"Wallace?" I asked the person in front of me in bewilderment.

"No, it's Shade," the person answered, annoyed that he had to repeat himself.

Before Shade could continue, my body moved, and I hugged him. He felt… cold. It was the cold you would experience when holding a cold-blooded animal. It concerned me that I was potentially having an undead person, but I could hear a beating heart in his chest.

I pulled back from the hug to inspect the person before me. For the first time in years, I felt whole again seeing my brother standing before me. However, I couldn't tell if I was happier seeing Shade or Wallace. It didn't seem to matter since they were both my brother.

"I don't understand," I said. "How is this possible?"

That he is alive or that he's here?

Can't it be both?

"I don't know," Shade admitted. "Twenty years ago, I was a formless immortal comparable to an elemental. Unlike you, I couldn't be killed and, by extension, never experienced reincarnation. I remember living as the one you call Wallace, and on my 'death,' I remembered who I really was. However, this body became my default, and I couldn't tell you how or why this happened."

"If you had the same memories as Wallace, why didn't you return to us!?" Any joy I had at seeing my brother was slowly turning to anger.

"I just told you I don't know how this happened. How was I supposed to explain this to our--your parents?"

"You could have said you were an ascendeit."

"That could have been disproven as a lie easily as soon as I was required to register my abilities."

"So why now? Why show yourself to me?"

"I was going to hide inside this hunk of metal," Shade pointed to the suit of armor that continued to move on its own, "but said troublemaker disagreed and demanded I talk to you face to face." Shade took a deep breath and looked me directly in the eye. "When I found out you were awakened and were actively doing things, I couldn't sit by anymore. I'm here to help you defeat Shadow Fang, and that is what we must focus on, right?" Shade then converted to speaking in Zulu, saying, "We are still brothers."

I glared at my brother. No matter how many excuses he came up with, he had no right to ghost our family. However, he was right regarding Shadow Fang. If he was willing to help, I would be a fool to deny him, especially after looking for him.

With a low growl, I said in English, "You still have a lot of explaining to do once this is over."

I suddenly turned around and sensed someone was behind me. From around the corner came Mindplay and Claymore.

"I knew I was right to follow you," Mindplay said, referring to me. That bird you were following seemed suspicious."

"I didn't say you were wrong," said Claymore, "I just trusted in Silver's instincts."

Mindplay looked over my shoulder, confused, once he saw Shade. "You must be Shade. Why do you look like Silver?" Claymore realized the similarities and looked equally confused.

I answered, "To make a long story short, this is my twin brother. Apparently." While that was true as far as Joe and Wallace were concerned, I didn't know if that statement was the same regarding Silver and Shade. Shade didn't correct me.

Claymore's face didn't move, but I could tell he was shocked. Mindplay must have picked up on the confusion evident by looking at Claymore. Did he not know about Silver's brother?

Mindplay, on the other hand, looked ecstatic. "Perfect. That's one more person I can ask to work for me."

Before anyone could say anything, I did not let the conversation get off track. "Let's not talk about that right now. Shade is here to help us find Shadow Fang's base, right?" I directed the question to Shade.

"Easy enough. So far, the base isn't in the town. There is a forest outside of the town's borders that has been growing extraordinarily fast. It hasn't been a problem, so no one has looked into it."

"Then that's where we will look," said Claymore. "From there, we will determine what to do with the main goal of either retrieving the scroll or apprehending the wizard."

-------------------

Raya's phone was low on charge, which forced her to use Crucible's to give a direct update to the higher-ups of the Order of the Eye. Like Crucible, the tones of their voices were panicked and relieved. Since this was only an update, Raya didn't feel she needed to explain that she found the magical world where monsters dwelled or that she got there through Silver. They weren't ready to hear that; other things needed undivided focus.

Once the call was over, Raya returned the phone and got an account of every Order member at Stonehenge. Aside from Crucible, there were five other members, all awakened ascendeits. While Raya was sure Silver, along with everyone else by his side, could handle what may come their way, it was good to know that, along with being restocked, she had a good assortment of fighters to stop Shadow Fang's force if they made their way to Stonehenge.

Do I trust Silver? A monster? Raya's thoughts were almost judgemental as the question came loudly to her. It would have been better to say that Raya had high expectations of Silver's success based on what she had seen. There was no better word than trust. However, that wasn't what the question was asking.

"I didn't mean to question your experience," said Crucible. Though Raya was startled by her thoughts being broken, she did her best not to show that was. "You've always been a woman of consistency and reason. This was by far the most impulsive thing you've done."

"I had to," Raya said finally. "I realized Shadow Fang was becoming a bigger threat than the Order could've imagined since Silver was after him, too."

"But why keep me out of the loop?"

"Because we didn't know what was happening, and I didn't want my partner to get lost in the crossfires of the unknown."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Your life is more valuable than anyone here," Crucible snapped. "If I die, someone else can take my position, but if you die, the Order wouldn't just lose one of their greatest soldiers. You dying would let Gahara loose." Before Raya could respond, Crucible raised his hands and continued with less harshness in his voice. "I know. 'I can handle myself' is what you were going to say. I just want you to trust me more."

It wasn't that Raya didn't trust Crucible, but instead, she didn't believe he would have agreed with Mindplay's reasoning of working with a monster to catch Shadow Fang. Raya understood that no one from the Order would agree, so she had to disconnect from them to proceed. On top of that, Silver's non-hostile attitude and her journey through Skyland had reminded her of her master's words that eliminating all monsters wasn't the way to go. Raya was beginning to doubt if the mission to kill all monsters was possible or, at the very least, was any closer to being complete.

"Why did you become a monster hunter?" Raya asked.

Confused, Crucible responded. "You know why: to protect humanity from the infestation of monsters."

"I mean, why did you personally want to become a monster hunter?"

"Because I'm good at it, the job pays well, and the health plan is unmatched," Crucible responded nonchalantly, almost as if he wasn't taking the question seriously. "What do you want me to say? We are making a difference, and that's all there needs to be."

"Right."

That was the mantra Raya repeated day in and day out. She felt more reserved and less confident when she stepped foot in Skyland. The goat personality could run loose in Sanctuary, allowing Raya to want things from which she once abstained. She was losing focus, and Crucible helped remind her of the simplicity of the mission.

With a confident and stoic look that Crucible remembered, Raya says, "Thank you for the talk."

With a smile, Crucible said, "Good to have you back. "

-------------------

"I miss the days when papyrus was a revolutionary in the literary world. Before papyrus, you had to explain everything through word of mouth or draw it on something, hoping the elements didn't erase it. It was a time of missing details and, in the moment, storytelling. Papyrus changed all that. 'The sky was the limit' as the people today would say now. To be clear, I'm not saying papyrus is better than paper, much less parchment. I'm not saying we should go back to the old days regarding how we do things. After all, papyrus was too limited for the fast-growing world of man. No, I missed the days when something new and life-changing came around; it seemed like the world was made different. Nowadays, people expect changes, and change happens so fast that what was new last year is old."

Shadow Fang listened in bewilderment as the wizard, Talib-Ki, babbled on. Not five seconds had passed after the vampire walked into the minimalist study room, and the wizard started talking about papyrus. While talking, the wizard continued creating the counter spell to free the Red Dragon. The foldable desk didn't have much on it, but Shadow Fang focused on the iron mask the wizard often wore to conceal his identity and the imprisoning spell scroll retrieved from the Amazon pyramid.

"What are you talking about?" Shadow Fang asked. "You've been silent for days, and the first thing I hear you talk about is paper."

"Papyrus," the Talib-Ki corrected.

Shadow Fang slammed the door behind him. Talib-Ki was still meant to be as much of a secret as possible, which included everything he said.

"I came to see if you are closer to finishing the counterspell."

"You know these things can't be rushed."

Shadow Fang rubbed his temple, knowing he had to calm down when talking to this wizard. Even if Shadow Fang was technically stronger, Talib-Ki could leave the vampire services with little resistance. Shadow Fang couldn't afford that.

"And you know that it is only a matter of time before Claymore decides to make a move on this operation."

"The boy prodigy." Talib-Ki gently put his pen down with his slender fingers. At the same time, he donned the iron mask before standing up. He then rolled up the paper he was writing on and handed it to Shadow Fang.

Confused and somewhat irritated, Shadow Fang did not move to take the scroll but instead asked, "So, is it done or not?"

"I suspect the Red Dragon will revert the world back to when every new invitation was enough for the world to celebrate. But if this scroll is lost, that day will never come."

In the short time Shadow Fang had known the odd wizard, he knew Talib-Ki wasn't a fool no matter how much he babbled. He must have recently sensed something, causing him to stop his work and prepare for a confrontation. Nonetheless, it was still annoying how indirect he was.

The wizard continued, "We will match our foes prodigy to prodigy, and only the Three Sisters will know the outcome."

"What good is this scroll if you're not around to cast the spell?"

"I will not die this day, and the Red Dragon is patient. Fail at this, however, and that patient will not be with you."

-------------------

It was as Shade said. There was a forest outside of Amesbury. Thorny vines acted as barbed wire, and the spaces between the trees were enough to fit my hand through. We made sure not to get close in case there were unseen guards.

Shade turned into a raven and proceeded to traverse the forest. It didn't take long for him to return and quickly report on his findings.

"It looks to be a small building inside. There's a chance the rest of it is underground. I didn't get a look inside. I imagine it has all the necessary things like a cafeteria, sleeping quarters, etc."

"I could teleport inside," Claymore began, "but there is a chance the wizard will sense me coming and make provisions for my arrival."

Claymore and Mindplay both suggested that Shade and I act as distractions. Once they noticed they were talking over each other, the pair looked at each other, with Claymore asking the first question.

"What are you doing?"

"I am the strategist of this team," replied Mindplay. "I would also like to go with you since my abilities will be able to deactivate any tech that could impair your movement."

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have you tag along," Claymore admitted. "However, do you understand I'm going directly for the wizard? Do you have any proficiencies in magic or magical defense?"

"No, but last I checked, wizards aren't bulletproof."

"Depends on the wizard," Shade interjected.

"It's a good starting plan," I said. "Wallace, can you take the far end of the forest while I take this side?"

With an aggravated look, considering I named him, he said, "Easy enough."

We didn't discuss the possibility of any of Shadow Fang's forces escaping through the trees since there were only two options for them to go: scattering to the wind or going to Stonehenge. Assuming we deal with the wizard or retrieve the counter spell, there would be little concern if they escape since they would have to start from scratch, giving us time to look for them again. However, since they have most of what they need and are at Stonehenge, Shadow Fang's group must execute their plan now. The Order of the Eye will stand in their way if they go to Stonehenge.

It was time to rock the nest.

-------------------

Shadow Fang told Chase to prepare for "the worst." Without question, Chase grabbed his macuahuitl sword and stood by for mobilization. While he waited, he was drinking more water than he had in the past, which was saying something as a running athlete.

Two hearts were beating wildly in his chest: his own and the deceased Dina's. Chase was told that this would make him stronger so long as he followed the heart's will for the time being. He didn't like sacrificing his autonomy, but if Joe was "the worst" to come, he couldn't let his pride guide him.

Chase took the rest of the free time to look back at how far he had come. Perhaps Bre and the others will no longer fear for him once he brings Joe to their feet, broken and battered.

No more surprises. No more obscuring terrain. No more alternate priorities. If Chase finds Joe, then Chase commits to finishing what he started, and then he kills Shadow Fang. From there, Chase could finally have what he always wanted after years of struggling to reach the top.

As red lights flashed overhead, Chase smiled as "the worst" had finally come. He wasted no time running outside when he heard a dryad scream in horror.

"Fire at the south border and heavy mist to the north!"

Chase went towards the fire.