Braedon wasn't sure if he was hallucinating or if he was really seeing Iris high above him, in the ceiling. No, in the air vent.

A brief wave of relief washed over him at the sight of her. He wasn't alone. She was here. But that last thought sounded panicked alarm bells in his head and with that, the realisation that something was very, very wrong. What was Iris doing here? In a vent? Why wasn't she in the Terra District with... His heart stopped, and Braedon's breath hitched. Raena. She was alone. She was alone in the Terra District. He had left her alone. The only person who would have been able to keep her safe in a city full of Terrans, safe from that freakish Commanding Officer, was her sister, the Terran Princess. But Iris was here, doing gods knew what in a freaking vent... And then he remembered. The promise Iris had made to him. The promise he had mistaken as empty words, a meaningless condolence. Iris had said she would get Grandpa Sage back, and she had indeed meant to keep her word. And now his last three days in search of this place meant absolutely nothing.

Al had not been joking when he said the tunnel route they had taken was a lot longer than other routes. It took a whole day before they arrived at the end of the tunnel leading out to the Lymphan District patrol area, and Braedon had never once let his guard down, always keeping Al at gunpoint. When he exited the tunnel, Al told him it would still be a few more days before he'd find the Lymphan District's proper location, if he ever managed to find it. Braedon let the Terran Border Patrol go at that point, no longer needing him – though he kept the gun, of course, and the guy had ran back into the darkened tunnel with a snarl, no doubt to inform Jasper.

It took days before he finally found this place, and his food supply was running low when he found the district by pure chance. Braedon had gone to wash his face in the glimmering, blue lake in front of him, but when he tried to, his hands didn't even feel wet. It was like the water wasn't even real. Then, just as he was about to further investigate this curious matter, there was a shout from behind, and then he felt something hard prick his neck and his arm, and he had turned around to find a man in a blue Border Patrol uniform yelling something along the lines of "trespasser! You're that boy from the waterfall! The one with the Lymphan Princess!" He blacked out before he had the chance to retaliate or respond. Then, after an uncertain amount of time, he had woken up here, strapped to a torture bed. They had stripped him of his supplies, too. His backpack had been dumped in the corner of the room, its contents emptied onto the floor.

He'd only just met the Commander – Eli, or something or other – when another man had opened the door and interrupted in the nick of time. Eli had seemed annoyed, but the man – who he guessed might have been second-in-command – had promised it was vital he came with him, immediately, so the Commander had left Braedon alone, strapped to the bed.

And now here he was, not a few moments after, where he spotted Iris high above him, mouthing his name and staring down at him with a look of both disbelief and concern that Braedon was sure was reflected in his own expression.

His breath came out in short, raspy bursts as he once again thought of Raena, alone. What had he done? What would Grandpa Sage think? That is, if he managed to find Grandpa Sage now that he had gotten himself trapped in an identical situation. Braedon swallowed, hard. How had everything spiralled downwards so quickly? He squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again, wishing it were all just a nightmare.

"Iris," his own voice sounded foreign and small in his ears, hesitant to speak too loud in case Eli or one of his henchmen reappeared.

Iris glanced ahead of her at something on the far end of the air vent, in obvious longing and dismay, before returning her attention to Braedon and heaving a sigh.

"Ah shit," she banged her fist against the vent in defeat. Iris didn't question his presence in this place, didn't bother with conversation or reassurances as she pushed out the grate and then swung down from the vent in a moderately clumsy manner, wincing as her flat shoes hit the concrete surface a few metres below. She had a knife at her hip, and Braedon watched the bloodied blade glint as she held it up now, the knife reflecting off a ray of moonbeam that peeked through a gap in the boarded-up window on the far side of the wall. Iris cut through the straps binding him to the table, and she muttered her first words to him – he guessed in a sort of manner of greeting.

"Your family has a weird fetish for being tied and tortured, huh?"

The humour was lost on Braedon, if only because his mind was elsewhere. On Raena. He had promised Grandpa Sage he would look after her. He had left her alone with a bunch of Terrans, whom he knew better than anyone, cared only for their own kind.

Iris caught him up as she worked on cutting through the second strap. "The vent above leads to a rubbish chute, where Caspian – he's a friend," she added quickly before continuing, "should be waiting, with Grandpa Sage. Caspian is wearing a blue uniform, and yes, he's a Lymphan, but he's on our side. And he's not the only one, apparently."

She worked on the third strap now, and Braedon rubbed his sore wrists.

"We're meeting Trevet at a rendezvous point in less than half-an-hour."

She paused for a second before going in for the fourth and last strap binding his right leg. "Holy crap. I hope he's not still trying to find you guys..." she shook her head. "Well, anyway. He should have Raena with him, and he'll be waiting. Then we're getting out here. All of us." Her eyes were glazed with concern but she was working on freeing him as fast as possible, gnawing her lip in concentration.

He should have Raena with him. That's what Iris had said, and the words made the knot in Braedon's stomach loosen a little. That meant Raena wasn't in the Terra District. She'd be with Trevet right now, waiting for him. The thought provoked Braedon into action, and he scrambled off the table, his eyes set on his belongings. If Grandpa Sage truly had been saved, then all they needed to do now was get out of here in one piece, fast.

He hastily chucked all his supplies back into his backpack, zipping it up – they may very well need it. He then followed Iris's line of vision, towards the vent. Voices and hurried footsteps could be heard down the hallway, and the two exchanged a nervous glance.

He slunk the backpack across his shoulders and placed his hands palm up, intertwining his fingers as he nodded towards her. "Step up onto my hands. Go."

She didn't dare protest as she grabbed his shoulders and stepped onto his hand-made footing. He grunted and hoisted her up, waiting for her to fully pull herself up into the vent before removing his hands. Then, being tall enough to reach the vent with the help of Iris's outstretched hands, he jumped up, grabbing her hands with one of his own, the other gripping the insides of the vent as he dragged his body further and further into the vent.

Iris panted with the effort, pulling him in with as much strength as she could muster. She gave one final tug and he managed to fit himself and the half-empty bag into the tight space. Braedon tried not to think about how close together the walls were to each other, how his broad shoulders brushed against the sides of the vent. He pushed aside his fear, reminding himself to breath. One of the Border Patrol had just burst into the room and noted Braedon was missing. He had also observed the gaping hole in the ceiling where they stared down in horror.

For a moment, the Lymphan Border Patrol just gazed up curiously into the vent. The he suddenly turned his head towards the doorway, and Braedon had only enough time to tell Iris to start crawling, before the man yelled out, "They're here! In the vents! Going towards the rubbish chute!"

Braedon swore under his breath and Iris crawled faster in front of him, not bothering to check below her as she dived down the chute at the end of the vent, Braedon quickly following suit. Braedon's nose was hit with a strong whiff of rotting food as they both hit the garbage, and although it disgusted him not to know what kind of slimy comestible he was feeling beneath his hands, it had been a safer landing than if they had fallen just a few metres more to the side, where crushed and splintering wood remained. Iris began to crawl towards the outer edges of the bin, just as a male's voice whispered Iris's name.

Braedon peeked out and found a tall, dark-haired young man in a blue Border Patrol uniform, standing with about a half-dozen other fellow co-workers – both men and women. Panic struck him momentarily, until Iris breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Caspian."

The recognisable name made Braedon relax as well, and Caspian chucked over a blue uniform and a cap, telling Iris to change and tuck her hair into the cap so that she would blend in. Braedon was only half paying attention to this exchange. His attention had instead wandered to the elderly man standing beside Caspian, who stood tall and strong despite the bruises and cuts that decorated his face and his forearms where he had rolled up his sleeves slightly. He was sure that Grandpa Sage had more than just a few hidden scars hidden behind his garments, too. Braedon's vision blurred, and his body numbed while he observed the man as if he were seeing a ghost. He was wearing a tight-fitting blue uniform like the rest of them with a navy-blue cap, but he still wore the same dark grey trench boots from the day Braedon had last seen him – when they had been ambushed back in their own caved home behind the waterfall in the Tenebris Forest. His white hair was as shocking as ever, and Braedon's lip quivered at the spots of dried blood on his bashed face. His grandpa's familiar, bushy eyebrows knitted together, and his green eyes glimmered in recognition, half-open, half-closed, like it was a struggle to keep conscious.

"Grandpa," His mind raced as he rushed to climb out of the bin, desperate to embrace his grandfather, to feel his calloused skin, to be assured that he was really there, wholesome and alive, standing before him.

Grandpa Sage gave him an effortful smile, and Braedon could see the hurt and relief and love in his eyes that no one else would recognise, save someone who knew him well. Braedon threw his arms around him, and Grandpa Sage squeezed back.There were no words Braedon could possibly think of to say to Grandpa Sage – nothing that could amount to the gratitude that he felt towards the gods for reuniting the last two Slates together once again. Grandpa and grandson reunified once more.

"Wait," Caspian shook his head, then cocked his head two the side at the two embraced men. "Grandpa? You're..." His eyes darted between the two of them as they finally released one another, and Caspian let out a long sigh. "Dammit this is getting complicated. The search and rescue was really just meant for one person."

Meanwhile, Iris hauled on the oversized uniform over her clothes, roughly tucking her hair into the cap. The sound of increasingly loud and angry voices from inside the warehouse reminded Braedon of their current situation, and he exchanged a worrisome glance with his Grandpa.

"Can you walk?" Braedon asked him.

Grandpa Sage gave him a wink, and Braedon was relieved to see he hadn't lost his odd sense of humour. "I've been through worse, my boy. Of course I can."

Iris jumped out of the bin, scrunching her nose as she wiped some gunk from her hand onto the side of the bin. Braedon noted she still had the knife tucked into her belt, and, noticing his stare, she hid it beneath the uniformed shirt, giving him a reassuring nod.

"Walk between us and hunch," Caspian told Braedon. "My fellow companions here had only thought to grab two spare uniforms as we didn't think we'd be having a third party member." He shrugged. "But we can try and hide you. We just need to get to..."

"They know we took the rubbish route," Braedon said to Caspian, and he grimaced. "I don't think we have much time." And sure enough, as if on cue, there was the faint sound of doors being slammed open, coming from the front of the warehouse, and the shouting grew suddenly clearer.

"Fine," Caspian glanced at his companions. "Change of plans. I'll be the distraction and I'll try and lead them away. They shouldn't suspect me seeing as I'm the one who brought the Terran Princess to them. I need you guys to help them get through the throng of people when you near the tents."

The six strangers wordlessly pulled out both tasers and guns from their utility belts, just as an order was shouted to search the entire perimeter of the warehouse. Braedon winced as the sound of thundering feet and voices drew closer, and Iris opened her mouth to protest as Caspian began to take his leave.

"I'll meet you there," he reassured her.

"But—" she started.

"No," he shook his head firmly, then gave her a sly wink. "Don't you be a Trevet now, princess. No one can play that role like he can, so you're just wasting your time. Now don't wait up. Go."

Then he was off before Iris could utter another word, running to meet the Commander, yelling that they hadn't come out of the chute yet, and maybe they had slipped out a different way. Iris was still glancing in Caspian's direction as Braedon tugged her gently, and they reluctantly hurried to make their way down the dirt slope, their troupe surrounding them, not too fast so as not to draw attention to themselves, but not too slow that if Eli got a good look at them from behind, he might become suspicious. Braedon didn't know why Caspian was helping them nor who exactly he was. All he knew was that this was one Lymphan he would be eternally grateful for if they got out of this alive. He would owe Caspian his life for this favour.

The trip through the snake-like pathway of tents was almost more terrifying than their escape from the warehouse, and though no one had halted them yet, he knew the Commander would have figured out by now that they were definitely not in or around the warehouse any longer, and his own troupes would be making their way here, any minute now. Braedon kept his gaze averted from strangers' eyes as they passed tent after tent, carefully avoiding any overly muddy terrain that might slow his pace, staying well-hidden within Caspian's tight-knit group of Lypmphan rebels. From his peripheral vision, Braedon noted families who gave the Border Patrol fearful stares, like they were scared of the very people who were in charge of running this district. Braedon frowned as they marched along, watching other civilians who spotted him amongst the crowd of uniformed Patrols and tried to get better glimpses of him – some in simple curiosity, others more so in hostility.

They were doing alright so far, and Braedon allowed a sliver of hope into his heart as he began to believe that perhaps they really would all make it out alive. That is, until there was a distant shout from behind, ordering them to stop. They all pretended not to hear at first, but Eli's voice rang out loud and unmistakably clear the second time, and there were wandering Border Patrol that were now casting them all suspicious glances as other people nearby began whispering and pointing. It was then that one of the men holding a gun in their tiny group nodded to his other companions, then cast a brief glance towards Iris before mumbling softly, but firmly, "For the rebellion." Then he added something in an ancient language that Braedon recognised. "", which roughly translated to 'a better future'.

Before Braedon could fully process what was happening, the man had fallen back from their tightly knit group and began firing back at Eli. Children screamed, and parents were attempting but failing to remain calm in front of them, urgently pushing them back into their tents, away from the ruckus that was about to awaken.

There was no point being subtle anymore. Braedon and the rest of them sprinted forward yet remained in their clump, shoving past surprised civilians and other Border Patrols who were still in that stage of confusion. The remaining five companions Caspian had gathered began tasering and shooting any Border Patrol who dared meet their pathway in defiance, and the shouting behind them was soon muffled by firearm shots as bullets whizzed past them. It was hard to keep focused, especially when more troops came out of nearby tents and started firing at them. He continued running, ensuring he kept pace with Grandpa Sage, who maintained a straight face despite being in obvious pain. Iris was panting hard, her face and neck red and glistening with sweat, but she was nimble and light on her feet, and their group was doing fairly well keeping ahead and away from their approaching enemies. Braedon flinched as the leader of their own pack took a sharp turn at the same time that a bullet whizzed past Braedon, a hairbreadth away from his neck. His legs burned as they struggled to keep him from skidding in fresh mud, his ears ringing with the endless sound of bullets being fired carelessly around him. In all the commotion, it slowly dawned on Braedon that some of the Border Patrol emerging from their tents were actually on their side, for they would salute to them with a nod before turning and taking aim at the approaching stampede of Eli's troupes. Women, men, youngsters – it was all a mixture, a blur, and Braedon no longer knew whose side anyone was on, or whether they were simple bystanders caught in the crossfire. All he was certain of was that they had just been dragged into a revolution of sorts.

More screams erupted around him as many ran as quickly as they fell, dead. He hated seeing this. Hated being a part of all of this. It was like watching a rendition of the Kingdom falling all over again. People going wild, almost animalistic, the air thick with blood and death and vengeance. He forced himself to focus his mind away from his surroundings. They were close, so close. Braedon knew because he could see the end of the lined tents, and just ahead of that – the lake. The lake in which he had previously washed his hands. And that's when he clearly understood it. The lake was fake. It simply camouflaged the Lymphan District. It was used as a mirage, and probably as a defence mechanism, a shield – though how exactly that worked if he had been able to put his hands through the lake easily, he wasn't sure so sure, and now wasn't the time to ponder over it, either.

Another shot was fired, and the man jogging beside Braedon dropped to the ground, dead, leaving Braedon exposed. Iris gritted her teeth but kept her focus forwards, as did Grandpa Sage. So, Braedon did the same, urging his legs onwards, ignoring the bile that rose in his throat.

A bullet skimmed his thigh, ripping through the fabric of his trousers, and Braedon swore aloud, biting his lip and forcing himself to keep running as some blood dripped down his leg. They had reached the end of the line of tents. They were almost across the barrier. Another shot, another down, this time, the woman closest to Iris, leaving her exposed, too. They kept going. Another dead in the quest to keep them safe. He swallowed his itching throat.

"The water," Iris huffed, but one of the surviving companions cut her off.

"It only affects you if you're trying to enter the district, not exit it," the woman leading the pack stated briskly, short of breath. "You will all get through."

Braedon didn't have time to ask what that meant, as there was another shot, and the very woman who had spoken, was hit in the arm. She cried out, turning around and firing three shots backwards with the help of both hands, not bothering to wait and see if she had hit her target. She turned back around and kept sprinting, shouting at them all to get a move on. Braedon swallowed as his legs screamed in protest, propelling him forwards.

Eli was screaming hysterically for someone, anyone to stop them, when the group finally reached the waterfront, and Iris waded hurriedly into the lake, ducking her head into the clear water and disappearing from view. Braedon gaped at his group as they too, vanished, and Grandpa Sage urgently beckoned to him with a hand before disappearing beneath the water next. A bullet skimmed right beside Braedon's right hand, and he rushed towards where his Grandpa had been, feeling that familiar and oddly cool sensation he had previously felt when he first encountered the lake. The wet texture hit his skin, reaching to his chest, yet he remained dry. Then he dipped his head underwater, and when he resurfaced, he found that the rest of his group were already making their way out of the water. Iris shouted at him to hurry, and he pushed his body out of the water, making his way to them as quickly as he could. She glanced past him, as if she expected someone else to be emerging from the lake after him, and Braedon also risked a glimpse back, realising that Caspian had not yet caught up to them like he claimed he would. By the time Braedon joined them onshore, Iris was looking devastatingly guilty, and she began to shake her head, taking a step towards the lake, but the woman who had led them to safety placed a hand on Iris's shoulder.

"There will always be sacrifices in a rebellion uprising. But for the future that we hope for our transcending generations... that future lies with you. And your sister, our rightful leader." Her blue eyes reflected the colour of the lake, and they held a glimmer of both sadness and determination. "So, go. And let this not be for naught."

Braedon looked at the remaining four Caspian had entrusted them with, and sincerely offered his thanks to each one, as did Grandpa Sage with a humble nod in their direction. Iris nodded in agreement, either too stunned or ashamed to speak. They smiled grimly back in acknowledgement, then turned and aimed their guns towards the lake just as other troops began to emerge from beneath the water, holding up their weapons and getting ready to aim and fire at them. Braedon, Grandpa Sage and Iris ran in the opposite direction, into the forest beyond, Iris taking the lead.

"Please tell me you know where you're going," Braedon huffed.

"It was close by..." she panted, then slid to a stop as she scanned the area around her, mapping out the trees under what little light the crescent moon offered. There was a distant call, but not front the waterfront, and Iris whipped her head around as she spotted something to her left – or rather, someone.

"Trevet!" she shouted.

Braedon noted he was standing next to a tall tree, waving urgently at them. He looked disgruntled and out of sorts, and his expression grew cold as he ran to meet them, his gaze wandering to Braedon.

"What the hell?" Trevet hissed at him. "I looked for you and Raena everywhere back at the Terra District. It's been driving me mad – the thought of breaking the news to Iris that I couldn't bring you two to the rendezvous point because I couldn't even find you. This entire plan almost went to hell because of you! What are you even doing out here?"

Braedon's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a sudden pressure weigh on his chest. What did Trevet mean when he said he was looking for him and Raena?

"Where is Raena, anyway?" Trevet asked, as if reading his exact thoughts. He then scanned over Iris and Grandpa Sage before looking past them. "Wait, where's Caspian?" He looked directly at Iris, who swallowed and opened her mouth, then closed it, her eyebrows furrowed in obvious guilt and anxiety.

Braedon's heart was drumming so hard, he could have sworn he could hear it. "You didn't find Raena?" he croaked, voice suddenly going hoarse. He exchanged a nervous glance with his Grandpa, wheezing and trying desperately to keep up with the conversation through his pain.

"Braedon," Grandpa Sage said in a quiet, careful tone, his voice weak and wavering. "Did you leave Raena in the Terra District?"

"I..." Braedon's breath shortened and his face heated. No. This couldn't have happened. This was supposed to be a moment of relief, this was supposed to be a reunion. They were all supposed to escape together. If Raena couldn't be found at the Terra District, and she wasn't with Iris...

Braedon and Trevet both swivelled on Iris.

"Iris, where is he?" Trevet said with a quiver of his lips, at the same time that Braedon demanded, "Iris, where's Raena?"

She opened her mouth again, a small, whining noise coming out of her as she looked desperately between the two of them, eyes wide.

"I..." she said, not knowing who to answer first.

Trevet grabbed her wrist. "Iris!"

"I'm sorry!" she shouted, wrenching her arm free, her eyes gleaming with tears that threatened to escape. "Trevet, I'm sorry, he told us to run and..."

"You left him?" he shouted.

"Trevet..." Iris's words caught in her throat and her hands shook as she glanced towards Braedon, either looking for understanding or sympathy, but Braedon's head was roaring in rage and guilt and despair.

"You left her," Braedon said in a dangerously low voice. "You were the only reason Raena was safe there."

Trevet was fuming, looking between the three of them wildly before stepping around them, beginning to make his way to back to the lake. "I'm not leaving him."

"Trevet!" Iris called out weakly, but before he could take another step, there was a golden light that caught all of their attention. It was as if the sky had literally cracked opened, illuminating the forest and giving the night sky an eerie glow, almost like it had turned to day. A moment later, the blinding light disappeared, and the sky turned black once again. As Braedon's eyes readjusted to the darkness, he could make out a short, lean silhouette before them. Braedon didn't recognise the figure, but clearly, by Iris's paling face and Trevet's wide eyes, they did. As did Grandpa Sage, for a moment later, his posture went rigid, his jaw set, his breaths shallower.

The girl had a dazzling, golden whip in one hand, and she sneered directly in Iris's direction as Iris whispered in utter fright and disbelief, "Mazikeen?"

Braedon's eyes widened. Mazikeen the demon slayer. The infamous assassin. Raena' elder sister. Her feral grin was enough to send shivers down Braedon's spine, and for a moment, he forgot everything else.

Trevet let out a loud groan from behind them. "Ah, shit."