I actually had this chapter ready early

Sorry for not posting it sooner, I didn't trust myself to have another chapter ready by today

(I was correct)

There's a little time skip in this one right at the end-

Hope you all enjoy!

Erik didn't know what to expect when his entire cell had been called into the new owner's office space. It wasn't a real office, per say, or what Erik could even fathom one to look like – after all, the only study he'd seen was through Lucy's eyes. This office didn't look like the one he knew, there was no brown desk or fancy cabinets or books, there was simply a boy with blue hair and a red face tattoo sitting on a chair with a glint in his eye.

Erik could hear his thoughts immediately, there was something odd about them. Something scattered; almost like this kid didn't have thoughts for himself – almost as though there was someone talking to him through his mind.

Similar to the connection he and Lucy had, Erik supposed, but Lucy had no hint of malice in her. This voice; whatever was plaguing this man held nothing but evil, worrisome intentions. Erik's hands started sweating.

"There's a man here who wants to purchase you all. He says he wants five strong wizards. Now none of you have magic—" the boy's eyes seemed to settle on Erik for a moment too long, almost as though he knew his secret. "—but he is willing to teach you all."

Erik's heart thumped. He was getting out. They all were. They were all finally getting out of this God-awful prison and they would all be free. Erik found tears on his lashes. The wounds on his back had finally healed over, it had taken a little over two weeks before the skin was fully healed and didn't tear at minimal movement.

The timing was perfect, Erik had regaining his strength and health, he could focus on his magic and he could walk the Earth as a free man.

He wanted to cry out of sheer happiness, he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, until his voice cracked and his throat ached. He wanted everyone in this tower to hear the relief, the true joy that he was feeling.

Most of all, Erik wanted to laugh.

Mostly out of disbelief, some part out of anguish, some for the simple lack of trepidation. Erik was almost free, they all were. The girl was crying, Macbeth was staring at this boy wide eyed, the chubby boy was grinning and the one with the big nose looked on in scepticism.

"This isn't up for negotiating, you will all be leaving, no questions asked; I simply have no use for you anymore."

If Erik was to be deemed as useless this one time, then consequences be damned, he'd allow himself to be pleased about it.

He would learn magic, he would find Lucy; free her from her castle, and they'd walk to the ends of Earthland a million times over – simply because they could.

-0-

Lucy could feel it. It had happened only rarely before, with the pain on her back; but she could feel Erik's emotions. They were vague, almost like an itch under the skin, but they were there. Lucy hadn't ever felt real joy from Erik before; if he had felt it, it wasn't to this extent, that was for certain.

She continued eating her breakfast, the maids were chatting idly by her, dusting and cleaning what had only been tidied up yesterday. She wondered if they ever got bored of their job; clean, eat, sleep, clean, eat, sleep, over and over again, day after day. Lucy didn't want a life like that. She wanted spontaneity, adventures, journeys, happiness.

Lucy wanted to experience something new every day she woke up.

It became obvious to her that she didn't want to be a wife, an heiress to a company, a mother to the next corporal owner. Lucy wanted to be a wizard; she wanted purpose to her life; she wanted to help others, explore, see each day as if it were her last.

Lucy wanted to let her magic flourish, become the greatest Celestial Wizard in all of Earthland, she wanted a team to back her; she wanted to be known, and most of all, she wanted Erik to be a part of it.

Wherever he was – even if he really didn't exist and was only a figment of her imagination – she wanted him to be with her for all of it. If he were real—Lucy wasn't sure. They'd work together, they'd become world renown mages and they would be together forever. The possibilities were endless and Lucy wanted so desperately for them to come into fruition.

"Lucy…"

Erik's voice was hesitant, as though he was afraid to speak to her.

"Are you ok?" She asked. She was worried, unease settled in her gut at the tone of his voice. He sounded scared, baffled, confused.

"Lucy.. they're—they're letting us go."

Her heart thudded. If they were being let go then she could meet him. They could find each other and all the dreams she had had of their future would actually happen. Lucy's eyes watered at the prospect of it. She could escape this cold house, she could find Erik, and they could live together.

She didn't know what to say. She was lost for words. Somehow Erik understood this though, like he always had been able to understand her. Lucy didn't need to say anything, didn't need to construct a single thought; all she had to do was feel and Erik would know.

"We're going with this guy, he wants to teach us magic, make us into a guild… I don't know what to do, it all feels impossible?"

Lucy grinned, her lips trembled, before she knew it, she was crying. She was happy. Inexplicably so. There was nothing to stain her mood, she wouldn't let anything get her down, because Erik was free. Erik was getting out. He was finally escaping his prison.

Her heart thrummed painfully when she realised she was still stuck in hers.

"I'm—" Lucy's mind stopped, almost like her mental throat was clogged. "We could actually find each other. When I can leave and we can meet and we can do anything if he we wanted to."

"I know, Lucy, I know." Erik's own happiness was hitting her in waves. The excitement pulsing through her wasn't one sided. They both felt the same, they both were renewed with a fresh sense of hope. They would find each other. Not today, not tomorrow, maybe not until they were eighty-five and wrinkly; but they would get there. They had the chance too.

Lucy wasn't going to let that chance slip from her grasp.

The cold of this empty house was forgotten, the cold from wherever Erik was left too. For the first time, they both were seemingly warm.

-0-

Erik waited with the others. He continued talking to Lucy, albeit, she didn't say much, but he could feel her presence, could hear everything she was feeling as it strummed through her soul. The upbeat song was back, the melancholy strain of music was drowned out by this new composition. Erik was prided by the fact that he had been able to do this. Even if it was from circumstances beyond his control.

The man that wanted him and his cellmates was arriving shortly. According to the blue haired boy – Jellal – he was a master of magic and would help them learn. The man called himself Brain, whether the name was real or not wasn't something Erik cared to know, but he wanted a guild. He wanted five kids to train into the perfect warriors.

Erik envisioned himself fighting crime, stopping the bad guys, protecting his cellmates – Lucy, as well – he imagined putting a stop to people like Jellal; people that trapped innocents in cages and forced labour upon them.

Erik heard the man approach. He was a far distance away – the specifics were unknown – but the soul of this man made Erik's mouth dry with fear. He had never heard a soul like this. The workers in this tower were a spec in comparison to whoever he would be leaving with. He had thought the man who whipped him was evil, thought he was the work of the devil.

If that was the case, this man was the Devil himself.

His song wasn't upbeat, it wasn't slow either, it was the kind of song that would stick in your head. There were no melancholy instruments, not a hint of fear or terror. There were no high, soft, and peaceful notes, nothing even comparable to Lucy. This man's song was loud, heavy, suffocating.

Spontaneous smashes of drums that ricocheted off the walls, fast playing violins that had Erik's eyes filling with tears for reasons unknown. Cymbals clashed and jarred him again and again. He could hear Lucy calling out for him, he couldn't respond. The fear had him tongue tied. He looked at his cell mates, all unaware of the man they were being 'saved' by. This was something only Erik was aware of.

As the man got closer he could hear it; the whisperings of his mind; the sickest intentions he had of them, the things he dreamed of accomplishing, the desires that he kept to himself. Erik was privy to them all.

I don't want to know. I don't want to know. I don't want to know.

Lucy's voice was so far away, unreachable and too far out of his grasp. He was propelled into nothingness, no Lucy, no room, no Jellal, no cellmates. He drifted closer to that man, closer and closer and closer. Erik struggled against whatever pull this was.

He wanted to escape. He didn't want to be here.

He would take death over this.

Erik would risk everything if it meant not leaving with this man.

The door to the room opened. The face of the man didn't match his thoughts. In a way, he looked sinister. In a way there were aspects that looked friendly. He watched his cellmates fall mindlessly into his trap.

The music of his soul drowned out even Erik's own thoughts. The voice inside Jellal's mind ceased to exist, the ramblings of each of his cellmates quietened to nothing.

His eyes met Brain. He felt Cubellios tighten around his stomach. Dread. Layers and layers of it piled in his stomach like a car accident.

The man smirked at him, daring him to say something, to run, to escape; if only so Brain could chase him.

Brain tilted his head and silence reigned. His soul vanished into dust. His thoughts were quiet, nothing came from this man any longer.

Erik stared at him wide eyed, listening for something to indicate his soul wasn't gone.

He had heard everyone's souls except his own. Now he could add Brain's to the list. There was no way he'd ever hear that again. He felt relieved.

Erik didn't blink when a sudden thought passed through him. It jarred him, made him look at the cracked floor in front of him instead of anything with real meaning.

He couldn't hear his own soul, now he couldn't hear Brain's. Perhaps their songs were one in the same.

Maybe he was exactly like Brain.

He disagreed with the thought as soon as it came.

However, a slither of agreeance grew within him.

-0-

Lucy felt everything. She couldn't move. Erik wasn't responding to her. He wasn't hearing her. Erik had disappeared again.

He returned a few minutes later, but something had changed. His voice trembled, even in her head. It wasn't confident, it wasn't relieved, it wasn't happy any longer.

Lucy heard the fear in his voice.

"I heard his soul, Lucy, then it was gone. I don't know how he did it."

"What was it like?"

Erik paused. "I would take a thousand beatings if it meant never hearing it again."

Lucy waited for something to tell her he was lying.

She waited and waited.

It never came.

-0-

A year passed, and every day brought with it a new fear. His terror never lessened. Slowly, Erik adapted to it.

-0-

For Lucy, every day solidified the need to save Erik. Her ambition never lessened. Slowly, Lucy let it consume her.

Some part of me feels totally satisfied with the ending of this and another part wants to end this completely differently (still don't know how I would). Let me know your innermost thoughts if you're bothered, if not, thank you for reading :)

Leave a review, they keep the fingies typing.

Hope you enjoyed

Until next time :)

~MyFictionalFantasy