Raena was staring through Braedon with heavy lids, barely registering him. The room they had been given, accommodated to almost all their needs. The bare walls were painted a plain white, no picture frames decorating them, and one window stretched across half the width of the wall opposite the wooden door, overlooking the Terra District below. One double-sized bed with emerald-coloured sheets was placed against the windowed wall, and Raena assumed it would be a nice view to wake up to, if it weren't a constant reminder of their desire to escape the district.

Adjacent to the window was a reminiscent double-bed, situated beside a bedside table upon which sat a grey lamp. Opposite that was a huge walk-in closet that took up the majority of the wall, minus the adjoining door that lead to the large bathroom including a bathtub, two sinks and a toilet.

The bedroom alone was more than they were used to, and Raena may have appreciated it more had they not been cooped up in the same room for the past five days. She couldn't remember the last time she had had a proper sleep. She only snuck in a few naps for an hour or two here and there before Braedon would wake her up. With the draugr still loose and easily accessible in her dreams, Braedon had suggested waking her up between a couple hours' intervals, so as to avoid falling into REM sleep, where she may then dream of the creature.

Initially, it had seemed like a great idea. Five days later... not so much. She didn't need to look in the bathroom mirror to know she had dark circles under her eyes, and Braedon wasn't much better off. Their escape plans were hardly creative nor elaborate as their tired brains only had the capacity to think day by day now. Since their last escape, Braedon had broken one of his stitches throwing that punch at the Border Patrol, Trevet. A nurse was sent to their room each day to change his bandages and clean his wounds, but Raena smartly suggested that they wait until he was fully healed this time before madly attempting to hobble out of this district, in the state he was in. Braedon had been ready to protest, but after Raena insisted that they would need their full strength to get Grandpa Sage back to safety or risk being liabilities, he wisely remained quiet.

He now sat across from where she was seated on the carpeted floor, leaning his head against the window. Braedon had his long legs stretched out before him while he leaned against the bedpost, his dark hair as dishevelled as he probably felt. Braedon's dark eyes met Raena's in a lazy stare, his expression entirely blank. Although one of the maids had left a variety of clothes on coat hangers inside the closet, Braedon hadn't bothered to change clothes since awakening in the Nursing Room, and Raena had merely bathed once the first night they spent in this room, scrubbing away at all the grime and dirt and combing through her long, blonde hair, removing any knots. She had finally felt fresh and whole again.

It hadn't taken long to feel like total crap again. She had stopped taking baths after she had almost fallen asleep in the warm water two nights ago. Since then, she had only used the ice-cold water if she needed to desperately wake herself. It would leave her shivering with two towels around her to warm back up, but at least it did the job and prevented her from falling asleep.

Which is what Braedon seemed to be doing now.

Raena felt bad for him. She almost wanted to let him sleep. But when she had done that the previous night, they had both drifted off, and Raena had dangerously fallen into the beginnings of REM sleep, a dream stirring in her subconscious. The setting of the Tenebris Forest had only just formed in her mind, when two hands had grabbed her shoulders, shaking her awake. She couldn't help but scream, and then the exhausted tears had rolled down her cheeks while she stifled her sobs, Braedon soothing her nerves, holding her reassuringly.

"Braedon," Raena kicked out a bare foot, poking his leg with her toe.

Braedon didn't respond. His eyes remained wide open, no real focus to them.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding," Raena murmured under her breath. He'd fallen asleep with his eyes open. Again.

"Braedon," she groaned. "Stop that, it's creepy."

He didn't stir, and Raena forced herself to crawl towards him, her bones aching and muscles protesting.

"Braedon." She punched him softly in the arm, plonking herself against the wall, half-leaning against his shoulder for support.

Gods, watching him sleep made her want to sleep. What she would do to just curl up in bed and never wake again. Ironically, she knew the chances of never waking were quite high if she did just that.

"Braedon," she said more firmly, then whispered into his ear, "You look like a psychopath when you do that."

He jolted awake, almost butting heads with her, and he swore under his breath. His sudden reaction made even Raena start a little, and she watched his doe-like expression as he glanced wildly left and right, blinking several times before his attention finally rested on Raena, who began howling with laughter.

"What on Caedus, Raena?" he hissed at her, his chest rising and falling with deep breaths. "You damn-well scared me."

Raena snorted, calming her laughter. "Yeah, well, so did you." She stared at him with overly-animated wide eyes, mimicking him, which only earned her a disapproving glance.

Braedon muttered, "At least I don't drool like a baby when I sleep."

Raena's smile instantly vanished. "I do not!"

Braedon lifted his eyebrows at her. "Sure."

Normally, Raena would have continued to argue her case, but a wave of sleepiness overcame her, and she yawned, half covering her mouth with a hand before drawing her knees towards her chest and hugging them. "I want to sleep."

"And I want to get out of here," Braedon responded blandly.

That had been the majority of their overall conversations for the past five days. After their attempted escape, Braedon imagined they had probably increased security near the emergency exits, and even if there was a way out, everyone would be on too high of an alert now. It would be stupid trying to escape, but each day that passed decreased the likelihood of them ever finding Grandpa Sage again. Assuming he was still...

Raena squeezed her eyes shut. No. She couldn't believe that. He was still alive. He had to be.

"My wounds have almost healed," Braedon continued. "By tomorrow I'd say I have my physical strength back."

"If you slept, you might have recuperated faster."

"Raena," he replied disapprovingly. "We've talked about this."

"This is stupid, Braedon," Raena suggested. "You said it yourself, they would have extra security now since our last attempt, and even with your physical strength our minds are not in the right place. We need sleep."

"We also need Grandpa Sage back, and the longer we wait..."

"I know," Raena whispered. Then, "We could ask Iris."

Braedon directed his gaze towards to carpet below, a contemplative frown on his face. He didn't refuse, which was a good sign... but neither did he seem overly keen on the idea.

"You didn't really give us much time to explain anything to her," Raena pointed out, trying again.

"Raena," he looked at her carefully. "I know you guys share the same blood, but you don't know this girl."

Raena's hope dropped. She understood what Braedon meant, seriously she did. But how could she possible explain the connection she felt with her to him? It was more than a blood bond – it was as if she was able to truly feel Iris, see through her, what it was like to be her, for a split second. And though Braedon was right on many accounts, she couldn't help but feel that Iris wasn't a stranger to her at heart. And that she was the only one who could help them right now.

"We don't know anything about her," Braedon continued tiredly. "She may be your biological sister but..."

"Half-sister."

"Still." Braedon shrugged. "You share the same mother, Queen Freya."

"I know what you mean, Braedon," she cut in. "And I'm not saying she's trustworthy, I'm just saying that we need someone on the inside to help us get out, and she genuinely seemed like she wanted to help us."

Braedon still looked sceptical. "If she wanted to help, wouldn't she have sought you out years ago? Why wait so long to make an appearance? And at this particular moment? You don't even know if she somehow planned the whole thing."

"None of my other sisters have shown their faces," Raena said, stifling a yawn. "My instinct tells me she has good intentions."

"Just as well they didn't seek you out," Braedon countered. "Especially that gods-damned assassin sister of yours."

"Hmm," Raena leaned her head against her forearms, rocking slightly back and forth. Mazikeen, she went by, apparently. The most renowned female assassin and the right hand of the Lord Assassin of Caedus, she had grown up to be. That's what Grandpa Sage had once informed them. He said that the trees had spread him the news. She wished she could speak to trees too, understand them. Maybe then she would know more than what little Sage had told them. "I get why Grandpa tried to keep us in the dark about these kinds of dirty details behind the war and the Kingdom's history," Raena mused. "But sometimes I do wish he told us a bit more."

Braedon grimaced. "Well, we know enough. The Caelian Princess is somewhere untouchable, hiding with her Caelian District. And the Ignisian Princess denied her throne and took up assassinating people as a living. The Terran Princess hasn't shown her face to the world for years, probably letting her Commanding Officer do all the dirty work while she sat in comfort, and well..." he paused. "That's all we need to know, for now. It's enough."

Raena stopped rocking and glanced up at him from her rested position against her arms. "And the Lymphan Princess was also in hiding for fifteen years, so I suppose it doesn't make me much better, does it?"

"That's different," Braedon growled. "You know that."

Raena shrugged. "All I know is that my own people don't even want me as their leader."

There was a knock at the door, and Braedon groaned, standing up unsteadily as he made his way to the door.

"Didn't the maid already bring us dinner?" Braedon muttered.

Raena shrugged. She couldn't even remember. Maids came and went into their room, bringing fresh supplies of food, beverages, toiletries and clean laundry. All the days were blurring together in this room, and she no longer took note of their food schedule.

Braedon opened the door, and Raena heard a faint greeting before the door was shut again. Raena knitted her eyebrows together and slowly stood, facing Braedon, who turned and leaned against the doorframe.

"Who was that?"

"Your sister."

Raena's eyes widened. "And you shut the door on her?"

His silence was enough of a response.

"Braedon!" Raena stalked up to him, shoving him out of the way.

"I still don't think telling her is a good idea," Braedon insisted, although she noted he didn't try to stop her this time.

"Oh, and shutting the door on the only person who could actually be of help is a better one?" Raena snapped.

She opened the door and Braedon relented with a sigh, walking back to his spot on the floor.

Raena winced slightly at the bright hallway lights before focusing on Iris, who stood just outside with a bemused expression, fist half raised in a knock.

"Sorry," Raena apologised with a glare towards Braedon. "He was just being a facies stercore."

"Language," Braedon half-heartedly growled at her.

Iris glanced inside the dark room. "Aren't the lights working?"

"They work," Raena responded briskly, before opening the door fully and gesturing for her to enter.

Iris glanced towards the untouched beds and crinkled her nose slightly.

Right. Being cooped up in here for so long, they probably stunk. Perhaps it would have helped to open the window more often.

"Doesn't look like you've been sleeping much in those beds," Iris mused, taking a seat beneath the window. Raena sat down next to Braedon, and the three exchanged a short, awkward glance.

"Yeah," Iris continued, clearing her throat. "To be honest, I can't blame you for not sleeping in them. The mattresses are much too soft for my liking. I mean, you get used to it but..."

"With all due respect," Braedon cut in. "We're both kind of tired. So, do you want to cut to the chase and tell us why you're here?"

Iris took in a breath. "I want to help you."

Braedon scoffed. "Unless your hair can grow like Rapunzel's and we can shimmy out of this window and down five stories, I don't think you'll be of much help. In fact, we're better using Raena's hair at this point."

Raena punched him in the arm before smiling sweetly at Iris. "Sorry, he hasn't had much sleep lately."

Iris nodded. "Yeah, I haven't been sleeping too easily either. I seem to be constantly on edge lately."

"What could you possibly be on edge about?" Braedon deadpanned. "Seems like you have everything you could possibly want right here."

Iris bit her lip, not seeming to note Braedon's flat tone with her. "Yeah, that's what I keep telling myself too. And yet, it doesn't feel... right. It's not Earth I guess, you know? And it doesn't feel like home yet, but I still have a lot to get used to and understand here in Caedus."

Braedon and Raena both blinked, confused.

"Hang on a second." Raena was shaking her head. "Did you say Earth?"

Iris raised an eyebrow. "I assumed you all knew... that someone had told you."

Raena and Braedon shared an unknowing glance and they both replied, "No."

"Oh," Iris said, joining them on the floor settling back against the wall. "Well, it's slightly reassuring that I'm not the only one being kept in the dark. Though it is concerning that two princesses are being kept in the dark about knowledge that we have every right to know."

Raena crossed her legs, glancing at her sister with newfound curiosity. She knew by her shared glance with Braedon that they were thinking the same thing. Could it possible be true? It would explain her strange accent, and why she had seemingly vanished into thin air all those years ago. "So, this entire time," Raena said carefully, "You've been living on Earth? You didn't even know about Caedus? About me?"

Iris scoffed. "I only arrived here about a week ago. I apparently activated some kind of an earthquake in L.A, my hometown. I blacked out and when I woke up, I found myself here in Caedus, next to the riverbank. Trevet – the security guard that, erm, you met on the stairwell – brought me here."

It was Braedon's turn to gaze at Iris in curiosity. "You triggered magic on Earth? I thought magic was extinct there."

Iris shrugged. "Don't ask me. I didn't even know magic was real until I arrived here."

Raena was utterly astounded. She had never been to Earth, never thought much of it. Sure, she had heard about it, but as far as Caedusians were concerned, Earth was a replica of their own planet, just inferior.

"How did you end up on Earth of all places?" Raena asked in bewilderment.

"I wish I knew," Iris grimaced. "The Commanding Officer, Jasper, has asked me that question enough times."

"How did you manage to make an earthquake on Earth?" Raena asked, wide-eyed. Magic was supposed to be extinct there. If Grandpa Sage's tales were true, Earthlings and other beings from different planets and galaxies didn't have the same gifts granted to them that the gods granted the Elementals here.

"Uh," Iris hesitated, a shadow crossing her face. "I don't really want to go into it but... a traumatic experience, I guess."

A blanket of silence fell over them and Raena felt a sudden pang deep in her stomach, like a dull, aching loss. She didn't know what it meant, but Raena sensed that she had reached a testy subject and so, dropped the matter.

"Anyway," Iris said more firmly now. "I just had dinner with Jasper."

Braedon's brief interest in her turned back to disapproval as he readjusted himself against the bedpost. "And?"

"And," Iris said with a sigh, "he won't tell me anything. He knows I'm disadvantaged, that I don't know anything about this place, and he is using that to his benefit, I think." Iris's gaze turned thoughtful. "From what I gathered, Lymphans don't want a monarch in charge after being forced to be slaves to the last ruler..." She glanced at Raena. "Our mother, I guess." She returned her curious gaze to Braedon. "If you're a Lymphan, why are you protecting Raena, if I can ask?"

Braedon scowled, and Raena answered for him, instead. "He is not a part of the Water District. He's..." Braedon gently but firmly pinched her arm, and she trailed off, mumbling. "It's a long story."

Iris raised an eyebrow but dropped the matter.

"What do you know, exactly?" Braedon questioned.

Iris inhaled. "Well, from what I was able to extract from Jasper, not much. I'm not even sure if it's true. I know that the Lymphans would rather see their princess dead than alive."

Raena nodded her confirmation.

"And..." Iris was thoughtful. "The prophecy. Jasper told me the prophecy and it's been engrained in my memory ever since."

Raena knew what she meant. Grandpa Sage had only recited the prophecy to her once and it was as if the prophecy had been marked permanently in her brain.

"Only once the four royal sisters reunite, will the Kingdom of Caedus overcome this blight." Even as Raena said the words, the two sisters visibly shivered. The words aloud sent chills up and down her back, and goose-bumps broke out across her arms and neck.

"So, what old man made up that prophecy, anyway?" Iris shook her shoulders slightly as if she were trying to shake the same cold chill Raena had felt.

"The prophet is a she," Raena corrected, remember Grandpa Sage's old tales. "And when she foretold it, she wasn't old, though I imagine she would be now, if she's still alive."

"So, what exactly does the prophecy mean?" Iris asked.

"It's pretty self-explanatory," Braedon said. "If the four of you come together, the war will cease, and the kingdom will be restored."

"I'm confused," Iris chewed her lower lip. "The prophecy sounds like a good thing."

"And to most people it is," Raena confirmed. "But... well, there are always people who aren't necessarily happy with it."

"The Lymphans didn't exactly have it easy under Freya's – your mother's – rule," Braedon explained, and Iris nodded knowingly. "A large percentage of Lymphans were a part of the lower working class, and they served the higher courts and her royal majesty."

"The higher courts being mostly Terrans," Raena offered, "as they were under direct rule of Freya, whose original element was Earth." By Iris's surprised expression, she could tell this was new information now to her.

"My grandfather was always vague about the warring districts and the Kingdom days," Braedon admitted. He slumped, seeming to ease into the idea of Iris's presence, his barriers slowly lowering. "But, basically, there were four kingdoms, four elements. Freya had a child with each king from the different elements, and hence, she found she could rightfully rule all four elements under one reign, one kingdom."

Iris seemed to be slowly processing all this information, and she said, "Huh, my mum really got around."

Raena flushed slightly, chuckling. "I guess that's one way to look at it."

"But wait," she frowned, meeting Raena's eyes. "So that makes us..."

"Half-sisters," Raena confirmed with a nod.

Iris's eyebrows arched in surprise, and she looked slightly taken aback.

"Yeah, well," Braedon continued. "That's when matters became complicated, after her four children were born. She decided to seize control of all four kingdoms and unite them as one. This change, of course, barely affected Terrans. If anything, they thrived on a united Kingdom as it eased their workload. But the other elements weren't too happy to call a Terran their queen. Especially those who found themselves in the lower courts and were being marginalised."

Iris nodded thoughtfully.

"The details of the four districts are a little obscured to us," Raena picked up. "All we know for sure, though, is that the Lymphans would rather kill their own princess then have the prophecy come true and risk returning to the old Kingdom days. They believe it would only result in labour enslavement once again. So, I guess I can't even blame them for hating me."

Iris frowned. "Surely they don't all hate you? You aren't your – our – mother. You could do things differently, more fairly."

Raena thought it over for a moment. "I don't know if they all hate me. I'm sure some are a little more reasonable. But the majority definitely feel strongly against the prophecy. Though, I'll admit, I was never with my own people long enough to find out. Braedon's grandfather was kind enough to risk his life to try and save mine." Raena felt a twang of guilt at the thought of Grandfather Sage. What were they doing to him right now? "Braedon and Grandpa Sage have both risked their lives keeping me hidden." Raena looked down at her knees, a vivid memory of the three of them camping out by the stars, underneath the moonlit night.

Braedon cast Raena a knowing look, a sad twinkle in his dark eyes, and Raena took in a deep breath, continuing, "He's the greatest archer in all of Caedus, you know? He taught us everything we know since we fled to the Tenebris Forest. The forest was my home – our home," she smiled at Braedon, "For fifteen years. It was Grandpa's safest bet because it was far away from all the warzones and not many try to venture that far towards it. Dark creatures lurk there..." she winced slightly at the memory of the draugr and its deformed, skeletal body. Dark creatures definitely lurked there, but they weren't meant to be deathly ones like that. "For those that don't know how to navigate the forest, they don't have much of a chance surviving there. During the day it isn't too bad but at night is when all the dangerous ones like to prowl."

"Basically," Braedon elaborated, "It's not exactly a place people would want to visit on vacation unless they knew the forest well. And luckily for us, Grandpa Sage was an archer and a hunter who spent most of his days tracking creatures down in both the Tenebris Forest and others alike. Like Raena said, he wasn't just any Terran archer. He was – is – the best in all the land, and Freya's personal Weapons Master."

Iris's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "A Terran? Then how...?" she looked at Raena.

Raena looked at Braedon, who shrugged as if to say, Why not? You already told her this much.

"Grandpa never went into much detail," Raena said carefully. "But it is known fact that the Elemental War started because of those who were enslaved. On top of that, Grandpa Sage said that Queen Freya had never made much effort to make the four elemental kingdoms feel less divided. They were kind of forced into unison. Anyway," Raena sighed, "they started a revolt against the monarchy, and the queen's castle was ransacked. She tried to save us, but the attack came as a surprise. Her backup plan had been to separate us so that we had more of a chance at survival, and she all entitled us with carers while she stayed behind to fight for her Kingdom. She entrusted me with Grandpa Sage and told him to flee." Raena paused, thinking back on any detail she may have missed or forgotten. It was weird to retell this story. It didn't feel right to recount something she didn't remember even witnessing, and she felt uncomfortable, like these words, these events and memories belonged more to Sage than to her. "Again, this is everything that Grandpa Sage told me – told us." She glanced at Braedon's thoughtful expression and wondered what he could be thinking right now. She turned her focus back to Iris. "You would have been only three when this all happened, so I doubt you'd remember much more than me. I don't know who Queen Freya left you with, though, or how in the heavens you ended up on Earth." She never referred to Queen Freya as 'mother'. She frankly wasn't sure how to feel about the mother she never met. A mighty queen, ruler of all four elements, a historical legend. Yet she wasn't sure how to feel about her mother's careless attitude towards the way the four different Elementals were treated. The way they were categorised and divided. It was the reason they felt the need to revolt, after all. Though if Sage had taught her anything, it was that there was always two sides to every story, and so she didn't feel like categorising Queen Freya as good or bad or anything, unless meeting her. Which was no longer possible now.

She looked towards Braedon questioningly, but he shook his head. It seemed she had explained as much as the two of them knew. Unless Braedon was choosing to hold any other information to himself.

"I know that Agnimitra – Mazikeen, she goes by now – was separated from her carer," Braedon offered hesitantly.

Raena nodded. She had forgotten about that piece of information. The famous princess-turned-assassin.

"She would probably remember more about what happened that fateful day the Kingdom fell. She was maybe six years old when this all happened." He pursed his lips, thinking. "Rumour has it that one of the rebels killed her carer, and when they attempted to murder Mazikeen, she fought tooth and nail, managing to escape... only to land right in the clutches of Adiran, the Assassin Lord." Braedon paused again, clearly noticing that Iris was needing time to digest all this new information. Then he added, "As for Princess Caeli, she would have definitely remembered the events. She was nine when it all happened. I'm certain of that much. I don't know who looked after her though, or anything about her journey after that revolt. Only that she's supposedly living a safe and happy life within the hidden Caeli District."

Braedon cleared his throat. "I think it's safe to say that two superpowers in this war at the moment are the Caeli and Terra Districts, and it's been that way for a while now. The Ignis District has switched sides multiple times, and the Lymphan District has a mind entirely of their own."

"So, just to recap," Iris said slowly. "Ignis is...?"

"Fire," Raena translated.

"And Caeli?" Iris questioned.

"Air," Braedon replied.

Iris was nodding, staring at the carpeted floor below. Raena couldn't possibly fathom how she must be feeling, what her sister was thinking, after living in a world without magic almost all her life. It was almost too unbelievable. How had she ended up all the way on Earth?

Raena let her have a moment to herself. Almost eighteen years without knowing the truth. Without knowing her real birth-parents or, hell, without even knowing her birth-planet. She spent years in a realm where magic was thought non-existent. All this time, Iris must have thought she had no real family, that she had been abandoned and uncared for.

Raena furrowed her eyebrows in concern and glimpsed at Braedon. Sure, she may have missed out on having the life she was supposed to have with her mother-queen and three sisters, but in a way, she was grateful for what had happened, or she might never have gotten the opportunity to have a real, familial relationship with Braedon and Grandpa Sage. A simple, quaint life in the forest. She was glad that, when she was split from her sisters, she at least got to grow up learning useful hunting skills and was fortunate enough to spend her childhood with two of the kindest, most wonderful people she could ever know. But who did Iris grow up with? What did she have? Did she even have anyone to look after her on Earth? There was so much about her sister's life she didn't know about.

Raena opened her mouth, curious to ask Iris one of the many questions swarming in her mind, when Iris spoke first.

"So," Iris said, a glimmer of determination evident in her hazel eyes. She seemed adamant in understanding Caedus's history, in hearing all aspects of the story, or at least, as much information as she could get. "What is the point of this war? I mean, I get why it started but, what, this war has been going on for fifteen years now?"

Braedon shrugged. "Yeah, roughly."

"So then, what are they all fighting over now?"

"Land, power," Braedon said gravely. "It's nothing new. It's the same old theme that runs through every war story, usually initiated by an angry or offended mob. The thing is, it's all well and good to fight for one's rights, but once a war goes on long enough, nobody really remembers what it's about anymore. They just keep going and going until somebody surrenders, or everything is obliterated. War merely becomes an unhealthy and addictive game of violence. Collateral damage to the future generations be damned."

Silence settled over the three, and Iris tapped her knee thoughtfully with her index finger while chewing her bottom lip. Raena glanced between her and Braedon, who also seemed to be lost in a world of philosophical thought until he finally said, "So, we told you what you wanted. Now tell us, how exactly do you plan on helping us?"

Iris was quiet for a long moment, and although her gaze met Braedon's she appeared distracted, if not slightly distraught. "Well, I'm not too sure yet," she said slowly. "About this prophecy and the war... I don't quite know what it all means or how on Earth that prophecy is supposed to come true when Mazikeen is so intent on killing me, which is another thing I don't understand..." she let out a small, flustered sigh.

"Ah," Raena exchanged a grim look with Braedon. This had been explained to them, too. "Adiran is against Elemental-users and is brutally against the prophecy unfolding. I'd bet good money he's brainwashed Agnimitra to become... well, Mazikeen."

Braedon nodded. "She's a lethal weapon. Any inkling of her past life as a royal has been wiped clean. I'd even daresay she'd be willing to behead not just you, but all her sister."

Raena's heart drummed in her chest. One demon chasing her was bad enough. But two?

"One step at a time," Iris breathed steadily. "You mentioned your grandpa." She glanced between Braedon and Raena. "What happened to him? Where is he now?"

"Sage was taken when our home was ransacked," Raena said in a small but cold voice. "The Lymphans have him. If he's still..." she choked slightly at the thought.

"He's alive," Braedon said firmly. "I'm sure of it. As long as they think Raena is on the loose, they'd keep him alive. But the longer we spend underground..."

"I understand," Iris said thoughtfully, pausing for a moment. "Maybe I could speak to Jasper. He's the one who's been running things yesterday."

"You mean that cocky bastard that caught us on the stairwell?" Braedon frowned, and even Raena couldn't help but look doubtful. That Commanding Officer had given her nothing but rotten vibes.

"I don't think you get it," Braedon snapped suddenly. "Every day – no, every hour, every minute – that passes, can mean Grandpa's death. That Commanding Officer seems hardly interested in anyone but his own affairs, anyone with some smarts could see that from a mile away."

Raena leaned over to squeeze his arm, wincing at his hard tone. She could feel that Iris was having a hard enough time tracking the conversation. The last thing she needed was someone snapping at her.

Iris gave him a bewildered look. "Braedon, I know your Grandpa means a lot to you, and I know you have no reason to trust me, but I can convince Jasper. I know it. I don't know how yet, okay? I'm still a little overwhelmed by all this information, but I promise you, I'll figure this out. I want to help"

Braedon scoffed, rubbing his temples. "This was a complete waste of time. You don't even know what you're doing."

"Braedon," Raena hissed firmly. "We don't either, so just shut up, okay?"

"You're kidding," he said incredulously to her. "You would risk waiting it out here, on some whim that maybe Iris can convince the Commanding Officer to let us visit the world above? And how likely does that sound?"

"Even if he doesn't let you two go up there," Iris intervened. "I'm positive I can persuade him to at least put together some kind of extraction team to get your Grandpa safely back to you both."

"That's all you can offer? A possible extraction team?" Braedon shook his head, looking ready to argue further, but stopped when Raena impulsively reached for his arm, meeting his eyes with a firm stare.

"Braedon," she said quietly. "Enough. I hate saying this, but... for now, we don't have a choice other than to wait here. Even if we managed to sneak out, like you planned, then what? How would we even get to the Lymphan District without supplies or weapons? It would take days to arrive, assuming we're not killed on the way, and they would recognise us instantly, for sure." Especially me, she added silently. "At least, if we have some backup we'd stand more of chance."

Braedon was still shaking his head, but his eyes admitted defeat. He was usually the smart, patient one when unexpected issues arose, but losing Grandpa Sage like this... Raena had never seen him so mixed up with his emotions, so brash and irrational in his decisions. He had every right to be angry and scared, and so was she, but some thin thread grounded her, beckoned her to listen to logic before emotion.

Raena could tell by the look in Braedon's eyes that he understood her point of view, knew that he was being foolish, though it didn't stop him from adding sarcastically, "So, what now? We just wait for Iris to coax Jasper into risking some of his soldier's lives just to extract Sage Slate? Despite his reputation, need I remind you not one Terran went looking for him when he disappeared then, so what would possibly make them change their minds now?"

Both Raena and Iris remained silent, and his words struck a chord not just for Raena, but for Iris too, it seemed, guilt and worry shadowing her eyes.

"It's not a great plan," Raena admitted solemnly, meeting Iris's equally miserably gaze. "But it's the only one we've got right now."