by Joshua Chou
Nora stopped tensing her body. Sophie turned around.
“And what am I saying? I don’t even know you.”
That was the end of it. Sophie finally entered the library and closed the doors behind her. As she sealed the entrance, Sophie got one last glance outside.
A fresh stream of tears dropped from the A.X.E.L. intern’s cheeks. Nora was crying in public. Yet Sophie could not care less.
The doors closed entirely. Sophie let out a sigh she held in since leaving the chair. She walked deeper into the library and secretly prayed that she would forget this day as soon as possible.
Chapter 21 – Re-Emergence
Almost half an hour passed, and Iris was still debriefing the situation to two of the security guards.
“And I assure you,” Iris continued, “We won’t bother you again like this.”
“Maybe not this time,” one guard said. “But this was rather sudden. I mean we got phone calls straight from the headmaster and our boss.”
“A bit much, but it was all necessary,” Iris replied with a smile. “Most of the time, we deal with Wraiths without bothering others. At least this time we didn’t have to raise any public panic.”
The second guard scoffed. “Sure, young lady,” he said with a gruff tone. “Do you guys need to do this again?”
Iris She smiled back. “Hopefully not. But I promise that the A.X.E.L. group will to try to handle these Wraiths as swiftly as we can. We’re professionals.”
The guards exchanged a few glances. “But what about that girl who walked past us earlier? Was she one of yours?”
Iris waved off the question with her hand. “Let me handle her. She’s younger. It’ll take a few minutes for me to speak with—”
She stopped speaking. Her hand froze mid-wave. Iris lost all vision in her eyes, and her eyes glazed over with white haze.
“Uh oh,” said Iris.
“My God, your eyes!”
“I need to concentrate,” she replied. “Hold on.”
Another premonition. Usually Iris chose when to use her Sol, but it worked the other way around if the Sol sensed something important that required her attention. This was not the first time she got a vision, and these usually came at the worst of times.
Iris’ Sol blasted another vision into her mind. She saw a scene from a bird’s eye view. Someone was standing outside of EU’s library. It was a young girl, and she was in great distress.
“Uh, miss?” asked the first guard. “Are you alright?”
“My Sol’s trying to tell me something,” said Iris. “Whatever it is, it must be an emergency.”
Iris squinted her eyes. That wouldn’t help her see any clearer without the use of her real eyeballs, but her Sol clarified the vision further.
It was Sophie. She was leaving the library now. She was still shaken from the interrogation from an hour earlier, but she could walk on her own. And someone in a green hoodie was following her.
Their mystery person stuck up on Sophie. He reached into his pocket to draw a long object. It was a thin cylinder with one needle at the end.
Upon closer inspection, Iris realized it was an Auto-Injector, a designated tool for administering allergy medicine for people who were having a severe reaction. But the drugs inside were definitely not medicinal.
Sophie noticed the hooded man too late. He jammed the needle tip into her shoulder. She seized up her whole back and arched it erratically. Sophie collapsed to the ground.
“Cero?” she asked.
“Sorry, kid,” said the hooded man.
He yanked out the tool. As he did, large wafts of black mist erupted from Sophie’s body. They poured out of her eyes and mouth. Dark vapor congested and congealed to form something abysmally hideous out of Sophie’s body.
Sophie’s Wraith returned to life with a scream.
Iris snapped out of her trance. The haze in her eyes dissipated with her vision. As her real sight returned, she noticed that the other guards stared at her dumbfounded.
“I have to go,” said Iris. She reached for her cell phone. “It’s urgent!”
***
Ethan got the text. Evidently Iris had an emergency on hand. He looked behind him.
“Guys?” said Liam.
Liam and Winston were in the midst of moving a trolley full of supplies back to Iris’ car. Their senior stopped and tapped the brakes on the tool with his foot.
Winston glanced between them absolutely confused. Perhaps his phone wasn’t on Iris’ speed dial list. “Got what?” he asked.
Liam undid the brakes and tugged the trolley as hard as he could. He didn’t need Winston at all: the man pulled all his weight back to the car. Ethan and Winston sprung after him.
“Sophie’s Wraith,” said Ethan. He held up his text for his pupil to see. “It’s not dead yet.”
That got Winston to frown. “What do you mean it’s not dead yet?!”
By the time they arrived at the car, Liam tossed the last box into the trunk. He rushed to the driver’s seat, and the other boys took their places in the back.
“Don’t know,” Liam replied. “But Iris never jokes about this stuff.”
He shoved the key into the ignition and turned. The car roared to life. Winston almost marveled at the sound of such a monstrous engine under the hood. Liam turned the car to pull up to where Iris was.
Their leader took the passenger seat. She was wrought with worry, and her sudden text was not adequate enough to match the terror on her face.
Ethan hadn’t seen terror before. He had seen stress, worry, and even anger. But this was new, and he was feeling nervous as well.
A rapping came on the glass. Everyone turned. Nora stood right outside the car and kept knocking on the glass. Liam unlocked the doors, and she entered. Nora slammed the door behind her.
“How is the Wraith not dead?” she demanded. “The talisman should have worked!”
“I sensed it re-emerging a minute ago,” Iris replied. “We have to find it immediately.”
Ethan looked out to the streets outside. Plenty of people walked about, and they were in no state of panic. If Sophie’s Wraith re-emerged, it hadn’t drawn too much attention to itself.
“There’s no Wraith alarm yet,” he noted. “Maybe it hasn’t gone nuts yet.”
“Yet,” Iris repeated. She pointed forward. “To the library! I’ll feed directions as we go!”
Liam floored the pedal. He rushed down the streets to find their target. Iris bit her thumbnail and pressed her whole body into the passenger chair.
A majority of the ride was spent in anxious silence. They passed by car after car driving below the speed limit. Liam kept his foot on the accelerator pedal to get to the scene as fast as possible.
Ethan dug his feet into the floor of the car to sink as far as he could into his own chair. He glanced around.
Winston held on for dear life. He hastily buckled his seat belt, as he forgot to do that earlier. Nora held onto the armrest for support, but her knuckles turned white from the force of her grip.
Sophie’s Wraith had a head start, but they could theoretically catch it if they rushed fast enough. Iris pointed in the general direction of EU’s library, but her detection changed as the Wraith continued to elude them.
“We’re getting close,” said Iris. “It couldn’t have gotten far.”
Liam continued to rush down the streets. He took to the bus lanes, which were thankfully empty at this time.
Ethan noticed that Iris’ eyes glazed over again with white haze. Her Sol was giving her another real-time vision of the Wraith.
Iris patted Liam’s shoulder. “Take a left here,” she said. “I know which station Sophie’s at.”
“Station?” asked Winston. “What station?”
“A subway station,” said Nora with a quiet voice. “If no one has sounded an alarm, the Wraith has avoided being seen. Iris said a station, so it must be underground.”
“In the subway,” said Ethan. “Oh boy.�
�
Their car turned. “What’s the plan?” asked Liam at the wheel.
“Ethan,” said Iris. “Lead Winston and Nora against it. Exorcise on sight.”
Vivid memories of Hector’s exorcism were still fresh in Ethan’s mind. Here was Iris suggesting he repeat what he did back then, which only meant the situation was far worse than Ethan thought it was.
“Is she that far gone?” asked Ethan.
“I’m afraid so,” Iris replied somberly.
Nora looked to the others. Her eyes were still swollen. “Is this happening because of the interrogation?” she asked.
“No!” Iris retorted. “I’m absolutely sure I purged the Wraith with holy water!”
“Well something went wrong!”
They narrowly grazed another car. Everyone swerved again. Winston shrieked one octave higher than usual.
“Can we argue when we get there please?!” he yelled.
Nora let go and folded her arms. Ethan finally got a good look at his troubled friend. There was resent brewing in her eyes. He saw it earlier, but now it got worse. Evidently Nora was crying earlier, and Ethan needed her for this situation.
She needs someone in her corner right now, Ethan thought. And I wasn’t giving it at all in the last few days.
A subway station entrance was visible from where they were driving. Its green stairway railings and subway lines were displayed for all to see. By now the Wraith had passed through, and a horde of people were evacuating in fear.
Based on the look of terror on their faces, Ethan safely assumed they had seen the beast up close. Those escaping people would soon pull the alarm. He wondered if everybody got out.
Can’t think about what-ifs, he reminded himself. Got to figure out what I can do now.
Their car came to a halt. Everyone vacated the car. Iris drew her phone and feverishly re-dialed the North Precinct’s numbers to get reinforcements. Meanwhile, Nora went straight for the trunk and pulled out her revolver.
“Gear up and focus,” said Ethan.
He glanced to Nora, who already was one step ahead of him. She knew she had to focus on the task at hand too. As she loaded the chamber, Ethan drew his katana and tossed Winston his baton.
Iris reached into the glove apartment and produced four flashlights. She handed them to each of the students and retrieved another one for herself.
“Clip these to your belts,” she said. “You’ll need light down there.”
Ethan took his flashlight and held the sheathed blade in his left hand. If she was handing him lights, then they would be fighting in near-darkness.
When that wasn’t bad enough, they would be trapped underground until the Wraith was dealt with.
He shook his upper body to loosen his shoulders. Ethan found himself becoming more and more tense anticipating a fight with unfavorable odds rather than fighting it.
“It’s just another Wraith,” Ethan said aloud. He knew the others could hear him, but saying it helped keep his mind focused rather than nervous.
“Sure,” said Winston. “I’ve only killed one. But sure.”
“There might be a problem,” said their friend.
Ethan and Winston turned. Nora lowered her gun. The safety switch was still on.
“Sophie could die,” she said. “No one has taken two exorcisms before.”
Ethan pointed to the people who just escaped from the subway. “And she’s going to kill more people if we wait any longer,” he noted.
Nora kept her gaze down. He walked over and waved his hand before her. She finally gave him eye contact for the first time since yesterday.
“I need you to focus, Nora,” said Ethan with a gentler tone. “We need you.”
Nora frowned. “I thought I wasn’t cut out for the ‘heavy lifting?’”
“I was being stupid when I said that, and I’m sorry.” He shook his head. “Forget I said that. Maybe we can save Sophie. And who knows exorcisms best among the three of us.”
Winston stepped up and glanced between the two of them. He wore uncertainty across his face, despite being part of this team and not part of their fight.
Nora brought one hand to her eye and wiped away the moisture beading near her nose. There was a Wraith waiting for them below.
“Yeah,” she said finally. “Let’s get down there.”
Iris cleared her throat. All eyes fell on her. “I’ll coordinate you all from here,” said Iris. “Liam will watch my back when you all are retrieving Miss Crawford.”
“Is she still alive?” asked Nora.
Iris summoned her Sol and conducted a quick scan. While her vision was still obscured, she spoke aloud as she got a good read on the situation.
“I see her down there, but she’s in the A line. It’s not docked in the station, so you all will have to get to it by foot. I also detect a single Wraith with her. It’s a big one.”
She dispelled her Sol. “You all are ready, but be careful.”
“Let’s go,” said Ethan.
With that last note, the field team descended into a darkness blacker than the fading sky.
Chapter 22 – Demon’s Den
Ethan never considered how empty a subway could be during a Wraith attack.
Most instances of Wraith attacks were either outside or in a closed apartment. He had gone to cases where the Wraith emerged in a tight building or escaped into the streets with the hope of escaping A.X.E.L.
But this was much worse. Whatever form Sophie’s Wraith took down here, it had one advantage: darkness and enclosed space.
No one could see much farther into the tunnel without any lights. Iris’ flashlights were lit and showed them the way. Only Nora had no belt, so she ended up clipping the light to her waistline.
The station was mostly empty. Porcelain tiles and pillars defined the aesthetics of the area. Every electrical appliance from MTA card dispensers to overhead lights were losing power. Dead machines and useless contraptions occupied every empty space around them.
“Power’s a bit wonky down here,” said Ethan aloud. He knew Iris could hear him loud and clear.
“Iris,” said Nora. “Did it take the downtown line?”
Yes, said Iris via her Sol. Other patrols are quarantining the nearby subway stations, but be ready.
“Noted,” Ethan replied. “We’re still looking.”
He turned to Nora and Winston, who were just as wide-eyed and jumpy as he was.
“Can’t be much farther from here.”
The platform was empty. Ethan glanced down at the tracks one meter below. He hopped down to the tracks. Everyone else followed.
As soon as they entered, they could hear something down one of the tunnels. Due south of their position, a faint grinding sound was resonating through the chasm down the tracks.
Ethan almost thought it was the sound of something scraping its claws against the rails. But that wasn’t the right kind of sound. Something long and hard ground against the metal, not the sharp thin appendages of a Wraith.
Their target was long and armored. Yet Ethan couldn’t tell what they were fighting. It was too far to see with their limited visibility. They all had weapons ready.
“Do we head south, ma’am?” asked Nora.
Yes. Be ready.
Everyone treaded with caution down the tracks. They still moved briskly, but each of them was keeping their eyes peeled for anything in the darkness around them.
The next dozen seconds passed with uncertainty. Everyone kept a figurative ear to the ground. The slightest sound could mean their Wraith was getting the jump on them.
Keep your guard up, said Iris. Her voice was startling enough to make Winston jump. I still detect one Wraith, but I also detect Sophie. Find her!
After a few more brisk minutes of walking, they found the A train. It was halted on the tracks approximately one hundred meters away from the station, and it was completely unoccupied.
The A train was obviously in motion a few minutes before. Its doors were al
so wide open.
Everyone approached the train. “This is it, right?” asked Nora. “I don’t see anything out of the ordinary.”
Proceed with caution, said Iris.
“Sir Kay’s beggin’ for a fight,” said Winston with a smirk.
Nora glanced up at the nearest door, which had a small ladder to access it. She glanced at the other boys, and then she started to ascend.
The petite girl stepped up twice before coming to a halt. She glared at Ethan and Winston.
“Don’t look up ‘till I’m on the train,” she said.
Ethan and Winston glanced at each other in brief confusion. They then realized that Nora was still wearing a skirt. Out of courtesy, they averted their eyes.
The field team boarded the train. Pale lights flickered overhead. Though the lighting was terrible, Ethan could make out enough details of the car they stood in.
This place was a mess. Purses and papers strewed about. The people who evacuated in panic left some things behind. Black gunk covered the floor where the Wraith crawled through the subway car. What should have been a clean example in modern transit was ripped straight from a nightmare.
Usually the A train was one of the better subway lines in this city. It had the cleanest chairs, the smoothest handrails, and the most generic look for every movie about New York.
Now Ethan had to lead Winston and Nora through this mess to find their target.
A chorus of hydraulics hissed behind them. All eyes turned. The door behind the trio shut tightly.
The same happened with every door in this car. Each possible exit sealed shut. Ethan and his team just managed to catch a glimpse of the furthest door in their car to seal automatically.
“What the—” said Winston.
He ran for the nearest door and tried to pry it open. The metal exit would not budge. “Damn, it won’t open!”
What’s wrong? said Iris, what happened?
“We just got sealed in!” said Ethan. “And the train is moving!”
The Wraith knows you’re there. Proceed with caution! And hurry! Stop that train!
“Why?” asked Ethan.