Zalan lay on the cot for much longer than he anticipated. He thought he would fall asleep as soon as he tried to rest, but the feelings of unease made him insomniac. Paradoxically, he was too tired to sleep. He shifted positions, trying to be more comfortable, but every movement caused his body to cry out in pain. Pain made him feel more awake. Despair made him refuse to sleep. He shivered, hampered by yet another thing that he could not have. He wondered if the healing sleep would heal the painful memories he had as well. He hoped it would be the case.

“Zalan, you must rest,” Rep said, checking on him. “You are gravely injured. Sleep will do you well. Both healing rest and regular sleep.”

“I can’t,” Zalan replied quietly.

“I understand it is difficult. But can you try? You shift in place every few moments. There is no chance for the body to remain at ease,” Rep said.

“As if I deserve to be at ease.”

“What?” Rep said, baffled. “Are you blaming yourself for this? Is this some petty grudge you are carrying for yourself?”

Zalan scoffed to himself. That was all Rep needed to hear. His eyebrows lowered.

“You know this is not your fault, yes?” Rep asked. “Nold’s… I mean Morloch’s scheme was at hand every step of the way. From the moment he met you on the first day you were brought to the realm. He was searching for people to fool. I was as fooled as you were.”

“You weren’t!” Zalan sat up on the cot in protest and shriveled in pain. Rep frowned at the sight. “You were the one saying we should get out of Oriton before he arrived! You were the one saying we shouldn’t trust him! But once he showed up, I thought it was fine to let him come along! I didn’t even think about the fact that he got here way too fast!”

Zalan winced as wounds made themselves known, crying out to be healed. Rep tried to lay Zalan back down, but he pushed back.

“Morloch said that the wind was at his back the whole time he traveled here! He literally spelled it out for me, it should have been obvious! He always tried to seem larger than life, because he thought himself better than everyone. He kept trying to hide his Elemental Powers… Of course they were stolen, how else could someone get more than two?”

Zalan thought back to the Bright Elemental he saw in the caverns and placed his face in his scratched arms.

“I could have gotten a second Elemental Power if I just figured out the challenge,” Zalan said. He felt like an idiot on top of everything else for not figuring it out.

Rep was quiet until he was fairly confident that Zalan’s rant was over.

“You saw another Elemental when we were separated?” Rep asked.

“Yeah, not that it matters. I didn’t figure out the challenge and it’s back on the Island of Remains,” Zalan said.

“What was the challenge?” Rep asked, hoping he could salvage the loss somehow.

“I don’t know. It was like a riddle. In the three darknesses, you must find the light,” Zalan quoted.

Rep thought on it for a few seconds, but had no ideas come to mind.

“We can get you another Elemental Power,” Rep assured him. “I will give you my own if we locate another Transfer Table.”

“What? No, don’t be stupid,” Zalan said, laying back on the cot in fatigue. “Losing the Elemental Power was one of the worst feelings I have ever gone through. I don’t care how serious you are, I would never let you do that to yourself.”

Rep nodded, dropping the offer.

“And look what it did to me,” Zalan raised his wrist and summoned his stats.

Rep gasped aloud when he saw the ELEMENTAL attribute was covered by the scar. He grabbed Zalan’s arm lightly and looked over it in shock.

“I don’t even know if I can get another Elemental Power,” Zalan said.

“But you told me that your world does not have Elemental Powers. This should be of no concern once you return, correct?” Rep asked.

Zalan looked at him, shocked to hear him talk like that.

“No concern? It’s the biggest concern right now. How am I supposed to get home? Not powerless like I am,” Zalan said.

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“You are not powerless! You have Strength and myself by your side,” Rep said, appalled at Zalan’s words.

“What’s the point in trying? Will that even be enough to go back?” Zalan asked skeptically.

Rep looked at him seriously. He hoped he wouldn’t regret his next sentence.

“What would your mother say, Zalan?” he asked.

Zalan looked away from Rep.

“What would she say if she heard that you gave up without even trying?” Rep said.

“She would say nothing,” Zalan said coldly.

“I doubt that.”

“It’s the truth.”

“If she is anything like the man she raised you to be, she would not appreciate you sounding like you were ready to quit,” Rep said.

“I know I don’t appreciate you speaking on her behalf,” Zalan snapped.

“You need to be more reasonable with your assumptions. We will find a way back. You will get to visit your mother and see the truth of these answers for yourself. We will go see Madam Hikma on what to do next,” Rep said.

“Madam Hikma?” Zalan sat upright once more, cringing in pain. “Why would we go to her?”

“Stop rising up! She has been an excellent guide to us thus far, why would we not?” Rep asked.

“Excellent guide? Are you hearing yourself?” Zalan said. “It feels like everything she has us do ends in huge tragedies! Fran died at Castle Docrun. Captain Buttonwillow and his crew are stranded on the Island of Remains. We don’t even know if any of them are going to survive now that we left them there! Morloch just got a new power that he never would have had if we didn’t go to the island. Madam Hikma told us to go there. How do we know she’s on our side? Everything she’s suggested has ended in failure!”

Rep bit the inside of his lip.

“I will tell you once you rest,” Rep said.

“So there’s some secret now? One that you could have shared any other time, but you think now is the best time?” Zalan said, trying to sound cold and accusatory.

“Yes, there is something,” Rep said, taking the words with some hurt.

“Seriously?” Zalan asked, feeling somewhat betrayed by the withheld information.

“Yes, there is something she asked me not to tell others. But if it will make you feel better, I will inform you,” Rep said.

“Yeah, right, you just want me to get some healing rest,” Zalan spat.

“And what if I did? You are in this foul combative mood because you are in pain!” Rep said assertively.

“So it’s suddenly wrong that I have regrets and wounds?” Zalan shot back.

“It is wrong to soak in them when you are literally laying in the bed which will heal you of the wounds,” Rep pointed out.

Zalan groaned, having run out of snipes to throw at Rep. He threw himself back on the cot and Rep eyed him closely, waiting for Zalan’s eyes to close.

“You’re always right, aren’t you, Rep?” Zalan said, frustrated.

“Go to sleep, Zalan,” Rep ordered.

“I bet you were ‘inspired’ to tell me to get some sleep. Remember your little thing about ‘inspiration?’ Because I never forgot. But the explanation never has a right time, does it?” Zalan asked sharply.

“Zalan, I am fully healed. I have much more energy and endurance than you do at the moment. If you do not go to sleep by your own will, by God, I will put you to sleep for your own good,” Rep said, sounding genuinely upset.

Zalan blinked, almost scared for a second. Rep had never threatened anything physical to him before. If he remembered right, Rep had never threatened anyone before. It was finally the thing to shut up Zalan. He really believed Rep would make him pass out if he kept up his antics. Rep would be the kind of guy to hurt him for his own good. He breathed out loudly, not knowing any other way to show his discontent. He closed his eyes, frowning.

He thought back to Morloch talking about Madam Hikma. He was the one who planted the seed of doubt that made Zalan challenge her abilities at the moment. She had been right about Morloch being on the Island of Remains. How did she know that? If she knew Nold was Morloch, then she would have mentioned it to Rep and Zalan at the Elemental Rage Tournament. Either that or they were on the same side. But that didn’t make any sense to him, especially when Morloch seemed to talk down about her any chance she was brought up in conversation. He hated the endless confusing thoughts swirling around regarding her. She knew things, but why did things always go so poorly when they listened to her plans? There was something crucial missing.

“I’m gonna want an explanation about Madam Hikma as soon as I wake up,” Zalan mumbled, his eyes still closed.

“You will receive one as soon as you have fully healed,” Rep promised. He sounded significantly more calm. And deeply concerned. It made Zalan feel terrible.

“I’m sorry about all the things I said. I didn’t mean it,” Zalan said quietly.

“I know,” Rep said sincerely.

Zalan flinched when he felt Rep pick him up. Rep carried him to a clean cot, free from any blood and arguments. Zalan felt slightly more comfortable, like he had escaped a place of regrets. Rep walked back and began to gather the sheets of his cot to clean them of the harrowing stains.

Left to himself, Zalan still struggled with dark thoughts. He tried to push them aside, just long enough to fall asleep. But there was always a brooding energy lurking under every thought he ignored. Betrayal. Powerlessness. Fear.

He felt a towering despair over his life. He thought he would never escape this realm. Lightning was the only way he saw a light in the darkness of his stunted situation. And he was sure he would remain powerless so long as he was trapped in the realm. It was the worst scenario he could imagine. Total emptiness.

He was empty of power. Empty of emotions. Empty of the chance to visit his mother. And empty of tears that he felt the situation called for.

After almost an hour, Rep finally found Zalan asleep and healing. With a deep, trembling frown locked onto his scarred face.

“I will get you home,” Rep said to him. “No matter what it takes. I swear it. I owe you at least that much.”