I knew it. A sudden realization came to me. He may not even be a mortal. That odd neck twist I saw earlier today, that was the sign. He could be an Acolyte posing as a norm. He could be working for Raudan. Glancing back around me, my friends are still knocked out.

Then I hear Pratt—could be the same name of the Acolyte masquerading.

"Come on Naven, or should I say Harbinger." Pratt smirks as two figures emerge out of the air. I look stunned seeing the figures are actually those two troll-like creatures—the same two I last saw in my apartment that night Anita was kidnapped.

The trollish goons are standing by Pratt's side. I'm a bit surprised these malefics are even here. Knowing there's tight patrol down on the streets. Either those creatures killed the guards to get up here, or they found another way to get through the intense security.

I look back at the faux Pratt. "I know you're not human. You can stop playing mind games, Acolyte."

Pratt starts smiling. "Nice observation." As he smiles, he widens out his arms and then a transformation begins to take place. Like ripples vibrating his body, the imposter is finally revealed. Suddenly Pratt's fare skin turns dark, and then I see those golden tattoos...the daemonics.

Raudan!

Raudan then starts clapping as he snaps his neck back and forth. That eerie cracking noise almost sounds so violently. Hearing those pooping sounds, I want to cover my ears. But Raudan then stops applauding.

"Well done. You see I wanted to know the Harbinger." He says. That freak was messing with me. Trying to fool me. He then continues, "I needed to get close to you. So I disguised as a..." He sneers with his eyes close, "as a norm."

I lay my hand close to my waist inches from the back, wanting to use the blade on this freak. I want to kill him. Yet listening to him, he mentions he became Pratt to befriend me. All this time, I didn't know my so-called Glider pal would be Raudan.

I hadn't seen faux Pratt twitching his neck all these past years. It would've been obvious if I did. I couldn't believe then Pratt was a fake. And to be the freak who killed Anita and had other creatures killing Rufus and The Orre. And the bomb that exploded months ago.

The worst part of all of this, I allowed him to kill them. I was foolish and gullible. The freak may have tricked me, but my mind was already messed up with the event ten years ago. I failed to take notice the enemy was close to me.

"You know I was ecstatic that you found the Veritas stone." He says, "Too bad, you wasted all that time in that other dimension."

Suddenly I feel something. My hand creeps closer to the blade's handle. And as I hold onto it, ready to pull it from my back plate. I can feel the bold surge. With the bond, there's a force of unbelievable power. The feeling is getting stronger every single second. Then I pause shocked, my head leans down.

The Triadic is already here.

I slowly glance back at Raudan. "How you got possession of it."

Raudan snickers. "So you know."

"Answer me!" I scream. "How?!"

"You see while you and your magihunter pals were busy with the tablet. I had help. I didn't need the Veritas stone, just my insider."

"What insider?"

"Lygerfish."

My eyes widen and my mouth dropped open. That word...and then I hear a door opening. I look a few yards behind him. It's the roof access door. As it opens, someone begins to walk out. As this person is holding firm of a slender box, I look at the person's face. There my eyes cast down in sadness. I'm horrified to who I see.

Merissa

She continues walking bypassing Raudan and his goons. She then stops towards me. "I know only one person who will restore our family magic." She leans over to me, whispering into my ear.

"Embrace Shallos, little brother."

And quickly still holding firm with that slender box, she veers back around; standing side by side with Raudan.

I'm mystified and dumbstruck. My sister. I had that feeling Pratt wasn't Pratt, but I think what The Orre meant by watching those close to me. Those I want to protect. That's when I felt The Orre knew in some capacity Merissa would be the betrayer. However, he must have wanted me to find out myself before exposing the truth. My sister was working in line with that malefic freak.

I still can't believe it. She can't honestly think the monster responsible for creating the war, starting Magefall, will restore our family magic. I then see Merissa. I let her know off the bat. "Whatever Raudan did to you...manipulate you. It's all a lie!"

"It's not a fallacy. Shallos can help us."

I can't fathom this truth.

"Naven, you got to understand. The Shadowhawks will never help you get your powers back. They will never help you find the answers we're all searching for."

I don't want to believe it. Looking around, seeing my unconscious friends. The ones I consider my allies. I glare back at Merissa as she suddenly opens the box. I hear Raudan giddying over there. I then look inside and notice a gold triangle in the center, and a large ring around the three points; there're ancient symbols everywhere on it.

And there it is, the Triadic.

"Tomorrow will be a historic day." Raudan pierces his eyes away from the Triadic and onto the background, showcasing the city skyscrapers. "Dawning will be celebrating their birth, their forging of a new empire. And while those foolish norms celebrate their city's birthday, all of us are going to celebrate the return of Master Shallos."

"Thank you little bro for doing the right thing." Merissa hastily winks at me.

I feel a bit confused and then the trollish duo start coming at me. I still hold firm on the blade's handle, ready to pull it out and swipe at these freaks. However, I then hear Merissa yelling no. She then sees Raudan.

"We made a deal!" She states infuriated.

Raudan slowly nods back. "We sure did. Your brother will remain alive...for now." He then looks to me. "See you after the fireworks tomorrow. It's going to be a day no one will forget."

As a dark cloud forms around him, the troll beasts, and Merissa still holding on to the Triadic, the cloud engulfs them and dissipates. They've vanished. Feeling hurt, puzzled, and angry, I plop down to my knees. Landing hard on the grainy floor, my head lowers in disorientation. Have no clue if this world I jumped back into is really mines. That maybe this is an alternate world that I entered mistakenly. The malefics got the Triadic. My sister used me, she betrayed me. For what aligning herself with Shallos.

She's not my sister. And what deal she made to keep me alive while helping that Raudan freak.

As much as I want to imagine it, I can't.

This is the real world.

***

When Zip came to, he couldn't believe Pratt attacked him from behind. I told him I had a fight with Pratt. And now he's on the run. Zip is kind of relieved Pratt's not coming back. Shame I can't tell him Pratt is a demonic malefic out to destroy my life. Zip rather not care about what actually happened, he just told me that he'll see me tomorrow at the parades. I told him to be safe. He agreed. And as we shared a few more words about what should we do regarding the Gliders, I let him know the Gliders should be the both of us. Zip liked that and wanted to think more about it. Zip then headed back home hopefully alive. He never asked me about the others, or why I have a blade behind my back. He just wanted to head home and sleep. I wished I was in his shoes, but not now.

Back to the Basement, I see the others trying to get their minds around what just happened. We all stand around the metal table in the foyer. I let Emmet and the others know we may have the Veritas stone. I still have the blade, but it was already too late. I explained to them about Raudan had seized control of the Triadic. He's using that to reawaken Shallos, the real monster behind the Acolytes and the chaos. And the worse part, my sister has been working with them. As much as Camille wanted to brag about it, she knew she couldn't trust Merissa. And told me, I hope I learned my lesson in not believing in her. If I trusted Camille months ago, she could be right about that.

Icarus didn't want to stay anything. He was just keeping Camille quiet, and stopped her from hounding on me. Silas was there for me, even though he thought my sister was pretty. He didn't want her looks to fool him. Terra was upset at me. She felt bad about Merissa. I think we share that same feeling. What Lance did to her and the others, and now Merissa has done to me. We all feel that same betrayal. The caring of that person, the love you have with that someone being uprooted. Terra then hugged me.

"I'm sorry for what happened. But tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow we must stop Shallos' reawakening." She said.

Emmet felt ashamed the tablet and the knowledge of the Triadic blade was a mere distraction. Raudan used our lack of time to have Merissa fetched him the true object. Emmet pressured me in how she knew where that thing was. I felt when she had the other half-piece, what it told her about the Triadic. It must have given her the location. She already had it in her possession. She just showed me what she did to know. Guess she kept more than I realized. The ten years with her was a mystery. What happened to her?

Then Emmet pushed the others to fight back—even me to fight. "We can stop Raudan!" He said. Along as Raudan still have the tapestry with Shallos' spirit and as well the Triadic, there's nothing we could do. But then from out of nowhere The Gentleman arrived.

"Tomorrow is going to be an epic day." He told us.

As much as she didn't trust him before, Terra respected him now. And without The Orre, we needed more magical assistance. She informed the Man with the Cane where would the Acolytes be tomorrow. The Gentleman could search and if not, he could reach back to The Pentacle to help. But before he could do anything, I stopped him. I asked him about something else.

"There was another one...a Familiar?!"

"You mean your Familiar."

I was stumped about mine.

The Gentleman explained, "The Pentacle needed a Familiar to watchover you, to keep an eye on you. Be there until he's really needed."

"That time is now." A voice shrieks.

I turned back around to see someone standing by the stairwell. I look stunned. It was the same young male with the silver and black hair I had seen earlier today. How could he be my Familiar, and there I stared at the bone necklace. I didn't put it together back then yet now.

"You're...Addie?!"

Addie smiled. "It's okay to hug me again. I don't have ticks. Or do I have to lick."

I smirked and rushed towards him. We both hug it out. Addie has been that brother-like figure, but as a dog. I missed him. And to see him back as a human no less is quite shocking.

Being human or dog, Addie will always be part of my family.

He then mentioned about his other skills, and that he can use them again. While the others observed our reunion, Silas questioned what skills he has. I wondered that too. Addie mentioned we will all see it soon. The Gentleman then mentioned he is needed back to The Pentacle. As The Gentleman disappeared, Emmet wanted the others to get ready, prep for tomorrow. With Addie, Terra, and the others by my side, I just wondered what to do when that time do come.

I'm going to confront my sister. I don't know what spell the malefics have on her. But I can still save her.

I know it.

***

It's Forging Day. The day mostly everyone in Dawning is excited for. While for the mages, they dread they'll be treated less different. As the day goes on, I got word from Emmet he will give constant updates to Director Vartwild. She must be thinking a war is on the brink, and it's so happened to fall on the Dawning's birthday. Emmet suddenly shares with us another vid where Vartwild is doing what she can to keep the citizens happy. As always, she ends it with "Keep Dawning Strong!"

I wish I can feel her exuberance, but the Shadowhawks and I have been training nonstop. All night long. We only have few breaks. And if we do get some, either we get a few minutes of rest, get something to eat at the Grub, or watch the festive events going above us.

No one knows in this city—besides the director—these hunters exist. Now we're the ones to make sure malefics and the return of Shallos doesn't destroy Dawning's most celebrated time.

After more hours of training, there has not been any update of any malefic activity. But as I think about it, I still have Merissa on my mind. What could she be doing right now, making more plans with that slimly Raudan or stopping him from trying to kill me?

I saw a moment of my real sister yesterday when she stopped Raudan's goons. I still believe she can be saved, that reason and the good memories we shared as siblings—hopefully not a ruse—are what I half to do, to remind her she still has me. I can't lose her. I have to bring her back before she does something she'll regret.

Another hour into the training, and we all pause when The Gentleman pops up like a blink. And in due time, Emmet shows up after coming down the stairs. He then sees The Gentleman.

"Let me guess."

"Young ladies and gentlemen..." Staring at Emmet, "And Mr. Willgood, I have found the location. I know where the Acolytes are hiding."

"Good." Camille states.

"Where is it?" Terra asks.

Not wasting time, he responds. "The location is the Purgatory Gate."

"The what gate?" Icarus wonders.

I look to see Silas' head down, and Emmet folding his arms. Emmet suddenly rubs his chin. I then hear The Gentleman explaining.

The Purgatory Gate is a burial ground where the war originally ended, where Magefall ended. It was the exact place where Shallos' spirit was fused into the tapestry cloth. There was a reason why Shallos went there, but The Gentleman refuses to tell us. Because that's all what he got from The Pentacle. So this Purgatory Gate must be where Raudan and the Acolytes are bringing back Shallos to the place the fiend died.

"Thank you Gentleman." Emmet then looks to us. "I'll remain here to keep an eye out on any malefics trying to disturb the peace."

"What if they do?" Silas asks.

Emmet just smirks, "I may not be a strong magihunter anymore, but I do have tricks up my sleeve."

I reminisced what Terra told me about Emmet used to be a great magihunter.

Hope one day I can get to see him become that person again.

"But even if I try, you must not allow them to get to the wall. Especially Shallos."

As the others agree, I notice Emmet looking back at me. I gulp feeling it could actually happen. Shallos coming here. Not wanting to think what this monster could do, I nod my head agreeing with Emmet. Swiftly, the others gather their armor and weapons as the harpies are there in standby. I then see Emmet glancing over the table screen. Soon The Gentleman is standing by the corner area, where The Orre used to domain. I walk towards him.

Before I can say anything, The Gentleman lets me know Addie will meet us there, but he won't. I think about The Orre. I ask The Gentleman, "What happened between you and..."

"It's best to leave the past in the past. But yours, Mr. Blackvale. You can't leave your past. You have to face it. It's the only way to save our future."

What is he talking about?

"I want to..."

"You know the truth. That's unfournate. But you had to know soon enough."

"Wait, you said its better off not knowing." Remembering that I shouldn't been born, and that I was born from the unknown. I didn't have a normal birth, not a norm. I glance back at The Gentleman. "Why I wasn't born naturally? How my parents got me?"

"I can't help you. The Orre was right. You have to find out on your own." He then leans towards me, whispering. "Don't ask me about this again."

And as I look back at him, he exits out like a blink. Feeling The Gentleman will be much as an obstacle, I accept his terms. But as I hear Emmet telling me to get my gear on, I notice the Shadowhawks are ready for a fight. Realizing right now my mind should be stopping Raudan and saving Merissa, I know this is going to be a fight. Yet I worry what what's going to happen after.

Once I put on the gear, attaching the pads over my chest, arms, and my black sleeveless shirt. Straighten out my other attire—the grey cargo pants and black boots. I then run over to the locker room, seeing the Triadic blade resting on the pedestal that used to hold the javelin. I retrieve the blade again. Already feeling the blade, I can sense a change is coming. I just don't know what.

Looking at the others, Terra, Silas, Camille, and Icarus all hopping on their harpies, I sprint to the fifth one. I place the blade behind my back, hopping on the cycle. As I turn the handle clockwise, the cycle floats midair joining the others. The garage door opens up. I glance at Terra next to me.

"We can win." She says.

Nodding at her, she's right. Then as Terra heads out first, Camille and Icarus head out next; Silas smiles at me as he heads on. I hesitate a little. The others are already heading out through the tunnel. I swivel my head back to Emmet. He sees me.

I can hear him say, "Go on boy, you got this."

Turning back straight, my hands grasp hard on the handles. I gulp in apprehension. As I bend forward waiting to ride out, I know one thing for sure.

Thebattle awaits.