just being in the right place at the right time. “…I’m not his friend. I’m barely his associate! Aran is just some annoying brat who…”

Before he’d noticed, Nicolaus was already pulling his black and red skull hoodie over his spiky hair, and slipping on his sneakers. He sighed, resigned to defeat at the hands of guilt. Using his telekinesis to propel back into the cold sky, Nicolaus cut through the dark like an azure bullet! The one joy that could be cleaved was testing out the new facemask he’d purchase for flying. Breathing at the elevation he’d fly was difficult, coupled with the incredible speed he moved. Function was one thing, but his love of a grim and edgy aesthetic, pushed Nicolaus to buy the facemask. Showcasing a row of sharp, red and black stenciled teeth, it matched his favorite hoodie! Nicolaus was overjoyed, stealing a glance in the mirror before flight.

In the breath of two minutes, Nicolaus had arrived above the police station and spotted a safe landing zone. With the coast clear, he rushed over to the front of the police station and peered inside. Manning the front desk was an old, exhausted officer. He eyed the sole other occupant of the lobby, a man, likely homeless, ambling toward the door. Nicolaus passed by on his way in, still formulating a plan, while pulling off his facemask and hood.

“Can I help you, son?” The old officer grumbled from behind his desk, frowning so intensely his wrinkles overlapped across his face.

“I-guh…well…” A muted television set hung from the ceiling, humming in tune with the fluorescent lights overhead. Buzzing electricity flowing through the appliances was the only noise piercing the awkwardness, blanketing the room in a sterile aura. No other civilians or other police appeared to be in the station, so Nicolaus was stuck alone with the crotchety man looking down his nose at him. “Ah…ow!” An effort to speak failed as Nicolaus bit his tongue.

“Listen son, it’s almost quitting time for me, so unless you have some real business here…” The sound of boots clopping down the hall resounded, catching the two’s attention.

“Manley, who are you talking to?” Rocking Nicolaus with her sudden appearance, Raquel Childs walked in. “Nicolaus Thompson, right?” As astute of an investigator as she seemed, thoroughly memorizing people’s names and faces was a skill of the perceptive and analytical detective. “Is everything alright?”

The connection between Raquel and Vernon Marino was suspicious, in Nicolaus’s eyes, so he elected to ease through the conversation, playing it close to the vest. “…Um…I’m here to…bail out my…friend?” Nicolaus said with so little conviction, he wasn’t even sure the words left his mouth.

“Bailing out a friend? What’s this friend’s name?” Raquel took charge of the situation as Officer Manley began packing his things. “Manley, help me with the paperwork for this and then you can go. I was just about to leave myself.” With a grunt, the old man plopped a small stack of papers on the desk, causing the sheets to slide and scatter about. “Oh, don’t be like that.”

“His name is Aran…Aran…” Nicolaus didn’t know Aran’s full name. “Uh…we’re just close enough that I only…really know his first name.” The officers snuck a glance to each other, now seeing the young man as suspicious. “His name is Aran…he’s about 5-foot-tall or so…blonde hair…probably wearing a dumb trench coat and stupid hat.” Nicolaus caught himself showing contempt for the young sleuth, then tried to laugh the harsh comments off as a joke.

“Okay…I think I know who you’re talking about…” Raquel quizzically rested her chin atop her fist while raising an eyebrow.

“Hang on. He’s gotta’ be talking about that kid you brought in not too long ago.” It surprised Nicolaus to hear that it was, in fact, Raquel who brought Aran in. “I thought that little woman was a woman though.”

“…What?” Hearing Officer Manley mention that, knocked Nicolaus for a loop. “Aran’s a boy…right?”

“Aran…as it would happen, has yet to give us their personal identification. They’ve claimed it to be classified and better off unknown.” Raquel pulled up a paper and handed it to Nicolaus. Only a recent picture of Aran sat alone, with every box, except their first name, being left blank. Further plagued with confusion, the lack of information Nicolaus had on Aran was bothersome. “Honestly, I’ve little reason to keep this…Aran. The only law they really broke was attempting to trespass and being belligerent. If they handed over their ID and left Newtonville Rock, I’d have just let them go.” She said so candidly, but Nicolaus was more hooked onto the fact that Aran was at Newtonville Rock! That was one thought, but then it hit Nicolaus, Raquel was also at Newtonville Rock! “You sign the papers…I’ll let your friend off with a warning this time, as a favor.” As Raquel walked off, officer Manley drummed his fingers on the papers waiting for Nicolaus to fill them out.

Once finished, he prepared to wait on the bench, but before Nicolaus could even sit down, that small yet sturdy frame of Aran’s blasted him from the side! Despite said tiny stature, the doll-faced sleuth launched themselves into the much larger Nicolaus with enough force to send him crashing to the floor! “Thompson, my partner! Thank you for assisting me in my time of need!” Aran gave their dazed ‘partner’ a hearty hug as Nicolaus recovered, tossing Aran to the side!

“Get off me, you moron!” Nicolaus was conflicted. More and more mysteries were wrapping themselves around his life, strangling away any reason. Their powers, Newtonville Rock, Delta Exceed, Aran…and never to be forgotten…the fate of the officer he murdered. Often times, just dipping into those thoughts left Nicolaus in an anxiety riddled state. His chest tightened, his eyes watered, his brow sweat, Nicolaus despised and feared being ignorant of how lost he was in his own life!

“Nicolaus Thompson, are you alright?” He could hardly respond to Raquel.

“I…I’m fine. We’re going to leave, okay?”

“Um…yes, that’s fine. Would you like a ride? It’s very late.”

“We’re fine. Thanks!”

“Alright. Before you go, however…” Raquel dug around her wallet, looking for one of her cards and handed it to Nicolaus. “Call me on this number if you need anything.” A polite gesture, but Nicolaus was stunned. Not by the offering, nor Raquel’s forwardness, but by what he’d only glimpsed for less than a second, unsure what he saw was real or not. Just barely, as she flipped through her wallet, only for what may have been an instant, Nicolaus laid eyes on another card…a card with what looked to be a similar design to the one shown to him by Aran. “Uh…here…you can go ahead. I actually need to leave for the night too. I stayed here way too late!” Raquel Childs forced the card into Nicolaus’s hand as he simply stood dumbfounded.

(Did I…just really see that? No…that had to have been…) Aran grabbed Nicolaus’s hand and pulled him along as he walked out of the front door, waving back to Raquel and the nearly ready to leave officer Manley.

“Have a nice evening, officers!” Aran laughed.

Part 4

The two sat on the subway, just barely making the last train for the evening. Nicolaus checked his phone, reluctant to send Amala a message. He couldn’t manage to articulate a proper follow-up, whether it be an apology or not, for the outburst he made. (What am I even doing? Nothing…nothing makes sense anymore! Raquel Childs…maybe I was mistaken. Could I ask Vernon…? No! No way! Even if he did know, can I trust him? Who can I trust?) Nicolaus never craved companionship or sought solace in others’ mere presence, but feeling he’d lost an ally, bore a nostalgic hole deep into Nicolaus heart.

“Uh…” Aran began. “Thompson, is something bothering you?”

“No…” Nicolaus replied, being obviously untruthful.

“Then…why are you keeping a distance?” Both physically and emotionally, that was true. The young man kept two seats separate from Aran in the cart.

“…Aran…what’s your last name?”

“…I…Aran is my last name!” Momentary hesitation embedded another notch of doubt on the ever-growing jacket of mistrust.

“OK, right. Aran, what were you doing that got you arrested?”

“Ah! That’s right! I need to retrieve my van!” The sleuth shot up from their seat in an exaggerated fashion!

“Your van?”

“Yes! I left it at the site! Ahgghh!” Aran began tussling with their blonde hair in a frustrated manner. Nicolaus caught their hat just before it hit the ground and handed it back to them. “Thanks. I need to get there before someone messes with it. If anything happens to my van…” They shuttered at the thought of what was essentially their home being left unattended.

“…How are you going to make it back to Newtonville Rock?”

“Oh, you heard about that, huh?”

“Yeah. What were you even doing there?”

“Investigating, of course!” Aran flashed a bright smile while blowing the tails of their own trench coat up! Nicolaus, once again, stifled the urge to hit the animated sleuth.

“I guess it has something to do with Delta Exceed, right? Did you find something out…Mph!” Suddenly Aran clasped their hand over Nicolaus’s mouth! They shushed him and cut their eyes over to a man walking into their cart. It’d been completely empty until then, allowing the pair to converse freely, but suddenly, some guy they hadn’t noticed just waltzed in from another section of the train! Aran was concerned with the man, but Nicolaus was concerned with another person essentially jumping onto his lap! With zero sense of self, Aran had pinned Nicolaus to his seat. A small dress pant clad knee rested right in between Nicolaus’s thighs as Aran’s chest presented itself to the young man’s eyes. Aran’s white dress shirt, much like the rest of their outfit, was pristine; a bit embarrassing to the slobbish misanthrope by comparison. Even more noticeable was a weirdly familiar scent. Deodorant, the same type Nicolaus himself used.

“Okay…we’re coming up to the next stop. I don’t think that guy is paying attention to us. When’s your stop?” Aran removed their hand.

“…Uh…n-next one…” Nicolaus replied demurely. “N-Next, I mean!” He yelled, trying to regain some confidence as he stood up, pushing Aran back. “I’ll go with you to Newtonville Rock. We’ll borrow my sister’s car and drive up there, alright?”

“Really?! That’s my partner!”

“I’m not your partner!”

Part 5

After a few minutes of convincing, Nicolaus managed to secure the car. The conversation, however, did not involve the car’s owner, Daniella, but the father of her unborn child, Alonso. It wasn’t difficult for Nicolaus to convince his well-meaning soon-to-be brother-in-law into handing over the keys, who was determined to get on his good side.

As the car drove along the rocky road leading to the peak of Newtonville Rock, each bump caused Nicolaus’s stomach to sink a bit. Aran admitted to investigating the area, but he still didn’t have an answer for what Raquel was doing. (Officer Childs was up here earlier. There’s absolutely no reason for her to be here. Unless…Delta Exceed is up here too…is she…a member of Delta Exceed?)

“Thompson, what’s troubling you?” He’d almost forgotten about his passenger, Aran.

“Oh…just thinking is all. What were you investigating up here?”

“I’ve been here a few times since I’ve come to town. Whenever I do, I take samples of the fauna in the area and pictures. On one of my most recent trips, I noticed tracks, as if huge vehicles had come up the hillside. At first, I thought, maybe it wasn’t anything to worry about, until I noticed each night they seemed fresh again!” Nicolaus was honestly surprised at what sounded like Aran being a real investigator. “I came again earlier, and they were there again! I wanted to check out the surrounding area; I bet you didn’t know there are a bunch of old mines in the range!” In fact, he didn’t. “It sucked though, I parked and went to check out the cliff that overlooks Newtonville, where the lights were said to be, and then that officer just showed up! I didn’t get a chance to do anything!” They fumed in their seat. “Ah! There it is!” Aran suddenly reached across Nicolaus and pointed down a heavily wooded hill toward their van, covered by a large bush!

Nicolaus parked and let Aran out. He watched as the small person gleefully pulled open their car door and checked to make sure nothing was stolen. As the jovial sleuth counted papers and checked their mirrors, Nicolaus thought to himself silently. (Tracks, Raquel just appearing out of nowhere…and that card…I haven’t told Aran about it yet. Aside from Vergil, the others don’t know…or care for that matter. But me…I want to know more.) He resolved himself and posed a question to Aran. “Aran if you were to…have backup – a partner, let’s say…for this investigation-”

“Are you offering to assist me?! Absolutely! I’d rather have no one else, Thompson!” Their face lit up with enough glee to illuminate the woods!

“O-Okay.” Nicolaus pulled Dani’s car over next to Aran’s van and exited the vehicle. “…Oh…and Aran…uh…weird question, I know…” Nicolaus had also worked up the nerve to inquire as to another pressing matter concerning Aran. “Do I…call you…can I…are you…” Or at least he thought he did. “…would you prefer sir…or miss…dude…or…what?” That was the best he could manage, lacking any delicacy.

“Hm…” Aran rested their finger on their chin in an over-the-top thinking pose. “I guess…it doesn’t really matter! How about ‘partner’? Let’s get a move on, partner! Follow me!” Certainly, a non-answer for a non-committal question. Off Aran strode, a smile beaming as if they’d won a million dollars!

The two trekked through mushy dirt and foliage until coming upon dry and barren land. A lesser explored quarry with many closed off mine shafts stretched out before them, tantalized Aran, while Nicolaus’s mind remained alert, should any mountain lions or other animals attack. The laborious terrain grew more problematic for Nicolaus, who didn’t dress for mountain climbing. Up rocky hills and down the steep slopes leading into ravines, the less than adequately equipped ‘partner’ struggled to surmount an unforgiving landscape. (Fuck…I’m really out of shape…) Nicolaus wheezed, considering the use of his telekinesis. He could easily fly and follow the trail, but with Aran nearby he discouraged himself.

“The tracks from before were right around…here! Look, fresh again!” Several sets up tire tracks were dug into the hard dirt. “Incredible…but where do these go…?” Aran traced their way up and down the trail, trying to pinpoint the destination. “Thompson, come here…quietly.” They whispered.

“Hmm…what?” Nicolaus followed, crouching down behind Aran. Warn wooden boards and police tape sealed off a particular mine’s entrance, descending into a dark chasm. Danger and keep out signs were also planted in the ground nearby, warning of possible collapse. “You sure this is the right way? I mean…this place doesn’t look the least bit active.”

“I’m surer now, as a matter of fact. Look here.” Aran pointed toward the wooden planks barring the entrance. “These nails are brand new, and the wood may look old, but they’re freshly cut. I guess whoever it is, meaning Delta Exceed, probably put these up to throw anyone off.” They got down on all fours and crawled under a small break in the barricade. “Thompson, are you coming?”

“Eh…fine.” Nicolaus followed under the boards. When he stood back up, Aran was loading bullets into a handgun! “W-W…what are you doing with that?!” Unprepared as he was, seeing that gun unnerved Nicolaus.

“I pulled this from my van. It was Grandpa’s. He told me to always keep it in case something happened. Don’t worry, I’m actually an ace when it comes to using this baby.” Another beaming smile, to which Nicolaus started associating with pride, and not confidence. “Make sure to stay quiet. We don’t know what’s in here, so stay behind me.”

Deeper into the mine visibility drained. Nicolaus readied prepared his phone light, but Aran turned on a light on their breast pocket, again cheating a smirk back to their ‘partner’. (If I weren’t trying to stay silent, I’d hang you from one of these beams overhead by your suspenders.) Despite his surliness, Nicolaus was impressed with how well- equipped Aran was.

Down into the darkness, further engulfing themselves, Aran’s light slowly failed to pierce the oncoming void. Though Nicolaus originally traced his hand along the wall to keep steady, the cold and dry rocks continued to push away, eventually escaping his touch. Pure darkness devoured even his own aura, eating away any comfort, even his dying phone battery gave out. Left alone, lost and wading deeper into nothingness, Nicolaus’s mind began to play a trick on him. Fear of the dark wasn’t something Nicolaus had, however, total isolation was. A tiny voice called to him. The beckoning was so low, barely registering. “Why…” It seemed to say. “Why…Nicolaus…” Louder, the voice came from the void before the young man. “…Don’t leave me…” Another came in from beside him. “Alone…all…alone…I will…save you…” To the right…. “Help…me…” To his left… “Me…? No! No! …Would you…Nicolaus…Nicolaus…! Why?!”

“Aran! You there?” Suddenly Nicolaus was blinded by Aran’s harsh light beam! It annoyed the young man, but then came the soft, secure and warm touch of Aran’s hand grasping his.

“Yes, I’m here. Thompson, I think I see something up ahead. Stay quiet…” Off in the shadows a small reflection ricocheted back to Aran. “…what…what is this?” A massive hole, one which ate up the entirety of the mine shaft’s floor in front of them, led downward. The pit was ominous; it felt as if it was a colossal entity laying at their feet. Nicolaus shook Aran’s hand as they were clearly intimidated, snapping them back to reality. He pointed down to the lip of the opening, a ladder was built on the brim.

Aran looked to Nicolaus, who nodded and circled around the side of the wall. Taking the initiative, he slowly climbed downward, each rung of the ladder, feeling like he could slip into oblivion at a moment's notice. Once again, the dark began to envelop him, but Aran used their light to at least show the bottom. He finally reached the end, with his sneakers nearly slipping on the damp rock floor! Aran quickly followed suit as the two crept along.

The lights showed a shaft going even farther into the cave, twisting around corners. “…Thompson, do you feel that?” A light humming vibrated through Nicolaus’s body, like a consistent subwoofer playing a single note without any dip.

“…” Nicolaus crouched down, and slowly rounded the corner, finding an astonishing sight!

Shaped like an auditorium, a massive man-made crater surrounded a singular metallic disk-shaped object, roughly car sized, embedded in the ground. Large wires ran from the disk up to a stand, with levers and dials on top of it. Steel containers sat on either side of the controls, while a blank screen was present on the front.

Nicolaus, so dumbstruck, forgot to even breathe and just ambled a step forward. Aran suddenly running forward and cutting him off snapped the young man’s attention back! “Aran, wait…!” Nicolaus spoke in a hushed tone, clearly his ‘partner’ didn’t heed the call. They rushed up to the stand and began fiddling with the controls before draping themselves over the panel and lightly sobbing.

“Finally…” Nicolaus could hear them beginning to weep. “Something…all this time…I…was starting to think maybe I was crazy…”

Nicolaus slowly approached and rested his hand on Aran’s thin shoulder. “…We don’t know for sure what this is, but it’s absolutely something.” As calm as he appeared, the shred of suspicion Nicolaus held onto felt more justifiably real.

Both unprofessional investigators shared gleeful looks until the sounds of boots on rock suddenly caught their ears! Aran quickly cut their light and grabbed Nicolaus by his hood, dragging the much larger man behind one of the many steel containers present. “Shh…” They hushed their partner, while reaching for the loaded weapon holstered on their hip.

Nicolaus was frozen. He knew there was a chance something would happen, and though he tried to mentally prepare, the thoughts of using his powers on another person to defend himself was distressing! Numerous voices came from the other side of the container, chatting, almost too casually. The whole time, Nicolaus maintained a focus on his powers. It was difficult to hear exactly what they were saying over his heart pounding, but Aran seemed to perceive it. “…What do we do?” Nicolaus’s question was answered only with another shushing by Aran, with their finger pressed firmly over his lips. (You’ve got one more time to do that…)

“…It can only be…” There was something murmured that clearly upset Aran. “…but how?” Nicolaus felt their hand tremble as a whirring racket slowly filled the room. It built from barely audible to a deafening hum! Lights glowed from beyond their hiding spot, casting the whole cavern in a green tint! “This…this is it!” Aran almost leapt from hiding with their excitement bubbling over, but Nicolaus yanked them back by the tail of their coat!

“You told me to calm down now and no…w…” A wave of nausea all at once smashed into Nicolaus’s stomach and head. The world around twisted and turned, bending, and ebbing in massive parts! “F…fuck…” He collapsed, losing strength across his body as the headache he’d been battling flared into a full-on migraine! Aran was so busy trying to keep their eyes on the happenings over by the control panel they, nor Nicolaus himself, noticed the azure haze erratically pulsating from his body! The room became cast in deep mauve, then burgundy and then as Nicolaus’s haze mixed in, the mist rapidly plumed into white orbs! “Not again…Aran…run!” As the humming turned into a static sound, the telekinesis went berserk! Launching their own cover across the room, knocking over several men, slamming people into walls and destroying the machinery! Nicolaus’s powers were totally out of control!

Panicked screams echoed all around as entire portions of the cavern walls were shattered by the haze blasting them with incredible force, making a cave-in seem inevitable! Nicolaus doubled over on the ground, unable to stand, hardly think, just watch as his nose oozed blood and people howled in terror! Aran’s hand came into view as they pulled him onto their shoulder and started lugging him away! As the two struggled back toward the ladder, Nicolaus, as the source of the haze could still feel it, bashing against things, breaking things, maybe even hurting people.

End of Chapter 11