#eh present

They’d never been fond of the Sarcophagus, the hinges and carrys meant to hold back Time staring back at them tauntingly. Now those same grips were struggling to keep Power contained.

Pressing a hand against the prison, Clockwork closed their eyes and concentrated. Entering Power’s domain was never easy. A slimy sensation washed over Clockwork as they disentangled themselves from time, the process just as painful now as it had always been. Blinking back the oncoming headache Clockwork could finally open their eyes and look into the landscape of the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep.

It was vast, the wide open night sky casting little light on the soft rolling hills that decorated the area. In the distance they could see Pariah, leaning against one of the few trees present. Floating slowly Clockwork carefully approached their fellow Ancient, stopping a few feet from the lounging ghost and taking in his missing armor and lax demeanor. Pariah had yet to move, eyes closed as he rested against the thick trunk of his tree with fern like leaves reaching to nearly the ground he sat on.

Clockwork hesitated, form shifting nervously as they considered returning to the Long Now and forgetting this ridiculous endeavor. Then the biting cold behind their eyes returned and desperation began to claw in their throat.

No.

They had to be here.

“Come to taunt me Timekeeper?” Pariah lazily opened his eye, turning his head to look at Clockwork’s flickering frame in annoyance. If the time ghost had come here simply to annoy him with cryptic messages Pariah would send him away immediately. He had no need for that in his current imprisonment.

He waited for the other to speak. Surly Clockwork had come to him for a reason and not simply to stand around in these barren hills? After a time his patience grew thin with the useless silence, the constant ticking of Clockwork’s core the only noise to accompany them. Just as he thought to push the ghost out of his prison Clockwork spoke.

“What was it like?” Their voice was a whisper, leaving behind the base of their official form and shifting to something smaller, younger.

“What?” Pariah was shocked, seeing his sibling’s true form like this. When was the last time he or any of his siblings had shown what they truly looked like? In this form Clockwork truly did look like the youngest of the Ancients, softly curling white hair falling into their face and covering the gory remnants of their left eye. They shuffled, gingerly sitting down next to Pariah and adjusting their staff in their curled lap.

“When you killed the Ens Entium what was it like?” Clockwork ignored the sharp intake of breath from beside them, keeping their gaze down at the pale gray grass beneath them. “I remember feeling the shockwave at my birth but I was not there to witness it.”

“What is your goal here Timekeeper?” Pariah was certain this must be a trick of some kind. He had lost any trust from his siblings long ago, Clockwork would never show him such a vulnerable form. But there was his youngest sibling, face still clinging to the last bits of baby fat and red eyes round and innocent as Pariah remembered. Those same eyes were wide with a terrible fear now, a haunted look in them as Clockwork avoided eye contact with their older brother.

“Please-” Clockwork felt their chest catch, a terrified chime ringing out from their core as they looked desperately at Pariah. “Tell me what it was like.”

Pariah sighed. He may have his doubts about why Clockwork had come to him now but he knew his sibling was genuine in their curiosity. Scooting closer to the young ghost Pariah stared out into the sprawling sky above them.

“You were not born yet, none of the others were. Only the Entium and I existed at the beginning. They were powerful, more powerful than me and vast beyond comprehension. It was… inspiring to be in their presence.” Pariah paused, looking briefly at Clockwork to ensure the other was listening. Clockwork had yet to look up from where they had shifted attention to their lap but the time ghost was clearly paying attention. He supposed that would be enough. “But you know what I am, Power must take and Ens Entium was all that was available to consume.”

He remembered those early days, trapped in an expanding darkness with nothing to latch onto. The Entium had been boundless and Pariah had felt his own domain quiver against the might of the First Ancient. That had been his first taste of Power and it wasn’t his own. It had felt like a mockery at the time, that another had overshadowed him in his own domain when Pariah had only just come into existence.

It had enraged him.

“I had hoped to eat them, consume that power for my own. But I was not strong enough to contain such energy and neither were any of you.” When he had killed his first sibling Pariah had never expected such a backlash. His strike against Entium, drawing the first blood ever to be spilled, shook the very foundation of reality. He had hoped to strike their core, to rip it from his sibling and eat that Power. Instead he was met with the howl of the universe as Entium churned and clawed, finally taking shape after an eternity of darkness. It made him afraid and Pariah’s fear and hope for power had birthed his first sibling, Nocturne crawling from the remnants of Ens Entium’s now shattered form. Together they watched the burning of their sibling, Entium shattering further and their power spreading across the universe. It was that churning that brought about another sibling, Clockwork wailing in the blood of the Entium as the first moment of Time began.

“Entium broke and I stabbed into their core and took 2 shards for myself. You all gathered your own pieces and the others scattered.” Pariah looked carefully at his hand, where the Ring of Rage would have been. He’d fashioned his shards of Ens Entium’s shattered core into items of power, items that would make his control of the emerging space left behind by the death of the first ancient much easier.

“I… recall.” Clockwork clutched their timestaff close, their own shard of Ens Entium’s shattered core housed inside the item. It had felt like a gift at the time, something to know their sibling by.

“Then why do ask me this Clockwork? Must we rehash old wounds?” Pariah sighed, mind returning to the present as he looked at his sibling. “Or have you come to your senses finally? Do you all understand what a danger Ens Entium is now and why we must rule with an iron fist?”

He was getting angry, he knew that. Why had Clockwork opened this scar? The death of their sibling had been necessary but it had painted Pariah as little more than a hungry monster in the eyes of the other Ancients. Nocturne and Clockwork understood to some extent why he had done it, the three of them bearing identical scars from the Entium’s death echo, but they still hadn’t lived under the Entium’s weight for that endless amount of time. The newer Ancients had always looked upon him warily, knowing him as nothing more than the Tyrant King who killed Space. And Clockwork had brought that all rushing back to the surface and Pariah wanted to scream.

“Did it hurt?” Clockwork nearly sobbed, finally turning their gaze to Pariah and it was desperate, like a cornered animal that knew it could not hope to win the upcoming fight. Pariah softened immediately, always holding a soft spot for the one sibling who had trusted him implicitly.

“Immensely.” It had burned to kill Ens Entium. But he would accept that burning again if necessary. That had to be the reason Clockwork was here, rehashing such old wounds. Ens Entium had returned. “You must let me free to deal with Ens Entium once more.”

Clockwork shook their head fervently, wounded sound leaving them as the frost behind their eyes began to creep in once more.

“They are still scattered.” Clockwork shuddered, a chill sweeping through them. They reached for Pariah’s hand, turning it over and calming at the warmth that radiated from their brother. It was enough to push back the chill in their core and push out the real reason they had come here. “Daniel’s coronation was today, the first halfa to take the throne.”

“No.” Pariah could feel his core thrum in his ears. He must have misheard. He must have.

They didn’t put a halfa on the throne.

“Ens Entium and Ens Reale, two made one. I saw it, in a vision from outside of my sight.” Shame colored Clockwork’s face as they looked at their brother. They knew what Pariah must think of them, of their choice to back the half-breed that none of them could see properly. They had been optimistic that such clouded sight meant Daniel was destined for great things, things far greater than even Clockwork could know. But Pariah had seen something different, saw a depth that none of the other Ancients had taken seriously. Surely Pariah was paranoid, still traumatized by the mark Ens Entium left behind.

Now they would pay the cost for their foolishness.

“We cannot hope to stop this.” Clockwork leaned against Pariah, taking some comfort in their brother’s presence for the first time in centuries.

“You may not, but I will not sit idly by and let your foolish decisions jeopardize us all! Your faction has made their choice and this is the result. It is time I took action.” Pariah spoke with authority, form shifting into the one he had worn nearly an eternity ago in the darkness. The form of Power, more concept than king and exuding a level of control that ensured something would happen.

“I’m sorry to have asked this of you.” Clockwork felt a final chime echo from their core before they were back in Pariah’s Keep and out of the Sarcophagus. They had awoken a beast, a second one that could hopefully deal with the first beast they had created. For as much as they loved Daniel the universe could not handle Ens Entium and Ens Reale existing at the same time. Daniel’s ascension had already begun but Pariah may be able to do something about it.

For ill or for gain Power would strike again.

-----

Vlad absolutely hated being in the office during the fourth quarter of the year. There was always a rush of paperwork, purchases, approvals, and meeting that should have been emails. He could feel the migraine that had been building all morning finally catch up with him and wanted to scream bloody murder. It wasn’t even lunch yet.

Pressure spread across his forehead and Vlad groaned, leaning back into his chair and ignoring the concerned look his secretary sent him. The pain in his head had spiked suddenly, going from a painful if not uncommon migraine to searing heat behind his eyes in a blink. His vision blurred, a warm haze spreading across his sight and too late Vlad realized this was no normal migraine as his core spiked alongside his head.

Weakly he tried to push himself up only to feel his limbs give out beneath him.

Something was very wrong.

He could hear his secretary, Olivia, saying something just out range but he was too tired to make it out. He was melting practically and his vision going from fuzzy to spotted black quickly.

Before he passed out entirely he heard a familiar voice speak, far clearer than the muffled sounds around him.

Lydia mentioned on the drive over that the party was being held in the studio apartment of some guy she knew. Also she was pretty sure that the owner had no idea there was a party at his house tonight.

“Wait, we aren't gonna go to jail for this, are we?”

“Nah,” Lydia said with a dismissive wave, “don't worry about that. You're with me.”

Danny decided it was easier to just go with it.

Once they got there, the party was already going. 

Danny wasn’t sure what he had been expecting when Lydia had invited him, but it wasn’t what they walked into. 

He wasn’t sure if it was all the people in the glow in the dark body paint, or the fact that there was an actual dj that blew his mind more.

“Come on, let’s go say hi to the host.” Lydia said as if going to a party of this level was normal. 

Danny did his best to play it cool and follow her led.

It didn’t take long for them to find the host, or more accurately, he found them.

“Lydia! I'm so glad you could make it!” Said a guy who was taller, buffer, and clearly way cooler than Danny would ever be.

“You wouldn't be able to legally call it a party if I didn't show up,” Lydia teased. “I hope you don't mind that I brought a plus one.”

“Not at all,” he said with a smile before turning to Danny with and outstretched hand, “I'm Danny.”

Danny chuckled and took the offered hand for a proper handshake, “what are the odds, I'm Danny too.”

“Well at least we won't have to worry about forgetting each other's names,” The cooler Danny said as he ended the handshake. “There’s drinks over there and you can get some body and face painting done over there near that pillar if you want something to go with those contacts.”

“Contacts?” Danny asked, looking at Lydia.

Lydia had a brief moment of panic on her face before she quickly wrapped her arm around Danny’s shoulder with a laugh, “yeah the ones you're wearing, silly. Turns out they turn green under the black light.”

Danny was thankful for the darkness that would be able to hide how all the blood just drained out of his face. “Oh, yeah those contacts. The ones I totally have and are wearing.”

Host Danny looked between the two of them, clearly confused, “Anyway, gotta go host and stuff. Have fun!”

The pair waved him off and stood awkwardly for a moment.

“You okay?”

Danny blinked hard and tried to will his power to recede but it felt like he couldn’t quite get a grasp on it. It kept slipping away every time he thought he had it.

He opened his eyes again, “are they still green?”

“Yup.”

“Crud, I don’t know why they’re doing that.” Danny muttered to himself.

“Don’t know why they’re glowing or why they are glowing right now?”

Danny had no idea how she was able to hear him over the music and all the people. He barely heard himself.

He also didn’t understand why he wanted to just tell her everything. 

All of it. 

If anyone should hear it, it should be her.

But that was weird. 

They had only just met the other day.

He had never met anyone that made him feel like that before and he wasn’t sure what it meant.

“You know what, nevermind.” Lydia said, “it's Halloween and we’re at a party. Let's have fun, okay?”

Danny agreed with a sigh of relief.

That was a much better plan than roping her up in his problems.

“Great! Let's go get drinks!”

===============================================

She'd lost Danny to a cute underclassman near the drink table. She figured he could use a little one on one fun with the craziness he'd been going through in the last couple of days.

As long as he didn’t leave the party, she figured he'd be fine.

Of course, now that she was alone, that's when Aiden decided to bother her.

His fake growl with even faker fangs did not impress her in the slightest. In fact, it was borderline annoying.

“Not as good as the real ones.” He said after removing his fake fangs.

“Or as lethal,” she snapped back.

“Okay, sure. I deserve that. I deserve basically everything you say about me.” He was clearly still trying to get on her good side, ”But, you know, I was pretty instrumental in setting this up,” he gestured to the party around them.

“All this?”

He nodded eagerly.

“If I wanted to go to a rave, I'd get in a time machine and go back to the nineties.” 

Lydia left to really get the point of them being over across.

She figured saying she didn't want to be with him at school after what he'd done would have been good enough, but of course it wasn't.

It was times like this where she really missed Jackson.

Unfortunately, it was already pretty late here and with the 8 hour time difference there wouldn't be any point in calling him.

Stupid boy and his moving to London.

Rude.

Lydia sighed as she leaned against the pillar. She hoped she wouldn’t get interrupted again as she scanned the crowd to see what her friends were up to.

Allison and Isaac were clearly enjoying each other’s company as they danced close enough to risk smudging the fresh body paint.

“Finally,” Lydia commented to herself. 

It was maddening watching those two dance around each other for so long. It was about time they acted on what they both wanted.

She decided to let them have their moment and looked elsewhere. 

Stiles was badly dancing with a girl she couldn’t quite recognize from so far away and with that ridiculous wig on. 

“Awkwardly.” she muttered. 

Although he really needed to let loose with all the effort he’d been putting in trying to solve the neverending mysteries of this town.

She glanced behind her and saw Aiden sandwiched between two random girls grinding against each other like no tomorrow. 

“Predictably,” she said with an eye roll.

There was a flicker of movement in the corner of her eye.

She turned to follow it only to barely catch a glimpse of a shadowy figure in the dark.

It disappeared but she could tell it was moving, easily making it’s way around the room.

She saw it again, in another spot. Much farther than one should be able to move.

“Scott,” Lydia backed away from it but she wasn’t sure she’d be able to outrun something in a crowd this thick.

She saw another one.

“Scott!” she screamed as she turned to run.

She weaved her way through the crowd desperate to find Scott and to get away from those things.

She didn’t know how, but she knew they could see her much better than she could see them.

They could see her and they were coming for her.

She burst through a door and found herself on the balcony.

The cool night air and lack of dance music helped clear her head, even if only slightly.

She needed a plan.

She had to be quick.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she knew she was too late.

She slowly turned and watched in horror as shadowy hands shot up from the ground and the creatures rose up like a zombie from the grave.

She tried to scream but one of them was suddenly directly in front of her and it grabbed her by her voice.

She couldn’t make a sound. She could barely breathe.

She was so scared.

All she could do was look at the creature in front of her.

A shadow figure dressed in black. A black mask covered it’s entire face.

Then the eyes started to glow. A yellow-green like a fireflies light.