The Academy Of Space And Time

Jake was not alone.

He'd brought only an ally, but a very valuable one --- Jinn. He was always recognizable because of his tall frame and because was the one who was the closest to becoming a monster — both his features and voice were unnatural. But I could see his eyes. The look in them was pure hatred.

"Oh, too bad the Russian bastard didn't come to the Academy," Jinn said. "I so wanted to kill him."

Maybe Vitaly simply hadn't wanted to face Mister Winter again after all those years. But it was also possible he'd used up too much energy. He could be mad by now, or worse... dead. Arcanes were the proof gods could die. 

I realised Jinn had said it to rile me up. I decided not to give him the satisfaction.

"Well, why didn't Set show up?" I replied cockily. "I so wanted to kill him."

Jinn laughed at that. He was laughing at me, but I told myself he had a sense of humour in order to feel better.

"He's returning the council of gods as we speak. I have no idea what he's going to tell the others, but probably that you destroyed the Empty Mirror. There's a reason Jophiel is the pacifist god. The others aren't very forgiving, even Eingana, the one who helped you."

Jinn moved his hand. At first, I felt like I was electrocuted. Then, like my insides were freezing. And then I felt humiliated like one of those dreams where you're naked and I had those terrible cramps like my stomach was made of ice. Oh, and I wanted to puke too.

I could see from my friends' faces that they felt the same way too.

"Let's start with you, Raegan," Jinn said. But I couldn't hear him well, it was like his voice came from thousands of miles away.

"Start?" Raegan asked, trying to fight back the tears. "I thought it was all over by now."

Jinn looked at her as if he was thinking about killing her, but then he looked away.

"You know," he said. "I noticed you had potential. Joining the Reapers, years ago, required some challenges. Like this one." He made a sewing needle appear out of thin air. "It's magical. I'll get one drop of your blood, and I'll be able to read your private secrets." He pierced Raegan's finger.

"I'll tell everyone your weak spot," he added. "Why do you want to avenge your parents so badly? You're not really violent. Not at all. It's all pretend. You could hurt somebody, to change the world into a better place, but it would cause you great pain. I think you'd even have trouble defending your friends without feeling remorse."

But revealing Raegan's weak spot wasn't the worst part. It looked as if he was digging deep into Raegan's soul to find the information he needed. My friend was clutching her finger and trying hard not to scream — as if she was being tortured.

"Even your witty sense of humour is just a mask," Jinn added. "You would like to be a bad person. You have faced a lot of wrongs and prejudices, and you feel so broken up about it you wished you were actually bad. If you were actually a bad person, all of this would make sense. It wouldn't be unfair anymore. But your heart breaks, because you know you didn't deserve this. Not at all. But it was done to you all the same. And by convincing yourself you're a bad person, you find a reason for all the bad things your parents did to you. Still, here lies your contradiction. You loved them so much, you would die avenging them. If you want to die for a better cause, and live for yourself only, if you want to be so bad, then become bad. Be one of us, Raegan. You know black magic already."

Raegan was almost passed out, barely conscious and she had a hard time breathing.

"Here's your turn, Jeff Winter," Jinn said, confirming our worst theories. "Everyone calls you Jeff Tanaka. But Winter.... I like this surname." He laughed as he said the last sentence. It was more of an evil giggle than a proper laugh this time.