A man stood over him. A tall, thin man with long inky colored hair, like his own, that extended to his shoulders. He was garbed in a red shirt with a golden collar, yet his other garments weren’t visible.

Jay blinked. He did not remember being moved or taken anywhere from the unknown cell. Where was he now?

He tried moving his arms, though only felt a spell of dizziness wash over him. The same with his legs.

The unfamiliar adult  continued to stare down at him. He smiled broadly as a woman, possibly younger, entered the room and walked next to him. Her jet-black hair shining slightly golden in the soft candlelight and long, purple dress swaying gently behind her.

“Darling, if you keep staring at that child you’ll never get any sleep yourself.” She took hold of his arms. “How do you expect more children if you don’t come to bed?”

Jay immediately came to the conclusion that this woman was indeed his wife. But he continued to wonder why he was seeing and hearing this. Why couldn’t he move? Was this Solon’s work?

The husband beamed more brightly. “I just see so much resemblance of us in him.”

“Yes, he does look a lot like you.”

“He has you’re nose,” The man’s hand came close to Jay’s sight. So close he could see the golden ring around his middle finger, as pale as his face and entire skin. It made a few movements, then rose back up to its owner.

The wife giggled. “And you’re smile.”

He chuckled at this, reaching into the back on his belt and working his fingers for a moment. “Im sure that he and Nebilim’s son will be good friends.” She said as her husband pulled his hand from his sack, toying with the object he had obtained for a moment.

“Perhaps. He is only a few months older after all.”



Nebilim? Jay pondered the name given by the couple. He had never heard of anyone by that identification.

The man unwrapped his fingers, unveiling a round, silver object.

Jay tried to gasp, in spite of that no sound escaped his lips. It was his bell! Though it wasn’t threaded with its usually purple ribbon, he recognized it completely.

But why did this stranger have it!?

The raven man held the bell above Jay’s face, almost torturously, shaking it slightly as the metal inside created a high-pitched clatter.

“Are you going to give that to him now, Deighty?” his wife asked him.

Deighty, another mystery. Perhaps that was the mans name.

“It won’t hurt to just let him see it.” He grinned, jingling the bell again. “It is something he’ll need to become familiar with if he’s going to achieve his rightful place.”

“That bell is

“You worry to much, Marlene.” her husband sighed. “He’s just a baby. He doesn’t need to worry about this responsibility just yet.”

Marlene. The wife’s name.

Jay listened for the conversation to continue, though the two only starred down at him. He then heard the sound of an infant, a tiny child coo with amusement as the older man shook the bell again.

A tinny yet chubby hand  rose abnormally close to Jay’s face, almost passing through him. It reached up towards the silver object, grabbing for it.

“Soon when you’re older,” the husband began, “You will know how important is it to keep this bell.”

He let the newborn grasp Jay’s bell, the man’s face becoming more stern and serious. The long lasting smile at last fading.

“You will know to guard it with you’re life.”

The unyielding humorlessness of his voice sent shivers down Jay’s spine. His wife still smiled, staring kindly at her baby. Her eyes made Jay feel very relaxed. Very tranquil…

She leaned towards the child. So close Jay could see the rose-red blush on her cheeks and burgundy lips as they emitted the noise of a soft kiss on the child’s face.

She rose again, her husband once again grinning. Deighty stoked the baby’s face, making the offspring laugh cheerfully, then took the bell from him before it resulted in choking or breakage.

Marlene blew out the candle on the nightstand, causing the darkness of apparent night to flow into the room. The two then walked out the door, shutting it behind them. Resulting in  more obscurity engulfing the child’s chambers.

Jay listened for a few more seconds for the sound of the baby, but it did not come. Nothing came.

This strange vision became silent and dark…Nothing was happening now.

The lightheadedness, the same as before, rushed over him again. His eyes became blurry and arms numb in the process.

- - -

Jay’s eyes snapped open.

He darted his pupils on every aspect of his surroundings as cold sweat ran down his face and long, reoccurring pants passed by him.

He was no longer in the dimly lit room with the unknown family. Now, he noticed, he was again in the cell Solon retained he and Senel in the previous night.

Jay lifted his head from the cold, stone floor. He rubbed his eyes feeling the crust forming around the corners. That only happened when he was asleep.

Was he asleep? He was lying on the floor. But why that dream? And why did that man have his bell?

More and more questions began to arouse Jay’s mind. He looked to his left, where the prison Senel was situated in rest.

He didn’t hear any noise coming from his friend. Perhaps he had fallen asleep, too.

Jay inspected his leg, still blinking dried mucus from his sore eyes. The black pants surrounding the maim were ripped and soaked with tried blood, but at least it wasn’t any bigger than a few inches. He tenderly touched the wound on his left calf, wincing at its deepness. It was healing up, though not very quickly at all. Thankfully it wasn’t becoming infected.

Jay sighed, pulling his legs close to his chest. Hugging them around his arms in attempt for body heat.

Wherever he was, it was unnaturally cold. Especially for a basement containing multiple torches scattering every corner of the room. But the flames emitted no comfort.

Continuously shivering, Jay tried to recall the names that were mentioned by the couple in the strange delusion.

First there was Nebilim. He had never heard of that name before. Not in any books or from any people he so closely listened to without their notice as he proceeded with his information dealing.

Second, Deighty. But there wasn’t much questioning that was the older man’s name. However, he didn’t recognize that title either.

And last, Marlene. That name…did in fact strike a chord. Pushed back far in his mind, he recalled the sight of the tall, black-haired woman. Her long, flowing hair, the deep purple eyes that shined bright in the mocked lighting, and her ruby red lips that had gently kissed the baby‘s cheek.

All these features were so reoccurring to him, however he could not place why.

And then it hit him. The reason why the woman looked so familiar. Why he knew her appearance so well. If the two were wed, than this Deighty and miss Marlene were in fact people he knew. And the child they spoke of.

It was him! The infant was Jay!

Why else would the stranger have Jay’s most treasured possession as he appeared as a newborn?

Jay tightened his fists intensely on the tops of his knees. So hard his knuckles turned a chalky white. Squeezing his eyes shut, he allowed the words to escape his breath, paining him.

“Mother…Father…”

- - -

The group, of now five, all met at one of the only houses not as badly affected as the rest of the town.

All the fires had been put out by Shirley’s crystal eres using Tidal Wave, while Moses and Norma disposed of the soldier’s bodies that littered the streets and multiple houses.

Chloe and Will made sure all the injured were taken care of and brought to the hospital before regrouping at his house.

Yet, even though the town was rid of the invaders, there was no light to penetrate the darkness of the time. No beam of hope. At least, not to the five of them.

Moses sat on the couch closest to the door, exactly where Senel had been sleeping the night before. He stared down at the white and green shoes lying on the floor beside his feet, his eyes full of anger and regret.

Shirley and Chloe sat on the couch opposite of him, both bound to a cloud of misery hanging above their heads. Neither of them looked even remotely relaxed.

Shirley held her face in her hands, but Moses wasn’t sure if she were sobbing or just tired from the night before, while Chloe patted her back soothingly. Of course, Chloe didn’t look any better then he did.

Will stood leaning against the counter of the kitchen, he glared at the floor with crossed arms. He didn’t say a word. Like the other three, he knew there was nothing to say at the time.

Norma had gone to the Oresoren Village to fetch Jay. She had left about half an hour ago, after the group met up at Will’s house. It was her idea that they make sure he knew about the alliance marines abduction and see if he knew anything about it. And to make sure he himself was not affected by the attacking of Vaclav. Normally, the others would have ridiculed her for surprisingly having a descent idea. But, there wasn’t any humor in this situation.

Moses growled, his eyes still focused on his friends shoes. He sprang to his feet, fists clenched at his side. “We can’t just sit around and do nothin’!” he yelled, anger filling his voice more and more with every word. “We gotta at least try and find him!”

Chloe looked up at him, her face coated with alarm and woe. “Sandor…” She shook her head slightly, then let it fall, her raven hair hanging in her deep brown eyes.

“If Vaclav got him, then he’s not gonna show any mercy! Remember what he did to you, Shirley!?”



Shirley quickly removed her face from her hands revealing her face, which was indeed covered in wetness from additional tears. Her mouth was open with shock as she stared at the older boy.

“Whatever Vaclav want’s, if we don’t find a way to track him down, he’s sure as hell gonna get it!”

Shirley stared down at her feet, no longer weeping but still sniffling every few seconds. She nodded at him.

Moses continued to clench his fist as he turned to Will, who still had his arms folded though eyes shut tight.

“Will! You gotta back me up on this!” he begged. “Please!”

Will didn’t respond for a moment. After a long pause which felt to Moses like hours, he unfolded his arms and looked at him sternly.

“You’re getting too ahead of yourself, Moses.” he stated calmly.

Moses took on a look of stun. “Wh…what!?” he stuttered.

“You plan on running out of the city in hopes of finding him. However, you have no evidence of where he is or if there are soldiers expecting this move.”

Moses wanted to respond back, but had no reply to this. He turned the words Will spoke over in his mind, unable to think of anything to say or do.

Chloe spoke up before Moses could. “Raynard, what do you mean by ‘expecting this move’?”

Will turned his attention from Moses to the Gidorian knight. “Its clear Vaclav had sent the army into town to obtain Senel. He did this so there would be no hope for us to stop him, even if he didn’t use Cashel.”

“So you mean it’s a possibility Vaclav is aware we know he’s the one behind the attack.? And that he is prepared for us to search for him?” Chloe questioned.

Will nodded towards her, then folded his arms across his chest again.

“If he knows us like we know him, then yes.”

Moses growled again. What Will was saying made perfect sense, but Moses just didn’t agree with it. If Vaclav had in fact sent soldiers to guard every area of the Legacy, then there was no hope of recovering Senel. At least not by force.

Suddenly an idea hit Moses. “What about my boys!?”

The other three gazed at him with confusion. “Csaba and everyone can search for him!” he continued. “Vaclav wouldn’t suspect them, would he!?”

“Well, yes but. . .” Chloe stated slowly, not sure where Moses was going with the idea.

“If I get ‘em to just sneak around and not attack the soldiers if they see any, then let us know it they see anything weird, could that help!?” Moses asked anxiously, his fists shaking as he spoke.

Will stared at him a moment. Moses’ face was dead serious, anyone could tell that. He sighed defeatedly, letting stare  fall off of Moses.

“Alright.” he told him making Moses smile with relief. “Just don’t get too over you’re head.”

“Right!” Moses replied quickly. As fast as he had answered, he turned swiftly on his heels and ran to the door.

As soon as the sound of wood slamming was heard, Shirley turned to Chloe, her face now dry from the previous waterworks.

“C,” she whispered in her friends ear silently. “Maybe you should show Will what you found last night.”

Chloe’s eyebrow rose in misunderstanding. “Show him what?”

“You know, Senel locket.”

“Oh!” Chloe sparked to realization. She reached into her back pocket, searched for the round, golden locket, and pulled it from its former location. “Raynard.”

Will looked back in her direction quickly.

“Could you take a look at this?” Chloe asked him holding up the jewelry high in her right hand.

“Of course.” answered Will. Chloe walked up to him and laid the locket in his outstretched hand.

Will looked over it carefully for a second or two, not exactly sure why Chloe needed him to inspect it.

“We found it last night.” Shirley told him, “In some of the ashes of Senel’s house.”

Will scanned the necklace again. “This is Senel’s?”

Chloe shook her head positively. “I tried to open it, but its stuck. Perhaps you know what the words carved on the front are. It may be a clue to where Coolidge is.”

Will took her advice and turned the locket over in his hand. The writing on the face was barely capable of being seen through the dim light reflecting upon it. He held it closer to the sun in the air.

The words then became clear as the rays hit it.

Will’s eyes widened.

Chloe picked up on his astonishment. “Do you know what it means?”

Will lowered the necklace, “No. Im sorry, it doesn’t mean anything to me either.” Even if his theory was correct, there wasn’t any use in stating it just to make everyone worry more. He handed the jewelry back to Chloe, who placed the golden article safely back in her pocket.

Caisland…He rolled the word throughout his mind a few more times. That word did mean something. Something very peculiar. But why did Senel have something with that work written on it?

Will’s brow furrowed at the thought. Could Senel be. . ?

His belief was interrupted by the door once again opening and closing hard behind the guest.

The three looked up to see Norma run into the room, her face pink and panting as she stopped and skidded on her heels.

“Guys! Bad. . .news!” She hunched over, placing her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath.

Shirley quickly jumped from her seat on the couch and darted across the room where the others stood. “Whats wrong!?” she squeaked anxiously.

Norma looked up at them, still panting heavy breathes.

She continued to gasp before finally standing back up strait.

“Its JJ! He’s gone! JJ’s gone too!”

A wave of disbelieve swept through the room.