Furious is an understatement. I observe the others leaving and me being forced to stay here. Emmet once again provokes me. I don't know why he's doing this.

I observe him giving The Orre the half-piece he laid down on the table several minutes ago. For another minute, they chat. I just stand there seeing them talk briefly about something. I don't want to pester myself in listening into what they're saying.

How can I approach it? The man, who took me out of Level 8 and brought me down here to meet his group of magihunters, has no bounds.

I'm still left in shock that Emmet wanted me to remain while allowing the others to go on, maybe getting to Anita. Astounded, I then see Emmet about to head back upstairs, as if this was part of his normal routine.

Why doesn't he want me to help the others find Anita?

What else is he hiding?

"Emmet!" I yell his name demanding answers.

He stops near halfway up the stairs. He turns back to see me. "You're upset." He says softly.

"Yes!" I holler, "I wanted to go with them."

"You can't. Not now."

"Oh yeah, why not?" I walk forward questioning him again. "I thought I needed you guys."

Emmet stands collected. In his stern face, I'm amazed to see he actually have feelings for me. I thought the director did weird things, but Emmet could take the cake. Then after a few seconds hesitating to tell me anything, he does at last.

"You just wanted to meet them, remember."

As if I got shot in the stomach. What kind of response is that? Using my own words against me. He must love doing that to others. Feeling that gut-turning remark, my shoulders slump down in depression. Feeling irritated, I don't want to be here anymore. This feeling I'm sensing, developing within my unbalanced nerves wants me to leave.

I can't stay here.

"What I'm going to do?" I ask him.

I make a sly comment about me going back up there in the bookstore. Work as if nothing happened. Just do what Emmet has been doing, probably all his life. It's supposed to be a joke, yet I notice Emmet smirking fremdly.

"That's a good idea." He says. And like that, he heads back up. I lose him, as the basement ceiling blocks my view.

Is he serious? Why is he being so jumpy towards me?

The man I saw when I was at that cage, he was different. I missed that Emmet. Or was that just a ruse to help him and the others...do something I can't get my mind around.

Aggravated, I walk towards the table. I bend down and as my hands feel the metal surface. I couldn't hang on any more. I unleash my anger, my right fist hitting the hard surface. A loud thud is heard.

The pain is mild, but I accept the small ache. Compare to the rage I'm trying to hold on before I completely lose it. I try to check myself. As the pain on my hand recedes, I'm furious. My lips close to suckering in. These last weeks have been an inescapable nightmare. I feel myself suffocating, thinking about the constant bad things that has happening around me. How my life has been a mess from top to bottom.

I just can't imagine why Emmet wants me out from this. As I glare at the table, I'm suddenly saying these words within my mind.

My name's Naven Blackvale. I'm just sixteen.

I'm a normal guy. I may not be a magihunter.

Who is stupid and is watching my life being wasted.

Some of it may because of me. So what's the point?

Why I have to be here. My main family is gone.

I have no will to live anymore.

"That's not true!" A voice shouts at me.

My head leans up as I shift my view to The Orre. I'm flustered, how did he?!

"Did you read my mind? Do you have that power...telepathy?" Suddenly I think about Imogen. How she had that power, but the hate drove her to suicide.

"I didn't mean to intrude." He continues, "Just because you're a norm, doesn't mean you are."

"I'm sorry?" I wonder.

He then smirks, "It's a saying I got from a fable mages know all too well."

What fable is he talking about? What makes him so powerful according to Emmet? I see The Orre; he still smirks while walking with the half-piece to a little spot right in the corner a half mile away from the stairwell.

The Orre sits down on a cushioned seat, as he stares and tenders carefully at the stone piece. I walk closer to him. Emmet mentioned he may know something about it. I really hope so. I begin to question to him about that rock. Does he even know what it could be, what this power supposed to be.

"Was this piece with you when you survived the fire?" He asks.

I tell him with an empathic yes. The Orre looks back at me, yet tells me nothing in return. The half piece has another half, and yet I'm not hearing anything about the other part. I look a bit confused. "Is that thing something bigger?" I ask.

The Orre doesn't respond. It makes me vexed. I fear if I ask anything else, I'll just get a cold reception. Then as if I'm about to give up, The Orre opens his mouth. It felt a long time, but I can hear him.

"Power is something not to get rid of. Remain focus. Sometimes bits and pieces of it will come back."

What is he talking about? Is it another fable saying? I try to ask him if it is, but he shares vehemently that's his view. I observe his body, his feeble self with the less wrinkly face. I can't ignore the obvious part...his age. He looks old, as if I'm talking to my great-grandpa.

Fearing I could be a nuisance by asking this, but I bluntly ask him. "How old are you?"

The Orre stares at me, putting the rock piece down. He looks at me as if I gave him a complement about his age. He then smiles and chuckles. He grins so easily, but he answers back.

"My true age is over a thousand years."

I'm left aghast. My eyes keep viewing his appearance draped in black robes. He has the body of an 84 year old with the face of a sixty year old. A thousand. How can he be that age, and yet he hasn't withered a day.

I'm absolutely amazed. "So I guess you must have known a lot about the wars that happened 287 years ago and before then."

"Yes I did."

He may be calm and collected about it. It's a touchy subject. I read a lot of school books and all never mentioned any mages who are over the same age The Orre is. There were no living survivors from the war, most of them dead. But to see The Orre have witnessed it, I wonder what else he saw.

What the war was actually like?

It's something I been wondering, how our land looked before the war and during. I hesitate to ask him. I have this dodgy feeling; he could bypass it and fail to answer. If he survived, a lot of other old mages and malefics also survived. They could be hiding til this very moment.

The war still supplants in my head, that's all I want to think about right now. Having a different perspective than what the books gave me. I try to sit down with my legs crossing over each other, and my hands on top of my knees. I glance back at him.

"What really happened back then? Did the mages really start the war?"

I have so many more questions, but I start out with those. He should he know them all. And then as if the one chance I can get a moment of joy, thinking about this event.

"Do you want to know?" He asks.

I nod quickly while replying back, "I really do."

The Orre leans back a little, and then says one thing. "...Magefall."

"What?! What's Magefall?"

The Orre explains, "It is an event I pray will not happened again." He then lays the rock piece down on his seat, as he stands up. He stretches out his arms, and begins to walk towards the hallway.

I quickly get back up and stop him. "Where are you...That's it?!"

"You got what you wanted. What started the war?"

"But what's Magefall?"

"Something I don't want to see return. This country already suffered once, and we're still paying for it."

I feel a bit upset, I stand there quiet. Not moving or dare not to talk to him. I'm not getting the clear answers and sense I may not be ready to know truly yet. "So that's it?" I ask again.

"I'm tired." He replies, "I need to hibernate my magic."

I feel stumped. "Hibernate?" I thought bears and other winter dwellers do that.

The Orre explains, "When mages need to sleep or focus on their magic. They cast an inner spell to recharge their magic."

I think I'm getting it as I rub my chin a bit slightly. Why they need to do that.

And that small sense of joy is evaporated; all there is now is worrisome. I have this heavy depression, about Anita and as well Terra...and the others.

I let The Orre know about Emmet. I want to know if he is hiding something from me. He and the others, they know something I don't. I need to know.

"Just tell me. Please."

"Who says we were keeping secrets."

"You are. I just know." My body tingles a bit after saying that. I have this awkward feeling about listening to this man. But he sounded so wised and collected; it's hard to ignore him.

The Orre without warning walks to me. He lays his hands on top of my shoulders, like the way Emmet does.

"You're not ready." He says in an assertive voice. "You'll be ready when the time comes. When you know it's that time. And when you do, don't hate the ones who will keep the truth from you."

Before The Orre can turn back, he lets me know I'm open to leave. I don't have to stay here. I think about that statement. I look back at the stairwell. I can head back up there, yet this nagging feeling wants me to stay here.

When I look back at the locker room, I spot something nearby the lockers. I look back at the locker doors, there are five slots. The first four were already accessed. What about this fifth member. I haven't seen him or her anywhere.

I want to see him...or her.

As I glance back near the room, I spot nearby the lockers is a metal javelin standing in pose, resting on a pedestal, as it is left untouched. I glance closely and spot something etched on it. I can't get a better view, but I notice the first letter starts with L.

I briefly spot the fifth harpy cycle that was left here while the other four being gone. I remember the others didn't mention anything about the missing Shadowhawk. I then turn back to see The Orre about to enter the hallway, I need him. He should know. Rushing to him, I grab hold of his arm collar by pulling it. I can hear him sounding irk. I want to apologize, yet I mention to him what has been worrying me.

"Whatever happened to the other one, the fifth Shadowhawk?" I ask to him, yet then I wonder did that guy who was set on fire, was he that member. It couldn't.

The Orre grins somewhat, "You're not ready."

And with that remark, he walks in the hallway and disappears in one of the doors. I feel dumb and upset, why I had to ask. If I knew I'm going to get that response. I feel stupid again. I walk back to the table. I bang my fists on the surface once again, bending over perplexed and irritated.

The anger's resurfacing. I tried so hard to put it back, after dealing with Emmet. And now this. If Emmet claims that he and the others are supposed to help me, why is I'm left standing in the center.

I know I can leave anytime, but the feeling I'm having is interesting. It's like a pull, a magnetic pull. It's not letting me stay. I have to leave, but not upstairs. I turn back around. My sight focuses back on the harpy.

I feel that pull.

The odd feeling is out there. It's like a sense, but it's not. Emmet made the mistake in not having me joining the others. All of this is to find Anita and as well stopping Raudan, but Emmet is right about one thing. The faster we know more about this half stone piece, the better the chance no one else in my life will face danger.

I slide my hand on the table surface, as I walk back to the cycle. I gently caress the silver smooth body, the yellow highlights underneath. As it gives a pop of color, suddenly I get on the cycle seat sitting comfortably. My feet lay firmly on the opposite, angular foot beds.

My hands lean forward not feeling the handlebars, thinking it could be voice activated. I see the circular screen on the centered console, yet nothing to steer the cycle. I examine it further. Two holes on opposite sides near the console are opening up. I put both hands through the holes. I soon feel a twisty handle inside both sides.

I grasp hard on them, the handles are soon twisted clockwise. The cycle suddenly activates, with the sound of a light vroom. I look down to see the cycle floating in mid-air. Spotting the console screen, the Shadowhawks logo is briefly seen and then fades away showing a scanning map.

The tunnel door opens up.

If I was just a worried person, I would've back off. Yet I have this strong feeling, something I haven't felt before. I need to know why I'm feeling this. This isn't normal. Could this be related to Anita, and where she is?

I breathe out for a long minute, and then I twist the handles again. Hearing the faint sound of the harpy's self-charged cell ramping up. I suddenly feel a push forward, the momentum triggers the cycle to zoom out.

I try to hang on as I direct the harpy through the long tunnel. As I notice the murky, round tunnel walls all just a fast blur, I begin to hit the wall a couple of times. The harpy repeatedly wobbles side to side. Trying to regain control of the handles, I realize never drove these things before. Pushing the handles back thinking I got firm hold of it, I only increase the speed.

Getting nervous, I'm frighten I could get into a crash. After another big hit, the cycle smacks hard on the muddy, wet rocky wall. I feel the violent whack. My body jerks as an effect from it. I shake my head, trying to reestablish control.

I'm that close in losing it, because of the speed. However, I'm able regain full control, aligning the cycle straight. No more wobbling. However, the speed continues. I glance a mile away as the exterior tunnel hatch is beginning to open up.

I feel I shouldn't have sped. Now the nerves are coming back, the anxiety spreading. The fear seeping through my eyes. I'm going to hit the hatch, before it can open fully. I bend forward, narrowly squinting. I don't want to see the crash, but then a few seconds later.

I made it out of the tunnel.

Alive!

I turn the handles counterclockwise, and pull both of them backward as the harpy ceases mobility. I pause taking long breathers. I look back to see the sublime view of the massive concrete wall surrounding Dawning. I see most of North Dawning's tallest skyscrapers a few miles away.

What an amazing sight. This is my first time seeing Dawning from this view. I never had been outside Dawning, reaching the end of the city limits. I then hear sounds of a loud booming noise. It's close by.

Those thunderous sounds. Just making out of the tunnel is just the first part. Before I can even reach to the Outerlands, I have to get through Dawning's outskirts. As I turn around, I view the land filled with dust, minimum greenery, and a small pond. It's about to be summer, it's that time of perch where this area will be at its most barren.

I look up to see the bright sun, the heat already getting to me. The sweat coming down my face, but another thunderous boom forces me to glance back down. It's out there straight ahead. There's a part of the outskirts that's the most dangerous. It's Dawning's first line of defense.

The Arc.

And in order for me to get to the Outerlands, I have to bypass it in time.

If not, I'm dead.

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**Please comment/vote on what you read so far. I really appreciate it.