Seto was isolated to his own room so to not cause a panic. But word gets around the sky army base quickly. Whispers were already afoot that Seto Levis, the court sorcerer and one of the most powerful sorcerers in the kingdom, was in a coma. What could be the reason?

The room was somewhat cramped with the whole team and Bella in there, but none of them wanted to leave. Jason and Bella were closest to the bed. Jason shifted nervously. He was wearing his blue hoodie instead of his spacesuit while Bella was kneeling by the bed, gripping Seto's hand. Quentin was in his doctor's coat standing with the nurse and checking Seto's vitals. Everyone else tried to give them space.Seto was lying still on the small infirmary bed, breathing softly. You would've thought he was simply taking a nap. But no, the sorcerer was unresponsive. He also had his wrists and ankles strapped down for some reason, and he was as pale as a ghost.

"At first I thought he'd passed out from sheer exhaustion but..." Jason trailed off.

Quentin sighed "He's got a fever, his heartbeat keeps fluctuating between stable and increasingly fast and... seizures?! You're sure he just collapsed without a word?"

Jason nodded.

Mitch looked Seto's sleeping form up and down "Why is he restrained? You said he's a coma."

Jason shifted and pulled Bella's hand away from Seto's "Well, Yes, but then he does things like-"

Seto's body suddenly tensed and his breathing became laboured, he started straining against the restraints and cried out in his sleep. He sounded terrified like he was suffering night terrors or something. The group also watched the runes on his arms and hands flare up a bright red as he struggled. As fast as it started, however, Seto quickly fell limp against the bed, his breathing ragged before calming back down to how he was previously.

"...That." Jason finished

"Oh, Notch..." Bella breathed softly, her voice quivered, and she gripped the sorcerer's hand again "Seto..."

"What's happened to him?" Jerome looked at Jason and Bella.

"Isn't it obvious?" Mitch sighed "You all saw his arms. His grandfather had to have done something, or the archives at least."

"I thought he killed his grandfather," Ian muttered, "People don't come back from a stab wound like that unless they're a god."

"His grandfather started this, but it's bigger than that." Jason sighed.

Quentin frowned "Jason, what aren't you telling us?"

"I was getting to that," Jason rubbed his arm "Seto explained everything to me a few nights ago, we were going to tell you guys everything after training but then..." Jason looked at Seto again and sighed.

Jason proceeded to tell the group everything. How he'd found Seto in the archives corrupted, how he'd attacked him and how Seto attacked the storage room. He even mentioned how Seto had found a solution to get to Ty in his corrupted state. The team listened to Jason speak with growing horror. Seto had been going through hell the past three months, and he never said anything. They knew he'd been keeping secrets and was stressed out, but this was far worse than they could ever have imagined.

"This is all my fault." Bella hugged her arms close to herself "I should've said something to you guys, I should've done more to help him."

Mitch went to Bella's side and hugged her close "Don't blame yourself, Bella. You couldn't have known this would happen."

"You said someone was coming to help him," Ian was pacing now "Do we know who they are and when they'll get here?"

Jason and Bella shook their heads "He never said." Bella's shoulders sagged "He was doubtful if they would even want to come to help him."

"There has to be something we can do!" Mitch insisted "We can't leave him like this! He can't end up becoming like his grandfather!"

"What about Ty too?" Jerome frowned "Seto's the only person that could help us open the portal for a long time. None of the other recruits would be strong enough."

"What about Adam?" Quentin suggested "He could do i-" he trailed off when he and the others went to look at Adam. He'd been standing at the end of the room completely silent during the entire conversation. Now he wasn't even there, having left at some point in their panicked discussion. No doubt trying to find a place to think or cool off.

"Where the hell has he gone now?" Ian rubbed his temples

"I know." Jason sighed "Look, just... Have people keep an eye on Seto. I'll be back in a bit."

He left the room after that to chase down the general, leaving the others in a solum silence.

~~~

It was getting harder and harder for Ty to remain awake in the End. With only Ignis for company, he didn't exactly want to talk with him. He didn't know how long he'd been in this place for, days? Weeks? Months? It felt like it all blurred together.

He was starting to lose faith that his friends would find him. He didn't believe for a minute his friends had given up on him. They were stubborn like that. He knew if positions were reversed that he wouldn't stop searching. But that didn't stop the thoughts.

His mind was continually pointing out all the flaws in any plan he thought they would come up with. What if they couldn't find him? What if they couldn't beat Ignis the next time? Did he even want them to find him?
Ignis' words still rung in his mind. If his friends found him, they couldn't leave without killing him too. Everything would be pointless!

He leaned back against the crystal behind him. He hadn't moved from the pillar since being placed up there by Ignis except for once. He'd tried to fly up to one of the higher islands of the End, perhaps he could find where he'd fallen off. But he grew so tired and weak the further he flew away. He only barely made it back to the island.

Ignis had scolded him when he landed, grumbling all about how he wouldn't 'let him consume you.' Whatever that meant... he didn't really care anymore. Asking questions got him nowhere so he just stopped asking.

He didn't know why he kept going on like this. He guessed the crystals were the only thing that felt constant here. They sustained him, but for what? What was he even really waiting for? Waiting to die? Waiting to be killed?

It all felt so...Pointless...

So he slept, he was able to pass the time at least for a little while in the End. He didn't know how he knew, but he knew every time he woke up that he was sleeping for longer and longer periods. Like an animal, he supposed, hibernating for winter. How ironic.

Ignis seemed content with his actions. Never commenting on it other than to encourage him to rest. It should have worried Ty. He should've yelled and snarled like he had before that he should but he just couldn't. His will to keep fighting was sapped. Why keep fighting with no real end goal in sight?

He felt the wind blow down on him from Ignis' wings as he came to land next to him. He didn't look at him. Why should he? Wouldn't change anything.

'Perhaps another rest would do you well, Enderlox.' The dragon mused next to him. Ty didn't bother to correct him; he was right anyway.

He felt better when he slept. He didn't have to deal with all these thoughts. This feeling of hopelessness. His friends would find him, but what was the rush? What did he have to lose if they took their time? A little nap wouldn't hurt.

Just one more rest...

—

Damn I'm on a roll