Without wasting even a single moment, Trenton burst forward, Leo just behind, closing the gap between them remarkably quickly despite tripping and stumbling over the mass of students still prone and unconscious upon the floor.

  He set the glowing white orb on the ground, still cradled between his thighs as he kneeled to take Kiva’s face in his hands, cupping her supple cheeks and pressing her forehead to his. Slowly, ever so slowly, his breathing slowed, peace overcoming him once more. Words slipped from his lips, ones inaudible to everyone but the two of them, words of love and panic, relief and joy, words of promises and damnations, words upon which Trenton set his very life.

  Leo stopped a couple feet shy from the group, eyes washing over them with a sense of both disbelief and relief. He clutched his shaking hands close to his chest, rocking slightly back and forth, doing everything in his power to keep his calm.

  “You’re behaving uncharacteristically panicked. Explain yourself,” Avardis demanded in his usual slightly edged tone.

  “I-I don’t think now’s-” Leo started, pulling himself together enough to alleviate the burden of response from Trenton.

  “How…” Karfice interrupted, carefully picking his way through the crowd, eye fully opened and locked on Avardis. “Wyll lost his arm to that darkness…how; what happened? And for that matter, where were you? I thought you were supposed to be with you, Leo,” Karfice said, voice growing darker with every spoken word, a certain bile…no, a certain purpose laced within each and every one.

  Unlike times past, Karfice looked remarkably well focused. His stance, which usually held a slight slouch, was perfectly straight, tensed like he was preparing for a quick draw.

  Leo shook his head, “I lost him pretty early in the day. I actually have no idea where he’s been.”

  “I left for…” Avardis turned his practically his entire body to the side, avoiding Karfice’s stern gaze, “...personal reasons. I tended to something.”

  “And the darkness? The attack? What were you doing? If you weren’t with me, and you weren’t with Trenton, then how the hell are you unharmed? Were you even in the building?” Karfice asked.

  Avardis looked back, brow furrowing even further, somehow, “...I do not understand.”

  “The shadows? Infest your mind? The nightmares?” Leo said, running through every buzzword he could think of, just waiting for one to land, “...really? Nothing?”

  “...I walked….it was dark…it was loud…the students attempted to kill me…I saw you running in the sky…I grabbed them…it was bright…that is all.”

  “No nightmares? When the darkness came, did you see anything? Anything at all?” Karfice stepped forward, uncomfortably close to Avardis now.

  “...no.”

  Karfice took a couple steps back, rubbing his hand with his mouth, seeming to deeply consider Avardis for a couple moments. It was unbelievable, frankly. Everyone in the Academy had been affected, even the very strongest among them succumbed to their delusions as if they were no more than common folk. The only ones among them able to pull themselves out without external aid were Trenton and Yissle. So for Avardis to not even have had a vision in the first place…it didn’t make sense.

  “I’ve an explanation, if you’ll hear it.”

  Standing in between Leo and Karfice was a well dressed, white haired elven man, his eyes a breathtaking mix of glowing stained glass impossible to look away from. He approached Avardis, peering deep into the boy's soul.

  “Good to see you…managing…Era,” Yissle grunted from behind them, dragging himself to his feet.

  “Era…?” Leo snapped out of his daze, focusing now on the back of the elven man’s head.

  That was Era? The man they’d been looking for all this time? There, just in front of them?

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  “More so than you, physically…perhaps less mentally…” Era said, a far away note humming in the back of his throat. He

  He turned to look over his shoulder at Yissle. With the slightest flit of a finger, dazzling green energy swarmed Yissle’s body, immediately staunching the bleeding, stray strands of flesh coalescing together to close his many deep lacerations. In a matter of only a couple seconds, the energy fell away, leaving Yissle looking, more or less, perfect, the color returned to his face, and no sign of injury anywhere.

  Yissle rolled his mighty shoulders, working out the kinks of his patchwork body, “Maybe, but I’m more than used to the torture. No point dwelling on our failures, anyway. You’re alive, I’m alive, and everyone else…more or less. I suppose you’ll want me on cleanup, then? If I get started now I could get the building patched up in…day, maybe two?”

  Era shook his head, “We’ll need to sort the children first, take a retally, send out letters to the family’s, and…” Era lifted his hand, Wyll’s body lifting into the air and floating towards them, settling in front of Era. “...I’m going to talk with the Benevolent…he won’t be happy about this.”

  “When is he ev-” Yissle’s eyes widened, “Oh shit! The kid…oh this is not good.”

  “No indeed,” Era responded, voice bitter.

  “I can’t believe it slipped my mind…all the chaos…oh gods. Have any ideas?”

  Era shook his head, “None in particular. I’ll have to bargain out a deal, which also means I won’t be around for some time. Can I-”

  “Of course, I’ll cover things here. I can get everything sorted by the time you get back.”

  Era nodded, eyes downtrodden for a moment before refocusing. He took a deep breath in, regaining a sense of regal might with tall stature, “I suppose I offer you an explanation. I’d hoped to speak with you all longer, but it seems time is not our friend. I’ll make this quick. You, Leo,” his eyes turned to Leo, “I’ll save you a long spiel about your heritage, but it’s a very special one. Here,” Era reached into his robes, pulling out a silver trimmed book bound in red leather, “this book is a study on your family’s history. Read it. You, Karfice,” he turned to Karfice. “I’m in rather close contact with your father. I suppose I never saw you here?”

  “...never,” Karfice responded after a pause.

  “Right. I already spoke with Trenton, the rest are unconscious, so then the rest is general. I don’t know where Wimbleton is, nor what happened to him, but I wouldn’t bet on his death. He’s stubborn, if nothing else, and remarkably crafty. I did, however, receive a letter from him before the Ruvalth incident about his findings. The ambassador, apparently, is hiding somewhere within the Spirit Dwelling. Why he’s there, how he got there, I don’t know. But as it so happens, I’ll actually need to request a favor from you while you’re there. About an hour before everything started, I received a letter from Olin, the man you and Trenton saw back in Wyrm’s Perch, Leo. Its exact contents are irrelevant, but he told me that he’d found something rather remarkable, the first good news in a millenia. Supposedly, the first vault is nestled in a lake behind the queen of the Spirit Dwelling’s castle. I intended to go visit myself this morning, but seeing as we’ve just let the youngest son of the Benevolent permanently lose his arm…and everything else, I won’t be able to. So as much as it hurts to say, I’ll need to request you look into it for me. I’d send someone with you to help, but I can’t get in touch with Evai for whatever reason, and our resources here are indisposed. Be careful, don’t take any risks. I’ll meet you there as soon as I’m able to…I think that covers it.”

  Era turned away, taking a moment to kneel by Trenton’s side, inspecting the orb in his lap and whispering several inaudible words before standing once again.

  “Oh right, one more thing. I’ve a message for your friend, Garrote, whenever he wakes. In Avar, the Collector killed his brother, Drawvin, without hesitation, which tells me he doesn’t simply want a Maiga, he wants Garrote specifically. Curious, if nothing else. Do you have any questions?” Era asked.

  “U-uh yes, yes. I’m sorry, I’m still a little…” Leo shook his head. “Two things on my mind. Why couldn’t we have just been teleported here, skip the whole journey? And did you figure out…Trenton?”

  “Oh, I’m surprised he never told you. Teleportation is one of the most complicated spells in existence. It requires the keen folding of space across many thousands of miles if you intend to travel across the continent. Not only is this remarkably difficult, it’s dangerous. The spatial warp would rip most any person in half from the sheer force of everything snapping together. In addition, Walibeld’s reality isn’t suited to mimic magic. Long ranged teleportation is nearly impossible for him. And as for the second, yes and no. You’re free to inquire with him further on it if you’re curious. Anything else,” Era said again, raising his hand towards them.

  “Avardis?” Karfice asked.

  Era glanced over, suddenly remembering the boy, who had been simply wandering around the room inspecting people this whole time, “Ah, of course. I suppose the simple answer is your mind can’t be broken if you don’t have a mind to break. Now I must bid you adieu. Time runs short. I’m sorry for your tumultuous stay, although I suppose you must be rather accustomed to it by now. Good luck and good hunting.”

  And just like that, the world was gone.