The Pens of Fate [6](Saga remastered) {Jun.27, 2023}

Note from the Author

This book contains and mentions sensitive material relating to mental illnesses, several personality disorders, suicide, suicidal thoughts, post-traumatic stress disorder, murder, death, sexual violence, alcoholism, self-harm, and depression. Reader discretion is highly advised and it is important to practice self-care during and after reading. There is foul language, substance abuse, multiple types of abuse as well. Some of the events, people, and timelines are based on true aspects of my life, so keep a clear mindset.

To my inner angels who kept fighting against the demons of my mind, I want to thank you for it. And to those inner monsters of mine, thank you for being my inspiration for the nightmares that came out of these stories. To the angels who stood beside me while I battled the evil inside of the past memories that I kept locked, these books and stories will represent how you have been there for me. 

And to the younger me, who probably didn’t know that she was what scared the devil; you were going to do great things. Don't you ever look back and question the choices that lead you to the me that I have become...

Adaline moved away from the edge and bent down to check their boot. The black leather was able to protect them from the ghoul’s claws and teeth from Adaline’s kick to the ghoul’s face. One of the fangs was stuck in the heel of the boot. After they pulled it out of their boot, Adaline smiled at the fang in their hand as it changed into the final Pen of Fate: The Devil’s Pen… 

Adaline cracked a few smiles in between hugs, “How did you, guys get here. Please tell me Zach didn’t leave the portal open.” All eyes were on him, “I don’t think I did but I can’t remember- but to be fair, you were in trouble,” before Zach could finish Adaline bolted towards the cabin. They threw open the wooden door to find a portal wide open. 

Adaline threw a notebook at Zach, who ducked behind a couple of boxes full of pencils, “YOU LEFT THE PORTAL IN A CLASSROOM THAT ANYONE COULD GET TRAPPED IN?!” Adaline dug through a box of old toys and mementos to keep throwing things at him. Zach peeked out from behind the cabin’s kitchen counter, “Addie? Can’t we talk about this like adults?” As he said that, Adaline turned around holding an old torn teddy bear, “There is no talking over this. What if someone closed the book, huh? What were you going to do then? This is why I wrote a guidebook, but does anyone read it? No!” Zach ducked down as more stuff flew by his head, “If you wrote the book, then why was chapter 22 completely blank, huh?” Adaline’s brown eyes narrowed, “What do you mean?” Zach stood up from his hiding spot and pulled out the little brown leather notebook from the portal, “ZACH! PUT THAT BA-” Before Adaline could stop him the portal closed up with their right hand in it, “Ahh- uh!” Zach dropped the book onto the floor. Vivienne and James moved to Adaline’s side while Arthur went to go find a first aid kit. Zach’s eyes widened- Adaline’s arm had burns from their hand to the elbow. Grace looked from Adaline to Zach and said, “You burned Addie’s writing hand.”

Adaline’s arm, now wrapped up in bandages and had their skin peeking out, was a light rose pink in color and hung by their side. Zach kept his head down while the girls helped Addie find some weapons. Zach kept replaying the last 15 minutes in his head: Adaline pulled their arm to their chest. 

“Ada!”

 James and Vivienne moved Adaline to the dinner table to get a good look at the burn. “That didn’t hurt us when we got here, so why did it hurt you?” Grace looked from the book on the floor to Adaline. “When you move the book the portal closes and reopens in another world. Anything in the path of the portal’s way of closing gets its ass kicked by a not-so-friendly force.” Adaline then oddly moved their arm, “Don’t worry Zach, it’s just a flesh wound. And I have done worse, one time I got hit by part of the falling debris from one of the Twin Towers. Boy, did that hurt in the morning.” Arthur raised an eyebrow, “You were at the Twin Towers?” Adaline shook their head and looked through the first aid kit that he brought to them, “No, but I have read books on a lot of things; serial killers, the Nazi invasion, events in history such as the Twin Towers, the discovery of America, and other stuff that happened. I go to other worlds to escape real-life problems and write about the past for school reports. I have been to most of the life-changing events,” they said as they turned to face the gang, “I will take those who want to go home to the portal. Those who want to stay and help me stop Ethan can, but I am warning you. Ethan is not the only villain that we will face; there are monsters from my past. They guard a powerful weapon that can bring Ethan to our world if he ever finds out about the book’s portals. That is why I am going to get it, but first, we need to rest before more portals get opened. You can make your decisions before we leave.” 

Zach sat in silence while Adaline and James walked back into the room where he was using to avoid the others, “Zach,” Adaline’s eyes met his as they continued, “It was an accident. It is your first time making a mistake in another world. I have made a ton of them and I assure you that the others will make some.” Zach thought about what they were saying, “You’re right. Thanks, Addie, and sorry for your arm.” Adaline scoffed, “It will heal in the next hour or so- time is weird here.” 

“Hey, Addie?” Adaline turned around to face him, “I think we could get help from another world.” Zach had a wild look in his eyes... 

Back in the clubroom, Lason went through the plan again with the students, “Ashton, your Pen can manipulate personality but only to a small degree. You will have to try to keep writing different synonyms of what we want to be changed about Ethan, like let him be open to us or some shit like that.” Ashton noded and the club closed for the night. When Ashton got home, he set his Pen on the desk in his bedroom. He then started to flip a yearbook that lay beside the Pen, he scanned each name carefully till he found Ethan Eval… 

The next day, Ashton rolled his wheelchair beside the Sophomore,“Hello. Are you Ethan Eval?” 

The boy’s long black hair blew in the wind as his green eyes twinkled coldly without a hint of emotion.

“You’re the student body president... d-did I do something wrong?”

“No, in fact, your grades are spot on and you are a top student. I need to talk to you alone and out of earshot about something else. Now, if you can follow me.” As they crossed the courtyard in front of the school, Ethan’s body language didn’t even change from calm and collected. As Ashton explained to Ethan the power of the Pens of Fate in an empty classroom, Ethan’s green eyes changed from what had fooled many into thinking that they were a kind and loving, light green to their true form a dark power lusting emerald. I can’t change him, Ashton thought as he backed up. Ethan started to laugh dementedly as if he had completely lost his mind. 

“I knew that my Pen was different, Ashton,” Ethan clicked his tongue as he spoke, “And nor do I have any intentions of returning it to this ‘Adaline’.” Ethan’s face went back to normal, but his eyes still had an evil tint in them. After a brief pause of silence, Ethan turned around and left him. After Ethan left Artie in the unused classroom, Artie pulled out his phone and started to punch in numbers unaware that Ethan was right outside the door, listening.

“Hey, it’s me. We need to have a club meeting.” 

“So, Ethan will not let it go without a fight,” said Tina as she looked at her twin, Liz, and continued, “What do we do now?” 

Everyone in the room turned to look at a boy named Cody, “No. Stop looking at me! You all know that I can’t make choices under pressure!” Lason was staring into space then turned to face him, “Cody, what do you hold dear?”

“Uh?”

“Your pen can fix the damage caused by Ethan’s pen. Therefore you are our ace in the hole. Ethan won’t stop ‘til justice is served by his hands and that’s why he needs to be stopped.” 

Ethan left with a sinister look in his green eyes after hearing the girl speak. That night, the game had begun...