Back on my eleventh birthday, I didn't realize until Aunt Verdi told me the day of the fire just so happened to fall on my sixth birthday. After this entire trauma I suffered recently, the day I turned six was also the same day I lost my family. My aunt promised me not to think about that, she wanted me to celebrate my future birthdays. Don't let that infamous day ruin a special occasion, a treasured memento.

The first time I heard about that, I didn't want to speak for a month. The teachers wanted to have a conference with my aunt to explain how emotionless I became. She gave them a white lie that I was sick, it was affecting the way I communicated. Being that medi aide, my aunt can use a lot of medical terms to fool people. She even fooled me. But just that instance I slouched, my eyes drooped in sorrow. I cried for days. I didn't want to do it on my birthday. Since I turned twelve, I decided to live out my aunt's promise. Have fun, don't think about that day.

To my amazement, it now took this new revelation to spark that memory back. A memory I willingly forgot. And now I'm totally confused. Not only the fire happened on my sixth birthday, I was responsible.

I killed my family?

There's no way. I feel disgusted by the answer. This couldn't be what I wanted, what was taken away from me. It can't be. Feeling terrible, I toss the piece aside. I then lay back down, my head feeling the pillow. Staying silent for another hour. As my hand sticks out to the bed's left side, Addie comes over to lick my fingers. He eggs me to play with him. But after listening to these shameful realizations, I don't feel like it. A few minutes later, Addie just walks back around my bed. I feel nothing but the wet, sogginess of my left hand.

If I suppose to seek the truth, how can the truth be the fact I created the mayhem I'm currently living. Something's not right.

I don't want to leave this bed not even this room. I want to stay. However, the telen towards the end table rings. It starts shaking, making that obnoxious sound. For a minute I try to ignore it, but the telen continues to ring again and again. I push my face over the white pillow, but the ringing resumes.

Annoyed, I lean over to my side. I grab it, opening it to hear her voice. Terra's voice on the other end. I'm quite surprised.

I haven't seen Terra since the day I left the Basement. I'm unsure if I should listen to her. Should I shut off the feed, I'm already upset and confused over what the stone piece has given to me. But I refuse to believe it. I muster through the painful realism. I tell Terra what's up, even though I'm masking my tethered thoughts.

"Do you remember the other female we saved?" She tells me. "Well she's finally awaked. She only keeps saying one name every time though."

"What is that?"

"Not a what, who."

"Who?"

Terra responds, "She wants you."

I'm taken back. First the so-called truth claiming I caused the fire and now this unknown female. I don't even know who or where she came from, how long Raudan had her. Out of the blue she wants to see me. As much as I want to stay here, commit to my solitude.

I should explore what this stranger wants with me. And quite honestly, I should know.

***

Walking towards the Infirmary door, Emmet and Terra are standing by. What does this woman want with me? Before I venture into that uncertainty, I stop to see what the others could enlighten me on. I don't want to go inside that room blinded.

"Have any idea why would she want me."

"I wish I know." Emmet says. He then quickly lets me know we're dealing with a norm. She's not a malefic. So the crew can ease, knowing she's not that all of a threat. But I can hear his doubts, that she could still be trouble. "I understood this is a difficult time. You don't have to do it." He tries to influence me to back off.

I want to clear my mind over. Today hasn't been good so far. Still mourning over Anita, Raudan slithering out there in the Outerlands, and what that stone piece told me. What I just encounter would force me to deter. But I won't. This stranger is yet another piece to this massive paradox. I need to have all the jigsaw pieces, if I want to know full well what is going on.

"I want to hear what she has to say." I state to Emmet. He grins mildly.

"I think I should go with you." Terra says.

"The stranger wanted me right." I see Terra nodding. "Well let's respect her request."

"Even though you're right, I still have a bad feeling about this." He mentions.

Emmet explains further how he and Director Vartwild have been talking about this during their meetings, young people being abducted by Raudan and his malefic posse. And then days to months later, they wine up dead.

He's obviously referring to Rufus Cree and Anita. They were both close to me. I think I know what Raudan's doing. He wants me so badly, he's abducting and torturing everyone around me, who matters in some part my life. I then hear Emmet saying that this needs to end now. He's going to expand the tracker to find that freak. He sets out leaving me to face with the stranger inside the infirmary. But before I can go in, Terra is attempting to follow Emmet. I rush back to her stopping her. "Wait!"

"You forgot something?"

"I just wanted to know..." And then that memory comes to me. "About that kiss."

Terra shrugs not trying to make a big deal out of it. "It was nothing. Only a distraction."

Distraction?

I react stumped hearing her validating that kiss meant nothing. She then wants me to be careful. If I need anything, all I have to do is shout the word 'enemy'. She smiles and walks towards the Grub area. Watching her walk away, I'm still lost over that kiss.

It couldn't be a distraction. It was real. I felt her lips pecking mines. It had to mean something, or she would've done something else back then.

Not letting it hinder my purpose right now, I exhale slowly and enter the Infirmary. Once inside, I spot the young woman lounging on the hospital-like matbed. She looks young, but older than me and the other Shadowhawks. She's playing with some strands of her long hair. She then stops when she sees me coming towards her.

How should I approach this? This is literally the first time I witnessed her, but something about those hazel eyes. It looks familiar. After a minute of awkward silence, the young lady finally opens up.

"I was waiting for you. I only wanted to see you."

What to say.

Slowly I sit by the bedside as she starts sitting up, she holds both her legs. I cautiously observe her, she's not a malefic. So why I'm freaking out.

"It's okay, don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."

Surprised, she may not be a major threat. She sounds so innocent. I hesitate another minute. I break my muteness.

"How you even know me? I never saw you until the day you was unconscious underneath that cavern."

She giggles, "Trust me, you know me pretty well."

I stare at those hazel eyes, is at if she looks like a younger version of someone that's trying to scratch itself back to my memories.

"Do you remember me?" She asks.

I pause not replying back. Then shockingly, she leans out her left hand opening it up as some signal. My right hand gradually heads to her hand yet fighting it. I gulp anxiously, but seeing her so cool-headed. I place my hand over hers.

"What is this about?"

The young woman smiles and chuckles, "It must be tough to remember, you were young. But do you remember."

"What?"

"Lygerfish."

Suddenly another spark erupts through my head. I want to hold on to with my other hand. I can see a faint image, but it's not the dreadful images I used to know in my past. It's something of my earlier childhood. Right before the fire.

I had to be five then. And as I scribbled on a paper, I noticed right beside me was an older girl. She too was drawing. I then spotted in the background of what looked like a family room. I glanced at a lady in black uniform carrying bags. There was a stern, brisk white man and a beautiful black female observing us. I then shifted focus on the image the girl was drawing. She looked to me.

"Daddy told us about a lygerfish. This is a lygerfish. It's the child of a triggerfish and a lionfish. I think. But a lygerfish is rare, tough, and free. Just like you, little lygerfish."

She then stopped drawing, and proceeded to play with me. We both laughed while the three adults were just smiling.

Flabbergasted, I didn't know I had that kind of memory. Most of the others were dark and scary, yet this is the first time I seen something in my past that I actually enjoyed. I look back at the young woman.

"You're my lygerfish." She reveals.

I can't believe it. As I stare straight into her hazel eyes, she looks like the spitting image of my mother. Almost like a young twin. Then I gasp in awe. The young female is someone I thought died.

Back at The Caemusur cave, I heard that voice that called out my name. It was her.

I see her right in front of me. The only one person who told me I'm a lygerfish. I glare at her eyes again. And then without preparation, I lunge at her with a tender hug. I start to shed several tears, of bewilderment and happiness. She's really alive.

Merissa is alive!

***

As July starts well into the second week, Merissa is doing whatever way possible to readjust to life. Yet it's starting to get complicated.

She reunited with Aunt Verdi. There were cheers and tears for almost two days. Addie initially barked oddly. Mainly, he doesn't know Merissa that well. But that quickly changed, now he grown accustomed to her.

Since the moment I found out it was her, she never told me anything. What ever happened on my sixth birthday, not knowing it was me who started it-I still hate it, still doubt it. And then there's the story of her being down in that Acolyte nest. She's scared. I understand.

But for grander news, we've been talking about the "good" memories we had before the fire. She told me a lot about our departed parents. How our father was this famed adventurer like his father, our grandfather and our ancestors before them, who traveled out to the unexplored parts of the Outerlands, to dig up rich minerals. He was a stoic and attentive man who would do anything to protect his family. She never told me what our family was doing with these minerals, but it made a lot of profit and fame. Merissa was then giddy, as she talked about our mother. Mom like her sister, Verdi, was a medi aide. During one of his early expeditions, my dad got hurt so bad. He was treated by mom. That's how they met.

As we still restrengthen our sibling bond, I took her to my apartment. The last time I was here, was when I was searching for that half-stone piece. I confessed to her about Raudan, how he killed my girlfriend, the other girl who was with her down in that nest. I explained further how it was the help of a team of magihunters, the Shadowhawks, we saved her. There were others who were great mages that also helped. One was The Orre. He was more supportive than the others in the team. So supportive, he used his magic to spruce the apartment back to its original state.

Terra and Silas both are trying to be there for me, wanting to trust her. Icarus doesn't know what to say and just remained neutral. Camille flat out doesn't trust her, like she doesn't trust me. And then Emmet was more adamant. He was thrilled to see at least one of Raudan's captives survived. Emmet then gave out his wildest assertion, don't believe in her. Be mindful she's blood, yet keep an eye on her. I was hurt how he could think I can't trust my own sister. He had no idea the hell she escaped from.

Aunt Verdi wanted to give Merissa the room in her house, but I decided to let her stay at the apartment and keep it. I'm going to head back to the Shadowhawks. The past weeks were difficult, some hard to fathom. But eventually, she broke her shield on how she was still alive.

The last thing she remembered since the fire was being abducted by a man that's it. She was nine years old, she must have thought that man was working for Dawning, yet he wasn't. I don't know if it was Raudan, when she gave out the mystery man's name.

Gideon

I told her about the stone piece I had in my possession. How I wanted to seek for the truth and the piece gave me the answer. I wanted to know who was responsible for the fire, and then the stone piece gave me its truth...Me.

Merissa doubted it just like me. She told me it was destiny for us to unite. And to find this so-called superior power, I ask her about the other piece. I reminisced the time Emmet told me, the piece I have was part of a tablet. I ask her again about the other piece, maybe she had it. This Gideon might have it. Yet I'm not getting a response. The only proposed truth I got from that piece was the fact I was the firestarter.

I destroyed the family.

Merissa wanted me to compose myself. I heard what she told me. "Don't worry about that little brother, I got that covered."

I'm puzzled. How can she manage this knowing she was kept hidden for ten years. But as I accept her terms, I know one truth that is factual.

We both survived. And now the seeds of a new future for us are just steps away.

***

I sit down on the metal stool, my elbows facing the sides of the table. I lean over staring at the surface screens. I wonder how Emmet is doing with his search for Raudan. The faster we kill that freak, the better I can have a decent future with my sister, my aunt, and my dog.

I never been this excited, but I can sense the end. The start of a blissful beginning. I dream of it now. Trying to combat my nightmares of the fire I supposed to cause. Then I begin to think about The Orre.

He was looking over the stone piece. He still haven't told me anything, I had to learn the hard way. He should've warned me. I glance at his corner mat, he's not there. I didn't hear from the others if he was in his room. I get back up, then I startle when Silas comes towards me holding onto a rolled up parchment.

"Where's The Orre? Have you seen him?"

Silas bends his head down, sulked in his appearance. He doesn't look chipper as he always does.

"What?!"

"The Orre...and Emmet...they both have disappeared."

"How can they be gone?" I question perplexed. "Where are they?"

"No clue. They left yesterday, but they haven't come back since. Hours ago, Terra, Icarus, and Camille left to find them."

I ponder about that yesterday task, did Emmet wanted Vartwild to meet The Orre. How she is to mages, I have my doubts. But I really don't know.

"How's Merissa's health?"

"She's been doing fine, still adapting though." I then look back down in his right hand still holding onto that parchment. "What's that?"

"Oh, I forgot!" He then walks over to me letting me hold onto it.

Rolling out the parchment paper, it looks like a paragraphic story. And as I observe the words, I hear from Silas that the story is the fable. It's The Raver.

Silas mentioned The Orre gave him that, because The Orre adored the story. It was in an ancient dead language called Latin. But The Orre used his magic to make into a version we both could read easily.

Holding onto the paper ends with both hands, I begin to read it silently.

There was this boy. The boy who was forged from the unknown. The boy who had no home. He wants to live normal but have seen tragedies. He has seen the illusions of what could be his, yet only fallacies. The wooden house beyond the trees, the family that surrounded him in three's. A dark day has come. It has taken the lives of the three. It has stolen the boy's home. It has created the illusion of what the boy wants, live like a mortal. So the boy who wants to be a norm is actually not. He is the harbinger. He is the albatross. A twilight suddenly shines. The boy, who has lost it all once, is now searching in the daze. He maybe young, but he wants to know who he is.

I then get this feeling once I finish the story. "I know who I am. I am The Raver." The boy says.

And then I can feel the parchment drop to the floor. This isn't a fable.

This story is not a lie.

This is really my story.

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***Please comment/vote on what you have read so far. Tell me what you like about the story so far. Let me know, and I'll make changers if need be. Thanks for reading.***