The moment Riku set foot outside the campgrounds, a hand appeared out of nowhere and covered his mouth. Alarmed, Riku attempted to draw his sword only to be restrained. He turned his head sideways to try to catch a glimpse of his assailant. It was Sylvia. She smiled and mouthed out the words, “Got you.”

Without warning, an uncomfortable sensation permeated throughout Riku’s body. It was like a full body itch he couldn’t scratch. His body was vanishing piece by piece. Sylvia’s hand squeezed his, reassuring him that everything was going to be all right. Riku closed his eyes and tried his best to ignore the constant itch.

“You can open your eyes now. We’re here,” Sylvia said.

Riku opened his eyes and was stunned speechless. They were no longer in the forest, but a garden.

“Where are we?” he asked.

"Right now we are in a land long forgotten by man and elf. I call it The In-Between because it is the glue that binds the world of the living to the world of the dead.”

“Can anyone find us here?”

“No, The In-Between has many defense mechanisms and even more random places. Even if Arifin placed a tracker on you, he would find it impossible to follow you here. Things aren’t what they seem to be in the realm of The In-Between. I know you have questions that you want answered, so feel free to speak your mind.”

“What was real reason you saved me? I don’t believe it’s that bullshit excuse you gave me.”

“You’re sharper than you look. The truth is, our world is currently at an impasse. The Hegemon—our council of elders—scried the world and noticed that the balance between good and evil has begun to move towards evil. Frightened, they sent groups of elves to find the reason. After several years of tracking, one of the groups sent out discovered a certain Lord Mazark as the mastermind. My companions and I were sent out. We stalked him to your village and watched as he decimated it and the surrounding area to find you. Curious to why he acted so viciously, my companions and I split up. Some of us were to follow Lord Mazark, while the rest of us searched the forest to find your whereabouts. The day we found you, we received our final transmission from the other group—Mazark was summoning Tyraas—and we haven’t heard from them since.”

After an awkward silence, Riku lowered his head and said, “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“It’s ok. I wasn’t close to many of them. Now it’s my turn. Why does Mazark want you so badly?”

“I don’t know. All I know is the day before he attacked, I found a cave while exploring the forest. When I crept by the cave opening, a voice called out to me telling me to venture inside. Curious, I slipped inside and a diagram showing a man with four horns on the cave wall. The voice told me to touch the center of it, but I didn’t. Maybe Mazark was after the being that was sealed in the cave? “

"Hm… Did the voice tell you its name?”

“Yes, it said its name is Pol.”

“Just to confirm, I want to be sure that you didn’t touch the center of diagram.”

“Yes, I’m sure. Why?”

“Pol was the king of demons a millennia ago. His power is limitless. He draws his power from the hate radiating from mankind. To seal him, hundreds of the best spellcasters sacrificed their lives to cast the spell. Your encountering him only reinforces the theory that dark forces have begun to move in this world. I agree, Mazark is probably after you because he wants to find Pol’s resting place and release him into the world. Perhaps he is after you because he thinks you hold the potential to stop his plans.”

Riku evilly smiled and said, “He better be afraid. The day we meet, is the day he dies…”

“Let’s go back. I need to discuss with Arifin what to do.”

“Ok.”