He returned to the group. Shadow looks up at him with concern.

"Where's Max?"

"He needs a minute...before we do anything else..."

Shadow nodded. Zack looks at him curiously. "Is there a way that we can save Matthew?"

Shadow tsked. "It'll be difficult to do with the new powers he has. Especially if Valerian's going to be here any minute. She's too powerful for all of us, I know that..........even now knowing who she is and what she's capable of......she'll be too strong....stronger than him."

Zack tilted his head. "She told us before that YOU'RE too strong for her magic."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Shadow wheezed. "Look, I don't know all that she's told you, but one thing I do know is that........since DAY ONE.....she hated me! Now that I can weild death magic, she has a new reason to. You told me before that she's supposedly 'scared of me', that's not the case.....what she wanted was to lead you guys into MY trap!"

Zack nodded.

Shadow looked deep into his eyes with sternness. "She........is EVIL."

Rose then spoke up. "She never liked children....but she chose to take us in anyway, she would've taken me and left you to get eaten alive by wild animals.....but she didn't."

Shadow nodded, then looked up at Ebony, who spoke up now.

"Do you remember what I was telling you what happened to me?" Ebony looked at the group, she turned to face Mica. Mica tilted his head. She continued.

"Me, Valerian, and Evelynne decided to do a summoning ritual, that involved using the blood of an innocent child. We picked the child that wandered through the woods, casted out from his group of friends. No one liked him, so we picked him instead. We planned to take a little blood, but Valerian had other plans......."