Tessa stirred beside him, a little sigh escaping her lips as she snuggled closer. Parker froze for a second, hoping she wouldn't wake up because dealing with Ere and a groggy Tessa at the sa ti? Yeah, no thanks.
{Master, I missed you. Co get . I want to be back imdiately! Also, I sll at. Lots of at, hehe~}
Parker groaned softly, his head falling back against the headboard. "Ere, for fuck's sake, what do you an co get you? You're a literal shadow monster. You can pop up whenever you want!"
{Stupid master, as usual. Think, genius. How are you going to explain to the others that I suddenly reappeared out of nowhere after being gone for days? Use that tiny brain of yours.}
"Oh… right." He ran a hand through his ssy hair, sighing. "Fine, I'll just say you were… in training. At so bougie pet training center or sothing."
{Training? Really? That's the best you've got? Ugh, whatever. But I'm not just showing up like that. You're picking up in the Lamborghini.}
Parker rolled his eyes so hard it felt like they might get stuck in the back of his head. "First my annoying pet, now my annoying system. Great. Love this for ."
[I heard that, Host.]
{Ha! You're more annoying than . Hands down.}
Parker groaned again, throwing the covers off and grabbing the key to his Lamborghini off the nightstand. He shuffled out of the room, trying not to make too much noise as Tessa shifted again, still blissfully asleep.
He made it downstairs, and Elena glanced up from where she was chopping vegetables in the kitchen.
"I'll be back," Parker said, waving the keys at her. "Gotta pick up Ere. She's been… uh… at a pet training center." Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire
Elena blinked, her knife pausing mid-chop. "Oh! So that's where she's been. I was wondering."
"Yup. Totally normal. Nothing weird." Parker said it a little too quickly before heading for the garage, not waiting for her to ask more questions.
Monts later, the Lamborghini roared to life, and Parker sped out of the estate like he was escaping sothing. Because, honestly? Between Ere's demands and the system's snark, he kind of was.
The car tore down the empty road, the engine's growl echoing into the night. But then, out of nowhere, a swirling pool of shadows ford in the passenger seat, and Ere materialized with a dramatic flick of her tail.
"Finally!" she huffed, stretching lazily like she hadn't just scared the shit out of him.
Parker slamd on the brakes, the car skidding to a stop in the middle of the road with an obnoxious screech. He twisted in his seat, turning the car to face the direction he'd just co from, then grabbed Ere and pulled her into his lap without thinking.
"Ere!" His voice cracked slightly, and she giggled, her purring vibrating against his chest as he hugged her tightly.
"Did you miss that much?" she teased, her golden eyes narrowing in amusent.
He didn't bother answering, too busy checking her over like a worried parent. "Are you okay? What happened? Why the hell did you disappear?"
Ere tilted her head, her expression softening. "I sensed sothing in Robert. Sothing… dangerous. When he had you pinned in that car, he was trying to do sothing to you. I didn't know what it was, but it felt bad. Really bad."
Parker's grip on her tightened. "Dangerous how?"
Her voice dropped, almost like she didn't want to scare him. "I don't know, but I couldn't just sit there. I made a portal to get you out. Normally, that's easy, but his power… it's unreal, Parker. Even the dinsion itself nearly collapsed. He's not normal."
He swallowed hard, his mind racing. "So… if you hadn't done that, I'd be—"
"Gone? I'm not sure but... A vegetable? Definitely!" she interrupted, her tone blunt.
He stared at her for a long mont, his chest tightening. "Thank you, Ere. For saving ."
She flicked her tail playfully. "It wasn't that bad for . Besides, the ti away changed . Don't tell you haven't noticed."
He blinked, finally taking a closer look at her. Her eyes, once a deep, shadowy silver, were now a striking gold with gray slits that seed to glow faintly in the dim light of the car.
"You… You're different," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "You're not using Ether anymore. It's Omni Energy."
Her grin widened, showing just a hint of sharp teeth. "And that's not all, Master."
"Alright, what's with the smug look?" he asked, side-eyeing her as he gripped the wheel.
"This isn't the right spot, Master Parker," she said, her voice clear and slightly amused. "Too cramped here. Trust , you're gonna want space for this. Let's get out."
Parker raised a brow but followed her lead and went out too, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Alright, show , Houdini. What's this big magic trick you're hyping up?"
Ere didn't answer right away, instead strolling into the clearing with her tail swishing behind her. Once they were surrounded by trees, she turned to face him, sitting neatly on the ground like she owned the place.
"Watch closely, and learn" she said, her tone playful but firm, like she was about to drop the world's biggest flex.
Parker leaned against a tree, arms crossed, as the air around them started to hum. It wasn't loud, but it buzzed with an energy that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Suddenly, with a sharp crack, a swirling black portal ripped open in the middle of the clearing.
His eyes widened. "Holy shit."
Ere didn't waste a second. She darted into the portal, disappearing completely. Before he could even register what had happened, another portal popped open ten feet to his right, and she gracefully leapt out, her sleek black form gleaming in the faint light.
"Whoa…" Parker muttered, his jaw dropping as a third portal blinked into existence above him. Ere slipped into it mid-jump, vanishing again. The portals started multiplying, opening up all over the clearing in rapid succession. One mont she'd erge from a portal near the ground, only to vanish into another one high in the air.
Reviews
All reviews (0)