Skyler looked up with disgust and also in pain. “surrender now, or you will face more harsh consequences. Do you want that Skyler?” he yelled, fiercely. He gripped the handle of his gun more and more tightly to keep himself from busting in anger.

  He stepped closer with each step he took the air got more dense, horrible to breath Like death bringing down its wrath. The primordial who was inhabiting Skyler’s body didn’t even care, they made her stand putting her hands in front of her in a defensive position.

  Her hair went completely purple and her eyes were like a snake, she dashed at him, with speed causing wind to build up behind her, then she threw a punch which Justin felt making him fly backwards into a wall his emotions were all over the place since, one day ago skyler was talking to him like she wants to be like him but now in front of him she looked undistinguishable from the person he knew.

  He got up and looked at the demon in front of him. He clenched his fist, spat some blood. The stench of corpses circled around him and skyler, he took aim and shot at himself the bullet disintegrated and his eyes glowed a bright dark green glow and his calf muscles grew.

  For a second he was there then the next he was behind skyler elbowing her in the pelvis. He felt the bone cracking under his elbow, Skyler stumbled to the wall grabbing the chain steadying herself. The primordial noticed that he was running out of time in her body.

  Since her eyes started to bleed and the hot blood trailed down her cheeks and hitting the floor. The splatter blood didn’t affect Justin nor Skyler. They just locked eyes ready for whatever they were going to do to each other.

  The tense silence was so intense that, when a mouse squeaked. Skyler eyes were drawn to it and the shadows that were near swallowed it.

  Skyler was forced to blink, her eyes and her body collapsed from exhaustion from using her magic.

  Justin was quite surprised by the unexpected development from Skyler, he approached carefully and sighed.

  “Why did you do that?

  Justin knelled down and grabbed a stick that was hanging from his belt and put it near Skyler’s neck. It started to expand and went around her neck encasing it with leather. Then leather belts came out the small holes of the collar. Which wrapped around her tightly keeping her from escaping.

  First was her forearms which were bound parallel to each other against her back, Then more leather belts came out of those holes entrapping her torso and the buckles came back to the forearms to tighten the grip of the bind. Finally a blindfold that went around Skyler’s eyes trapping her eyes in endless darkness when she wakes up.

  Justin went to Hannah who was still restrained by the muffler.

  “Hold still babe”

  He said gently while he pressed the button on the collar, and unlocked the belts that were holding her tightly as they retracted into the collar.

  Hannah smiled and hugged him lovingly. She kissed his cheek softly.

  Justin smiled softly at feeling Hannah’s soft lips which made him feel like he was at home.

  “Sorry for taking so long babe”

  He said softly but he saw Hannah shaking her head, and felt her tremble in his arms

  “No,”

  He heard Hannah say which made Justin confused on why she said that. He grabbed her chin gently and looked deeply in her eyes.

  “No?”

  He replied and he saw her expression of disappointment and knew that he was late rescuing her. Justin felt angry about his responsibility of being a protector and going with Skyler to rescue her.

  “I know, I was stubborn for waiting for backup but it was more dangerous”

  He tried to build an argument towards not saving her earlier but instead he saw that it made Hannah more distant and felt her moving away from his body.

  “Don’t try to justify yourself Justin. I know that you're keeping to the rules.”

  Hannah said looking at him lovingly but at the same time with annoyance, it was clear that he was in the wrong. He knew that he needed to stop being a stickler for the rules but couldn’t.

  “I need to call this in”

  he thought to himself while looking at the unconscious Skyler lying restrained. He felt so disgusted that he mistook Skyler for wanting to be a protector, he just saw a criminal, a vigilante, a person who is not worthy to be a protector.

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  He stepped back from Hannah and went back to Skyler and put her on her knees. He pressed his watch and put the number of his colleague Ruth. It rang and rang which echoed through the walls of the abandoned building.

  Until a hologram came in front of him which showed a man with red hair, yellow eyes and stubble along his cheeks. He wore a white trench coat with a black shirt and blue jeans.

  “What’s up,”

  Ruth said enthusiastically while waving his hand. He walked around Justin casually like he was determining why he called.

  “So?”

  He said and Ruth saw Justin sighing which made him more curious about what was happening.

  “Remember that I got a new apprentice right?”

  Justin hesitated knowing what he was going to do. Since he wanted to give Skyler the benefit of doubt, he swallowed and took a breath.

  “She found evidence of something huge,”

  He said while smiling shakily, and saw Ruth nodded listening to his words which made Justin feel appreciated since most of his colleagues are nice but not really interested in helping only when it suits them.

  But every time Justin was stuck in a situation Ruth was always available to help. Justin felt really happy when he did. Like he was a big brother to him when his sister was in hospital with bad burns and in a coma.

  “And what evidence is it?”

  Ruth asked calmly and crossed his arms as a chair appeared on the holographic image which Ruth was leaning against trying to get relaxed.

  “Remember those bodies that were missing imaginary cores?”

  Ruth nodded, he grimaced at the reminder of the horror of those bodies being ripped open and had no cores inside them.

  “That is still burned into my mind”

  Ruth said.

  “Well, my apprentice found a lead they found a list of things that were saying how to create a body”

  Justin explained how the imaginary cores could use the remaining magic that would have been stored. From the victim’s core and to be used to pump life into another person. Basically revitalising their life.

  “No, we have vita so why would people need imaginary cores”

  Ruth retorted harshly at Justin and he saw Justin nodding in agreement.

  “Yeah that’s my thought but vita can’t restore body if it’s really damaged only when it’s only been 30 minutes”

  Justin said sadly remembering his parents and how Vita protectors were too late and he saw his parents succumbing to the burns and injuries that they had.

  “I see, so you’re telling me that somebody is trying to recover someone?”

  Ruth said and saw Justin nod which made him sweat a bit since it was unheard of a person who used cores to revive a person.

  “What would you do if you stumbled across a way to revive somebody who has been very influential in your life?”

  Justin asked Ruth and Justin saw that Ruth lowered his head. Which made Justin think about everyone in his life

  “I would”

  Justin nodded at Ruth’s comment

  “Same here”

  ***

  A few minutes later Justin hung up the call, he looked at Skyler with disappointment. Then he heard sirens getting louder and louder which indicated that the protectors were approaching.

  “Great, I probably will get a lot of paperwork due to this situation”

  He thought to himself as he grabbed Skyler and threw her over his shoulder and held her to secure her on his shoulder. He walked with Hannah through the rotted bodies and went out of the building.

  Many cars were parked and people were coming closer and confused by Justin holding Skyler on his shoulder

  “Don’t worry she’s my apprentice I’m going to discipline her”

  He chuckled nervously as he walked faster and got to his car, opening the back door to it and putting Skyler down on a seat. And went back to the driver's seat and set off. Towing Skyler’s bike behind.

  “I hope there’s a spare cell in the aqua prison”

  Justin thought and looked to his left and saw Hannah looking out the window. He thought it was a beautiful picture and wants to burn it into his memory to remember in the future. He looked back at the road and sighed because there's one thing he might need to do and he needs to ask Hannah.

  “Say Hannah, is your father still the warden”

  He asked curiously wanting to know the answer to act on his plan to discipline his apprentice. He knows this isn’t right but he needs to show skyler what happens if she goes vigilanting again. He grips his steering wheel more tightly to mask his discomfort.

  “Yes Justin, he is still the warden”

  Hannah replied confused on why Justin was asking her that question since she knew that protectors have a database that they could search from to find other protectors and such. Hannah was curious unknowingly looking at him and was about to open her mouth to ask him a question.

  “Good”

  Justin said, and started to drive towards the big circuit building on the edge of the aqua sector. It took ages going through the city then through different towns to get there.

  While they were driving Justin dropped off Hannah at her apartment

  “See you in a week”

  He said and he felt Hannah lips again but this time on his lips. Which made him turn red but smiled like a child.

  “Be careful babe because I don’t want to be a widow”

  Hannah replied and closed the door and waved and walked into her apartment complex.

  After Justin saw Hannah enter he dove off again towards their destination. When they arrived it was getting dark. The sun was setting and the big moon was rising.

  “Ugh”

  Skyler groaned, as she arose from her unconscious state. She tried to move but she couldn't because she thought it was due to sleep paralysis. From her sleep.

  “Why”

  Skyler heard Justin whisper and heard a door open a close

  When Justin got out of the car and went to Skyler and brought her out of the car

  “Justin, where are we going?”

  Skyler slurred when she staggered forward from Justin’s harsh push. But he didn’t answer and just pushed her along. She tried to stop moving and struggled in her binds

  “Justin, why am I blindfolded and tied up? Hey, answer me!”

  Skyler screamed, to no answer from him it was torture to her, not seeing where she was going, she just sighed and continued to walk forwards

  “Damm it”

  She thought as she weighed the options of either escaping and being labelled as a bandit. Or accept her role in this situation as a damsel in distress.

  “Come on Justin please talk”

  She wished while the silence was getting more and more unbearable. Which was annoying to her, since it was making her feel uncomfortable, really uncomfortable like the bonds she has on.

  She grunted while slamming her heel on Justin’s foot and she heard him screaming out

  “Seriously!”

  She chuckled but felt a more forceful push on her shoulder which made her move faster which made her unbalanced but carried on trying to keep her balance.

  “Move and shut up Skyler!”

  She heard Justin said to her which made her feel sad since she knew she couldn’t say that she was controlled by a god it would make her seem more crazy as this situation

  “I just wanted to talk is that a bad thing

  She grumbled, and lowered her head knowing it was pointless. Since the blackness of the blindfold was so isolating. But Skyler got the just that Justin was not happy about this and rather walk in silence

  The only sound she could hear was the footsteps of both her and Justin, she assumed they were walking down a corridor that was metallic since the footsteps weren’t muffled like on carpet, nether like on floorboards

  Screams and shouts became louder and louder making Skyler try to stop walking towards the sounds. but couldn’t due to Justin persistence of pushing her.

  Metal clanked around her. She knew she was in the cell block of the prison. She knew if she wanted to be free she should’ve gone at the entrance.

  “Why do I self sabotage myself”

  She thought and chuckled quietly which made her feel Justin’s eyes on her.

  “What’s funny”

  She heard him say and she was about to say a creaking of metal and she felt a violent push from behind and she fell onto her ass on something cold.

  “Hey!”

  She protested, at him annoyed for not warning her, she struggled against her binds again and they got tighter which made her breathe more harder

  “Skyler, if you struggle those binds will automatically get tighter.”

  Justin said, which made her think about Hannah and how her bounds were more tighter. She realised that if she tried escaping from these it has safety measures to prevent her from escaping.

  “Right”

  She stuttered, she exhaled slowly which helped her to calm down. She felt the pressure slowly subsiding knowing that the belts were loosening. It made her feel more confident.

  She heard footsteps departing and the screeching of metal. She knew that was Justin leaving her in this cell. She closed her eyes underneath the blindfold.

  She breathed softly and slowly, quickly dropping into a deep sleep.