By the time I reach the outskirts of Calypso, the sun has dipped below the horizon. I have maybe an hour or so before the night falls. The lights of the spine already dazzle the city, creating a false day. Just ahead, the first buildings of the slums are within earshot. Slums might be a strong word, though. In reality, the houses of the slums are one-story brick and wood houses that are nicer than even some of the middle-class homes in Atlas. They even have glass. Also, because they are lower class, they have yards connecting to the brick roads throughout the city. However, the slums are too far from the city center to receive electricity, but they do have streetlamps that dot the streets.

I click my tongue in annoyance. I have two options. Either cut through the slums to reach Atlas or go along the perimeter of the cut-off line. If I went down the cut-off, it'd be dark by the time I got to Atlas's border. Being alone at night, whether in Calypso or Atlas, is begging for trouble. And the last thing I need is to draw attention to myself.

With a defeated sigh, I trudge into the slums, my heart pounding. I haven't set foot into Calypso since escaping Orphan Tower. I need to keep my ears and eyes peeled. Even if it's been six months, I highly doubt Mirin would give up that easily. The streets of the slums are quiet, and only a few people walk along the roads. I quicken my pace as the last of daytime recedes.

It's quiet. To quiet. I glance around me nervously. Even for the slums, it's too empty. Around me, the houses feel like dens that could hold the hounds of hell in them. The shadows darken as the light of day falls, and the light of the spine replaces it, giving everything an unnatural glow. In the distance, I can see the light beacons that show where Calypso ends and Atlas begins.

"Not far now," I mutter to myself, breaking out into a jog. As I move, I see a flicker of movement from the corner of my eye on one of the roofs. Something isn't right. I stop and grip my sword. I flick my gaze across the roofs and make out several figures trying to hide in the shadows. I tense up. Damn, I'm an idiot. What was I thinking going into enemy territory?

"It seems we've been caught," A voice says on the roof to my right. A man hops down from the roof onto the sidewalk across from me.

I grimace, "Al." The man is dressed in black baggy pants and a black shirt that is a size too big. On his head is a headband with a red slash across it, holding back his short brown hair. His square face cracked in a satisfied smile. His pale blue eyes pierce into my gray ones. I glance at the gold-hilted sword on his hip and then at his perfectly polished boots.

He looks down. "I see you like my boots. I had them done just for this day. They took a damn long time. Look at it shine in the beauty of the spine."

Several more black-clothed people had dropped down, surrounding me by this time—Mirin's elite mercenaries. "Come on, Red. There's no reason to look so concerned. Or should I say Silen Stone?" Al says the last two words with contempt. Mirin really is thorough. I never thought he'd mobilize the entire elite team after me.

I nod at the people behind me, "What's with the extras? You too weak to take me yourself? Mister wannabe."

Al's face changes into that of pity. Definitely not the expression I was looking for, "Silen, Silen, Silen." He shakes his head and starts walking across the road, drawing his sword. "I never thought for a second I could go toe to toe with one of the greatest mercenaries in Calypso." He stops a few feet before me, and I grip my blade, "No. I looked up to you, actually. You managed to do in a year what others could not accomplish in decades of work. Make the underworld fear you." He shakes his head sadly, "If it wasn't for that core poison, who knows what you could have accomplished? However, you succumbed to it. At least, that's what we had assumed when you disappeared. I was devastated. My hero...gone?" At this, he makes an exaggerated motion, lifting his face and left hand in the air mockingly.

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I sigh, "Get to the point. Something must have changed when I left cause the elite team I know doesn't spend an entire day monologuing."

His jaw tightens, "Left? More like left the tower in shambles after your rampage. Dozens dead. Men who were medical geniuses, gone. You set us back years, No decades." He points his sword at me angrily. "If it weren't for Mirin, I would have you killed right now." I start to unsheathe my sword, but it won't budge. I strain, and it refuses to move. Al laughs, "The great Silen Stone, struggling with a sword." he sighs, "Oh well. what a pitiful way to go." He lunges at me with speed unlike anything I've ever seen. In the blink of an eye, he's in front of me. I feel a sharp pain in my head, and as everything goes dark, all I can think of is how rusty I am.

************

I awake to a pounding head. As I slowly open my eyes, I'm greeted with smooth white walls. The brightness makes me close them tightly as needles prick under my eyelids. "Fuck, my head is killing me." I curl into a ball and hold my head, waiting for the pounding to stop. Several minutes go by until it subsides. I open my eyes again. White walls. Above me, a bright white light illuminates the area. It's maybe ten feet by ten feet. I stand up and feel a weight on my back. My sword. I look at the walls in closer detail. They're smooth. Smoother than anything I've ever seen. Not a single blemish. There doesn't even seem to be a door or any way to get in or out. Nothing but white. Hmm. The last thing I remember is Al appearing in front of me. He must have knocked me out.

That means I'm probably in Mirin's possession. Fucking great. Six months dodging him, and I get caught the day I'm supposed to get out of this god-forsaken city. It's almost like it's scripted. I glance at the sword on my back. What the hell was that? Why wouldn't the blade come out? I sling the weapon off my back and try to pull it out. Nothing. Is it a side effect of that weight core? That probably explains why I still have it. They probably couldn't lift it. Though I'm not sure why they couldn't just drag it out of the room.

With a sigh, I plop onto the floor. Not like I'd use it. Whatever this stuff is made of, it's definitely some kind of metal. I still need to test the durability of the sword, so I don't want to chip. Though if it did, me and Gabby would be having words. I paid a goddamn fortune for this thing.

A few minutes pass in silence. I look at the sword out of the corner of my eye. Maybe it's all about speed. I snatch the blade and try to draw it as fast as I can, but it remains stuck.

With a frustrated growl, I try again and again. It refuses to budge. "Goddamit, you stupid fucking sword. Why won't you obey me?" I raise the weapon, ready to smash it into the floor, but freeze. What is that going to accomplish? I slid to the floor and hold it in my lap. "You know, this really sucks. I'm in a pretty bad situation. Why won't you help me?" The sword remains silent. Of course, it will. Jeez, I've only been in here a few minutes, and I'm already going crazy.

I remember Gabby saying something about a sword needing a name to really be considered a weapon. I stare at it, and I shake my head. Nah, it's not the right time. I doubt that'll make it do anything. With a groan, I press my head against the wall. How long was I knocked out? Am I back in the tower?

Emotions I haven't felt in a long time flash through me. Fear. Sadness. Nostalgia. I wonder what has changed since I left? Memories of the kids I helped take care of on my off time flash through my mind. Thoughts of the forest that grows on top of the tower make me smile a little. Those were good days. My smile fades as my thoughts turn toward the missions I partook in. The people we lost. I sigh. There's nothing I can do now. Except wait.