Jaxon (The Last Hope)

Chapter 11 new york

Marc had arrived in New York for his meeting with the directors from across North America.

Marc finally arrived at the luxurious hotel after a 45-minute delay of his flight and navigating through heavy traffic in the bustling city streets. The grand building towered over the surrounding landscape, As he stepped inside,the giant lobby greeted him, a beautiful atrium with elegant chandeliers, marble floors, and plush furnishings exuded an air of sophistication. The bustling atmosphere buzzed with the hum of conversation and the sound of footsteps echoing against the polished surfaces. Amidst it all, the reception desk stood as a beacon of hospitality, where a young woman welcomed him with a warm smile.

"Good morning, sir. How may I assist you?" she inquired. Marc returned her smile. "Yes, I have a meeting in room 4. Where can I find it?" "On the 4th floor, you just need to take the elevator to your left. Once upstairs, turn left down the hallway, and you'll see it," the young lady explained.

"Thank you very much," replied Marc, grateful for her assistance. He followed her directions and headed towards the elevator on the left. Once inside, he pressed the button for the fourth floor and patiently waited for the doors to close. Upon arrival, he turned left down the hallway and quickly spotted room 4.

As he walked towards the room, he felt a vibration under his feet, and moments later, the grand door of the room swung open abruptly as if a powerful gust of wind had propelled it. Marc instinctively stepped back, his eyes widening in disbelief as flames burst forth from the doorway. He stood frozen, unable to comprehend what was happening, until the flames vanished as suddenly as they had appeared. Gathering his wits, Marc cautiously approached the room. Once inside, what he saw left him speechless, and he fell to his knees, disturbed.

Spread around the floor of the room lay the charred bodies of the directors from other schools, reduced to mere skeletons. The stench was unbearable, and Marc couldn't suppress a gagging reflex, bending over to vomit. At that moment, a noise echoed behind him. Turning nervously, Marc caught sight of a man rising laboriously from the ground. It was Gordon, the director of the New York school.

"What happened?" Marc asked, his voice tinged with panic, as he struggled to make sense of the scene before him. Gordon, trying to regain his composure, managed to point behind Marc with a trembling hand. Heart pounding, Marc turned abruptly and was met with the sight of Dramarcus standing on the ledge of one of the large open windows, seemingly unfazed by the chaos he had caused. By his side stood a young man with dark black eyes, clearly under the sway of a demon's influence. As their eyes locked, a palpable wave of hatred filled the air, freezing Marc in place.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, Marc watched helplessly as Dramarcus departed, emitting a growl of rage before soaring out the window.

As the youth prepared to vanish through the window, Gordon, finally regaining his breath, issued a commanding shout: "Stop!" The young man froze in place, his movements arrested by the force of Gordon's authoritative tone. With unwavering resolve, Gordon exercised his power over mind and soul, issuing a firm directive: "Demon, vacate this vessel and vanish into oblivion." As if responding to an invisible force, a murky cloud came forth from the young man's mouth, dispersing into the surrounding atmosphere like a fading specter.

Overwhelmed, the young man sank to his knees, consumed by the weight of shame and sorrow at what had just unfolded. Marc and Gordon approached him, and the three of them sat down on the ground, gazing at the scene before them with profound sadness and an indescribable sense of dismay.

After summoning the cleanup team, responsible for managing incidents across schools, Gordon, Marc, and the young man found themselves in a car heading towards the New York school. The young man was now resting peacefully in the back seat. As Gordon took the wheel, Marc turned to him, his expression a mix of confusion and urgency. " So! what happened for heaven's sake."

Gordon's hands tightened on the steering wheel as he replayed the events in his mind. "We were seated at the main table, awaiting your arrival. Suddenly, I rose to check the hallway for your approach. Then, out of nowhere, one of the principals cried out, 'What are you doing here?' As I turned back, Dramarcus stood on the windowsill, with the young man standing in front of the window." Gordon paused, the unsettling scenes replaying vividly in his thoughts. He drew a deep breath before continuing. "That's when I witnessed the young man unleash a massive fireball from his body. And as you saw, the aftermath unfolded before us."

Marc's expression contorted with rage. "How did Dramarcus find out about the meeting?" Gordon shook his head in disbelief, unable to provide an answer. At that very moment, the young man interjected with an unexpected revelation. "I know," he declared. Both Marc and Gordon were taken aback, turning their attention to him with keen interest. "And what might your name be, young man?" inquired Marc, his tone laced with curiosity. "Theo," came the reply, "I hail from the school in northern France." Marc nodded, acknowledging him with a reassuring smile. "Alright, Theo, enlighten us. What do you know?" Theo proceeded to unveil the truth. "Dramarcus captured another young person with the gift of foresight. However, this individual is quite inexperienced and struggles to control their abilities. Unfortunately, this time, it played right into Dramarcus's hands."

Marc nodded, allowing a moment of contemplation to permeate the atmosphere within the car. As the streets of New York passed by outside the windows, the interior was heavy with serious expressions and pondering. Theo, seated in the back, appeared burdened by the weight of his recent ordeal, his gaze staring into emptiness, lost in thought. Meanwhile, Gordon, focused on the road ahead, maintained a silence tinged with concern.

After a moment, Marc broke the silence. "Theo, do you know where Dramarcus is hiding?" Theo turned his sad gaze towards Marc, slowly shaking his head. "No, the demon that was within me prevented me from seeing anything but darkness on the way there. All I know is it's a very large and isolated cave."

Marc thought intensely, searching for a solution amidst the haze of uncertainty. "Would you like to come with me to my school? I may have someone there who could find answers within you." A glimmer of hope shone in Theo's tired eyes. "I'd be glad to, anything to help after what happened at the hotel." The three companions then fell into a heavy silence, each absorbed in their own thoughts, while the weight of recent events hung heavily on their shoulders, plunging them into an ocean of uncertainty and anxiety.