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  [img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/710908524602851461/1177007458569424977/rumburak.png?ex=6570f09d&is=655e7b9d&hm=c11b4f1ccfb409d103f805b6d508371d626f69a375d515170c7c3f7453133268&=&format=webp[/img][/center]

Layla leaned against her bike, arms folded over herself despite the thick leather jacket she wore over her summer dress. It was a cool day, a reminder that autumn was a short season, and winter would hit the city soon.  Void seemed a bit agitated, a bit determined, and a bit fed up, his jagged teeth clenched resolutely, a fire in his eyes.

Another meeting had been called by that imposter leader.  Void felt the darkness inside him swirl at just the thought. Today he'd try to drive her out, or at least make the Coven question her leadership. But to increase his success, he needed a second voice of reason with him. A friendly ally. A friend of Alizee.

[i]Jack.[/i]

That's why they waited in the parking lot of the Tranquil Haven Park. Void had his eye on the entrance, waiting for Jack to roll up so he could push his next plan forward.

Jack Hawthorne was many things, but predictable was not one of them. Void wouldn't be able to see his arrival, as he appeared far from the entrance, underneath a tree in the most isolated part of the park. The only sound signaling his arrival was the feint trudge of his boots as he walked up to the Void Heart and his new host. 

[color=6644ff]"Void Heart."[/color]

Void gave the man a sideways glace before completly turning to face him. "Jack."

Layla stood up straight, a bit nervous. From what she remembered of Jack, he was a bit of a recluse. Disappeared after the Coven dissolved. But he wasn't a [i]bad[/i] person. Being associated with [i]entities[/i] didn't make a person bad. 

She offered a small smile, put at ease upon seeing a familiar face. "Hi Jack."

As the group moved towards the gazebo, albeit at a slow pace, Void spoke with Jack.

"You remember what I told you over the phone, about Alizee?" Void said, an edge in his voice. If one was adept enough, they'd be able to tell Void was trying to hold back his pain.

"I... hell. You're a friend of Alizee. You were always supportive. So I'm asking you-"

He moved to hover in front of Jack, dead seriousness in his eyes.

"-I need you to be on my side when I knock Auri down. Got it?"

Jack's face was a barren wasteland. Neither the Void Heart nor Layla would be able to find the feintest trace of any expression whatsoever. Was he already at peace with his friend's death, or was he simply good at carrying the weight? 

[color=6644ff]"It is good to see you again, Layla. As you for,"[/color] he said, to the apparition, [color=6644ff]"It would be unwise to do such a thing. They want you [i]gone.[/i] Auri, and the coven itself blames you for our friend's death, and that puts you in an especially precarious situation. You will not win by fighting fire with fire. Auri is not a leader. Though not for a lack of trying, she simply isn't equipped to see reason in the wake of all this. You're important in our attempt to save our lives, but they don't see that. They [i]will[/i] try to seal you. That means you, Layla, are in danger as well."[/color]

Layla's eyes flew open, a hand pressed to her mouth in alarm. "Me too?"

[color=6644ff]"You are the Void Heart's host.  You're adjoined, and that means you two are inseparable. For this reason, we must assume you are in just as much danger.[/color]

Jack clasped both of his hands in front of him, showing off a shadowing set of fingers in broad daylight. [color=6644ff]"They know your tricks. And I know theirs. I have a better idea, and it involves both of you trusting me with your lives,"[/color] he said, dryly.

Void's eyes narrowed a bit. Layla noted his change in demeanor, and shrunk a bit behind him.

[i]"Is... something wrong?"[/i] She thought.

Void was silent for a lot while longer, sizing up Jack thoroughly.  Before he finally sighed, and held his jaw in a firm line. "Those bastards."

He sighed. "What did you have in mind, Jack?"

[color=6644ff]"It's simple. You and I take a trip to a place we're all too familiar with, the Void. Not just any place in it, no, we'll go to the region which I call home. A relatively benign area I named the Shadowzone, it will be safe for you, Layla. As long as we keep the doors and windows locked shut, your mind will not be harmed."[/color]

He paused, to let the idea of changing realities sink in.

[color=6644ff]"If we leave now, they will grow suspicious. So after the meeting, I will meet with you and Layla. I'll lead them to believe I'm looking for you, and that I have your trust-Which I hope I do. While they're busy, you two make any arrangements you need to be safe. We'll isolate Auri when she's most vulnerable. But until then, you are outnumbered. If you strike out at her, you'll have every last one of them unleashing the fullest extent of their magical abilities on you, in broad daylight."[/color]

Void narrowed his eyes, but nodded. "Alizee was ganged up once before last night before... everything went to hell. I'd rather that didn't happen again, but... No promises. I can't hold my tongue when it comes to Auri."

His cragged jaws relaxed in a small sigh. "I just want justice for Alizee."

A pause as they neared the gazebo. Void glanced at Jack. "Alizee would appreciate this, you know."

[color=6644ff]”I’m sure she would. I [i]hope[/i] she would. Alizee was a dear friend to me. And I will see to it that she can rest easily, wherever she is now.”[/color]

If only the Void Heart knew how true that would ring in time.

[color=6644ff]"Do not look for me. I'll find both of you when it's time."[/color] With that said, Jack turned and walked away. The plan was now in motion, and there was no going back. 

[hr]

[center][img]https://images-ext-2.discordapp.net/external/9VNc0PShCsBZTPLizLytdKicOWm18zBLbjSaekXYQmc/https/i.imgur.com/8FMvh2h.png?format=webp[/img]
[img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/710908524602851461/1177007458569424977/rumburak.png?ex=6570f09d&is=655e7b9d&hm=c11b4f1ccfb409d103f805b6d508371d626f69a375d515170c7c3f7453133268&=&format=webp[/img][/center][right][b]Interactions:[/b] The Coven [/right][right][b][code]Tranquil Haven Park[/code][/b][/right][hr]

Always the mysterious one with a knack for dramatic entrances, no one could have seen Jack walking from the entrance of the park. He rarely walked the streets of any town he had made his way through, when he wasn't traversing the Void. Often, he would simply appear where he wanted to be, throwing off anyone who might be looking for him. Magic really was a wonderful alternative to most conventional forms of transportation, which required time and resources. Why fly overseas when you could simply open doors across the planet? Although, it certainly didn't turn out to be so convenient when people could notice him simply appearing out of thin air. Walking up to the meeting spot, Jack took a seat next to Sloane, who seemed to be doing somewhat better than last night. Today, he wore a [url=https://imgs.search.brave.com/HnsZ7G2zaYn9vVbiJCIIQQPTF5KciKuNttjXKzM03BE/rs:fit:860:0:0/g:ce/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cu/cml2YXlueWMuY29t/L2Nkbi9zaG9wL2Zp/bGVzL1NPTUVSU0VU/LmpwZz92PTE2OTU4/MzM3MzYmd2lkdGg9/MTQ0NQ]dark blue greatcoat[/url] for the late October weather. It might've been an odd fashion choice, but it hid his channeler well. And it had hidden benefits for Jack's particular form of magic that he wanted to take advantage of, in the event that someone followed up on the chaos from yesterday.

Chaos which he chose not to dwell much on.

Jack was, unsurprisingly, more than a little jarred when Auri announced that Eksa, Simone and Finn were dead. There were many things about this that sat [i]wrong[/i] with him. The least of which were the deaths themselves. It was heavy to know that they were dead after only recently reuniting, but Auri seemed... Lighthearted up until the moment she broke the news. Either Auri didn't really [i]care[/i] about the loss of their lives, or she wasn't particularly good at expressing that she did. It was a small detail, but it stood out to him because Auri was showing the same demeanor she did when they met yesterday. Granted, they had [i]all[/i] been slowly dying off, but something about this didn't sit right with him.

But Jack was the one who advocated for them minimizing paranoia yesterday, so he mentally filed that thought away.

[color=6644ff]"...Someone will answer for these deaths, one day."[/color] Simone was a good friend, once. She and Jack were two of the more scholarly coven members as kids, he remembered spending hours pouring over books with her and Britney. His response to the news was cold, as he clasped his hands together in vengeful contemplation. 

[color=6644ff]"Do we have any valid, [i]legitimate[/i] leads to find our murderer? Or do we know anyone who could point us in a meaningful direction? The three of them left, and went off on their own, didn't they? There has to be some common link between all of these, [i]beyond[/i] only being confined to our old coven. When does Father Wolf strike, at night? When someone is alone and can't call for help? Both? If we can't determine their motive, we should at least look for a pattern, so we can avoid it."[/color]