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“I wonder what Mason’s doing…?” That voice, soft and contemplative had little trouble echoing in the quiet room. She sighed and crossed her arms, considering their friend. For the past few days, he hasn’t been coming to school. There was a startling lack of him and Eliza arguing. She knew he wasn’t anywhere at the school either because she couldn’t hear his Soul Song.
A melody that was merely a bunch of notes sloppily thrown together, disorganized. A hint of it scratchy and gaspy, like typical lo-fi music. It was the kind of song that might have sounded annoying in real life, but she had grown used to it and was even somewhat soothed by it.
A note sang into her head, creeping up on her with all the lightness of the very wind. Sweeping around her, the notes began to build as they announced their owner’s arrival. Prickly yet vibrant. Soothing. Such things she had begun to associate with this melody. So like a serenade it was, yet with very subtle angry notes held within.
Soul Songs really did tell her much about people.
Cocking her head towards the owner, she swiped a hand across her desk until her hand brushed against something small. She took it up and gingerly clapped it. Immediately, the surrounding environment became somewhat clear to her as sound waves bounced against various objects. The sound waves of course illuminated that of Eliza, who now stood at her side. It was just enough that she could see the frown currently present on her lips.
The image abruptly faded and she smiled at her frustrated friend. She could imagine what was going through her mind right now.
“He’s probably skipping school,” Eliza scoffed and crossed her arms. Her eyes narrowed. Despite that she seemed endlessly annoyed with Mason, even when he wasn’t at school, she did get worried. She couldn’t deny that something was missing when he wasn’t around. And admittedly, she missed arguing with him.
Anya shook her head and frowned, brows furrowing. “You know that’s not true. He loves coming to school. He wouldn’t dare miss a single day even if it’s the end of the year. And he’s rarely ill…” Her hands curled in her lap. “I think something’s up.” After a moment’s thought, she tilted her face to meet Eliza’s. “Let’s see if we can go to his place after school.”
As Eliza begrudgingly agreed, Anya turned back to the front. She would have to call Zander and tell him what she was doing. He wouldn’t likely be against it, but she didn’t want to cause him needless worry.
As they anxiously waited for their days to end, Anya tried to psyche herself up to go to Mason’s house. And since Eliza sat next to her, she could hear every single tap that Eliza tapped out on her desk. Though Eliza would never admit it, she knew that she was nervous about what had happened to him. If anything at all.
It was while she was in Lunch that something happened. While she and Eliza were chatting and slowly moving towards a table, a flicker of a note danced along her spine. She stopped mid movement and glanced around. Disorganized. Low quality. Scratchy and-- She mouthed his name and turned to Eliza, seconds away from telling her that Mason was nearby.
But those notes abruptly vanished. As though they had never been there in the first place. She strained her senses, but there was simply NO trace of it. Not as if it slowly went away, but as if it went out all at once. Something that didn’t normally happen.
“Something wrong?” Clapping her clapper, she turned toward her friend as the sound waves illuminated her form. The stance suggested she had been walking when she noticed that she wasn’t being followed.
Shaking her head she took a step forward, and grabbed her hand just as their surroundings faded from sight. As they began walking again, she wondered about what had just happened. It was definitely Mason’s Soul Song. No doubt about it. But how could it have faded that fast? After a moment’s thought, she decided to relay this to Eliza.
“I felt Mason’s Soul Song,” she mumbled. A jolt as this information sank in. Not physical, though Eliza certainly did jolt in surprise. For a split second, the melodies of her soul had become slightly less organized. She sighed and shook her head. “But it faded away immediately. Before I could figure out where it was coming from.”
Eliza, perhaps noticing the confusion in her tone, asked, “Can you sense him nearby?”
Again, she shook her head. Anya let Eliza guide her hand to the table and threw her leg over the seat. Sitting down, she considered what this might mean. “I can’t sense him anymore. It’s like his Soul Song was never there to begin with. It faded too quickly…”
Eliza sighed and grumpily bit into her PB&J. “What kind of trouble could he have possibly gotten into this time?!” She spoke with her mouth full, something that Mason would be reprimanding her for if he was here.
The half-fairy at her side merely cocked her head. “I’m not sure, but I’m worried. He can’t control his powers very well. This may have something to do with that.”
A pause as Eliza chewed this over. “Then we’ll definitely have to see if we can find him around. We ought to still pay a visit to his parents house. His mom might be able to tell us something.” Looking at Anya again, she continued on. “Oh yeah, you should probably call Zander and tell him what we’re doing.” Teasingly bumping her elbow into Anya’s she watched the other girl nod.
“I will after school,” she mumbled and twisted, jabbing her fork into whatever slop she had gotten.
~
“Mhmm…” She smiled into the phone, nodding along to the voice on the other side. School had just let out for the day and the two had decided to take a seat on the school steps until she had finished the call. “Yeah, something’s up with Mason. He hasn’t been coming to school for the last few days and you know him! For him to not come to school… There’s clearly something up with that.”
Eliza peered closely at her, seeing the warm smile on her face. The way her entire face lit up just from talking to him. Such small things that indicated just how much she looked up to him and enjoyed being in his presence. She was glad Anya had people like that, considering what had happened to the halfling’s parents…
Anya paused and gave a rapid nod, “Yes! I’ll call if something happens.”
With a grin curling at her lips, Eliza threw her hand up and shouted, “Heeey Zander!”
This gave the halfling pause again as Zander shouted back, “Hey! That would be Eliza, correct? The troublemaker? Staying out of trouble?”
She scoffed and shot Anya a glare, despite that the half-fairy couldn’t see her. “What have you been telling him about us?!”
“The truth,” she hummed. “Besides, he’s not serious. In fact, he thinks that if you’re doing something bad, you should put in the effort to get away with it.”
Eliza raised a brow as she heard exaggerated sounds of pain. “Anya! You wound me! I am completely responsible, you know?”
“Uh-huh.” She enunciated carefully, tone of her voice suggesting that she didn’t believe his words at all. Cocking her head, she frowned. She didn’t need sight to know that Eliza was getting impatient. Her Song was starting to get jumpy. Not to mention, she could vaguely hear Eliza tapping her feet. Which also sent around smaller sound waves that she could see by.
She was fidgeting.
Turning back to Zander, who was still making dramatic noises, she shook her head. “Alright, well, we’ll be going now! Promise to update you on whatever happens.”
“Of course. Hope nothing too bad has happened to Mason.” And then he hung up.
She nodded to herself and stood, carefully placing the phone back into her pocket. “Let’s go,” she smiled and offered Eliza a hand.
Eliza took her hand and stood.
~
“Hmm… Looks like no one’s home,” Anya cocked her head to the side and furrowed both brows. They were about twenty steps from his driveway, though she had no way of knowing that. She could sense though, that no one was home. There was a distinct lack of Soul Songs in their house. She frowned deeply, “Then what are we supposed to do?”
There was a pause. “I’ve got it!” Before Anya could ask, she was already being lead over to the house.
“Got what?” She asked after a few steps. Still no answer. She sighed and clapped her clapper, the sound waves outlining Eliza’s form going towards a window. Peering through the glass, she could see that it was Mason’s room. As the outlines faded, she twisted to Eliza. Clap. Eliza was shoving the window open. Her eyes widened. “Isn’t this trespassing?”
A jolt resounded in her Soul Song. When she next spoke, she didn’t sound the least bit embarrassed to be caught. “Relax, I visit him like this all the time.”
She sighed deeply and shook her head. That did not make her feel better in the least. But at least it wasn’t a stranger. She paused at this thought and crossed her arms. Of course, knowing Eliza… “Mason’s house is the only one you’ve broken into, right?”
“No.” She stiffened, prepared to reprimand her, when Eliza gave a mischievous snicker. “I’ve also had to break into my own when I’ve lost my key!” Her shoulders slumped, body visibly losing its tension.
And there was no tell tale sign in Eliza’s Song that’d indicate she was lying. After a moment, she reluctantly let it go. “Alright, so let’s go, shall we?”
Silence descended but for the scrambling of the two to get in. Eliza gently helped her in before shoving the window shut behind them. Looking around, Eliza scoffed. “He’s got video games all over the floor again. And his TV is on. But be careful of the video games because I really do mean they’re ALL over the floor.”
Anya smiled softly and shook her head. That was just like him. Don’t get him wrong, he was pretty organized with everything else. But when it came to video games, he tends to think that he’ll get back to them later and never does. The result being that he has all sorts of video games out without ever going back to them.
Hearing a clatter, she turned towards it. “Are you cleaning them up?”
A long, drawn out sigh met her question. “I mean, if I don’t he’ll never do it.” Holding a game up to her face she grinned, “He really has a hard on for Final Fantasy.”
Not embarrassed by the innuendo in the least, she nodded. “I think one’s coming out soon. Maybe we should chip in and buy it for him for his birthday?” As she spoke, she gradually moved to his bed while using her ability to make sure she didn’t trip over anything.
“It’s probably gonna be sooo expensive though! Not to mention, the moment he sees a game he wants he preorders it.” Eliza groaned and shoved the video games into the corner beside Mason’s TV. Clapping her hands, she spun on her heel and observed the room. Other than the video games, his room really was neat and tidy. Not a speck of dust on his dresser, not a single article of clothing out of place, and the papers on his desk were placed orderly on top.
Anya gingerly rested herself onto the bed and was tempted to lie back, only to freeze as a familiar note tingled up her spine. Jumpy. Disorganized. Scratchy-- She gasped out, “He’s here!” Not outside. Not in this house. Here.
Eliza blinked in surprise at her shout and rested a hand on her hip. “What? He’s here? But I can’t see him ‘here’ at all!” And to make absolutely sure, she cast a cursory glance around the room. Her eyes didn’t lie to her. There was no one there!
There was no mistaking it though. Because that Song sounded like it was coming from in front of her. Sending sound wave after sound wave proved fruitless though. She saw no one. Except for a mysterious, floating pad…? Without a second’s hesitation, she was reaching out for it. As her fingertips brushed it, she came to feel what it was.
A notepad! Then was something written on it?
“Eliza? You might want to look at this.” Her brows furrowed. Sadly, her echolocation would only allow her to see the outline of this object. Not what was on it.
“Look at what?” Eliza blinked and took in the object that Anya was currently grasping. She had been looking around the room the moment this object appeared before her and hadn’t noticed it. She cautiously stepped forward and took the notepad. As she looked down at it, a messy scrawl leered up at her. “‘Help me! My power’s gone awry again and it looks like I’m invisible? Or a ghost?’”
She paused for so long, even Anya wasn’t certain that she was going to say anything. Slowly, her hands squeezed around the notepad.
“I can’t believe this is happening again!” She was squeezing the notepad so hard that her hands were going numb. Suddenly though, the notepad slipped out of her grasp. And it suddenly stopped in mid air. Watching the notepad float, she glanced to the side to see a pencil floating towards it.
A few seconds ticked by as the pencil scritched away at the paper.
Anya tilted her head, concern knitting her brows together. “So Mason’s powers activated and the glitch this time is… He’s a ghost?” That would explain why she couldn’t see him, even with her Echolocation ability.
“It would seem so,” Eliza scoffed, tapping her foot impatiently against the ground. Soon enough, the notepad floated back to Eliza and she reluctantly took it. This time, the writing appeared even more sloppily written than before. “‘It’s not my fault! Someone was teasing me and I wanted to disappear.’”
Eliza’s eyes darkened and Anya’s body stiffened. They liked to tease each other because they knew it was all in good fun, but for someone outside of their friend group to tease their friend… Anya was quiet, but Eliza let out a little growl.
“Okay, one: How long have you been like this? And two, who the fuck’s teasing you?!” Her voice rose in that small space and it seemed like such a good thing, suddenly, that no one was home.
Mason took the notepad again and began scribbling on it. This time, the pace seemed less hurried than before. It was so easy to see when he was panicking.
When Eliza got the notepad back again, she read, “‘I’ve been like this for two days, I believe? I left a note for mom in the kitchen saying that I was staying at your place. And someone at school was teasing me, that’s all. It’s not important.’” She lowered the notepad and sighed deeply, running a hand roughly across her face.
“Your power’s never stayed activated for this long,” Anya muttered, resting her cheek on her hand. “Could it have something to do with what you said before? That you wanted to disappear?” From what she understood, his power usually activated with strong emotions… But for the glitch to be active for THIS long? Usually, emotions fade after a bit. “What were you being teased about?” She decided to ask, raising her head to glance at the spot she felt his Song coming from.
Eliza held the notepad out to the air, but there was a short gap of time. As though he were hesitating. Finally, the notepad began bobbing in place as Mason slowly wrote on its surface. After he was done, he turned it to Eliza.
‘“That’s not important right now,’” Eliza read out loud and held back her immediate bitter words. ‘“For now, can you help me get back to normal? I don’t want to worry you, but I need to tell you that the longer I’m like this, the more I feel like I’m fading. It’s like I’m starting to not exist. It’s getting harder and harder to feel that I have a body. Sometimes, I forget that I do have one and my disappearing completely feels so close at hand those times.’”
Their hearts seemed to shoot straight to the ground beneath their feet. Mason’s power had always been the sort to create hilarity in their lives. Sometimes, he got stuck in a wall or in the ground. Once, he was floating away and they were forced to tie him down. His power ALWAYS wore off. They never had to worry that something seriously life threatening would happen.
This… Seemed much worse than dying. It was as though his entire existence was fading.
Out of instinct, Anya and Eliza turned to each other. “We’ve gotta do something, fast.” The latter of the two said, trying in vain to hide how scared she was. Sure, she and Mason fought constantly but she was fairly certain that if he vanished from existence, she would miss him.
Anya bit her lip and fidgeted in place. The thought that he could die or disappear was terrifying. Her heart beat rapidly, too rapidly, in her chest. She needed to calm down and think about what to do. Blank. Her mind was blank. Just an empty, empty space that couldn’t possibly form a coherent idea. Her lips parted and she blurted out the only thing she knew to do: “Zander. He probably knows what to do.”
He always knew what to do. Even though she gave him hell a lot. He was pretty wise when he wanted to be and he’s saved them, honestly more times than she could count.
However, Eliza hesitated. She frowned deeply, “We go to him a lot. Are you sure we’re not overdoing it?”
Before she had completely finished, Anya was already shaking her head. “Mm-mm! I think…” She paused and shyly fidgeted her feet. “You’re supposed to go to your family when you have problems. That’s a part of a family’s responsibility. Besides, I don’t think he’s the least bit annoyed at us.”
Family… A surge of unexpected grief nearly overwhelmed her. Sure, Zander, Eve, and Jenna… Hell, everyone at the Dead do Dance… They were all family, but the moment she thought about family, she couldn’t help but remember the state of her parents. Torn to shreds. Mauled by werewolves. They were in such a state that she almost couldn't recognize them... She squeezed her hands in her lap and forcibly banished the image. She would have all the time in the world to grieve after they saved Mason.
Considering those words, Eliza grinned and nodded. Then she turned to the window and spoke aloud, “Alright! So let’s go to your place?” Looking over at the halfling, her grin widens. “Looks like we’re crashing at your place again.”
She simply smiled and stood. She started to turn to make her way out with Eliza, when she was pulled back by the sound of Mason’s Soul Song. The melodies had stuttered, moved, and lingered in one corner of the room. Cautiously following the lingering remnants of the melody, she used her clappers to get a peek at whatever may be in the corner. And though she could see a vague outline, she was already suspecting what it may be when she darted her hand out--
A bookbag.
Twisting on the heels of her feet, she smiled in the direction she could hear the melodies coming from. “Even with this circumstance, you still haven’t forgotten about school, huh?” Even though he was invisible, and didn’t seem to have a voice, she could imagine his sheepish expression. “Alright! Let’s go before Eliza gets too impatient.”
Keeping a close ear to the melodies following her, she hopped out of the window.
~
The door slammed shut without a trace of carefulness as the trio hurried in. Anya knew that Zander was here. Though this building’s spacial magic warped her Soul Reaver sense, she could still hear a trace of his Song. It was like his song, so vibrant and colorful, was the exact center of a tornado of magic. The calming center.
“Zander!” He must have heard the worry in her voice, because his Song stuttered. Turning to face them, Anya and Eliza slid to a stop. She was panting, having ran without fully realizing it. Her Echolocation was on overdrive, sending out sound wave after sound wave that she wasn’t putting out on her own. And she could vaguely see the outline of Zander’s form, tensing up the moment he saw them. He likely already knew that something was off. “Mason needs help!”
The Drow Prince blinked. Even when worried, Anya rarely was the type to outwardly show her emotions. She usually had things well under control with her emotions. This must be worse than usual. “And Mason is…?” He hesitated, narrowing his gaze. He was here, but not immediately visible to them.
It was time for Eliza to pick up the slack. Unlike Anya, she had this perpetually annoyed expression on her face. “He’s right here--” Pause as she gestured around wildly. “Somewhere here.” Anya took a moment to nod right behind them, at the spot she could sense him before allowing Eliza to continue on. “He’s been missing for the past couple of days! When me and Anya went to his house to look for him, turns out the idiot’s been ghostified by his own power!”
Zander’s expression was rapidly becoming more and more serious. Staring at the spot that Anya had pointed out he said, “And I suppose that’s why he’s not speaking? Or It means that we can’t hear him.”

Anya nodded, her brows furrowing as she swiftly handed him the notepad that Mason was using so shortly before. “He’s been using this to communicate with us. It appears he can pick up objects, but little else.”
As Zander read the messages, one could practically see his expression change. Growing more and more serious. Anya knew though, from the way his Soul Song jumped a few beats, that he was growing nervous. But he was likely already figuring out what to do. After a moment, he waved a hand to the couch. “Mason, why don’t you get comfortable? We’re going to sit and meditate.”
There was a moment’s pause before Anya frowned, feeling his Song shift and sway as it moved from spot to spot. Then she realized with a grimace, “Oh… I’m sorry. I forgot the pencil back at your house.” She cocked her head towards the spot she felt the jumpy melodies coming from, and felt it settle. He didn’t really have much of a choice at this point.
Zander frowned, getting an inkling as to what Mason may be thinking. He sighed, “I believe it may help.” The corners of his lips twitched as he fought against the usual, amused smile. “I apologize if you were expecting something dramatic.”
Another moment passed and the colors and melodies of Mason swayed to the couch, and sank. Anya offered the drow a nod to tell him that Mason had indeed taken a seat. Zander sat beside him and decided to soak in the silence before they got started. Meanwhile, Mason’s Soul Song appeared to rise a crescendo, indicating his sudden spike in anxiety.
The drow’s eyes closed and he breathed in deeply. “Clear your mind, focus your thoughts. What were you thinking when you turned invisible? What were you feeling? Now, you want to be visible, yes? You want to exist. Focus on that feeling. On how it feels to be with and embraced by the people you care about. On how it feels that they can see you and be with you to celebrate the things you enjoy. Sunlight on your skin. Raindrops on your face. Brushing your hair when you wake in the morning, how do you look in your reflection? Think it. Be it.”
After that, they weren’t sure how many seconds or minutes passed. It could have been thirty, or even up to an hour. Meditation wasn’t an easy skill to acquire, like many people might think. The mental exercise to put yourself into your past self’s shoes, to feel the things you might have in that moment -- such a thing was difficult, especially for newcomers. And to manipulate your emotions, even more so.
But after some time, a flicker of blue crackled through the air. Lightning. The kind of thing that happened just before Mason’s power activated. The feeling that came with the blue lightning made the tiny hairs on their skin stand on end. Eliza and Anya abruptly held their breath. Waiting. Hoping that it wasn’t too good to be true.
Eliza stared hard at the spot that Mason had occupied and could just see the ghostly form of Mason, shimmering into focus. He had his eyes squeezed shut and his arms held out to his knees. She didn’t say anything, for fear that it would ruin his concentration. When before, his invisible body didn’t take up space on the couch now it took up space more solidly; sinking into the soft fabric easily.
Still, they said little as his form became more and more visible. They didn’t dare do a thing, lest the very act cause him to turn back into a ghost. Even Zander was now gazing upon Mason as his body became more solid. With one last burst of blue electricity crackling through the air, he was now completely solid.
Something must have occurred to Mason, because he opened his eyes at that moment and looked first at Anya and Eliza, and then at Zander. His eyes fell to his own body and a squeak left him. His body must have been invisible even to himself. Without a second's hesitation, he shot up and raced towards Anya and Eliza, hugging them tightly and babbling.
Anya happily patted his back, but Eliza was vaguely surprised. After all, he didn’t normally touch her. They’d smack each other or playfully hit each other but most of the time, they were too interested in arguing and too stubborn to touch each other as friends. In the end, Eliza also gave him an awkward pat on the back before pushing him away.
But it wasn’t merely her stubbornness talking. She stomped away a couple of steps before spinning on her heel to face them yet again. She was glaring at Mason. “Alright, that’s it. I’m done!” Holding her arms up in an X she shook her head. “We didn’t do anything about your powers before because it was all for fun! You’d get stuck in a wall or the ground, then your power would wear off and we could laugh about it later! There was NEVER a time when you were actually in danger. You could have DIED! Not even died, actually. You could have faded from existence!”
Mason winced. She was right. The stakes had never been higher before then.
Eliza paused, putting a finger to her chin in deep thought. “We need to get your powers under control. Or else something like this will happen again.” Her eyes met Mason’s again as a grin curled her lips. “And I’ve got an idea.”
Zander clapped his hands together and stood, smiling warmly at Mason. “And if you’d permit it, I’d also like to help you get your powers under control through meditation.”
He shyly ducked his head and fidgeted in place. “I appreciate both of your help,” he mumbled softly.
Anya cocked her head. She couldn’t help wondering at the idea that Eliza had. Knowing her, it likely wasn’t a very serious idea unlike Zander’s. Though from the steady beat of her Song, she was taking this very seriously. A touch on her wrist surprised her and she blinked as she heard a whisper in her ear.
“I’m going to need your help with this one.”
That baffled her. An idea that she couldn’t commit to on her own? Whatever the case, she nodded.

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“I wonder what Mason’s doing…?” That voice, soft and contemplative had little trouble echoing in the quiet room. She sighed and crossed her arms, considering their friend. For the past few days, he hasn’t been coming to school. There was a startling lack of him and Eliza arguing. She knew he wasn’t anywhere at the school either because she couldn’t hear his Soul Song.
A melody that was merely a bunch of notes sloppily thrown together, disorganized. A hint of it scratchy and gaspy, like typical lo-fi music. It was the kind of song that might have sounded annoying in real life, but she had grown used to it and was even somewhat soothed by it.
A note sang into her head, creeping up on her with all the lightness of the very wind. Sweeping around her, the notes began to build as they announced their owner’s arrival. Prickly yet vibrant. Soothing. Such things she had begun to associate with this melody. So like a serenade it was, yet with very subtle angry notes held within.
Soul Songs really did tell her much about people.
Cocking her head towards the owner, she swiped a hand across her desk until her hand brushed against something small. She took it up and gingerly clapped it. Immediately, the surrounding environment became somewhat clear to her as sound waves bounced against various objects. The sound waves of course illuminated that of Eliza, who now stood at her side. It was just enough that she could see the frown currently present on her lips.
The image abruptly faded and she smiled at her frustrated friend. She could imagine what was going through her mind right now.
“He’s probably skipping school,” Eliza scoffed and crossed her arms. Her eyes narrowed. Despite that she seemed endlessly annoyed with Mason, even when he wasn’t at school, she did get worried. She couldn’t deny that something was missing when he wasn’t around. And admittedly, she missed arguing with him.
Anya shook her head and frowned, brows furrowing. “You know that’s not true. He loves coming to school. He wouldn’t dare miss a single day even if it’s the end of the year. And he’s rarely ill…” Her hands curled in her lap. “I think something’s up.” After a moment’s thought, she tilted her face to meet Eliza’s. “Let’s see if we can go to his place after school.”
As Eliza begrudgingly agreed, Anya turned back to the front. She would have to call Zander and tell him what she was doing. He wouldn’t likely be against it, but she didn’t want to cause him needless worry.
As they anxiously waited for their days to end, Anya tried to psyche herself up to go to Mason’s house. And since Eliza sat next to her, she could hear every single tap that Eliza tapped out on her desk. Though Eliza would never admit it, she knew that she was nervous about what had happened to him. If anything at all.
It was while she was in Lunch that something happened. While she and Eliza were chatting and slowly moving towards a table, a flicker of a note danced along her spine. She stopped mid movement and glanced around. Disorganized. Low quality. Scratchy and-- She mouthed his name and turned to Eliza, seconds away from telling her that Mason was nearby.
But those notes abruptly vanished. As though they had never been there in the first place. She strained her senses, but there was simply NO trace of it. Not as if it slowly went away, but as if it went out all at once. Something that didn’t normally happen.
“Something wrong?” Clapping her clapper, she turned toward her friend as the sound waves illuminated her form. The stance suggested she had been walking when she noticed that she wasn’t being followed.
Shaking her head she took a step forward, and grabbed her hand just as their surroundings faded from sight. As they began walking again, she wondered about what had just happened. It was definitely Mason’s Soul Song. No doubt about it. But how could it have faded that fast? After a moment’s thought, she decided to relay this to Eliza.
“I felt Mason’s Soul Song,” she mumbled. A jolt as this information sank in. Not physical, though Eliza certainly did jolt in surprise. For a split second, the melodies of her soul had become slightly less organized. She sighed and shook her head. “But it faded away immediately. Before I could figure out where it was coming from.”
Eliza, perhaps noticing the confusion in her tone, asked, “Can you sense him nearby?”
Again, she shook her head. Anya let Eliza guide her hand to the table and threw her leg over the seat. Sitting down, she considered what this might mean. “I can’t sense him anymore. It’s like his Soul Song was never there to begin with. It faded too quickly…”
Eliza sighed and grumpily bit into her PB&J. “What kind of trouble could he have possibly gotten into this time?!” She spoke with her mouth full, something that Mason would be reprimanding her for if he was here.
The half-fairy at her side merely cocked her head. “I’m not sure, but I’m worried. He can’t control his powers very well. This may have something to do with that.”
A pause as Eliza chewed this over. “Then we’ll definitely have to see if we can find him around. We ought to still pay a visit to his parents house. His mom might be able to tell us something.” Looking at Anya again, she continued on. “Oh yeah, you should probably call Zander and tell him what we’re doing.” Teasingly bumping her elbow into Anya’s she watched the other girl nod.
“I will after school,” she mumbled and twisted, jabbing her fork into whatever slop she had gotten.
~
“Mhmm…” She smiled into the phone, nodding along to the voice on the other side. School had just let out for the day and the two had decided to take a seat on the school steps until she had finished the call. “Yeah, something’s up with Mason. He hasn’t been coming to school for the last few days and you know him! For him to not come to school… There’s clearly something up with that.”
Eliza peered closely at her, seeing the warm smile on her face. The way her entire face lit up just from talking to him. Such small things that indicated just how much she looked up to him and enjoyed being in his presence. She was glad Anya had people like that, considering what had happened to the halfling’s parents…
Anya paused and gave a rapid nod, “Yes! I’ll call if something happens.”
With a grin curling at her lips, Eliza threw her hand up and shouted, “Heeey Zander!”
This gave the halfling pause again as Zander shouted back, “Hey! That would be Eliza, correct? The troublemaker? Staying out of trouble?”
She scoffed and shot Anya a glare, despite that the half-fairy couldn’t see her. “What have you been telling him about us?!”
“The truth,” she hummed. “Besides, he’s not serious. In fact, he thinks that if you’re doing something bad, you should put in the effort to get away with it.”
Eliza raised a brow as she heard exaggerated sounds of pain. “Anya! You wound me! I am completely responsible, you know?”
“Uh-huh.” She enunciated carefully, tone of her voice suggesting that she didn’t believe his words at all. Cocking her head, she frowned. She didn’t need sight to know that Eliza was getting impatient. Her Song was starting to get jumpy. Not to mention, she could vaguely hear Eliza tapping her feet. Which also sent around smaller sound waves that she could see by.
She was fidgeting.
Turning back to Zander, who was still making dramatic noises, she shook her head. “Alright, well, we’ll be going now! Promise to update you on whatever happens.”
“Of course. Hope nothing too bad has happened to Mason.” And then he hung up.
She nodded to herself and stood, carefully placing the phone back into her pocket. “Let’s go,” she smiled and offered Eliza a hand.
Eliza took her hand and stood.
~
“Hmm… Looks like no one’s home,” Anya cocked her head to the side and furrowed both brows. They were about twenty steps from his driveway, though she had no way of knowing that. She could sense though, that no one was home. There was a distinct lack of Soul Songs in their house. She frowned deeply, “Then what are we supposed to do?”
There was a pause. “I’ve got it!” Before Anya could ask, she was already being lead over to the house.
“Got what?” She asked after a few steps. Still no answer. She sighed and clapped her clapper, the sound waves outlining Eliza’s form going towards a window. Peering through the glass, she could see that it was Mason’s room. As the outlines faded, she twisted to Eliza. Clap. Eliza was shoving the window open. Her eyes widened. “Isn’t this trespassing?”
A jolt resounded in her Soul Song. When she next spoke, she didn’t sound the least bit embarrassed to be caught. “Relax, I visit him like this all the time.”
She sighed deeply and shook her head. That did not make her feel better in the least. But at least it wasn’t a stranger. She paused at this thought and crossed her arms. Of course, knowing Eliza… “Mason’s house is the only one you’ve broken into, right?”
“No.” She stiffened, prepared to reprimand her, when Eliza gave a mischievous snicker. “I’ve also had to break into my own when I’ve lost my key!” Her shoulders slumped, body visibly losing its tension.
And there was no tell tale sign in Eliza’s Song that’d indicate she was lying. After a moment, she reluctantly let it go. “Alright, so let’s go, shall we?”
Silence descended but for the scrambling of the two to get in. Eliza gently helped her in before shoving the window shut behind them. Looking around, Eliza scoffed. “He’s got video games all over the floor again. And his TV is on. But be careful of the video games because I really do mean they’re ALL over the floor.”
Anya smiled softly and shook her head. That was just like him. Don’t get him wrong, he was pretty organized with everything else. But when it came to video games, he tends to think that he’ll get back to them later and never does. The result being that he has all sorts of video games out without ever going back to them.
Hearing a clatter, she turned towards it. “Are you cleaning them up?”
A long, drawn out sigh met her question. “I mean, if I don’t he’ll never do it.” Holding a game up to her face she grinned, “He really has a hard on for Final Fantasy.”
Not embarrassed by the innuendo in the least, she nodded. “I think one’s coming out soon. Maybe we should chip in and buy it for him for his birthday?” As she spoke, she gradually moved to his bed while using her ability to make sure she didn’t trip over anything.
“It’s probably gonna be sooo expensive though! Not to mention, the moment he sees a game he wants he preorders it.” Eliza groaned and shoved the video games into the corner beside Mason’s TV. Clapping her hands, she spun on her heel and observed the room. Other than the video games, his room really was neat and tidy. Not a speck of dust on his dresser, not a single article of clothing out of place, and the papers on his desk were placed orderly on top.
Anya gingerly rested herself onto the bed and was tempted to lie back, only to freeze as a familiar note tingled up her spine. Jumpy. Disorganized. Scratchy-- She gasped out, “He’s here!” Not outside. Not in this house. Here.
Eliza blinked in surprise at her shout and rested a hand on her hip. “What? He’s here? But I can’t see him ‘here’ at all!” And to make absolutely sure, she cast a cursory glance around the room. Her eyes didn’t lie to her. There was no one there!
There was no mistaking it though. Because that Song sounded like it was coming from in front of her. Sending sound wave after sound wave proved fruitless though. She saw no one. Except for a mysterious, floating pad…? Without a second’s hesitation, she was reaching out for it. As her fingertips brushed it, she came to feel what it was.
A notepad! Then was something written on it?
“Eliza? You might want to look at this.” Her brows furrowed. Sadly, her echolocation would only allow her to see the outline of this object. Not what was on it.
“Look at what?” Eliza blinked and took in the object that Anya was currently grasping. She had been looking around the room the moment this object appeared before her and hadn’t noticed it. She cautiously stepped forward and took the notepad. As she looked down at it, a messy scrawl leered up at her. “‘Help me! My power’s gone awry again and it looks like I’m invisible? Or a ghost?’”
She paused for so long, even Anya wasn’t certain that she was going to say anything. Slowly, her hands squeezed around the notepad.
“I can’t believe this is happening again!” She was squeezing the notepad so hard that her hands were going numb. Suddenly though, the notepad slipped out of her grasp. And it suddenly stopped in mid air. Watching the notepad float, she glanced to the side to see a pencil floating towards it.
A few seconds ticked by as the pencil scritched away at the paper.
Anya tilted her head, concern knitting her brows together. “So Mason’s powers activated and the glitch this time is… He’s a ghost?” That would explain why she couldn’t see him, even with her Echolocation ability.
“It would seem so,” Eliza scoffed, tapping her foot impatiently against the ground. Soon enough, the notepad floated back to Eliza and she reluctantly took it. This time, the writing appeared even more sloppily written than before. “‘It’s not my fault! Someone was teasing me and I wanted to disappear.’”
Eliza’s eyes darkened and Anya’s body stiffened. They liked to tease each other because they knew it was all in good fun, but for someone outside of their friend group to tease their friend… Anya was quiet, but Eliza let out a little growl.
“Okay, one: How long have you been like this? And two, who the fuck’s teasing you?!” Her voice rose in that small space and it seemed like such a good thing, suddenly, that no one was home.
Mason took the notepad again and began scribbling on it. This time, the pace seemed less hurried than before. It was so easy to see when he was panicking.
When Eliza got the notepad back again, she read, “‘I’ve been like this for two days, I believe? I left a note for mom in the kitchen saying that I was staying at your place. And someone at school was teasing me, that’s all. It’s not important.’” She lowered the notepad and sighed deeply, running a hand roughly across her face.
“Your power’s never stayed activated for this long,” Anya muttered, resting her cheek on her hand. “Could it have something to do with what you said before? That you wanted to disappear?” From what she understood, his power usually activated with strong emotions… But for the glitch to be active for THIS long? Usually, emotions fade after a bit. “What were you being teased about?” She decided to ask, raising her head to glance at the spot she felt his Song coming from.
Eliza held the notepad out to the air, but there was a short gap of time. As though he were hesitating. Finally, the notepad began bobbing in place as Mason slowly wrote on its surface. After he was done, he turned it to Eliza.
‘“That’s not important right now,’” Eliza read out loud and held back her immediate bitter words. ‘“For now, can you help me get back to normal? I don’t want to worry you, but I need to tell you that the longer I’m like this, the more I feel like I’m fading. It’s like I’m starting to not exist. It’s getting harder and harder to feel that I have a body. Sometimes, I forget that I do have one and my disappearing completely feels so close at hand those times.’”
Their hearts seemed to shoot straight to the ground beneath their feet. Mason’s power had always been the sort to create hilarity in their lives. Sometimes, he got stuck in a wall or in the ground. Once, he was floating away and they were forced to tie him down. His power ALWAYS wore off. They never had to worry that something seriously life threatening would happen.
This… Seemed much worse than dying. It was as though his entire existence was fading.
Out of instinct, Anya and Eliza turned to each other. “We’ve gotta do something, fast.” The latter of the two said, trying in vain to hide how scared she was. Sure, she and Mason fought constantly but she was fairly certain that if he vanished from existence, she would miss him.
Anya bit her lip and fidgeted in place. The thought that he could die or disappear was terrifying. Her heart beat rapidly, too rapidly, in her chest. She needed to calm down and think about what to do. Blank. Her mind was blank. Just an empty, empty space that couldn’t possibly form a coherent idea. Her lips parted and she blurted out the only thing she knew to do: “Zander. He probably knows what to do.”
He always knew what to do. Even though she gave him hell a lot. He was pretty wise when he wanted to be and he’s saved them, honestly more times than she could count.
However, Eliza hesitated. She frowned deeply, “We go to him a lot. Are you sure we’re not overdoing it?”
Before she had completely finished, Anya was already shaking her head. “Mm-mm! I think…” She paused and shyly fidgeted her feet. “You’re supposed to go to your family when you have problems. That’s a part of a family’s responsibility. Besides, I don’t think he’s the least bit annoyed at us.”
Family… A surge of unexpected grief nearly overwhelmed her. Sure, Zander, Eve, and Jenna… Hell, everyone at the Dead do Dance… They were all family, but the moment she thought about family, she couldn’t help but remember the state of her parents. Torn to shreds. Mauled by werewolves. They were in such a state that she almost couldn't recognize them... She squeezed her hands in her lap and forcibly banished the image. She would have all the time in the world to grieve after they saved Mason.
Considering those words, Eliza grinned and nodded. Then she turned to the window and spoke aloud, “Alright! So let’s go to your place?” Looking over at the halfling, her grin widens. “Looks like we’re crashing at your place again.”
She simply smiled and stood. She started to turn to make her way out with Eliza, when she was pulled back by the sound of Mason’s Soul Song. The melodies had stuttered, moved, and lingered in one corner of the room. Cautiously following the lingering remnants of the melody, she used her clappers to get a peek at whatever may be in the corner. And though she could see a vague outline, she was already suspecting what it may be when she darted her hand out--
A bookbag.
Twisting on the heels of her feet, she smiled in the direction she could hear the melodies coming from. “Even with this circumstance, you still haven’t forgotten about school, huh?” Even though he was invisible, and didn’t seem to have a voice, she could imagine his sheepish expression. “Alright! Let’s go before Eliza gets too impatient.”
Keeping a close ear to the melodies following her, she hopped out of the window.
~
The door slammed shut without a trace of carefulness as the trio hurried in. Anya knew that Zander was here. Though this building’s spacial magic warped her Soul Reaver sense, she could still hear a trace of his Song. It was like his song, so vibrant and colorful, was the exact center of a tornado of magic. The calming center.
“Zander!” He must have heard the worry in her voice, because his Song stuttered. Turning to face them, Anya and Eliza slid to a stop. She was panting, having ran without fully realizing it. Her Echolocation was on overdrive, sending out sound wave after sound wave that she wasn’t putting out on her own. And she could vaguely see the outline of Zander’s form, tensing up the moment he saw them. He likely already knew that something was off. “Mason needs help!”
The Drow Prince blinked. Even when worried, Anya rarely was the type to outwardly show her emotions. She usually had things well under control with her emotions. This must be worse than usual. “And Mason is…?” He hesitated, narrowing his gaze. He was here, but not immediately visible to them.
It was time for Eliza to pick up the slack. Unlike Anya, she had this perpetually annoyed expression on her face. “He’s right here--” Pause as she gestured around wildly. “Somewhere here.” Anya took a moment to nod right behind them, at the spot she could sense him before allowing Eliza to continue on. “He’s been missing for the past couple of days! When me and Anya went to his house to look for him, turns out the idiot’s been ghostified by his own power!”
Zander’s expression was rapidly becoming more and more serious. Staring at the spot that Anya had pointed out he said, “And I suppose that’s why he’s not speaking? Or It means that we can’t hear him.”

Anya nodded, her brows furrowing as she swiftly handed him the notepad that Mason was using so shortly before. “He’s been using this to communicate with us. It appears he can pick up objects, but little else.”
As Zander read the messages, one could practically see his expression change. Growing more and more serious. Anya knew though, from the way his Soul Song jumped a few beats, that he was growing nervous. But he was likely already figuring out what to do. After a moment, he waved a hand to the couch. “Mason, why don’t you get comfortable? We’re going to sit and meditate.”
There was a moment’s pause before Anya frowned, feeling his Song shift and sway as it moved from spot to spot. Then she realized with a grimace, “Oh… I’m sorry. I forgot the pencil back at your house.” She cocked her head towards the spot she felt the jumpy melodies coming from, and felt it settle. He didn’t really have much of a choice at this point.
Zander frowned, getting an inkling as to what Mason may be thinking. He sighed, “I believe it may help.” The corners of his lips twitched as he fought against the usual, amused smile. “I apologize if you were expecting something dramatic.”
Another moment passed and the colors and melodies of Mason swayed to the couch, and sank. Anya offered the drow a nod to tell him that Mason had indeed taken a seat. Zander sat beside him and decided to soak in the silence before they got started. Meanwhile, Mason’s Soul Song appeared to rise a crescendo, indicating his sudden spike in anxiety.
The drow’s eyes closed and he breathed in deeply. “Clear your mind, focus your thoughts. What were you thinking when you turned invisible? What were you feeling? Now, you want to be visible, yes? You want to exist. Focus on that feeling. On how it feels to be with and embraced by the people you care about. On how it feels that they can see you and be with you to celebrate the things you enjoy. Sunlight on your skin. Raindrops on your face. Brushing your hair when you wake in the morning, how do you look in your reflection? Think it. Be it.”
After that, they weren’t sure how many seconds or minutes passed. It could have been thirty, or even up to an hour. Meditation wasn’t an easy skill to acquire, like many people might think. The mental exercise to put yourself into your past self’s shoes, to feel the things you might have in that moment -- such a thing was difficult, especially for newcomers. And to manipulate your emotions, even more so.
But after some time, a flicker of blue crackled through the air. Lightning. The kind of thing that happened just before Mason’s power activated. The feeling that came with the blue lightning made the tiny hairs on their skin stand on end. Eliza and Anya abruptly held their breath. Waiting. Hoping that it wasn’t too good to be true.
Eliza stared hard at the spot that Mason had occupied and could just see the ghostly form of Mason, shimmering into focus. He had his eyes squeezed shut and his arms held out to his knees. She didn’t say anything, for fear that it would ruin his concentration. When before, his invisible body didn’t take up space on the couch now it took up space more solidly; sinking into the soft fabric easily.
Still, they said little as his form became more and more visible. They didn’t dare do a thing, lest the very act cause him to turn back into a ghost. Even Zander was now gazing upon Mason as his body became more solid. With one last burst of blue electricity crackling through the air, he was now completely solid.
Something must have occurred to Mason, because he opened his eyes at that moment and looked first at Anya and Eliza, and then at Zander. His eyes fell to his own body and a squeak left him. His body must have been invisible even to himself. Without a second's hesitation, he shot up and raced towards Anya and Eliza, hugging them tightly and babbling.
Anya happily patted his back, but Eliza was vaguely surprised. After all, he didn’t normally touch her. They’d smack each other or playfully hit each other but most of the time, they were too interested in arguing and too stubborn to touch each other as friends. In the end, Eliza also gave him an awkward pat on the back before pushing him away.
But it wasn’t merely her stubbornness talking. She stomped away a couple of steps before spinning on her heel to face them yet again. She was glaring at Mason. “Alright, that’s it. I’m done!” Holding her arms up in an X she shook her head. “We didn’t do anything about your powers before because it was all for fun! You’d get stuck in a wall or the ground, then your power would wear off and we could laugh about it later! There was NEVER a time when you were actually in danger. You could have DIED! Not even died, actually. You could have faded from existence!”
Mason winced. She was right. The stakes had never been higher before then.
Eliza paused, putting a finger to her chin in deep thought. “We need to get your powers under control. Or else something like this will happen again.” Her eyes met Mason’s again as a grin curled her lips. “And I’ve got an idea.”
Zander clapped his hands together and stood, smiling warmly at Mason. “And if you’d permit it, I’d also like to help you get your powers under control through meditation.”
He shyly ducked his head and fidgeted in place. “I appreciate both of your help,” he mumbled softly.
Anya cocked her head. She couldn’t help wondering at the idea that Eliza had. Knowing her, it likely wasn’t a very serious idea unlike Zander’s. Though from the steady beat of her Song, she was taking this very seriously. A touch on her wrist surprised her and she blinked as she heard a whisper in her ear.
“I’m going to need your help with this one.”
That baffled her. An idea that she couldn’t commit to on her own? Whatever the case, she nodded.