35: JASPER

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Dylan stood there, arms crossed, trying not to lose his patience as Zade and I continued to bicker like children.

"I'm telling you, Charizard would obliterate them," I said, my tone full of conviction as I glared at my brother.

Zade shot back, "Faerie magic is far superior to your little Pokémon world! Fire alone won't solve everything."

Dylan rubbed his temples, already regretting that we were even having this conversation. "You two, seriously? You two are mandirigmas, not fantasy nerds."

I turned to Zade, smirking. "Hey, all I'm saying is that Charizard has the power advantage—"

"And all I'm saying," Zade interrupted. "is that agility trumps power any day."

"Enough!" Zade's voice came out sharper than he intended, but he was beyond done with this nonsense. "We've got bigger issues. Like the Devil's Scroll, which is out there somewhere and could be used to, I don't know, open a portal to hell?"

That shut us up. We both turned to Dylan, eyes wide.

"Thank you," Dylan muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Now that I've got your attention, I think I've figured out how we can find it."

Zade raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Do tell."

"Scrying," I said, watching for their reactions. "It's risky, but it's our best option right now. The scroll is ancient, and if I focus hard enough, I should be able to track it."

Dylan's voice laced in concern. "Scrying? You sure about that, Jasper? This isn't just any cursed object we're dealing with. The Devil's Scroll is... different."

"I know," I replied, keeping my voice steady. "But I also know we don't have much time. Whoever has the scroll isn't just hiding it—they're planning to use it."

For a moment, no one spoke.

Dylan's face was unusually serious. "We need to find that scroll before anyone can finish that spell. Whatever it takes."

"Agreed," I said. "But first, I need to scry. If I can pinpoint its location, we'll have a shot at stopping this before it's too late."

Zade, still shaken, glanced out the window before looking back at me. "Fine. But promise me one thing."

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"If you see any Pokémon in your scrying, let me know."

I snorted, shaking my head. "Deal."


****

The room was quiet, too quiet. Zade and Dylan had left me to work on the scrying, giving me some space. I wasn't sure if it was out of respect or if they didn't want to be around if something went wrong. Either way, I was alone, staring into the bowl of water, trying to focus. But my mind kept wandering, slipping back to memories I didn't want to face right now.

The candlelight flickered as I drew a deep breath, staring at my reflection. I reached for the pendant around my neck, the one that had belonged to my mom. I hadn't taken it off since the funeral. Scrying was hard enough, but with everything hanging over me—the Devil's Scroll, the fear of what it could do, and the people it could hurt—it was almost impossible to keep my concentration.

And then... they appeared.

At first, I thought it was just my imagination, some trick of the light. But then I saw them clearly, standing at the edge of the room—my parents. Jessica and Lando Vasquez, just as I remembered them. My chest tightened, the breath leaving my lungs as I stared.

Mom looked just like she had the day she was buried, her long dark hair falling over her shoulders, her eyes kind, but tired. Dad stood beside her, his usual stern look softened, his hand resting on her shoulder.

For the first time since her funeral, I felt the weight of their absence hit me full force. My vision blurred as tears welled up, and I bit down hard, trying to keep it together. This was the first time I'd seen them both since everything fell apart.

"Mom... Dad..." My voice cracked, barely more than a whisper.

They didn't say anything, just watched me with that same look they always gave me—the one that said they were proud of me, even if I was stubborn, even if I kept pushing everyone away. I wanted to say something, anything, but the words stuck in my throat.

I hadn't cried at mom's burial. I couldn't. There was too much to do, too many people counting on me to be strong. But now, with them standing there, I felt like a kid again. The tears came before I could stop them, sliding down my face as I clenched my fists.

"Why now?" I whispered, barely holding it together. "Why show up now, when everything's falling apart?"

I wanted them to answer, to tell me it was all going to be okay. But they stayed silent, watching, waiting. And for a moment, it felt like time stopped, like the weight of everything wasn't crushing me.

But of course, it couldn't last.

"Jasper!" Zade's voice cut through the air, snapping me back to reality.

I blinked, and just like that, they were gone. The room felt colder, emptier. I wiped my face quickly, hoping Zade hadn't noticed the tears. But when I turned, there he was, standing in the doorway, arms crossed, a frown on his face.

"You done being sentimental, or are we going to focus on finding this scroll?"

I glared at him, my chest still tight. "Shut up, Zade."

He shrugged, stepping into the room. "Just saying, we don't have time for this. We need to move fast."

I wanted to snap at him, to tell him he didn't understand. But I swallowed the words. He was right, even if it stung. We didn't have time for this. Not with what was at stake.

"Fine," I muttered, turning back to the scrying bowl. "Let's get to work."

But even as I refocused on the task at hand, the memory of my parents lingered, like a ghost that wouldn't leave me alone.

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