Two months; no response. Everyday, I stopped by his room, trying to open up to him, but he pushed me away. The door to his room was always locked, except when Zolona had a guard bring him food. Loud noises banged in the room at night-- conveying he still wasn't ready to talk to us.

4758 remained locked in the dungeon cell. We couldn't decide what to do with him, and if we were going to kill him, we didn't know what way would be the best execution method.

Dusk suggested "Old Sparky". Of course, we didn't have an electric chair with us, or lethal injections. Dusk was certainly taking Ember's death better than Echo, or, at least he had a better way to channel it. Yet again, he did target practice a lot, shooting bullets and throwing knives-- actually getting bullseyes. He was always lost in thought, but at least he wasn't isolating himself in his room.

...............

"How's Echo?" Zolona asked.

I sighed. "Still won't talk."

"I don't want him doing what I did when I was his age... I'd never forgive myself." Zolona's red eyes were now watered.

"What's going to happen to Echo at this rate?"

"Bloody..." Zolona sighed. "He might completely turn away from us. Maybe do something reckless to fix everything... even if he claims it's for justice."

"That can't happen," I said.

"My thoughts exactly," Zolona said, "We'll get him out of his room, even if it means breaking the door down."

"Then you want me to offer to help him again?"

"Yes. Use your magic to break down the door if necessary. I won't resort to my nephew becoming a depressed hermit with psychotic tendencies."

"I'll try my best, Zolona."

"Of course you will." Zolona smiled.

I headed to Echo's door.

I banged on it as hard as I could. "Echo, it's me! Zolona is worried sick about you and I'm not leaving until you let me in."

No response.

"Echo, let me in."

Still no response.

"I know you're there!" I said.

Still no response.

I charged light in my left hand. "I'm coming in."

Still no answer. What in the world was he doing?

I shot the door with my ball of light, knocking it straight off the hinges. I walked into his room, pages of sheet music thrown on the floor, some in tatters, others crumpled. I scanned the lyrics carefully. He hadn't thrown away new works-- he was destroying his old ones. The same ones he sang with Ember were little reminders of who she once was.

His bed didn't have sheets on it-- it was even more of a wreck than his desk. I knocked on the bathroom door. No response. Opening the door, a razor laid on the floor, dried blood on it. Cutting? That was my guess. Echo never shaved. He never needed to.

'Where in this universe are you?'

I drew open his curtains, finding a rope of sheets tied to the balcony.

'Holy cupcakes! He's gone!'

My heart skipped a beat. How many days had he been missing? He could've been anywhere!

I ran out of the room as fast as my legs could carry me, leaving the castle. Would he have gone to The Forest of Unknown Darkness? No, Echo wasn't stupid. Glorious Grove? Not without provisions.

The wailing of the alarm startled me.

'Oh, ships and sails! He's gone for 4758!'

I gulped. My lungs were tired of running, but I wouldn't give into their demands. I wasn't about to let Echo become a killer like 4758.

Running into the dungeon, I found Echo with a razor and 4758. He looked horrible. Bags under his eyes signalled a lack of sleep, his clothes which were normally kept neat and tidy were in a state of chaos, the jacket partially collar up and partially collar down. His sleeves were the same way with one rolled up while the other remained untamed over his right arm. His eyes showed slight pity-- which at least was a sign he didn't want to go through what he was about to do.

"Echo, stop! This is what he wants," I said.

"Stay back, 635202." he moaned.

"Zolona and I are there to help you. Dusk can help you. You won't get what you want by killing him. You said it yourself!"

"My mother was right..." Echo said.

I interrupted him. "No, she wasn't. She only wants you to think that."

"If we hadn't have played The Game..." Echo's eyes teared up.

I sighed. "You might be dead too. Think about Zolona, me, and Dusk! What hope would we have?"

"Am I crazy to think we're still dreaming?" Echo asked.

"If you're having a nightmare, we're having it together. You let me lean on you for guidance. I think it's time for me to return the favor by being there for you," I said.

"I feel like I'm in a hole. I'm digging for a way out but nothing's working. We could've saved her," Echo said.

"Quit the chatter and kill me already!" 4758 laughed.

Echo placed 4758 back into his cell, locking the door.

"There had to be a reason my healing failed..." I suggested.

"Let's test it," Echo cut himself with the razor, "Do exactly what you did when you tried to heal Ember."

I went up to the wound, touched it, and thought of something happy.

The cut disappeared.

"That's what you did?" Echo asked.

I nodded. "The same memory and everything."

Echo slid to the floor. "Why did I have to be so stupid? I should've known someone took Ember. If we hadn't been screwing around..."

"It shocked me about just as much as you did. I wish I could've known her better," I said.

"You saw my memories didn't you?" Echo asked.

I sighed. "If there's one thing I know about grief, you need to find a way to let your feelings run their course."

"How?" Echo asked.

"I'd find someone to talk to. Cal helped you before, didn't she? Then, find something to punch," I suggested.

Echo crossed his arms. "I don't fight."

"Oh really..." I looked to 4758, "I meant a punching bag."

He sighed. "You know, if I talked with someone, it'd be you."

"Not Dusk, Arvin, or Zolona?" I asked.

"Dusk would bicker. He's probably struggling too," Echo said.

"I see.."

"There are a couple things I won't do for a while..."

"I assumed that," I said.

"I don't want to eat with Sage and Zolona for the next couple of days. I don't want Dusk near me either. When I look at him, I think about Ember."

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind."

"If we could go back..." Echo said.

"We can't. I can't at least. I didn't have the power to time travel, did I?"

Echo shook his head "There were all kinds of magic and magical creatures, but time travel? No."

"Dusk says it's my fault, so if you feel that you need to yell at me, I won't be offended," I said.

"We didn't even find anything out about your past the last time we did The Game."

"That's what makes it sadder."

"Ember was supposed to kill Aunt Zolona, not my mother. Why would she want Ember dead?"

I sighed. "I'm not sure, but I wish I hadn't trusted 4758."

"You didn't when you were fifteen. I should've told you earlier. We might've suspected something."

I shook my head. "I told him one of the twins saw my memories.."

"What?" Echo's eyes widened.

I swallowed hard. "Maybe they thought she saw my memories, and ordered her dead."

"This is our fault..."

"If anyone pays for this, it's 4758 and your mother."

Echo's lip quivered. "It's like the entire world was against us, and all because of a prophecy we didn't know about!"

"Your mother doesn't play fair. She just makes people afraid of her," I said.

"Whatever she's doing, it's working," Echo said.

I looked him in the eye. "They just want you to give up and stay on the sidelines. They can't win."

"Maybe the sidelines are better."

"Where's the Echo who told me he wanted to help people? Where's the person who saved my life? That's the Echo I became friends with! You promised your sister you'd protect people!"

"I can't do it. Not by myself."

I rolled my eyes. "I'd help you if you ask."

"Would you help me make sure my sister's at ease in the afterlife?" Echo said.

"I would," I smiled.

"We start by giving 4758 the punishment he deserves," a voice said.

I turned to find Dusk in the doorway.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I came to get you," Dusk said.

Echo didn't look Dusk in the eye.

"You okay?" Dusk asked.

"How can I look at you when I was part of the reason she was murdered? I respect you so much, Dusk. It's like I let you down so hard I could never earn your respect back. I wouldn't be surprised if you'd hate me," Echo lowered his head.

Dusk smiled. "I don't hate you, Echo. It's not your fault. It's 4758's. He'll pay for it."

"Why'd you come to get me?" I asked.

"They want you to do the honors in killing 4758," Dusk said

"I don't even know if I want to kill him. He was my best friend after all," I sighed.

"Zolona put in word for you," Dusk argued.

"What method?" I raised an eyebrow.

Dusk smiled. "Gunshot to the head."

"You know I can't do it. Not this time," I said.

"If you don't, they told me to do it," Dusk said.

"What's he done to you besides take the love of your life?" Echo asked.

"If you knew what he did, you would know why I want to kill him," Dusk said.

"What did he do, Dusk?" Echo asked.

Dusk sighed. "Five years ago, my father enlisted me to The Regime in hopes I'd eventually turn to the same routes he did."

"4758 relates to this how?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I was attacked my first couple days of training by someone I didn't know-- a defect. Killed two of my friends but spared me. I attempted to shoot him, but with little experience, I missed him. Blast, I wish I could've gotten him. Bang! None of this would've happened."

"That's how you recognized his smile..." Echo said.

"Yeah, that same twisted grin, and he said 'Ya know, if you keep shooting like that, you might get off easy. Don't get angry. Everyone misses, but that doesn't mean you have to miss anyone you just met.' I hadn't seen him again since until now."

"He told you you couldn't shoot?" I asked.

Dusk nodded. "Ticked me off even with brake fluids."

"You want to prove you can," Echo smiled.

Dusk put his hands in his pockets. "That, and he killed my girlfriend. No one gets away with that."

"I'll let you do it," I agreed.

"I'm not going. I want some alone time anyway," Echo said.

"Zolona's not attending either," Dusk said.

"Why? Doesn't she want to make sure everything goes properly?" I asked.

"She wanted to talk to Echo, especially after hearing he's out," Dusk informed us.

"Tell her I'm here," Echo said.

I rolled my eyes. "Let's get this over with."

"Trust me, this will be my best performance. If I don't strangle him first," Dusk said.

We headed into the courtyard.