"Good afternoon, everyone! I am Ila, leader of the shadow-lifters, and a substitute teacher, though the former doesn't really matter much. For now. This is Olen, an illusionist. He will help you visualise the process that I will explain.

"Welcome to this lecture. Now I know that speeches are long and boring, but I need you all to pay close attention. I will be telling you about the differences between Shadow Beings and Human Beings, important information for your future."

Galen held his breath, intense curiosity filling his mind. He took a brief glance around the ten-year-olds, expressions of intrigue and boredom scattered around the large room, though the former was more. Somehow he, a six-year-old had managed to slip inside, though he knew Ila would already be aware of his presence. He was, however, unaware of his brilliance to turn invisible and enter the room in a stealthy matter, taking a seat in one dim corner of the room without catching anyone's attention. It was certainly not a small feat for his age.

His eyes stared into the vivid light entering the room, an intense feeling of grandeur and awe hitting his mind momentarily. The space was largest after the main hall, and the open roof spread a strong scent of Sylva Vita throughout the area. As he narrowed his eyes he saw another boy - the same age as him - sit with his legs loosely crossed. He briefly rocked back and forth, indicating his excitement. A bright glint of curiosity shone in his eyes, though his messy hair gave the vibe that the boy was present to pass his time.

Galen shook his head and turned his attention towards the centre of the room, his eyes focusing on the gentle expression of the tall woman. Her tied, black hair was as dark as his but easily messier. A tall, thin man stood next to her, his bright green eyes truly appearing as an illusion to many students, though Galen could see them clearly.

"Are you all ready? Not that it matters, you'll have to listen anyway," Ila said with a shrug, receiving a small wave of laughter. The bold voice of the lecturer only spiked his interest more, though he appreciated her soft and kind tone. It was a sound he had grown to love since forever, wisdom always evident in her words.

"What makes us different? Our physical body? On the outside, we look exactly the same. But on the inside, are we really the same too? I'll be telling you about the Shadow Beings' composition first, so you can compare it with Humans. Besides, you already know their general structure of cells, tissues, and all that la la."

A few students giggled at her humorous tone, though Galen only smiled, eager to know more. He already had a little idea about the topic, but there was one bit in particular he was curious about. The chances of it being discussed were not quite less, but it was still worth a shot.

And anyway, he would readily listen to his mother's voice, even for fun.

"Number one: Our blood. The blood of Shadow Beings also flows from our heart, yes. But really, what is the composition of this blood? Let's start with the basics.

"Unlike humans, our blood is not made of cells. The particles that create our blood are even tinier than cells; they're similar to elementary particles, and they don't contain any fluid, other than water. But that's not what I will focus on. Today, we'll talk about our energy.

"Let's start with our heart. It has four chambers, and so do humans, though the working and structure are completely different.

"The basic circuit of energy is a loop that passes through three of our chambers, all arranged in one line, though they're obviously very small.

"Our energy stems from the rapid movement of photons in this loop. Photons are created when an electron drops from a high energy state to its low energy state and goes back to the high energy state when a photon hits it. This circular loop allows us to maintain our energy continuously because photons are released to the left chamber, and enter to hit the electrons from the right chamber. However, this process is extremely rigorous and thus allows for high energy."

Olen raised his arms up, closing his eyes. The image of a golden thread appeared, its brightness on par with the Sun's light. It elegantly flowed through three small boxes, forming a definitely-not-circular loop, though Galen was nowhere close to discerning the motion of photons, naturally.

"Our 'organs' gain energy from the electromagnetic radiations of the photons; we don't actually use up a photon. The energy of each photon is less individually, but all of them together amounts to a greater number than that of human beings."

A few students snickered as Ila flashed a playful smile. Wonder shone in Galen's eyes as he stared at the illusion, his curiosity only building up more. Ila looked towards him gently, staring at the thin, golden line in his eyes. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, before turning towards the audience.

"Humans, however, consume food to gain various nutrients and glucose. This glucose, along with the oxygen is transported by their blood to various parts of the body.

"Glucose, a 6 carbon molecule, in the cytoplasm is broken down to three pyruvate - they are 2 carbon molecules. In three different situations, as respiration occurs, they produce ATP, which is the energy they use in cells for protein synthesis, conduction of nerve impulses, and a bunch of stuff.

"The main idea of this explanation is to highlight the difference in our physical energy. The Spiritual norms through the universe are constant. Though our bodies seem the same, they actually have no similarities. The energy Shadow Beings have is much, much higher than what Human Beings have; our enthalpy is higher. Hence, we have our abilities. "

Ila took a deep breath as she paused, smiling towards all the children gently. They were all dazed for a moment, though Galen only smiled in pride, leaning back with his palms pressing on the floor. Ila caught his eye, and she gave him a subtle smirk, though Galen remained with the same expression.

"Here's a little extra information. I won't elaborate on it, though."

Galen jerked his head up, looking towards Ila eagerly.

"Our Spiritual Energy runs through our vertical circuit, our 'spine'. It is what makes a Shadow Being a Shadow-Trapper, Phoenexia, Angel or Demon. This is a little beyond science, and not very easy to understand. But eh, I thought you would all like to know about it."

Seven simple circular structures that were very complex in reality appeared in the air as a colourful thread of energy passed through them. Its brilliance was soft yet powerful, energy going beyond the visible spectrum, instilling wonder in Galen. Ila saw that picture was much more evident in Galen's calm eyes, as if the sky were playing with light amidst a tranquil storm.

Galen smiled, looking towards Ila. His mother's gently playful expression was too dear to him, and he almost forgot about his previous thoughts. He had hoped that the fourth chamber of the heart would be discussed. But clearly, his mother and the leaders in general had no intention of telling the children at such a young age. Or at least, that's what his innocent mind thought.

"That's it for today! I hope you liked to learn whatever I had to say. The universe is a very interesting place, and we can often start with learning about ourselves. We are a part of the universe, after all."

The room broke into chatter, though Ila earned a few scattered nods, agreeing with her fully. She gave a kind smile to everybody before she began to guide the children out of the room.

Galen slowly turned invisible, slipping out of the room through the third door. A breeze hit him instantly as he reappeared, the vibrant colours of the flowerbed reaching the horizon. His ability was not turned off so his movements felt especially free, as if nature held back some of its laws for him. Still, the comforting blanket of warmth surrounded him, mollifying the quickening wind.

Galen turned towards his right abruptly, giving his mother an innocently judging look. She stood over him with a grin, her hair being much messier than it previously was.

"How did you finish your work so quickly?"

Ila chuckled at the question. "I left Olen to do all the work by himself."

Galen shook his head, treating her as if she were a child, causing Ila to lift her eyebrow.

"So did you like it in there?" Ila asked. Galen gave a firm nod, earning a sweet smile from Ila before her expression changed into a more serious one, funny anger on her face.

"Good, because you may not use your ability for the next three days, young man. You and that other boy, Elek - the one with the levitating ability - are always sneaking into my lectures. And there you go, my wordings are all messed up. Who do you think I am, entertaining little children in this rather high-fi stuff..."

Galen stifled a laugh as he look at his mother with a fond look as she shook her head, mumbling about 'children that were a handful'. Ila looked at him with an unimpressed look, before compressing his very existence as she pulled him into her tight hug.

"Mumma!" He protested, his muffled tone ignored by Ila. She let him go rather quickly, though, with a satisfied smile on her fair face.

"What do you think about this stuff, though? About the amount of power Shadow-trappers have?"

Galen gave a puzzled look before he look towards his hands, thinking deeply.

"I don't think I am even close to knowing how powerful we actually are," Galen said as he scratched his head. "but I know that however powerful we may be, we should use it only for what we need to use it for. I mean, we shouldn't misuse it. I mean, both. Use it for good, and not bad."

"And how do you distinguish from the good and bad?"

Galen wore a thoughtful expression. "What is good and bad?"

Ila laughed gently, a proud smile coming on her face. Galen looked at her with curiosity before giving her a sweet smile, tilting his head to the right. Silence settled around him, making the air feel cooler somehow.

"Last question. If you could travel to the past and undo something, would you do it? Or if you could see the future, would you see it and change it?"

A bizarre look came on Galen's face, his expression deepening by the second. He sighed after a few moments, letting a smile come on his face.

"No. That is an act of despair or regret, and I would never be able to move forward until I accept whatever happened. And for the future, my actions make it. Plus I don't want to cheat."

A truly satisfied look came on Ila's face as she set her hand on Galen's head, ruffling it furiously. An unimpressed look came on his face, and Ila's cheeky grin only grew. Galen shook his head when Ila stuck her tongue out, realising that she was truly a child.

"You're wise, Galen," Ila said in a light tone, playing with his hair. "You'll be a great man, understanding truth and time."

Galen returned Ila's smile, though his mind wandered off for a moment.

But I can't be honest with my friend.

Galen closed his eyes as he remembered the words clearly from three nights ago. The gentle soul's voice was much more sombre than it had ever been before.

She must not know who she is until the time is right, Jay.

Ila sensed worry in the little boy, and so gently pulled his cheek, giving him a huge grin. Galen laughed, gratitude reflecting in his eyes.

Suddenly, a purple-haired man ran towards the two, accompanied by a poised woman, her benevolent, brown eyes looking at Galen kindly before she turned towards Ila.

"Zeno. Umbra," Ila replied with a serious nod, and Zeno returned the gesture. As always Umbra frowned sharply, shaking her head.

"What?" Ila asked in a plain tone with her eyebrows raised. Umbra shook her head again and Ila widened her eyes before sighing. Zeno did his best to contain his laughter and somehow succeeded.

"Anyway," Umbra shook her head, her curled, tied hair moving gracefully. "It is your turn to go on patrol. With Zeno and I, of course, though we will go in different directions."

"Already?" Ila asked with a sigh, her shoulders slumping, though she still appeared like a tower to Galen.

"If you want, you can go on the next shift, and we can send someone else."

"Nah, it's fine. I'll go. Galen's coming with me."

Ila smiled sweetly towards Galen, closing her eyes, and all he could do was nod, as if something was controlling his head.

"He's just a boy, Ila."

Ila was surprised to see Zeno speak up, but as she thought about it, she realised it was only natural for Zeno to say it first. He cared a lot for children, after all.

"I can't believe I'm agreeing with him, but he's right. What's out there is not something a six-year-old should see."

"I have full faith in him, he can handle it," Ila said as she ruffled Galen's hair proudly, and Galen closed his eyes, nodding his head. Galen wasn't very sure about what they were referring to, but just being with his mother he knew he would be completely safe. He felt a warm sensation move towards him from his mother's shadow and he gladly embraced it, giving Ila a confident smile. The tender blue in her eyes reflected his expression, and his smile widened as the kindest look settled on Ila's face.

"Besides, I won't let him see something he shouldn't see. Trust me!"

Zeno gave her a thumbs up and the two did a high-five, although Ila easily recognised Zeno's shaky aura; he was uncertain about it all. Umbra sighed again, worry in her eyes, but she gave Galen a pat on the head and the boy suddenly felt light. She looked towards Galen sweetly and Galen felt a strong force coming from her, his senses suddenly growing awareness about nature. Her brown eyes were very unique; they appeared to slightly change their colour according to their surroundings and Umbra's emotions, and Galen couldn't help but be momentarily lost in them.

"Come on, Galen. It's Shadow-lifting time! Remember what you have to do."

Galen gave Ila a firm nod, placing his small hand into her large and firm one. Her touch was cold and freed him of his worries, fighting against the heat of the sun - the heat of action and chaos - to relax his mind.

Galen slowly turned invisible and his shadow's - his physical form's - opacity decreased. He closed his eyes, letting himself feel light, before leaning onto his mother's side as she took him into her domain, transporting him and herself to what seemed like a random point to Galen. He knew their journey was planned but didn't understand the basis.

"Oh Galen," Ila said with a proud smile. "You managed to convert most of your mass into pure energy! You're literally no weight in shadow-lifting."

Galen's smile suddenly turned into a frown. "What? I thought by turning invisible, I was reducing the weight of my shadow."

"That is the end result, but what you're actually doing is coming into a form of pure energy so you don't have to be transported physically through and through. It's a little confusing, but you'll get it."

Galen scratched his head, looking at his mother in confusion before he clocked his fingers with a smile.

"I see. Sort of."

Galen closed his eyes as Ila ruffled his hair, not stopping for quite a while. Ila began to walk forward in a confident stride and Galen struggled to keep up with her, practically jogging.

"Oh right, shortie. I'll walk slowly for you," Ila said with a chuckle.

"Very funny. One day I will be much taller than you," Galen frowned, raising his hand as high as he could, though it only reached till Ila's elbow.

"Hah. We'll see about that, kiddo."

Galen stood with an unimpressed expression as Ila ruffled his head once again, not looking at her at all.

Some time passed as the two walked together silently, simply observing their surroundings. It was neither too cold, nor too warm, and the bright sky was adorned with clear clouds, truly a scene in an artist's masterpiece. Galen stared at it in wonder. Ila stared into his eyes, the evening sight seeming darker but much calmer in his eyes, though her own eyes brightened it in par with the original scenery. The mother and her son's gentle touch was out of this world, and so was their perception.

Galen looked towards his mother with a smile when suddenly a strong wind blew and a few strands of Ila's messy hair were caught in her eye.

"Shoo away, you annoying thing," Ila muttered under her breath, and Galen suppressed a laugh, looking away to hide his smile. Ila caught his face and rubbed his head with her fist, causing him to laugh harder.

For a while, everything seemed fine. Galen liked simply walking with his mother, observing the surroundings and the people around him. He listened to Ila intently as she went on and on about a whole lot of things, but he knew that everything she said was of extreme importance. At least to him.

Galen's eyes widened as he saw a timid creature drain the happiness from a a young boy, the latter's head down as he stood in a defeated position. He seemed to be worried about something, though what it was, Galen couldn't figure. His eyes were exhausted and Galen could feel faint negative energy reverberate from him.

Instinctively, Galen turned translucent and ran up to the teenager, patting his arm as he murmured a few words of encouragement. He wasn't reckless though; he was sure to stay out of the demonic creature's sight and did nothing to provoke him. This particular one didn't notice his surroundings properly.

Galen turned towards his mother, pleading for her to help the boy through gestures though Ila's face was already serious in concentration as she looked towards the ground, her eye on the creature's shadow. Galen followed her eyes and saw the creature twitch before her shadow lunged and gently pinned the creature to the ground. Galen didn't move his eyes as he saw the creature struggle, but sighed in relief to see her eventually close her eyes, her face bearing no strain.

Ila flashed a confident smile towards Galen and he looked towards the boy, smiling at the little sighs of relief on his face. The boy gritted his teeth and pulled his phone out before disliking a number, though by then, Galen had already reached his mother.

"That boy was strong!" Galen said in delight, and Ila laughed, nodding her head.

"You were really cool, too. I hope that creature's okay."

"Me too, Galen," she said, smiling proudly. Ila had always preferred to do the least amount of damage possible, so that the demonic creature could return to its original state. She didn't want to think about this particular one, though. It was very weak, and she preferred to not think about it's potential at full power. She had never seen that creature before and it's aura was nothing like she'd ever seen before. So dark yet so chaotic... so unsettling.

Something was wrong.

Galen tugged on Ila's shirt suddenly, waking her from her thoughts. She looked to where he pointed, noticing a woman with a wary expression as she walked past them before coming to a stop, thinking about something deeply, but trying to maintain a smile at the same time. Though Galen was more confident now, his face still held worry.

"It's the same type of creature."

Ila murmured in agreement, wearing a worrisome frown. She took a deep breath and noticed the creatures attention was loose, not particularly troubling the lady, and that the lady maintained her mental composure. Ila smiled firmly.

"She'll be fine on her own, I'm sure."

The two stood silently, waiting for something to happen. Sure enough, after a while, the creature began to disappear and signs of confidence came on the woman's face, relief sinking in. Galen smiled, looking up at his mother's gentle face, hiding all other expressions other than kindness.

Suddenly, the woman jerked as she heard a loud, ring tone, her breathing quickening. Ila could sense just how much affect this little sound had on her, as if the frequency of the sound waves would shatter her mind.

The creature became visible again, a thick, black smog surrounding him now, particularly as a cloud above him. Before anything else could happen, Ila covered Galen's eyes and took out her blade, swiftly cutting the creature's collar bone and he fell unconscious.

"Mumma...?" Galen said in an uncertain tone as Ila removed her palm, letting Galen look at her. Ila gave him a thumbs up and Galen sighed in satisfaction, smiling towards his mother.

Thumbs up always meant things were fine. Though his mother was visibly trying to hide the creature from him.

Galen noticed that the woman was now walking normally, though some weight still appeared to be on her mind. She could handle it, though, since no more demonic creatures were appearing. Ila gave Galen a pat on his shoulder and the two of them resumed their walk.

What was that, just now? Ila thought, keeping a straight face despite her worries. He tried to block the sun, I'm sure of it. Such intelligence after his transformation...

Suddenly, Ila's eyes widened as she felt overwhelmed by a strong force. Sinister vibrations of negativity moved towards her, surrounding her from every direction, but she saw nothing for a few metres.

The power of their shadows was strong.

Ila took a deep breath before taking Galen's hand, giving him a gentle smile. Galen had no time to process what was occurring before he found himself surrounded by absolute darkness, but there was an odd feeling of comfort and safety in him.

"Mumma...? Why is it so dark?"

Galen felt no strain on his mind or his body, but the darkness was a little bizarre. He felt his mother's lively but strong presence around him, that gentle blue supporting him in this place, but there was something very odd about it all...

"Open your eyes, Galen."

His mother's tone was sweet and simple, as was the instruction. He couldn't believe it, though. He felt so clear, so light, but he didn't realise that his eyes were closed?

A bright burst of light hit him, sudden peace and energy surging through him. A strong wind blew and his eyes widened in wonder, staring in awe at all the vibrant colours beyond the spectrum bursting around him. He had never felt so enlightened, so light-hearted. His breathing was easy, no obstructions in the wind's path.

Amidst all this sat his mother, a gentle smile on her face that illuminated her blue eyes. Reflecting the bright sky even in this illuminated place, it brought a sense of freedom and hope to his mind. He still didn't understand anything, but in this moment, all he felt was peace, and the need to simply...be.

"Where are we?"

Ila let out a deep breath, a youthful look settling in her eyes, as if she were recalling her memories.

"We're in our dimension, in our true home. Perhaps, at one point of time, this place was visited frequently. But nowadays, our lives have been fabricated into the mundane world, and the Earth is thought to be our home. That's not wrong, but, it's just not our origin."

Galen's mouth was slightly agape, but he took every word into consideration, acknowledging them carefully with a nod. Ila gave him a smile before continuing.

"It is a misconception of everyone to think that since we're Shadow Beings, we are born from the shadows of this world. But how is a shadow born? How is its existence possible?"

Galen widened his eyes, before slowly muttering a single word.

"Light."

Ila smiled, raising her arm up so that it fell directly under a powerful light source. A shadow appeared on the ground, and Galen noticed it's fingers moving, realising that Ila was asking him to do the same.

Galen slowly stretched his hand towards his mother's, his small fingers touching his mother's gentle palm. She gave him a sweet smile, closing her eyes as she did so.

It was impossible to not feel the sudden wave of power and energy. Each photon passing through him seemed to hold power so great that he could instantly stand up and stay invisible for a week, not resting for the slightest blink of time. His mouth widened as wonder shone in those grey eyes of his, all lights sudden through his mind. The place suddenly felt all too familiar, and he sank back, retrieving his arm slowly.

Ila sighed, placing her hand on Galen's cheek. Galen returned to his worried expression, relaxing when Ila's smile appeared once again.

"Though Shadow Beings may provide service to humans, they are constantly working on clearing their own consciousness and balancing the energy of the world. Shadow-trappers are beings of a power much greater than living things, and this is one of the reasons why our numbers are so less; the population of living beings in all universes is approximately ten to the power thirty-three times more than ours. One followed by thirty-three zeroes.

"There's so much for you to know, Galen, but time may be testing us dreadfully right now. Thankfully, time is relative here to a great degree that it can almost be controlled, and we're surrounded by the Universe's so called 'speed limit', and a few other factors as well, but you'll know about it, well, in time. Hah."

Galen frowned and laughed at the same time, but also nodded, waiting in patience. A sweet cold sensation ran into him through Ila's palms, cooling his mind and his nerves.

"You don't have to understand any of this now. All you have to do is see."

Ila returned her hands to her legs, sitting with her back straightened. Galen did the same, and Ila let out a small laugh, looking at the way he followed her.

"Your eyes are powerful, Galen. See."

Suddenly, a burst of force ran against him, the illumination much brighter, much stronger than the Sun's light. Nothing obstruct his powerful sight, and he took in everything in his vision calmly. He didn't understand what he saw, but he knew that it was simply... amazing. No star, no supernova was comparable with this.

He didn't know how much time had passed. It felt like a lot and nothing at the same, and he then understood the difference in time's relativity here. With everything passing through his mind, he caught that and hour here would be a millisecond back on Earth.

The thrill felt wonderful, and he was honoured to experience such power at such a young age. He didn't think about its burden and affects; he simply felt joy.

The light finally thinned, as darkness surrounded his being once again, the peaceful sensation returning once again. A small smile came on his face as he felt his mother's grasp on his hand, taking a deep breath as he entered the physical world once again.

Ila's eyes narrowed as she turned her head towards the right, keeping a protective arm in front of her. Her eyes widened at the sight of so many creatures, as panic arose among all the humans, gunshots going off rapidly at the innocent youths, absolute terror in their eyes, and anger in Ila's.

What is going on? She thought as she stood up, covering Galen's sight. She took a deep breath as she slipped a hand in her pocket, pressing the large button to send a distress signal to the headquarters. She knew it would take time for reinforcements to arrive, but she had the power to stall them for the time being.

She set Galen next to a tree, keeping him a good distance away from the scene, but still in her reach. Galen frowned, knowing that his mother was only smiling for his sake. With the swift movement of her wrist, Ila's shadow rose, standing in front of Galen to protect him.

"It will be alright, Galen. I'll be back, I promise," Ila said with a smile, putting her hand on Galen's head soothingly.

"Don't move."

Galen simply sat in his place, anxiety and worry clouding his mind as his mother went to the scene. He didn't know what to feel, but he knew that if her Shadow was there, she was there, too.

Ila gritted her teeth as she saw the large number of creatures, but took a deep breath, letting a calm guise come onto her face. She scanned the surroundings, only to be surprised once more, widening her eyes cautiously.i

A quarter of the creatures present had no shadows, and they were draining the positivity and rationality from the humans far too quickly. Ila immediately raised all the shadows present, controlling them with her left hand with full awareness, but she remembered to keep one eye on Galen, taking care of his well-being every second.

Ila closed her eyes, raising her right hand in front of her. A vibrant, grey crossbow appeared in her hand, little sparks of white igniting every second. She aimed it at the creatures without shadows, taking them down calmly, an assuring look on her face.

With this, she thought, sighing in relief, I can fight them with my energy. Their own will be purified, too.

One creature after another fell down, their timid bodies disintegrating into the wind as Ila's senses calmed down further. She could sense that the Shadow-trappers would be arriving soon, and it would all be over.

Suddenly, more creatures appeared out of nowhere, and they had no shadow either. She noticed a few creatures had already defeated their shadows, and somehow, their power had only increased, with all the panic around them elevating. They made their way towards Ila, a despairing look in their eyes, but a few of them still remained to stir panic among the people.

Just who are they? she thought, clenching her jaw. She couldn't help but let out a smile, shaking her head.

There was no other way. She couldn't risk their re-birth again. These creatures would only evolve further, and instead of being a metaphor to negativity, they would become the epitome of 'evil' in the future. She didn't necessarily think the deed to be right, but it had to be done.

Ila took a deep breath as her crossbow disappeared, controlling her breathing. Slowly, as time passed and the creatures came closer, she felt calmness surround her mind, silence ringing in her ears.

She closed her eyes as the blue flames formed in her hand, their vibrant colour fighting against the creatures around her. Perhaps the sky had descended to the ground, or maybe it was just her mere power. But, she would do what was needed. No harm would come to the people, her kind, and especially, her son.

Galen's grey eyes appeared in front of her face, fear marking his expression. Tears came from his eyes, but Ila wasn't sure how to stop them.

"I'm sorry, Galen. I couldn't fulfil my promise."

Galen took deep breaths as his mother appeared in front of him, he stood up and hugged her, reaching only a little above her knees. She crouched, rubbing his head, letting her blue energy flow into him.

"There are so many things left for you to know, to see. When the time comes, you'll unlock it all. You have great power of comprehension."

Galen was glad about what she said, but right now, he just wanted his mother with him. The worldly affairs were huge, people were complex, but the simple smile of his mother's was what he cared about and loved the most.

Galen felt his senses dulling, darkness taking over his vision. An odd peace accompanied his fright, but he didn't mind feeling powerless, feeling like a child. It's who he was.

"We'll definitely meet again, Galen. I'm not gonna leave you that easily, ya know?"

Ila laughed, hugging Galen closely one last time.

"My energy runs in you, son." Ila's smile brightened everything around him, even the darkness.

"You'll never walk alone."

Ila's smile slowly faded completely, and Galen slipped into a dark dimesion, returning to the home his mother took him to, unconsciously.

Ila took a deep breath, a single tear shining in her eyes. The scene erupted in bright, blue light, refracting in her eyes, though a grey light faintly surrounded her. All the creatures were slowly consumed by her energy, as was her energy by their negativity. Cleansing it was her duty, and there was no way she would abandon it.

The sinister power from the atmosphere slowly diminished till it was no more. The light subsided, peace settling in her slowly, and it began to spread into the atmosphere. Panic was still around, but the people had calmed from their initial fright, the authorities coming to help them.

So many casualties, so much confusion...but it had stopped. It wouldn't return.

"Ila!"

Umbra's grievous voice reached Ila, as she, Jay, and Pranetra rushed towards her. The other had stopped at a distance, and Zeno immediately rushed towards Galen, taking him carefully in his arms, a melancholic look on his soft face.

"Why...? Was it really necessary?"

Something fierce glowed in Umbra's eyes, and even Jay stood humbly, sorrow in his eyes. He raised his arm up, white light gracefully flowing from it, as it cleared away the earlier chaos, attempting to help Ila's energy. Pranetra placed her hand on Ila's head, trying to heal her zeal as well. Ila felt comfort in their actions, a warm tingle of relief flowing through her mind, but Ila shook her head, giving them a small smile.

"Don't, both of you. I can feel that the energy is lost, both of it."

Pranetra nodded, retrieving her arm. Her fair face held nothing but absolute enlightenment in the most dire situations. Seeing her itself brought a sense of peace to Ila's mind.

"You could've used time-"

"Umbra," Ila interrupted, taking a sharp breath. "we respect the Truth and Time. I cannot use our flexibility in that dimension. You know that."

Umbra was horrified on how she could've made such an immoral and impulsive suggestion, but in that moment she only cared for her friend. Those demonic creatures were odd, yes, but killing all of them was immoral too. However, they also seemed to immediately threaten the equilibrium of the Shadow Dimension. It had to be done.

Umbra sighed, feeling conflicted. Ila chuckled, hitting her arm lightly, prompting Umbra to smile at least a little bit.

"Something big...is coming. There's just something wrong, but I don't think I fully understand it."

Pranetra and Jay shared a look, and he sighed, looking at Ila kindly.

"We were expecting something like this." Jay's deep and soothing tone consoled her, despite his words.

"I see."

The sky seemed to brighten, though the heat was moderate, as if warming Ila, wanting to let her go only in peace. The clouds appeared to part above her, the sky shining its strength on her.

"Take care of my son, hm? I'll haunt you for the rest of your life if you don't," Ila said weakly, but the emotion was strong.

Umbra laughed, looking towards him with pride as he rested in Zeno's hold. "He has a lot of potential. Something tells me that he will take care of others very well."

Ila smiled, closing her eyes.

"That he will."

Suddenly, a thousand lights shone on her as she turned into the pure fluid, moving into the Earth. Her sheer force was so strong, that it had burst into beyond the bright spectrum as it cleansed other's negativity, destroying itself in the process. One had to give something to gain something, and Ila understood that all too well.

Zeno approached her slowly, a silent look on his face as he carried Galen in is arms. The little boy was unconscious, but Ila knew that somewhere in his mind, Galen saw everything.

His consciousness was extremely high.

Ila said nothing as she embraced the nature, leaving the world. Her voice echoed only in her dearest's mind.

Walk this path, Galen. I have faith in you.

-----

Audrey couldn't believe her ears.

This cannot be happening...

Audrey closed her eyes tight, taking deep breaths as she looked for her friend. She knew that Galen liked to be alone, but for her own selfish reasons, she had to see her friend.

She caught hold of the blue fibre, it's gentle glow against the darkness comforting. She was surprised to see him stand in the piano room, his head towards the floor.

That's right, she thought. His mom played the Accordion.

Audrey ran as fast her legs could carry her, forgetting about everything else. Her head bobbed up and down until she finally reached the room, bending on her knees to catch her breath.

Galen rose his head, giving Audrey a tired smile. Audrey was only surprised by his gesture, staring into his grey eyes intently. She wasn't of what she should do, of how she should comfort him.

How is mum able to help just anyone? I can't even comfort my friend, she thought, sadness and disappointment filling her mind.

Audrey clenched her fists, fighting her tears. If her friend could stand so calmly, then she could too, for his sake.

Audrey took a deep breath, walking towards him. Suddenly, she put on a huge smile, marching towards the piano. Galen's smile slightly widened, eyeing Audrey in the fondest possible way.

Audrey gently set her fingers on the keys, instinctively playing a song the two were very familiar with. Only, it was usually played by a livelier person, on a different instrument.

Galen's eyes widened as he listened to Audrey's gentle notes, a soft smile coming on his face. This playing, the gentle notes of a lively song, it wasn't his mother, but it was his friend's.

She was here.

Galen walked towards Audrey, sitting on the same bench as her, though his back faced the piano. He sighed, smiling as he looked at her. Audrey smiled back at him, turning her head to the left as she looked at him with great care in her mind.

"Will you leave me?"

Audrey was taken aback by the question. Her fingers slowed, but they didn't stop for the smallest moment, playing the keys softly.

"You're an idiot if you think I will," Audrey answered playfully, grinning at Galen's smile.

Galen closed his eyes, leaning onto Audrey.

"Thank you, Aud," Galen said gently.

Audrey stared at the ceiling, smiling brightly. Such bright lights shone on them, illuminating the room from each hole. The heavens were staring at them.

She knew that Ila would always look after him.

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

Audrey opened her eyes, a small smile coming on her face. The wind playfully ran through her short hair, tingling her skin. Everything around her was lively, like the stars of rainbow surrounding her.

Thank you, Galen, she thought, shaking her head. You're the one who always helps me.

There was a lot that they needed to talk about, but for now, she didn't want to disturb him. The right time would come, and then, they would talk.

For now, she lay on her back, the cold from the grass soothing her nerves. The sun shone brightly, and she drifted into a longing rest, a playful melody playing in her mind. For a moment, she witnessed all the bright lights bursting in her mind's world, the lively image of her friend being comforted by his mother's tender, blue eyes.

She closed her eyes as the sight faded away, the lone face of a young boy coming into view. He smiled at her, comforting her with his gentle expression.

I'll never leave you.