"Eryk!" Allan shouted.The boy saw the direction Eryk was going and tried to catch up with him. The gunfire stopped as Alland caught up with Eryk along the corridor.They passed through several doors before arriving at a set of stairs that led down. Eryk jumped three steps at once, and Alland hurriedly followed him. At the bottom of the stairs, Eryk pushed open the men's room door. There is a head-high window above the sink."Eryk, stop!" Alland shouted. "The police are on our side!"Before opening the window, Eryk glanced at Alland."No, Alland. They are not on our side!" said Eryk.With extraordinary agility, Eryk climbed beside the sink. He opened the window lever but had trouble pushing it. He decided to kick the window open, and the lever broke."Eryk, we can explain what just happened to the police. They will believe us! Did you forget? My dad is the head of the prison," Alland said, trying to convince Eryk. He didn't climb with Eryk.Eryk was still busy and trying hard to open

"Keep me locked up?" Eryk could hardly believe what the crow was saying. Out of curiosity, he pressed harder on the doorknob to confirm. Eryk's skin crawled. Exhausted and annoyed, Eryk looked back at Black. The crow raised its lungs to say, "What did I say?" Eryk put his ear to the door. The noise from the TV made it hard to hear outside sounds. "... for the good of all of us..." said Mr. Jarvis. The man's voice rose and fell, and only heard fragments. However, Alland's voice sounded louder. "But, Eryk has nothing to do with that! I swear!" Mrs. Jarvis cut in, "You're still a child, Alland. You don't understand what happened. When everything is clear, you will thank us." "Please, Dad, no!" "Just this once, Alland. Hear our verdict!" said Mr. Jarvis in a loud voice. "It has been decided. I'm calling detectives. We're going to have a police car brought here!" "Don't!" Alland shouted. "How can you?" Eryk began to understand the situation that was happening out there. Eryk's eye

"Dad?" Alland whispered softly while keeping himself from moving when Eryk threatened him with a dagger."Eryk, get down!" Mr. Jarvis once again called him from downstairs.Eryk felt his heartbreak. Time and time again, he felt cheated and betrayed by those he trusted."You directed your father here?""Not!" Alland said with conviction. His face looked pale. "No, I didn't do that!"Eryk hissed beside Alland. The boy was almost up to Eryk's chest, and he could easily see Alland's expression."I swear, Eryk. I didn't bring him here. He must have followed me secretly."While still threatening Alland with the dagger, Eryk peeked out of the nest. His heart sank at that time too. There were a lot of cops down there—at least three of them circling the tree with Mr. Jarvis."I saw that young man!" said one of the policemen, touching the gun at his waist."Don't use it!" said Mr. Jarvis fiercely. "We don't know what he was

Alyssa and Duri stood at the helicopter's door to welcome Eryk and his friends. Alyssa looked as usual—with a cold face and minimal expression. The girl was not wearing a qipao, and Eryk thought Alyssa wore a school uniform. It made him a little disbelieving. The girl's hair was left loose and a little messy because of the wind blowing from the helicopter blades."Welcome to our home," said Duri. "Sorry for the greeting if it was a little harsh."The plant summon spirit always made a displeased face at White's presence. His hands were made of two leaves folded to his chest.This was the first time Eryk saw Duri's average size. The summoned spirit doesn't disguise itself as the brooch on Alyssa's clothes, nor does it resemble the giant tree it had in the landfill.Duri is only a 50 cm black rose. He stood on two legs made of roots and two hands made of leaves. His head itself is a crown of black roses."Damn plant summons spirits," White hisse

Evan Harris spoke calmly. "You're lucky to have met me, Eryk. Maybe it's fate. To be a guard or to be a destroyer? Every summoner must choose between light or darkness, good or evil, and take the right path."Evan grabbed his wine glass and swirled the red liquid in it."Guard or destroy?" Evan suddenly glared at Eryk. "Wayland, which one would you choose?"Eryk was suddenly stunned. He didn't expect to be asked a question like this. He arrived to find out about the coiled snake symbol, the summoners who escaped from Rockwool prison, and the mysterious figure chasing him."You don't have to choose between black or white," Black said in his hoarse and noisy voice."Yes, there are many options out there that you can take. You are free to be yourself and live as you like now, "continued White."Anyway, thank you for the story you told me today, Mr. Evan Harris. It really is very entertaining. I believed this partly because I had personally witnessed that summoners existed. But I also don