The Hero?

~Chapter 21~ A Change Of Tides

"Hello? Mark? What are we preparing for?" Bob asked me as he snapped his fingers in front of my face to try to get my attention.

"Oh, um. Right. We need to prepare tournament finals," I said after shaking my to snap myself out of spacing out. I didn't want them to worry about war, at least not yet.

"Didn't you hear? Because of the raising threat levels, the council themselves cancelled the games," Tyler said me, as if it was weird that I didn't know the information.

"Oh... Well then we can still train so we're better prepared for another ambushed. Speaking of which, is the tracker on Jack still working?" I asked Bob as I got up and walked up to the control system.

The tech here really is a marvel, our advance systems could track anyone.

"When did you put a tracking device on him?" Wade asked sound just a bit freaked out.

"When we kissed after I rescued him. He was distracted enough that when I planted one, he didn't notice," I explained to him trying to make it sound less concerning.

"Oh..." Wade said to me trying not to continue the subject any longer.

"We've got a signal," Bob said instantly making my head whip back to the screens.

"It's a dark void?" I stated in a confused and unsure tone.

I saw the light frown on Bob's face, I could tell from his expression he was contemplating something. Moments later he sent himself into the computer again.

"What?" Tyler and Wade said in unison in an even more confused tone.

I just looked at them with an I don't know expression. To avoid the awkward silence, I just walked out of the room as well. I was now just mindlessly walking in the halls, and into the field. I started too feel tired so I went back too the apartment and to my bed. I closed my eyes fore awhile and before I knew it, I was asleep.

********

I woke up suddenly and with a pounding headache. I got up from my bed before walking to the bathroom, deciding to shower to wake myself up. I heated the water, then took all my clothes off but my necklace, I stepped into the warm water and continued to shower. When I was done I turned the water off and stepped out feeling completely refreshed. I went into my room to find a new set of clothes and putting them on. I tried to remember my dream that caused the headache but I couldn't remember whatever I was, all I could remember was the darkness surrounding me as I struggled to keep my light. Then I heard his voice again... Jack.

Is he my light? Or is he the darkness that I must...

Suddenly I felt a strong surge of magic go through me taking me out of my thoughts, but I knew exactly who that was.

Jack.

I teleported with the magic and suddenly I was on the roof of a farmhouse. Then I saw him, well the back him anyways, by the way he shifted slightly I could tell he knew I was here.

"Hey Mark," he says to me proving my thought. His voice seemed different, it felt... empty. I tried reading his mine already knowing it wouldn't work. But this time his barriers seemed stronger.

Is this the doing of Aura's magic? If so I need to get her magic out of him quick. There is no way to know what her dark magic might do to him over time.

"Jack? What happened to you?" I asked him trying to hide my worry about his well being.

"What do you mean? he asked back in a monotone voice. The sun started to darken and as the it continued to grow dark, a cold breeze came through making Jack shiver ever so slightly.

"You're different," I tried to say.

"Is it the hair?" He asked back with a joking tone avoiding what I just said to him.

"Not what I meant," I said sighing before he stood up and spun around facing me.

"Then what did you mean Mark? I'm different because I killed people who tried to hand me over to Amber? Different because I finally took over the school I've been murdering for most of my life? Different because I gave Amber the chance to live instead of just killing her like I usually do? Different because I left You?" he stopped as tears started to form in his eyes.

There was a silence between us, the wind started to grow and I could see Jack was losing a little balance, but I decided against trying to help. The sun was now completely gone and we were in complete darkness, the stars started to come out and I could see that he was starring at the them with the light of the stars reflecting off his eye.

"What?" I breathed out continuing our conversation, I saw a sour look on his face before he turned away.

"Whatever. Just leave me alone. I only used dark magic to see if you were still tracking me," Jack said with slightly frustrated tone.

"Jack," I sighed but he didn't turn around to look at me.

"Mark," he said sternly to me, I knew then and there with that tone he wanted me too leave, but I couldn't.

"Come home with me. Just for tonight," I asked, he turned to me with a twisted expression showing several different emotions.

"I...," he choked on his own words before going quiet

"Please. You can leave in the morning if you want but... I want you safe tonight. Can you please come home? For me?" I asked with a desperate tone, his eyes dropped and simply nodded.

I gave him a warm smile which he could not see, I grabbed one of his freezing hands before teleporting back to the apartment. I could see Jack squinting and adjusting to the brightness of the room. I lead him to my room, and for a second I realized how weird this must seem to him right now. But I couldn't afford growing even more attached then I already was.