With a blurry vision, Magnus held onto the bark of the tree, stabling his trembling foot as they came out of the portal for the hundredth time in the last hour. This time, he thought of the place only he knew about, his house in Indonesia but ended up landing in that same, dark, eerie forest yet again. What in the world was this place? Where were they?
~~You can't run away from me, warlock!~~
A spine-chilling voice echoed in the surrounding area followed by a burst of maniacal laughter. "Pa..man... Takut..." The little girl trembled in his arms, face soaked with tears and his heart ached for the poor soul captured in that horrendous place because of Kasper. (Uncle... Scared...)
"Kita akan keluar dari sini, sayang. Kita akan keluar dari sini." Magnus tried to reassure but the lack of trust in his own words was like a stab of a sword. He had no idea where they were or how to get out but what he was certain of was Kasper's mind games. If the man truly knew how they got out of the basement-like place, he wouldn't be just mocking like this. Instead, he would be here, trying to harm his unborn child. (We'll get out of here, sweetheart. We'll get out of here.)
Planting a soft kiss on top of her head after a deep, steady breath, Magnus trailed his unglamoured eyes all around the dark, dense forest, lapped into thick fog, trying to locate any sign of life but it was dead silent. There were no chirps of birds, no hoot of an owl or no rustling of bushes, not even a leaf moved. It was pure dead silence. The scent of wet mud was laced in something foul, metal-like, which he could only think of as blood. His throat was dry but they needed to keep moving.
Holding her tightly in his arms, he carefully took a step forward that followed with an echo of a snap of twigs under his foot and his heart stopped for a minute. Gulping the fear, he proceeded to walk in a straight direction, dews from the thick, cold fog tingling against his naked skin. He had already wrapped his jacket around the little girl so he had no other option than to bear the chilling cold.
The tall pines and trees were so dense and humongous that there was no sigh of the gloomy sky above his head, just still leaves and bushes. Was he even on earth? The alien scent of something vile was making him nauseous. He wasn't able to focus on what was ahead, his brain couldn't send him the necessary signals. But he needed to find a way out, no matter what.
~~Are you done running, warlock? Come back to where you belong. You can't escape.~~
"Fuck you, Kasper!" Magnus grunted, voice echoing as if it's hitting a thick wall and bouncing from one direction to the other, like a small room. "I'm not falling for your mind games!"
~~Come back, Warlock...~~
The voices, monotonous, deep, high pitched, creepy, kept echoing like a set of records, again and again, making his ears bleed. The path ahead seemed endless, with no vision, no sign of any moment and tears stung in the back of his eyes. He didn't have much energy left in his body that he could take a single step forward, but he had to. He can't let the evil win.
"Al.. Alexander... Alexander... h..help..."
**********************************
*Next Day*
*Moonlit Rise, Yorkshire*
*Stormshire Mansion*
"Alec, eat something please. Rose is contacting other warlocks to search for Magnus, I'm sure she'll find something." Daniel pressed, sliding the breakfast in Alec's direction. Since the time Lightwoods came to their mansion, Alec wasn't eating or drinking anything at all. Their guest bedroom had been lent to Izzy and Simon, since she needed proper rest, while Jace stayed with him and Alec in Stefan's room. Rosette, on the other hand, had been out the whole time, looking for clues to find Magnus, Clary, and Max.
"No Dan, I won't eat anything until I see Magnus safe and sound. I don't know how he is. And munchkin, what if something happens..." He trailed off and a teardrop fell on his tiresome face. The dark shadows under his dull eyes were a clear indication that he hadn't slept at all.
Hey," Daniel reached out and held Alec's hand resting on the table. "Look, I won't say that I understand but Alec, if you want to find your husband you need to be strong. We had no idea where he could be, they all could be. What if you need to fight? You lost a lot of strength yesterday."
"He's right big brother, eat!" A deep sigh left Daniel's nose when everyone walked into the dining area, holding a mug of tea or coffee in their hands.
"Iz-"
"No arguing, Alec. After yesterday, we can't let our emotions take over our actions. I never thought Max could..." She lowered her gaze and unconsciously rubbed the rim of her mug.
"Hey..." Alec stood up, walked towards Izzy, and wrapped her in a gentle hug. "It wasn't Max and we all know that, Izzy. They're.. they're not themselves."
"And we need to figure out how to bring them back." Jace added, "Look Alec, I can feel your pain and I understand. Clary's in his grasp too and... we need to do something before they lose themselves in Kasper's darkness and we lose them for good. But you need to feed yourself first. Being stubborn won't help here."
"Fine!" Alec sighed, picked up a plate, and filled it with toast, omelet, and bacon then walked back to his seat. "Don't try to feed me more."
A light smile crept on Lightwood sibling's faces as they picked up their share and sat in their respective places. Clanks and chatter of plates and cutlery echoed as they exchanged meals between them in silence. Nobody knew what to say, as they had no clue at all of how to bring down Kasper.
Watching the beating heart in the air was worse than the most terrifying horror movie Rosette had made him watch. What made it worse was that it could happen to them too if their will to live is stronger, and watching his own heart beat in the air wasn't something Daniel wanted to witness.
As he was about to take a bite out of the toast, a portal opened in the center of the foyer and Rosette walked out, amber eyes glimmering with fear. "Rose!"
Every eye trailed in her direction, shining with hope, especially Alec's. "Rose? What happened? Magnus? Did you find anything?" His chest rose and fell so fast that Daniel worried his heart might leap out.
"Rose? What happened?" Daniel asked when their eyes met. Beneath her human skin, he could notice her bright scales trying to peek out, a hint of serpent pupils forming in those amber ones, and that only happens when she's terrified, truly terrified. Because one thing that's rare for his wife is being scared, she's not the one to fear the unknown, she makes the unknown fear of her.
"Okay, I have news, but it's not great."
"What... what do mean?" Alec's hand trembled as he gripped the chair. "M..Magnus-"
"Is not on earth. Neither are Clary, Max, and the Endarkeneds."
"What!?" The group stood in their place, staring at Rosette wide-eyed. "What do you mean they're not on earth, Rosette? Where else could they be?" Alec asked, voice shaky and weak.
"I don't know but I've alerted all the warlocks on the globe, searched even the smallest of the towns then I remembered someone I met two centuries ago. He's much more powerful than an ordinary warlock, he's someone whose breed is forbidden and forgotten.
I went to him and asked for his help, and he wasn't able to find any trace of them on earth. Wherever they all are, it's not here. He suggested it was somewhere even his powers couldn't reach, and his powers are stronger than a hundred warlocks combined."
"Then... then how are we supposed to find them?" Simon asked, "This Kasper caused so much destruction and now he's not even here!"
"Izzy? Are you able to feel Clary? Maybe-"
"All I feel is darkness, Jace. Just darkness."
"So what's next? How are we supposed to find any clue related to Kasper and his army?" Jace rubbed his temple.
"The other world!" Brittney said, and Daniel's guts twisted as his brain registered what it meant. There's no way that could be possible because if it is, they're in way bigger trouble than he had anticipated.
"Oh no!"
"Dan, what is it?" Alec asked.
"The world where we had banished Kasper last time. Rose had found something in those books that helped us to create a replica world with no lives in it. It's supposed to be something a creature fears. Since Kasper had no fear, we filled it with angel figurines and heaven-like gates. We thought he'd go mad in there. But... he clearly didn't."
"Instead he became a crazy psycho for revenge." Izzy sighed. "So are you implying that he now knows how to create this world?"
"Yes and... if he knows then it means he can create infinite of them. And if he can control and manipulate it, then it doesn't necessarily have to be something one fears. It could be a perfect place for him to grow his army. Far away from us, so we can't become an obstacle in his way. Which is..."
"A slap on our faces!" Stefan gritted his teeth, running his fingers through his long messy black hair. Sourness filled in Daniel's mouth as he locked his gaze with his siblings. Even after fighting with that monster once, they know nothing about his plan of action. They were nothing but useless to anyone around them. What was the point of their existence when they couldn't be of any help in defeating Kasper?
"So you're saying it's possible that he and his army are in one different world and Magnus in another?" Jace asked.
"If his intention is to torture Magnus then yes," Brittney stated.
"That's not good." Stefan exhaled a deep breath. "Isn't there any way we could find those worlds?"
"I could ask for his help, but we need to know what Magnus fears the most. Kasper is all about mind games, so there's a strong chance Magnus is somewhere all alone." Rosette said, "Alec?"
Alec gripped the chair as his eyes restlessly moved in every direction. "His fear... I... I don't know if it counts but... Magnus told me about something that's related to the past when he was a child, and said that if he's scared of going somewhere all alone, it's dark jungles at midnight."
**********************************
Racing heartbeats thrashed in Magnus's ears as he tried to focus on his vision. The faint tingle of magic running through his veins had now vanished too, so now all he's left with is the human vision which wasn't helping at all. He could see nothing and now his legs had started to freeze as well. Taking even a single step was like moving a giant statue while sitting on top of it.
~~ Come back where you belong, Warlock.~~
"Shut up! Just shut the fuck up!" Warmth rushed through his face as more tears fell on his cheeks. By now he had realized that the faces of his husband, mother, stepfather, and that blood were only illusions, just illusions. If anything was real, it was the darkness and the sleeping child in his arms.
He had no idea how long he had been walking aimlessly, how long it had been, hours? Days? Years? Taking the support of the tree trunk, he crumpled to the ground, trying to warm his frozen blood while wiping off the tears. "Al... Alexander..." The wet grass stung on his skin like needles but he needed to take a break.
-I'm right here, love. Come to me.-
His husband's silhouette glowed in front of his eyes, walking backward and calling out for him, and for a minute, he wanted to follow and run into his arms. But he knew it wasn't real, and he's not going to fall for those mind games any longer.
"Fuck you, Kasper!" He spat and leaned his head back. A peal of maniacal laughter echoed in the surroundings so loud that he couldn't help the scream that left his mouth as he covered his ears. "Stop!" With every fiber of his being, he hated it. He hated the fact that Kasper was able to get into his mind and make him weak, that he held power above him. Nobody was able to do that, it was tried and tested.
"Paman... kau membuatku takut." The little girl peeked from the jacket, shivering like a leaf. Her puffy red innocent eyes held fear and his heart shattered into pieces. (Uncle... you're scaring me.)
"Maafkan aku, sayang. Saya minta maaf." Magnus cooed and tightened the jacket around her tiny body. With no more of his cat-eye vision, the darkness around him was making his skin crawl. Those nightmares that he had buried deep in his mind were now resurfacing, bringing the monsters back with them. "Al... Alexander..."
Screwing his eyes shut, he let his body lean against the tree, trying to relax his muscles when a bang against a metal surface made him jump up on his foot. Gazing in every direction as his heart throbbed in his ears, Magnus took a step in the direction of the noise, carefully watching his steps and holding the terrified child close to his chest.
After what felt like an eternity, Magnus's foot stepped over something hard, like metal instead of damp ground. Holding his breath, he trailed his hand over the surface. The dry, cracked surface that had a rusty metallic smell pricked against his skin but soon, a handle came under his touch. Swallowing the dryness, he pushed onto it with all the energy he could muster, and soon, a dimly lit basement came into his view and he sighed with relief.
As carefully as possible, he got down and but as soon as he did, a strong metallic smell filled his nostrils. "Oh god!" Where he stood was a dimly lit passageway leading to several open rooms in both directions, with a never-ending stretch. He could count at least fifty rooms as far as his vision allowed him to see, all having a dim glow with a putrid smell. But the strongest one was right in front of him.
Daring to peek inside, Magnus covered the child's head, convincing her to try and fall asleep. When she was carefully tucked, he slowly walked in but a gasp left his mouth and he stumbled back, swallowing back the wave of nausea.
In front of him lay two dead bodies, both of old men, heartless - literally, drenched in black blood. The stench of decaying flesh was so strong that Magnus had to hold his breath. But what truly horrified him was the humongous white wings chained to the wall, drenched in red and black blood, the feathers slowly molting and falling on the ground. Were they... angels?
As his hand unconsciously reached his belly, it faintly glowed followed by a very faint glow of the wing on the right that had eyes on it, and another feather fell on the ground, turning into black. Magnus's eyes widened as he gazed between his belly and the wing. His unborn child had his husband's magic, and if that magic somehow made the wing react, the powers should be linked, and if that was true it means...
"An... Angel Ithuriel..." Magnus whispered and stared at the decaying bodies on the ground. They were angels, actual angels. Kasper hadn't just killed them, he cut off their wings and hung them like a trophy. His plan wasn't just to destroy or rule the world, his plan was to kill the angels, for good. To remove the existence of good forever. The whole time they thought Kasper was plotting something new, he was busy killing the angels, making sure they don't go back to heaven.
No matter how much they despised the angels, this wasn't right. It was far worse than the destruction of glass city, of earth. That psychopath wanted a kind of destruction no one could even think of happening. No, he can't just give up and wait for help to arrive. He needed to get out of here and tell everyone what he witnessed. He needed to find a way out.
Taking a step back, he turned on his heels, ready to sprint out but was stopped by a ball of black fire almost hitting his heart. Almost. Slowly lifting his lashes as his breath shook, he noticed a silhouette at the far end of the passageway, fire dancing all around the dark shadow.
"Hello warlock, liked my gift?"
"Kasper."
*********************************
"So Magnus could be somewhere in a dark jungle?" Stefan asked and Alec slowly nodded.
"But Alec, don't you think it's like a small fear?" Jace asked, "I mean, he's centuries-old so-"
"Some things leave a lifelong trauma, Jace. No matter how old you get, they never stop haunting you."
"So he's in a world where there's nothing but dark jungle?" Izzy's brows drew in together as she leaned against the chair. "That's terrifying. How are we going to find him?"
"We need to go to-" An opening of the portal caught everyone's attention, stopping Rosette mid-sentence. Through the portal, Luke walked out, holding a bunch of paperwork in both his hands.
"Luke?"
"Hey kiddo, sorry to disturb you early morning but you're needed in Idris."
"Is everything okay? Are Dearborns-"
"No, Dearborns are not the problem." Luke reassured, "Actually, the votes for the post of Consul came in and... well, ninety-five percent votes are for you. So, Consul Lightwood Bane, your presence is required."
"Are you kidding me!? I'm the Consul now?" Alec's face paled as Izzy rubbed a soothing pattern on his back.
"Not a shocker for us big brother. And don't worry, you're a leader, you can do this."
"I'm not so sure, Izzy," Alec said in a shaky tone.
"Izzy's right kiddo, we believe in you."
"What about the position of Inquisitor, Luke?" Jace asked, "don't tell me it's Zara."
"Actually more names have been proposed for that position, so the voting is still ongoing."
"More names?"
"Yup, apart from Clary and Zara, three more names have come up. Aline, you and Theodore Ashchild. He's made a lot of changes in England so they proposed his name as well."
"Wait, me!?" Jace's eyes widened. "Are you sure it's me?"
"Yup!" Luke grinned and turned towards Alec. "So, Consul?"
"This feels weird," Alec mumbled and took a deep breath. "Dan-"
"Go do your duty, Alec." Daniel reassured, "We all will go to that guy and see what we can find. I'll inform you as soon as we find any clue about their whereabouts."
Nodding Alec left with Luke as Daniel watched over, then walked beside his wife and wrapped her in his arms. Slowly, all her weight shifted on him as she leaned her head on his shoulder, and he planted a soft peck on her head, sending his soothing magic into her body. "You okay, baby?"
"Mmhm.." She mumbled against his neck but he knew she was worse than she let on. Carefully, he picked her up bridal style, and the way her amber eyes twinkled made him fall in love with her all over again. Centuries of being together, but nothing affected their love for each other. They keep finding a way to fall in love again and again.
Walking into their bedroom, he tucked her under a blanket after removing her heels and freeing her long hair tied in a bun. How do girls maintain themselves so much, he can never understand.
"Danny, we should be helping Magnus not res-"
"Quiet!"
"But-"
"Rose, you were up all night. You need to rest. We can't help Magnus if we don't have the strength. I said the same to Alec and I'm saying it to you too. I know Magnus and you became close friends but that doesn't mean you'll affect your health. Magnus wouldn't want that either, right?"
Sighing, she bit her lip and leaned back. "We failed them, right? It's our fault we couldn't find a way to kill Kasper."
Daniel's stomach twisted and he lowered his gaze. "Not yours Rose, mine. It's all on me. Only me."