Portia had mourned Skylar's true death for days, it was all her fault, she couldn't save him...she was too weak.
Aeric also seemed pricked to the heart as he changed from his friendly, approachable self to a more cold, reserved and secretive persona.
The last thing Portia had of Skylar was Griffin, the name she gave to the creature that reincarnated from his flames.
It wasn't a Griffin and had several features they didn't have, but she named it that as they still had many similarities, but she had never actually seen a creature like that and of course she hadn't, it was a rare hybrid creature.
She never wanted Griffin out of her sight and the creature had a really mild appetite, it was never seen eating, and even when it was, it was only pecking at rocks or chewing the furniture, but never actually swallowing anything and Portia began to get worried.
Portia was silently crying to herself in class one day when she remembered Skylar's words;"I will move heaven, earth and hell for you..."
He hasn't given up, why should I?
But what if they are all right?
What if he's gone for good?
No Portia, stay strong... he's coming back...
She got out of the Chemistry lab and walked to her next class, which was Biology when someone covered her eyes from behind.
She smiled as he began counting down from five and the moment he reached one, she moved her head, grabbed his wrist and twisted it behind him.
Kofi tapped out then she hugged him and said,"I've missed you."
He smiled then said,"Same here, oh, and one more thing..."
He brought out a small box and she was shocked as it looked straight out of a jewelry store.
As she slowly opened it, he said,"If you don't like it, I could get another one for you."
She opened it and saw the pink diamond bracelet with pink and purple pearls on the chain within it.
She looked into his eyes with tears in her's, then said, solemnly,"Thank you...but I can't take this."
"What? Why?"
"You must have spent a fortune on this, please, take it back."
"If I spent that much money on it, I think it would be for a good purpose, you, try it on."
She smiled as she removed it and it passed through her wrist and locked on, then she said,"It's beautiful, I love it."
"Then you'll love this too."
He dragged her out to the compound then took a deep breath and slowly waved his arm, then multicoloured powder like plasma was formed, then he stretched his arm and it darted forward, then started arranging and forming a figure, her face.
She didn't know what to say as he looked at her, concerned then asked,"Is something wrong? Should I change it?"
"What? No! It's magnificent and I love it, and love you."
Those words caught him off guard as he asked,"Really?"
"Of course, friends must love each other more than anything, right?"
"Oh yeah...right."He said, a little disappointed.
She gave him a light kiss on the cheek then stretched her arm and stored the entire 3d holographic picture in her gem.
***
A creature licked Skylar's cheek but he didn't resist, he was traumatized as they touched him allover his bare upper body.
His head slowly turned to the man who said,"I hope you're enjoying your stay here, I hear it's to die for."
Skylar didn't speak as one of the creatures crawled above him and was about to kiss him on the lips when he headbutted it in the lips, hard, then wrapped the chain around its neck as it resisted, then snapped it.
The others looked at him in shock as the creature's blood ate through the chain like acid.
Skylar slowly stood back up, then looked at the eleven creatures then said,"You're next..."
***
Slicing one of their bellies open and stabbing one through the forehead, with their own sword, he killed the last one, then turned back when he heard clapping then pulled out the sword from the body and pointed it at the man then said,"Get me out of here or I'll make you have a taste of your own medicine."
He chuckled then said,"You aren't in charge here, I am."
With a snap of his fingers, the chains rebound Skylar, but this time, all over his body and squeezed, burning his skin as well this time and he yelled in pain.
When the pain subsided,his head dropped down and the man pulled it up by his silver coloured hair, then Skylar said in a weak voice,"That gem on your chest...you are also a crystal wielder."
"~chuckles~Not just any crystal wielder, the wielder of the crystal of demons, that means I control anything and everything that happens in this realm, and everything from this realm, no matter where it may be, including you."
"Please...I need to get back to Portia, she's..."
"Another crystal wielder? You think I don't know that? I have sources all around which keep me updated on everything that happens everywhere, in any multiverse, and no, I cannot take you back to Portia, you know why? Because I don't want to."
He snapped his fingers and the distance between Skylar and the man increased till he fell down a cliff with the chains unraveling, to a pit with spikes covered in blood and bones...
***
Skylar's father was sitting down on a tree while a feather levitated over his hand with fibres spinning around it in a spiral, then the feather disintegrated as he said,"It took you long enough..."
Aeric then said,"Well I'm here now..."