Into The Unown

Luke and the Quest for the City of Dead

"This seems like a bad idea," Aria said, she zoomed a spoon filled with mushed carrots around in the air, making airplane noises alongside, eventually making it land in Dereks face.

"It's harmless, she just has to come inside and take a look." Ash answered, "If it was something dangerous, we wouldn't have asked you this."

The pink haired took off her glasses and let out a sigh, "What exactly did the message say?"

"Only the eyes born of Black shall find me."

"But Alice and Derek aren't Van Black, they took my last name. Whatever stuff you guys have gotten yourself into, it's dangerous. I want to help you, I really do, but it's not my help you're asking, it's my daughters and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to her."

"Nothing will happen," Gary said.

"Can you promise me that?"

The two boys exchanged a look which sadly said no. There was no way in hell that they would be able to promise Aria, a woman who'd already lost her husband that the stuff they were going to make her daughter do wasn't going to harm her. It didn't matter whether the odds were in their favour, even if there existed a 0.1% chance that something could've gone wrong... Aria deserved to know it.

"No, I can't promise that," Ash said. "I'm... sorry for suggesting it,"

The two boys stood up, their shoulders heavy from disappointment.

"We can ask Serena," Gary whispered, "she doesn't have to come here... we can just video chat."

Ash chewed his lips. He couldn't help with hesitate just thinking about having to ask Serena for a favour... again.

"It's no problem, mummy. I'll do it."

In front of them stood Alice, her hair tied up in pigtails. "If I don't, Serena will have to do it."

"Sweetheart," Aria bend down, taking her tiny hand in hers, "you don't have to worry about it."

"No, I have to." There was sternness in her voice, "I don't want Serena to go through the trauma again... it's just looking, I'll do it."

The confidence the girl has made Ash smile. Somehow, a six year old carried with her the determination that could easily beat half of the troops at the Castle. The raven haired walked towards her, giving her a bright smile.

"Alice, you don't have to do anything. You owe us nothing."

"You're right, I don't." Her eyes flickered with hope, "But I owe it to Serena... and my dad."

"Just tell us what you see,"

Ash gently lifted Alice into his arms, her small frame was nothing compared to the training that he'd received at the academy. Alice wrapped her arms around his neck as he showed her around.
He could feel her shifting in his arms, constantly tugging at her ear in a way that made him doubt whether she had an ear infection.

He walked her slowly through the space, pointing towards the empty shelves and the carved out wall.

"See anything strange?" Ash asked in a soothing voice to avoid raising suspicion.

Alice made a face. "I don't know... Nothing special. It's just empty shelves and cabinets. Maybe there is something behind them."

Ash frowned, "Cabinet you say?"

Still tugging her ear, she agreed. "There are two in that wall there."

She pointed towards the carved message that the two had found earlier.

Without hesitation, Ash carried her closer to it. As they reached the cabinet, she let go of her grip and reached towards the supposed cabinet. Her tiny hands fumbled around the space, struggling to find an entrance.

Creaks buzzed through the room as Alice opened what previously felt like a wall. "There," she said.

Inside, was a thick, leather-bound book. It was singed off from the sides, almost like it had been burned off. In the middle of it were the words—

Lukes Quest for the City of Dead

Gary took the book from his hands, his fingers brushed against the spine. He quickly opened it, his brows raised in suspicion as he quickly skimmed through the first page.

"It's a fucking Novel," He said. "Look... the mist had settled down in the kingdom of Unova when a strange young man... it's garbage."

"It's not garbage," Alice said, "you were meant to find it." Her voice took an odd turn, "There was also something else here... a horn of sorts... it's gone now."

Ash watched her carefully, concern gnawed at every thought he had. Suddenly it made sense to him why Xenos was the one to find the horn, she was a Van Black, an original one in-fact.

As Alice reached for the second book, the air suddenly seemed to grow cold. A chilling sensation traveled down his spine, Ash didn't know why, but he immediately had a sudden urge to get Alice out of the place.

"It's just a letter," she said, taking out a yellowed envelope, "It's addressed to my lovely Diane,"

"That's your mother," Gary said.

Ash nodded. "Let's get—"

But before he could say anything, Alice looked up at him, her eyes wide. "Ash, we... we need to leave." She tugged at her ear again, harder this time.

"Why do you say that?"

"This... this wood is talking," her eyes looked overwhelmed, "I keep hearing things... and they're not nice."

Immediately he sprinted towards the exit. The raven haired put her down under the shadow of the tree, offering her a bottle of water. He waited until she had taken a few deep breaths to further enquire.

"What did the you hear?"

Alice took a deep breath, "The walls... they said that Eiran couldn't protect you for too long and that you were in her house. She... she told me to tell you not to mistake her generosity for naiveness and that... that... you and Serena have no idea what's coming for you."

Ash backed up, a strange sensation kept tugging his chest.

"Who said that to you, Alice?" Asked Gary. "Did they give a name?"

"Yes... she said her name was Xenos. And she's coming for you."