United (Magics AU - Part 1)

Chapter 42 - Kai

Though Kai had known from the beginning that Thorn was a Shadow, Kai had never seen his captor's true form before. It was immensely more terrifying than the man that Thorn had been using as his body, and somehow that man had been frightening - even though, now, the man didn't look so fearsome. He was sitting on the floor, his legs folded under him, in front of Shintaro, his dark hair falling into his face - something Thorn wouldn't have liked, which was why his hair had been kept styled back - and his expression confused and shaken.

Thorn, however, definitely looked much more horrifying. He was taller - reaching Shintaro's eyes now - and somehow the fact that he didn't have any facial features aside from chilling red eyes was more frightening than before. When Kai saw Thorn's true form, his terror had spiked higher than was probably healthy, and he found it hard to catch his breath. If Thorn had been dangerous with a human body, what could he do in his Shadow form? 

There had been far too many times where Thorn had showed to Kai what he could really do, but had that been the full extent of his powers? Kai didn't know much about Shadows, but he was pretty sure that they drew their power from the darkness around them, using the shadows as a source. If Thorn was now in his complete form, without a mortal body, did that mean it was easier to harness Darkness? 

As Kai stood in trembling silence by the barricaded door, Caynen stepped around Shintaro and toward Thorn, whose red eyes narrowed in something that looked like annoyance; but the Shadow strangely didn't fight Caynen as he created a Light restraint and bound Thorn's wrists. After Thorn was completely restrained, Caynen made his way to Moon and bound her wrists, even though Kai knew that she wouldn't be waking up for a while. 

Though Kai's heart was longing for it to be true, there was no way that Thorn was simply going to obey Shintaro's demands. Kai knew his captor too well to believe that Thorn didn't have something bigger in store. Kai wasn't sure how or why, but somehow that plan included allowing Shintaro to give orders that Thorn wouldn't have normally followed. 

Kai carefully and inconspicuously studied Thorn's face, but it was hard to make out Thorn's expression from only the red eyes. The Shadow was watching Shintaro and the man named Luke, his calculating red eyes narrowed slightly. Even when Thorn had had facial features, his expressions had been hard to read - unless he was joyful or angry. He'd made it quite apparent when he was either of those things. 

The room was completely silent as Caynen straightened away from Moon, turning with a slight grimace toward Shintaro again. "Shintaro, we cannot waste any more time," the older Light said firmly, titling his head down to peer at the guardian. "The Shadowbeasts are still ravaging the kingdom." 

Shintaro looked up at his friend, but Kai couldn't quite see his expression. "All right," the guardian said quietly, then swiftly rose to his feet. He pivoted sharply toward Thorn, his eyes hard and his posture stiff. 

"We're going to go out there," he said roughly to Thorn, "and you're going to do exactly as I tell you. If you don't, Thorn, there will be severe consequences." 

Thorn tilted his head back slightly in a short chuckle, but his eyes remained on Shintaro's face. "You forget: I may not have the key on me at the moment, but it is nearby. We have the upper hand, Shintaro. Face it. You're going to lose." 

Shintaro seemed to ignore the Shadow, striding purposefully forward. He snatched the Light bound clasping Thorn's wrists together and shoved him toward the barricaded door. As he did so, he spoke again in a low, seething voice. "Over my dead body we will." 

Kai skittered away from the cafeteria doors as Thorn and Shintaro neared, toward Chase and Abby, who were standing a few paces to the right of the doors. Though Kai knew that Thorn was bound by the only magic that could hold him, he also knew that the Shadow could likely snap the binds whenever he wanted to.