Unbeknownst to Isaac and the others below, Lila leaned against the railing of Rowan's apartment. Her cellphone pressed to her ear, listening as the line went to voicemail again after several rings.
"Hey… it's me," she said softly, forcing a small smile into her voice. "I know you're probably busy...You always are when you're on a case like this one."
She hesitated, her other hand cupping around the phone.
"I just… miss you baby. I know your friend is in trouble. So I wont push to hard, but please call me when you can, okay? I love you."
She lowered the phone, staring out at the street below.
The humidity felt higher than usual. The cool wind that blew causing her hair to dance in the air. Lila lost in thought, tucked her hair behind her ear. The first drops of rain falling not even registering as they touched her skin.
"Hey come inside already he'll call when he's ready too." Yelled Rowan from her place on the couch inside, kicking her feet up on the coffee table. "Lila, it's past one in the morning. You need to come out of the cold already. If not for you, then for the baby."
Lila nodded in response, but her attention was elsewhere. The hair on her neck began to stand on end, She looked over the railing one last time looking for the source.
Rowan sighed, shaking her head as she flicked on the TV. "If you're gonna stay up, at least sit down and relax. I just made us some garlic nacho fries. With EXTRA garlic butter just like you like them."
Lila jumped snapping back to reality before finally stepping inside. She moved towards the couch sliding in to get comfortable next to Rowan.
"Okay," she said, scrolling through the feed. "how do you feel about starting this new anime."
Lila rubbed her arms as she saw the thumbnail for some show with pirates. "have you seen the episode list?!, it's like 1000 episodes long!"
Rowan snorted. "fine... its not like that's stopped us before when we have girls night."
"So what's your poison," She said flicking through the other options. "We have crime documentaries, survival shows, something involving squids.
She finally landed on a murder mystery, " here we go this is the one!"
Lila took the remote away, leering at the screen. "Please no murder. I'm already worried about that little girl. I can't do a shows worth of that."
Lila paused on a bright animated thumbnail. "Fantasy okay?"
Rowan tilted her head throwing back some fries. "Depends. Is it tragic fantasy or a rainbows and sunshine kind of fantasy?"
Rowan hovered over the description. "Former goblin king retires, gives up his throne, marries into a human family, and tries to live a normal life."
Lila smiled brightly. "…bzzzt bzzzt sorry times up, the panel says we're doing this one."
Rowan smiled then gave up ready to enjoy the show.
The flickering screen played an animated movie. The scene on screen started with a flashback scene. One simple phrase, you have no power over me and she had won over the devilish goblin king. She had safetly returned home with her baby brother safe and sound. But that was then and some time later the boy was a teenager just as in love with fantasy as his older sister. His call to the goblin king after a fight with his sister to grow up leads to his return.
The goblin king now has grown tired of his life without his true love. He decides to give the crown to the boy and after a series of hilarious fails at courting her. He finally manages to win over the boys sister with his sincerity.
The former goblin king, now dressed in a fancy tuxedo, stood at the edge of a suburban street, watching his old kingdom disappear into mist after their wedding. His bride squeezed his hand, smiling softly.
"Was it worth it?" She asked, staring lovingly into the goblin king's eyes.
The goblin king hesitated, then chuckled. "I suppose we'll find out."
Rowan smirked, side-eyeing Lila as she watched lost in the drama. "Well theres no doubt you and slyva came from the same being now."
Lila let out a small, tired chuckle. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Rowan shrugged, stretching out on the couch. "Near the end of our journey, slyva shared some interesting details. Like snooping on timelines to watch the laybrinth of all things."
"Haha, so she has her own personal streaming serive too," she let out a snicker for a brief second. Lila watched the screen, her fingers tracing slow circles on the wooden table. "Joking aside, Maybe we both just like the idea that people can change."
Rowan's smirk softened. "Yeah… maybe."
The show continued, the new king sat spying on the goblin king and his bride through the crystal ball. Thet vanished into the crowd where no one would know what he used to be. With one flick of the wrist the ball spun just like he was taught and the image vanished. With a grin he turned to the goblins to singing dance magic dance as the credits rolled.
"You think Sylva's watching it with us?" Lila asked, her voice quiet.
Rowan took a long sip of her beer, a wry smile on her lips. "If she is, she's probably wondering why we are watching something with such a dull lead."
"You think so? he kind of reminds me of Aiden though," Lila retorted, ready to defend her new favorite character. "Just like Aiden the goblin king is true to his heart and follows it both good and bad."
Rowan leaned back, folding her arms behind her head. "Now that you mention it, I guess youre right. Bet aiden would look amazing in that costume though."
Lila slapped her arm, face burning. "Rowan!"
Rowan only grinned wider. "What? For halloween or something."
Lila went quiet as heat radiated from her face. The barrage of rain finally began tapping harder and harder against the windows. So loud it was beginning to drown out the Tv.
Lila turned up the tv just as the next song of the credits played, music swelling, the names of animators flickering across the screen. But Lila's mind was somewhere else now.
Rowan's phone rang, the sudden vibration cutting through the quiet. She sighed, glancing at the screen. "It's the manager at the arcade. It's probably another broken simulator."
But it fell on dear ears. Something was tugging Lila's focus to outside again before flickering away.
She turned toward the window, eyes narrowing to see through all the water.
She felt it again, but this time she couldn't brush it off as some mind trick or ptsd.
A phantom sensation brushed against her skin as the baby kicked harder than ever before. It felt like the same violating power she remembered from when the Core took over her body all those years ago.
The baby kicked again.
"Rowan," she started, standing up from the couch. For a second, the baby's kicks throwing her off balance.
How could she convince Rowan.
The otherworld could not touch them here.
She knew that more than anyone.
Rowan blinked, her eyes clearly saying to give her a second.
CRASH.
Glass exploded inward, shards catching the light as they scattered across the floor.
Rowan lept back, her phone slipping from her fingers before her feet touched the ground.
The wind howled through the shattered doorway, cold rain blown in, turning the floor slick. The storm had arrived.
A figure uncoiled from the floor to its feet, his hair blanketed his face leaving only two blood red glowing eyes in the dark.
They didn't know this teen, but his friends knew him as Carlos.