Jayson Bane || Alec Lightwood

1.1

Entering Clary's room with her trailing behind me, I graciously opened the door for her, mindful of her inability to reach the handle yet. As she stepped in, she handed me my guitar. "Bubba, please play me something on the guitar?" she pleaded. With a smile, I made my way to the stand and retrieved it. Seating myself on the floor, legs crossed, Clary reclined before me. Strumming the strings gently, I inquired, "What would you like to hear, little red?" She beamed, "Play that song you always play when feeling blue." Though puzzled, I obliged, commencing with the chords. "I'll let you find yourself alone..."

After our musical interlude, I treated Clary and her peculiar friend to ice cream. Seated in a cozy booth, we awaited our treats. "Bubba, can Simon come hang out at my place?" Clary inquired. I shrugged, "Sure, why not." The waitress arrived with our orders. "One cookie 'n creme for the little man, one butter creme for the girl, and two banana splits for the gentlemen," she announced cheerily, handing me my dessert. As I gazed at my ice cream, hunger gnawed at me. I handed over the payment without a second glance and dove into my treat.

"No, you ask him," Clary whispered. Glancing at the children, I queried, "Ask me what? Simon, your glasses are slipping. Are you sure you don't need something to secure them?" He shook his head timidly. "N-No, I'm fine..." he squeaked. Suppressing a chuckle at his high-pitched voice, I remarked, "Can't wait for puberty to hit you, kid." He returned my smile and resumed his ice cream. As I spooned another mouthful, Clary interrupted, "What's puberty?" I set down my spoon and slid the second bowl toward her. "Well... you'll start developing, and, uh, you might end up shorter than you'd like, little red," I attempted to explain. Perplexed, she questioned, "Develop what?" Exhaling, I rested my face in my hands. "Ask your mother. I'm not keen on explaining puberty to a six-year-old girl. At least Simon seems to know," I muttered.

After settling Clary and Simon in her room for the night, I returned to the living room. Standing by the doorway, I observed Jocelyn packing my belongings into bags. "What's going on?" I inquired, approaching her. She met my gaze with a sad smile. "The clock is about to strike midnight, marking your 16th birthday. I'm taking you somewhere safe for the transformation," she explained, zipping up the last bag. "Does my father know about this?" I pressed. Instead of answering, she grabbed the bags and headed out. "Come on, Jayson. This is for Clary's and your safety," she urged, leaving the apartment. Following her to the car, I questioned, "What's happening? Are you alright?" She shot me a look that said, 'Just trust me,' and I complied, settling into the backseat in silence.

As we drove through Brooklyn, I broached the subject. "Jocelyn, what will you tell Clary? I came here to spend time with her and you," I reminded her. Glancing back at me at a red light, she replied, "That you ran away. Simple as that." I scoffed, "Just because she's six doesn't mean she'll believe that forever." She sighed, pulling into a parking lot. Gathering my bags, she urged, "Come on!" I hurried after her.

"Let's be clear, you're not selling me, right?" I clarified as she knocked on a door. She shook her head, and the door swung open to reveal a glittering Asian man. "What brings you here, Fray?" he greeted, smiling. Since I didn't know their last name, I left it to Jocelyn to respond. "Magnus, I know this is sudden, but I need you to teach and care for Jayson..." she implored. Eyeing me, he hummed thoughtfully. "Alright..." he acquiesced, ushering us inside his expansive abode. As I settled onto the couch, Mum took a seat nearby. "Allow me to introduce myself. Hello, Jayson, I'm Magnus Bane. I'll be your instructor and guardian henceforth. My services come at a price," he stated with a wink, extending his hand. I shook it, but he recoiled as if singed. "Well, I'll be damned. You're quite the potent one," he murmured, his eyes shifting to a feline shape. "What the hell?!" I exclaimed as he approached with a strange mist swirling around his hands.

As Magnus approached with the strange mist swirling around his hands, I felt a surge of panic rising within me. My instincts screamed at me to resist, to flee, but I found myself rooted to the spot, unable to move or speak.

With a flick of his wrist, Magnus directed the mist toward me, enveloping me in its ethereal embrace. The mist seeped into my mind like tendrils of smoke, weaving through the corridors of my memories with an unsettling precision.

Images flashed before my eyes in rapid succession - fleeting glimpses of my past, moments of joy and sorrow, laughter and tears. Yet, as the mist delved deeper, I sensed something shifting within me, a fundamental reordering of my thoughts and emotions.

Memories began to blur and distort, their edges fraying like old parchment left out in the rain. Faces became indistinct, voices faded into echoes, and events dissolved into a haze of uncertainty.

I struggled to hold onto my sense of self, to cling to the fragments of my identity slipping through my fingers like grains of sand. But the mist was relentless, unyielding in its quest to reshape my mind according to Magnus's will.

Through the fog of confusion, I caught glimpses of Jocelyn's anguished expression as she watched helplessly from the sidelines. Her eyes were filled with regret and sorrow, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

Yet, despite her silent plea for mercy, Magnus continued his work unabated, his expression impassive and inscrutable. It was as if he were a sculptor chiseling away at a block of marble, fashioning me into a new form according to his design.

As the mist finally began to dissipate, leaving me gasping for breath in its wake, I realized with a sinking feeling that something precious had been taken from me - something irreplaceable and essential to my very being.

I looked to Jocelyn, searching for solace in her eyes, but all I found was a profound sadness mirrored in her gaze. For in that moment, I knew that I was no longer the same person I had been before, that a part of me had been lost forever in the swirling mists of Magnus's magic.