Walking into the dark alley of New York, Zach pulled his hoodie up before entering his small apartment. Taking out some papers he was going to need today, he left the apartment again only to go into the garage. Bringing his bike back, he called the one person he meant to call and demand answers.

After ringing two times the call was answered. "Hello?"

"I got what you wanted. Now give me what I want." He couldn't help but spat when he heard a chuckle echoing from the other side of the phone. Cringing at the sound, he cursed lowly as the papers in his pocket started to feel more like trouble than anything. 

"So you sure you got the right papers?" A rough voice asked which Zach wanted to roll his eyes at but instead, he answered with an affirmative response.

"Good. Then come to the Earthvile bar at 8. Not too early, not too late. Just on time. Remember, time is everything." 

Before Zach could ask why all this secrecy mattered, he got another call coming immediately. He had half the mind to let it ring but once he saw it was Luke, the sigh left from his lips involuntary. It wasn't that man he worked for, but talking to Luke didn't sound pleasant at the moment too. As his phone started ringing for the second time, he picked it up. 

"Hey, how are things going?" He asked as soon as Zach received the call.

"Just as usual. What about the game?" Zach looked around him for any suspicious figures as he asked Luke about the game. He had a life once, a better one but one accidental meeting ruined it all. Playing didn't come to him naturally anymore, trusting people became even harder to the point that he wanted to go far away and never return.

But Lana deserved better than that.

He was going to give her more than that. 

"We won obviously. But still, this isn't the same without you. It was our last game before the summer break. Why did you have to bail like that?" His angry tone spoke volumes. They had played together since they were in High school. Zach didn't know what to say. He had been too busy searching for goddamn answers no sane person could ever think of. It was best if he bailed. But of course like every other thing, he couldn't say that to Luke. He didn't even realize that he was silent longer than he thought when Luke's voice reached his ears. 

"No answer. Just as I thought. But what about Lana? She's your girlfriend, man. She looked so sad when she was asking for you today. She even asked if you were seeing someone else. Is that true?"

"Of course not! The fuck, I love her!" He yelled out at Luke's audacity. But even he couldn't say that he deserved the same love back. He had been avoiding her since...he didn't want to remember.

"Then make things right. She doesn't deserve your hot and cold attitude after what happened to Samara. I'd know what that feels like." Gulping the fear, Zach nodded even if Luke couldn't see him. But that's what he was doing, wasn't he? He was making things right.

"I will, Luke. I'll make things right." Suddenly noticing the time, he cursed and cut the call without saying anything. 

It was time to get some little truth. 

***

Zach waited at the bar, taking a long sip of his beer. Only a matter of time when he would find all of his answers...hopefully. The bar was packed with bodies dancing crazily with pop songs. When someone called his name, he turned around to see the bouncer. As usual, the bouncer did the routine checkup on Zach to see what he was carrying. Before Zach could say anything, someone startled him by tapping his shoulder. 

"How have you been?" Someone from the group of men dressing in black asked Zach as he gaped at them with wide eyes. They were huge in a physical sense. And, all of their faces were so pale that even Lana seemed to have some color in comparison. 

"I've got the papers," He yelled over the loud music and they just pointed at the back door which led to a basement. With a worried frown, he followed them until they reached the basement which made him think if it was a great idea. What if this guy was a phony like the others?

"Sit, Mr. Henderson." The man who was much older than the rest of the people said which with a slight nod, Zach obliged. The old man's dark brown eyes reminded Zach of someone but he ignored it. It was probably the tricks of light. 

When they all settled down, the older man turned to look at Zach. "Do you know why we're here today?" 

"I told you the reason. I want to know exactly who or what Roth Gill is."

The man's face hardened for a minute before he smiled, shrugging off the weird emotion. "You sure you can handle the truth?"

"Yes, I can," Zach said sharply. Nodding, the man looked at his people and they each gave Zach a paper at the same time.

"What is this?" He asked the moment it reached his hands. Upon reading a little, he realized it was an agreement paper. His confusion only grew. Why would they want him to sign a legal paper?

"Look, maybe there's something-" Zach started only to stop talking when he heard the man open his mouth.

"Sign it. I don't want to tell someone who is...going to spill all things I say to them. So do it. Not that they'll live to tell the tale." He laughed at his own joke and ordered Zach to sign, which with a strange calmness he did.

"Hmm. So give me the paper. I want to see them first." Zach, without a question, let the man analyze everything. After a while, with a winning smile, he shook Zach's hand.

"Well done, Mr. Henderson. You've earned my respect. Now for your answers, what do want to know?″

"I-I want to know about Roth Gill," Zach repeated.

The cunning smile on the man's face seemed to only increase as he kept his gaze on Zach. "Interesting...I thought you'd ask about Lana first. Not Roth?″ 

"About her too," Zach whispered not knowing what the answer was going to be.

"Fine. You're not going to like this but Roth Gill isn't human." He paused to see Zach's expression but he kept it natural. He already suspected something like that but to hear it from someone who believed him? It was way worse than anything. It meant he wasn't going insane or tripping on invisible drugs. It was real, all of it. The second Zach saw Roth, he knew something about her was off. 

"You're good...not fainting yet. Hmm...interesting. So as I was saying Roth Gill isn't Lana's birth mother, thank God." Zach relaxed knowing that at least that woman wasn't her birth mother. But why did the man sounded so relieved? 

"So, who is her birth mother?" Zach asked to which with a nod, he gave Zach back the articles Zach gave him first. It was from centuries ago and it was found in Lana's house with the name Keisha Deshayes.

"Keisha Deshayes...her birth mother is a witch...and a full-born Reaper. And if you don't save Lana on time she's going to become one too." This time Zach's shocked expression was something even he couldn't stop. He didn't understand what being Reaper meant. But if it meant that Lana would get hurt, he wanted to stop it from happening in any way he could. 

"How do I stop it?" He asked, his face shadowy with worry. The man sighed, turning to one of his men. Whispering something with them, he glanced back at Zach.

"Just talk to her. Make her believe." Zach nodded tapping his knuckles on the desk constantly. Something was telling him that only talking wouldn't make her believe. Hell, who would believe him?

"Now tell me why you had a suspect on Roth." The man suddenly asked and Zach thought back to that day in the locker room. He just finished a game and Lana was supposed to meet him there but instead of her, he walked in on Roth while she was trying to kill Lana with a knife. He could still feel his bones go cold as he recalled the aftermath.

"I saw Roth trying to kill Lana. I didn't know she wasn't human back then. I thought she was either the bad guy or just fucking nuts. But after I saved Lana, Roth banned me from seeing her. Then I tried to call Lana but she wasn't answering. I thought Roth already did something to Lana so I called 911 but what was strange you know? Lana said Roth never tried to kill her." Zach explained with a bitter smile. He still remembered the humiliation he felt when the police told him that he better stop pranking with the government. 

The man hummed in return. "Hmm...mind control." 

"And this wasn't the strange thing at all. I accidentally bumped into Lana in the mall and she told me that I was cheating on her. Roth was the one to tell her that she saw me with a couple of girls. She even told me she had pictures. When I told Lana to give me proof all that pictures were gone. She herself was sacred. Then the last incident was I saw Roth changing into a hound...in front of my own eyes." Zach said all those in one breath and relaxed when the man was looking at Zach like he believed him. 

Like Zach didn't lose it. 

"Shifter. I knew that brat will try to kill Lana. Now here's your answer. I told you her birth mother is a Reaper but Roth is way worse than that. She is a hellhound trapped in the earth. She'll do anything to kill Lana so she can go back to hell." He looked straight at Zach. "But it'll be not easy for you."

"What's the catch?" Zach asked suspiciously.

The man continued. "That you have to swear an oath to protect Lana or you'll die...even when you don't love her. That's what the contracts mean. The one you signed not less than a few minutes ago."

"I love her!" Zach screamed almost immediately, making the man laugh. 

"A lot of things can change. But you have to swear." He ordered again and with a calm voice, Zach swore on his life to always protect Lana. Like he was in a trance. Satisfied with his answer, the man stood up dismissing Zach. 

However, before he could leave, Zach spoke out. "I don't understand where your share of interest in Lana's life is. I mean, you don't even know Lana and you want to protect her. I thought you only needed the Deshayes papers."

He gave Zach a smile which was anything but friendly. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Jonathon Vale Franklin. I'm the former King of Shadows, the creature of the night and...the father of Lana Deshayes."

And then he was gone.

***

Zach hurriedly marched towards the cabin the Gill's owned. It was in the middle of the woods and they always used it for summer vacation. This year though...he did promise Lana that they'd spend their summer here. To his surprise, the wind was blowing drastically at the time. Was a storm coming too?

He was too busy in his thought that he didn't notice when he reached the woods. And when he finally did, he couldn't stop the scream coming from his mouth among others, The woods were already on fire. People were running or screaming but Zach stayed there like a statue. With horror, he started to call Lana but before she could answer he saw her running towards his side so he stopped her by wrapping his arms around her.

Her shoulder tensed immediately. Her hair was blowing like a madwoman. The storm brewing around them didn't feel good on his skin either. It felt like the end of the world was coming closer, the more Lana became tensed. 

"Hey, I was about to call you. You still mad at me?" He apologized shaking a bit. He didn't know what else to say, she didn't even look at him. As if she heard his plea, she turned around only to look at him baffled. 

He knew she was about to bolt so he leaned forward, his fingers touching her falling strands. As soon as he did, he looked at her surprised. Red, it's like she was drowning in blood. "When did you cut your hair? And Red? You hate red since-since she died."

"G-Get away." She had a glare in her eyes and when she looked at him again it was pitch black. "I don't-"

What the hell?

Zach cut off her speech with his own. "What are you doing here? We were supposed to meet at your house." 

Unless their fight changed things between them. No, he didn't want to believe that. He wouldn't let Roth come between them and now he had proof too. Everything was going to be alright. But then he looked at her and knew it was just a wishful dream as she let out a scream, pushing him away. 

"Leave me alone! I don't know you." His heart broke a little hearing her but he still had that hope. So, his grip became even tighter around her hands. "I know you're in shock but I need to tell you something important about Roth. But first, we have to get out of here. The fire has spared into your house. It's not safe to stay here anymore." 

As he said those words, he looked behind her to see that he was right. The fire was coming faster their way and they had to leave. Like right about now. Though as soon as he tugged her to get away from the place, she shoved his hands away. Her eyes looked hazy as she looked past him. 

"I don't have a house here! You are lying! Last time I'm saying go or you'll regret ever meeting me." Before he could make her look at him, a smile formed on her face.

"Or maybe I could just show you how much regret you're going to have now." Her grin widened. The surety on that promise had Zach back down a little. He didn't know what was wrong but it was definitely not good. Maybe he was already too late?

Heck, no. 

"I don't know what is happening to you but what I do know that I did deserve it for acting like an ass to you but please this is dangerous. The fire will soon be here. I can't see you get hurt." He kept repeating that he had sworn an oath to always protect her. That she meant everything to him but it was like his old Lana was gone. 

"But I don't care if I hurt you. I know what you are! You are a puppet who is doing everything on one person's command; my mother wants to distract me from hunting her. But tell that woman she doesn't know her daughter fully." This time Zach wasn't even sure if she was talking about Roth or someone else. This time true fear started to kick in. She was gone. Lana was gone...

"W-What...?" Stuttering, he stepped back again but he felt like he was trapped. His whole body was on fire and it looked like someone was ripping every organ from his body. He tried to run away from the pain but his body gave in. To his horror, he saw his body starting to fade away and with a final scream enternal darkness welcomed him.

***

Pain.

Everything was so painful.

He tried to blink but his eyes were glued shut. Revenge...revenge...revenge. A humming was in his ears and they were screaming, ordering him to take revenge. With great difficulty, he opened his eyes and found himself on a side of the road under a tree. He touched the tree and it jumped upon itself and he was finally free from its barrier. Chuckling, he shoved his fist on the ground and it opened itself. He was stronger. To his amazement, he remembered what happened and the humming grew. Oh yes, sweet revenge...

Here he came.

***

So that's what really happened. Now, if you read the chapter 'Death War' and this one side by side, you get the whole picture and it's fun to read. I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Now I wanted to start the third book right after this one but November is coming and I'm starting a new YA book which I want to finish under a month for NaNoWriMo2019. So, I'll busy doing that for a while which means the third book will come in the first week of December. 

Enjoy!