My hand gripped hers gently as Mr. Shwarz led us outside his home. I couldn't help but feel off, though, as we left. Something just wasn't right. The voice of the Master was gone. Or at least he was ignoring me, which didn't make sense if he was. Before, he usually responded right away, but now he was gone. Similar to the time I saved Isa, which, come to think of it, was only a week ago, or two weeks. My mother said I'd been unconscious for five days.

But why are all the farm folk here saying things like I was awake? What happened?

My mother said she wanted to wait for my father to talk about what happened. Is she afraid of how I'll react if I know the truth? Is it related to the Master?

I sighed softly as we stepped out onto the front lawn. I shivered a little as a cool draft blew over the valley, and my grip on my mother's hand tightened. I was concerned. Perhaps something terrible happened? I thought. Isa looked concerned earlier, even scared. Did I do something?

My mother guided me along the road, past the front gate to Shwarz's manor, and back down towards the field where the automaton worked. A few farmhands came down the road towards us and politely waved as we walked by. We were heading back in the direction of the guest house. It was a pleasant-looking structure perched atop a small hill, surrounded by a small thicket. Many of the trees were beginning to bloom now; even as we were climbing the hill, I could see the Blythetane popping with all sorts of colors and vibrancy. A sight that would've truly captivated me if not for the paranoia I was beginning to feel.

My mother opened the door to the guest house and led me into the living room. Inside, we found Isa and the elven woman from this morning; Tiana was her name if I recall correctly. The two of them were cleaning and chatting away but stopped upon seeing the two of us come in. Right away, I noticed Isa's expression shift from something pleasant to a slight concern upon seeing me. I blinked and shifted a bit as her gaze tore away from me and she looked to my mother.

"Hello, Cailynn and Luna," she said softly, turning her attention back towards the coffee table she was wiping down.

Tiana smiled happily. "Oh, you're back so soon; are you still looking for your spouse?" She asked as she wiped her hands off on a white cloth before draping it around her wrist.

My mother nodded, respectively, to both Isa and the woman. "Yes. Has he returned yet?"

The woman smiled and nodded with a hum. "Mhm." She pointed towards the kitchen and the back door. "He returned with the young master. Quite a haul they brought too, they're out back with Stephen and Marco."

My mother sighed, and I saw her shoulders sag with relief. "Excellent, Isa, would you be able to come with me?" She asked.

Isa paused in the middle of wiping the table and nodded slowly, and the knot in my stomach tightened. This isn't like her, I thought. I hope she's doing okay.

"I'll be right behind you," she said softly.

My mother nodded once more, squeezed my hand gently, and looked at me. "Well," She took a deep breath. "Let's go see your father and brother."

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

"Aye, it's in the paper, Mr. Ashflow!" Stephen's squeaky voice exclaimed. "Rows and rows of Yanky armor and soldiers are on their way to Frangor! Help is truly coming!" He said it ecstatically.

Stepping out into the backyard of the guest house. I could see my father, Varis, the bearded ginger man Stephen, and Marko the lupris standing around what looked to be a makeshift butchering station. Hanging up on the skinning rack was a creature that I had to ponder for a second to remember what it was. That is, until it hit me—a fennic. A small deer-like animal, standing about two feet tall, had a dark brown and green fur coat and three eyes that disturbed me. Two on the sides of their heads, and one on top.

I recall Momma and Isa teaching Varis and me a couple of years ago about the local wildlife and how these critters were hunted by rocs, massive carnivorous birds that lived up and near the mountains. I have never seen one, nor do I want to, as I am only slightly taller than a fennic.

Father was in the process of showing Varis how to skin the creature as he spoke with Stephen, who was setting aside a large bucket for my father. "Sounds nice," he said as he gestured for Varis to come over to him. "But don't get too excited, Mr. Falk. The Yanks are going to have to sail around The Thing, and there's no telling how long it'll take for them to get over the Westriden. If GAN really wants to help us, the Brannons and Frangorans would be spilling over the border by now."

"From what I heard," Marco said as he took a drag from his loki pipe. "They're caught with their pants down and are still rallying their troops."

"Well, they better rally faster, anyways…" My father turned to Varis. "Take this knife, boy, and follow what I say closely."

At this point, my mother, Isa, and I stopped before the group. Clearing her throat, my mother said, "Where were you?"

My father tensed a little just as Varis took the knife from him. Biting his lower lip, my father turned to my mother, his eyes wide like a deer in headlights. "I, uh, decided to take our boy out for some practice and to, uh, pay Mr. Shwarz back." He gestured to the strung-up fennic.

My mother slowly nodded, though her eyes were steely. "And you did so without telling me?"

My father laughed nervously and waved his bloodied hand. "We-well I didn't think it'd take so long."

"Right." My mother huffed. "You didn't think."

"Cailynn…" He grumbled.

"Don't you 'Cailynn' me, Slyran!" My mother snipped. Sensing danger, both Stephen and Marco began to make their way towards the nearby stable, where I heard a Strider roaring for food as my mother continued, "We made a deal that we'll always tell one another where we are. Your daughter finally returned this morning, and we couldn't find you or Varis."

Father's head drooped, and he took a deep breath. "You're right; I'm sorry." He raised his head and looked at me with a slight smile. "Welcome back to the world of the living."

My eyes widened. "Wait, what—"

"So-sorry, bad choice of words!" My father quickly apologized. "How're you feeling?"

I stuttered and glanced at my brother, who wasn't even looking at me but instead at the knife in his hands. My eyes then went towards Isa, who looked reserved, her eyes not even meeting mine, before finally reaching my mother, who was looking at me calmly.

I bit my lower lip, took a deep breath, and said, "I'm confused."

"I bet you are…" He said it in a low voice. "Matter of fact," he said gruffly. "We all are." He went over to one of the wooden chairs at the edge of the workstation and grabbed a white piece of cloth that lay on it. He began to wipe his bloodied hands. Not facing me, he said, "A lot has happened, Luna… Are you aware of what happened?"

I shook my head. "No. Momma said to wait for you and Varis."

"So you don't know anything that happened?" He asked again, and I shook my head.

"To me, it felt like I was asleep," I said anxiously, and the butterflies in my guts began to flutter like mad.

Father slowly nodded; he then stopped wiping his hands and looked off into the thicket. An eerie silence came; all I could hear were the birds and bugs that were occasionally broken by the squawk of a strider from the stable.

Finally, my father broke the silence and said, "Let's go inside." He turned and then patted Varis on the back. "We'll be back out to take care of the fennic, boy." Varis nodded silently and began to walk towards the door as he brushed past me without saying a word.

Unable to control myself, I blurted out, "Di-did I do something bad?"

My father stopped and looked at me. His eyes looked conflicted as if he didn't know what to say. Finally, he took a sharp breath and said, "No. You did not."

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We made our way to the second floor of the guest house and got together in the room that I had woken up in. It was a bit crowded with all of us in there together. Father stood by the door while Mother and Varis sat together on the bed. Isa had positioned herself against the wall by the window while I sat in the chair that I had woken up in.

"It's been five days," Father started. "Five days ago, you helped us. Do you remember what happened on that day?" He asked me, his voice coming off to me as unsettling.

I gulped and gripped at my skirt and said, "I…" Visions of Isa's body being destroyed, the battle, artillery fire, and machine guns flashed before my eyes. I tensed up, took a deep breath, and said, "I remember the battle. The fighting, an-and you all being locked away in that glass prison."

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Varis tensed up upon me mentioning the prison, and I looked at him. "I remember breaking the crane and saving you all."

"What about after?" Father asked as he stepped into the middle of the room in front of me, his arms crossed, his expression hard.

"We grouped up," I said shakily.

"Slyran," Mother said softly. "Ease up. This is Luna."

What does she mean by that? My eyes snapped to her.

"Go on," my father said, ignoring my mother.

I gulped. "We moved to the main power room, the big tower. We-we… We got jumped by the commissar. He-he…" I looked at Isa, who was hugging herself and looking away. "He got Isa… And then you…" I looked at my father, his face hardening.

"What happened next?" He practically growled.

"I… I…" I gripped my skirt even tighter. "I tried to fight him, a-and…" My lower lip began to quiver. The butterflies fluttered uncontrollably, and I could feel the goosebumps rising on my skin. "I don't know what happened after he hit me. I remember getting hit, and I felt pain, and now we're here."

"Are you positive?" He asked lowly.

I nodded my head slowly. "Ye-yes, Sir." I sniffed and met my eyes with his. "Did something happen?"

"Yes." Father brought his hand up to the side of his head and tapped his temple. "Your early warning device. The voice in your head, Isa, told us a lot about him." I gulped and nodded without saying a word. "Have you heard from him at all today?" I shook my head. "Are you lying to me?"

I gasped. "N-No! I wouldn't lie to you ever!"

"Slyran, please," Mother said, and he turned to her.

"I'm just being thorough, love." He turned back to me. "Do you sense him at all?" He asked.

Sense? I thought. Now that you mention it, aside from Mother, Everything felt more lonely today, but maybe that's just a placebo? I never noticed anything different when that Master was around.

I shook my head. "I don't know; I could never tell when he was here or not."

"How long have you known about this voice?" he asked me.

"Since the camping trip," I said, and Isa's head perked up. "In the cave, I heard sounds."

Father nodded. "I remember."

"I heard weird noises, and I fainted when I woke up… I had weird thoughts. Thoughts I learned later weren't mine. He led me to the cave… And…"

"And what?" Father asked me.

My mind was blank. I couldn't remember; it was like I went to the cave, and suddenly I woke up on the ground before I was attacked. Like a whole chunk of something was missing; no, I knew something was missing.

That's right… That's right! It all makes sense now…

"He wiped my memory," I said softly. "I don't know what happened, but when I went to the cave, I suddenly woke up on the floor before you guys showed up. I know something happened, and I remember the Master always being vague about us speaking in the past or making remarks like we talked about something before, but I never remembered it. He even admitted that he had the capability of making me do things when near "places of power"." My father held a hand up.

"Slow down, Luna," he said softly.

"The Master?" Mother said softly as she leaned forward. "Why does that sound familiar?"

Father glanced over his shoulder. "Have you read something like that before?" Mother shrugged.

"It sounds familiar," Isa said as she now had her full attention on me. "It may just be a coincidence, or perhaps not, but it was long ago back in my homeland. The mage I once told you about was the one who spoke the language you had during that trip, Luna. After my elder had met him, she spoke of preparing for one simply known as "The Master." At the time, I thought nothing of it, but now. I am starting to believe these are not just coincidences."

My mother slowly nodded, and at this point, Isa's ears fell flat, and she sighed. "And you said he can make you do things around places of power?" She asked.

I nodded. "That's what I recall the Master telling me."

Isa's frown diminished, and her eyes dilated as she lowered her head dejectedly. "I see then." She took a deep breath. "Then I am the one who brought this on you."

"What do you mean?" I asked along with my parents.

"The cave I had wanted to take you all to—it is said that beneath it lies an ancient Far Reacher Ruin," She said I frowned and cocked my head, as did Varis. Seeing our confusion, Isa said, "We never got to them in our ancient history studies. The Far Reachers were an empire that came long, long, long before any of us. Even the Dark Lord himself. It is said that every star in the sky was touched by them, and that they once held the power to rival the gods. It's said that because of this rivalry, the gods smited the Far Reachers and wiped them from existence. Or at least, as much as they could. All that is left are the ruins that scatter Enora, but my point is, they were powerful; many of their ruins are considered places of power where vast quantities of ether and magrite are found." My mother slowly nodded, and Isa sighed, "And me taking you there allowed whoever this Master is into your mind."

"Well, hold on, Isa," Father said as he held a hand out to her. "We don't know that for sure; for all we know, whoever this man is has been linked to our daughter since the start."

"Exactly," my mother said softly. "Luna has shown great power when it comes to magic. It could be due to his influence, or perhaps he is drawn to it."

"As to how he got here, we'll probably never know," Father said. "But the point is, we need to figure out who he is, what he wants, and why he wants our daughter." My mother nodded again.

"Papa," I said, "what happened after I was… beaten?"

My father took a deep breath and said, "You nearly died." Once again, the butterflies flared up within me, and my heart began to beat heavily. "I thought you died right before my eyes," he said as his voice shook. "But suddenly you began to move. Your body rose and fixed itself, and then… I realized it wasn't you. This, Master, took over your body and unleashed something terrible into our minds… I'll be honest, I was terrified. You weren't you; your eyes looked dead, and your voice was flat and hollow. The next thing I knew, I was having horrific nightmares."

Isa shuddered and said, "Luna, whoever took over you holds great power."

I gulped. "Wh-what do you mean by what happened?"

"Luna," my father said softly as he got onto one knee in front of me. "That thing in you not only killed the commissar, but it drained that tower. Of all of its power, it consumed every bit of it before bringing Isa back to life."

My eyes widened. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"I died, Luna," Isa said shakily. "That monster killed me, and the Master brought me back." She gulped. "He said he absorbed the souls of the tower."

My mind began to race a million miles per hour. "B-but wait, no, no. That was a magrite pillar, right? A-And what do you mean you died? I-I didn't see you die!"

"Luna," my father said as he took my hand.

I was breathing heavily, and I whimpered a bit. "I-I don't feel different, Papa."

He smiled faintly. "That's okay, sweetie," he said. "Isa's fine."

But she died, she said it herself. She died even though I vowed to protect her. Dammit, dammit!

Isa came over to me and kneeled beside my father. "I'm okay, Luna. I'm still shaken up, but I'll be fine." She smiled gently.

I sniffed and nodded. "And what do you mean I absorbed souls? I thought that pillar was magrite, that magic rock stuff."

My father smiled a little and said, "It was the magic rock stuff, I think." He frowned. "That Master guy never talked much when he controlled you. He said the tower was a siphon, that it took in the souls of the deceased and put them in the Rusivite machines. But he absorbed all of them. I don't know if that means you have them or he has them, but whatever he did stopped them. The machines, I mean."

I sat there, eyes wide. "So we won?" I asked.

My father smiled and nodded. "Yes. We did. When the fighting machines stopped except for the behemoth."

"But that was quickly dealt with by Alexander," Isa said.

My eyes widened even more. "Master Alexander?" I asked, and Isa nodded.

"Yes. He and many more soldiers came, rushing to reinforce," she said.

My father then added, "We didn't stay to watch the fight, of course. During the chaos, we regrouped with your mother and the other prisoners and fled as fast as we could."

"What happened next?" I asked. "Wh-what did I—or the Master do during this?"

"He was the one who got us out." Father said softly, "Everywhere was chaos. The remaining Rusivites were fighting like rabid kreshs. Artillery was coming down around us; we almost thought we weren't going to make it."

"Until he teleported us out of there," my mother said in a low voice. "All of us."

"Is that bad?" I asked.

My mother took a deep breath and said, "Teleportation magic shouldn't be possible. Not by any mere mortal like us, Luna. The Far Reachers Isa mentioned were known to have vast Plane Gates, as they were called, which could teleport oneself across the planes, and portals like the door on my cabin or your enigma bag were the closest Enorans ever got to touching on the subject. But raw teleportation magic—" She snapped her fingers like that. "—Is Apotheosis tier magic, Luna. If you remember my lesson…"

I gulped. "God tier magic." She nodded slowly.

"Whoever this master is," my father said, "he's either a very powerful demi-being or they are in fact a god."

"He did say once he was something of the sort," I said softly. "He never elaborated, but Isa assumed he might be like a fae being."

"Maybe," my father said." He sighed. "But to finish the story, he teleported us back across the river, far beyond the military encampment near Heidburg, and since then we've been traveling."

"And the whole time he was controlling me?" I asked.

Everyone nodded. "He didn't talk much," Father said. "He kept to himself, mainly just looking around in awe at everything."

"And he kept touching stuff," my mother said with a huff. "I kept demanding he return you, but all he said was, 'In time.' I hated it."

"Well," I said softly, "I'm back now."

Everyone nodded their heads, and Varis huffed. "About time…" He puffed his cheeks. "Why do you get up and do all the cool stuff?" He snapped abruptly.

"Hey!" Both of our parents snapped.

"Varis Silvan Ashflow, you watch your tone." My mother snarled. "That is not right to say."

My brother immediately deflated, though he still held a small scowl. "It's true, though," he said. "Luna knows all the magic; she fights the Rusivites and even kills them. She saved all of us, and now she has that cool voice in her head—"

"Enough," my mother said.

"You and I are going to have a long talk later," my father said to him, and Varis sulked.

I sulked as well, my head lowered. As dumb as what he said was, I could strangely relate. In my old life, my brothers had always gotten into some crazy shit growing up. Chased by cops, gang fights in high school, parties—all sorts of dumbshit teenagers and frat boys in college did. I always used to resent the attention it brought them. My parents always focused on them because they were always doing shit that got them into trouble, or something would happen that was exciting that forced them to look away from me.

It was childish in hindsight, but it was a feeling I was all too aware of. Part of me liked the attention if I'm being honest. Yet at the same time, it's not the type of attention I wanted. I don't like seeing my parents concerned or even scared of me. I don't like seeing my brother looking at me with disdain or annoyance. Of course, I don't resent him for it. He's just a kid, after all.

Maybe I'll talk to him later about it.

"Luna," my father said, bringing me back to reality. "When that voice returns, or if it does…" He said the last bit skeptically. "Let us know."

I nodded. "I will, Papa."

He smiled and reached out to tussle my hair. "On a side note," he said softly. "You look really cute in that dress." I blushed deeply.

Despite the news of what happened, at least there was a silver lining: I was back with my family.