CALADAN awoke by the sound of hurried footsteps.

There were also voices barking orders. And then, horrible screams.

His girlfriend's screams.

Sabel's.

But the other voices seemed unfazed. There was an urgency in their tone. Soldier-like even.

Caladan tried to muster himself up, to stifle his fears, but it was no use. His whole body was throbbing with such intense pain. Like he had been in an awry fist-fight. All banged-up. Moving slightly, he now realized that he was lying down on a textile floor, his head being cradled lopsidedly on a pillow. He tried to turn his neck to the side, peering with one left eye. His other eyelid was puffy, blurring his vision even more.

What happened? Where am I?

Remembering what had happened was harder to do. Like trying to hold on to smoke with bare hands. His head throbbed even more. But a recurring image kept coming back…

Emerald scales. Spikes on wings. Reddened eyes. Slits for pupils.

And then, a guttural roar. Blood coming out from his torsos. Blood sliding from his forehead. Fear he never knew he had. Pain shooting all over his fallen body.

Then…all went black.

Now fully awake, he tried to survey where he was. At least, I need to know where I am. With his one working eye, and still lying on the ground, he worked out the blurred shapes around his location. Re-adjusting his vision, he could still hear the steady barrage of commanding voices.

"Lock every door!"

"Put a cover on that window! Now!"

"Bring the weapons here!"

"Make sure that door holds!"

"Be ready! Be on your guard!"

Caladan suddenly had another foreboding. This could only mean one thing. That the whole scenario is a precursor for some kind of battle. And he was in the middle of it.

He needed to get to Sabel!

They both must get away!

But where exactly am I?

By now, his gaze was becoming clearer. He could slowly picture some things around him. But, strangely, they all seemed very familiar to him. The porcelain elephant. The sea-shell clock on the nearest drawer. It was announcing: 9:24 p.m. The aquarium with that ugly catfish, it's water already turning into a grainy green. And the wood-carved table. And the cream-colored textile floor he was lying on.

It can't be!

He was in Sabel's house…lying neatly in their living room.

What is going on? Why am I back in Sabel's place? Who are these people?

Then, Caladan heard someone say…

"Kapitana Avira, this one is awake…"

Avira…Avira…Caladan wondered why that name was familiar to him…Avira…

A pair of iron-clad boots suddenly came within his sights. Then the person bent down. She whispered, "Dan…do you still feel any pain?"

Caladan slowly looked up to where the voice was. This person called Avira was staring directly at him. Then, Caladan suddenly remembered…

Of course.

Avira. Their haughty-looking classmate who always kept to herself. Like she was the pure embodiment of solitude. Avira, who always sat in the farthest corner in their room.

But here, she was different. Despite the strength in her voice, and her gait being more confident, she also wore a full set of armor, brandishing a sword on one hand. The armor on her left shoulder was emblazoned with the symbol of the anahaw leaf.

Caladan was confused. He wanted to ask her questions first. But that can wait.

"Only a little, Avira." Then, looking at Avira, he exploded shakily, "Avira, what is going on? Why are we in Sab's place? And who are these people giving orders? And why are you dressed up like you are from Game of Thrones? Is this some kind of elaborate prank? And where is Sabel? Is she in her room?"

Avira could only nod to his last question, and no more.

Setting aside his frustrations, Caladan looked away from Avira's steely, stoic face and pointed straight at Sabel's room, which was at the second floor. It was being surrounded by the same six or seven strangely-customed warrior-people. Their armor glittered against the pool of moonlight seeping in from a slightly uncovered window. Their swords and spears were pointed straight at Sabel's door, poised for attack.

"Avira, why is Sabel being locked up? Why are they readying for an attack? Is she in some kind of danger?" Then Caladan sensed something even worse. "Avira, is she the danger? AVIRA, ANSWER ME!!!"

But before Avira could say a word, a spine-chilling roar ran across from Sabel's room, down to the whole house, rendering everyone unbalanced by the force of it. Icy fear also ran in Caladan's blood.

Silence.

Then another soul-tearing roar.

It was followed by long rasps against the door, like something was struggling with Sabel behind it. But Sabel's voice was nowhere to be heard. It was being replaced by what Caladan could only surmise as coming from a monster. But that's unimaginable!!!

Thud. Thud. THUUUUD!!!

Something was banging behind Sabel's door. It was so strong that huge cracks have already appeared. Whatever was behind it, it must have already killed Sabel. And now it wanted to come out. It now wanted to kill them!

"SABEEEEL!!!" cried Caladan. Though he knew the truth in his heart, he still kept trying to call her out.

Avira left Caladan and was now running to Sabel's room, steadying her men.

"Do not fear, my brothers! We have faced this ancient evil before! Keep yourselves—"

But Avira's words were cut off when a monstrous hand shot out from Sabel's door, sending shards of wood in their direction. The hand's nails were pointed, and its skin were emerald scales. Whatever it belonged to, it also sounded very, very angry. Murderous. Then, the hand went back to try to send another destructive blow to the door.

As deadly as their situation was, Caladan saw something even worse.

Inexplicably worse.

In its middle finger, the monster was wearing a ring with a heart-shaped stone on top. It was the ring that Caladan gave Sabel.