The days that Mason Heartson spent waiting for his client were the most excruciating days of the young man's life. Patience had always been the virtue Mason struggled with most so the idea of waiting weeks for something that could potentially change the trajectory of his entire life made Mason want to stab a needle straight through his eyes.

 

Clair: Are you sure this was the smartest idea Mason? Your family entrusted me to keep you safe while they are away and inviting strangers into our manor seems to completely contradict your safety. 

 

Mason rolled his eyes. Leave it to Clair to turn an already painful experience into downright torture.

 

Mason: If you think about it Clair, the biggest threat to my safety at the current moment is the black flame that appeared on my hand all those months ago. Personally, I think my parents would be a lot less upset if a stranger entered our home, rather than me spontaneously combusting the next time we sat down for a meal.

 

Now it was Clair’s turn to sigh. While the appointed maid was young, Mason knew she was old enough to separate fiction from reality. He knew that she most likely thought the story he was telling was made up, or maybe she thought that he had actually hallucinated the scenario, but this only seemed to motivate Mason to find out the truth more so that he could rub it in her face.

 

Clair: I still don’t believe this is smart. At the current moment, all of the maids have gone with your parents leaving only me in the household. If this “guest” turns out to be a threat, the only defense we’ll have is me and you. More than that, how do you expect a normal person to know how to deal with whatever “divine” issue you seem to be having.

 

Mason fought the urge to laugh at the way Clair articulated the word divine, instead, he tried his hardest to put on a serious face, as if his problem was no laughing matter.

 

Mason: If it comes down to it, me and you have been training since we were in diapers. If this guy comes in and tries to attack us, we’ll be able to hold our own no problem. As for how I know this man can help me, it's because I’m the one who found him. Apparently, he’s seen things like this before. Strange animals, mysterious unnatural flames. This guy, without having ever met me, has seen and been investigating the same issue that I have. That at least has to prove that I’m not making this up!

 

At this Clair raised her eyebrow slightly but the rest of her face stayed the same. Mason was unsatisfied at the lack of reaction from the maid, after all, he now had solid proof that he was right.

 

Clair: I don’t recall ever saying that you were making this up did I? I simply doubt that some random person from across the world will be able to make any more sense of this than you if I’m being honest.

 

This left Mason temporarily stunned as he hadn’t expected Clair to believe him. Once again, Mason grew frustrated at Clair for stumping him, but before he could come up with a comeback there was a loud knock on the door. 

 

At once Mason got to his feet and rushed to the door, completely forgetting his argument with Clair. After weeks of waiting the man he had been waiting for was here.

 

Mason quickly opened the door for the guest despite Clair’s insistence that he wait for her to protect him in case there was an attack. As he opened the door he looked up, expecting to see an old gentleman. Maybe he would have a cane and a cigar in his mouth like Sherlock Holmes, or maybe he was some youthful, yet muscular, energetic man. What Mason didn’t expect to see was the little boy in front of him. 

 

Thomas: Thomas Martin at your service. 

 

The boy named Thomas, dressed in an expensive Italian suit, outstretched his small hand, waiting for Mason to return the handshake, but Mason was too shocked to respond. 

 

Mason quickly gave the boy a second look, wondering if he had simply imagined him and the real client hadn’t arrived yet, but still, the boy remained on the front steps of the manor, with his hand waiting, still, for the handshake that wasn’t coming.

 

The boy was clearly Asian, however he had a thick European accent, most likely British, with short oily black hair that barely came down to his ears. He looked to be about fifteen, maybe sixteen at most, with pale skin, as if he hadn’t seen sunlight in days, but he had a confident look in his eyes, as if he was much older than he appeared to be.

 

Mason: No no no, this must be a mistake. I asked for the help of an experienced detective to help with a serious matter. 

 

Thomas: I know, I read your message thoroughly and I believe I can help you. Despite my appearance-

 

Mason: Of course, it makes sense doesn’t it. The only person on the planet who believes me is some kid, fresh out of middle school. 

 

At this, Thomas dropped his professional attitude and glared at the boy in front of him. 

 

Thomas: That’s rich coming from someone who barely looks older than me huh. How spoiled do you have to be to ask for help and then insult the one person who's actually willing to help you?

 

Mason: Well maybe I wouldn’t be insulting you if you were who you said you were, you little brat. I don’t have time to play make believe kid, this is serious stuff!

 

Thomas: You think I flew all the way from Europe to play make believe without actually knowing how serious your issue is? You Americans can’t see through your thick pride can you? You’d rather get yourselves killed than accept the help of someone younger than yourself. 

 

Mason: What the hell do you mean by that you little-

 

Before Mason could finish his sentence, he was hit across the top of the head by the female maid who had appeared behind him.

 

Clair: Please excuse my foolish young master. I appreciate you taking the time to come here Thomas. 

 

Clair outstretched her hand to the young detective and Thomas reluctantly took it, blushing slightly as he shook her hand. Clair couldn’t help but notice Thomas’ unusually strong grip, but she made no reaction, instead choosing to assess any dangers the boy may present to her and Mason.

 

After deciding that the boy was harmless, Clair quickly led him inside, while Mason followed behind, sulking and muttering to himself occasionally.

 

Clair: Make yourself comfortable while I prepare lunch for the two of you. Mason can fill you in on the situation while the two of you wait.

 

And with that, Clair dashed out of the dining room leaving the two boys alone.

Mason: So what experience do you actually have with these flames kid?

 

Thomas: This isn’t the first time mysterious flames have appeared in this city. Believe it or not, you're not as special as you think.

 

Thomas crossed his arms, clearly agitated at being called a kid. Mason on the other hand decided to ignore the insults, curious as to what information Thomas had about his circumstances.

 

Mason: If this has happened to other people, why have I, and apparently no one else in this city, heard of people like this before.

 

Thomas: Because, someone, or a group of people, are trying very hard to cover this up. Every lead that I’ve tried to follow has led to a dead end. Until you I suppose.

 

Mason: So you mean to tell me I’m the first person you’ve actually seen with my problem? I thought you said you had experience, dealing with what I was going through!

 

Thomas: I may have told a tiny lie but I needed to be certain that you would let me-

 

Mason: So you lied about your age, you lied about your qualifications, what else did you lie about huh?  Can you actually do anything at all?

 

Thomas: I had to lie in order to make su-

 

Mason: I don’t give a damn about any half baked excuse you have Tom! Why don’t you go to one of those other people instead of wasting my-

 

Thomas: Well I would except for the fact that they’re all dead you idiot!

 

As soon as Thomas said this, the room became dead silent. Mason immediately became pale as the realization of what Thomas had just said hit him.

 

Mason: You don’t mean-

 

Thomas: For over a century, multiple people have been found with unexplained burns and scars, and every person, without fail, has ended up dead.

 

Mason’s throat went dry and he quickly snatched at his cup of water to give himself something to do. 

 

Am I going to die? 

 

He was too young to die, he thought. He hadn’t done anything with his life yet and it was already coming to an end. He hadn’t even properly graduated from high school. He had yet to love, he had yet to learn. His only “friend” was paid to spend time with him all day. The realization hit Mason like a brick to the head. With the proclamation of his death, his life seemed to flash before his eyes, and he realized just how pathetic he had been these past seventeen years. 

 

Mason: How much time do I-

 

Thomas: No.

 

Mason: What do you me-

 

Thomas: For the past 150 years people have been dying from the same problem you have. While that may be true, it’s uncertain if the flames are the cause of death, or if there’s something more. If the cause of death is some outside influence, and you haven’t been killed since your discovery of the flames, there’s still a chance that we can prevent your death before it happens. And besides, you have something that none of the other victims have had.

 

Mason: What would that be?

Thomas: Me you prideful bastard. Even if you are the most irritating guy I’ve ever met, I’m not gonna let you die. I’ll do everything in my power to save you.

It didn’t take long for Clair to finish preparing lunch, which Thomas was thankful for, partly because he couldn’t stand being alone with Mason, and also because he hadn’t had a decent meal since flying over to the manor, however, when Thomas saw the feast Clair had cooked up, he couldn’t believe his eyes. 

 

Platters upon platters of food appeared, containing nearly every meal group and item Thomas could possibly think of. Plates of sandwiches, chicken, steak, pastas, soups, salads, lasagna, hams, potatoes, mushrooms etc. were piled into the room until the entire dining table was filled with different dishes and foods.

 

Thomas: How on earth did you have time to cook all of this?

 

Clair laughed as she saw a small dribble of drool crawl from Thomas’ gaping mouth. Instead of answering the young boy, she turned to Mason who had already begun digging into the buffet in front of him, and hit his hand with the wooden spoon that was still in her hand.

 

Clair: Before you begin eating, we need to discuss with our guest the exact situation, to see and understand what he knows.

 

Mason: Well, bere’s rot uch o alk abo-

 

Clair once again hit Mason, this time on the top of his head, while shaking her head.

 

Clair: And for heaven's sake, finish chewing before you start talking you barbarian.

 

Blushing slightly, Mason quickly gulped down the piece of chicken that was in his mouth and turned to Thomas.

 

Mason: Well, there's not much to talk about really. I covered most of what happened in the message I sent, but I’ll give you a recap. I woke up outside the manor all the way back in May, having no idea how I got there, and around me were an assortment of dead, deformed animals. On the palm of my hand was a pitch black flame and then I passed out. That’s all that happened.

 

Thomas noticed Mason looking at him skeptically, as if he expected him to question his validity, however Thomas immediately began thinking about the situation. The obvious things that were suspicious about Mason’s story was the black flame and the deformed animals, however, one of the things Thomas found most interesting was the situation that led to Mason discovering the dead animals in the first place. 

 

Thomas: You’re sure there was no one who dragged you out onto the street that night?

 

Clair: I checked the mansion several times after they found him. Every entrance was locked, and every security camera seemed to be working. I checked surveillance and the only camera that picked up anything that night was the backyard camera, which showed Mason leaving his room from the window, however Mason has explained to me several times that-

 

Mason: I didn’t jump out of my window! I swear on my life, I was asleep that entire night. 

 

Thomas took a few moments to consider the facts that he had been presented with.

 

Thomas: So if Clair swears she saw you leave through the window, and you swear that you were asleep the whole time, that leaves us with three possible options. One-

 

He raised a single finger while looking at the two people in front of him.

 

Thomas: 1, one of you is lying, or at least not telling the whole truth about what happened that night.

 

Mason: I’m telling you everything that happened that night. I swear on my mother and father, I wouldn’t lie about something like this! 

 

Clair didn’t say anything, but Mason noticed her eyes immediately harden, clearly taking offense to what he had just said.

 

Thomas: I didn’t think this option was very likely considering I couldn’t think of a good motive for either of you to lie, and judging by your reactions, I think I can safely say that both of you are most likely telling the truth. 

 

Reaching for a potato that was near his plate, Thomas raised his hand again, this time displaying two fingers. Mason began to protest but Clair silenced him so that Thomas could continue.

 

Thomas: The 2nd option is Mason was unconsciously walking that night and ended up in the alleyway by accident.

 

Before Mason could start talking, Thomas raised his hand and continued.

 

Thomas: Again, this is pretty unlikely, as I doubt you just happened to end up in an alley that was connected to those strange animals. I’ve also never heard of a sleepwalker jumping out of a window, so I think it’s safe to say this isn’t the case either.

 

Thomas put his hands down again, taking a sip from his cup of water and reaching over for a small piece of lasagna with his fork. After chewing for a few seconds he raised his hands again, this time holding up three fingers.

 

Thomas: This brings us to option 3. Someone or something controlled you that night, and forced you to go into that alley.

 

Mason: What do you mean controlled me? Like some kind of mind control? I thought you said you understood this was serious.

 

Thomas: We’re dealing with an unknown right now, which means anything could be possible. We have to approach this with an open mind.

 

Mason looked at Clair, however she was looking down at the table, a blank expression on her face. Mason could tell she was trying to hide her emotions, which frustrated him because she was great at hiding her emotions from him.

 

Thomas: For now I need as much information about what happened that night as possible. Even obscure things that don’t seem important. Did you happen to be wearing your watch that night?

 

Mason: What watch?

 

Thomas: The golden watch. You know, the one with the pattern of what looks like a serpent on the front.

 

Mason: What the hell are you talking about?

 

Thomas considered, for the first time, that he had never even asked Mason if he had the same watch as all the other victims. Suddenly, he seemed to realize that maybe this was all a coincidence. Maybe Mason really did hallucinate everything that night, and he wasn’t a victim at all.

 

Thomas: Every victim with burns was reported to have this watch on them at least one time. I assumed you would have had it the same as them but I guess-

 

Mason: Wait a second. I just realized, if every victim before me has died, how do you know that they went through the same issues that I went through. What if we’re going through completely different, unrelated problems?

 

Thomas: I wondered that before coming here as well so I reached out to locals in the area before arriving in this city. I assume you’re familiar with Harrison Stager.

 

Mason: Who?

 

At this Clair looked up, shocked at what he had just said.

 

Clair: Have you been living under a rock? Harrison Stager owns one of the biggest businesses on the planet. The innovations his company has accomplished were second, only to that of Adrian Levere, until of course he-

 

Thomas: Went completely insane.

 

Clair nodded, but Mason looked even more confused.

 

Mason: What does this have to do with anything?

 

Thomas: One of Harrison Stager’s employees, specifically his secretary said she knew of something like what happened with you happening with somebody else. This mystery person reportedly also found themselves waking up in a situation where they were far from their home with no explanation. They called out for help from Margarett, the secretary, who was a relatively close friend, and happened to be in the area. When Margarett arrived she found the man already dead with the same burn marks all over his body, however, unlike all the other reports on the internet, Margarett was able to give me more specifics. On the dead man's body was a number of white flames that protruded from his arms and legs. She said that she immediately called an ambulance, but before it got there, his body stopped burning, and it was as if there was no damage at all somehow, except on his arms, where the burn marks were clearly visible. And just like every other victim, that man had the same golden watch on his wrist.

 

Mason: So the flames were white instead of black? What’s the connection between the different colors of flames?

 

Thomas: No clue, although the fact that you don’t have the same watch as the others could hint at a reason for the change in flame color. 

 

Clair: White flames are usually caused by an excessively high temperature. A flame is usually never completely white, but usually the part closest to the burning object is just faintly white. The only thing that I can think of that can cause a black flame is some kind of chemical reaction like sodium, that changes the properties of the flame.

 

Mason: So you think I have sodium in me or something?

 

Thomas: I never thought about the chemical structure of the flames but that seems awfully random don’t you think. You’re thinking too scientifically when we’re dealing with multiple cases of spontaneous combustion. I doubt the solution is something so logical.

 

Clair became visibly upset at her idea being shut down as it was the first time someone had ever dismissed her logic, however, before she could refute Thomas, a loud bang came at the door. Not a knock, but as if someone had slammed themselves straight into the Heartson manor.

 

Thomas: Were you guys expecting anyone else today?

 

Clair: No.

 

Clair’s expression clearly became serious as she stared at the door, bracing herself for another bang. Instead the window nearest to the dining hall was shattered, with a small spherical object flying in.

 

Clair: Get down!

 

The object immediately imploded, expelling gas throughout the air. The smoke filled the entire room and blocked the group's sight lines. Thomas, Clair, and Mason knew at once what was happening. Someone was attacking.

 

Clair: Both of you. Upstairs! Now!

 

The two boys immediately rushed up the manor's massive staircase while Clair walked slowly behind them, trying to get a view on what was going on.

 

More windows were burst open, with more smoke grenades being thrown. 

 

BOOM!

 

Another loud slam came to the front door. The crude sound was repeated several times until-

 

CLASH!

 

The hinges on the door finally gave out and the door burst open. Clair finally gave up her attempt to see her enemy, and rushed up the stairs to protect the boys.

 

Mason: There’s a safe room just this way, just follow me.

 

Mason sprinted through the corridor with Thomas right behind him, weaving and turning corners at breakneck speed. 

 

Just a little bit further

 

Before Mason could reach the door, a crash came through one of the upstairs windows and a blast rushed through, knocking both boys off their feet. Multiple figures, dressed in black body armor with a gallery of weapons strapped to their backs climbed through the now open window and stood above the boys.

 

Figure 1: Hand over Mason Heartson.