Evelyn and Galen rushed to the third floor of Eir hospital, Galen keeping a curious eye on Evelyn. He wondered why the Shadow asked for that specific floor; there was something unsettling on that floor. However, once his feet touched the floor, he understood.

All the patients on that floor wanted to live. Not simply survive but really live. It was almost as if their aura were appealing to her. The Pretas were scattered across the room, although none of it caught his attention. Not after he saw them.

The creatures that resulted in Clement's birth, tormenting him forever. The creatures who were responsible for his mother's death.

Galen had every right to be angry. They took his mother and troubled his mentor at every step of his life, being as a residue in his energy. However, even if Galen wanted to, he could not feel anger. It was as if he was incapable of feeling that emotion, and only sympathy marked his expression. 

He hid his presence - even Evelyn did not realise - and in one swift motion, killed all those creatures. He momentarily felt the energy of Solis in his body, as if it were taking responsibility for the action. Unlike the others, unlike Audrey would have, he felt no guilt. No pleasure either, not any emotion. It just had to be done.

Suddenly his eyes widened and he stared at the floor. Evelyn noticed what happened and her face shook with horror, but she ran to Galen's side. She had to overcome her emotions and support her friend. 

Somehow the Pretas were unaware of everything - perhaps in a state of oblivion. In fact, after the destruction of those creatures they were relieved. Evelyn was confused; Galen was gentle, he would never kill without any reason, but there was no way he was going to tell her the reason. But Evelyn was also stubborn, she would demand an explanation.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Evelyn's mind. An unwanted but needed memory resurfaced in her mind and in that moment, she was agony. 

I killed...

The guilt shook her being, and she was dragged into the abstract space of information, just outside the Shadow Dimension. It was dark and all sorts of negative emotions surrounded, but there in the centre was stood a source of light.

Audrey.

She took on all the negativity around her and somehow turned it all to either positivity, neutrality and wisdom. Unknowingly, she eased the Pretas on Evelyn's and Galen's floor, too.

Finally she felt her guilt soften, but it was nevertheless there and its presence was strong. She remembered that innocent being, her expression full of grief, her wish for giving Evelyn a pleasant experience... Evelyn couldn't bear it. She wanted to face it so desperately but for some reason she could not bear it. Evelyn wondered how Audrey could live with all her guilt, and she wished she was as brave as her.

A crimson wisp floated towards her from a crimson man, and at its sight Evelyn was deeply disheartened. Conrad is suffering too, she thought weakly. Why is this all happening?

However as soon as that shred of aura entered her mind, Evelyn felt immense relief, her mind getting away from the memory. She felt her senses dull, her mind be at ease, but she burned with a question. She was deeply grateful, but she wished to know who received her gratitude. Was it Conrad, amidst all the pain he was suffering? 

"Evelyn," came a deep, dark, but soothing voice. Momentarily, Evelyn's sense grew sharp, her pain growing harsher, but the entity put them all in silence immediately.

Vlad?

"It doesn't matter. You must take care of yourself. You must be patient and wait for the right time. 

"You are strong, you will overcome this."

Even the first time, did you-

Vlad couldn't let her finish the thought, otherwise his power would break. He had to be stronger than he wanted to, and Evelyn fell in a deep sleep.

Vlad wondered how he was sane enough to help her. One form tormented the Shadow of Chaos while the other helped his friend; it was baffling, but time was odd in the Shadow Dimension. Perhaps his old form helped her, or perhaps it was timeless. It didn't matter.

Does it really not?

Vlad left.

- - - - -

Elek calmly decreased the excitation of the creatures' particles and thus energy, wearing a kind expression and hiding sorrow. Trina was worried and she pursed her lips, but shook her head and focused on the task at hand. Finally they could properly test what Elek and her were working on; she shape-shifted her index finger into a long needle and, using the technique of Liber, converted part of her energy into the energy of Kureas, a variation of thermal and abstract energy that would help the energy of Demonic Creatures convert to another from, at least temporarily, rather than be completely annihilated. By decreasing the excitation of their energy, they wouldn't oppose the conversion, and they'd also not put up a fight against the two Shadows.

Trina put the needle near the neck of one Preta. Very slowly, it fell unconscious, although by then the creatures around were slightly more aggravated.

It worked. Oddly enough, the Pretas were able to sense that energy but not their own and they began to shift their attention from the humans to Elek and Trina. Trina held all five fingers of hers towards the Pretas, all of them now turned into needles.

The ten needles flew towards their targets. Elek was prepared to levitate any off needle into its right trajectory, but Trina's aim was accurate. Elek was in momentary awe, but an unexpected anomaly in the energy of the Pretas caught his attention.

What... The new converted energy cut them off from the surroundings. Now, they couldn't gain more energy and neither could they release any more. 

The only they could be awake and die was if they aggravated humans. And they could only do it once more, after which they would pass on. Elek was bewildered and felt extreme guilt; because of him these creatures would leave the world wrongly.

Elek somehow told Trina about it, his voice feeling lost.

"Isn't this good, though? If they all really have to leave the world eventually to maintain equilibrium, they will pass on their own."

"No," Elek said, the light in his eyes dead, "they will pass unsatisfied. I'd rather have them spend their remnants of energy together with their land, being in a state of peace. Aware of the world rather than being shroud in darkness."

Trina's eyes widened and she nodded, unsure of what to say. She looked at the Pretas' nimble condition and sorrow filled her mind too. She realised then that there was nothing else to say, except for a promise.

"We will finish this research."

Elek smiled with gratitude, and the two got up to leave.

I wonder if she was in a similar situation... no, hers was probably worse than the people on this floor, Elek thought, remembering his friend. She was definitely tormented by the Creatures on the third floor, whatever they were.

Eleanor... entered a distant voice softly in his head, and Elek stopped. 

El, music, philosophy, accident, creatures... constants across worlds.

It felt as if he spoke to himself, but he was confused. Elek definitely did not speak to himself. But perhaps... 

Worlds. Universes. Time.

Trina looked towards Elek, not breaking the silence, but Elek sensed the worried look on her face. 

"Sorry, I was just lost in my thoughts."

Trina gave Elek a thin smile and he returned a shy one, and the two left.

- - - - -

"Hey Audrey." Elek whispered in a low voice, wearing a friendly smile with a little worried expression. Audrey turned her head away from the sky, opening her eyes and greeting Elek with a smile. 

"Hello, Elek. You don't feel tired?"

Elek shook his head. "None of us are ever mentally tired, we just have to recharge our energy... literally? Almost literally. Reheat? Re-energise? Wow."

Audrey chuckled at Elek's silly frown, and the two turned towards the grass stretching till the horizon. As Elek focused enough on the land, its green glow gradually brightened. A serene feeling came over him, as if he was sharing a private moment with the land.

"The Seven Lands are the only worlds in existence, right? They all contain universes, continuously being created and destroyed."

Audrey wore a gentle smile, hiding her frown. "Usually I am the one who asks you such questions, but yes, that is how it is."

"No story, not ever, can be same across universes, right? Or even similar? Perhaps a soul experiencing the same sort of story twice in different universes, since a soul can only be in any one world till it returns to the Shadow Dimension." 

Audrey was worried. Elek being curious randomly was no surprise, but something evidently troubled him.

"Yes, a story cannot repeat for any soul. I mean, sure, one or two events may repeat, but the point of a rebirth is to learn something greater and better to achieve enlightenment. Most universes don't even have life - only those in this world do - but I suppose each universe has something vastly different to offer. The form of life, the way of learning, feeling, understanding... all should be different."

Elek gave a small nod, resting his hand on the cold railing of the balcony as he stared into the depths of the sky. 

"What's wrong, Elek?"

Elek sighed. Even if he did not want to trouble Audrey by telling her, her gentle tone urged him to inform her so that she wouldn't be worried.

"A soul could therefore could experience the same story only in the same universe at different times. Does that mean the reason a soul has to learn something again is because they hadn't followed it the first time or that they have some unfinished business?"

Audrey was in deep thought. It was certainly not a pleasant prospect, but rebirth wasn't bad. "That would make sense. But perhaps if a soul was already enlightened, it comes again to help someone. It comes for service and not self, similar to what Shadows do."

Elek shook his head, amazed by his friend. Even before he could ask his question, Audrey knew what it was. He gave a grateful smile and Audrey nodded returning a kind smile, then turning to the outside.

Different worlds... but Eleanor was in a different time. Zindel saw Eleanor's story and she helped him. Elek experienced Elara's story and she helped him. She always suffered but stayed calm and helped, wishing the best for everyone. She was quite a lot like his mother.

Oh... he suddenly thought. A sudden realisation came to him and Elek didn't know how to feel. Elek wondered what it all meant and why he learned about Zindel and his mother in that hospital, but for that moment he decided to stay in the present.

"It's my job to worry about these things, don't mind me," Elek said reassuringly, and Audrey smiled, knowing that he was being honest.

"If you could ever go to a land, only any one, where would you go?"

"The Land of Hearth, surely. I'm not sure how I'm so sure though." Audrey grinned and Elek shook his head with a smile. "Where would you like to go?"

"The Land of Grace. I am also not sure how I'm so sure, but I've always been rather fascinated by it."

Elek chuckled and Audrey too laughed, happy to see her friend be truthful and simply spend some time with him.

"Oi, why are you two laughing without me?" Evelyn walked slowly, her hair particularly messy, but still wore her unmistakable grin and soon fell on Audrey and Elek, wrapping her arms around them.

"I hope you didn't wake up the grumpy group," Audrey said in a cautious voice and Evelyn gave a firm nod.

"Galen isn't all that grumpy though!" Evelyn said in a whisper and Audrey furiously shook your head. "Disagree all you want but without him, you would probably destroy yourself."

Elek noticed some concern in Audrey's mind, something sitting in her unconscious mind just waiting for the right time to surface, troubling her and interfering with her other thoughts. Very gently he urged the thought to develop patience and Audrey immediately felt more relieved, much to Elek's satisfaction. 

I think... I just used my Yuran, Elek thought with excitement. I have to tell Trina!

"You're one to talk," Audrey said with her eyes narrowed and Evelyn shrugged, unable to counter that point.

The night went on as the three Shadows shared a few silly moments together, and Elek indeed felt as if he was in the present. A happy present, deserving the brightest smiles.

- - - - -

Perhaps Elek was the only one who could interact with a human and get something good out of it... although she was a rather special human. It was a little funny, that the Shadow of the only land untouched by life was the only Shadow of nature that interacted with a sentient, living being.

Really, only Grace could do that.

She did miss him. Everyone did. Evelyn talked to him for at least five minutes everyday. At least now they could mention him without being hurt, or even being affected; Elek would like that. Shadow Beings weren't supposed to be attached. 

Eleanor... an odd emotion overcame her as she witnessed this story, nothing she experienced when she first saw the lore. The connection between a Shadow Being and a Human Being. Perhaps it existed when they were beings... perhaps their souls were strangers.

Audrey sighed, closing her eyes as she lay on her back, the soft grass warm beneath her fingers, but the wind singing a gentle melody in her ears, and she saw it all as pure information, being and feeling but not quite absorbed.

Elek would like that.

Perhaps Elek, like Holly, had planned his death. No, he must've anticipated it. Audrey remembered that look of sorrow and even guilt in Elek's eyes during Holly's death. He knew what was to come.

He had said Ariana reminded him of Elara. Audrey wondered if he had mixed both humans to make a unique image, comparing that to the Wind Phoenexia, but she doubted it. Despite being the same, they were different. It was a little ironic how much a human had affected a Shadow, but perhaps also a little sweet.

Every time she saw any story related to her friend she'd feel a wave of melancholy and a distant happiness... but this time, there was something else. Her friend would come back and help them all go back home. He would definitely return.

Soon enough.