"Lily, where's Zane?"
A voice from behind stopped her mid-step as she walked home after school.
"I... I don't know." Her countenance changed.
"But-"
"I don't know, Marcus!" She kept walking.
He ran upstairs to catch the gang before they left too.
"Danielle, Sam! Wait." He paused to catch his breath.
"Ever since Ghost ran out during history, I haven't seen him. Have you?"
"Uhm, I haven't. But I did see Yuki, though; her chauffeur came to pick her up quite early."
"Did you see Zane get in?" Sam asked.
"No, I didn't even see her get in; I saw her silhouette though, and her chauffeur's face before they zoomed off," Danielle concluded.
"Call her!" Marcus said before running downstairs; Sam immediately followed him.
They ran round the school looking for him, before they eventually ended up in the fencing hall. No blood. Only cracked walls and shattered concrete remained.
"My God. What happened here?" Sam asked rhetorically.
"I don't know, mate, but I hope it's got nothing to do with our buddy. Let's go meet Danielle."
"Guys, Yuki said she's turning around, so she could help search."
"First his mom, and now him, what's happening in this town?" Sam asked.
"Hmmm," Marcus grunted.
They went to Lily and Zane's and asked Lily questions. But she tried her best to hide what had happened. She said that after the crash, she saw her brother on the stairwell, and she didn't see him after that. And she was pissed about a test result, and that's why she shoved Marcus away earlier.
"We need to go to the police," Yuki said while getting up from the couch.
"I agree, although the police would say it's a curse or something," Marcus added.
"They still have no clue where Mrs. Dagonet is after all." He continued.
Marcus got up as well and looked at the time before letting out a sigh. It was already eight PM. Yuki's chauffeur came inside to let her know that her father had summoned her, so she had to leave early.
Conspiracies popped up on whether he might have been kidnapped or run off; perhaps a ghost caught him, yes, Marcus suggested that.
"Would you love me to sleep over with you, or would you love to come to my place?" Danielle asked Lily.
"Uhm."
"I'll come with you."
"Perfect, let's go and leave these boys alone." They both went to Lily's room to pack a few things before leaving the house.
"Alright, Sam. You should head home as well; I'll file the police report on my way home."
"Alright, bro. But what in the eternal heavens is happening in this town? Oh gosh." He picked up his jacket and made for the door.
"At last, we meet again. Oh, Apex Sovereign!"
"You, wait. I really didn't remember you outside of this space."
"It was as I said; you won't remember me. At least, you've met the light."
"Yes, yes, I have. Wait, what happened to my mom!?"
"She endures the Void. Every moment she remains here, the Void feeds upon her. She is remarkably strong... stronger than most. But even strength has limits."
"No, no! Bring her back!!"
"Calm now, boy. I am your principle. If you wish to command me, you'll have to be one with me. You'll have to be ready to lose what makes you Zane. You'll have to become the Apex Sovereign."
"Then I'll do it. Whatever it costs. Whatever I have to become... I'll do it. I don't care what happens to me. Just... let my mother live."
He said as he broke down towards the end, taking it a word at a time, before weeping. He bent his head; his black hair, fairly long, fell forward, covering his pale, white face. He sniffed.
"I love my mom."
The void said nothing for a few seconds before eventually speaking.
"Then get stronger; you would be able to control me to some extent with willpower and strength. But I must warn you: Every time you command me, I claim a little more of you. One day, there will be no line between Zane... and the Void."
He pointed at Zane's fingers. His fingertips on his left hand had turned black, signaling the void had begun taking root in his soul.
Zane looked at him, packed his hair back into a bun, cleaned his eyes, and looked the void in its eyes, well, where its eyes ought to be, and said:
"Then I'll become him."
The Void laughed, a joyful laugh.
"You remind me so much of him."
"The last void user?"
"Sovereign," the entity corrected.
"The last Void Sovereign."
It paused.
"Valen... the Torment."