As Clement walked in that dark hallway, the cold seeping in from everywhere, he couldn't forget the image of those two kids. His daughter and Galen sat together, everything silent other than the melody she played. Clement couldn't help but feel a little pride, though it was far suppressed by the fear and confusion he felt for the two.

Clement would indeed look after him for as long as he could, but something didn't feel right. For as long as he could? What if something were to happen to him the next day? The next month? The next five years? They were too small.

He couldn't protect him for as long as he could because there was no telling when his time would come to an end. He had to leave something.

Clement took a deep breath as he came to a stop, wishing he had walked slower. With a slow, excruciating exhale he opened his eyes, the blinding artificial light providing a needed pause before he faced the otherwise dark room.

The eight shadow-trappers sat in a cold, closed room and Clement silently entered to be seated, making nine. All heads hung low, each face being a shell of its usual energy struggling to think or feel. The absence of a tenth felt sharp with the reduced size of their circle, the gloom that pervaded the space, the absence of her delightful aura.

Jay raised his eyes as he scanned the room, the motion minimal and quiet as he didn't wish to disturb anyone yet. Kenji maintained his neutral expression; perhaps with his heightened age he had already suffered many losses, but Jay could see hers still stung him. His own sister had never worn such a lost expression ever before.

Does Pranetra think about the same things as me? Why are we so attached to the Shadow-Trappers despite not being one of them? I do consider all of them as friends...

"What happened?" Zeno asked monotonously without shifting his position as he leaned on a wall, his chin lifting enough so that he could see Jay. The leader parted his lips but closed them immediately, falling short of words.

What indeed had happened? Jay knew many things were possible, but this was not one of them.

"I have never seen Ila do something so rash before," Zeno began, his voice unnaturally gruff. "She has always treated Demonic Creatures with as much care as possible, she never took upon so many of them at once. She used a suicidal technique of Solis to wipe out that group of Demonic Creatures. Why?" Zeno sat straight now, seemingly ready to stand up.

"I don't think it's easy to answer that..." Umbra said softly, regretting speaking up immediately.

"Since she isn't here to tell me herself I need one of you to answer before I lose my mind," Zeno's voice withered with exhaustion as he fell back on the wall.

"I may have an answer," Clement started softly, catching everyone's attention. The reaction caused the shadow some hesitation - he knew he would have to speak very carefully - and took a deep breath before continuing.

"I'm not sure if anyone other than Kenji and Pranetra knows this: Ehren is my father, in a so-called "biological" sense. Quite some time ago he had sensed a very odd disturbance in the Land of Chaos - or he was told about it, I'm not sure exactly. He went and encountered the creatures Ila did and realised the danger of their existence immediately. I'll come to that in a bit."

Clement slightly turned to Jay, earning a smile from the leader. Clement was unsurprised that Jay already knew. After all, what one of those two siblings knew would be conveyed to the other as quickly as possible. Talking about Ehren led to that tiny nuisance of a question come up again: What would it have been like if he had lived with Ehren instead of Jay and Pranetra? Or with those two? Why did Ehren give him to Kenji? It was something Clement had stopped wondering about a long time ago. To him it mattered no more, but it remained as a tiny speck of curiosity.

"Ehren also used Zeal Desruct to destroy the Demonic Creatures. Due to the amount of energy he had to use - I think the number of creatures he faced were a thousand times larger than what Ila did - he lost control of it and expended a little too much, because of which I exist. Since he was in the land of Chaos, he was able to replenish his energy fast enough for it to not be fatal."

Clement closed his eyes as he paused, recollecting the rest of the information. He knew this was inevitable, and it didn't seem like everything was over yet...

Clement's eyes opened in response to a spark from his right, prompting him to turn towards it. She wore a sweet smile, melancholic yet alleviating his worries immediately. The grey light Pranetra held always seemed to carry this feeling of absorption, as if it would swallow his thoughts and emotions and everything that didn't matter into oblivion, setting him free.

It's not time. Focus.

Maysa's gaze was the only one averted, staring at the ground in complete contrast to Zeno's unmoved focus, though he maintained his patience. Seeing his friend's worried expression, however, Zeno relaxed his expression, giving a little nod.

"Those creatures are like the Demonic Creatures in the sense that they were born from the emotions of Demons instead of humans. While Demonic Creaturesmanifested physically, it's harder to tell the distinction in these other creatures. They exist between reality and the shadow dimension. Right now I can sense that there are a few of them left - one or two at most, really - but they are not in reality. They are behind the fabric."

Zeno's focus hardened and he stood up, towering over the pervading gloom with a false resolve.

"Let's go. We can go to the Shadow Dimension, right? We went there, to the space that connected the past to us and everything else.

"Let's finish them."

Both the man's fists remained clenched under the cover of his pockets. Jay and Pranetra shared a look of worry, the others being uncertain, too.

"What?"Zeno's tone had been harsher than he had intended and he felt apologetic, but decided to say nothing. Jay stood up wearing that solemn smile, his voice as soft and loose as a feather floating in the wind.

"We cannot go to the Shadow Dimension so easily. At least right now we shouldn't, it is a delicate place. That time a hole of sorts had opened up because of the disturbance caused by the Demon Lord. Besides, Ila was the one who could best navigate the place because of her ability.

"Right now there's too much we don't know, too much at stake."

"Okay, so what can we do?"

This was one time Jay wished Zeno wasn't so quick with his answers. He needed time to think.

"Think. Learn. Plan. We need to know certain things before we proceed."

"That's rubbish."

Zeno gave a curt nod, hesitating slightly before he turned towards the exit. As he took a step a cold hand grabbed him, barely able to hold him back.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Maysa's tone was sharp despite its quiet nature, sending a tingling to Zeno. He hesitated as he stood normally, Maysa's hand still holding him as firmly as it could.

"Out for a walk..."

"You can't. You need to stay here and think."

Zeno sighed, closing his eyes. "I don't think I'm in a state where I can think..."

"It's okay. Sit with us. Just stay here."

The little confusion was evident in Zeno's eyes but he slouched defeatedly, nodding as he went back to his seat followed by Jay while Maysa released him.

The shadow stared at the ceiling as he leaned back, surprised at the lack of discomfort he felt. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

Don't think.

Clement turned to Jay, unsure of what to say.

"Zeno - or anyone else for that matter - will not speak first. They're afraid to question. I need you to lay out the possibilities."

Jay's tone was incredibly soft, a change Clement had noticed after the event six years ago, but it echoed with a slight brashness in his mind, the source of which he couldn't understand. He gave a slight nod before turning straight, not focusing on anyone in particular from his view.

"Being in that space they will begin multiplying. Their energy splits a little, creating more individuals and each will acquire more energy from the border of the Shadow Dimension's fabric. Because of this and because of a lack of interference in this process, they will multiply at a much faster rate than the Demonic Creatures. These others are even weaker than them and their... 'individuality' will be considerably less distinct. Nevertheless, great numbers create chaos of a very dangerous type; the collective energy is not much, but each sphere is subject to fluctuations due to its individuality. Here the magnitude doesn't matter as much as a certain... 'orientation' does and reaching it is inevitable. There is no telling when - although most likely not for at least the next five years - and it will come suddenly.

"That orientation will lead them to reality and once they all assemble and merge, it will unlock a gate that will release constancy, sending the world into disarray. Hence, their existence needs to be removed; that is unquestionable. A few months ago Ila told me she felt a very esoteric disturbance in the Shadow Dimension, something she hadn't seen before. That must've been when they had crossed a threshold sum and started slipping into reality.

"Right now, the only method we have of dealing with these others is to wipe them out completely in one, swift blow."

The thought of leading genocide to someone like Trina horrified Zeno, no matter the nature of the creatures. To end something in its entirety, no matter how "good" or "bad" was too big a responsibility.

So small... so precious. Zeno turned to Maysa: What did he feel? What did everyone else about leaving this to their kids? Naturally, Zeno wished for Trina to be most untouched by this, but he didn't want Galen to suffer the same as his mother. None of those kids should.

They had to find another way.

"The Demon Lord... wasn't he trying to do the same with the general Demonic Creatures? If we wipe out these others, won't we be undermining everything the Shadow-Trappers of the past did? Their actions and principles?"

Umbra's tone wavered like a ripple on the surface of a pond and Hedley held her hand, the warmth providing some assuage.

"It appears we cannot do anything to them, anyway. If action is something that is not an option for us right now, then we should investigate. We should look for a way to send them back home in the gentlest way possible. They eventually need to die out, but the distinction between genocide and extinction is impossible.

"Force versus nature."

Everyone nodded, the softness that accompanied Hedley's tone bringing hope to the surface. They still remained lost but tried to come out of the pointless thinking, holding onto Hedley's smile as an anchor to reality.

"Don't think we have time. In my experience it flows within a blink of an eye. I naturally don't have a lot left," Kenji said, an aura of wisdom accompanying his deep timbre. He turned towards Clement, immediately catching the boy's attention with his playful smile. It was a gesture the latter didn't expect as he saw a flash of time. His life passed by his eyes, from his entrance into that dark world, carried back with Ehren to Kenji, playing with Pranetra and Jay, learning, seeing, listening, going to the darkest space of no time, learning... today. All under his constant care. Could he possibly give that to Galen?

He had to try for as long as he could. Keep trying. If I feel like giving up, all I have to do is her remember her face.

Clement turned to Pranetra, the first and only tear drying from her eye. She wore a small smile and gave a firm nod as if saying she felt the same, thought the same.

"Make good use of time. Learn something. Find a way to stop these others from multiplying.

"Got it."

Zeno was unsure if Maysa's summing was sincere, the monotonous tone making it seem like a hollow repetition. She sat cross-legged with her head down, hiding her gaze.

"You were right, Zeno. It's hard to think right now... and you're right too, Kenji. We don't have time."

Zeno stood up, towering over Maysa with a firm expression.

"Ten years later when things will be much worse and we might not be here, Trina might have to do something. This won't matter then. It doesn't matter if you can't pull yourself together; you have to.

"Isn't this what you were trying to tell me?"

Maysa looked up towards Zeno and the man's rigidity melted away at the sight of tears streaming down his friend's face.

"Why do these creatures exist? Even the Demonic creatures? Why can't we let Vlad do whatever he wants, where is he wrong?"

Suddenly Maysa widened her eyes, a sound of momentary pain escaping her after which she immediately turned to Jay. Everyone except Pranetra felt the same and all eyes were now on Jay's nonchalant expression.

"Scraping a wound only makes it deeper. We must let it heal, else the pain you all just felt will pervade reality for the rest of time."

Pranetra looked worried, a kindness emanating from her that instantly healed the pain, but it could not wash away its lingering effect. That was a job only time could handle.

Jay stood up with his eyes closed, giving the day's last instruction as he left.

"Rest. There's a lot to be done from tomorrow morning. Take some time to recuperate in the darkness."

As Jay's footstep faded, one thought overcame the room.

There is something more than guilt and responsibility at stake here.

----- -------

Audrey's eyes remained closed, her grip on that book gentle but firm as she dipped her neck slightly towards the ground.

To leave something behind... Audrey dearly hoped they didn't think they failed in that endeavour because she could feel their influence within her. In her friend's book, in the stories Paliv Verasel showed, in her friends and in her memories...

Audrey opened her eyes to see the circle of her friends, the absence of two leaving them down to seven.

Conrad, Trina, Jack, Ava, Evelyn, Galen and... me.

Right... first went Ila, then my parents and Ava's parents, then Zeno, then Kenji and finally... Jay. Could Maysa still be out there? Would she come back, if they asked? She wanted to show her how much things had changed... and how they would still change.

Audrey wore a small smile, attracting everyone's attention. The leader was drawn to Trina's glistening green eyes, the latter wiping it off immediately.

Crying... it felt so foreign to her, even the tiniest droplet.

"Those others are now extinct. We might no more be in danger of them but if we want to avoid such a thing in the future, we must learn. I have a feeling there is something else important here too. Perhaps a better way to send the Demonic Creatures away, rather than waiting for them to die out... it sounds horrible even as I say it."

Audrey blinked slowly, sighing. Galen, Evelyn and Ava wore expressions of comfort for Audrey while Conrad, Trina and Jack seemed lost in their own thoughts. Audrey smiled, her attention now solely on them and the matter at hand.

"These other creatures... it's a little confusing each time we talk about them since they lack a name."

Trina spoke hesitantly, for the moment waiting for someone else to speak as she had given the required suggestion. Her gaze was soft, held back, a little nervous of her leader's reaction.

"It's better to not give them a name," Audrey said firmly, not averting her gaze from the book she held.

"Shouldn't we acknowledge their existence? It was a dangerous one, but it was terminated by the efforts of a few Shadow-Trappers like the leader before Jay, and there's a lot we can learn from it. For the Demonic Creatures."

Audrey felt a surprising jolt at the last word, taking a deep breath as she stood up to face Trina.

"By talking about them I think we are acknowledging their existence, but I don't think we should mark it. Yes, there's a lot we can learn from it and we will do that, but it is one of the things that should stay within the few of us. Not everyone needs to know about it."

Audrey smiled at the end, not wishing to sound harsh. Trina remained still for a long period of time and Audrey waited, unsure of her friend's thoughts.

"I never thought you would say something like that but... I understand, after everything that's come before it makes sense. What does Galen think about this?"

"Do you want to know Galen's thoughts only because he was the one to finally finish their existence?"

Trina parted her lips before closing them again. A bleak smile came on Audrey's face upon seeing that hesitation.

"I might be very wrong, but I think Evelyn's energy called those creatures to that hospital, and vice-versa. Some sort of mutual attraction. I don't know why in that moment only, I can't think of the specifics, but it makes sense. She went with Galen to that floor because she realised how draining the energy was there but didn't understand that reason - she's told us this before, but by then we no more had Elek, the only person who might've been able to piece things together.

"Three Shadow-Trappers finished this at three different points in time: Ehren, then Ila and finally Galen. The first two used a technique of Solis called Zeal Desruct where the Shadow-Trapper uses so much energy they don't have enough left within them, most of the times. I know for sure Galen didn't use it. Then... what happened?"

Galen waited for silence to fill in as he gathered his thoughts, the absence of information outside giving him his necessary assuage. Audrey wore a confident smile, nothing more than a hint of warmth reaching towards her friend. Galen took a deep breath, nodding.

"The distance between my mother's incident and mine wasn't much and generally, I think the threshold sum decreases with time. Their numbers were considerably less. More importantly, by the time we reached the floor I think they had already begun assimilating their energy and a sort of chain had formed..."

Chain. Oh, Audrey thought, a dull light filling her thoughts.

"I touched one of those creatures' heart with my blade and they all vanished within the briefest interval of time. And I really mean touch."

Audrey's eyes widened, doing a quick scan to see everyone - including Evelyn and Trina - share her reaction. Ava and Jack still seemed a little confused, most likely because they weren't present then, but Audrey couldn't get to their doubts yet.

"Elek gave that blade to me a few days ago. The day after the incident I couldn't find it."

Everyone turned to Audrey's odd laughter, the girl trying her best to hide her face. Jack reached to comfort his sister but she inched away, somewhat able to stifle that unwarranted reaction.

"And why did you not tell anyone about this before? I doubt you even spoke to Elek."

Galen was hesitant, unable to say anything, perhaps put off by her lingering smile. He took a deep breath, gathering something.

"I wanted to ask him about it, at least, but I wasn't sure how... Besides, we had the gathering the next day. So much happened and it may have slipped my mind. We were too busy with the demons."

"Then what was that gap year we took for? Perhaps it's understandable that it slipped your mind because honestly I was very confused, too, but if you recall we had this exact discussion that day. A few days before Vlad's attack, about this incident. Remember?"

Galen nodded slowly. Audrey's tone maintained its composure and Galen had no doubt it always would, she couldn't raise it above a certain volume. But those eyes...

Is she frustrated? Sad? Confused? A mess of emotions...

"We were in such a delicate position that I thought bringing this up would not be right then. Priorities... so I thought it best to not bring it up for the group and think about it myself."

"Are you all going to individually investigate your doubts? Can we not discuss them together?"

No, that's not what I want to ask, Audrey thought, everything within feeling chaotic. Did she listen to them properly? See them? Their little reactions that she had stopped taking notice of because they had become so familiar... was she knowing or just another ignorant fool?

"Have I ever done anything that makes you think you can't trust me? All of you? I just want to be there for you like Elek was... like Jay was."

For a long time, Audrey couldn't shake off the feeling that Elek would've been a better leader. Why did he have to leave?

Come back already...

Audrey's eyes widened as realisation hit her, the orange light softening.

"I'm sorry," she started with her head bowed down, her voice softer than the quietest note of music. "I shouldn't have said that. I don't doubt any of you. There are a lot of things that I doubt, a lot of things that confuse me, but none of you are one of them. All these stories that Paliv Verasel shows... it is possible only because of your trust.

"I'm sorry..."

Audrey wanted to cry, but she couldn't. Why did she want to cry?

Have I really changed at all? Am I heading in the right direction? Why do I want to cry? How human am I?

Why do I like the piano so much?

A warm and slender hand took her head into her hold, the familiar energy spreading immense comfort throughout Audrey.

Ahh, now I feel like crying but I don't want to. The tears won't come, anyway.

Audrey felt one hand leave her, the other still holding her firmly. The soft rustling of pages came before the black book was placed in front of her, enough light falling from above her.

Hey Audrey, the next time you feel confused and alone, think about this:
Of all the shadows that exist in this world,
Lands and universes that are here,
Do you wonder why you are here, chosen by him?

On this path to equilibrium,
Not much space for doubts exist.

Audrey, don't cry.

Let go of your worries with your piano!
If you think that's too sentient, it's okay;
The world must be understood, after all.
Take your time because that is most important,
Lest you fail to see the truth.
Everyone is here for you.

Let them help you as you like to.
Observe.
No more sorrow.
Go, head towards your duty.
Everyone is here.
Remember.

"I never saw this page before..." Audrey started, a fuzzy feeling tugging at her heart and she didn't wish to leave that moment.

"I had to show it to you," Evelyn said with a smile brighter than her eyes. Audrey closed her eyes, staying with her friend for a while longer before she had to return to work.

"Wait," Audrey said as realisation hit her, sitting up immediately with her eyes opened. "Trina, please give me Entity."

Trina nodded with confusion, the book emerging from behind her.

Evelyn opened page number 278, then... let me open 17 of Entity...

And there sat those words, waiting for the moment, appearing so bright and obvious in her enlarged eyes.

Hold on a little longer.

A little longer sure was taking its own sweet time, but it's okay. We need to use our time.

Audrey explained her observation and a more genuine laugh escaped her as she observed her friends' reactions. Confusion was most prominent amongst a few odd smiles with a hint of annoyance.

"That weirdo..." Trina said, shaking her head. "I have no idea what's going on. How are these two books connected?"

"I suppose we have to hold on a little longer," Evelyn said with a wink, earning a smile from Trina.

"But this means we have some material in those notes to work with," Conrad started in a deep tone, looking at the books thoughtfully. "If one touch of that blade Elek made extinguished those creatures and they disintegrated, that means implies extermination. The fact that Elek took the blade away proves this wasn't the intended result, and he entrusted Galen to do it..."

"I think he didn't have enough faith in himself," Trina's smile had turned sorrowful, as if she disagreed with the sentiment she spoke of. "But knew that it was an important investigation. He was also familiar with Galen's mother, right? There is something only Galen could do, aside from being the one of us who makes the least mistakes."

Galen raised an eyebrow at the last sentence and Trina shrugged, looking more confident.

"You're saying Evelyn's presence called the creatures or no, some mutual attraction situation. Then that blade channelled my energy such that it negated all of the opposition swiftly because all of it was already connected. I don't think it used only my energy since I felt pretty normal... oh."

Audrey found it a little funny how his expression remained unchanged despite stumbling upon a seemingly important realisation.

"Elek didn't fail. I went to the Shadow Dimension with my mother when I was six for a good amount of time. I think that blade pulled me deeper into the Shadow Dimension. Symmetry is different there, right? As in my energy in the physical world is a reflection of the truth and is of considerably less energy. Those creatures hadn't become completely physical, so the blade attacked them through the Shadow Dimension."

"Elek didn't fail..." Trina repeated, her thoughts a rush of bewilderment. Was she happy? Was she sad that he had to set such a terrible goal?

"He was able to connect the physical world to the Shadow Dimension with something other than Shadow Beings, right?" Evelyn asked, her energy bubbling with pride yet held by hesitance.

"I hope so," Trina responded, her voice fading away into an uncomfortable silence.

The sound of children laughing a fair distance away... the Shadow-Trappers working hard... life carrying around as usual... the demonic creatures, what were they doing? What about the angels? The demons?

Ariana... what was she doing?

"I remember!" Evelyn said suddenly, snapping everyone out of their daze. "I remember now... their energy. I might be an airhead but I always observe energy. Anyway, those creatures... very low energy, as someone said. Their sense of agitation was perhaps a percent of the Demonic Creatures, but you know how the latter feel pain even if attacked on their ankles? Those others felt nothing, absolutely nothing.

"Nil."

"Which is perfect for neutrality," Trina said, a glimmer of hope brimming in the Shadow's thin voice.

Audrey gave the black-coloured book to Conrad and the orange one to Trina, the first genuine smile in a long time coming to her.

"Then I believe we can make progress."