Jaida took off running, heading right for Arius. She was dodging, swerving out of the way of as many magic tendrils as she could. She wanted to use her barrier as little as she had to, but the closer she got to Arius, the more magic there was emanating from him. Pretty soon the barrier would be in full force. She was going to have to step this up a notch. If ever there was a time where her years spent on the track team could make a difference, it was now. Speed was of the essence here. She had to push herself harder and faster if she was going to make it to Arius in time. Jaida began pumping her legs harder than she could ever remember. Her muscles began aching, pleading for her to slow her pace. The winds were blowing so hard that she had slowed to half of her sprint by now. Her barrier was also going up continuously since she was closing in on Arius. She had to do this quickly. She'd only get one shot. It was all or nothing now, so she began pushing her legs h

A low groan came from Arius as he shifted on his bed, turning away from the sunlight that had decided to seep through his windows. He could feel his body slowly waking up, becoming more aware. Everything hurt, and some of his limbs were tingling. His eyelids were so heavy that he wasn't sure if he could open them. It's not like he really wanted to in the first place, but something told him to get up. There was only one problem with that. His whole body was somewhat stiff. It felt like he hadn't moved in days.Slowly, Arius managed to sit up, and his eyes lazily opened. What happened? Where am I? The last thing I remember, I was… Arius' eyes suddenly widened. I was fighting Lucius, and my keystone broke! He reached down to where his keystone hung and found that he had one. However, it wasn't his. This keystone only had one gem, not two. What's going on? Exactly what happened? How did I…?He closed his eyes and focused on his thoughts. He had to figure out how he had gotten back to Jaida

The door to Jaida's house opened, and Arius walked out, his hands in his pockets. All of them were now standing outside behind Jaida's house. Each house had a small backyard, and hers was rather closed in. No one would see them there. "Okay, let's get started," said Nero. Arius just scowled a bit. "I hate to break it to you," he began, "but we may have a problem." "What?" asked Jaida, confused. They had planned this all out. There wasn't a single problem in their plan unless the spell was complicated, which it wasn't. Just what was he talking about? "Watch," he told them. He extended his arm, aiming his palm towards them. His eyes narrowed, and he focused on his hand. It began shaking, and soon, small streams of electricity danced around his arm. The keystone around his neck began glowing softly, and the hints of magic quickly faded, sending a small shock into his hand. He pulled it back and cringed

He glanced down at his female companion, noticing that her breathing had slowed greatly. She had fallen into a comfortable sleep, a smile still on her face. She was a beautiful woman, both in body and spirit. She was simply amazing, a human that was in no way naïve. She had believed his story almost instantly, not seeming shocked or bothered by it at all. She had been so willing to help him out. She really was one of a kind. He carefully moved, shifting her a bit. He then effortlessly picked her up, cradling her petite body in his arms. She looked so unburdened, so perfect. As he went back through his window and walked towards Jaida's room, he kept his eyes on her, and he realized something. He wanted to keep seeing her, to wake up everyday and know that she'd be there with him. He had never been attached to someone like this before. He had never wanted to be, but he just couldn't help it. He loved her. What would his f

Arius' eyes slowly opened for the second time that night. He found that the sunlight hadn't quite reached his bed yet, so he'd make sure it never got the chance. He had been blinded once before thanks to sleeping in late. Currently it was seven o'clock, still relatively early. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night at all, so his body was begging him to just close his eyes for a few more minutes. However, all he needed was a good cup of coffee, and he'd be fine. Arius got up and quickly changed out of his clothes from yesterday. He put on black pants, his only red shirt, and a light over shirt. Red and black definitely suited him according to Jaida. She said the colors really brought out his eyes and complexion. He really didn't care. He got enough stares from people without highlighting himself. He quietly left the confines of his room and walked down the stairs towards the kitchen. By now Jaida's mothe