Al and Marco walked while on guard to the train station in their little town. Once inside the train station, Al sat down on a bench in the middle of the station while Marco went to get the tickets. Al watched as all the people moved around her. Her soul grew angrier as she kept watching. Right before she could snap out loud, Marco made his way to her and sat next to her on the bench.
"You alright?" He asked as he sat down.
She sighed, "No… no, I'm not. Why does it have to be me? Why involve my parents? All these people don't even know what's going on around them. How are they so unaware?" Al started to breathe harder.
Marco placed his hand on her back and began to slowly rub up and down.
"It's okay, don't let it start to get to you, if you do, you won't make the rest of the journey."
Al could only take long deep breaths to help calm her down.
"The train should be here in the next thirty minutes, we should try to eat something and rest a little." Marco suggested as he pointed to the hot dog cart that was outside the station's entrance. Al nodded, there wasn't much else to do.
"Al stay here and don't over think it while I'm gone. Stay alert."
As Marco walked over to the hotdog cart, Al started to look around again, people were walking around her, she started to look around the walls and when she made it to a nearby corner, she could see eyes looking down at her from its darkness. Her heart began to race. She stared at the eyes that were focused directly on her for what seemed forever, she looked back at Marco who was paying for the hotdogs he now had in hand. When Al looked back at the corner, the eyes that were once there were now gone as if she imagined it. She stood up frantically, her eyes racing from one corner to another until she had searched each corner two to three times. Marco ran up with the hotdogs almost falling out of his hands.
"Al! Al! Alice, are you okay? What's wrong?" He was screaming as he was running up.
"Eyes. I saw eyes watching me, but they are gone now, they were just here, where did they go? Where?" She reached her his arm, but hesitated.
Marco's own eyes widened. He knew who it was the moment she said eyes.
"Al, you need to calm down and sit for me."
She glared at him, "NO! He's watching me, how is he watching me?"
"Al, I'll explain once you sit down, I know who it is."
"I do too! It's that prick!
"technically, yes. But it's actually Romeo, the guy that gave you the box."
Al paused, her eyes widened while looking at Marco. She began to back up and sat on the bench where she was sitting, never making eye contact with Marco.
"Now, take a deep breath for me and we can talk it over these delicious hotdogs."
She stared at the hotdog as he put a hotdog in her hand. Marco explained everything.
"Romeo does all of Incubus' spying and dirty work, what you call a henchman, however, Incubus calls him his servant. Makes Romeo feel better about the things he is doing. I only know all of this from years of watching them as I was forced to live there a few times a year." Al began to eat her hotdog little bits at a time realizing he was talking about the camping trips she couldn't go with. Her eyes kept peeking at all the dark areas the eyes could be.
"Does that mean he's still watching us right now?"
"I'm not too sure, but if he wasn't there when you looked back he probably was waiting for us to hop on the train. I think Incubus is trying to make sure we stay on the right track to getting you to the city as soon as possible." Marco took a deep sigh.
"This trip is gonna be harder than I thought it was going to be." Marco turned towards Al, reaching his hand out to her.
"Don't worry, we will make it through this as long as we have each other."
Al couldn't help, but started to let the smile peek on her face. She was still mad at him. She didn't grab his hand back .She began to walk toward the platform. Marco sighed and began to follow.
The sound of the train got louder as it approached the station. Al watched as the train pulled into place before the brakes were put on for everyone to load and unload onto the train. They waited for all the people to load off the train before getting on and finding their numbered car.
There were three rooms per train car. Each room could hold 6 people. When buying tickets for the train, you can buy per room or per person. You have the option to pay for the whole room or per person. The cheapest way is by person, but if the party wants to have more privacy then buying per room is the better way to go.
When Marco bought the tickets earlier, he was sure to get a room to help plan an escape for Al's parents without anyone asking any questions or attention being drawn to them in any way.
They found their room and sat across from each other. Al began to look out the window, she could feel an awkward tension building between the two. She knew Marco had the answers to her questions, but he was not ready to answer them for her. He kept pushing her off every time she had asked. She knew it was going to be the same thing again. Al took a deep sigh which ended up catching Marco's attention.
Marco took a deep sigh, rubbing the back of his head. "I guess it's time I told you everything."
Al snapped her head towards him as she perked up in her seat. "You really mean it?" Marco looked her in the eyes and nodded.
"A long time ago, there was a lady named Emily. She had the same long black hair and sparkling pale complexion that you have. She was kind and sweet, but she allowed Incubus to do whatever he wanted. Though she would feed the townspeople, she would let Incubus do blood rituals on them. Incubus would talk about when the time was right that he would bring her back after taking over the world, he would be powerful enough to bring her lifeless body back. "
Al thought back to her dreams of when she was being captured and wondered if that was one of the missing pieces to solving this. However it didn't add up to the ones she was helping people escape. She kept this thought to herself unsure to trust Marco still.
Marco continued, " He was going to be able to take over the world when she was alive, but he was missing a piece he said. He wouldn't tell me what to do. He told me that she died from Dot to Dot disease before he could find it and bring their dream together."
Marco looked at Al as she was listening intensely. He took another deep sigh. "When she died, it stalled all of his plans for both worlds and his life with Emily. He wants to take over both his world and ours with Emily by his side."
Al's mouth slightly opened, but nothing came out. She was finally getting the answers she wanted, but there was still one question running across her mind.
"What about now? Why does he want me to go near him now? Al curiously asked Marco.
"He said he found all the pieces for the blood ritual. Supposedly he needs your blood for two things. The first thing is to bring Emily back to life and make her immortal, but only after he uses your blood to take over the world. I remember overhearing him tell Romeo that your soul is the clearest of them all. I think he called it something like Primal, he said Emily wasn't primal and he was okay with that, that he would find primal blood using something else while Emily was by his side. However to have both Emily's soul and the resonance of a Primal he lucked out. "
Al's eyes widened, this whole time she never thought that she was going to die. She knew she had to get her parents, her mind never got past them and their situation. Her mind didn't understand all of these terms he was saying, she was too shocked from the thought of dying she didn't ask.
"H-How do we stop him?" Al stuttered as she tried to get the words out of her throat.
Marco rubbed the back of his head again and this time gave out a small chuckle, "well that's the thing is I don't know yet. It's hard because Romeo is always watching.
A thought had just crossed Al's mind, "um… How does he know the immortality ritual is the real deal? That my blood is even primal"
Marco looked at Al with a straight face and said, "Romeo! He tried it on Romeo about 250 years ago, so I'm told. This was before Emily, he needed someone he could trust by his side. Of course this was after the first ritual he did on him, which was a blood binding ritual. This forces Romeo to do his every bidding. If he disobeys, he is drained of all his blood "
Al's chest felt heavy with a slight pounding. Before she could start hyperventilating, Marco grabbed her hand and looked her in the eyes.
"I promise not to let him hurt you. He thinks it's going to go his way, but we will come up with a plan and bring him down. If we don't, he will not stop trying to get you."
As her eyes stayed locked onto his, they began to water, "I think I need a minute alone." She said as she stood up. Marco could only nod, he knew she was going through a lot. Right before she opened the door, Marco sighed and said, "When you get back, we have to come up with the game plan to get your parents back and to save you." Al nodded and stepped out.
Al reached the end of the corridor. Her head was spinning thinking about the truth of everything. She took a deep breath and opened the sliding door leading into the vestibule. In front of her stood Romeo in the same tattered clothes from before. He's been treated so badly she thought.
Without a word spoken, they stared at each other for a minute. Al was too terrified to move a muscle, she couldn't even move her eyes of his beaten face. Romeo on the other hand was taking her in. He thought to himself if he gets rid of her, he would be free of his curse. He could finally die with his family.
Romeo swiftly revealed a dagger in his right hand, jabbing her into the shoulder. Al screamed out in pain, her head was ringing now.
Marco dashed to the sliding door of their compartment, almost hitting the window across from it. Romeo pulled out the dagger and went for her heart this time, sure he would not miss this opportunity.
Marco raced in front of Al, now facing Romeo. As the dagger moved towards him, Marco grabbed his wrist, stopping it in place.
"ROMEO! What the hell are you doing?" Marco shouted angrily.
Romeo stared at him with no expression on his face.
Marco asked again more calmly this time. "Romeo, what are you doing? Why would you hurt her? Master will be mad!"
Romeo flinched a moment. Shuttering his words he said, "she has to die, it's the only way."
Al's eyes widened as she kept her eyes on Romeo and whispered, "No."
Romeo began to back off with sadness creeping across his face as he said "If she dies, I'm free." Al noticed the expression, unsure what to make of it.
Marco shouted, "No she doesn't! There has to be another way. Please!" Romeo hesitated stumbling backwards before catching himself. "But this is the other way."
Marco sprinted towards Romeo knocking him to the ground.
"Leave us or I will tell Master!" Romeo froze with Marco still pinning him down.
"If she died, he wouldn't have to find out." He pushed Marco off the top of him and stood to his feet. He just stared at them. Meanwhile Al had fallen to the floor watching everything unfold. Romeo and her locked eyes. She could feel he felt he didn't have a choice. Before she could speak, Romeo darted off, closing the sliding door behind him. Marco chased after him, to find he had vanished after closing the door leaving them in silence.
Al stared at the door, darkness blurred her vision. Her body leaving an echoing thud as she hit the floor. Marco raced to her
"AL! AL! ARE YOU OKAY?" he shook her body, but she did not respond. He picked her up and placed her on the bench in their compartment. He placed a hand on her face.
"Oh Al."
SuddenlyAl found herself in a chair in front of a fireplace. The only light in the room was the fire's dancing flames. Before she could stand up, there was a hand on each shoulder. Every bone in her body felt like ice. She could feel something creep to her ear.
"Hello Alice my dear." Chills filled her body.
While one hand stayed on her shoulder, another hand ran up her neck rubbing her cheek for a moment with the back side of it.
"Please stay and listen to me."
Incubus moved around to the front of her and kneeled down. Their eyes locked onto each other. Incubus watched her face frozen with fear. He gave out a small chuckle. "I won't hurt you. I just want to talk."
Al managed to let out, "Why?"
"Because I need your help." Al looked at him with a confused face but not saying a word.
He moved to the chair next to Al and sat down gracefully.
"You see, long ago when I was on the search for a primal to take over the world, I found a beautiful woman named Emily. She led me down an alleyway after locking eyes. I knew I had to have her, so I swept her away to Hollow Kingdom. I wanted her to rule the worlds by my side."
Al kept her eyes on him, "so it's true then."
Incubus's face turned to curiosity. "What do you mean?"
"That you kidnapped Emily. That you're a demon."
Incubus smiled. He stood up and walked to the fireplace suddenly crystal lights filled the room illuminating its four corners. It was smaller than she had imagined. It felt so small when the fire lit the room.
He watched his finger as it glided across the edge of the fireplace.
"You aren't wrong, I am a demon, but Emily was not forced. She was allowed to leave whenever she wanted."
Al spoke back, "why would she stay then?"
Incubus turned to Al, her body and eyes reminded him of Emily.
"It doesn't matter anymore." he said as he turned slowly back to the fireplace.
As his eyes watched the fire as a memory of him and Emily dancing played across his mind.
"She always comes back whether I have to go get her or bring her back to life. That's why I need you. With a drop of your blood, I can have both Emily and the worlds in my hands."
Al's face drained of all color. "What does that mean for me?"
He turned his face and revealed an evil grin, "you'll die and your soul will transfer into Emily's body within the Veiled Sanctum."
Al could only feel her heart beat through her body. As it pounded harder her vision began to fade.
Her body sat up right on the bench, she looked over as Marco was on the floor with his head in between his knees with his arms wrapped around them. She looked out the window, only darkness filled the metal frame square.
She looked back at Macro and called his name. He jolted awake, his arms pulled back and one of his elbows hit the frame of the bench holding the seat.
"Ouch!" He rubbed his elbow while standing up.
"Are you alright?" He sat next to her as she placed her feet on the ground giving him room to sit.
Al began to move her hand to the back of her neck to rub it when the pain of the wound shot through her whole body.
"Ouch!" She grabbed it with her other hand.
"I'm sorry! I had to rip your sleeve off the hurt shoulder and use it as a bandage.
Al watched his face become a deep sadness.
"I hate that this happened! I couldn't even protect myself. What if I die the next time before I get to my parents?" She looked to the ground.
Marco grabbed her chin facing her face towards his. His eyes looked at her face from the forehead to the chin, taking in every part he loved about it. He took a deep breath.
"Please lay back down and I will start training you tomorrow." He stood up as he explained.
"We have two days before we reach Lumin Hollow. Once we get there, we will restock on food and head into the crystal caves, Lumin Veins. There, we will go down and reach The Old Crossing bridge. That will lead us to the Great gates into the hollow Kingdom." Al laid back down, listening to him tell the game plan. She thought about her visit with Incubus and how it would be best not to tell Marco. She didn't trust him after all.
At one point she blinked and next thing she knew she woke up in a big bed. The covers were soft, almost silk, but still fluffy. She stepped out of the bed confused as she looked around. The room was elegant as if it were for a queen.
Al began to step towards the door, keeping her trapped inside the room. Before her hand could reach the doorknob, she heard a voice behind her. She stopped in her tracks.
"You don't want to do that. If you go out there, he will know you are here." The voice was soft, almost similar to Al's in tone.
Something about it made Al feel completely at ease, allowing her to slowly turn around. Her eyes meet with a lady in a beautiful dark red ball gown. As Al's eyes found the lady's face, she gasped.
She had all the same features Al did, all the way down to her blue eyes and fair skin. Al blinked twice then rubbed her eyes out of disbelief, it was Emily.
Emily raised her hand covering her mouth and giggled. "I'm guessing you've figured out who I am by now." Al looked in amazement.. This was the first time she wasn't Emily in her dreams.
Emily walked over to Al taking both her hands in her own.
"Come. We have much to discuss." She gestured to a coffee table and chairs.
Al sat down next to Emily in silence. She watched as Emily poured her tea and handed it to her. "Incubus isn't this world."
Al's face shifted, "so he has mentioned."
"Ah. I see he has visited you. " SHe shook her head softly. "I know it's hard to believe there's another world." Emily looked out the window and back at Al.
"Incubus has control over the world he comes from. He doesn't have control over our world. For as long as I can remember he was looking for a power to take over our world. He called it "Primal."
Al watched Emily as she sipped her tea, slowly understanding her visit with Incubus.
Emily placed a hand on Al's knee. "According to him, each human has a power within them. He says he can hear it. My power wasn't strong enough, but he loved me and kept me by his side."
Al looked at her with curious eyes, "Why were you even with him?"
Emily gave a soft small.
"At the time, the world was plagued with a disease called The Dot to Dot. I lost everything to it. I found myself drawn to him, like I had to go with him. There were times I tried to escape, but he always found me. Eventually he told me I could try to save the kingdom to keep myself busy from leaving. I didn't have much of a choice so I did just that. Soon I came up with a plan before I died. "
Al shifted in her seat, "What happened to you?"
"From The Dot to Dot. It would spread blue and black spots through your body, shutting down one organ at a time leaving your heart for last. I asked him not to make me immortal. It was my dying wish."
Emily's face expression shifted as if something was suddenly wrong.
"Please Alice, we don't have much time. Come with me, my child." She told Al as she stood. Alice's body moved as if it was hypnotized by her words. She stood before Emily without a word.
Emily moved her away from the table and chairs and placed a hand on her shoulder and stated, "Listen when you get to the castle, come find this room and look for the wooden box locked away behind the family portrait." She turned Al's body towards a wall with a picture on it of Emily and Incubus. Emily was sitting while Incubus stood behind her. They were expressionless, the portrait almost seemed soulless.
"Within this box is the gate key that Incubus thinks is still in his room. I hid it before I died to make sure when it was time, you could defeat him."
"Ive been here for so long that I did end up falling in love with him. He did let me help this town, though he secretly was using every last one of them. I was able to help some of them escape demons and humans. I wish I could have done more for their suffering, but it was too-
Al's body jolted up off the bench, crashing to the floor. Marco scrambled to his feet getting ready to fight, unsure what was happening.
Al caught her breath and stood up. She groaned as she grabbed her shoulder. Marco went to reach for her, but Al stopped him. 'I'm fine." she said, holding out a hand. She stared into his eyes. He could see in her eyes she still didn't trust him. He nodded towards her, sitting back down on his bench. Al laid back down, staring at the ceiling. Marco didn't move from his position, waiting for her to explain what just happened, but she didn't. He laid back down, but facing the back of the bench. He thought about if he was her, he wouldn't trust him either.
Al knew he wanted to know what's been happening, but she wasn't ready to trust him yet. He let her parents get hurt and her after all. Al's thoughts drifted away as she began to sleep, finally having a moment to herself.