"Drake?" Chad's eyes widened. "That's what I've been forgetting? Drake, the Dimension Master's heir? How could I forget Drake! One of my best friends!"
Mike nodded to his friend, his expression grim. "He's next to me by the door. There's an enchantment that is erasing him. We need to find the link and destroy it or kill the enchanter, and we need to do it now. We're running out of time. He's running out of time." The more he spoke, the more panic had made it into his tone.
Chad's face grew pale. "We need to go. We have to save him."
As if on cue, Drake opened the door to Chad's room and walked through. Mike silently followed him. Lines of worry covered his brow. If they didn't hurry, Drake would cease to exist.
Since Chad couldn't see Drake, he followed Mike. His head was bowed, fear pressing like a weight resting on his heart, making it difficult to breathe. He didn't want to forget his friend again. He didn't want to lose him. He only had two friends, and they were in front of him. He couldn't see Drake, but it helped to know that his friend was still there.
Drake had an idea, but wasn't sure if it would work. He wanted to see if his system could help. As the three boys walked back to the dining room, Drake mentally spoke to his system.
"System, follow the link attached to me causing me to be erased."
Drake's eyes began to glow a bright green. As he looked around, he could see a thin glowing thread appear. The glowing green thread was stretched, leading away as it disappeared out the door of the inn.
"This way!" Drake hissed, following the thread.
As he followed the glowing thread through the small town, it weaved around as if it avoided touching anyone else. After several moments of following the glowing green thread, Drake realized that it was heading toward Nana's home. Drake's face paled, worried that the enchanter would use someone to get to him. He didn't want anyone to get hurt to save his own life. Especially someone he had grown attached to. As he followed the thread, he approached the door of the small home. The thread was going through its door as if the wooden door wasn't solid. It was like a ghost passing through solid walls.
Drake stopped in front of the door and turned to Mike. His voice cracked in anguish. Fear that Nelly was being used as the link. His thoughts were in a jumble, and fear radiated from his pores. "Knock on the door," he ordered his friend. His tone was subdued.
Mike knocked on Nana's door. It wasn't loud, but it was enough to alert those inside. They waited, not bothering to knock again. They could hear the footsteps of someone coming near.
After several moments, the door opened. Nana stepped out, looking between the two boys she could see. Her eyes passed through Drake as if he wasn't even there. To her, he wasn't.
Drake tried to talk. "Can we come in, please?" he asked. Nana didn't hear any of it. She waited patiently in the silence as if Drake had never spoken. Chad didn't hear it either.
Mike repeated Drake's words, worried that his friend would be gone soon. They needed to hurry. "Can we come in, please? It's really important. Something inside your home seems to have been planted during the battle with the monster. It might be dangerous."
Hearing Mike's words, Nana's face paled as she stepped aside, letting them inside her home. Drake entered first, following the glowing green thread. Mike followed him. Soon after, Chad followed Mike.
"What exactly are we looking for?" Chad asked Mike. His voice was calm, trying to hide the fear. He couldn't hear Drake either, so he had to rely on Mike. Chad repeated Drake's name in his head, not wanting to forget his friend. It was his mantra until they found a way to stop what was happening.
Mike shrugged as Nana closed the door and followed the only two boys that she could see. "I believe we'll know it when we see it. It's hard to say."
Drake started to sweat as he followed the thread. Apprehension vibrated through his being. His fear was growing. It was heading to a small room in the back of the home. "In there," Drake pointed. His hand was shaking.
Mike turned to Nana and pointed. "We need to go in there." He was pointing to the room at the very end.
Nana's face paled further as she nodded. It was the worst possible room to have something dangerous in.
Mike quickly opened the door. He stepped back, appearing to hesitate. Since no one else could see Drake, it was the only option.
Inside the small room was an oval rug. It was crocheted out of strips of pink rags. The bed had a quilt with pink, yellow, and lavender blocks in a cute pattern. Pastel bows were sewn in the corners of some of the blocks. It was a child's room. Specifically, a little girl's room.
Sitting on the bed was Tod, who was reading a story to his little cousin, Nelly. The glowing thread ended at the little girl.
Drake continued to follow the thread, walking up to the little girl. He needed to make sure that the link wasn't her. He prayed it wasn't. There was no way he could harm the little girl. He would rather disappear forever than hurt her.
Deciding to find another way if he could, he spoke to his system.
"System, follow the link between the caster and the identified link to me."
A second thread materialized. This one was red.
Drake turned to Mike. "Have the children stand apart, facing me over there?" he said, pointing to an empty area in the room.
Mike turned to Nana. "I need the kids to stand over there so we can have a look. Whatever it is, it's near the bed. Maybe even under the mattress."
Nana nodded. "Kids, she told them. Please go over there for a moment," she said, pointing to the empty area.
The children obediently got off the bed and stood near the wall in the empty area of the room. They looked at Chad and Mike with curiosity.
Drake sucked in a breath. The thread was still going to Nelly. He looked around the room. She was never without her doll. He didn't see it. He turned to Mike. "Ask Nelly where her doll is."
Mike first searched the bed and under the mattress for something that didn't exist. He knew he wasn't going to find anything. He just didn't want Nana to think they came to her home targeting Nelly. After his mock search, Mike bent down to Nelly's level. "Where's your dolly?" he asked gently.
Nelly pulled the doll from her apron pocket and handed it to Mike. Mike took it, pretending to look at it. Drake came closer. "It's not the doll. Ask her if she's wearing something under her dress. A necklace or something. It should be right here," he said, pointing to an area on her chest.
Mike handed the little girl back her doll. He spoke again; he was trying to be gentle. He knew that Drake was focusing on Nelly. He was worried that the little girl was the link, and he was trying to make sure. "Nelly, are you wearing a necklace or a piece of jewelry right here?" he asked, pointing in the exact spot that Drake was indicating.
Nelly pulled out a little leather bag. It was rich brown with runic designs covering it. The designs were several shades darker, as if they were burned into the leather. The sachet was held closed by a thin strip of the same rich brown leather. "I found it," She said happily.
Mike glanced at Drake. Drake looked relieved. The little leather bag must be the link.
"The bag is the link that the enchanter used. We need to get it out of here," Drake stated. "I can follow the link to the enchanter with it and kill him so he can't try something like that again."
Mike took the bag from the little girl and turned to Nana, holding up the bag. "This is it," he said calmly. "We need to get this thing out of here. It was planted by the monsters when they attacked. It's too dangerous to let her keep it."
Nana nodded, she was looking at the little bag in fear. "Yes, take it away."
Mike stood up and headed to the door. "Thank you, Nana. If she finds anything else, it's important that you bring it to me. We don't know what was planted in town. We don't know if there was more than one item, either. We only knew that there was one. Keep in mind that there might be more."
Nana nodded as the boys left her home. Mike followed Drake as he followed the red thread.
The red thread led them to the barrier. When they tried to pass through the barrier, it was like slamming into a solid wall.
"Shit!" Drake cursed. He wanted to get to the enchanter, but there was no way as long as the barrier was in place. "We have two choices. We can destroy the bag or destroy the barrier."