Chapter 8: Arc 1: Chapter 8: Departure

What would happen if, one day, the entire world forgets about you?

All evidence of your existence, erased, as if you had died a long time ago, so long that nobody even remembers you anymore.

But in fact, you were alive. Traveling across the crowd like a wandering ghost, nobody remembers you; nobody cares about you.

You can only live for yourself, live alone, forever.

What's worse was that he was surrounded by misfortune.

"Boom"

A small explosion causes the wandering crowds on the streets of Madison to panic and scream. Sparks appear on the telephone pole above the crossroad.

The pole that snapped suddenly dangles in the air, electrifying an innocent bird as its feathers descend the ground below. Its burning corpse drops onto the ground, letting out a weird smell of cooked chicken.

The people ran from the site, some still running and screaming for help; others were unlucky, tripping in the crowd and causing more chaos.

But Merlin did not panic, at least, not as much.

He stands there, under the dangling pole; he watches the bird who had died a horrible death as its grey feather flies across the air.

Yet another innocent life, dying, because of him.

The longer he stays in the city, the fiercer his misfortunes become, from being unlucky to causing incidents around him. This formless misfortune is slowly affecting everything around him.

Like a pair of invisible hands, misfortune was spreading, urging Merlin to leave the city.

Like a walking source of misfortune.

"Why you? Why me?"

He mumbles to himself as he looks at the dead bird beneath his feet.

Until now, he had yet to let go of what had occurred.

Although he had made countless preparations for supernatural events in his past 18 years of life, it all seemed so lacking when it actually happened.

But the dead bird in front of him looks like a warning.

The longer he stays in one location, the more misfortune accumulates. He had to move on into the unknown world, whether he liked it or not.

He wasn't a bad person; he didn't want to cause more destruction.

Merlin stretched out his hand and pressed down his cowboy hat, and took a few steps back. He helps a lady who had fallen due to her ankle being sprained to the roadside, and with her gratitude, leaves the crossroads and heads for the parking lot through the crowd.

Moments later, as the engines roar, a red Lola speeds out of the parking lot of Madison hospital; Merlin takes one last look at the hospital from his seat.

Inside were the three most important people of his life.

And yet now, he has to leave them, disappear from their lives.

"Whoosh"

A strong current blows and causes the nearby trees to rustle. An with the exclamations of the pedestrians, a thick tree branch drops behind Lola, the falling leaves swirl as they fall, as if signaling the incredible tornado that is about to concur, as Wisconsin is no stranger to them.

Merlin's heart tightens.

He retracts his view and presses the accelerator hard; Lola, with its wheels still covered in mud and grass, seems to heed its master's sense of urgency and speeds up, exiting the city moments later.

Merlin knows not what is happening to himself, and he knows not magic nor energy. He can guess that all this misfortune is happening due to the contract.

The Phantom Stranger broke the demon's contract that was supposed to be fulfilled. The incomplete ritual may have incurred a third possibility aside from failure and success.

This made Merlin's heart grow heavy, but he wasn't entirely disappointed.

The demon's appearance means there are similar lifeforms to the Phantom Stranger; it also means there are wizards and magic. So if they're real, it means that in that fantasy-like world, must be a method to solve the issue with his body.

Maybe even...fix the whole thing about his existence being erased.

Of course, all this is under the condition that he finds those magical beings.

But someone desperate needs hope.

At the Coulson's farm, in Merlin's room, Merlin picks up the family photo by his bed; he was not on it, there were only Phil, James, and Madam Coulson, as the perfect family, as if there was no place for him.

He smiles bitterly and places the frame back to its spot. He then packs his clothes from the closet into a large suitcase.

Afterward, he takes out a few books from the bookshelves. In them were some money he had saved from his part-time work. There was little money left after replacing Lola's engine, but they were just enough for a ticket away from home.

A few minutes later, Merlin had prepared all there was for a long trip outside. He sits on his bed at a loss and looks at the setting sun; the fiery red halo hangs in the sky, like a beautiful painting.

He has seen this view countless times, but this one time was unique, as it was his last before parting.

"Maybe I can head for New York."

A thought came into his mind:

"I can continue my studies."

Driven by this thought, Merlin opens the drawer and takes out his acceptance paper. Still, as he opened the envelope, he despaired as what he found inside was not an adequately kept letter of acceptance but a yellowish paper that looked like it was stashed away for dozens of years.

The words on it had faded, like a children's drawing, as if mocking Merlin's whimsical idea.

"Bang"

A disappointed Merlin smashes on the table with his fist, for his last place to go is gone.

A sense of weakness rises from inside and fills his already tired heart. Merlin lies on the bed with his hands covering his eyes; he did not cry this time.

Indistinguishable mumbling echoes in his mind. Merlin shakes his head, trying to clear his mind.

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He stands up, but his mind gets dizzy, and his vision blurs once more, getting worse. He smells the blood as it flows through his nostrils.

Merlin wipes his nose, and through his severed vision, he sees blood.

"It's time to move."

Merlin grits his teeth, grabs his luggage, and walks out of his room. As soon as he exits his room, the electric pole from afar sends out sparks, causing a flock of crows to flock away.

The street lights that had just lit up die off one by one, like candles.

Darkness...darkness after dusk enshrouds the Coulsons' farm and nearby streets in this bizarre way. Screams could be heard a few blocks away, and Merlin, who witnessed all this unfold, felt a chill go down his spine.

He drags his luggage and enters the garage.

Merlin looks at Lola in the darkness, whom his foster father James had given him for his 18th birthday.

It was like a beauty sitting in its room, waiting for her master's arrival.

A shame that her master was leaving and may never drive her onto the road again.

Merlin extends his finger and strokes the exterior of this Classic Corvette, and the cold touch makes his heart tremble.

Ultimately, Merlin takes the car keys out of his pocket, leaves them on the driver's seat, and places a note by the door.

In the dark garage, Merlin's fingers tremble as he tries to light a cigar. The Coulsons had no history of smoking, and while Merlin dislikes the smell of the cigar, he desperately needs something to calm his mind.

Pungent smoke rises in the darkness, enshrouding Merlin's face.

He stands in the darkness, placing his memories as a precious treasure in the corners of his heart, as these memories are the best support pillar for someone about to leave home.

It's enough to help him through the darkest times.

But it's an arduous journey.

"Bang"

Merlin taps on Lola's trunk as if saying goodbye; he drops and steps on the half-lit cigar.

He picks up his luggage and wears his cowboy hat and sunglasses to hide the abnormalities in his eyes.

He walks outside the garage and glances back for a while. He then reaches out and closes the garage gate, and silence fills the garage.

As if it's sealing off a most wonderful treasure.

---

On the following day, a tired Phil Coulson returns to the farm.

The 15-year-old young man had just experienced so many things, and these experiences toppled his once simple life. But thankfully, his father had made it through the surgery, and if they're lucky, James will wake up in a few months.

It was truly fantastic news for this tired family.

But to lose the farm was a heavy hit for Phil, as he was born and raised here. Compared to the bustling Madison county, this place felt more like home.

Yet, his mother had to sell the farm for his father to receive a better recovery and for his educational fees.

And in a few more days, this farm would no longer belong to the Coulsons.

Mom was taking care of dad in the hospital, so Phil had to come back to the farm to pack their stuff. But he sees the garage door locked, which confuses him, as it was nearly always unlocked.

Has there been a break-in?

This thought made Phil rush into his room and return with a baseball bat. With his baseball helmet on, he approaches the garage slowly.

The garage gate was not locked, but it was closed instead.

And Phil reaches out to open the gates. As the sun shone into the garage, Phil could only widen his eyes at what was inside the garage.

It was a cool-looking red sports car, a 1962 Classic Corvette, which Phil remembered to be sold by his father when he was young.

Why was it here?

Phil walks into the garage, clueless. He inspects the car and finds the keys on the driver's seat as well as a note on the door.

He takes the note and notices a sentence on it.

The handwriting felt familiar, even though he had never seen it before in his life.

"She belongs to you now, Phil Coulson; take good care of her."

"???"

Phil was confused.

He does not believe that he had a friend who was rich enough to give out a car, nor does he recall for his father's friends. So what's with the car?

Was it a prank?

Phil's first thought was to call the cops, but as he glances at the sports car, he could not hide the glee in his eyes.

Yes, he is reluctant to give it up.

He had fallen in love with it at first sight.

Phil Coulson reaches out and gently strokes the car; he hugs it, as if hugging a priceless treasure, and mumbles to himself:

"Well then, let's call you..."

"Lola."

 

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