Soul Crossers | Wattys 2024

Chapter 6: Lilac vs Vulcan

Syntel showered, typed down his thoughts in a journal, then lied down and screamed inside his pillow. "This might be too much to handle."

Lilac replenished the energy with the produce he brought back. "You handled that pretty well," shaking her legs in glee from the nourishment.

"I guess," electing to do more training until he remembered he still had homework to do, including reading thirty to two hundred pages, switching between resting and analyzing the text. With Jace gone, Lilac did her own training as Syntel didn't bother checking his phone or the shadow in his window that alarmed Lilac. "You alright?"

"Yes. Do you have energy for tonight?"

"Just a little," rolling upright on the bed, slurring his words, claiming he needed a bit of rest, growing lighter and calmer as he rolled into bed.

Hours later at Shade, Zira was texting him before giving up. Shen and Crystal were down to eating with him, and the thought he was mad at her lingered even worse when Aurora was heading back from dinner. She called her as kind as possible.

Her former friend pivoted towards her, and Zira faltered: the words in her brain couldn't synchronize with her mouth. She closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I don't remember what happened, why that creep's giving you money and you don't have to say anything. But if you want someone to just sit with, or be around while you work on your art, I'd like for us to start over."

Aurora was still there when she opened her eyes. Zira waited. Tears were forming from her eyes but the wind seemed to guide their hands forward.

Then the artist backed away. Zira was confused, but the blue werewolf force descended and forcibly integrated with her body. Her screams merged with his desires for a strong synchronization, channeling both their rage and sadness to complete the symbiotic relationship.

Vulcan was in control. Her dark brown eyes had blue pupils, azure armor formed around her skin while her fur lengthened, resembling baggy clothing.

Aurora ran towards her dorm, shutting the door. Zira's body followed her from outside, stopping in front of the window.

"I'm not here for you," finding two large curtain rods. "Perfect."

With her body, Vulcan sprinted from Shade as Aurora ran to her room. Several light bulbs were planted nearby, and every part of her: closets, drawers, easels, and books she hadn't opened had light emanating inside of it. She found a notebook underneath her bed sheets with notes she couldn't remember and wrote down the encounter.

At Syntel's dorm, Lilac climbed up on the bed, nudged, and yelled out his name in vain, unable to wake him up. Then came a knock on the door, then a bang, then a punch.

Sweat dropped from Lilac's arm as she turned the knob. To her relief it wasn't Vanish Reaper.

To her panic, Zira pushed it wide open.

"Vulcan."

"I'm not garnering attention," while someone complained "she" pushed them. "Lilac, I can't wait much longer. Hand me the Soul Brace, or I'll fight you both for it."

She stretched her arms out, refusing to let him pass. "We aren't in the condition to fight. And you brought an innocent human into this? Agreullous' host almost died!"

"I've scoured this locale to find a suitable partner: she has the mental state and physical features to endure the strain. With the Soul Brace, we can alter the limitations. Please take it from your host."

An idea popped in her head as she flipped over to Syntel. "You hunted me down like the others and you're demanding I give it to you? Everyone I can recollect barring him has attacked me, and he's not my host. He's my brother now!"