Episode III — Shadows Lurking in the Darkness

Chapter 2: Unpleasant News (Part 1) 

Back at the Archmage’s mansion in Los Angeles, in Michael’s room, Michael sits on the bed and calmly fixes Gebmar’s necklace while the deva sits next to him. Ember sits on the floor, joyfully listening to her music while reading webcomics on her phone. Every once in a while, the deva looks down at Michael. When Michael notices him staring, Gebmar blushes and looks away.

Michael gently smiles and asks, “So quiet today? Are you okay?”

“Just thinking. So much has happened lately,” the deva answers back, avoiding eye contact.

“Really? Like what?” Michael asks as he clasps the pendant’s chains together with his pliers.

“Elemental Kingdom drama, don’t worry about it,” says Gebmar, trying to sound as casual as possible.

“It may sound weird, but this pendant feels so familiar, for some reason. Like I’ve seen it before, or something,” Michael comments as he touches the pendant carefully.

Gebmar looks away, a tinge of sadness in his voice when he replies. “Interesting!”

The room falls silent once more, each lost in their thoughts. Through the open window, the wind begins to blow, accompanied by a gentle whistle. A translucent, shadowy snake enters the room, blending perfectly with the environment, and carefully attaches itself to Michael’s shadow. From there, the Whistler sees the dagger attached to Gebmar’s belt.

“What was that?” Gebmar exclaims in alarm.

“Don’t worry, it’s just the breeze,” says Michael, oblivious.

The deva’s attention shifts to Ember and her phone. She taps the top of the screen, switching from reading comics to an audio streaming app. A punk man with spiky green hair pops up on the display. Beneath his photo appears the name QZT.

Intrigued by the strange artifact in the girl’s hand, Gebmar asks, “By the way, what’s with that magic mirror you humans are so obsessed with?”

“This isn’t a magic mirror, but a phone!” Ember casually replies.

“Phone . . .?” Gebmar mutters, squinting at the screen. He leans in, eyeing the feathered serpent design on QZT’s shirt.

“How did you trap that man in there?” he asks, genuinely puzzled. Then, under his breath: “That serpent . . . and the guy. Why do they look so familiar?”

Ember looks up at Gebmar. “You elementals aren’t too familiar with technology, huh?”

“With magic at our disposal, we never saw the need to rely on these techno-things!” says Gebmar, sounding casual. “What’s with those odd things in your ears?”

“These are earbuds,” Ember exclaims, a little annoyed.

“Ear bugs? How can you be comfortable with creatures in your ears?” Gebmar tilts his head, staring at them with curiosity.

Ember rolls her eyes as she takes one earbud out and hands it to the Deva. “Here, just listen!”

Gebmar’s eyes sparkle. “Oh, what is this wonderful sound? This is modern human music? So different from that of the ancients!”

“That’s QZT, my favorite DJ. Awesome, right?” Ember excitedly exclaims.

“Here, good as new!” Michael says joyfully as he hands Gebmar his pendant.

The deva, filled with excitement, immediately puts the pendant around his neck. “Oh, you are so amazing. Love it, thank you!”

Michael smiles, and then his expression shifts to one of curiosity. He points to the enigmatic sphere inside Gebmar’s pendant. “What is the thing inside? It looks like a tiny Earth?”

The deva lets out a sigh and begins to explain, “It’s called Gaia’s Eye, it’s my special magic enhancer. Quite useful during battle!”

“I see!” Michael nods, his eyes fixed on Gaia’s Eye. At that moment, though, a text message notification grabs Michael’s attention. He grabs his phone and sees a message from his friend Kyle. It reads, ‘Hey bro, the gang’s meeting up at the pier later today. You down to roll with us?’

Michael smiles and types back, ‘Yeah, sure thing!’

Michael excitedly turns to the deva. “Hey Gebmar, I was wondering if you would like to—”

“Dad, can’t we discuss this a little more?” Julie’s voice can be heard as she pleads with her father down the hallway.

Perseus’s voice echoes as he approaches his grandson’s room. “We already agreed to this. For heaven’s sake, Julie; he is eighteen, not five!”

Gebmar lets out an annoyed sigh as he mutters, “Great, Perseus. Peace was good while it lasted!”

The Archmage walks into the room, followed by Julie and Dorgia. “Michael? There you are. I’ve been looking for you the entire morning!”

“For what?” Michael asks with fear and suspicion.

“You’re officially the Archmage Heir, so it’s time for you to move to Agartha!” says Perseus, while Michael’s eyes open wide in surprise.

“Wait, what?! When is that supposed to happen?” he asks.

“By the end of the month, and that’s non-negotiable!” the Archmage replies, oblivious to Michael’s distress.

Michael turns to his mother with pleading eyes. “But I’m not ready. Mom?”

Thank you for reading Chaos’s Key.

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