MAGIC

(-Chapter Three-)

Jack's ride home was a bumpy one. Literally. He had a nice ride until he hit a pothole. He was thrown off his bike, and ran off. He got lost and ended up 3.5 miles deep inside the woods. Then almost instantly a bear charged at him. He threw his hands up and the bear was burning to death.

He sent a ball of flames into the bear. Going deeper, thinking that the exit is close, the found a glowing red pentagon. "What the fu--" he exclaimed. As he fell into an abyss. He landed and looked around. Darkness. Then reaching out of the darkness, three blue strands, similar to fishing line wrapped around his arm.

He screamed in agony as the wires burned into his flesh, branding him. After it was over Jack blacked out.

***

"Jack! Jack, can you hear me?" Skye asked him, whilst trying to wake him up. The sunshine blared into his face as he was in his room. His friends must have found him, in the woods. How did they get me out of the abyss? He thought to himself. Skye looked at him.

"I need to know what happened, why were you in the woods?" She asked him, in a concerned voice. "Who found me?" Jack asked. To his surprise, it was Jordan. Then after explaining everything, even the bear incident he showed them his chest.

Skye's eyes widen with shock, and fear. She knew of some mythology and recognized this brand immediately. She looked Jack in the eyes and said "Get your shirt on, we are going to see Bex."

Jack reluctantly got out of bed got his favorite green hoodie on and went to see Bex, wondering if she knew what to do.The ride was awkward, Jack was confused. He looked at Skye. "Sooooo... what is this brand for?" he asked.

Skye looked at him and told him to shut up and wait til they get to Bex, she knew how to explain. When they got to Bex's house, she was sitting in the couch watching a movie. Skye sat beside her and whispered something in her ear.

Bex's eyes widened. She ran up to Jack and took him by the shoulders "Take off your hoodie." Bex told him. Jack followed orders blushing. "Cool..." She said. "I've never seen one in real life." Jack looked at her, "Then what am I?" he asked. She looked at him, eyes wide with wonder. "A Pulse L'cie! They are the servants of the Pulse Fal'cie! You must have ran into one when you were.... What were you doing near one?" She asked, stunned.

He told her the story, and she looked shocked. "WAIT! I heard about the fal'cie Anima! It emits blue strings to brand whilst other ones just make the brand appear painlessly. Now here is an important piece on information we need. After you were branded you claimed to have blacked out. Did you have a dream that showed you what to do, like a vision?" She asked, still starstrucked.

A vision? Jack thought to himself. He did have a weird dream and told her about it. "So your 'Focus' is to take down the corruption of this world, to lead on to the next?" Skye asked, looking at him as if he was drugged. "No." Bex told her. "Its to ensure easy passage to the next world."

Jack was stunned. "WAIT! What if I don't want to do it! I don't even know how to!" He shouted, terrified. Bex looked at him. "It's not just that." She told him. "You need to take the lifesource from this world that will plummet it down into space. And about the crystal thing, if you take the lifesource you completed your focus, and if you complete your focus, you turn into crystal."

Jack looked down at his feet. "What if I don't?" he asked her. "Then you turn Cie'th, and not living anymore.". Bex said those words then looked scared, as if losing Jack would have been the worst thing to happen to her. "So, being a L'Cie is a lose-lose?" Skye asked in confusion. "Yep." Bex responded.

"But there is one exception. The L'Cie turned into crystal can turn human if that Fal'Cie is taken down, or if the Fal'Cie gives it a second focus." He was overjoyed at the idea of a normal life after this L'Cie crap.

He looked determined. "Then what are we waiting for? Skye, call Jordan! Bex call Zach. we need all the help we can get. And bring weapons! Let's take this thing down!" and with that Jack ran off, tying his hoodie around his waist exposing his shirtless chest.

***