The Shadow started his journey around the periphery. There had to be a way. He had to get to the child and then only the rest of his soul would be able to come out of Seozia.

It had been roaming on the surface of the earth. He had been drifting around, waiting. He had witnessed many wars and conquests while he lurked quietly. They said that the child would be able to resurrect him. They said that the child would be able to bring all the souls of Seozia back to the earth realm. They said that he would become their Master. But one thing that bothered the Shadow was that they also said that the child might wipe out all the darkness from the surface of all the realms. He may never come to the dark side.

​​

The mere thought made his deformed face distort all the more. He started to encircle the kingdom's wall with fervor.

He remembered when in the last war with Vikra he was so close to penetrating the wall, but the Wizard Kingdom's Queen had warded him off. He hated Vikra and Ziu for not being able to tear the wall. The Shadow didn't know whose child it was. But he could sniff the presence. The child had never come out of the kingdom. He was waiting for him like a hawk. He had to latch himself on the baby the moment he stepped out. He missed the chance last time because of heavy mist that surrounded the Werewolf Realm. He didn't know what was it, but he had seen a shiny star positioned right above in the dark skies. It disappeared after a long time and it was the presence of the star that didn't allow him to go anywhere near the child.

It was the rest of the six pieces of his soul that had pulled Vikra inside Seozia.

---

Ever since her children had been implicated in the case of killing the King, Yanga had taken voluntary retirement. Rather she was forced to take retirement. No evidence was found against her that could link her involvement with the plot. Kenai had been taken to the Wizard Prison where he was thrown with his mentally deranged sister, Lenny. Over the period of time, the guards tortured him so much that even he lost his mental balance. His friends were made to see all the torture and they were terrified as hell. Each of them was stashed together in the prison.

Yanga suffered everyday. She was not allowed to meet the King and Queen, and the general people of the kingdom hardly ever talked to her. She became lonely. She was lonely, sad and very bitter. Her bitterness arose from the fact that she was not allowed to meet her children. She had visited Lenny and had cried and cried upon seeing her condition. Lenny couldn't recognize her. She looked insane, like a deranged girl whose mind was stolen or shattered. She couldn't see Kenai because he was in the torture chamber.

Seeds of hatred for the King and Queen started to grow roots, deep roots in Yanga's mind. She started to form one after the other ideas on how to take her children out of the clutches of the guards. Her ideas started cascading out of control luring her further and further into a twisted path.

---

Haldir couldn't help himself any longer. He couldn't wait more. Inyanga had not been so regular in visiting him because she had her University classes to attend. Her exams were approaching and she was busy studying. He was pretty annoyed with her. He wanted to go and meet her, but just because she was irregular, he became stubborn. But for how long?

---

Adrianna planned on hosting a grand dinner in Isidorus honor and wanted it to be open for all the subjects, but Isidorus had refused. So the party was given on a small scale only to the ministers at the Northern garden of the royal palace. It was at dinner that Isidorus noticed Yanga's absence. There was another wizard who had taken her position.

Adrianna was cuddling Ileus when he came to her. "I don't see Yanga here, which is good but I hope that she is being watched all the time."

Ileus wasn't sleeping. He was cranky as hell. All he wanted was his mother and that too inside her room. In short he was crying out of irritability. Adrianna rocked him and said, "Yes, she is being watched."

"What about her children?" Isidorus was amused by Ileus. He expected him to be a calm baby.

Adrianna clenched her jaw when she remembered Lenny. How easily she trusted her. She could never understand why she blindly followed what Lenny asked her to do. Perhaps she missed being with friends of her age so much, perhaps every friend of hers except Ookashi, was an enemy in disguise. "They are held in the prison forever," she replied with a stone cold expression.

She decided on going and meeting Ookashi. She had given birth to a baby girl just before Ileus was born. The two kids mingled well. Although Ileus had not left the kingdom, it was Ookashi who would often come there with her daughter.

A group of ministers walked up to them and they started talking about other construction issues that the kingdom was facing. They were planning on expanding their lands further into the jungle or towards the Northern Mountains.

On the other side of the party Dmitri was standing with two ministers who were trying to persuade him to inaugurate the new water system that had been installed in the Second Level. Haldir came and interrupted their conversation. "Your Highness, I have an urgent matter to discuss."

Sensing the importance of what a Military General could say, the ministers politely excused themselves.

Dmitri took a sip of the wine and asked, "What is it Haldir?"

Haldir's face was cold as ice when he said, "I want to buy a ring."

Dmitri's mouth fell to the floor. He blinked twice at Haldir. Then he pinched his eyebrows and said, "What?"

Haldir had garnered a lot of confidence to say it. He took a deep breath and repeated, "I have to buy a ring. Would you help me in choosing one? I have no experience in it in this realm."

Realizing what he said, Dmitri scratched his chin and started laughing loudly. So this was his urgent matter? Haldir's white face was flushed red. He cursed Dmitri. He was so embarrassed that even his ears turned pink. When Dmitri stopped laughing, he said with a wide grin, "Sure. I will become free tomorrow after 3PM. Let's go to the market in Human Realm. They have some really nice jewelry shops."

Adrianna had walked up to them by that time. "Even I will accompany you." She was dying to have that kind of fun. "And I want to meet Ookashi."

"But we have hardly taken Ileus out of the kingdom. The last we took him was just after he was born," Dmitri replied. He was too concerned about his safety.

"All of us are going to be with him, so don't worry. Besides I think that the King and Queen of the Wizard Kingdom need a solid break!" Adrianna insisted.

Dmitri blew out air. He stroked Ileus hair and then took him in his lap. "Do you want to go out?" he asked him softly.