When I woke up, an unusual high pitched squeal faded in and out of my ears. My eyes widened in realization of the castle siren.

'Shit. Why the hell did I play The Game?'

I looked around me. Echo, Zolona, and Sage were still asleep. I beat everyone out of The Game, which meant it was up to me to solve the problem. Crap, that was something. Even if I could prove I was top dog, no assistance could be a huge risk-- especially not knowing all the details.

Exiting Zolona's room, guards laid everywhere. Some were still breathing while others were covered in blood-- dead. Stains coated the floor and the walls in an array of red and brown, blood gleaming off the floor.

Guard laid awake sitting in a corner. Blood oozing from his abdomen, he struggled to keep consciousness.

"What the hell happened here?" I asked.

The guard's breathing was shallow, and he coughed up blood as he gave me his words. "Two prisoners... escaped. No... no one has stopped them."

I knew exactly who the two prisoners were, but I wasn't sure how they escaped. Echo didn't do it. He was with me all day besides when he went upstairs to dinner and I was in the dungeon. Maybe there was something I missed, and Echo did let them out. Ruby did say he was loyal to his friends. But, if he did, it contradicted my skills and my image.

My face turned to a scowl, teeth clenching together in my mouth. "Where were they last seen."

"The mines..." the guard's voice was barely above a whisper.

My eyes widened. The mines were dangerous-- a dark, cold place filled with creatures only found in nightmares. Why the hell would Ember and Dusk be so stupid and go in there? Zolona made it forbidden for anyone to go in there a while back-- she couldn't remember the date-- because one particular creature had the power to deceive and murder entire groups of people. I just hoped they didn't wake them up with their little escape plan.

I headed down the east hallway and turned right to head down another flight of stairs. The silver gates to the mines were flung open, fresh blood coating the handle of the door, and a guard by the side of the gate that laid dead. I grabbed the guard's gun and took a deep breath.

'Time to rally those prisoners.'

The mines looked vaguely familiar. Little light besides a couple candles and a torch on the wall lit the hallway. I picked up the torch slowly before glancing down my path. The white walls were so vague, yet I knew I'd seen it before. A chilling gust of wind rushed past me. A dark presence lingered in the bloodstained walls, fresh blood coating the brick. The corners of the hallway were covered with cobwebs which stuck to my fingers like cotton candy.

'Shit... this is where I just was in The Game...'

The sound of water droplets falling echoed through the hallway, if it was water. It could've been blood.

Two voices whispered in front of me, their footsteps drawing closer.

"Are you sure this is a way out, Dusk?" Ember's voice shook.

"I'm pretty sure," Dusk paused, "Note the word 'pretty'."

I ran to the sound; my soft-sole shoes weren't going to give my location away.

"Why do you suppose this place was locked?" Ember asked.

"Don't care. If it's our ticket out of here, why not use it?" Dusk asked.

A growl lingered from behind me, an inhuman and dreadful yowl from a creature of the night. I pointed my gun that direction, prepared to take my shot. Something brushed against my leg. I pulled the trigger, firing a shot high enough to hit a human's head.

Just Valentine. His glowing green eyes pierced through the darkness around me. For once, I relieved to see him.

"You scared me a minute there, you silly kitty." I sighed in relief.

Crkkkcrrkkkscrkscrk...

Scratching along the wall, and definitely not from the cat by the shocked look on his face, a distorted echo of a voice came through the mines. This would be where I'd cue the strings. That was the sound of the voice: a tiny string orchestra screeching as it scratched its bow along the wall.

Oh God... we woke it up. I couldn't remember the name. All I knew was it was bad.

I ran down the hallway, gun in my hand. My heart raced. Zolona would kill me if Ember and Dusk were annihilated by this thing. Zolona wouldn't be able to make progress with Echo if he didn't trust us.

"What the heck is that?" Ember's voice echoed.

"I don't want to find out," Dusk said.

When I reached them, the demented sounds finally subsided. Where the hell was it? Crap, it wouldn't be good for it to just disappear.

Ember stood in terror, clutching a gun in her hand. "I knew you were a monster, but I didn't think you were that dark."

"It's not me. It's..." I looked to a wall behind Ember to Valentine, text and drawings written out for all to see.

"What's that?" Dusk asked, firmly grasping a knife.

"A warning," I said, "Beware the Mors Rubrum. It consumes those with darkness to destroy the ones they love in violent manners. Once it takes a host, only Light Bearers or Demons can stop it. With its sharp tongue and claws, it subconsciously rips the soul out of the person until nothing remains."

"Geez, and I thought my nightmares were scary. This is just a legend right?" Ember asked.

"I heard it come down this hallway. That's why there was all that noise," I said.

"I didn't see anything. Is it invisible?" Ember asked.

"Either that or it could be the cat." I smiled.

Valentine hissed at me, obviously not pleased by my response.

"Hey, babe, you got any ideas? You're being kind of quiet..." Ember placed a hand on Dusk's shoulder.

"Just thinking, that's all..." Dusk said.

"Screw you two. Just come with me so I can deal with this before placing you back in your cells." I pointed my gun at them.

"Not like we need your help, Numbered," Ember said.

"Really? Who's the one with experience against this beast?" I asked.

"Your cat," Ember said, pointing to Valentine as he walked back to the castle.

I chuckled. "He's not mine, hellhound."

"Just put us back in our cells, and we'll all be good to go, right?" Dusk asked.

"Dusty, what are you doing?" Ember asked.

"Relieving the situation. Guess this was fun and all, but this is enough, right?" Dusk asked.

Ember tilted her head. "You okay?"

"Never better." Dusk glanced at me with deep chocolate brown eyes.

I raised my eyebrow. "I thought your eyes were hazel."

"The light's playing tricks on you. Of course they're hazel," Dusk said, playing off my statement like I was insane. Ember looked at his eyes too and look a step back.

Damn, I should've known. He held a knife in his right hand, and the way he had it out was ready to attack like a predator. I focused and touched his right hand with my left one, burning him with light. He cried in pain as I picked up his knife.

I attempted to stab him with the knife when he turned it back on me. I moved my head out of the way as the knife was plunged next to me and into the ground.

"You're more observational than I remember, Enchantress," Dusk's voice said, multiple sounds coming from his throat.

"I faced you before... ?" I asked, charging light again in my hands.

"Such a pleasure too. You and Zolona wouldn't have done it alone. Not without the wind..." the distorted voice continued, "But this is where your light dies."

Dusk pinned me against the wall and grabbed my throat. His sturdy, strong hands slowly choked me.

"Dusk, let go of her! This isn't you." Ember flung herself on top of him but she was quickly flown off.

'She's trying to save me?'

"Go to Hell," I told the monster.

"Please." Ember raised her gun at him.

"Kill me and he dies too." Dusk's face formed a twisted smile.

Ember lowered her gun and sobbed.

Dusk raised his knife. I closed my eyes. Then came silence. I wasn't dead. Dusk's grip on me loosened as soon as a clanging noise echoed in the hall. His knife dropped to the floor.

I wiped sweat off my forehead. "Zolona if you hadn't..."

I opened my eyes and rose from the ground, looking at Ember, who still held the gun.

Ember's lip quivered in shock. "I can't believe you just did that."

I raised an eyebrow. "I didn't, but thanks for saving me."

"I wasn't talking to you." Ember blew a raspberry.

My eyes widened.

Holding a tray with a dent in it was Echo. "What were you thinking? Killing guards, escaping through mines... I can't let you do that."

My jaw dropped. He actually saved my life. Dusk laid beside him.

'Crap... did that just happen?'

Ember barely found the words. "You... you just knocked him out."

"Ember, he would've killed her, and you weren't getting through to him. All that blood... I can't let you escape that way. It isn't right" Echo said.

"I've never seen that side of Dusk before..." Ember sighed.

"That's why you should stay here. You're my sister. I don't want you to get hurt, but aren't you the one who told me not to run away from my problems?" Echo smiled.

Ember put the gun down. "Yes, I was."

"Wow... this is interesting, but how do we remove the monster from Dusk?" I asked.

"Zolona told me to give you this," Echo handed me a vial, "She says it tastes like death, but it'll work."

He sighed.

"What?" Ember raised an eyebrow.

Echo lowered his head. "You found a side of Dusk you've never seen before, but I found a side of myself that's brand new. I'm terrified of it."

"I'll fight off whatever you're afraid of. I'm your sister. Even if I'm angry about this, I care about you," Ember said.

"I'm just trying to get to know our family better," Echo smiled.

"When will you be back?" Ember asked.

"I don't know," Echo paused, "But when one of us is done with all of this, we can meet up with each other. Just like Melinda and Wes."

"I don't want you to get hurt-- I don't want to get hurt. You're my brother. I don't want to be alone again," Ember said.

"There's a silver lining..." Echo said.

"You're hopeless," Ember shook her head.

Echo chuckled. "Guess I am."

"And you're still pretty stupid. You could've gotten yourself killed," I poured the liquid down Dusk's throat, "This will hold that monster?"

Echo nodded. "It'll be asleep for a few hours so we can leave."

"You're stressing me out with this magic crap," Ember said.

Echo's eyes widened. "I'm stressing you? You tried to break out of the castle."

"You mean the prison," she lowered her head.

Echo laughed. "Not a prison. Just a temporary place to live. You were going to leave me and Arvin behind? Melinda would've strangled you."

Ember crossed her arms, putting the gun away. "She would strangle you if she found out about what you're doing."

Sage came into the mines with four guards who took Ember and Dusk back into their cells.

I only gazed at Echo, completely in awe. "Wow, I didn't know you had it in you."

"Neither did I," Echo said, still surprised.

"Were you scared?" I raised an eyebrow.

Echo nodded. "Yes, at first. Dusk is a rebel sometimes, but that... that was something different."

"How did you know where to find me?" I asked.

"I woke up a little bit after you did. Valentine led me to this place. Those challenges can really help discover things, can't they?" Echo asked.

I raised an eyebrow. "What kind of things?"

Echo sighed. "Things you didn't know about yourself. Things you didn't know about others."

"Sometimes it doesn't all seem real," I added.

"It's hard to tell what's real and what's not," Echo lowered his head.

I sighed. "I met Arvin's sister Ruby."

Echo's looked back up. His face was lit with excitement. "What did you think about her?"

"She told me you're loyal to your friends. Why didn't you help them escape?" I asked.

Echo smiled. "That's not the kind of person I am. Ember and Dusk wanted to escape with violence, but murder for personal goals tears at your soul. I couldn't let them think killing was the way of solving everything. When Ember couldn't get Dusk to listen to her, I was terrified he'd hurt her. You're the same way. You're stone hard because you don't want to get hurt."

"How did you know that?" I raised an eyebrow.

"The woman with silver hair told me," Echo said.

My face became grim, almost like this was a dark secret I didn't want shared. "I met that woman."

"And?" Echo asked.

"She told me to stay true to who I was," I sighed.

Echo smiled. "You had to know her if she knew so much about you."

I crossed my arms. "I guess so."

"She also told me you can see memories. That's pretty cool," Echo was amazed.

I nodded. "Thanks, for what you did back there. I guess I can say I don't one hundred percent hate you now."

"Guess I can say the same thing," Echo's smile widened.

I rolled my eyes. "I did insult you earlier. I kind of feel like I should apologize."

"For which insult?" Echo raised his eyebrow.

"The one I said about you not being my ally," I admitted.

Echo looked at me with confusion. "I thought you don't make allies."

"I said I couldn't make friends," I clenched my teeth.

"Zolona wanted us to get some rest. We've got another busy day tomorrow," Echo informed.

"I guess so. Be prepared for me to throw more knives at you for target practice tomorrow. This 'allies' things is just a phase, I'm sure of it," I said.

"By the way, guess I can say you're better than me. Congrats on winning," Echo smiled before he walked away.

'Did that really just happen?'

I had to be dreaming. There was no way he could've saved my life. Now we were allies. I thought I'd never see that coming.

I couldn't help but wonder about the mysterious women I had seen. I was curious about the one in the black dress, and now the one with the silver hair. They were polar opposites, but I felt like they were connected.

I had to find a way to get my memories back. If these two people knew me somehow, I needed to know where, when, how, and why. I couldn't stand people knowing shit about me I didn't or not knowing important information. The way Echo handled things seemed like it wasn't real, but it worked.

Everything had gotten stranger. I knew I had someone who was connected to me with silver hair. Maybe I would be able to find out who she was. Somehow, I'd been in the mines too, and the pictures on the wall weren't in handwriting from me or Zolona. Someone else was there.

I also knew whoever the woman in the black dress was, she said I'd remember her, but how? I didn't know how to find my own memories with my powers, but I did know how to get into others' memories. I didn't know what I had to do, but I needed to tell someone about my problems. No. I didn't need that. That would show weakness.

I wandered into bed, hoping I'd be able to recognize more from inside of my dreams. There, the images flashed through my head. I saw the blood on the floor, a bedroom window open with the figure on top of the windowsill, a girl humming, someone crying, glass shattering, an image of something carved into wood, the sword the woman in the black dress was holding, the moon, snowfall, and then the humming grew louder. This time, I was able to recognize some more things in the image. I could recognize the window. It was from the house in The Game where I stood up for that family! Was it their house? I couldn't be sure.

Then something strange happened. I received a couple new images in my dream. There was a dark and creepy forest, three people in gray hoods, a lake with a waterfall dripping down it, the woman in the black dress holding a knife, and Valentine.

What was that cat doing in my head? He couldn't have been important, could he? I knew he always despised me, but for him to be in my head was a little obsessive. I didn't know what all the symbols meant, but I craved to find more. If these were connected to my memories, I needed to find out what they were.

There was only one thing I knew would help me, and I didn't want to do it. I'd have to ask someone for help. And just the thought of that made me cringe.