Chapter 9: Loss
The glass shimmered faintly between them, as always.
Chris sat with his parents on the other side of the reinforced partition — his mother's soft eyes creased in gentle warmth, and his father's rough hands cradling a mug of tea.
It had become a ritual.
Monthly visits. Smiles. Small talk. Pretending everything was fine. And Chris played along — because it was fine. It had to be.
"Still reading those dense magic books?" his dad asked with a laugh.
"Yeah," Chris smirked, "I'm practically a magic nerd now. Thinking of starting a YouTube channel. 'Cursed Primordial Artifact Reviews.'"
They laughed. His mom rolled her eyes fondly, "As long as you don't review cursed sandwiches like last time."
Chris chuckled, biting into the one he brought from his quarters. "No promises."
But even as they spoke, something gnawed at the back of his mind.
A twitch in his father's eye. A subtle stiffness in his mother's laugh.
They weren't quite right.
The warmth was there, but it felt... painted on.
Like a photograph with slightly wrong colors.
He didn't say anything.
He smiled. He laughed.
And he filed the unease deep inside.
One month later.
Same room. Same partition.
Same ritual.
Chris waved, sat down.
They spoke again.
Same small talk.
But it was worse now.
His mother's voice had a delay.
His father's left hand never moved.
"Hey, uh... Dad?"
"Yeah, kiddo?"
"How's your left arm?"
His father blinked. "Fine, why?"
It didn't move when he gestured. Not once. Not during a laugh. Not when holding his cup. It just rested there, like paper.
Chris smiled thinly.
"No reason. Just checking."
That night, he paced his room for the first time in months.
The Eye hovered silently. Watching.
Chris stared at it.
"What are they?"
No answer.
"Are they still... real?"
Nothing.
He clenched his fists, but said nothing more.
The third month.
He walked into the room lazily, pretending nothing was wrong.
Same tea. Same sandwich. Same fake smiles.
But they weren't there.
The room was empty.
Instead, Professor Kael waited near the glass, looking pale and thin.
"...Doc?"
"Chris."
"Where are they?"
Kael hesitated, her mouth opening—then closing.
"Doc." His voice dropped. "Where are they?"
She stepped forward, placing a hand on the reinforced barrier as if it might comfort him.
"Chris... before anything, I need you to breathe. And remember—don't let your emotions spiral. Please."
Chris raised an eyebrow, still chewing a bite of sandwich.
"Why?"
"Because of the Eye?"
He laughed quietly, bitterly.
"It's fine, Doc. I've been a model citizen for two years. I'm practically zen."
Kael looked away, her voice trembling.
"Your parents are dead, Chris."
The world slowed.
The sandwich fell from his hand, hitting the ground with a dull thud.
His breath hitched.
"...What?"
His pupils contracted.
He blinked rapidly, eyes twitching.
He sucked in a breath — shaky, sharp.
His chest rose and fell too fast.
"Wh—what do you mean by that?"
"I thought— I thought you said—"
"You said you were protecting them!!"
The Eye pulsed.
[Emotion Surge Detected.]
[Sync Level Spike: 25% → 29%]
Kael's voice cracked.
"We—we did. There was an anomaly. A riot in the West Ring. They weren't the target, it wasn't intentional, but—Chris, I'm so sorry."
His nails dug into his palm.
"You promised."
He was whispering now.
Voice hollow.
"You promised me."
Tears didn't fall. Not yet.
But his throat burned.
"You told me they'd be safe."
"I agreed to all this for them."
Kael flinched as a pressure filled the room. A pull. As if gravity itself leaned toward Chris.
The Eye rose higher.
[Warning: Desire Threshold Approaching.]
[Core Instability Detected.]
Kael pressed something on her comm-crystal, and a field of null-magic bloomed around the room.
"Chris. Breathe. I need you to hold on—just a little longer. We're stabilizing the containment room. Don't let it—"
He collapsed to his knees.
His voice cracked.
"I didn't even get to say goodbye…"
The Eye pulsed softly. For the first time, it hovered closer. Near his shoulder. Like it understood.
[Desire Registered: Restoration.]
[Cannot Process — Insufficient Synchronization.]
[Locked Until: 51%]
Chris wiped his face, expression unreadable now.
He stood up slowly, eyes dim.
"I want to go to the scene."
"Chris, that's—"
"Or I won't stay here anymore."
Kael hesitated, staring at the faint glimmer of raw essence pulsing behind him.
And for the first time...
She was afraid.