Count The Shadows (Prequel to Test the Limits)

Challenge Accepted

As soon as Anti had walked out the door, his phone began vibrating insistently. He glanced at the screen and was glad to see that it was Infelix calling him.

"What's up?" Anti answered, walking down the sidewalk to find a hotel to stay in. It was late, eleven at night according to his phone.

"Don't check into a hotel, it keeps you off the radar." Infelix stated.

"Then where am I going?" Anti huffed, knowing better than to question why he should remain unknown. If a missing person abruptly showed up, who knows what would happen.

"I sent you to Dublin for a reason. Isn't your house a couple blocks away?" Infelix questioned.

Anti froze mid step, hoping Infelix wasn't serious.

"I can't go back home, I don't own it." Anti shook his head.

"Technically you do since your dad's dead and your mom is somewhere over the rainbow." Infelix reminded him.

Anti hesitated before crossing the street, walking down to his old house hat he thought he would never visit again.

Everything looked the same when he walked in, the beer bottles still scattered everywhere and trash still in need of being taken out. He could even still see the dried blood from when he cut his feet a broken bottle on the last day of school and had to limp to the bathroom to bandage them up.

"I'll call you tonight to hear about your first lesson." Infelix informed him before hanging up.

The first thing Anti did was take out the trash since the smell made him want to throw up. He then tossed out every single bottle of alcohol out of the house.

Literally.

Once that was finished, Anti walked into his bedroom, the bed still unmade and floor as messy as he remembered it being.

He dug through his closet and changed out of his uniform and put on a black t-shirt and black jeans so he was more comfortable. He then stepped into the bathroom and removed his contacts, looking at his multicolored eyes for the first time in years.

Before he could do anything else, his phone started vibrating again. This time, it was Dark calling him.

"Hey, what's up?" Anti asked as he walked back to his room and sat down on the edge of his bed.

"Nothing much, it's just...I really wanted to hear your voice. I don't want to be separated in different countries for however long." Dark huffed in frustration, his voice crackling over the phone due to bad reception.

"Same here." Anti sighed in agreement flopping backwards so his head was resting on his pillow.

"Emily Smith is actually pretty laid back thankfully, I'm starting practice tomorrow whenever I get to the practice rink. What about you?" Dark countered.

"I dunno, but Aedan Murphy...he reminds me of my dad. Drunk, always angry at someone or thing..." Anti trailed off.

"I'd trade you if I could, your coach sounds miserable to be around." Dark admitted.

"You're not Irish." Anti pointed out.

"Top o' the morning Anti! Did he eat yer lucky charms?" Dark spoke in a horrible Irish accent that made Anti struggle to not laugh at him.