Arena launches upright in his bed. Gold is already pouring out of his arm and hardening, ready to fight. The sunlight shines through the windows, with the sound of mumbling. Arena stays seated in his bed and closes his eyes.

With great focus he tries to sense what's in his house. When Lahar tries to sense, she sees a dark void with soft silhouettes of people and places and just a splash of colors. Arena sees everything in great detail and a kaleidoscope of colors.

He searches for anyone he doesn't recognize and for apparent dangers. There is nothing, just two familiar presences in the kitchen. The gold retracts back inside him as he gets up and puts on shorts and a T-shirt. He walks out of his room to find Lahar and Pie in the kitchen with pots and pans all over the floor. He wipes the gunk out of his eye as Lahar starts to lecture him.

"You shouldn't keep the pots in a mess in the cabinet. They fall out if you do that!"

Arena tiredly grunts as he walks to the pots. He slowly stacks them up. "They never fall when I get them," he says.

"That's because you know they're going to fall," Lahar says as she walks to the stove. She continues to cook breakfast.

"Should you really be moving around? You did just have surgery last night," Arena says, organizing the pots in the bottom cabinet.

"I would hope you would be able to answer that, as you're my doctor," Lahar says with a smile. She turns back to the stove. "My stomach area feels sore. Besides that, I am fine. I had two talented doctors preforming the surgery," she says happily.

Lahar is silent for a moment and then says, "Thank you." Arena turns around and looks at her. "I mean it. What you two did was a lot, so thank you. To show my appreciation, I will make breakfast today. Plus, you're still half asleep, and I don't trust you in the kitchen when you're like that."

Arena grins as he stands back up. "I'll set the table, then," he says, with a yawn following. He grabs plates and silverware and sets the table for five.

"Is the mark on my stomach permanent, by the way? I just want to know if I have a tattoo now," Lahar asks.

"No. Once the wounds heal, it'll fade away," Arena says, finishing up the table. Lahar brings a pouched egg on top of a thick piece of toast, with spread garlic beat humus, green onions, and smoked salmon. Each plate was dressed delicately and had two toasts dressed the same way. The wisps wanted the same set, but the difference with them is they wanted their eggs scrambled as it is easier for them to eat it that way. Arena's egg is over easy, and Lahar has scrambled.

The wisps walk in from outside, where they were playing, and take seats at the table. While Arena walks around like a zombie, the wisps seem energetic. Arena stares at them with jealousy. While he barely got four hours of sleep, the wisps need only three to be fully rested.

Arena and Lahar sit with them, with Pie sitting next to the table with a bowl of food prepared for him. Once everyone is seated, they all start to eat. "This is really good—I mean really good," Arena says to Lahar. The wisps put spoonfuls of food into their flames. The food turns to ash once it touches the flames. King gives a thumbs-up to Lahar.

"I'm glad you all like it," Lahar says, feeling prideful. "Especially you, Doc. Thank you for helping me out last night. I really appreciate it."

Doc's flame turns to a light pink as she looks away in embarrassment.

"That's one thing I didn't know about you," Lahar says, looking at Arena. He looks at her as he places a spoonful of food in his mouth. "I didn't know you were a doctor," she says.

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He covers his mouth so that no one can see the food as he speaks. "Well, sort of. I'm not, exactly, in the traditional sense." He swallows his food and grabs the handle of his cup and sips his coffee before continuing.

"Like in science, there are a variety of fields in magic, ranging all across the board. I mainly focus on the biological aspects and the structure of everything, while working in the medical field. I guess you can say I'm like a witch doctor. I know traditional medical science, of course, but I add my magic into it."

"So what field would you say you are teaching me?" Lahar asks.

"General, for now. It's not my place to pick the field you want. You have to do that on your own. Once you figure out the basics, then you can choose," he says and then starts to eat again.

"Then I shouldn't waste any time. After breakfast, let's get to work," she says with a smile.

For a moment Arena is stunned. After all that has happened, this girl wants to keep going. A grin appears on his face.

"I'm game if you feel up to it, but there's something we will do before we start," Arena says.

"What is it?"

"I'll tell you after we eat. Let's enjoy this time we all have and the delicious food you've made," he says.

An hour passes, and Arena now stands on the beach looking into the horizon. Lahar walks up to him in her training clothes, with the water gun holstered around her waist.

"Do you have your bangle on?" Arena asks.

"You know I never take this thing off," she says.

A golden tube appears in Arena's hand. He tosses it down onto the sand. The tube stands straight up. From the inside of the tube, grains of sand rise up. They come together to form a ball the size of a basketball.

The ball floats in the air while Arena speaks. "I won't be there to protect you always. There will be a day when you will be alone, and I won't be able to help. When it comes, I want to know that you will be able to fend for yourself."

Arena turns to her. "There is no subtle way to say your aim is terrible. You barely hit anything you shoot at." He points to the water gun she has holstered. "With a tool like that, it's a dangerous thing to miss. From now on we will add this to your lessons," he says, gesturing at the ball. "Every day you will go as far into the levels as you can go in an hour. Level one is this, a single nonmoving target."

Arena steps to her side and mimics firing a gun at the ball with his hand. He makes the sound effect of a gun firing as he uses his middle finger to mimic the trigger.

Lahar rolls her eyes. "I am a fine shot. Look." She pulls the gun out of the holster and quickly fires a shot.

She hits the target with ease.

"That was nice. Now do level two," Arena says, pointing at the ball reforming.

"It's the same size. It didn't even shrink," she says, aiming for the second shot. She fires, thinking this will be simple. When she pulls the trigger, she notices the change. The ball starts to move around in the air. Her shot misses. The blast hits the ocean, sending water up into the air. Drops rain down on them as Arena laughs.

Lahar stands there, embarrassed, as Arena says, "Not as easy if it isn't still. This will just get progressively harder. They will just move faster and faster. Then there will be more than just one. And they will soon attack you."

Arena turns toward the house. "You have to get used to moving targets and pressure-filled situations—as well as control. You cannot hit the house or any other person. So make sure you think before you shoot." He starts to walk toward the house. "Keep going. I'll get you when it's time for you to take a break."

He makes it to the front door. Before he goes inside, he turns around to see Lahar firing at a ball that is already moving faster than when he left. A sense of pride fills him as he watches her. He walks inside and heads straight to the door leading to the garden. Pie perks up and follows. They walk through and enter the garden.

He sits at the table and places the bottle with the shard down. His eyes gaze at the bottle. "What has he planned?" he asks Pie. "I know he made those things that attacked the wisps. Yet why go to all those lengths just to talk to Lahar? Why not use them to break the seal?"

Pie rests on the floor by Arena's side. "Maybe the seal is too strong at the moment. Then how did his Beasts escape?" Arena's eyes stare at a red leather-bound book. "I should keep on working on finding her a way home. First comes her; then I'll focus on him," he says, picking up the book.

Arena glances at the clock on the wall. He then goes into his leather bag and pulls out a vial of pink liquid. He undoes the lid. Before he swallows, he looks at the liquid and says, "I don't know why they worry so much."

He chugs the liquid and recorks the bottle. "Still, it's nice to know they worry, right, bud?" he says to Pie, who is looking up at him. Arena's eyes glance at a picture of a family on his desk. A mother, father, two daughters, and a boy. He then looks back at the shard. He grips his shirt on the left side.

Pie looks up at him as he says softly, "Can't quit yet. Not till I get her home." He flips through the leather book, grabs a pencil, and starts to work.