Midnight

3 - Moon Eyes

While Jim and Toby were still starstruck from what's in front of them, instead of staring at the sight of Heartstone Trollmarket they go walking into Trollmarket. They were introduced to different kinds of Trolls in many sizes. Small, big, curvy, skinny, and huge trolls in different shades of colors.

While the boys were in Trollmarket meeting Trolls and being ridiculed because they were humans. On the surface, Blake was walking around on the bridge when the moon was shining brightly.

She looked over the bridge and closed her eyes, she embraced the wind hitting her pale skin. It sent a chill down her spine yet she felt rather warm on the inside. She looked down at the bottom of the canal and smiled slightly. She muttered to herself that she can't even hear.

"Soon..." that one word made her smile slightly. She continues to walk for her Midnight stroll and went back to her home.

Blake made it to her home and through her window she sees her mother working. No surprise there for her. She sighs and enters her house with a creak from the door, her mother immediately looks over to her daughter. Blake was paler and her eyes were more blank like the empty void.

"Hey Blake, you ready for your first day tomorrow?" Her mother's voice rang with excitement.

Blake shrugged, "I guess..." Blake smiled weakly and went toward the staircase. Before she went upstairs she was stopped by her mother who gripped her wrist, Blake looked at her directly in the eyes. Her void-like eyes and meeting her mother's dark brown eyes - that familiar stare; full of sorrow. Blake's eyes widen.

"Blake, I know that you're feeling scared, you don't have to be tough anymore, I'm here when you need to cry," her mother gave her a reassuring smile.

Blake looked away and bit her lip, "yeah, I know... thanks for reminding me," Blake gently pulls her hand away from her mother's grip and went to her room.

She jumps onto her bed and sighs, she looked out of her window and noticed the moon was full and bright. Her black blank eyes reflected it. Blake turned over to face the wall and closed her eyes to fall asleep.

Later that night, Jim was out of Trollmarket. He has seen so many things; the Heroes Forge and Scoothscryer. He shivered when he thought of the Scoothscryer. His arm being crushed but somehow being fine in the end after the judgment.

He heads home with Toby pushing their bicycles. Toby gasps when he saw the lights in Jim's house was on and Mrs. Lake's car was in the driveway.

"Ok, if she asks what happens, tell her I was bike-jacked by a gang called 'The Bartva' - that's a Russian mob - and you broke into the hideout to try and save me--"

"Or! I could tell her you got hit by a car and you're totally fine," Jim suggests. Toby nods in approval. He starts to go walking toward his house. Jim went the other direction and went to his house, dropped off his bike and went into his house.

Once he entered his house, he places his bag on the post and his mother called him to the kitchen.

"Oh, mom, you won't believe what happened today--" He cut himself off once he saw someone familiar, Mr. Strickler.

"Look who's here," Jim's mother chimed. Mr. Strickler looked over where Jim was standing. Jim was surprised to see his History teacher sitting in his house.

"Hello Jim," Mr. Strickler greets.

"Mr. Strickler," he paused with an awkward smile.

"Mr. Strickler came by to congratulate you," His mom smiled widely and cheerfully. She was so proud of him. Jim, on the other hand, was confused about what's going on.

"It's a great honor that you've been chosen to wield this mantle, I've no doubt that you'll prove equal to the task,"

"Of?" Jim questioned.

"Why didn't you tell me you tried out for Romeo and Juliet?" Jim's mother pours coffee into Mr. Strickler's cup and lifts up the cup.

"Can we take a few steps back for a minute," Jim suggests. Mr. Strickler chuckled slightly and reminded him about his audition that happened early in the day. Jim's mother was happy for him.

"Jim, surely you knew you'd won the part of Romeo after your breathtaking audition yesterday," Mr. Strickler chuckles. Jim wasn't expecting to get the part. On the other hand, Mr. Strickler was concerned about him at school about the Chess club he was perturbed about. Jim's mother laughs slightly, "chess, acting... it's like you have this entire secret like I know nothing about," Mr. Strickler takes a sip and gags once it touched his tongue, it was salty

Jim nervously smiles, "you have no idea,"

"You've been overextending yourself, you have the world to carry on your shoulders," Mr. Strickler says with a worried tone and expression.

"I can handle it," Jim declares as he puts a hand on his waist and leans on the dining table.

"You've have fallen asleep during class a week ago," Mr. Strickler points out.

"What?!" Jim's mother gasps as she realizes that she poured too much, she quickly heads into the kitchen to find a cloth to clean it.

Mr. Strickler puts the teacup down and gets up, adjusting his jacket, "well, I don't want to overstay my welcome here, thank you for your time, Mrs. Lake,"

"Oh, call me Barbara," Barbara insists. Jim was there seeing all of this, his mother was being flirty with his History teacher.

Jim's mother or Barbara has agreed with Mr. Strickler; there were only a few hours in a day. Jim looked at his mother with a soft expression. Barbara lectures him if his grades slip a little, he had to step back from things he can't do anymore: starting with her mother.

As Barbara and his son were talking and going to have breakfast for dinner. Bular was growling and looking through the Lake's kitchen window.

"You shouldn't be here," Mr. Strickler says as he looks at Bular with a stern yet angered.

Bular snarls and looks back at the Trollhunter, "Why aren't I feeling his neck snap in my hands right now? Burning his hut to the ground?" Bular questioned, his bloodthirst was boiling with a hint of rage as he looks at Jim. He was secretly fixing his mothers' dish of omelet.

Mr. Strickler informed Bular that he couldn't do it because of his bloodthirst was raging and boiling. Mr. Strickler reminded him about his failure from before in the canals of capturing the amulet. Bular snarls and stomps away from the Lake's house.

Jim looks out the window, he walks around the counter towards the kitchen window. There was nothing.

Meanwhile, Bular was growling and throwing his swords around. Another figure was fighting against Bular.

"You always get in my way. Once I kill you, you won't be in my way anymore!" He jumps in the air and comes crashing down on the figure. The armored figure brings out their glowing sword and shielded themselves. Once Bular hits their blade, it made an explosion of ancient purple magic like purple vapor.

Bular growled in frustration. The figure screams as they push their sword up, throwing Bular in the air - weighing fives times more than their size. Bular gasps, the figure brings itself into a fighting stance, getting ready to strike.

However, Gunmar's son was able to bring out his swords and hit them. The figure screams in pain and goes flying after being impacted by Bular's sword, they went about 45 feet away from Bular. They try and get up but they could barely get up. Their arm was broken from Bular's sword.

"Ah, goddammit!" They grab their arm and forcefully put it back, earning a sound of their bones cracking.

They looked up and revealed their face, their eyes were fully black like the void and the moon was reflecting their eyes. It was like their pupil was white and iris was fully black.

"Those eyes... it can't be the--" Bular wasn't able to finish when the figure ran away in the shadows. Bular snarls and goes into hiding from the sun.