Will saw a body lying flat on the cobbled street. Looking around, he thought he was back home. That everything he had experienced from chasing after his double to being arrested for murder had just been some bizarre dream. He shouldn't have spoken too soon. As he stood a fair distance away from the body, its silhouette caught his attention and he felt drawn to it. He approached it, each step heavier than the last. There was a resistance of impending doom which his curiosity overcame. Mind over matter, he reached the victim and crouched down to inspect it. The last thing Will wanted to do was touch the body. Such an option was unavoidable when he was forced to turn it over onto its back.

The hood fell off and Will jumped up in fright, staggering backwards. Collecting himself, his neck arched backwards and he caught a glimpse of a hanging sign post that read: The Raven's Eye.

He looked down at the motionless body. His body. Other Will stared up at him, lifeless eyes open. Will stared back with only one question in his mind. How?

He took a step forward and was met with the unfortunate sound of nuts, cogs and bolts crushing under the weight of his boot, hindering his objective to further inspect the victim. Inches from Other Will's torso, a flicker of light caught his eyes, redirecting his gaze to the familiar now broken device that he recognised as part of his brother's invention. He bent down on his hunches and brought a hand out to pick up what was left of it. Its round base, along with its broken pieces was all that remained in Will's hands.

It was just a dream. Or so that's what Will wanted to believe. An unsettling dream that left a sense of foreboding he couldn't shake. As if it had really happened. He stared at the blank ceiling, realising that he had fallen asleep on his bed with no recollection of climbing into it. His only assurance for the unlikely possibility was its impossibility. Dreams were just dreams and nothing more. He would have settled for that thought had it not fully reassured him.

A disturbance in the corridor roused Will. With consideration to his sense of time, tomorrow was today. According to Ezra then, shouldn't someone have been sent for him? Will found himself impatient, unable to wait for another few more minutes. Fine. If no one was coming for him... He stood up. A sense of urgency hastened his pace to the doors. They slid open and Will stepped out.

Distant shouts told him which way to go. Right. He broke into a hurried stride, taking off down the corridor in search of Ezra. He would know what was going on. Now, if he could just find him. He didn't have to go far before he collided with another moving soul. Turning a corner, the two bumped into each other. Both boys uttered a grunt of discomfort, rubbing their heads as they took a step back from each other.

"Will?" It was Ezra. Will looked up in response, relieved to see him instead of another Imperial Officer. "I was just coming to get you-"

"What's going on?" Will asked.

Ezra appeared hesitant at first, uncertainty in his grey eyes. Whatever it was surely couldn't be half as bad as the news that had been thrown at him of his brother's demise. "There's been another murder," he said. "As if the city wasn't restless enough-"

"Who?"

"That's the confusing part," Ezra answered. He leaned forward, as if concerned of any unwelcome ears in the vicinity. Will couldn't hear or see anyone else within range of over hearing them. "You'd best just come with me," he said.

He turned back without waiting for a response. Will followed him and was led further through the corridor, through another set of doors and guided left at the next turning bay that brought them deeper into the atrium of the Imperial's base.

On point of entry, they arrived at a multi-flight spiral slope that descended around the domed-shaped atrium, a circular, barricaded platform gradually rising from its centre when Will looked down. They stopped at the guardrail that prohibited them from falling. As much time as there was to make small talk and ask where they were headed for, Will figured he'd find out soon enough.

The platform arrived on cue, its mechanics clicking into place as it came to a gradual stop. Then Ezra proceeded to open the safety gate. Will followed him onto the platform which loading sensor activated on contact, beginning the platform's smooth descent. He found himself arching his neck up at the domed ceiling the further they dropped. Their arrival was unannounced when the Turbolift came to a gradual stop and he brought his gaze back down to see Ezra exiting the platform. Curiosity evoked him to follow. When Will saw no windows, he realised that they were underground.

The operative of the underground level was revealed on account of two large hydraulic panel doors sliding open on command of Ezra's following actions to operate its only function. An Underground Hangar. The massive hangar took the occupant of a streamline of transport ships along with other smaller aircrafts and land transportation.

"Armed Forces have already left to investigate the scene." Ezra's voice bounced off the interior of steel walls and metal roofing. He led Will past all the heavy machinery and up towards a row of hoverbikes at the far end of the Hangar. He came to a stop at the furthest of the two and turned around to face Will. "Our mission is to catch up with them." He sided up the one end of the hoverbike closest to him and hopped on easily, his motions swift. "The Will I knew was a fast learner. Just watch what I do and you should catch on quickly."

The hoverbike was skillfully designed with a simple framework and padded seating. Ezra sat down and positioned his boots in the foot-pegs on either side of him. Hands wrapped around the handlebar, Ezra kick-started the engine with a turn of the throttle. His demonstration looked simple enough. Will repeated the actions on the hoverbike next to Ezra who had already zipped out from his parking bay. He braked adjacent to Will, patient enough to wait for him before zooting forwards towards a tunnel that had been invisible coming in.

Having watched Ezra, Will had no trouble finding the brakes on the handlebars. Everything in order, he took off. Tunnel lights blurred past him, catching in his peripheral from the ceiling. Soon enough he was in sight of Ezra again. The tunnel sloped up gradually until light appeared at its exit where it connected with the city expressway. For some time, a sea of sand and rocks spread out towards the horizon, creating a scenic route that questioned the city's origin. While it was dark, Will hadn't been able to tell what landscape surrounded them.

They zipped down bridges and roads, taking routes that lead them deeper into the city. Will quickly noted the shift from first class to lower class. They entered the city outskirts where the roads started to narrow and the buildings grew smaller in close-knitted stacks. They had surpassed the heart of the city just moments ago. Now Will found himself driving through an alleyway that appeared familiar to him. He realised he had been here before. Back during the chase. The alleyway looked different being on foot than from a bird's eye view, running from rooftop to rooftop.

He recognised the path on discovery of the scaffolding that had revealed a way up. If it hadn't been for a piece of construction, Will would have passed by it without a second's thought. Close to the bridge below the building where Will had been caught, Ezra brought his hoverbike to a stop and cut the engine parallel to the canal. Will stopped behind him and the two dismounted.

"Good. We arrived before the Armed Forces could get here," Ezra said. He started towards the back lane which stood directly ahead of them. Will fell in line behind him.

"But if they left on a transport ship, shouldn't they have made it here before us?" Will asked.

"Maybe they input the wrong coordinates," Ezra answered. His words were suggestive but suspicious under that tone of deception. Matched with a smug expression on his face that spoke the truth when he glanced at Will over his shoulder. His look of sincerity quickly returned. "I needed to see if it's really him. Before they Officials take him away," he said.

Will wondered what he meant by that. The back lane led them to a dead end which also looked familiar the further they walked. Will soon realised why. Up ahead a hanging sign post caught his eyes. He could read it from where he stood. The Raven's Eye.

It shouldn't have been possible. He must have misread it, recalling his dream. Will stopped short in sight of a body lying still on the cobbled street a few steps ahead of them, removing any doubts he had of what could be considered as an astral encounter.

Without any consideration to the dangers that lurked in unknown territory, Ezra started towards the body. Just as he reached it, Will sensed something amiss. As if they were being watched.

"Ezra wait-" Will called out.

Movement returned to his legs and Will dashed after him. A crushing sound halted him in his stead. With the body in close proximity, Will looked down and lifted up his right leg. He let out a silent gulp, overcome with dread. While damaged in its current state, Will recognised the device he had seen in his dream. He bent down to pick up the broken pieces, knowing he had to discover its purpose. Next to him, Ezra's crestfallen shoulders showed that he had already identified the body. Will stood back up and looked down at Other Will, feeling remorse.

"No," Ezra whimpered. "It can't be. It doesn't make sense."

Will wanted to comfort him. "Ezra, I-"

The creaking of a door startled them and Will turned around in time to see someone standing behind the door to The Raven's Eye. A young woman with long auburn hair was watching them intently. Then their eyes met and afraid, she retreated back inside just as Ezra turned her way.

"Will, what is it?" he asked. But she had disappeared. Could it be that she had seen what had happened? If so, Will needed to ask her. Before Ezra could stop him, he went after her.