a dominus sequel series

Annabella

Weaving throughout the pile of monster corpses, Mason and Annabella quickly abandon the museum. Once they make it outside, Annabella yanks Mason to the car.

"At your apartment," she says once he's buckled in, "you've got your dad's old record player right?"

Mason nods, confused. "Well, yeah, but I don't really see how this has anything to do with-"

"Perfect."

When the pair arrive at Mason's place, they unlock the front door and head to his bedroom, where the floor has a few articles of clothing strewn across it–along with crumpled up papers and loose arrows–but there his bed sat, always neatly made. Artwork is plastered upon his walls, and a dusty record player sits on top of his dresser.

Annabella walks to it, examining Mason's vinyl collection. Her eyes quickly scan between titles, until she grabs what appears to be an old, thrifted classic music record. Nearly giggling, she sets up the record and turns to Mason before she places the needle.

"I think it'd be best if you sat down for this," she warns, before starting the music and jumping onto Mason's bed. Annabella rolls over until she's lying on her stomach with her legs crossed behind her, occasionally swinging them back and forth. She has one hand propping up her chin with her elbow resting on the bed. "They like the music. Now, don't say anything, or you'll mess it all up. Okay?" she asks Mason.

"Sure," he says, reluctantly. Mason then pauses for a moment. "They?"

Yet Annabella can no longer hear him. Her eyes are closed, and a range of emotions flash upon her face–from sorrow to despair, then ending with her eyebrows raised as if she sees a ghost. The hair on her head begins to stand up with static electricity, until the lights in Mason's room start to flicker, a few of them bursting in the process.

Suddenly, Annabella's eyes fly open with a gasp, and she blinks hard before a hazy figure appears before her and Mason.

He has circular glasses, a mop of blonde hair, a smile with slightly too big of teeth, and he's tall. Kind.

Annabella beams. "Evan! I knew you'd come through."

The boy smiles at her. He looks as if he did before the tragedy. There's no trace of the cause of his death besides his lack of a physical presence. "Well, obviously. Where are we right now?" Evan asks, his eyes scanning the superhero posters on the walls and comics thrown on Mason's desk. "You into Star Wars much?" he asks, turning to Mason.

Annabella laughs. "What he's really trying to ask is if you've got any Lego Star Wars sets."

Mason's pupils are blown as he tries to comprehend the spirit before him, one in which his girlfriend is having a full-blown conversation with. A kid who's actually dead, and he wants to chat about Star Wars.

Evan crosses his arms while he laughs, loud and high-pitched. It's one you can't forget. "I meannn," he says.

Annabella looks at Mason. "So, I can kind-of contact the dead. You know, like Evan. Speaking of–Evan, meet Mason."

Mason nods to the blonde boy. "I've heard him try and talk to me before." Evan says.

Mason smiles softly in response, offering a nod back to him that's a little too practiced. "Usually when you call, I find you somewhere in shambles."

Nearly scoffing, Annabella rolls her eyes. "Yeah, well, you know-"

"You're okay, though? Or, did something happen?" he asks.

"There are monsters coming up from the Abyss. I figured maybe you could help me figure out what exactly might be going on. At first, I was thinking a portal had been opened, but I can't be sure."

Evan bites into a green apple, chewing it slowly.

"Where did that come from?" Mason asks him, bewildered.

The blonde boy laughs. "I'm dead! There's plenty of stuff I can do–actually, I can show you something here if you just-"

"How about we stay focused for one second, okay boys?" Annabella asked, her eyes digging into Evan's to try and keep him on topic, then turning to Mason's as if she was scolding him for encouraging the topic change.

Evan sighs, thinking for a second. "It's odd that you didn't hear back from Steropes. He usually lets me pop in and out for an occasional haunt, so I don't know why he wouldn't answer your summoning."

Annabella blinks, her brain sputtering into gear. "Uh, yeah."

Quickly placing his glasses onto his head, Evan raises an eyebrow. "You didn't call Steropes."

She groans. "I didn't even think about it. Clearly, this is why you were my first choice."

Evan grins at her annoyance. "Chat with him first and I'll get back to you two? I've got a thing."

"Really? And what are you so busy for?" Annabella asks.

"If you must know, I just might be going on a date."

"With who, Freddy Mercury? Or like, a real guy?"

Evan laughs and readjusts his glasses to its rightful place on the bridge of his button nose. "I'll never kiss and tell. See you soon," he says, reaching his hand out towards hers. She does the same, and is left just as empty when her hand goes straight through him as the last fifty summonings beforehand.

He's gone faster than he appeared.

Mason looks to Annabella. "Steropes?" he asks. Suddenly, a dull pain aches from the back of his head. He reaches a hand to tenderly feel the area.

Annabella doesn't notice as she regains her composure, sitting upright next to Mason on the bed. "Yeah, of course we contact Steropes. I can't believe I was stupid enough to forget him entirely. Maybe he can help untangle this Dark Key mess," she says, turning to Mason. "After he shows me the spell to get your memory back."

"And if he refuses to help?"

Annabella's eyes harden, and she places her hand on Mason's cheek. "Then we'll make him."