-Zeref’s pov-

“Oh my god!” Johan’s voice called out behind me.

“Zeref?!” Naz ran up to my limp body and helped me up. I leaned against her, as she swung left and right trying to hold me up.

“What happened?! Where is Sara?” she looked at me, concern dripping in her voice.

“Guys, we need to get him to the nurse!” Ciara swung my other arm around her shoulder, helping Naz.

“N-No, just get me home. My mums a healer.” I coughed out.

“But-“

“JUST DO IT!” blood spurted out onto the floor as I held in my anger. “Johan grab that portal opener.” I nudged my head to the floor and he followed my directions, picking it up and opening the door for me to walk through with Naz and Jade helping me.

“I’ll go find Mr Xanxus.” Johan ran back into the backstage of the arena, handing the portal opener to me.

Before we could get out of the building, a fit of coughs exploded through me. “Z-Zeref!” Ciara cried, scared.

“KEEP G-GOING!” I urged as they dragged me out of the building. My house wasn’t far. I could make it.

**

“MRS AMARA!!!” Naz screamed, kicking the entrance door open. Mum ran into the living room in shock as I collapsed forwards, nearly bringing Ciara and Naz down with me.

“ZEREF! MY BOY!” she ran over to us, falling to her knees next to me.

“My baby, what happened? Huh? W-Who did this???” she cried hugging my head into her arms. My mothers sweet voice soothed my wounds, giving me a feeling of security. My eyelids were half closed as she flipped me over to face the ceiling. I felt her soft touch while she ripped off my shirt, revealing the hundreds of wounds and cuts littered all over my body.

She didn’t waste time, healing me straight away. Naz cried quietly next to me and the panicked breathing of Ciara invaded the room.

“W-We found him like that. Sara’s gone.” Ciara sniffled. The mention of Sara’s name shook my eyes open.

“Mum.” I croaked as she grimaced at my ugly wounds.

My head went dizzy and I let myself fall into slumber.

**

-Jace’s POV-

My eyes shot open and I recognised the room I was in. I was in the nurse’s office. My head pounded against my skull as my full consciousness returned..

“Jace.” Mr Xanxus spoke next to me. “You’re awake.”

My head spun and the memories of bumping into that Ranveer guy rushed into my brain. It stopped when he beat me unconscious. The last thing I saw was Malia’s worried face, screaming something out to me. ‘GET UP!’ I think it was.

Wait. Malia. My heart beat quickened impossibly fast.

“Where’s Malia?” I sat up, despite the agonising pain in my stomach.

“Probably with the others. But anyways-“

“NO! She- She was with me when we were attacked!” The panic in my voice was enough for Mr Xanxus to know I wasn’t lying. His eyes grew wide and just as he was about to speak, the nurse’s door slammed open.

Johan ran up to Mr Xanxus, heaving out jumbled words but stopped when he saw my condition.

“You were there?” He looked confused.

“I was where?” I was just as confused.

“With Zeref.”

“No. Why? What happened to Zeref?”

“What happened to you?” Johan’s confusion was rising.

“What happened to the both of them?” Mr Xanxus interrupted, rolling his eyes.

“Malia is missing. I think she was kidnapped by some Ranveer guy.” I informed them.

Mr Xanxus started to pace around the room, biting his fingernails. “Zeref will kill us if he finds out. I know how to trace mana. I’ll get her back before he comes.”

“What? No. This is stupid.” I tried to reason with him but it seemed like Johan had no intention of siding with me.

“Yeah. I’ll help.” Johan looked at Mr Xanxus as they nodded at each other in agreement.

“Listen here you muscular brick built monkey. I know you like Malia and you wanna be the hero of the day but you should think rationally. You didn’t even tell us what happened to Zeref. You keep sidetracking-” my words were interrupted by the disgusting feeling of needing to vomit. I fell to my side, vomiting onto the floor.

“You’re clearly in no condition to stop us Jace. Sorry buddy.” Johan sighed, following Mr Xanxus out of the room. I tried to get up but my stomach fizzed when I tried to. “Don’t call me buddy! You muscular donkey shit!” I yelled.

**

-Zeref’s POV-

My conscience fluttered open. I was in my room, the door closed. Hushed whispers were heard downstairs and I carefully stood up. All my wounds were healed and I felt as good as new.

My hand dug into the depths of my pocket, fishing out the portal opener. I’m coming, Sara. I placed the portal that Johan gave on the floor and waited for the size of the portal to grow.

Just then I heard a knock on the door. I ignored it.

“Zeref what’s that noise? What’s happening in there?” mother’s concerned voice could be heard through the door, “Let me in. You’re still not fully healed!”

The portal opened and a long hallway was on the other side; it was a castle’s hallway. Without further hesitation, I stepped in and just as I did, the entrance snapped close behind me.

The floor was dusty brown and the walls were dove.The light of the many fire torches burnt my eyes; after the black gloom of my room, I found it abrasive. My eyes fell to the garish flowers in my hand, their dampness seeping through my woollen glove.The walls were decorated with paintings in colours as bright as glacier melted water. The air was stagnant and repulsive. From ahead came muffled voices, one angry, one placating.

I heard a loud growl and a bang followed it, along with rustling metal. Muffled cries and whimpers led me to the room and when I got close enough, they stopped. I think Sara smelt me. Her wolf howled and barked.

“SHUT UP!” the deep voice of Blake echoed through the castle.

It didn’t take rocket science to figure out what I did next. I activated ‘almighty push’, making my hand vibrate from all the mana coursing through my veins. ‘Almighty push.’ I said in my head and a bounce of energy shot out of my hand, into the big door.

The door burst into smithereens, giving me a clear view of Blake and Sara. Sara was chained up in her wolf form as Blake sat on a throne. How DARE he treat her like a pet?

Instead of letting my anger get the best of me, I decided to calm down and assess the situation.

“Ah, Zeref. Nice to see you made it.” he stroked Sara’s head as she cowered under his touch, whimpering.

“Shut up you ugly pedophile. You sicken me.” I grumbled.

“Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed huh. Like I told you before just step down as the lightning candidate and give me your seat and all this will never happen again. You have a mother right? Last time I checked she’s a widow right, she’d make a ni-” Blake spoke in a mocking tone.

“Enough.“

I was going to rush head in out of anger but I squeezed my eyes shut and took deep breaths, then opened them again.

“After this there’ll be no need as I’ll make you a cripple.” with that I activated my lightning aura and my hair rose up and the cackling of lightning encircled my body.

“Finally using the lightning I see.” he smiled before disappearing out of my line of sight. This was the same move he pulled on me before and I still couldn’t understand the concept.

A slice from his blade whizzed passed my face as I dodged it luckily due to my Seikuken being active; he didn’t stop as he split into two entities and faked with one and sliced down with the other. I fell for his trick again and a cut ran straight down my chest.

Instinctively I jumped back to recover.

‘Rapid healing’

‘Lightning Cloak’

‘Lightning Gauntlets’

I kitted myself with support spells, and unsheathed my sword. I wanted to use ‘Godspeed’ to finish him off, but I knew it wasn’t going to be worth it. Last time he had countered it somehow and caught me off guard; he must’ve had a spell or countermeasure to ‘Godspeed’.

I had to be cautious.