5| Black Holes in His Eyes

When Eryk stepped onto one of the roofs of the next building, he didn't pay much attention because it was dark. Someone suddenly hit him with a baseball bat, causing Eryk to fall.

White flew above him without a sound. He could only see Eryk rolling on the roof of the building. Footsteps were rushing up the fire escape not far from where Eryk fell.

The sound of the footsteps made Eryk immediately alert. When he tried to get up, a group of men dressed in all black came after him.

Eryk struggled to swing his legs to stand up and run. However, his toes felt sunk in the holes in his shoes. Something was blocking Eryk's movement. He became stiff and not as flexible as usual.

The place where he stood was sheltered by the shadow. However, he could see through the streaks of light from the surrounding buildings. Several men lined up near the wall and surrounded it. They were all dressed in all black and wearing black masks.

Eryk couldn't recognize them—boys or girls, Eryk didn't know. None of them made a sound. The atmosphere is so silent. Footsteps were heard again up the stairs one by one.

"There's more coming, and this time the pace is more electrifying."

A long-haired man with a black hat and robe walked away from the crowd surrounding Eryk. The man's face was hidden by the end of the cap. His long hair was swept by the wind.

"Catch him!" the man ordered.

Erick backed away in fright. However, a group of people dressed in all black surrounded him from all directions. Eryk had no way to escape.

"Who are you?" shouted Eric. "I have no business with you."

One of the figures clad in black held Eryk's hand. The man's hands were wrapped in damp black gloves. He pulled Eryk towards his partner.

Eryk struggled, but someone else held his hand. Eryk's hands were pulled behind his back.

"Get off me, you bastard. What do you want?"

Eryk struggled until the food he kept in his coat pocket fell. For a moment, the men stopped and stared in astonishment at the remains of the fried chicken Eryk kept inside his shirt.

The long-haired man in a black robe laughed and ordered his men to hold Eryk's feet.

Eryk tried to pull away, but they gripped him too tightly.

"Don't fight!" said the long-haired man. "This is the best for you. I swear," he said aloud.

Eryk never believed anyone's words, especially strangers he had just met. "Why am I so unlucky? After meeting Alyssa, I am now surrounded by these strange men." Eryk kicked the man's shin, trying to pull him, and clawed.

However, the two people holding Eryk's hands had strength beyond any average human. They covered Eryk and almost broke his neck.

Two more men joined in to pull Eryk's legs. Eryk really floated this time. His body, which was not too stocky, was lifted easily by the four burly men. They took him to the landing and were ready to drop Eryk from a height.

"Let me go!" shouted Eryk very loudly.

The cold night air hit his body. He was literally floating on the outskirts of the landing with four men holding him. If they let go of the hold, Eryk would fall freely to the ground, and he might die with his head smashed against the asphalt.

Eryk looked around for White. But didn't see the owl anywhere. Nothing could help him this time. Eryk has to fight with himself. He struggled, writhing and screaming like a frightened child.

They pulled and pushed Eryk over the ledge. This time Eryk's feet hung in the air. He couldn't see the ground beneath him because the building was too tall. Two men still held his arms above and kept Eryk's body hanging.

"What are you guys waiting for?" said the long-haired man behind Eryk. "Go for it! Come on, throw him!" the man ordered.

"Why?" shouted Eryk very loudly. "Why do you want to kill me? Aren't you the one who killed the summoners here too? I'm not a summoner!"

For the next split second, Eryk's stomach felt twisted. The hands gripping his body let go, and he floated freely amidst the cold, crashing air. Eryk imagined he would die in a few seconds.

Then something seemed to support the weight of his body. He felt the flutter of wings and the fine hairs around his body. Owl and his flock caught Eryk.

The owls covered Eryk's arms and legs. Their claws gripped Eryk's skin and clothes. They were like dark clouds that appeared out of nowhere and carried him up.

Eryk's face was covered with owl feathers and smelled of earth. His body floated up and up, carried by an owl with broad wings that kept flapping.

"White, is that you?" muttered Eryk weakly.

He could barely tell the difference between hallucination and reality. Eryk surrendered his body to these birds and the rhythm of their flight.

The owls started moving down and landed Eryk's body slowly on the pavement. Then they flew back towards the surrounding buildings and slipped between the remaining tall trees.

Eric opened his eyes. He looked up at the roof of the building he was dropped from. Eryk saw nothing but darkness. When he regained consciousness, he was already on the sidewalk. Eryk immediately rolled over and tried to get up. The young man was so shivering and scared.

Then, he saw a figure, something, appear from the darkness in an alley in front of him.

The figure drew closer to him. He was the long-haired man who previously ordered his men to drop Eryk from the roof of the building. Getting closer, the man seemed to have no expression on his face.

Eryk wanted to look away, but his eyes kept drawn to the pale, long-haired figure. Even now, the man's face was getting paler again because his black hair was so long that it reached his hips.

Eryk stared into the man's eyes which were completely black, everything from the pupil to the retina; there was no white part; everything was black as a hole. Eryk didn't know who the man was, but he was sure he was dangerous because he had just tried to kill him.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

The man was standing at the end of the alley. He looked at Eryk, still lying on the ground with his hands behind his back. The man's lips curved into a smile as he raised his hand. His fingers were like drooping spider legs, thin and long.

Eryk could see the man wearing a big gold ring with a symbol. When his fingers went up, he wasn't wearing gloves like the other men who had knocked Eryk off the roof.

The stranger snapped his fingers, and a shroud of black smoke appeared around him. The black smoke grew denser and gave rise to an image of a massive monster above his head. Eryk saw that it was like a giant fog.

Eryk almost peed his pants. He really didn't understand the situation he was in. For a moment, the owls were gone again. In this world, there was no one but Eryk and the stranger. The man's voice was a low whisper on his lips, barely moving, but Eryk could hear it.

"I'm coming for you, Eryk Wayland!"