"After a hundred years of being locked up, I'd say they learned their lesson. Wouldn't you?"

Kipo frowned, thinking back to Hurricane. The shadow stared at Kipo intently, waiting for her to respond, and eventually, Kipo gave a timid: "No...?"

The director smiled. "Yes, I guess not. Unfortunately, this World needs people like us, so its very keen to keep us in line. We're the ones that make this world run smoothly, after all. Or, mostly smoothly."

Kipo's eyes widened, and she nodded.

"So, that's what happened to that boy," the director continued. "Sorry I wasn't able to help with your original question. Honestly, if there is a way to defeat the World, I wouldn't know. In my opinion, it looks impossible. I suppose you could look for a flower to make a wish, but from what I've seen, the flowers disappear as soon as they sprout up. Or as soon as it can, anyway. Wish I could help more, but..."

"Huh?" Kipo asked, surprised. "N-No, you helped plenty."

The shadow looked at her strangely. "I... did?"

"Yeah, I thought that's why you were telling me all that," Kipo said, tilting her head. "You know, with the fog...?"

The director stared at her for a couple seconds, not comprehending, but then, slowly, its eyes widened. "Ah... AH! I see... hmm, you actually think that could work?"

Kipo nodded excitedly, now that both she and the shadow were on the same page. "Yeah, I have reason to believe it will. Do... Do you think it will?"

The director frowned. "...Maybe. You have to find someone to poison, first. And also... you don't have a lot of time. You'll have to hurry."

Kipo blinked at the sudden urgent tone in the director's voice. It made her nervous, but before she excused herself, she paused.

"Um... do you think I should?" Kipo asked the shadow, her voice low. "I mean... I'm not the type of person-?"

The director raised an eyebrow at her, or, at least, its sudden judgmental look seemed to imply it did. It sighed. "It's too late now. Once you voice your idea it was too late. I'm afraid you're on a time limit now. If you really want to back out, go home, as fast as possible. If you want to do this, then do it. That's the best I can give you."

Kipo's shoulders slumped. She had been so happy at figuring out a plan that she hadn't even realized what she was going to have to do.

Feeling pale, Kipo nodded, and turned away from the director. She... well, at the very least, it was nice to know that there was a way out, but Kipo knew she couldn't take it, even if the other option was... that.

Shaking out her head, Kipo reached out towards the door, ready to gather everyone else. The director words had left the impression that she didn't have time to waste on things like 'sleep', no matter how much it pained her.

However, just as Kipo reached out to grab the doorknob, forming the words she'd use when she talked to her friends next in her head, the door opened by itself, and Kipo's head fell on empty air. Kipo looked up, surprised, but before she could question anything, Fei Fei brushed by her, paying her no mind.

"Director, director, wait!" she called out, raising a hand. The director, who hadn't moved, nonetheless focused all its attention on her. Fei Fei slowed in front of it, and her mouth opened and closed for a couple seconds, pondering what to say, before she finally managed to spit it out. "You said I looked familiar? Why?"

The director's eyes widened. "Ah, that. I was wondering if you remembered. Here, follow me, I have something to show you."

The shadow stalked off, sliding across the walls as it disappeared through a door on the other side of the room. Fei Fei blinked, watching it go, before she turned to Kipo with wide eyes. Kipo blinked.

"You want me to go with you?" she guessed. Fei Fei nodded and Kipo shrugged. "Okay."

Fei Fei looked grateful, and without another word, started off towards the door the shadow had disappeared through, Kipo following close behind.

The room they emerged in was a ballroom, and Kipo and Fei Fei jumped, suddenly finding a million eyes on them. Together they back up quickly, before realizing that the ballroom was empty. Those eyes on them were paintings, painted on the walls of the ballroom with various fancy dress and suits. The people portrayed were extravagant, and, Kipo guessed, royal, or at least important enough to have that much superiority on their faces.

They almost looked real, Kipo thought uncomfortably as she stepped back out into the ballroom. They're eyes seemed to followed her as she and Fei Fei walked out and, to avoid their gazes, but all she got was another surprise.

"Oh," she said out loud, making Fei Fei give her a curious glance. Kipo, however, barely noticed, too intent on staring at the scene below her.

It was like the floor was a mirror, but it didn't show Kipo and Fei Fei, instead, there were the bottoms of fancy shoes stuck forever in a cheerful and fun looking dance. Kipo could see the people those shoes belonged to below them, the faces she could see looking like they were having a good time. Kipo blinked at it, then, on a hunch, she looked up.

The ceiling above them looked like a mirror, too, depicting the same image below their feet, but opposite, because now, instead of seeing the bottom of everyone's feet, Kipo was seeing the top of their heads. She could see all the people twirling around each other, locked in dance. Some had their head titled up at the ceiling, and Kipo shivered as she locked eyes with one of them.

Really, it was an amazing piece of art. Still, pretty creepy, though.

"Hey!" the directors voice called out, catching Fei Fei and Kipo's attention and tearing it from the scene around them. They couldn't see the shadow, but the voice seemed to be coming from a balcony just above them. "I wasn't kidding when I said you all were short on time. Let's go!"

Kipo and Fei Fei glanced at each other, before they both hurried up the staircase case just to the right of them. Just like the floor on the actual ballroom, this one showed the mirror image of a scene long, long ago. Or perhaps it never happened, Kipo thought, maybe the painter just imagined it.

...Yeah, that seemed unlikely.

Fei Fei and Kipo caught sight of the shadow person by a particular door, waving them over as soon as it say them.

"This way," it said, and disappeared through the door.

Fei Fei seemed hesitant, but she didn't need any prodding from Kipo to reach forward and grasp the doorknob. She looked determined, and Kipo stepped aside, letting Fei Fei go first, before following her through.

The room they emerged in was dark, until Fei Fei reached up, tugging at a blanket that was hanging down from something on the ceiling. As soon as the blanket fell away from the candle it was covering, light flooded the room, bouncing around on the chain it was hanging from. The director suddenly appeared on the wall, also revealed from the light.

"In here," the director told them, motioning to a desk by the far wall. A drawer in it opened by itself. As Fei Fei moved forward, Kipo glanced around the room, trying to figure out where they were.

The room was small, the singular candle hanging from the ceiling being just enough to reveal everything in it. It seemed like it was a small study, Kipo realized, and was suddenly and violently reminded of the office back in the house in the clearing, even though they didn't look even a little bit.

Especially with the lack of a rotting skeleton in it.

As Fei Fei shuffled around in the desk, searching for something, Kipo's eyes moved around the room, trying not to shiver. There were maps on the wall, but whatever they held were lost to time, or to whatever force in this world was keeping the truth under wraps. Kipo peered at it, looking closer, but even though there were faded indents on it and faint traces of black ink, but they were impossible to read.

Kipo moved on to the double bookshelves next to the desk. She tilted her head, looking at the titles on the spines of the books, but all the letters were foreign to her: 'Северная Америка: Путеводитель', 'Карты морских глубин', 'Животные в космосе'... Kipo eventually gave up trying to read them.

Despite that, she pulled one out, ignoring the title this time, and then flipped through it. It was filled with satellite images of the stars, and Kipo realized, the moon. Throughout the book, it highlighted certain constellations, with a short blurb in the same language beside it, probably detailing information about each constellation. Kipo flipped through it for a couple seconds, and then put it back.

There was no way she could read the book, but the language wasn't completely unfamiliar to her. Wasn't it... Russian? Kipo didn't know Russian, but it was a recognizable enough language, so she was almost certain. This entire office had belonged to a Russian person before, and then, for some reason, was located here.

Kipo had been thinking that it was odd that a ballroom just randomly connected to an office, but a Russian office? One that looked like they were studying maps? Even weirder. Why was it here?

Also, Kipo mused to herself, it brought the last office back into perspective, too. Kipo remembered looking through the documents, which also seemed to be in another language, but that was not the theory she and Wirt had come up with. What had they thought? That it was in code?

Now, Kipo was doubting that.

"Ah, THERE it is," the director announced, and Kipo turned around, seeing Fei Fei pull something out of the desk. Kipo came over silently, not wanting to interrupt, and peeked over Fei Fei's shoulder.

Her eyes widened.

"A little boy from the last group drew that," the director was explaining, but neither Kipo nor Fei Fei were really listening, eyes locked on the piece of paper Fei Fei was holding in her hands. "He was showing it to everyone like a wanted poster. 'This is my favourite sister' he was saying. 'Have you seen her?' I knew I put it here for safe keeping, but I guess I forgot where I put it."

Fei Fei's hands shook, and the paper crinkled under her grip. "No... No..."

Kipo stared at Fei Fei, a horrible sinking feeling in her stomach. She gulped, trying to clear her suddenly dry throat, but she choked on it instead.

"U-Uh, director?" Kipo asked, awkwardly. "W-Who was this boy?"

The director looked from Kipo, to Fei Fei, and then back. The shadow's face was blank, not giving any it's motivation or thoughts away. It didn't look surprised with Fei Fei's reaction, but it wasn't consoling, either.

"I don't remember his name..." the director said finally. "But I think you already know."

"..." Fei Fei didn't reply, her gaze still burning holes in the paper. She... she didn't look like she was wondering if it was really her or not, it looked like she was trying to come to terms with what she was certain of.

Fei Fei... knew it was her. Fei Fei knew her brother had been here, and that he was... that he had...

"...Why'd you show her this?" Kipo asked, now feeling like her previous question was moot. "What was the point?"

The director sighed. "I'm not here for kind lies, I'm afraid. I'm here to give you truth. I told you that, didn't I?"

"I..." Kipo glared up at the shadow, before looking away angrily. "I thought you were here to help..."

"I am," the director said, firmly. Before Kipo could try to argue, the director moved across the wall, towards the door. "I admit, the timing is unfortunate... I'll give you time to come to terms with this, but don't take too long. Remember what I told you."

Before Kipo could respond, or do much of anything, really, the shadow had slipped out of the door, and Kipo and Fei Fei were left in the room, alone.

The silence was thick, and the tension in the air could be cut with a knife. Kipo turned back to Fei Fei, awkwardly reaching out a consoling hand, and Fei Fei stepped out of reach.

"Fei Fei..." Kipo asked, softly, but Fei Fei shook her head.

"No..." she whispered. "I... I need to be alone."

Kipo blinked. Fei Fei's voice was thick and strained, and Kipo could tell her friend was holding back tears.

Well, tears... and so much despair and sorrow, more than Kipo could probably imagine.

"Are you sure?" Kipo asked her, making sure to keep her voice gentle. She held up her hands, trying to show Fei Fei that she was no threat, that she could help if only Fei Fei would let her. "We can talk if you want, or..."

Fei Fei shook her head quickly, and Kipo watched as her shoulders drew up, shaking. Kipo backed up, wanting to give Fei Fei her privacy but... no, she needed to say something first. Fei Fei needed to know.

"Fei Fei..." Kipo started, slowly, but as Fei Fei opened her mouth to try and push Kipo away again, Kipo quickly continued. "I know you've lost a lot, and I'm sorry about that. But you have lost everything. Me, Kai, Mabel, Tulip, Luz and Coraline are here for you, too, you know. And we all care about you."

Fei Fei seemed to hesitate for a second, seemingly struggling with that Kipo had told her. Before she could say anything, Kipo cut her off again.

"I'll give you your time alone," Kipo said kindly. "But when you think your ready, we'll be waiting in the front hall for you. We can't let this happen again, Fei Fei. We won't let this happen again. I promise."

Fei Fei collapsed to her knees, and Kipo heard her sob, clutching the paper to her chest. Kipo winced, and, just as she promised, close the door, letting Fei Fei have her time alone.

To be honest, Kipo's head was swirling as well, and she felt dizzy with the new information, as well as horrified. If Fei Fei's own brother had been here in the last group, and had been killed, then... who else?

Had Wirt's brother been there, too?