My sanity returned as if it were a bucket of cold water being chucked over my head.
A cold shock to the system that trickled down from head to toe and slowed my breathing from a heavy pant to a more even pace.
I unclenched my fists and stopped envisioning myself ripping into Alex’s throat with my teeth.
That wasn’t a helpful mental image, and it was only going to make everything that came next much harder to manage.
“Parker!” Alex exclaimed, he masked his surprise and his fear well, “You actually showed up! Have you any idea how worried all of us have been about you? We thought you’d died!”
There was a way he said the word died as if it were something that he’d truly been expecting. That left no doubt in my mind that he was the one who had ordered the hit on me that fateful night outside the club.
“Well, if there have been any I can truly say that reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated and we can put this whole nasty business behind us,” I said with an easy smile.
I didn’t expect the move to work as a get-out-of-jail-free card, but the play was at least worthwhile.
If I could show that I was strong, healthy and perhaps didn’t even feel as if I’d done anything wrong then there was a chance that those who’d had the backbone to try and challenge me for my position in the company would simply lose their nerve.
A quick glance across the board members' stern faces told me that likely wasn’t going to be the case.
As if it were going to be that easy, nothing had ever been that easy, not once.
“I’m afraid it’s not that easy now that the process has begun,” Alex said, he even had the gall to sound regretful, “We’re going to have to see this meeting through to the end now that it’s begun. The Board will get the final say.”
My life was in the hands of seven stuffy old white men.
I’d never liked any of the board members we’d ended up with. They were investors with more money than sense that had been necessary to get the business off the ground in the early days.
They didn’t understand what the company needed, they didn’t understand how any of the technology worked, and they had ideas for controlling me?
“In your absence, a great deal of misfortune has occurred, Mr Parker,” The head member of the board said, his accent was typically old Etonian and grated against my ears.
The head of the board was probably the worst of the lot if I was honest with myself.
He was a man who had previously been involved in managing and running a series of media outlets across the world but had eventually retired, leaving his vast empire to his son.
The world had probably hoped that the man would sink into irrelevancy, and spend his twilight years away from meddling. Instead, he’d been the biggest investor in the company, and his word tended to hold just as much weight as my own and in this case likely even more.
“Investors meetings, collaboration requests, untold opportunities squandered because you could not be bothered to show up to them after the launch of your flagship device, and then you have the audacity to come here today and say the nasty business can be put behind us?” The old goat continued, “I’m afraid, Mr Parker, that the nasty business is only just beginning.”
Once again I had to force the images my anger was trying to make a reality out of my head.
I wanted nothing more than to take my enhanced strength, rip off his head, and throw the thing out the nearest window, but that wouldn’t help anyone’s situation.
“Yes, well, I was indisposed at the time,” I said, “I was incredibly unwell due to an injury sustained shortly after the launch of our flagship mobile phone, to the degree that I was unable to even call the office.”
The board members glanced at one another and I could tell that they weren’t buying what I was selling.
“Too sick to even respond to the texts I sent you?” Alex asked, the slimy bastard. His face was a picture of concern and friendship, but he would only have asked that question if he were trying to needle me into making some kind of mistake.
“Indeed,” I replied, “Under my doctor’s orders I was bedbound and unable to interact with any screens, holotech included.”
“And yet,” The head of the board cut me off, “You have somehow found the time to acquire a new piece of arm candy, and were brazen enough to even bring her along to this meeting. Didn’t you realise how that would play with your half-baked scheme? Not to mention you’ve turned up at the tail end of this meeting, you couldn’t even be bothered to arrive on time today!”
My blood bubbled and boiled underneath my skin.
I’d arrived just past the time that Alex had left in the messages he had sent to me by text. But there was no use bringing that up, I’d sound like a petulant child, and if I knew Alex Wood he would no doubt have covered those tracks somehow.
“In that case, as the chair of this meeting, I suggest that we move forward with a vote,” Alex said, “All in favour of ousting Richard Parker as the CEO of this company, please raise your hand.”
To survive I needed four votes, unfortunately for me, five hands crept their way into the air and the two that abstained still couldn’t even look me in the eye.
I clenched my fists hard enough for my nails to stab through my skin. It was just enough to keep me sane.
“You’ll pay for this,” I growled, “Each and every one of you cowardly bastards, you’ll pay for this and I’ll bloody make sure of it.”
I sat in the driver's seat of my car absolutely fuming. After I had vowed to get my revenge on everyone in the room, a threat that had largely been brushed off with a smattering of laughter, they had offered me a small monthly stipend as a severance payment. I had been forced to agree to the terms. If I’d been rich to begin with maybe I would have been able to turn it away, been able to say no to their offer. But the fact of the matter was I was being kicked out of the company by vote and so it was completely legal. If I wanted anything at all they would have to give it to me, and this was what they were giving me. The stipend was larger than I had expected it to be, too. They agreed to cover the monthly costs of my apartment in the Battersea Power Station complex completely, both the mortgage and the utilities of the place, and then had also agreed to give me £4,000 every calendar month. This meant that, technically, I’d never have to work again if I didn’t want to as I’
Camden Town was one of the most vibrant and eccentric areas that London had to offer and that was no more obvious than when we were driving down the main high street, stuck in traffic. The buildings were all brightly coloured and the shops that lined the street leading up to the main marketplace had all gone incredibly over the top with their sign designs. One building had a giant dragon on the front with blinking red eyes. Another featured a giant shoe, one had an aeroplane nosediving toward the ground and a third was bright yellow with a massive ceramic elephant’s head poking out of the front. It was also incredibly busy, especially considering today was a random weekday and still the early afternoon. Nevertheless, there were hundreds if not thousands of people hustling and bustling along both sides of the street, which meant that it was only going to be a matter of time until we witnessed a crime. That being said, we weren’t waiting for a crime to be committed on the street.
If I had thought Sophia looked like a predator as she was moving through the narrow passageways of the Camden Market it was clear that I hadn’t actually seen anything yet. Sophia leapt up as silently as a light breeze and grabbed onto one of the walls. Her fingers bit through the brick the wall was made of and anchored her in place. Like a spider, she skittered up the wall so no one below would see her coming. Even with my enhanced Immateria senses I struggled to see her up in the shadows that were present in the alleyway. I could have joined her, I felt that I had the power in my fingers to do the same thing, but I didn’t want to make a mistake and ruin the hunt. I was content, at least for now, to let Sophia take the lead. A few moments passed and then a shadow dropped down from the rafters directly on top of . Only it wasn’t a shadow, it was Sophia. She was on the men like lightning and, before they could even react, she’d plunged her fingernails into each of their necks. T
We walked back to the car without saying a word to one another. It was as if Sophia was giving me a little bit of space after what had happened, though how long that was going to continue I had no idea. In a way, I wasn’t sure if I wanted it to continue. All I could think about were the memories that I had absorbed from the man I had drunk dry and then thrown into the river. They were separate from my own memories, my new Immateria brain could pick apart which memories I had made myself and which ones I had absorbed from someone else, and they were already beginning to fade from my mind. I could feel that when they had faded completely was when I was going to need to feed again. “So what now?” I asked as I sat down in the driver's seat. With no job to rush back to and my newly acquired vampiric thirst sated I felt a bit like a leaf blowing in the wind. “Now we get you registered with the Immateria Council,” Sophia sighed, “Right now you’re basically illegal, so we need to sort
Sophia strode through the park with purpose and I struggled to keep up with her. When I had been human I hadn’t spent much if any time at the park, but walking through it now with the sun beginning its descent into the evening I found myself wishing that I had. It was a beautiful location, running alongside the River Thames itself, one of the rare few big green areas in the city of London. The location we were headed toward was the Old English Garden, a sort of park within a park. Where most of the park was wide open green spaces that were curated but mainly left to nature, the Old English Garden was a heavily looked-after space with a small podium at its centre. And everything about it felt… off. Clearly, the other people who were walking through the garden didn’t feel anything, it was likely only because I was an Immateria now, but I could intensely feel that something was strange about the podium and the sculpture on the top of it. “That’s the entranceway,” Sophia said, as i
The undercity was a marvel. I had been expecting a dingy and disgusting place, with leaking walls and rumbles from trains passing overhead, but I couldn’t have been further from the truth. Magic, it turned out, was just as magical in reality as it had been in all the storybooks. While my scientific mind was having trouble understanding everything my eyes were seeing, the little boy in the back of my head was whooping with unbridled joy. The ceilings were high and had been charmed in some way to display what was essentially a holographic display of the outdoor sky. Though unlike my technology there weren’t any telltale signs that what I was seeing was fake. I’d never managed to eliminate the slight shimmer that occurred whenever an image updated itself, kind of like scanlines on an old CRT, there was nothing like that present in the illusory sky. Alongside that were all the different types of people that I was seeing. It was hard not to want to run away screaming the first time
Sophia and I waited for what felt like hours, in reality, it probably couldn’t have been anything more than thirty minutes. In the short time that I’d known her, I’d never seen Sophia flustered or worried. She’d always been the peak of British femininity and grace, holding herself resolutely in the face of any potential problem. The way she was pacing back and forth now, her heels clacking against the flagstone floor of the room, betrayed how nervous she was really feeling. “It’s going to be okay, Sophia,” I said, “I’m sure you’ll be able to convince them of the worth of my creation.” Her head snapped toward me so fast that if she had been human her neck probably would have severed and allowed the skull on top to bounce away to a corner of the room. “It’s not just your life on the line,” She all but snarled, “If they find that I’ve broken the rules it’ll be my head on the block just as much as yours, understand?” I was cowed into silence by the outburst by that primal connection
Sophia shot me an ugly glare as I stepped forward to speak, but she didn’t order me back in line so I felt free to continue in my course of action. “While you may be safe hiding down here now, I know through first-hand experience how easily all of that could come tumbling down,” I said, “And while the Immateria are the strongest thing in the world right now that may not always be the case.” “Preposterous!” The Immateria at the centre of the table said, “Not even their nuclear bombs could threaten us, in centuries or millennia in the future that won’t change!” I crossed my hands behind my back and shook my head, I needed to play this just like I was trying to explain technology to some tech inept businessman back in London… because that was basically my entire plan. “What do you know of technology, sir?” I asked the man, “I imagine in this world of magic that you have crafted for yourselves the mere notion of mundane human technology is something that barely even crosses your mind,
As Sophia and I huddled together over the massive oak table in the heart of our lab, we meticulously compiled our findings on the ominous runes and the Cloaks' sinister intentions. Our research painted a terrifying picture: a plan to bring about the end of the world. I could feel the weight of the knowledge in the binder we carefully assembled, its pages brimming with secrets that could tip the fragile balance between the Immateria and human realms. Our hearts raced with the urgency of the situation, and we knew we had no time to waste.The moment we finished, we rushed out into the labyrinthine underground old city, our feet pounding against the cobblestones as we wove our way through its ancient passages. We exchanged glances, our expressions a mixture of determination and fear, fully aware of the importance of our mission.As we raced through the city, the shadows around us seemed to dance and flicker, as if they were alive. The air was thick with the scent of centuries-old stone a
Standing amidst the remnants of the chaotic battle, I hesitantly approached Sophia to offer my condolences for the loss of her friend. The words caught in my throat, my voice wavering with the weight of what we had just experienced."I'm sorry about Marcus," I finally managed to say, my gaze lingering on the table where he had met his gruesome end.Sophia's expression remained stoic, her eyes betraying no hint of the pain she must have been feeling. "It's okay," she replied, her voice strong and resolute. "I know we'll avenge him in the long run. I just wish I could have killed him myself."I couldn't quite grasp the complexity of her relationship with Marcus, but I knew better than to pry. Instead, I decided to shift the focus to the task at hand. We needed to unravel the mystery of the runic symbols and the ritual Marcus had mentioned before his death.Together, we approached the table, our eyes drawn to the intricate runes carved into its surface. Neither of us recognized the symbo
As Sophia regained her composure and launched herself back into the fray against the remaining Cloaks, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. With her renewed vigor, I could now focus on providing her with much-needed support. The adrenaline coursed through my veins, and my mind raced with the possibilities of spells that could turn the tide of battle in our favor.Deciding on a strategy, I drew upon my magical reserves and cast a wide-range frost spell, chilling the air and coating the floor with a treacherous layer of ice. The temperature in the room plummeted, and our breaths fogged in the frigid air. Sophia, ever the agile fighter, vaulted into the air just as the icy surface began to solidify beneath her, avoiding the frosty trap.The Cloaks, caught off guard by the sudden change in their environment, found their feet frozen to the ground. Their attention momentarily diverted from Sophia, she seized the opportunity to eliminate several of them with swift, brutal efficiency. The f
As I continued to face off against the Cloak, it became increasingly clear that they were an exceptionally formidable opponent. Their raw power and proficiency in magic far exceeded what I would have expected from someone who was supposedly just a member of a random gang. I couldn't help but wonder if this was simply due to my own lack of magical experience, or if there was more to the Cloak than met the eye.My thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of a barrage of ice shards, each as thick as my arm, hurtling through the air towards me. Reacting on instinct, I managed to narrowly avoid the freezing projectiles, feeling the icy wind that accompanied them as they whizzed past. Had any of them struck me, I had no doubt that I would have been incapacitated, if not worse.Seizing the opportunity to retaliate, I drew upon my eidetic memory to replicate the Cloak's own spell. With a swift motion of my wand, I sent a flurry of ice shards back at my adversary, hoping to catch the
My eyes remained glued to the fierce battle unfolding before me, the sheer ferocity of the combatants sending waves of trepidation coursing through my veins. Sophia and the demon were locked in a dance of death, each striving to gain the upper hand and deliver the killing blow. The brutality of their exchange was both terrifying and mesmerizing, a testament to the deadly forces at play.Sophia's movements were fluid and agile, her lithe form gracefully weaving through the demon's lumbering attacks. The creature's strikes were powerful, sending tremors rippling through the ground with each devastating blow. Even as an Immateria, I knew that if Sophia were to suffer the full brunt of the demon's strength, it could very well be the end of her. To make matters worse, she had to contend with the sporadic potshots from the remaining Cloaks, their spells merely adding to the chaos and danger of the situation.Despite her agility and prowess, it was clear that Sophia's lightning-infused claws
I groaned, the pain radiating through my body as I gradually regained consciousness. My head throbbed, a dull ache pulsing in time with my racing heartbeat. I hadn't anticipated the intensity of the spell I'd crafted, and the lingering disorientation was a testament to its potency.Shaking my head in an attempt to dispel the discombobulation, I squinted through the hazy aftermath of the magical explosion, straining to make sense of the situation. Though my ears still rang, muffled and distant, I could perceive the sounds of battle continuing to rage around me. It seemed that my desperate gamble had not been in vain.As my vision slowly cleared, I could see that my rudimentary spellwork had provided the opening Sophia needed. Some of the Cloaks were beginning to recover from the disorienting effects of the flashbang, their expressions contorted in a mixture of rage and confusion. But they were no match for Sophia's raw power and finesse.With the grace of a skilled dancer, Sophia had w
“We don’t have time to plan, Parker,” Sophia hissed. “You’re new to magic, but I’m strong and you can hold your own. We have to do this, or Marcus is going to die… and gods know what will take his place.” Sophia, who I had previously known as someone who couldn’t ever be unnerved, someone who laughed in the face of danger and stayed cool no matter what… was practically beside herself with worry. I could tell she knew we needed a plan, she didn’t want to run in half-cocked, but she was also quickly running out of time and patience. “Fine then, the plan is we go in hard and fast. Take them by surprise and try to overwhelm them with superior force,” I said with a sigh. It wasn’t much, it wasn’t even really the beginnings of a plan, but given the circumstances, it was all we had and it’d have to do. The air was thick with the stench of blood and the smell of burning incense. Sophia and I broke cover and smashed through the door together, finally alerting the cloaks to our presence. T
I walked through the darkened halls, my heart pounding in my chest. The air was thick with the stench of mildew and decay. The walls were covered in peeling wallpaper, and the floorboards creaked under our feet. I held my wand tightly, ready for anything that might come our way.Sophia walked beside me, her claws extended and at the ready. Her sharp eyes scanned our surroundings, searching for any signs of danger. She was the best partner I could ask for on this mission. She was fierce, smart, and unwavering in her determination to stop the Cloaks.We had received intel that the Cloaks were planning something big. Something that could spell doom for the entire Immateria City. We couldn't let that happen. We had to stop them at all costs.As we walked, the sound of chanting grew louder and more distinct. It was coming from downstairs. We shared a look of concern and horror, knowing that we were getting closer to the heart of the Cloaks' operation."Sophia, do you hear that?" I whispere
I studied the map intently, feeling the rough texture of the aged parchment under my fingertips. My eyes traced over the faded ink lines, marking the location of the Cloak’s hidden lair. Sophia stood beside me, her intense gaze fixed on the same spot. I looked up at Sophia, and saw that her expression mirrored my own determination. "We have to be careful," I said, my voice low and urgent. "Who knows what they're up to in there." Sophia nodded, her jaw set. "I agree. We need to gather as much information as we can before we make a move." I bit my lip, thinking. "Perhaps we could stake out the hideout for a little while, observe their movements. That way, we'll have a better idea of what we're up against." Sophia's eyes brightened at the suggestion. "Yes, that's a good idea. We could hide on a nearby rooftop and keep an eye on things." I grinned. "I'm glad you agree. I've got a feeling this is going to be dangerous, but I'm ready for it. We need to put a stop to whatever the Cloa