This chapter will tell you a little bit more about Jude and why Emma's parents are so mean to her. Plus, it'll state the prophecy that was mentioned in this book's description. Please enjoy!

After a long but pleasingly fun day of baking with Rapunzel, Eugene, and Varian, Emma and Varian made their way back home in Old Corona. Soon after arrival, they parted ways and Emma snuck into her house to avoid any confrontation with her parents. She laid in her bed and fell asleep almost instantly. Then, she began to dream...

Emma found herself in a peculiar purple void, filled with random objects from her past floating around the oasis.

"What is this place?"

She decided to explore deeper, trembling at the thought of something scary making an appearance. Thankfully, it didn't...until she saw it. The part of her past that she constantly wished out of existence: the day her brother Jude died.

That day started out a normal one with a fourteen year old Jude chasing a four year old Emma around the front yard.

"Bet'cha can't catch me!" Young Emma chirped.

"We'll see about that," Jude challenged.

As younger Emma and Jude ran around squealing and laughing, current Emma stared longingly at the scene, her heart aching. She loved her brother and would do anything to get him back. Unfortunately, it was already too late.

As younger Emma was running, she accidentally dashed out into the road and didn't see that a carriage was about to hit her. Jude instantly perked up and ran towards his sister.

"EMMA, WATCH OUT!!" were his final words before pushing Emma out of the carriage's way and getting trampled by the horse himself.

The man in the carriage quickly hopped out and examined Jude fearfully, praying that he would be alright. The damage had already been done and Jude was, in fact, dead.

As current Emma witnessed her brother's death a second time, silent tears trickled down her face in grief.

Suddenly, Viktor and Amy burst out of the house and ran to their son's side and mourned the loss of their prized child. They turned to Emma, their expressions begging for an explanation.

"W-We we're j-just playing t-tag and he p-pushed me out of the way," Emma cried. Her parents' faces switched from sorrow to sudden hatred.

"How could you?! You're the reason why your brother is dead!" Viktor snapped.

"Wh-what?" Emma mumbled.

"If it weren't for you, he would still be here, you selfish little rat!" Viktor smacked Emma's face so hard that it bruised.

Suddenly, the scene changed to Emma crying somewhere in Old Corona. Soon, a four year old Varian waddled up to her.

"What's wrong?" Varian asked. He sat down next to Emma.

"M-my big brother died a-and Mom and Dad think it's my fault," Emma sobbed.

Varian gently touched the bruise on Emma's face. "Where did that come from?"

"Dad," Emma muttered. She sniffled and looked at the ground, feeling bitter.

"It wasn't your fault. You're just a kid like I am," Varian explained. "Your Mom and Dad might not believe you, but I do."

Emma looked at Varian with wide eyes. "Y-you do?"

Varian nodded. "My name is Varian, by the way. What's yours?"

"I'm Emma."

The scenery changed once again, leading current Emma to an area that looked like outer space. To her surprise, she was floating and a dark, looming figure approached her. The figure wore a dark cloak that covered their entire face and body, preventing Emma from knowing who they were. The figure spoke in a booming voice, saying:

"There will come a time of misery,
Where a powerful being will rewrite history.
The Star will soon make a choice,
To follow the Sun or the Moon's great voice.
Only then will Fate decide,
If the world is worth saving from it's newfound divide."

Emma jolted awake, panting and sweating fearfully. Her mind raced with thoughts and questions, desperate for answers. She took a glance out of her window and gasped at the sight. The flowers were getting closer to the house!

"I need to know what's going on here!" Emma whispered. "Something's not right. I know it!"

Time Skip

The next morning, Emma walked to Varian's house. She hadn't gotten much sleep that night due to the nightmare repeating itself over and over again whenever she tried to fall asleep again. She had the strange message from the cloaked figure written down on a piece of parchment and she was determined to get Varian's help in figuring out what it could possibly mean.

When Emma arrived at Varian's house, she knocked at the door and waited until Varian opened the front door.

"Hey, Em! How's it go-"

Varian was interrupted by Emma dragging him into the lab frantically. Emma shut the lab door and set up the things that she had gathered.

"Emma, what's going on? Is everything ok?" Varian worried.

"I couldn't sleep last night. I kept having the same nightmare," Emma explained, running her fingers through her hair. "It kept showing me the day Jude died and a weird guy in a cloak reciting some weird poem and I need to know what it means!"

Varian's eyes were wide with shock; Emma wasn't usually open about being stressed. "A nightmare? Wh-what kind of poem did the guy tell you?"

Emma gave Varian the parchment. "I'm not sure but it has to be an important message. I need answers!"

Varian brought Emma to a sofa that was in the lab. "You need to calm down a little. Maybe you should try sleeping again. You look really tired."

"But-"

Varian made sure that Emma was laying down on the sofa.

"Just get some rest, Emma, please? I'll try to get you answers."

"Ok..." Emma hesitantly closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Varian sighed with relief and sat down in a chair. He began to read what Emma had written down.

"There will come a time of misery,
Where a powerful being will rewrite history. The Star will soon make a choice, to follow the Sun or the Moon's great voice. Only then will Fate decide, if the world is worth saving from it's newfound divide..."

Varian frowned. "What does that even mean?"

Word Count: 1057