Chapter 6 - Legendz of The Ten Islands: Volume VI

19. The Mysterious Instructor

The next day came just like any other day for the past one week. Chen woke up at the usual time and went for his morning warm up exercise. After that, he took a shower and headed for the dining room for Aunt Mary's signature curry rice, his favorite dish. And after the morning breakfast, he would go to the training ground to wait for Dr. Robert or his wife to resume his daily lessons. However, neither of them showed up that morning. In fact, he noticed something was off the moment he went for his morning run. The whole place was sort of eerily quiet compared to the week before. It was no surprise that many people had left the fortress but that was no explanation for the silence. Even the chirps of birds were rarely heard as Chen trod through the familiar terrain. Chen stood from the wooden floor as he prepared to leave. He had waited for two hours and it didn't seem like Mr. or Mrs. Flummox would be arriving anytime soon. That was when he caught sight of Kenneth walking towards the training hall. "Kenneth, where have you been? Where's everyone else?" Chen ran towards his friend. "Oh, hi Chen. Glad you're okay." Kenneth's eyes were that of a tired man, his hair was disheveled and his clothes reeked of blood and antiseptic solutions. "What happened?" Concerns rose after Chen took a closer look at his friend. Kenneth sat his tired body on the wooden floor and said. "Alex's injured, really badly. He's currently in a coma and being treated at Saamaya Hospital. The rest are with him right now. We ran into a melee with Sir John and his men at the Vanilla Valley where we went fishing. Erik's unconscious as well, he lost quite a lot of blood from his wounds. But worst of all, Sir John had three of the Sword of Darkness. The moment Max heard our story, he summoned an emergency meeting. It's all a mess!" Kenneth slumped onto the wooden floor and sighed. "I'm so tired, I could barely stand." "You take care then, I'll go visit Alex in the hospital." Chen bid his friend farewell and ran towards the hospital.

When Chen got to the hospital, he was directed to the intensive care unit where his friends were. Lenny and Calvin were both dozing off at the entrance to the intensive care unit. Chen wasn't allowed to enter the sterile room and was redirected to a window overlooking the room where Alex was being treated. A couple of tubes protruded from his chest, neck and mouth while multiple wires were attached to his chest and head. The beeping of the many machines that supported Alex's vital functions could be heard through the glass screen. A hand reached for Chen's shoulder from behind and startled him. He was too absorbed staring at his friend. The shock of seeing his friend motionless on the hospital bed befuddled his mind. "He's stable now. Dr. Lesley said he's gonna be okay." A familiar voice came from behind him. Chen turned to see Lenny, his weary eyes glazed blankly back at him. He yawned twice before returning to his seat to continue his nap. "Why don't you and Calvin head back to the dorm and get some rest? I'll watch over Alex." Chen said. "Well, you do seem much more energetic than the two of us combine." Lenny replied with another yawn. He nudged Calvin to his feet and they trudged towards the exit. "We'll stop by in the evening," Lenny waved his hand and left. Chen lay down on the cushioned chair deep in thoughts. The conversation he had with his father a day ago floated into his mind. "I never wanted any of you to have anything to do with Nirvana if that's possible." Chen finally realized the true danger of living in Nirvana, the very reason why his father seemed reluctant to bring him there. He leant his head back, his mind suddenly burdened with thoughts of the future. He fell asleep on the chair while lost in his reverie.

Alex woke up in complete darkness. It was so black that he couldn't even see his own hands placed in front of him. But he did feel them waving before him. "Am I blind?" He wondered to himself. He fumbled around in hope of finding something, a wall or an object but all he felt was empty spaces. He gave up on his blind search and sat down. The floor felt weird, it felt empty as if he was sitting on air; there was no texture and no temperature. However, he could tell that there was something beneath him, holding his entire body in sitting position. His thought drifted, trying to recall the preceding event. "Oh, right… I was stabbed." Alex's hand unconsciously reached for the right side of his chest where he was pierced by the Siskhlis. To his surprise, there was no wound there! His chest felt the same as always, there was no pain or the sticky feeling of blood. "Am I dead?" The thought flashed across his mind. "No, you're very well alive." A voice echoed in the vast darkness. The voice was clear as day, not just a vague voice one hears in dreams. "Who are you?" Alex demanded while searching in the dark for the source. "I'm afraid you're not worthy of that information yet! But you'll be. Now, step forth!" A soft glow illuminated the space not far from where he was sitting. The source of the light however was untraceable. Sensing no imminent danger, he stepped towards the light. Moments before he reached the luminous space, the whole place lit up! He had to shield his eyes from the intense glow before he could slowly adjust to the brightness. When his vision finally became clear, he found himself inside a giant warehouse lit by dozens of fluorescent tubes.

"Where am I?" He murmured to himself. He found himself still in the armor he wore when he confronted Sir John. The armor was completely spotless, just like the first time he wore it; there was no signs of the wear and tear that occurred during the battle in Vanilla Valley. "Where, is not exactly important right now. We don't have much time to be fooling around." Alex leapt backwards and took on a defensive stance when he heard the voice. Alex found a boy that looked and dressed exactly like him staring back at him. He did not feel his presence until the boy spoke. Even when he saw the boy standing directly in front of him, his presence still felt very vague. It was as if his own eyes were deceiving him. He continued to stare at the mirror image of himself in silence. "We don't have all day, you know?" The boy grabbed a ball from a wooden table which wasn't there a minute ago. "What do you want?" Alex asked. "This is a tutorial session, didn't you know? Today's your first lesson." The boy replied. "What? Who are you? And since when did I sign up for such lessons?" Alex sounded confused. "You'll address me simply as 'Instructor'. Let's start the class." The boy threw the ball in his hand into the distant, completely ignoring Alex's question. "I want you to teleport there and retrieve the ball." The instructor pointed at the ball. Alex hesitated but decided to play along. He took the ball and passed it back to the instructor. "Good, how about moving this thing there?" The instructor pointed at a green circle that lit up on the floor. "Wow, where did that came from?" Alex stared at the large safe deposit box that appeared out of thin air. "Can you do it?" He asked. Alex walked towards the large steel box and embraced it with both his arms. The safety box vanished along with himself and then reappeared inside the green circle. "How about that?" Alex asked confidently.

The instructor smiled and said. "I think you must have misunderstood something, Alex. When I said move the safe, I meant just the safe. You're not supposed to be tagging along. Allow me to demonstrate." The instructor clapped his hands and the safe vanished before it reappeared at its former location. "Okay… That's a neat trick but it's not surprising since you practically made all these appeared out of nothing." Alex said. "That's true in a way but this is not a trick. It's one way of manipulating space-time, just like what you did when you teleported. This time, instead of focusing the center or the anchor as we called it, on yourself, try focusing it on other objects. That way, you can move them without having to come into contact with them. Judging from the amount of time you spent training your teleportation, you should have been able to do this already. I'm surprised you never realized." The instructor replied. "Really? But Erik never taught me anything like that. In fact, I never saw him pull that sort of trick before." Alex said. "That's because he can't. Listen, Alex. Not everyone possesses such flexibility in teleportation like you do. Now, how about you give it a shot? Just like how you teleported for the first time. This time, instead of imagining yourself in the target location, imagine the safe moving there." The instructor said. "Alright, I'll try my best." Alex said and turned his attention to the heavy steel safety box. After several attempts, he slumped to the ground, frustrated. The box didn't even move an inch. "Maybe this is a bit too much for you. Try this!" The instructor tossed a ball at Alex's direction. With a light wave of his hands, the ball vanished into thin air. "Wow!" Alex managed to impress himself as he stared at the ball that bounced off the ground inside the glowing green circle. "Did you see that?" Alex shouted excitedly. "How about this?" Without even waiting for Alex's reply, a bowling ball was thrown at his direction.

The bowling ball made a hard landing and cracked the floor inside the circle, creating a loud thud. "Not bad, how about this?" Another projectile headed Alex's way and was teleported inside the circle. Just like that, projectiles that grew increasingly large in size and heavy in weight came at him. But Alex managed to divert all of them, one after another. Before long, the instructor came at him with the heavy steel safety box which he failed to move before. "What the hell? Are you nuts?" Alex yelled as he witnessed the huge box of steel plummeted from above. "You wouldn't have the luxury of running when you're in a tough fight!" Two metal braces shot from beneath the ground and shackled his legs, preventing him from running away. "It's no use to try and teleport your way out of it. Your only hope is to move the box or die trying." The instructor's voice was monotonous. Alex focused all of his energy into his palms and directed them at the imminent danger that would end his life. His heart raced and his face was bathed in sweat. Seeing the flying box of doom coming close to his face, he bellowed on top of his voice. "C'mon! God damn it!" As he closed his eyes and crossed his arms above his head to brace for impact, the steel box never landed. He slowly opened his eyes to the applause of the instructor. "Well done!" He turned his gaze towards the green circle and saw the large safety box sat on top of the various projectiles that the instructor tossed at him. Unable to believe that he actually pulled it off, he heaved a sigh of relief. After some cooling down, he prepared to yell at the instructor for almost killing him. But when he turned around to search for him, the instructor was nowhere to be found. Looking down at his feet, the shackles were no longer there. As he turned his gaze back towards the pile of junk inside the green circle, they too disappeared. "What the hell is going on here?" Alex murmured to himself.

After scanning the entire warehouse with his eyes, he decided to leave the place by heading towards one of the exit. Suddenly, the voice of the instructor echoed in the empty space. "We're not done yet, Alex." "I'm sick of playing all you games! Show yourself and tell me who you really are!" Alex demanded, yelling at no one in particular. "Like I said before, you're not ready for it yet. Now, will you be so kind as to show me your Doppelgänger ability?" The instructor replied, ignoring Alex's demand yet again. "No! I refuse to do it unless you tell me something, anything!" Alex demanded. "You'll get nothing at this rate," The instructor uttered, his voice was calm as ever. A long pause later, Alex summoned his Doppelgänger. "There, happy?" He gave an irritated grunt. "Why don't you make him use some of your abilities?" The instructor said. "Excuse me?" Alex's galling tone was replaced by that of disbelief. "I meant, command your Doppelgänger to run at super speed or teleport. I know you're still incapable of creating a perfect Doppelgänger but surely you made it able to use one or two or of your abilities. Right?" The instructor clarified. "I've never tried it before." Alex replied. "Tsk, seems we still have a long way to go," The instructor said. Suddenly, part of the interior of the warehouse was engulfed by darkness. It was the same darkness Alex encountered before he stepped into the light. "And we're running out of time, haiz." The instructor sighed. "What's going on?" Alex asked, slight panic in his voice. "Listen to me, Alex. Remove your Doppelgänger and do it again. This time, put more effort into it. C'mon, c'mon! We don't have much time left, Alex!" The instructor ordered, completely oblivious to the creeping wave of darkness. "But don't you see what's going on there?" Alex pointed at the darkness that was expanding. There was no reply from his instructor. "Argh-h! Whatever!" Alex absorbed his Doppelgänger and made another one with all the energy he could muster. A new clone of himself appeared before him. He commanded it to run through telepathy since both their minds are connected. However, it didn't move as fast as Alex hoped. "How about trying to teleport?" He thought to himself. His eyes darted towards the darkness, it was growing really fast. "C'mon, teleport already!" Alex yelled in his mind. Just as his heart began to race, the Doppelgänger vanished in the blink of an eye.

"That's not its own initiative, you teleported your Doppelgänger subconsciously like an object. Do it again!" The instructor's voice boomed inside the empty warehouse. "I can't do it!" Alex said, his eyes constantly glued to the creeping darkness. "Yes, you can! If you're able to make the Doppelgänger use even one of your abilities, it will be hard for your enemy to tell apart which one is the real you. Now, keep trying!" The instructor tried to encourage Alex. "I can't do it!" Alex backed away from the advancing darkness while kept trying to make his Doppelgänger teleport on its own. Soon enough, he was forced into a tiny corner in what was left of the giant warehouse. The darkness had consumed more than ninety-five percent of the building. "C'mon, Alex. Keep trying!" The instructor's voice began to muffle. In his final attempt, Alex's Doppelgänger vanished and he was completely consumed by the darkness. Everything was pitch black and silence for a long few seconds before he felt his limbs being pinned down and a voice called out to him. He opened his eyes to see Dr. Lesley trying to calm him down while pulling off the intubation tube that was inserted down his throat. "Calm down, Alex. It's gonna be alright!" Dr. Lesley's voice sounded distant. Alex's eyes darted wildly to get a better understanding of his surroundings. His limbs were being held down tightly by nurses despite his continuous struggling to break free. "Alex, I'm going to give you some medicine to help you calm down." Dr. Lesley held up a syringe. As his gaze moved from each and every faces around him, he caught sight of himself staring back at him. His Doppelgänger was standing right behind Dr. Lesley as he prepared to plunge the sedative down the intravenous cannula on his wrist. "Well done." His Doppelgänger murmured. Alex's vision began blurring while his heartbeat slowed down, the sedative was beginning to kick in. Soon, Alex fell back into the familiar darkness. The only difference being there was no voice telling him what to do or warehouse that appears out of nowhere; it's just pitch black and silence all the way.

Alex slowly reopened his eyes after a long moment of wandering in the dark. He was greeted by the warm glow of the twilight as he began to move his limbs. The ceiling looked different and his bed had been changed as well. They must have moved him to a different room after his sudden awakening. "Alex, you're awake!" Lenny moved beside him, helping him to sit up. "How're you feeling?" He asked. "Okay, I think…" Alex's mouth felt dry when he tried to speak. Alex clutched the right side of his chest when a sudden sharp pain was felt as he leant down. "Careful, your wounds are still fresh." Lenny passed Alex a cup of water. "Water?" "Thanks," Alex took the cup and gulped it down greedily in one go. "Did someone visited me when I was in the other room? Or something funny happened?" Alex asked. "No, all of us visited you but we weren't allowed to enter the intensive care unit." Lenny explained. "Why? Did something happened?" Lenny added. "No, it's fine. It's probably just a dream. Heck of a weird dream alright." Alex managed a weak chuckle. He decided to just let the whole meeting with the 'Instructor' slide. There was a knock on the door and a familiar face made his way inside. "Alex, you're awake!" Chen was all smiles when he saw Alex finally regained consciousness. Calvin and Kenneth were right behind him. "How long was I out?" Alex asked. "My guess would be around twenty-four hours." Kenneth replied. "One whole day!" Alex blurted. "You lost a lot of blood back then. There was literally a pool of it on Erik's lawn when he carried you inside." Calvin added. "What about Erik? How's he doing?" Alex asked. "He regained consciousness this morning and went straight to Max." Chen said. His three friends who just entered the room took a fold chair each and set them beside Alex's bed.

"So, what else happened while I was out?" Alex asked. "Well, let's see. After we told Vice-president Max what happened, he immediately summoned an emergency meeting. From the information I have gathered, it seems Sir John's intention was very obvious from the beginning if we knew the reason why he went through all the trouble to gather three Swords of Darkness." Calvin said. "Apparently, they're the key to a catacomb in the Eastern Range, The Talaghar. It's the largest catacomb on Nirvana and also the most iconic one. It's the final resting place of the nine thousand plus souls who were imprisoned by the Necromancer's Grimoire. The Necromancer's Grimoire is the spellbook owned by one of Narakiya's general, The Necromancer. He also goes by the title Hellraiser. His real name was never discovered. He was notorious for binding the souls of his fallen allies or enemies to their skeletal remains and reanimating them to fight as undead soldiers. Even until after his death, no one was able to break the spell that cursed the souls to eternal slavery." "What happens to the book?" Alex questioned. "It's locked away inside the catacomb together with nine thousand plus skeletons that would not disintegrate." Lenny answered. "Sir John was looking for an army and he found one. The catacomb's seal can only be unlocked by three Swords of Darkness. And since he was after the catacomb from the very beginning, no doubt he found someone who knows how to use the Necromancer's Grimoire. That's why Max was so concerned when we told him Sir John got hold of three of those swords." Lenny explained. "That's not all there is. The Necromancer's Cloak and Staff were missing from the archive when Sir John left the Freedom Fortress. The Spirit World investigators failed to connect the dots and dismissed the loss as part of the loot Sir John and his gang made away with." Calvin added.

"I see. By the way, where's Kelvin?" Alex asked. "He's helping Erik to move supplies into the convoy. He should have finished by now." Lenny replied. "What happened after the meeting?" Alex asked. "Max sought help from every single clan on the entire continent to aid in the conflict. After Erik regained consciousness, he took a team with him to scout the enemy at the Eastern Range. It was already too late, Sir John's men had already started reanimating the skeleton army. That's why Max requested backup from Celestial City, the Fire Clan, the Water Clan branch, the Thunder Clan branch and also the Sleeping Forest to help out before the enemy's strength escalate. Words had also been sent to the Spirit World and the Council of Light. All the clans' response were swift except for the Council of Light. It seems that their leader had just passed away and an election is being held, now of all times. Tsk." Calvin said. "It's complicated. But they did sent Archdeacon Sylvester to help us with the transport." Chen said. "Oh, in that case, we better go help out." Alex suggested. "Nope, I'm afraid we're banned from participating. Max personally ordered us to stay put in the fortress. All we can do is help them move things here and there but that's it. He prohibits us from fighting." Lenny said. "How come?" Alex asked. "Because he doesn't want us to end up like this!" Kenneth pointed at Alex. "Ouch, that kinda hurts," Alex gave a wry smile. "My aunt also banned me from participating, Alia was told to watch me twenty-four seven. Man, she's a pain in the ass!" Calvin grouched. "Hey, I heard that!" All of them turned their heads towards the door. Alia entered with a fruit basket. Kelvin, Julee and Iris followed suit. The medium-sized room was beginning to crowd. "Kelvin!" Alex called out. "Hey, how are you doing?" Kelvin shook his friend's hand. "For you," Alia passed Alex the fruit basket. "Thanks."

After everyone had settled down, the group picked up the conversation from where they had left off before. "So uh-h-ah, any plans on what we should do in the meantime?" Alex started the conversation. "Would you all like to know what's going on in the Eastern Range right now?" Alia asked. "Of course! I think that's the only thing on our mind right now." Kelvin said. "In that case, can you dim the lights and close the curtains please." Alia removed a laptop from her backpack and fired it up. A hologram was projected onto the wall. "I snuck a few drones onto one of the supply truck that Archdeacon Sylvester was transporting. It should be airborne by now." The image on the wall changed into that of a mountainous landscape with a fierce battle ensued on its surface. Hundreds of people were seen clashing with an army made of skeletons. There were battles in the sky as well, fire dragons and phoenixes were seen battling wyverns made out of bones. The hologram lasted about ten minutes before the image changed again. The image of a ballerina dancing replaced the gory scene of the battlefield. "Damn it!" Alia cursed. "What's wrong?" Lenny asked. "The drone must have been hit. I guess I'll fire up the backup but it'll take some time to get it airborne." Alia explained and retreated to one corner to work on her laptop. "That looks intense," Chen said. "They don't seems to be doing so well," Kelvin added. "Have some faith, I'm sure they can handle it." Julee said. "Yeah, it's not like we can do anything about it. Not in our current state." Kenneth pointed out. The entire room went quiet except for the soft sound of Alia's tapping on her keyboard.

20. Skyfall

Another drone took off into the air, delivering live-footage from the battlefield. However, like the previous one, it fell from the sky after ten minutes of transmission. "Aww…" Disappointment swept across everyone's face in the medium-sized room. "Should I get the last drone airborne?" Alia asked. "I don't think that's necessary. I think we all got a pretty clear picture of what we're dealing with. Thanks." Kelvin said. The holographic ballerina faded away as Alia shut down her laptop. "Well, it's getting late. We should all go for dinner." Alia said. The sun had long sunk under the horizon when his friends started leaving. "See you tomorrow, Alex." Lenny said and closed the door. "Alright, see ya." Alex replied. Not long after they left, an attendant entered the room to bring Alex his dinner. He thanked him and began to chow down. He hadn't felt that hungry in a long while. Thinking back, the last proper meal he had was two days ago, three eggs and bacon sandwiches before confronting Sir John. After the meal and some rest, he slowly lowered himself from his bed and headed to the bathroom. From the exterior, his chest looked the same as before except for a few minor scars; a miracle of advanced medicine from Nirvana. With the artificial skin and hemostatic gel, they were able to close up Alex's wound pretty neatly, leaving only tiny remnants. However, the internal injuries and blood loss he suffered could not be settled as easily. Dr. Lesley gave him the state-of-the-art healing factor developed by the Sleeping Forest but even that would take days for an injury of that severity to fully heal. Alex took a quick shower and changed into a new set of hospital gown the attendant brought. His entire body felt weak, causing his to sway with each step. After getting back onto the bed, his fatigue quickly overwhelmed him, dragging him back into the familiar darkness.

Morning came after a heavy midnight torrent that swept across central Yume and the mountainous Eastern Range. All the boys were called by Vice-president Max for a sudden meeting first thing in the morning. They skipped their morning exercise and went to Max's office right after breakfast. When they got inside, they were surprised to see that Alex was already inside. "Alex? Shouldn't you be in the hospital?" Kelvin asked. "It's kind of complicated," Alex finished off with a silly laugh. "We'll be moving this meeting to the next room," Max said and headed for the door. His strides were more natural and smooth compared to the first time they saw him walking with his cane. The six boys were joined by Alia, Julee and Iris in the room next door. Max dimmed the light and activated the hologram projector with a remote. Holographic recreation of the battle on the Eastern Range played before their eyes. "I'm sure this is not the first time you guys seen these images. Am I correct?" Max asked. The entire room entered a silent pause for a long few minutes. None of them were willing to admit. "I won't probe further but I'll assume that's a yes." Max broke the silence. He rest his cane beside the desk and took a seat. "The situation got worse after yesterday's downpour. Most of Fire Clan's units are severely weakened by the rainy season. The Water Clan's members were able to take advantage of the environment but most of them are mere novice, not battle-hardened veterans like the Fire Clan's. Furthermore, their numbers are meager compared to that of the Fire Clan. The rain had also caused a few landslides, taking a few troops out of commission. Couple with the rough terrain, we're fighting a losing battle. The skeleton army do not feel tired or need rest. And worst of all, they won't die. They'll rise up again and again even after we have shattered every single bone. The only way to stop them is to stop the necromancer casting the spell." The hologram showed an opaque dome-shaped barrier behind an army of undead skeleton warriors. "Two Spirit World Elders tried breaking it since this morning but to no avail. However, they managed to confirm that the person who erected the barrier is the necromancer as well. But they failed to identify who it was." The hologram continued showing images around the dome. "Whoever's behind that shield is heck of a powerful feller to be able to withstand that kind of damage." Kenneth said. "What about Lord Moto or Count Fleming, or even Mr. Mednik? Surely they should be able to take down that shield if they work together." Kelvin said. "Unfortunately, they are too busy engaging with Sir John and a few of his top fighters." Max explained. The holographic image changed again. "There's more bad news,"

"The two Elders who attacked the barrier sensed a strong energy signature inside of it. Judging from the amount of skeleton soldiers and other beasts they fought, they estimated that only thirty percent of the skeletons are reanimated. They think the necromancer is planning to create the White Emperor with the remaining bones." Max said. "What's the White Emperor?" Lenny asked. "It's a nickname given to the Necromancer's dragon, a dragon constructed from the bones of his victims. It's the most powerful creature the Necromancer ever created. Here is a picture of it," The hologram showed the skeleton of a creature that resembled a large fire dragon. Its eye sockets were lit by dark flames while on its head was a crown made of skulls. It was slightly smaller in size compared to the Abomination. But it looked ten times as scary as the giant gorilla. "I'm guessing it's gonna take a while to assemble all the bones for a creature of such scale?" Alex asked. "It's definitely going to take some time but we don't know exactly how long before he is able to finish it. That's why the Elders kept their assault on the barrier to try wearing the necromancer down so that he would not be able to complete the dragon." Max replied. "But it's not going very well, is it?" Chen asked. "It isn't. Despite their relentless assault, the energy behind the barrier kept on building." Max answered. "And that bring us back to the most important question, why do you call us here when you clearly banned us from participating yesterday." Kenneth pointed out. "I don't really see how we can help even when you allow us. The Elders failed, what can we possibly do?" Alex asked. "That's where you're wrong. There's a way to break the shield but the weapon can only be wielded by a Howard." Max explained. "Me?" Kelvin pointed at himself. "Yes, you! I'll tell you the details later. After Kelvin cracked an opening in the shield, we'll need someone to destroy the Arc Net inside so Alex can teleport the Elders inside. The rest of you'll provide cover for Alex while he transport the Elders. After that, stay out of the fight! Let them handle it." Max said. "Did Lady Christina gave the permission for Calvin to participate?" Alia asked. "Yes, she did. And only under your supervision. And I must stress this once again, your job is just to create an opening for the Elders to enter. After that, get lost and leave the fighting to them. You should under no circumstances engage the necromancer. Got that?" Max looked at every single one of them in the eye. "I'll only allow you guys on this mission if you agree to stick to the plan."

"What about Erik? Alex's still recovering, can't we just get another person who can teleport?" Lenny, concerned about his friend as usual. "Erik's busy engaging with Sir John. And if I could find another person who can teleport, I wouldn't have to drag Alex out of the hospital. Teleportation is a very rare ability. And Alex's the only one I could find," Max replied. "Don't worry about me. I'll just stay out of the battle like Max said." Alex said. "Are you sure about this?" Lenny unconvinced. "Max asked me the same thing before. Look guys, I have decided to do this on my own, no one is forcing me. If we stick to the plan, I'm sure it'll go smoothly." Alex reassured. "Yeah, right! When was the last time things goes according to plan?" Kenneth blurted. The rest shot an angry look at him. "Don't jinx us you idiot!" Iris slapped him behind the head. "Sorry…" Kenneth apologized and cowered in shame. "Any questions?" Max scanned the room. "If there're no questions, we'll be leaving at eleven hundred hour, you should all get ready then. You have my authorization to take any weapon or equipment you like." Max closed the projector and switched on the lights. "Alex, Dr. Lesley would like to have a word with you in the infirmary. Kelvin, you're coming with me. The rest of you should head to the armory. Lady Christina sent a new set of armors for you guys, you should try them out." With that, they dismissed and headed their separate ways.

"Dr. Lesley, you wanna see me?" Alex entered the treatment room after knocking. "Yes, Alex. Have a seat." Dr. Lesley reached for a transfusion set in the cabinet. "You're a magnet for trouble you know that?" Dr. Lesley said. "Sorry for all the trouble, doc. You're giving me blood again?" Alex replied. "No, this isn't blood. It's a dormant hemostatic factor and healing factor. It'll be activated only when you get injured. Knowing your history, it's for the best. Your wounds are healing just fine. The radiation poisoning you suffered before are completely healed." Dr. Lesley inserted the intravenous cannula and began the transfusion after Alex lay down on the couch. "This is a booster shot which will enhance your physical strength, you'll feel the effect after thirty minutes. It'll last for about three hours but will wear off much faster if you exert yourself too much. It'll compensate for your weakened state. Your strength will return once you fully recover." Dr. Lesley explained and jabbed Alex on the shoulder. "Thanks, doc." Alex said and took a nap while waiting for the transfusion to be completed.

"Isn't the armory that away?" Calvin asked. "We're not going to the armory." Alia replied. "Aren't we going to try out the new armors my aunt sent?" Calvin said. "Those aren't for us. Our armors are kept in a separate place. They came a day earlier than theirs." Alia replied while keeping her fast pace towards the workshop. After entering, she guided Calvin into the weapon testing facility where Calvin spent a lot of time learning about new weapons and equipment. Alia placed her palm on the scanner and said. "Alia Faure, 6116." "Identity confirmed," A robotic voice was heard followed by the opening of a hidden door on the far side of the facility. "I can't believe Lady Christina approve of this." Alia pointed out. "Even if my aunt won't allow it, I'll still join them. I can't just abandon them, they're my friends, you know." Calvin replied. The two of them walked through the door to enter a small storage. "Haiz, I knew it would come to this. That's why I requested for the suit a day earlier for a field testing." Alia sighed and opened one of the large metal container. "What's this?" Calvin went to take a closer look. "This is the Light Suit βeta 2.0, it's a prototype elemental mimicry suit. I field-tested it yesterday, it should work just fine. The suit can only be wore by Electric elementals. It'll convert your energy output into Light elements and spread them across the armor to counteract incoming Darkness elemental attacks. As for offense," Alia lifted a plasma cannon with a thick cable attached to the suit. "It's the closest prototype we have that mimics the photon beam that is often used by the Light elementals. By converting all our attacks to Light element, we can optimize our energy usage. However, should you encounter an opponent who isn't wielding the Darkness element, you can switch off the element conversion and engage like you usually do." "Wow, this is neat!" Calvin inspected the prototype armor. "Can't we make more of these for the rest of them?" He asked. "Like I said before, currently it only works with Electric element." Alia answered. "I guess I wasn't really paying attention just now. Sorry to have to drag you into all this, Alia." Calvin said. "You don't have to worry about that. It's an honor serving the prince." Alia replied. "Again with the prince thing! How many times must I tell you to stop calling me that!" Calvin flustered. "I'll only do it when we're alone," She replied. "That's not what I meant!" Calvin's gaze was met with puppy dog eyes. Calvin quickly turned his face away to hide his blushed cheeks. He could never stay mad at her after she put on such a face. "Gotta test these out," Calvin picked up the heavy container and went to the other room, hearing soft giggles behind him.

Kelvin and Max entered a secret elevator that went deep underground. After two minutes of silence, Kelvin spoke. "How far does this thing go?" "Three hundred feet. It's the lowest level of the entire fortress. It houses some of the most powerful artifact that had been confiscated since the Great War." Max explained. The elevator came to a gentle stop and the two of them got out. The space before them was surprisingly small, a narrow passageway leading to a bronze door at the end. The atmosphere was dry and cool. The soft whir of the ventilators that spanned the passageway could be heard as Kelvin walked by. The metal door opened smoothly with a gentle push by Max. "Sir John and his men took much of the dangerous artifact with them when they left, leaving behind those that aren't meant for combat or those they couldn't use." Behind the bronze door was a large space with multiple display cases that held all sorts of artifacts. Kelvin noticed that most of the cases on the right were empty, probably the result of the looting. He followed Max and finally stopping in front of a large display cabinet that contained a peculiar suit of armor made of clay! The design was a fusion of oriental ancient armor and that of the medieval knight's. Beside the clay armor lay a battle hammer made completely out of metal. Its entire surface was completely dull. There were marks all over its handle and head, a weapon which had seen a lot of battle. "This is the Cloch Armor and that's the Mason Hammer. The armor is made of a type of clay which molds into the shape of its bearer but only a Howard can wear it. Same goes for the hammer. It's made of mythril alloy, one of the rarest alloy on Nirvana. They belonged to your aunt, Linda." Max said and opened the glass cover. "Here, you should try it out." Max stepped aside. There was sadness on that usually stoic face of his master. "You knew Aunt Linda?" Kelvin was surprised to hear the name of his long deceased aunt. "She was my wife." Max said. With that, Kelvin found out the reason why Max seemed depressed out of the blue. "I'm sorry. I never knew she was married. She died when I was seven, don't remember much about her." Kelvin said. "She was one stubborn woman. She was pregnant with our child when she died. Excuse me…" Max turned his gaze away from Kelvin, there were tears rolling down the corners of his eyes. "Does that means Julee is …" Kelvin's sentence was interrupted by Max. "The child died along with her. Julee's an orphan I picked up, we're not blood-related." Max wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt. Kelvin reached for the clay armor and began putting them on. Just like Max mentioned, the armor morphed and latched onto his clothes after he put it on, adjusting to his size. He then picked up the hammer and gave it a few test swings. "C'mon, I'll teach you how to use them on our way up." Max closed the glass case and headed for the exit.

Lenny and Iris headed to the armory right after the meeting with Max. However, at the junction towards the armory, she made a sudden U-turn. "Where're you going?" Lenny asked. "There's something I left back at the dojo. I'll meet you at the armory." Iris replied and walked towards the dojo. Lenny paused for a moment before he ran after Iris. Hearing his footsteps, Iris stopped in her tracks and spun around. "What are you doing?" Iris asked. "There's something I left back at the dojo as well," Lenny said. "You're a weird guy." She replied with a smile and resumed walking. The two of them made their way back to the dojo where they spent the last month learning swordsmanship from Master Shin. The two of them split up after entering the building. Lenny headed towards the storage room where most of the swords were kept while Iris went into a side room where a small altar dedicated to her late mother was located. Lenny quickly moved aside the multiple stacks of practice swords to reveal a familiar rusty blade. "Guess I should bring you along," He unsheathed the Demon Edge for a quick inspection before strapping it to his back. He then left the room to look for Iris. From outside the sliding shōji doors, Lenny could hear soft murmurs coming from the inside. He took deliberate steps and eavesdropped on what Iris was saying. "Please lend me your strength, for this dangerous journey which we're going to embark on. May your blade guides us to victory, mother." There was a faint sound of object being lifted. The shōji doors suddenly slid open, startling Lenny. Their gaze met for a brief second before Lenny quickly turned his head away, pink blushes blossomed on his cheeks. "You found what you were looking for?" Lenny asked, too embarrassed to look Iris in the eyes. "Yeah, I got it." Iris slid the doors shut and headed for the exit.

Everyone gathered at the armory as Alia began to introduce a new weapon in their arsenal. "I'm sure you guys are familiar with this." Alia showed them a sphere covered by leaves. "It's the Solas Petram, named after the very plant which they were made from. This is just a model though," She put the spherical object on the table. "Oh, so that's what they were called." Alex said. "Since we're dealing with an army of undead raised by the power of Darkness, these things come in handy. However, the plant is rare and the weapon is extremely costly to produce. Currently, all the available Solas Petram had been taken to the battlefield. But not to worry, we have a backup weapon." Alia showed them a cylindrical container approximately half the size of the Solas Petram. "This is the second generation Solas Petram, they've been successfully tested in the field but have not gone into mass production yet. The Light energy emitted by this bomb is ten times more potent than its predecessor. However, we only have nine of them now. So each of us will carry one of them. If we time our attack correctly, we can make best use of them." Alia passed the weapon around. "Are you guys ready? Our ride is here," Vice-president Max stepped into the armory. "Let's go," Alex said and got up from his chair. The rest followed suit and headed outside to find a futuristic-looking jet levitating in the air. "Peter?" Peter, the technician from the workshop waved at Alex and his friends from the cockpit.

"C'mon, let's go," The jet landed and its rear compartment opened for them to enter. They sat side-by-side along two rows of seats facing each other. The rear door closed and the plane took off vertically. "We'll be approaching the Eastern Range in roughly twenty minutes. After that, you'll all dive towards the shield at altitude twenty thousand feet." "What? We're jumping off a plane without parachute?" Calvin interrupted. "We don't need one when you have me. I'll guide us down towards the drop zone." Lenny said. "I really don't like the sound of that," He trembled from the thought of it. There was fear in his eyes. Alia grabbed his right hand and gave it a tight squeeze. "You're gonna be alright," Calvin nodded, his trembling lessened. "Kelvin will go first to crack the shield while Alia followed-up by destroying the Arc Net. Lenny will guide you all towards the crack to provide cover fire while Alex bring the Elders inside. After that, the rest of you scram, got that?" Max went over the plan again. The atmosphere was tense, everyone looked nervous. Lenny couldn't stop shaking his legs while the rest fidgeted. Sensing the uneasy feeling all around him, Kenneth cranked up the volume on his device. "This ain't a song for the broken-hearted. No silent prayer��" Kenneth had always been a die-hard fan of rock music, the music gave him comfort whenever he felt nervous. No one on the plane complained about the loud volume. It seemed to have a calming effect on the rest of them. "Reaching drop zone in thirty seconds," Peter informed over the microphone. "It's my life. It's now or never. I ain't gonna live forever…" The chorus played on as Max opened the rear door. Strong gale rushed into the cargo compartment as the door opened. "Ready?" He asked Kelvin. Kelvin grabbed the Mason Hammer with both his hands and nodded. Max grabbed the hammer with both his hands and began channeling his energy into the weapon. The air around the head of the hammer sizzled. Sparks flew and the engravings on the Mason Hammer glowed in a rainbow spectrum. With one final nod, Kelvin jumped off the plane. Alia was next, she stepped outside with a large bazooka on her shoulder. "…For Tommy and Gina who never backed down…" The song continued to play in the background as the rest jumped off the plane.

Kelvin dived through the thick clouds and achieved terminal velocity when the dark hemisphere came into view. The head of the hammer filled the air with loud crackling sound as Kelvin plummeted downwards. Manipulating the air to adjust his trajectory, he positioned himself directly above the hemisphere. Three rings of fire were made when he was less than a hundred feet from the target. Releasing his grip on the hammer, Kelvin pushed the air with both his palms. A vacuum pathway was created to remove any friction. As the Mason Hammer transverse each ring of fire, its speed was further accelerated with an explosion. Within seconds, the hammer smashed into the dark force field, leaving a large hole on top of the hemisphere. A powerful rocket whooshed passed Kelvin and went directly into the hole. A bright light was seen followed by the sound of a loud explosion. Kelvin slowed his descent with a blast of air to the front and used the flow of air to direct himself towards the gap in the force field. His friends had already landed on top of the dark hemisphere and were fighting off gargoyles and wyverns made of skeletons. Kelvin intercepted a few arrows that came at him and returned fire with a few flame balls. Alex had already brought the two Elders on top of the shield near the gap. The two Elders leapt into the hole while the rest circled around it, preventing the enemy from getting inside.

While the team was busy fighting off enemies from the sky, they failed to notice the enlarging gap behind them. Before long, all of them were pulled into the dark hemisphere by an unknown force. "Shit! I can't move my legs!" Kelvin said. All nine of them were instantly dragged inside the force field before the gap closed in on itself. It was dark and cool inside, except for the light emitted by the two Elders in front of them. One of them turned his head and said. "What are you kids doing here? I thought you're supposed to stay out of this!" "We kinda got dragged into it, literally." Alex said. He tried to teleport to the outside but he couldn't. "Don't bother teleporting, you're just wasting your strength. There're more than one way to prevent teleportation," A new voice echoed in the enclosed space. It was high-pitched and devoid of emotion. "Great! Thanks a lot, Kenneth!" Lenny said sarcastically. "You just have to open your big mouth!" Calvin shot Kenneth a look in a fit of pique. "When this is over, I'm so gonna kick your ass!" Kelvin said. "Save some for me!" Iris added. "Silence!" A thin and pale man stepped out from the shadow. "So you're the necromancer," One of the Elders said. "I prefer the name Morgan. And this shall be your grave. Enjoy your last day as free souls." Skeletal creatures crawled from the dirt and started attacking them. Kelvin dodged the claws coming from a canine skeleton. He rolled aside and picked up the Mason Hammer before raining down heavy blows onto the creature. The skull and backbone of the creature were shattered by the brute force. The rest of its skeleton fell apart soon after. However, they started to reattach again the moment Kelvin turned his attention away to face another opponent. Kelvin was forced back-to-back with Lenny, completely surrounded by undead creatures. "There's no end to this!" Lenny said. "There's nothing much we can do but hold off until the Elders take down Morgan." Kelvin replied. "Great!" Lenny said and charged towards his opponents.

21. Hellraiser

Alex shot two incoming skeletal boars with high-explosive ammos. Their skulls exploded into hundreds of pieces upon impact. He retreated to a safe corner to reload while shooting quick glances around him. The two Elders cornered Morgan. One of them wielded two circular chakrams while the other held a glaive. There were three additional humanoid creatures aiding the two Elders. They were draped in black cloak while the rest of their bodies were covered by bandages including their faces. Each of them had metal balls and chains wrapped around their bodies. Alex squeezed the triggers on his dual pistols as two cougar-like skeletons charged at him. Dust filled the air as the two skeletons disintegrated. A giant skeletal lizard managed to sneak its way behind Alex while he was reloading. "Focus, Alex!" A ray of light blasted beside his shoulder, de-animating the skeleton that was about to attack him. Alex gave Chen a thumbs up before rushing towards Kelvin and Kenneth. "That Morgan feller seems powerful," Alex said. "The Elders are struggling to deal with him. Should we help?" Kenneth cut down his opponents with his lightsabers. "I don't know… Hold on," Kelvin smashed a skeleton warrior with a swing of his hammer. The watch on his wrist beeped. "Kenneth, can you take this? This armor doesn't have a receiver. Just put the call on loud speaker. It's from Max," Kelvin forwarded the transmission to Kenneth. "Max, what's up?" Kenneth greeted casually as he answered the call. ���Where the heck are you guys? I'm at the rendezvous point now." Max said. "We're kinda busy!" Explosions sent ashes flying as Alex's explosive ammunition tore apart the skeletons. "We're trapped inside the force field together with the Elders," Kelvin shouted. "How did that happened?" Max replied. "Long story," Alex said. "Just leave without us, we can handle it!" Calvin joined in the conversation. "What the hell are you saying? I'm not…" Kelvin motioned for Kenneth to cut off the transmission. Max tried to contact Kelvin once more but he blocked the transmission.

"Any suggestions?" Calvin swept his plasma cannon across the space in front of him. The photon beam emitted neutralized the Darkness energy that kept the skeletons moving. "This is never gonna end if we don't take out that Morgan feller." Kenneth pointed out. "Agree," Kelvin replied. "We must regroup first." Kelvin sent his enemies flying with a strong gale. Kenneth followed up with sharp spikes made of earth that impaled the airborne enemies. They cleared a path towards their friends who were fighting at the other end. The nine of them regrouped and retreated to the edge of the force field. "I know Max told us not to engage the necromancer but in this situation, I don't think we have a choice." Kelvin said. "I agree," Iris said. "So, what's the new plan?" Chen asked while bringing down an elephant skeleton with a photon beam. "Calvin, Kenneth and me will engage Morgan first while the rest of you close him off from his skeleton army. We'll form a circle around him, cutting off his support. After that, each of us will rotate in teams of three to attack him." Kelvin suggested. "Sounds good," Alex said. "I'll go with Iris and Alex," Lenny said. "Chen and Julee will be with me then," Alia said. "Let's go!" Chen unleashed a bright beam of yellowish light, de-animating the skeletons in front of him. The nine of them then charged towards Morgan's direction. Kelvin, Calvin and Kenneth picked up speed as they closed in on their target. The rest fanned out around Morgan, cutting off his support. Kelvin sent forth a wave of fire at Morgan's direction but he easily evaded it. Kenneth tried to lock Morgan with his Freeze ability. However, his visual of Morgan was suddenly obscured by two skeletal warriors that burst forth from the dirt when he was about to use that ability of his. Calvin managed to sneak a direct hit on Morgan while the necromancer was busy with the rest of his friends. The photon beam made contact with the black cloak on Morgan but nothing happened. It completely absorbed Calvin's attack. "Your attack is too weak to have any effect on me," Morgan laughed. Kenneth attempted to use Freeze again when the two Elders launched themselves at Morgan. Again, his visual was blocked by skeletal warriors. "You have a powerful ability, young man. But it won't work since I know what it is," Morgan said with a smug grin. "I know all of your powers, you can't surprise me," He added.

"What are you kids doing? I thought I told you to stay out of this!" The Elder with the chakrams said. "If you keep treating us like this, we're all gonna end up dead!" Kelvin said. "He's right, Mahmood. We can't take him with just the two of us." The Elder with the glaive said. "If we work together, we have better chances of winning," Calvin said. "Fair enough," Mahmood replied and charged towards Morgan with his circular blades. Meanwhile, the other Elder lunged at Morgan from the side with his glaive. Like the grace of a ballerina, Morgan dodged each incoming attack from the Elders and their minions. Later, a triple attack by Julee, Chen and Alia also failed. "You can't touch me inside this force field, I can see everything." Morgan bent his hip to avoid the glaive and then dived into his own shadow. He reemerged behind Mahmood and stabbed him in the back with a dagger. Mahmood staggered forward before spinning around for a counterattack. The dagger only managed to damage the Elder's armor, it wasn't sufficient to penetrate it. "Didn't I tell you it was futile? I can see all your moves!" Morgan jeered. "Oh yeah? Then you should've see this coming!" Alex dashed behind Morgan with his Super Speed. "Nothing will surprise me, boy!" As Morgan turned around, Alex slammed the cylindrical bomb directly on Morgan's feet, sending a bright radiance that illuminated the dim surrounding. "Argh-h-h!" Morgan shielded his eyes with his arms. The Light energy momentarily de-animated every single skeletal creature around Morgan. Kenneth with his Polaroid sunglasses charged forth and unleashed a fury of slashes onto Morgan's back. Iris did the same from the front. Unfortunately, their attacks left no trace on the Necromancer's Cloak. Alia, Calvin and Chen fired photon beams at Morgan simultaneously at the same spot on his chest. And it worked! The accumulated Light energy was able to burn a hole through the Necromancer��s Cloak and tear through Morgan's flesh. Morgan gave a shrill cry and made a leapt into the air. The chains from the Elders' minions failed to bind their target as Morgan retreated into his own shadow. The Light energy from the Solas Petram faded, causing the entire place to sink into darkness once more. "Curse you! Master John warned me about you kids, but I was too careless!" Morgan's piercing voice echoed around. "But no more games!" Sharp needles made of shadows were shot from inside the barrier, raining down onto the gang. "Shield!" The Elder with the glaive plunged his weapon to the ground, creating an energy barrier. "Where's he? I can't sense him very well inside his force field." Mahmood said. Dark tendrils lashed at the barrier after the hail of needles stopped.

"What was that thing you threw at him just now?" The Elder with the glaive asked. "It's an upgraded version of the Solas Petram," Alia answered. "However, we only have eight of them left." She added. "Great job back there. I'm Elder Jarl and he's Elder Mahmood. If we can land another hit like just now, we can beat him." Elder Jarl said. "We'll flush him out using the Solas Petram and distract him." Kelvin said. "We'll do the rest," Elder Mahmood said. "Ready?" Elder Jarl looked around him. All of them had some form of eye shield on their face. Elder Jarl nodded and lifted his glaive. The tendrils that were held back by Elder Jarl's shield snapped at them. The gang spread out in four different directions. With a powerful toss, Julee launched the cylindrical bomb into the air. Before it detonated, a gargoyle snatched the weapon in mid-air and dived towards the edge of the force field. More gargoyles joined in, they wrapped themselves around the bomb like a candy wrapper. The bomb detonated at a remote corner and its effect was suppressed by the multiple skeletons that stacked on top of each other. "The same trick doesn't work on me twice, fool!" Morgan's high-pitched voice was heard all around, making them unable to tell his location. There was a crack in Morgan's force field near the place where Julee's Solas Petram detonated. More skeletons of human and beasts rose from the ground. They were different from the ones they faced moments ago. All the new skeletons had a dark shine to their bones. Their weapons and armors which were made of bones gave off the same darkly shine. Alex fired at his assailants with the same high explosive bullets he used before but the result was far different than he had expected. Instead of being blown to shreds, the bullets only left faint soot on the undead skeletons. It took considerably more shots from Alia and Calvin's plasma cannons to bring down just one of them. Lenny was forced to use his Solas Petram when his team was surrounded. The rest could also feel the staggering difference between their new foes and the feeble undead they faced moments ago.

"How come they're so much stronger than before?" Kenneth asked. "Their bones have been enhanced with Darkness energy. They may be stronger but they take a lot more energy to summon. That's the reason why that necromancer is hiding, his energy must be depleting." Elder Mahmood said. "I heard that!" Morgan emerged from the darkness and came at Mahmood with the Necromancer's Staff. Mahmood blocked the staff with the chakram on his left hand while counterattacking with the one on his right. Again, the Necromancer's Cloak prevented Morgan from harm. The silvery sparks on Mahmood's blade left no mark on the black cloak. "My turn!" Morgan raised his staff, gathering shadows from all around him, forming a giant scythe. As he swung the scythe, a wave of darkness was unleashed along its arch path. The darkness pushed everything in its path like a freight train, knocking down all his opponents. The black scythe lost its blade and was transformed into the blade of a long sword. Wielding the staff with a single hand, Morgan lunged the blade at Kelvin who was lying on the ground. His sword was parried by Chen's sword which was forged from his own Light energy. Their blades clashed, sending sparks flying. Their blades collided again and again, picking up speed after each time. Beats of sweat rolled down Chen's forehead as he struggled to keep up with Morgan's pace. Calvin and Alia tried to sneak a shot at Morgan from the side but he blocked their attacks with the black cloak. With a powerful stroke, Chen was thrown into the air by a wave of darkness. "Your sword is too weak!" Morgan raised his staff and swung it like a bat, shattering Chen's sword. Lenny took the opportunity to close-in on Morgan and delivered a swipe to his back with the Demon Edge. Again, the attack didn't leave a mark on Morgan. "A dormant Demon Edge is no threat to me!" Morgan's leg blurred in a crescent after receiving a slash to the back. His boot caught Lenny in the chin, knocking him to the ground. Morgan's staff transformed yet again, forming a spear. He then used the spear to impale one of the Elders' minions who was getting up. The minion vaporized after receiving a blow to the chest, leaving behind its clothes and weapon. "Weak!" Morgan hissed as he freed his spear from the bandages.

Morgan quickly spun around and thrusted his spear forward, after sensing Alex's presence. The spear caught Alex right in the chest. "You don't fool me, kid!" A giant hand made of skeleton rose from the ground and wrapped itself around Alex, shielding Morgan from the Solas Petram hidden inside the Doppelgänger. "Damn it, he knew!" Alex cursed. The explosion tore apart the giant hand but didn't do any damage to Morgan. "Hey, guys! I found the grimoire!" Kenneth yelled excitedly. The Necromancer's Grimoire was sitting on a lectern all by itself. "Leave it, we can't do anything about it." Elder Jarl said. "What the heck are you saying?" Kenneth ignored the Elder and swung his lightsabers at the spellbook. Purplish sparks were created as the lightsabers made contact with the grimoire. However, no damage was done. "I told you to leave it alone, there's a reason why it's left undefended!" Elder Jarl shouted. The Elders' two remaining minions finally managed to bind Morgan with their chains after countless attempts. The rest took the opportunity to gang up on him from all sides. Elder Jarl charged from the front with his glaive while Elder Mahmood approached from behind. Lenny and Chen attacked from the left while Kelvin and Julee charged from the right. Alia and Calvin took to the air and blasted Morgan with their plasma cannons. "Fools!" Morgan uttered. A dark hemisphere formed around him and expanded outwards as his opponents charged towards him. The force field he erected outside collapsed inwards all of a sudden. The two barriers met and pancaked his opponents. There was sound of cracking bones and armors being crushed. Kenneth was the only one unharmed because he used the Solas Petram on the grimoire when the two force field collided. The explosion blew a hole in both force fields, sparing Kenneth from the impact. Iris and Alex on the other hand were both caught by the impact, knocking them out cold. "Damn! It really is indestructible!" Kenneth stared at the Necromancer's Grimoire, unscathed by the burst of Light energy.

"Didn't he just told you to leave the grimoire alone? You're one dumb kid!" Morgan slit the throats of two of the Elders' minions, causing them to evaporate into greyish smoke. "But either way, you'll end up dead," The staff transformed into a whip and lashed at Kenneth. Kenneth ducked and then formed a shield with his psionic energy to block the next hit. Kenneth boosted his physical strength with Overdrive and darted forward when Morgan raised his whip for another swing. When he was within strike range, he used his Freeze ability to immobilize Morgan and stabbed his dual lightsabers at Morgan's chest. Morgan gave off a sinister laugh and said. "Why do you think I allowed you to use that ability now of all times?" The lightsabers never actually made it to Morgan's flesh, the laser blades were stopped by a giant hand made of shadow. Kenneth was right to aim at the exposed part of the cloak but he was not strong enough to deliver the finishing move. Even in his Overdrive mode, his movements were still too slow to match that of Morgan's. With a powerful yank, the giant hand tossed Kenneth into the air. Kenneth lost his grip on his lightsabers and they were crushed by the giant hand. Another giant hand made of Darkness energy came at him from the left while he was still airborne. "Guess I have no choice left!" Kenneth thought to himself. He poured every ounce of energy left inside of him and went into hyper drive. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and lowered his head. The giant fist came at him and he took it head on. The force of the impact sent him flying further backwards. With a wave of his fist, a pillar of earth rose behind him. He wrapped himself in fetal position and delivered a powerful double-kick to the pillar. The pillar toppled from the impact while the kick propelled him forward and directly at Morgan.

"Oh, come on! Can't you just wait for your turn to die?" Morgan raised his staff, the shape of a mace at its tip. "Kenneth, catch!" Lenny tossed the Demon Edge towards Kenneth as he flew across the air. As Kenneth gripped the handle, he felt all the energy that he had put into his hyper drive mode being drawn into the blade. He could feel the Demon Edge resonating with the tremors of his hands. As he approached his target at high speed, his trembling stopped and was replaced by an unknown strength coming from the Demon Edge. Stealing a quick glance at the sword, he noticed that it was no longer the rusty blade that Lenny was holding. The rust fell off and the blade shimmered in a radiant light blue. "Ra-argh-ah!" Kenneth gave a loud battle cry while swinging the blade to meet Morgan's staff. He invested all his remaining strength in that one swing. "This can't be happening," Morgan stared in disbelief at his broken staff and spurting arm. His eyes were wide, so was his mouth. The Demon Edge cut right through the Necromancer's Staff and severed Morgan's forearm. The staff was split into two and lay in a pool of blood alongside Morgan's right forearm. "Ra-Argh-ah-ah-h!" Morgan shrilled in agony, sending a powerful wave of darkness radiating outwards. "Get down!" Kelvin said and detonated the cylindrical bomb, clearing out the Darkness energy coming his way. The two Elders recovered and was able to erect a barrier to shield themselves in time. Alex recovered from the previous attack and managed to dodge the attack by taking cover behind Kelvin. He dragged Lenny and Chen along with him. Julee was also spared from the attack. However, the rest weren't as lucky. They were knocked down once more as they tried to get on their feet. Kenneth was hit the most severe as he was the closest to Morgan. He fainted from the direct impact. Morgan had gone berserk after the injury. Dark tentacles lashed out from random directions at the two Elders while multiple spikes made of shadow burst forth from the ground. Hail of dark needles rained from the top and impaled everything beneath them. Morgan's force field was falling apart, the skeletal creatures that he conjured were being butchered by his own attacks.

"Buy me some time," Chen said out of the blue. His left hand was clutching his chest while his right reached inside his shirt. "Are you nuts? We've gotta get outta here!" Alex said. "Trust me, it'll work!" Chen replied confidently. "Fine, Lenny, Julee and me will defend you until Alex finish rounding up the others. After that, we leave." Kelvin created a barrier to shield the five of them. Alex only gave a nod before running into the hail of needles. He forced his way through the obstacles, suppressing the pain that incurred along the way. The only thing on his mind was saving his friends. He tried teleporting when he was halfway there. He succeeded in closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye! He was able to use his ability once more due to the collapsing force field. Calvin was still groggy when Alex helped him onto his feet. "What happened?" Calvin asked. Alex pressed the button on Calvin's belt, activating the Light shield before answering. "No time to think now! Just help me out!" Alex motioned for Calvin to help pull Alia out from a pile of bones. Her armor was full of tiny holes. She must have used her shield to protect Calvin instead of using it on herself. After Alia was cleared from the rubble, Alex teleported the three of them to Kelvin's side. "I'll go for Kenneth, can you go get Iris?" Alex said. "Yeah, sure." Calvin shook his head a few times, he was still dazed from the impact. Without waiting for Calvin's reply, Alex vanished and reappeared beside Kenneth. Kenneth's armor broke in more places than he could count. He was not responding to Alex's call. Alex grabbed his unconscious friend's wrist and teleported. When they reappeared back inside Kelvin's Universal Barrier, Calvin was seen running towards them with Iris beside him. Iris didn't seem badly injured. "We can't stay here much longer, I'll teleport us outta here." Alex said. "Wait just a moment, Chen's almost done." Kelvin said. "… I pray upon the Light. Grant me the strength to vanquish all evil. En la Voluntad del Señor." Chen was holding a chained pendant on his right hand while reciting the prayer. There was massive amount of energy being poured into the pendant. The concentration of Light energy drew Morgan's attention. His attacks were no longer random strikes. The hails of needles and the dark tendrils retreated back into the shadow. Morgan's eye were filled with rage and killer intent. "Kelvin, can you contact Max? Kenneth's badly injured, so is Alia. They need help pronto!" Alex said. "We can't leave without Chen! And that bastard is coming right at us!" Kelvin pointed at the ominous darkness that gathered before their eyes. "My god…" An enlarging tornado was sucking all the Darkness energy into itself. Morgan was manipulating it with his left hand. "We have gotta go!" Alex shouted at Chen.

Suddenly, there was a bright ray of light that shot into the air from Chen's pendant. A portal was opened in the air. A gash split the space above them, emitting a radiant gold. The gash enlarged to reveal a gate completely covered in gold. The gate slid open and a bright figure emerged. Her entire body was dressed in gold and her wings were the purest of white. There was a golden halo on her head and on her hands were a pair of bow. "We hear your prayer, my child." The angel said. Chen only managed to give a weak smile before he collapsed to the ground. "Chen, are you alright?" Lenny rushed to his side. "Impossible!" Morgan hissed, the vortex of darkness in front of him grew to epic proportion. However, the force field around him finally gave way and shattered. Heavy torrent began to pour into the previously enclosed space. It was another heavy afternoon rain. "Give me all your Solas Petram!" Calvin demanded. "Here, take it!" Iris tossed her weapon to Calvin. "What are you planning to do with them?" Alex asked. "We'll use them to buy us some time." Calvin explained. The vortex had grown to the size of a jumbo jet, sucking up dirt, skeletons and rain along the way. "Ditch the bombs, Calvin. We'll be leaving now!" Alex yelled. Everyone gathered around Alex while he searched for a point to teleport. There were allies and enemies all around them; some fighting while others were rushing towards them. But none of them would be able to make it in time. As the angel raised her bow to fire, Morgan unleashed the cumulated vortex of darkness with an angry roar. "Die!" The vortex bulldozed its way towards the gang at lightning speed, destroying everything in its path. Finally decided a suitable destination, Alex gave the signal for Calvin to act. The nine of them vanished with only a split second to spare before the vortex hit them. The explosion of the remaining Solas Petram cleared a tiny path in the vortex in which a golden arrow flew across. The vortex slammed into the golden gate and the angel, pulverizing them. However, the golden arrow that made it through the wave of darkness.

Morgan watched as the arrow flew towards him, penetrating through the spot where the Necromancer's Cloak had been damaged. It was too late for him to take any countermeasures. All he could do was embrace the death that came his way. Blood gushed from his chest as the arrow made its way through, bringing Morgan to his knees. Alex and his friends appeared on a ledge overlooking the carnage below. Morgan was down on all four with an expanding pool of blood beneath him. The angel and the portal were nowhere to be seen. The two Elders surrounded Morgan with other allies who had come to their aid. "It's over, Morgan!" Elder Jarl pointed his glaive at Morgan's neck. "You're under arrest for necromancery and the use of forbidden artifacts among other charges." Elder Mahmood said. "Bah! Ugh, ugh, ugh…" A mouthful of blood was spat onto the ground as Morgan coughed. "Sorry, Master John…" Morgan dropped to the ground, motionless. Alex heaved a sigh of relief and slumped to the ground. "Have you manage to contact Max?" He asked. "He's on his way," Kelvin replied. "Good to hear," Lenny said. Moments later, a jet slowly descended to their location, its rear cargo door opened and Max's familiar face was seen. There was no anger on that stoic face of his, only relief. Alex teleported everyone onboard in a single go as the plane couldn't find any suitable location to land. When everyone got onboard and was about to leave, they heard a loud rumble below them. The ground fissured and quaked, splitting the rocky terrain. "What's going on?" Lenny asked, peeking outside. "How can that thing still be moving?" Kelvin pointed at a giant white object that rose from the gash.

22. A Place That Never Was

"I thought you said the skeletons will all return to normal after we kill the necromancer." Calvin said. "They should…" Max was also puzzled by the sudden development. The White Emperor which Morgan was conjuring crawled out from the rocky ground. "It doesn't matter, I think they can handle it. The rest of the skeletons are all de-animated right? Only the White Emperor remains." Alex said. "Alex's right, we need to get your friends to the hospital." Max said. Before he managed to give the order, a dark figure appeared beside Morgan's body. More people joined him moments later. "It's Sir John!" Kelvin pointed out. Sir John knelt beside Morgan's dead body and gave a depressed howl. "Why…" His grip on his sword tightened. "Why!" He slammed the sword to the ground, sending a wave of darkness that vaporized a team of five that came at him. Sir John's men were engaging with Erik, Lord Moto, Mr. Fulmo, Mr. Mednik and many others. It was a chaotic scene. "I think we gotta go. Move it, Peter!" Sir John seemed to have caught sight of the futuristic jet. "You!" Sir John sent a powerful shock wave at the jet, knocking it off balance. The gang tumbled as the plane upended and flipped. Peter managed to wrestle control of the jet and prevented it from crashing. "Hit it, Peter!" Max bellowed. Peter pushed the thrusters to maximum power but somehow, the jet was not accelerating. Kelvin recovered his balance and glanced out the window. A giant shadow was wrapped around the body of the plane, preventing it from moving. "Fire the missiles!" Max ordered. "I can't! The shutters are jammed!" Peter replied, his voice was tensed. ""I'll go free the plane," Kelvin said, lifting the Mason Hammer. "I'll go with you!" Alex said. "No, you'll be killed if you go out there!" Max objected. "Don't worry, we got your back." Lenny and Iris offered to help. ���I want to help but my arm is busted. I'll only end up slowing you guys, sorry." Calvin said. "Don't worry about it." Alex gave Calvin a reassuring smile. "If we don't go, this plane will be crushed!" Kelvin said. Max was out of words because Kelvin's suggestion was the best option they got. "Don't worry, master. You taught me well." The four of them linked their hands together and vanished.

"The heck are we doing all the way up here?" Lenny yelled through the strong wind that rushed towards his face. "Building momentum," Alex answered. Kelvin accelerated the Mason Hammer like he did before, destroying the darkness that was holding onto the jet. The plane blasted into the distance as soon as it was freed. The four of them slowed their descent with Kelvin and Lenny's manipulation of the air. The moment they landed, they sensed a strong force coming their way. They turned to see Mr. Mednik standing behind them. His hands extended outwards while his feet firmly anchored to the ground. An electric vortex formed in front of him, dissipating the darkness that was aimed at the four of them. "Go!" Mr. Mednik ordered. His armor was battered and he had a tired look on his face. Alex grabbed his friends' hands and escaped without hesitation. The four of them reappeared beside the two Elders whom they found alongside with. There were many groups of people from the diverse clans on Yume, working together to restrain the White Emperor. "What are you kids still doing back here?" Elder Mahmood asked. "It's complicated." Lenny answered. "How come the White Emperor is still moving? Didn't we just killed Morgan?" Iris asked. "We think it's because of those blood seals over its skull. They might be Morgan's dead man's switch." Elder Jarl pointed at the multiple symbols drawn in blood on the White Emperor's skull. "The other skeletons had all been de-animated since his death except for that one." Elder Mahmood added. "So, how do we stop it?" Alex asked. "We have to seal the grimoire. Only Magic can do that, Archdeacon Sylvester is on his way with a wizard." Elder Mahmood replied. "And how long would that take?" Kelvin asked. "It depends but at least two hours," Elder Jarl said. "We'll be dead in two hours!" Lenny said. "Look, if you have a better idea, you're welcome to try!" Elder Mahmood answered impatiently. Kelvin proceeded towards the Necromancer's Grimoire and ran his hammer down hard on the spellbook. An invisible force seemed to be protecting the grimoire, giving Kelvin a hard recoil that knocked him off balance. Kelvin landed on his butt, the Mason Hammer slipped from his grip. "Look! If it's that easy to destroy the book, we would have go after it first instead of attacking Morgan." Elder Jarl said.

Sir John caught up with Kelvin and his friends yet again! His eyes were filled with vengeance. However, his movement seemed to be slowing down. His fatigue probably caught up with him like everyone else. "Damn! That guy just doesn't give up!" Lenny said. "Incoming!" One of the men who was restraining the White Emperor warned. The Sword of Darkness on his left hand morphed into a giant hammer as he slammed it onto the ground. The hammer sent a shock wave that knocked everyone off balance and fissured the rocky terrain further more. A landslide caused the team to lose control of the White Emperor, causing it to go on a rampage once more. The sword morphed back to the form of the Siskhlis when Sir John darted toward Kelvin. With no weapon in sight, Kelvin grabbed the Necromancer's Grimoire in desperation and used it as a shield to block Sir John's attack. Surprisingly, the grimoire made a sturdy shield, withstanding every strike Sir John sent at Kelvin. Lenny and Iris came at Sir John from behind while the two Elders flanked him from the sides. The Sword of Darkness was transformed into a large chain sickle that whirled around him, driving them back. Erik appeared beside Kelvin and handed him the Mason Hammer. "You alright?" He asked. "I'm okay. The spellbook make a damn good shield." Kelvin replied. Just as he lifted the grimoire, a few pages fell from the book. The pages combusted in a dark flame the moment they were detached. "The Sword of Darkness can actually harm the grimoire?" Count Fleming who was levitating in the air joined them on the ground. More reinforcement came to confront Sir John and his men. Since the skeleton army was defeated, Sir John and his men were severely outnumbered. "I got an idea, watch my back." Alex took the spellbook from Kelvin and ran towards Sir John. "Hey, Captain John! Nice eye patch!" Alex tried to catch Sir John's attention. "You'll pay for this!" Sir John dived into his own shadow. Alex popped a few smoke grenades and teleported into the heart of the battlefield. Alex caught a glimpse of the lady in red and the two bulky men from the other day. Sir John's men seemed to be on the losing side, most of them were already panting from exhaustion. Some had already surrendered. Alex quickly spun around after sensing a powerful force coming from behind him. The Siskhlis emerged from his shadow just like it did last time. However, Alex had foresaw such an attack coming; in fact, he hoped for it. Using the Necromancer's Grimoire like a shield, he blocked the blade of the Siskhlis. A deep gash was left on the cover of the spellbook, causing more pages to fall out. "Drop the damn book!" Sir John demanded. "Make me!" Alex mocked by pulling down his lower eyelid and jutting his tongue. "I'll kill you!" Sir John roared and swung his blade. The sword caught nothing but air. Alex reappeared some distance behind his opponent and fired a few high explosive bullets at Sir John. The bullets did nothing more than infuriate the already vexed Sir John.

The lady in red saw an opening behind Alex and dived in for the kill. However, she was instantly intercepted by Lenny and Iris. Her movements were different from the other day they saw her. She was much more agile despite her lethargic outlook. "Out of the way, kids! If you know what's best for you." She was holding a dagger in each hand, both their blades were covered with dried and fresh blood. "Try me!" Iris's katana lit up in a red flame. "Tsk!" She hissed. Lenny instinctively raised his katana after noticing the slight twitch in his opponent's right forearm. That subtle hint gave Lenny the chance to block an otherwise fatal attack. The dagger that was aimed at his neck was deflected by Lenny's katana. Another dagger came for Lenny's flank from the left but it faltered when Iris rammed into the lady. Attacking from both sides, Lenny and Iris prevented the lady from sneaking on Alex. Alex on the other hand kept on taunting Sir John, luring him to hit the grimoire with the Sword of Darkness. He managed to cause some damage to the grimoire from his act but the spellbook still remained active, channeling energy to the White Emperor. "Why is it so hard to break this thing?��� Alex thought to himself. Lord Moto and Count Fleming were on Sir John's tail as he chased after Alex. As Alex approached a forest of Birch trees, he feinted a fall and threw the grimoire into the woods. Instead of going for the spellbook, Sir John came right at Alex with the Siskhlis just as Alex had hoped. Sir John closed-in the distance between them with a powerful dash and thrusted his sword forward. Lord Moto and Count Fleming were unable to catch up with him. The blade which was bathed in dark flame vaporized the raindrops, shrouding the whole place in mist. "Alex, watch out!" Erik called out. He was too far to be of any help. "You're dead, brat!" Sir John yelled.

Moments before the Siskhlis made contact with Alex, Alex's Doppelgänger appeared before him with the Necromancer's Grimoire in hand. "Nooooo!" Sir John realized he was fooled once again. However, he was unable to pull his sword back. The momentum drew the Siskhlis right through the grimoire and Alex's Doppelgänger. It even grazed through Alex's left shoulder plate, destroying the armor that covered his left shoulder and chest. Darkness spewed from the torn spellbook, releasing an enormous amount of energy into the air. The entire place was dimmed momentarily from the fountain of Darkness energy. Some of the blackness spilled onto Alex, burning a nasty scar on his exposed shoulder and chest. "Ah-augh-argh!" Alex screamed from the pain. At the same time, whitish vapors rose from the skeletal remains and the White Emperor fell apart. The Necromancer's Grimoire dropped to the ground; half of it was already turned into ashes while the other half burnt in dark flame. "What have you done?" Sir John stared wide-eyed at the remains of the grimoire. A fiery chain wrapped around Sir John's armor while an unseen force snatched the Sword of Darkness from his grip. Sir John still hasn't realize that the Siskhlis was no longer in his possession until Lord Moto and Count Fleming came up beside him. He was still in shock after witnessing the destruction of the Necromancer's Grimoire. "Well done, Alex! You did what we should've done fifty years ago." Count Fleming commended. The skeletons which were no longer bounded by the spellbook disintegrated into dust, washed away by the heavy torrent. "We did it!" Kelvin, Lenny and Iris caught up to Alex. "Yeah…" Alex said, a sudden giddiness washed over him. The world around him spun and tilted. Before he even realized what was going on, he was lying on the ground, looking up at his friends' concerned faces. There was a constant painful throb on the left side of his chest. However, all of that soon began to fade as the familiar darkness greeted him once more.

Alex woke up staring at a familiar ceiling, it was the same room he was admitted into. He turned his head and saw Kelvin by his side. His friend's right arm was supported by an arm sling. "Ah, you're awake." Kelvin said. "How long was I out?" That was the first question that popped out. "Just a couple of hours." Kelvin pulled apart the curtains to allow a weak twilight to enter the room. The rain had stopped and in its place was a beautiful rainbow. "How're the others?" Alex asked after noticing Kelvin was the only one with him. "Kenneth's in the intensive care unit. His condition had stabilized. Chen and Alia had regained consciousness an hour ago, Calvin, Lenny and Iris are with them right now. All of us suffered some form of injury here and there but everyone's safe. Calvin fractured his right arm and left leg while Lenny broke a few ribs. Kenneth was injured the most severely, both his arms were broken and most of his ribs were fractured. As for me, I fractured my forearm." Kelvin pointed at the arm sling. "I see," Alex tried to push himself to a sitting position. A sharp pain shot through his left shoulder as he pushed himself off the bed. He loosened his hospital gown to see his shoulder and chest wrapped in bandages. They made him recalled the darkness that spewed over his shoulder. There was a knock on the door and Julee entered. She handed Kelvin a can of soda and took a seat beside him. There were bandages over her forearms. "Want one?" She asked. Feeling the sudden dryness in his throat, he took up Julee's offer. "It's finally over, huh?" Alex gulped down the can of soda. "Yeah…" Kelvin's voice trailed off as he gazed into the evening sky outside.

Kenneth woke up two days later and was transferred to a regular room. All of them were discharged one week after that. All of them had fully recovered from their injuries except of Kenneth and Alex. A party was thrown in honor of their role in stopping Sir John and his men. Sir John was executed after a trial in the Spirit World while most of his men were imprisoned in the Spirit World Maximum Prison. A follow-up investigation on the incident was carried out by the Council of Light and the Spirit World. It revealed that Sir John's action was just the tip of an iceberg, there was a much more elaborate plan going on in the shadows. The three Swords of Darkness had been split and redistributed to different places in secrecy. After the conflict, the relationship between the multiple clans on Yume improved. The bonds that were formed after facing a common enemy had united them. The Freedom Clan members grew in numbers but was still not what it used to be back in its golden days. Erik took the nine kids for a long trip around Yume after they were discharged. When asked about his motive, he just let the question slid or ignore it completely. Sometimes, he would give a cliché answer such as "You guys deserve this, you're heroes!" The nine of them soon grew tired of it and decided to just play along. They couldn't get an answer out of General Erik no matter how many times they tried. So instead of being obstinate about the whole thing, they decided to just enjoy the trip offered to them. They were given a tour on all the nice places around Yume including Windy Town, a town on the East side of the island, near the Water Clan branch. The town has the longest beach on Yume, the Texel Kust. The town was famous for its Dutch architectures from the sixties. After Windy Town, they ventured south, to the Great Lake where Alex and Lenny paid a visit to their friend Shirley. They were given a tour of the Espejo Village and the lake by Shirley herself. It was something the two boys didn't have the chance to enjoy the last time they visited. They then headed to the Yume National Park southwest of the island. They were able to catch a glimpse of a few rare species that were only found on Yume. They then dropped by at the Sleeping Forest base located near the forest reserve. They were welcomed by Aunt Mary with open arms. They made their last stop at Limpopo, a city under the governance of the Thunder Clan branch. The city is located on the west of Yume, some distance from the Celestial City. After about two weeks of roaming around, they finally returned to the Freedom Fortress.

Nothing much seemed to have changed after their vacation. Mrs. Parker welcomed the boys back to their dorm as usual. However, something was off on the night of their return. The six boys were suddenly invited for dinner with Vice-president Max along with Julee, Alia and Iris. Count Fleming and Erik were present as well. The dinner started off the usual way, full of idle chatters. Everyone was seated alongside a long dinner table. There were many questions regarding their vacation from Max and Count Fleming. Things progressed the usual way until Lenny started acting funny. His head swayed and then suddenly dropped face first onto the dinner table, spilling his drink. The fainting spell began to affect the boys one after another, causing them to lose consciousness. Alex felt a sudden numbness spread over his body, causing him to lose control of the spoon on his hand. The voice of Julee calling out to Kelvin and Iris yelling could be heard. The rest however seemed rather calm regarding the situation. "We've been drugged!" The thought crossed Alex's mind. He tried to escape by teleporting but failed. The question "Why" kept popping out on his mind. A dark hood was donned over his head. The six boys were then taken to a secret location. Each of them woke up to find themselves strapped to a metal chair with a metal cap over their heads and a visor over their eyes. Iris was seen banging at the glass window, screaming while Julee was yelling at her uncle. Alex couldn't make up what they were saying as his vision was still blurry. He tried opening his mouth to call out to the others but no voice came out. "Don't worry, you're going to be fine." Erik gave Alex's shoulder a quick squeeze. Alex struggled to break free but his body simply refused to move. A sudden jolt of electric ran through his body accompanied by a spectrum of colorful lights that danced before his eyes. Darkness soon followed and Alex lost consciousness.

A knock on the door woke Alex up. A tall, medium built man in tank top greeted them. "Jeez, you guys sure look tired. Did the heat get to you?" The man said. "What?" Lenny sat up on the opposite bed, shaking his head. "Are you guys alright?" The man with a seamed face asked in a concern tone. "We're fine, Mr. Jacob. Just slightly dazed from the sun." Calvin answered. Alex peered down from the top of the bunk bed to see Calvin staring back at him, smiling. "Alright then. You boys better get ready. The bus will be here soon." Mr. Jacob said and closed the wooden door. "What happened?" Kelvin clasped his face with his hands. "My head hurts," Alex complained. "I just had the weirdest dream, I dreamt that we were all taken to this mysterious new world. We all had super powers and were fighting monsters and doing cool stuff." Lenny said. "No way! I had the same bizarre dream as well, we were all in it!" Kelvin added. "I know this sounds crazy but I somehow know what you guys are talking about." Alex said. "It's one heck of a dream alright." "It must've been the heat, you guys played too long under the sun." Kenneth said. "Oh… That explains it. But it seemed so real." Kelvin scratched the back of his head, still trying to make sense of things. "I know, right." Alex added. "Better pack up guys, the bus gonna arrive any minute now." Chen said and headed for the door. "I'll be waiting outside," "Wait up!" Calvin ran after him. "What's their hurry?" Lenny looked at Alex, both of them shrugged and began packing their belongings. "I'll be outside as well," Kenneth said and left the room. "What's up with the three of them?" Kelvin asked. "Beats me," Lenny said and descended from the top bunker.

"They don't remember any of it," Chen said. "Well, it's Count Fleming we're talking about here. He's good at this, couple with the advanced technology, they shouldn't be able to recall any important details." Mr. Jacob replied. "I'll be in town for the coming week, call me when you're done." Mr. Jacob handed Calvin and Kenneth a cellphone each. "Sylvester will be picking you up." He told Chen. "See ya!" Mr. Jacob waved at the three boys while strolling into the distance. The three of them watched on as Erik vanished under the hot sun, taking their thoughts back to the place that never was. A honk from the bus broke their reverie and brought them back. The six boys then boarded the bus and continued their conversation on the strange dream three of them had. The other three kept quiet as they knew from the depth of their heart that it was no dream. Either way that November holidays of 2004 left a deep mark in the six boys' life, an event that would forever change their life.