Devil of Clinia

The Illusions Begin

Mar's POV-

I felt great regret for all that I had said and what I did. Nothing will repair that, even if I sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart. Fake Taylor was right, all I ever did care about was myself. I sit down on the ground and cry. No Lawson, nor Ezra come to comfort me.

"Guys?" I yell. I'm answered with a crow's cry.

"I'm sorry, just please come back! Don't leave me here! Alone..."

I suppose I deserve it. I was willing to leave Dean behind, makes sense I get left behind.

"Lawson! Dean! Ezra! Alayah! Katrina! Anyone?"

I do what any kid lost in a grocery store shouldn't. Wander around. I have nothing on me to leave a trail. I find a tall city block building and try to get inside. The door is locked, but a man at the counter inside throws the towel he is using to clean over is shoulder and has a confused look upon his face, and walks over to me. He unlocks and opens the door. "We open in fifteen minutes but you can come in now."

It's weird knowing this man isn't real. He also could be a trap. "Oh no it's okay. I'll come back later. Do what you need to do." "You won't be in the way at all, go right ahead."

"No, no, I mean it, it's quite alright."

I start to walk away before he has a chance to protest.

I can't take a chance on anyone. I learned my lesson last time. Of course Aurora won't be as brilliantly minded as Cosmo, so her tricks won't be nearly as clever.

I walk around, trying to keep myself unnoticed as I looked for my group. With a sullen expression upon my face, I wander aimlessly, clinging to what little hope I have left. The heat was unbearable. I was drenched in my own sweat. Each wave of heat stung at my skin like a threatened bee. Suddenly, my body winces as I start to feel a bitter chill of numbing weather frigidly creeping at the sky.

Snowflakes aggressively thrown from above, pelting me. With a drastic change in temperature, I feel numb and unsure, as if my body were in shock. There aren't any buildings in sight, even though I could've sworn they were just there. I run in a straight line, hoping that something, just something can provide me with shelter. The dusty clouds of snow mask the world in front of me.

I try to yell for my group once more, but it's drowned out by the high pitched frosty screech of the cold air whistling around me.

The snow begins to deepen under my feet, and with each attempted running step, I struggle to drag my foot back to the surface. The snow is too thick, and my foot gets caught in the snow, tripping me forward. I feel a sharp pain in my ankle as it pushes forward against the bend of my foot. I squint my eyes in agony of the snow pummeling me, and with my snapped ankle.

I barely manage to lift my face from the snow before my entire back is coated in it.

I try to use what little leverage I have to lift myself out of it, but it's too strong against me.

I feel the icy burn against my face. I pull my hands up before they cannot move, and cup them around my face. I blow hot air into my frost bitten hands to try to keep warm. The light air stings against my temperature shocked skin.

The snow continues to bury me, and I close my eyes and keep the steady flow of air going. With my left trembling hand, I make a wobbly fist and shake it profusely to push away any snow to prevent the snow from covering the hole where I could breathe.

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The whistles continued, but my consciousness did not.

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When I woke up, there was no snow at all. I'm not sure exactly what it is that I did, I just remember my eyes being wide open, and I was curled up into a ball on the ground with my arm in the air.

I look desperately at my hands, and there is no sign that they ever were nipped at by the cold.

When I try to stand up, I'm met with the treacherous stabbing throb in my ankle. I turn my head and lift my leg to see that it is swollen and fiery red.

Well if that was real, how come any evidence that it ever snowed is gone and my hands are suddenly fine?

Was it all an illusion? Was it all in my head?

Maybe Aurora was smarter than I gave her credit for.

I still have to find my group, and once that happens, I can share my findings, apologize, and we can save the world. Except who ever saves the world with a broken ankle? What am I kidding?

I'm useless.

No, no, I must have faith in myself. I navigated through this before, I can do it again.

I belt again for my group, exchanging energy for hope.

Eventually I end up back in the city, and it looks like a ghost town. Streetlights continued to change even though there weren't any cars at all. Buildings stood with no residents nor true purpose, sort of like me.

It's eerie, so I don't want to yell quite as much.

It's been hours.

Maybe I'll have to save the world alone. Technically I was alone before. I was the only human before I met Aurora.

I don't think she's in space, I think she's here masking herself.

I need to see if her illusions have a weakness or a breaking point. She has all of Cosmo's power now, so it won't as easily malfunction or overload. I have to be strategic and find a way to overwork her projections.

If she's the equivalent to a Devil, maybe I can mess with her head. If she's been overtaken by some corrupting magic, it may not actually be her after all that I need to disrupt. Just the magic.

How does one disrupt ancient magic?