CHAPTER 5

Pike can’t remember why he’s here

 

For a moment, Erika Bast had stars in her eyes as she watched the Shade go up in flames. When the luminescent fire died down, Ryan Belmont let his glowing aura fade and extended a hand to her. She took it, marking her first acknowledgment of this intriguing transfer student.

 

As they returned to campus together, neither of them noticed the remnants of the Shade slip away, hungry for a way to keep its chaos intact.

 

It didn’t have to search for too long. There were two more university students carefreely strolling along the lakeshore. The one holding a burger seemed particularly ripe for feeding on.

 

=-=-=

 

Mindie stretched her arms high over her head and heaved a satisfied sigh. “Ahhh, I’m feeling great after dinner! I bet I could take on a Shade the size of an oak tree right now!”

 

Her dad’s burgers had really hit the spot after that minor upset she went through earlier in the art building. It was a fluke, of course. Never mind the small handful of times her lumi broke against other Shades she encountered in the past—or that her mom, sister, or another Star had to bail her out. She felt fully rejuvenated after a bit of downtime, as well as a hearty burger and a half.

 

She had wasted no time shooting Pike a message afterwards so that they could meet up downtown. She thought she heard Ciara starting to protest, but by then she was halfway out the door. The other half of her second burger needed another stomach to call home before it wasn’t as fresh off the grill.

 

As they walked along downtown’s section of the lakeshore, Pike took a bite into the half-eaten patty sandwiched between the brioche buns. The specialty burger sauce really made the meal. He flicked his tongue along the corner of his mouth to capture a small bit of the zesty condiment that tried to escape.

 

His stomach rumbled contentedly as the bite came down the pipe. “This burger is really good.”

 

“Yeah? As good as you remember?” Mindie flashed him a smug grin. “Like, from the last time you came over—months ago?”

 

“Well, your dad isn’t exactly the I’ll be home early kind of employee.”

 

“That’s not my point, and you know it.” She leered playfully at him. Moving in closer, she snaked her arm around his and jostled him a bit, nearly causing him to drop his food. Only a pickle escaped to the ground unnoticed, which wasn’t a big loss. “Join us for dinner sometime! I promise it’ll be nice departure from eating in the cafeteria all the time.”

 

“The cafeteria food isn’t that bad.”

 

“Yeah, if you’re starving…” Which Mindie often was, after training sessions with her mom.

 

Pike took another bite and chewed thoughtfully. “What if I end up making a habit of it? I wouldn’t want to eat you out of house and home.”

 

“Psh. With your bird-like appetite? I think my fam would be willing to take their chances.”

 

She wasn’t wrong. Only a few bites into his half-burger, Pike was already starting to feel his stomach telling him to slow down. Though in his defense he already had one dinner earlier with his new friend Ryan.

 

It was then that he recalled the obvious: Ryan was also aiming to be a Star.

 

While there were students who came to HRU for other reasons, those who deliberately enrolled almost always did so with the intent to hone their ability to use luminescence. Even Mindie was among that crowd. She would undoubtedly, gradually find herself surrounded by fellow Stars.

 

On the other hand, he was in the minority—someone who came to HRU without that intent. He attended because, well…

 

His mind was suddenly a rolling fog. Why was he here, again? He had told himself the reasons before. Why couldn’t he remember them?

 

No, this was normal. A full mind remembers things in intervals, or when they’re triggered for a response. It wouldn’t be fair to always have those reasons ready when brainpower was better spent focusing on the now.

 

Ah, he remembered now. He came here to follow Mindie. Wasn’t that it? It’s a simpleton’s reason, but…

 

No wait. He came to HRU because it was close to home. Until his parents decided to move to the city…

 

Was it because he was luminescent too? Not many people knew that about him. He didn’t want to be a Star.

 

Ryan was going to be a Star.

 

Mindie was going to be a Star.

 

Wouldn’t that make him an outsider? Wouldn’t he be left behind?

 

Why was he here, again…?

 

“To be honest, partner, sometimes it kind of feels like you’re afraid of visiting my house,” Mindie remarked, idly watching a streetlamp approach and recede as they passed it by. She turned to face her companion.

 

Then she scowled, her brow furrowing in concern. “Pike?”

 

The dark eyes behind his glasses seemed darker, less focused. He didn’t seem to heed her even when she asked after him. He just continued to drift forward, clutching the half-eaten burger until its contents began to spill out of his hand. The outline of his body seemed fuzzy, as if a haze had settled in around him.

 

Mindie immediately knew what was happening.

 

Without a second thought, she let her emerald eyes flare yellow and went luminescent. With the protective, glowing aura engulfing her, she whipped around and threw a heavy fist. An extension of chaos burst into harmless wisps and dissipated into the air. The tree-sized, tree-shaped Shade several feet behind them that it was attached to recoiled with a Gwoooh!

 

The thin shroud of chaos that had enveloped Pike was gone, causing his knees to buckle beneath him as he flopped to the ground.

 

Mindie hurried over and crouched beside him, helping him to sit upright. “Pike! Are you okay?!”

 

“Ugh… Yeah, I’m good.”

 

Exhaustion was visible on his face, making it seem gloomier than it usually was. But the haze around him was gone, and he seemed little worse for wear. Mindie breathed a momentary sigh of relief. She had learned through experience that luminescence worked like a muscle. It may have been the way to deal with the agents of chaos, but it wasn’t much help if it wasn’t actively flexing—in this case, being in a state that harnessed that special energy of light. She had yet to see what happened to a luminescent who was consumed by chaos.

 

But her go-to guy wasn’t going to be the first one on her watch.

 

Mindie looked up and scanned the Shade. It seemed disoriented. It lumbered away from them, focusing its attention elsewhere. But it was moving so slowly… That’s when she realized this Shade’s darkness wasn’t as dense as others she had confronted. Wisps of chaos were billowing out from its canopy-like top—signs of instability brought on by being in contact with luminescence’s sharp edge.

 

“Why…”

 

Psyching herself back into focus, Mindie hardened her face into a determined scowl. “Looks like this big guy’s already gone through the wringer a bit.”

 

Pike phased into his own luminescent state and fixed his focus on the Shade too. “Probably looking for more energy to keep itself going. It sure got me…”

 

A couple was taking a stroll in the area. Enthralled with each other, they were oblivious to the Shade at large rumbling towards them. With some of its remaining chaos, the Shade created another extension from its hazy body. It reached out towards them, the makeshift limb opening like a giant, near-invisible hand.

 

Suddenly, a bright yellow sheet streaked into existence, creating a barrier between the couple and the menacing hand. As the lovers flinched and clung to each other at the screen’s abrupt appearance, another glowing figure hurtled down from above and delivered a heavy axe kick into the wavering shadow. The Shade recoiled away, lurching and changing the direction of its ramble.

 

Mindie briefly phased back to normal and stood in front of the couple. “You might wanna stay clear of this area. There’s some bad air blowing about.”

 

“You mean it’s that Shade thing again?”

 

“A couple of HRU students came around earlier and said they’d deal with it, so we thought it was safe already.”

 

That explained the distressed state of the Shade in their midst. Mindie beamed and started to usher them along. “Well, we’ll make sure of it this time. Call the Luminescence Department and ask them to send another Star over here, okay? Just in case.”

 

She watched a moment longer as the couple retreated from the scene. Once they were gone, she turned back to the fray to see how her partner was doing. Apparently, not very well. While Pike was able to distract the Shade away from her for a short while, she could see the strain on his face with each shape he created to keep it at bay.

 

Mindie phased back into her luminescent state and raced towards the tree-like Shade. As she came into range, she barreled into it with a full-on tackle from the shoulder. It reeled and drifted away from her in another temporary retreat as more of its chaotic energy was jettisoned.

 

She skidded to a halt alongside her companion. “I’ve got this.”

 

“But—”

 

“No buts. Save your energy and keep your guard up.” She beamed back at him. “Leave this to me, partner.”

 

Pike only grimaced at her attempt to placate him. But his head pulsed painfully, and his luminescent aura was beginning to flicker. Even he knew continuing to fight in his current state was a bad idea. With a reluctant nod, he retreated from the scene and left the rest of the confrontation to his partner.

 

Mindie turned back to the Shade and gave it a once-over as it started to lumber back towards her. “So, someone else already got to you and didn’t finish you off, huh. Talk about sloppy work.”

 

She smacked her fists together with a confident smirk, her aura flaring. “Welp. I won’t say no to easy Tour cred.”

 

And she launched herself at her foe. Fresh from a few hours of rest and reenergized from a delicious dinner, Mindie unloaded an assault of fists and feet on the Shade. Slow and lethargic as its movements were, each sting struck its mark from crooked trunk to hazy canopy.

 

The Shade created more extensions from itself, grabbing at her like clumsy hands. But the shadowy branches didn’t last long, met with a flurry of martial blows that shattered them into nothingness. Its tree-like shape was barely visible now, the last of its chaos clinging to itself in a desperate attempt to stay intact.

 

Sensing the end, Mindie landed at its base and planted her feet. She began to throw fist after fist at its trunk. Each blow caused more chaos to flee its vessel. And when its existence hung only by a thread, she leaped into the air and delivered one more wallop where the trunk met the canopy.

 

With an agonized Gwoooh! the Shade burst apart, a shockwave rippling out from the point of its demise. Fragments of chaotic energy drifted harmlessly into the night air.

 

And in its place appeared a disheveled-looking man who couldn’t keep himself on his feet. He stumbled to the ground in a mess of tears.

 

“Why… Why doesn’t anything go my way…?”

 

Mindie crouched down beside him, her nose scrunching slightly as it got a whiff of his heavy booze breath. “That’s just life, buddy. You just gotta roll with the punches. Going Shade never helps.”

 

Pike stood off to the side as he listened. Nothing his partner said to the man was wrong, but still… Something about it made him grimace.

 

=-=-=

 

The incident officially came to a close when another Star came to retrieve the man who had formerly been a Shade. Mindie confirmed that she would stop by the Luminescence Department to file a report.

 

She felt a fair bit of fatigue after that bout. She leaned heavily on the railing of the lakeside pathway, her head in the cradle of her folded arms. Much of the energy she had just before the encounter had been drained, and her muscles were sore again. The breeze wafting from the lake was a nice addition to the cooldown she needed.

 

Pike leaned against the railing beside her. “Thanks for the save.”

 

“Meh. You know I’ve always got your back.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

A silence passed over them, filled only by waves gently washing over the shore. Mindie was first to break it.

 

“So, you want to tell me what’s on that artist’s mind of yours?” She shot him a critical glance. “And don’t pull the it’s nothing crap on me. I know you, partner.”

 

Caught in the trap that called on him to be upfront, Pike jarred slightly, his mind shaken out of any excuses he might’ve used. He lifted his head and traced his attention along the pathway, idly observing how the streetlights lined themselves with intermittent illumination. One of them flickered slightly.

 

With his thoughts in order again, he mused, “We’re university students now. Since you’re aiming to be a Star and all, I figured you’d want space to make friends with luminescents who’re, well… more your speed.” He slumped slightly, turning his gaze to the ground. “Or luminescents who don’t break so quickly, at least.”

 

“Was that all you’re worried about?”

 

“Well… kind of. I guess.”

 

Mindie raised a curious eyebrow towards him. “My lumi breaks all the time too, you know. C’mon partner, you’re smarter than that.”

 

Pike felt himself flush with shame, only managing an uneasy grin and a slight shrug in an attempt to hide it.

 

“You’re my best friend.” She pushed off the railing and righted herself into a stand. “Isn’t it kind of natural to want to spend time with you?”

 

Taking a moment to stretch and test the mobility in her arms, she turned to Pike and gestured for him to come closer. He knew what she was going to do next, and his uneasy smile smoothened out into something small and more genuine. As he moved in front of her, she reached up and took hold of the back of his head. Pike may not have been the tallest guy in the world, but he was still half a head taller than she was. She had to lift herself up on tiptoes to bring their foreheads together.

 

“I’m not going anywhere. So, I hope you’ll say yes when I ask you over to my house again, all right?”

 

“As long as I don’t feel your sister’s death-glare on me for doing so…”

 

Being a university student was a strange phase in life. As people shed their high school skin, they found new goals to pursue. The friends they made before would shift their focus, sometimes drifting apart in favor of new friends with similar priorities. Mindie was going to be a professional Star, and she would be relentless in her pursuit of that ambition. As for Pike…

 

It was nice to hear his best friend say she wouldn’t hang him out to dry. He was used to assuming the worst. He was used to consoling himself and accepting the worst when it inevitably happened. It was the only thing he was good at.

 

He remembered now. For better or worse, that brief moment when the Shade fed on his energy roused the real reason back into his consciousness. The reason would fade by tomorrow, buried under more immediate concerns like trying to pass his classes, trying to improve his art, and trying to get somewhere with his story. But for the brief moment that surfaced, it stung his very soul.

 

He came to HRU because he wasn’t good enough to go anywhere else.