Chapter Text
Prologue: Colby
"Colby, go lie down, head back!" Kris ordered him when he glanced down at his phone instead, sending a fresh strand of blood from his nose to splash on his phone screen.
He grimaced in disgust, but Kris took his phone from him before he could see if Sam sent him anything.
"ANOTHER fight?!" Elton exclaimed as Kris made Colby hold his head back a little more. "I told you guys to stay away from that damn park!"
Kris glared over at him after she lead Colby to the couch in the front room of her house, leaning his head back before handing him a wad of tissues.
"Not now, Elton!" She snapped. "It's been a hard enough night as it is!"
"Sam again, right?" Elton guessed again.
Colby glared at him silently from behind the wad of already soaked tissues.
"Believe it or not, no!" Kris defended him to his surprise.
Colby knew she was giving up on the fight, even though she insisted on going with him on his constant searches for his friend.
"No?" Elton rose his eyes in surprise. "Who then? Jacob's gone!"
"Fans," Colby replied nasally. "Fans, did, okay?"
"Well...FORMER ones!" Kris scoffed at the twist in events.
"FANS?" Elton exclaimed. "You're telling me fans are retaliating now?!"
Kris made Colby tilt his head back again instead of letting him argue back. She handed him another fresh round of tissues so he shoved them under his nose.
"They've been seeing the posts, Elton!" Kris explained in despair. "You remember the ones Sam posted about Colby being a liar?"
"Oh...oh, damn!" Elton shook his head. "THOSE were the lies!"
"That's what I tried to say," Kris explained with a shake of her head in discouragement. "Then it got ugly pretty fast!"
"They went for her," Colby explained with a fresh wave of anger. "We ran into two guys..." He frowned. "She's not even part of why Sam's doing all this!" He couldn't get over the attack of the former fans of theirs in the park that night.
"Well," Elton sighed. "Unfortunately, it sounds like she is now, Colby!"
Colby nodded grimly, grimacing when the movement hurt his neck after the intensity of the fight. He had made Kris run for the car, both men took him down easily together until the night patrol car found them and broke it up.
"You're lucky you weren't arrested or something!" Elton groaned.
"HE was the victim!" Kris refuted with a shake of her head. "But, you are right..." She sighed heavily. "I'm in this now. I saw them take pictures of us together, Colby..."
"Great!" Colby huffed. "Those rumors will fly now, won't they?" He smirked but then it quickly faded when he realized how bad it would turn up if Sam saw the tabloids. "Shit!"
"What?" Kris glanced at him after collapsing against the recliner in exhaustion.
"Kris," Colby frowned. "What if Sam sees those?" He grimaced when Elton passed him an ice pack.
"Oh shit..." Kris realized in fear.
Colby nodded grimly. His friend was already so lost into the world of the Gifted Enchanters, lost in the illusion of being their new leader himself.
Colby just learned his friend truly didn't want to be in the cult like group, but now he wasn't so sure.
Sam had stopped all contact with Colby and any of their friends.
We were so close! Colby thought in agony at the thought of loosing his best friend again to the cult.
He doesn't want to be with them, we know! Colby thought stubbornly.
At least, that's what he clung to in hopes of getting his best friend back.
Now with the flying rumors and fans out to get him because of the fake news Sam once had to spread himself about Colby, he knew it was going to be harder to get Sam back.
Especially if Sam now believed Colby was dating Kris behind his back when he knew Kris was dating Sam.
"You really think he would believe the lies, Colby?" Kris sounded fearful, playing with the necklace Sam gave her nervously.
"I don't know," Colby sighed. "I know he didn't mean to spread the lies about me, I know...it was just to get in the Gifted Enchanters, but it doesn't mean they're not still out there..." Colby groaned. "And now there's going to be more!"
"Which means," Elton interjected his dramatics. "No more trips, Colby!" He ordered. "I said it before, and I say it again..." Elton narrowed his eyes. "You HAVE to let Sam go!"
Colby gazed at him mournfully, tears surprising him as he knew Elton was right.
For his own safety, and now his friend's safety too...Colby realized as he gazed at Kris solemnly.
He would have to let his best friend go.
Maybe Elton's right! Colby thought in agony.
Maybe Sam IS just too far gone!
Chapter One
Colby snuck out alone.
It was late, when he knew the Gifted Enchanters would be out, at least he thought they might be.
He wasn't sure how Sam was leading them, or if he even was, really.
Colby fumed, hating how his friend had cut him totally off from all communication.
So he was determined to find Sam himself.
The last they spoke, Colby was sure Sam wanted nothing to do with the Gifted group. Sam had saved him, even, taking out the leader Jacob and setting Colby free.
That's what confused Colby most of all.
Did he do that just because he really wanted to free me? Colby often wondered like he did now as he walked the creepy off beat path to the last meeting place he knew the Enchanters met.
Or did Sam really WANT to lead the group? Colby sighed heavily, about ready to give up when he felt a hand on his shoulder in the darkness behind him.
He froze at first, before whipping around and launching a fist at his attacker's stomach before realizing who was stalking him.
"KRIS?!" Colby gasped, putting both hands on his knees a minute before catching his breath and putting a hand on his chest. "Jeez! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"And YOU nearly knocked me out!" Kris teased with a grin after barely dodging the blow.
Colby broke into a smile then, admiring her courage, realizing she had to have found her way out there alone this time since he drove himself.
"You couldn't stay away either, huh?" Colby guessed teasingly, helping her back up after she had ducked from his throw.
"You could say that," Kris shrugged. "I uh, I was more worried about you!" She admitted sheepishly. "I woke up and saw your car gone..."
Colby nodded warmly to her.
"I'm okay...no signs of fans out this late!" He smirked, never imaging that one day their very fans would be his part of his enemies. "Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you!"
Kris smirked back. "You two ALWAYS worry me!" She laughed. "But uh, I guess I didn't just come to check on you..." She grimaced. "Have you seen the latest posts?" She asked more grimly as she gestured to her phone in her hand.
Colby widened his eyes, shaking his head. He pointed to a park bench more in the lighting of the park.
"Let's take a break?" He suggested, not wanting to stand around in the stranger part of the wooded area with her now with him.
Kris nodded, putting her hands in her pockets as a cold wind hit them walking back.
"It's freezing out here!" She complained with a shudder. "You sure they would be out at all in this?"
Colby shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "I just...I can't leave him out here, Kris! I KNOW he's not truly part of this group!"
Kris grimaced, making him wonder why, what she had to show him.
"I'd uh, wait til you get caught up before you make that deduction, Colby..." She warned him uncharacteristically darkly. She sat next to him closer, pulling up their Twitter account specifically.
Intrigued, Colby leaned closer still, gaping at what he saw.
The newest post being from Sam's private profile:
"I appreciate everyone's support in the last few weeks. What I have seen only makes me realize one thing is clear:
Colby Brock is dead to me.
The pictures, evidence, it breaks my heart seeing them together. I thought we were friends. I saved his ass and this is how he repays me? Well, one thing is for sure...
Colby, if you're reading this, you better pray you never cross me again or I will end you like I ended Jacob for taking her away from me.
It's over! For what it's been worth, our friendship is dead.
That's it. You, Colby Brock, are dead to me!"
Colby broke, surprised as tears instantly filled his eyes.
"Oh Colby, I'm sorry..." Kris leaned over, letting him cry on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, I never meant to get this involved..."
Colby tried to compose himself, wiping his eyes frantically to save face of melting down in front of her so suddenly.
"Sorry?" Colby scoffed. "Kris, you didn't do anything!" He made sure she knew right away she didn't blame her. "It's the fans, blowing this out of proportion!"
Kris nodded grimly. "Unfortunately, I think it's because they believe his last post about you being a thief of evidence...even though you and Sam smoothed things over together in the end last time, this time...he's not going to reach out to either of us to smooth this one over if he thinks it's true!"
Colby nodded grimly. He recalled a cheating prank he pulled on his friend years ago for a prank war video. Sam had been ready to walk out on his life forever, even when it was just prank.
So Colby knew his friend was serious about the threatful post if they didn't explain to Sam that they weren't dating. The fans just got the wrong idea.
But since Sam had joined the cult and began spreading lies about him, unfortunately Colby realized his own life was becoming a living hell even though he wasn't even involved in the cult itself.
"God this sucks!" Colby exclaimed as he leaned his elbows against his knees in frustration. "We need to find him, Kris!" He insisted anxiously.
Kris nodded tensely. "We could probably get the location of where he posted that last post, couldn't we? What if-"
"I TOLD you it was them!" A stranger's voice called them out suddenly behind the park bench.
Colby felt the blood drain from his face, whipping around in time to see two men that looked familiar but just from the night before.
From the last fight he had with them in the dark.
One was filming them on their phones, the other stepped forward.
"Kris, RUN!" Colby ordered her protectively.
"No!" Kris refused at first beside him on the bench, ducking behind him fearfully. "I'm not leaving you again!"
"GO!" Colby ordered her sternly. "Then get help again! I'm not letting you get hurt over these damn lies!"
Kris looked torn, but to his relief, she fled when the two men advanced for him.
Colby watched her go sadly before meeting his own fate.
"Well?" He poised against his attackers confidently.
"Let's get this over with!"