Som’s body melted and thawed on the table, ready for a second try. Darkness swarmed out of the King’s body and into the corpse through its skin and pores. The throat constricted and choking noises rebounded through the room as the long-dead body spasmed. Dark lines of what could only be described as ooze coursed through its skin and the eyes showed no presence of a soul.

I looked around expecting Kaeza to be holding on for hope. But he wasn’t there. In fact, I hadn’t seen him since the fight. First thing first, however. There was work to be done.

###

Joshua woke in panic and astonishment in a comfortable bed with the lapses of the ocean lulling him into a calm peace. One second he was marching onto the airplane and the next he was– And then he–

Oh yeah. The last thing he remembered was his mind erupting in an unholy spasm of pain. He was on his knees and then, just, nothing.

How long had he been out?

He slid out of the bed in the sanitary white room and looked at his arms, at the rest of himself. Gone were the burns from the lava. Gone was the sharp pains from snapped bones. Everything was completely fine, better than fine, and that was frightening. For the first time with the giant wave in Ilporta, he felt one hundred percent.

Although it could be quieter. “Could you shut up for a second. I'm trying to think?” Joshua grumbled.

He grabbed the pair of pants hanging up by his bed and ignored the shirt before bursting from the room and tearing down the circular hall. Had to find someone, Kael, Avonly, Gianna. No not her. He shouldn’t have thought that. Don't think about her.

Joshua realized he had no idea where he was going in this facility. He turned a corner and spied an elevator which he rode to the ground floor, figuring it would be best to start at the beginning and work his way forward. As he strode into the entrance to the facility, he crossed paths with Ell, apparently on his way out.

“What’s up asshole,” Joshua yelled loud enough for anyone else to hear that was around. His father's words still hovered in his mind. They would have been enough to breed distrust on their own, but were almost indisputable truth given the hatred that had been cultivated for this man.

“You… are better?” The question lingered in Ell’s throat, clearly caught off guard.

“I feel great. Except about the whole being lied to and used thing.” Joshua took a deep breath ready to unload. “What kind of stupid-ass plan was that? I know you tried to explain it back in Taerose on our way out, but how about you try again.”

Ell smiled and nodded, fully expecting everything he heard. “The attempt on the King’s life was happening regardless when we met, but your presence offered a unique opportunity. The King’s own sons? All I had to do was bring you along and broadcast your location and the King would send his men running. Even if he knew my team was coming to kill him, he would still send who he could to find you. It might seem contradictory, but he has a deep affection for his children. So why not invite you along? Why not dangle the bait and draw as many possible bodyguards away to give us the best shot."

"Gotta say, it doesn't make any more sense the second time hearing it. If you wanted us to be a diversion, it would have been ten times more simple just to ask us to be a diversion."

Ell looked to the door wistfully but returned to the conversation. "As for leaving you out of the loop, tell me one thing: If I had asked you to divert, to run off into the mountains, would you have done it?”

“Of course, we were going there anyway. Stupid question.”

Ell gritted his teeth and nodded again, moving a long strand of his silk white hair behind his ear. “Okay, but really think about what I asked. Would you, Joshua, a person who is obsessed with self-sacrifice, being a hero, and saving the day. Would the person I just described, however remote a possibility, try at all, to turn around and try something stupid? Viewing your father, Taerose, and the Dark Element as the ultimate evils, would you still have focused on the Book?"

It was Joshua’s turn to nod now. He was able to concoct the exact series of events almost instantaneously where they turned around and tried to help with the Serian plan.

“And the alternative,” Ell pressed, seeing Joshua’s understanding. “What were the chances that you would B-line it for the Book, after being treated how, I, well, treated you? Was there any non-zero chance you didn't act as you did after I berated you, ignored you, almost killed you?"

“You know, when my dad pulled me out of the volcano, he had a lot of reasons for doing what he did too."

"Everyone has reasons for what they do and they all make sense for that person. That's life. It would be unfair to ask you to agree with my reasoning and what I did, but you should understand it. And you should understand why your father is doing what he is doing."

"Getting rid of the Syches? I don't even know what that means."

Ell raised an eyebrow as if that statement was the least bit curious. "It means exactly what it means."

"And what do you want?"

"Niles and I first began hunting him to retake the Book. The real one that controls the Dark. Empires rise and fall and we didn't care about Taerose or the Dark Element. Once we knew his plans though. . . . Well. He has to be stopped."

Joshua looked off in the distance and nodded. “ I agree. You aren't a Syche so why do you care?"

"Hm? So I'm not. Not everything is about me. Speaking of which–"

Joshua heard those words loud and clear. Those were the words thag preluded to a lecture, and there was only one very old and short woman who could lecture him. Joshua began shuffling to the side slowly, trying to get far enough away that leaving would be socially acceptable. But it was too late.

"No one asks kids for help without an ulterior motive. Kids don’t save the world. You’re never going to be the linchpin that wins the day. What you consider a hero is different than what any sane adult does. You see what I’m saying?”

“You’re saying I’m not the chosen one?”

“I can’t even tell if you’re joking," Ell said with a beleaguered shrug of his shoulders. He opened his mouth to continue, but the doors opened with a shout, interrupting him and completely throwing Joshua for a loop.

“I am never going to forgive you for this.”

Ell and Joshua both turned to watch as Joshua's half-sister, Alma, came trudging through the door with a large suitcase, trailed by Noel and Agassa.

“Which one of us?” Ell and Joshua asked together.

“Both? I don't know,” Alma continued. “I'm not happy about having to leave my home.”

“Our home?” Joshua sat perplexed. He really needed to get caught up and soon.

“Kael asked me,” Ell mumbled, shying away from the spiky whirlwind that was Alma. “The Dark Element knows where you live now, after all.”

“It looks like a lot of us are out of sorts,” the crackling voice of Agassa joined in. “Let's just get together and we can–“

“Are we living here now?” Noel almost whispered.

“Like hell I am,” Alma spat, squaring herself with Ell and pushing her finger into his chest. Being a foot shorter didn't stop the bravado one bit.

“You couldn't if you wanted to. ” Ell's shoulders practically sighed. “I was just getting ready to take the plane to the capital and provide my answers on the failed assassination attempt. I'm going to buy what time I can get, but we'll be shut down within the month. It will be enough time to let you lot slip out through the back door. I'm sure Seriah would love to have a whole gaggle of the King's children and a former advisor to flaunt.”

“That sounds like my dad won,” Joshua said. It was hard to be sorry for this turn of events.

“Obviously there was going to be kickback. I'll be imprisoned and sentenced to death.”

But that certainly helped the pity set in.

“I have no complaints,” Alma said, poorly hiding a smile.

“That can't be– You obviously had a plan if the attack failed.”

Ell's eyes flitted to the clock above the door. “Don't be foolish. I didn't plan for this. Not that I'll be rolling over.” He bit his lip and gave one last glance to the clock. “I really have to go, but I'll be back and forth in the coming weeks. We need to talk about the medical tests I had performed before you go, Joshua.” In a sweeping turn, he was out the door in seconds.

Joshua fumbled for the words in his head; what did that mean?

“We really should meet with Kael and Avonly first,” Agassa said, her foot nudging Joshua from his stupor. “Where are they?”

“I don't– I just woke up. I know less than anyone right now.” Joshua looked down at his shirtless body. Did that not tell people anything? “Just stay here, I'll go find them.”

So back up he went. Wandering the halls, he tried a random door and then another. They were all locked with warnings about security and clearances. Figures. The place was hollow and unpopulated. Finding a break room with a window, Joshua looked out to a flight line and a few other buildings and hangers. This was going to accomplish nothing. Forgoing his excuse of looking for Avonly and Kael to poke his nose around where it didn’t belong, Joshua doubled back to his own room, fairly certain that Avonly and Kael’s were nearby if not adjacent.

As he opened the doors, Kael lay slumped in a chair as Avonly sat on the window sill, overlooking the ocean beneath. As the door creaked open, they were both immediately on top of Joshua and embracing him tightly-- too tightly.

“Alright, alright,” Joshua murmured, tepidly pushing them off. “I’m not going to die, I’m the he– Well I’m not going to die.”

“Well if you aren’t, then don’t spend days in bed acting like it,” Avonly said, punching him in the shoulder.

“You are. . . alright?” Kael asked hesitantly. “Like 100%?”

“Sure,” Joshua shrugged his shoulders high, twitching as he did so. His hand wrapped around his side to where Gianna had seared him, the phantom of that pain still feeling red hot.

Avonly stepped forward and poked him in the spot. The skin was milky white uneven, but no worse for wear. “You got off easy,” she said, motioning like she was patting her own side. “By the time we got here, I was almost dead.”

“So you enjoyed your first adventure then?” Kael asked.

“I keep asking, but please take me home."

Joshua laughed at first but then realized she was not. “Oh, you’re serious. Well we can’t go home. I just ran into the girls downstairs, we're all here now, wherever that is.”

“She screwed us,” Avonly quivered, her breath uneven. “That’s a debt we’ll have to pay back.”

As Kael agreed, Joshua looked back and forth confused. He only now realized they never knew. One second Gianna turned on them, the next they found themselves here.

So he told her now. Told them what they needed to hear. Parts of the fight. None of the conversation. How Gianna had disappeared in a plume of lava. He didn’t say how she disappeared. How he threw her in, watched the surprise in her face. He would probably never tell them. As he finished, he recounted the conversation with their father. With the Book that didn’t seem so important now. And then they sat silently for a good while.

“At least we all made it through. Our family is all here,” Kael said finally, anything to break the tension.

“And no more going after the Book I assume?” Avonly asked, hopefully.

“Of course not,” Kael scoffed. “Now we’re going to kill our dad.”

Avonly’s face sunk into dismay, and Joshua looked over to the blank wall and nodded thoughtfully.

“Why is it a bad idea?” Joshua asked after thirty seconds of silence.

“Josh, buddy. Who are you talking to?” Kael asked.

Joshua pointed at the wall with his thumb. “Oh yeah. We were so busy with other things I forgot. You know that guy who died in the tower in Ilporta way back when? Well this is him.”

Avonly and Kael darted a glance at each other and looked on worried.

“There’s. . . no one there. . . J.” Kael hesitated.

Joshua looked at the man who he had watched die and shook his head in understanding. “You know that makes a lot of sense. He’s been here ever since I woke up and the headaches stopped. Give me a second.” Avonly and Kael were flooded with concern immediately.. “How are you here?” Joshua asked the man.

“Call me Som.”

“Sure but. . . .”

“I’m in your mind."

“Is this like a superpower? Did I finally get lucky?"

“What is the opposite of that?"

“Mmhm.” Joshua nodded his head and clasped his hands, turning back to his siblings. “So I might be in a little trouble here.”