"What did you do...??", Andrew asked exhaust as he stood over the short-messy-haired teenager, "Where are they?!"

His head still throbbed with sharp pain from the hit by the kid's bow-staff and he found it hard to balance on his feet. He shook his head slightly, trying to regain clarity.

He had only been trying for a method of peace. But did anyone listen to him?? No, no they didn't. No one ever did and now there had been some terrible accident where something went all wrong.

Why were all the people he seemed to bump into intent on violence?

Andrew stared down at Set, trying to hold back his bubbling anger, "Hey kid! What did you just do to Cassandra and Diverion?!"

Set slowly turned his eyes up into his, focusing on his eyes instead of staring into space, "Who now? The two demons??", he asked.

"They aren't demons kid!! They're both people with feelings and a conscious who deserve the right to live!", he yelled, "And now thanks to you they're gone!! So what happened to them?"

Andrew realized he was shaking, whether it was from anger or fear he couldn't tell.

Kneeling down on one knee, he got closer to the intruder's face, "Listen, I don't know what's been going on the past several minutes,", he said in a low voice laced with venom, "and you decide to come out of nowhere and complicate things by attacking an innocent guy.
You didn't try to stop or sort anything out peacefully and then you attacked. Whatever you did to them, t-the magic or whatever it was, I need you to tell me right now what you did.
Whether it was death or simply turning them into birds... I don't care.
Tell me what the hell you did. NOW."

He stared into Set's eyes, showing him he meant business.

And it showed as the teen swallowed nervously and wilted under the death glare.

He then watched as Set rubbed his jaw before propping himself up, "They're not dead, I can tell you that much.", he started slowly, "The ritual wasn't completed so when it got interrupted, it caused the energy to go off. So instead of that demon guy getting exorcised, he got teleported away along with that angry dark haired lady.
To where? I have no idea. I had no control over the broken ritual after I was hit.", he winced as he continued to massage his aching face, "It isn't my fault man... so don't go throwing shade on me. You're the one who decided to try to make things difficult earlier and here we are."

Teleported?? Rituals and energy?
These things were associated closely with magic.

So how did this Set guy manage to do it?

Andrew blinked, "So.. they're alive? Are you sure?"

"About... it's a give or take really. But most likely they're both alive..", he said sighing.

He let loose a breath of relief.
Even if he didn't know where they were, he could still find Cassandra.
And then they could continue her impossible mission while he helped make sure she didn't kill herself in the process.

Now that he knew, for the most part, that they were alive, Andrew felt himself calming down.

"Why do you want to kill demons so badly? And how do you even know how to kill them in the first place??", Andrew asked trying to understand this new teenager, "In the end here it only gave everyone a bunch of problems, including you."

Set shook his head a little as he let out a ridiculed laugh, "Why wouldn't you want me to kill them? That's what I don't understand..."

He almost felt sorry for him. Andrew didn't understand why this teen would put himself in this position.
What had happened to him to make him think this was okay?

"Because it's wrong!! Murder is wrong kid!! Why would you do that to yourself?!"

Set pushed him away.

"It's not murder if your getting rid of some stupid roach, so why is it murder if I get rid of a demon!?
I'm not doing anything to myself except trying to help and prevent others from getting hurt by those evil beings!!", he retorted angrily, "And it's worth all the problems if I destroy the rest of those things! It's worth it whether you like it or not, man-bun!"

He then stood up angrily with a huff, picking up his bow-staff off the ground and placing it behind his back in its hold.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going? You need to help me fix the problem YOU caused kid!"

Set ignored him and continued off at a brisk pace before Andrew ran over and grabbed his shoulders.

"You can't just leave!!", he cried out angry and frustrated, "You're the only one who even has a clue what you just did and like I said, you need to help fix it!!"

"I don't have to do anything for you man. So stop begging, demanding, whatever method you want to use, just forget it! I've got things to do!"

Andrew held on undeterred, "So do I kid. And one of those things is finding Cassandra..."

Set stared at him quietly and looked at him with pity, "You don't want to find her... believe me. Just let me take care of all of this."

"What do you mean?? Do you know something I don't?!"

"Your girlfriend isn't human okay!!", he burst out breaking away from his hold, "She's a cursed demon just like that.. that.. Diverion guy!! I don't know how much she is exactly, but she's part demon!"

Andrew felt his heart practically stop for a minute.

Cass... a demon??

How could she be?? Unless...

Gothel.

He felt his face drain at as the thought sprung into his brain.

"I need to find those two before they end up hurting people! I can't let you get involved in something that dangerous man, so just let go of all of this, please...", Set said softening his tone, breaking into Andrew's thoughts, "It's gonna hurt more when you see her true form."

He looked at the teen, willing himself to stay calm, "I can handle it. I've been through a lot more dangerous situations, believe me.
And I promise you Cassandra isn't dangerous. Not any more, she's different from what she had been before. There's no need to go hunting her down."

Unless, Cass really was a threat... somehow.
She was part demon because of Gothel, who had possessed her and made her go insane. At least Andrew thought that must be it.
Or was it Gothel was truly a demon already?? Was she human or a demon when Cassandra has been born?

His head hurt thinking about it.

"God, you're stubborn...", Set sighed shaking his head at him, "But maybe if I let you tag along... you'll finally freaking believe me."

"Wait what?? You'll help me then?"

The teen let out an exasperated sigh, "I guess... we're both looking for the same person so why not?
I never wanted you to, to begin with but here we are. So I give up!
Maybe you'll be able to help out some since you know her better."

Andrew felt his tensed face relax, "I would appreciate coming along greatly and if we're going to work together, you should know my name. It's Andrew. Andrew Sapporo." he said extending a hand of renewal and friendship, "I hope you can learn to trust in me."

Set stared at his hand for a minute before taking it, shaking it firmly for a minute, "Set Isfet."

They then broke off, standing there quietly as birds and other nature sounds started up again after the eerie silence.

"So, how do we start trying to find them?", Andrew asked clapping his hands together, "Any ideas?"

"How about you both stop for a minute and think about what just happened?", Calliope suddenly broke in, brushing herself off and straightening her glasses, "You don't see the big concerning problem here do you??"

Set tensed, "Who are you?"

Andrew watched as she gave him an annoyed look as she sniffed importantly, "I'm the Keeper of the Spire or otherwise known as Calliope. I have an exceptional understanding of things that you couldn't even grasp."

"Excuse m-?!"

"What problem?", Andrew cut in hastily before another argument started.

She gestured to the area around them, "Did you not see the examples of demon magic at work or not??
And that boy you wanted me to check Andrew?, he has a powerful demonic bloodline for sure. You should be wary... I can tell it's locked away inside him and threatening to burst.
It could be fatal to you if you're in his presence when it happens."

"When??!"

"When. Not if.", Set agreed, "It's inevitable." He then looked at Calliope again, "How do you know all of that though?"

"Before magic was destroyed, or supposedly destroyed.., I studied it extensively and how to recognize it. Both demon, black and natural I can categorize.", she explained, "But what I don't get is how you were able to use magic yourself?? It was like nothing I've ever seen."

"It's not magic necessarily.", Set answered glancing at his bow-staff, "It's more like spiritual energy then sorcery."

Andrew shook his head frustrated, "Calliope, I don't understand! Why is there magic again?? It shouldn't be like this!
It was supposed to be all gone! I've lost everything I ever had before when Varian did the ultimate incantation! So why is all coming back?"

"You had magic?", the teen accused, "I bet it was dark magic wasn't it..."

He looked at his hand, "Yes.. I used to. But I've changed my ways and when I had it in the end, I used it for good.
I've lost it all now though, even now I don't even feel a spark of my old former power. It doesn't make any sense."

"Strange... to be quite honest here, I don't know what's happening to our world concerning magic.", Calliope said thoughtfully, "Which is why I advise against going on a trip looking for that teen who's obviously capable of terrible magic.
Everything is unpredictable and I feel like demons have an unfair advantage over all of us now.", she said twiddling her fingers.

Hearing that the snobby know-it-all didn't know what was happening was worrying to him.

Were things really going downhill that badly?

Andrew tried once more to will the tingle of a healing spell in his outstretched hand, even though he knew nothing would happen.
And he was right in his thoughts, because there was absolutely nothing.

He swallowed down the bubbling fear rising up in his chest from all the unknowns that faced him. He had to stay strong, if not for himself, for Cassandra wherever she was and Diverion.

"There's no debate Calliope, I'm finding Cass if it kills me. I promised her that I'd help her find Varian.", he said looking right at her, "And who knows, maybe once I'm reunited with her and we're back on our mission, we'll find out what's causing all of this."

Set snorted, "Optimistic much? Finding your girlfriend is gonna be harder then it sounds."

"She's not my gir-.."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever.", he interrupted moving on, "I need to find something of Diverion's, that's his name right? Wait, I don't really care, I just need something of his.", he said right as Andrew was about to answer.

Set then looked around and walked over to the spot where Diverion has been before he had been whisked away with Cassandra.

Calliope came over to Andrew an handed him the missing violet haired teen's mask, "Here's his mask, it was on the ground.", she then hesitated, "Be careful... the road does not look easy or painless. I can tell you that much with dead certainty."

He could see worry and fear etched in her face as he took the item from her gratefully.

"I will. And I know... I kinda signed up for trouble when I decided to follow Cassandra.", he nervously laughed trying to force a smile, "Everything will turn out alright in the end though. You'll see."

"I hope for everyone's sake you're right...", she half whispered, her face drawn as she turned and walked back to the spiraling building.