 
The Star

By Clemy Warner-Thompson

The Star

First edition © 2013 by Clemy Warner-Thompson

Front cover design by Amygdala Art © Prometeus| Dreamstime.com

Title designed by Bex Pavia

Edited by the Word Weeder, Flannery Winchester

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author.

Printed in the United Kingdom

First Printing, 2013

ISBN - 978-1-291-43070-7

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This e book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

For some the path is easy,

Taking each step in turn,

But for others seeming lost,

Their horizon is dark.

Without those in your heart,

Events are proportioned oddly-

Take heed, extend your hand,

Raise your face to the Light;

Allow your family to guide you,

As mine has done for me.

Look up, stand proud,

Thank those by your side.

Dreams are made to follow,

With loved ones as your wings,

Listen to them, hold them dear,

Remember they are the Light.

Thank you to everyone who helped-

Without your support,

This book wouldn't be.
Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

One

Abbii woke up to a cool breeze that seeped in through her small window. It curled its icy fingers around her skin, causing her body to shiver. Moving her arms under the duvet which she pulled up to her face, Abbii lay still, closing her eyes. She tried to clear her mind so that she could sleep, but it made no difference; nightmares were always in her thoughts, waiting.

Sitting up, she leant against the wall that her bed was propped against and looked out over her room. It was small, with little furniture; shadows cast across the wooden floor by the early morning twilight. She had a desk, overflowing with books and magazines, and a chair underneath, which Abbii rarely used as a seat but rather a space to stack her papers for class. Other than her small window and the white blind that hung over it, her room was dark and empty.

Abbii hated it.

She'd hated it for four years, ever since she had been brought to The Everglades College for the 'Gifted'. Truthfully, it was a college for young adults that were sent there by the people who couldn't cope with them being in their lives...well, that's what Jake had told her.

They had met on the first day of the year; both of them being the only new students to start that term. Abbii and Jake had been friends ever since.

She reached for her phone kept under her pillow and opened a new text message to send to Jake.

R u awake?

Closing her eyes briefly, she leant against the wall and breathed in. It was so quiet that she found it eerie. Her phone lit up.

As always... Bad dreams?

She smiled; Jake knew her too well.

Yeah, same 1 again.

A moment passed, and she could almost imagine Jake hurriedly getting dressed, as they had a habit of meeting when they both couldn't sleep.

Usual spot? He replied.

10 minutes?

B right there.

Closing her phone, Abbii pushed it into her pocket and moved to the edge of her bed. She forced her feet into a pair of grey boots and then reached for her blue hoodie which she pulled over her head. Standing up, taking a moment to look at the moon through her window, she left her room and closed the door quietly behind her.

The hallway was empty.

A quiet darkness filled the space, making Abbii feel uncomfortable.

Glancing left, she made her way towards a set of double doors which blocked the way. She peered through them to the end of her corridor, where there stood a white glass door: the door to the outside. The only problem was that she had to pass Daniel's room to get there.

Daniel was the College Head teacher. He wasn't overly strict, but he always expected the night curfew to be followed. Abbii would be in serious trouble if he caught her out four hours later than their ten o'clock curfew. He had been lenient creating such a late curfew for them, but he had always said that it would only remain until necessary. Abbii had never understood what he had meant.

Shrugging the thought aside, she pushed through the double doors, quietly closing them behind her. She focused on the white glass door before making a dash for it. Hearing movement from Daniel's room as she reached the door, Abbii pushed against it and ran.

The grass was wet beneath her feet, seeping in through her worn, grey boots. Small droplets of dew splashed against her face as she passed under some overhanging branches. As soon as she had passed the large tree trunk that entwined with an old brick wall that separated the two College gardens, Abbii stopped to catch her breath.

A twig broke ahead of her.

She gasped and looked up, smiling as she saw Jake.

"Took you long enough!" Jake winked.

"Sorry," she panted, "Thought Daniel was gonna catch me again."

Jake laughed. "Again? That'd be the third time this week, wouldn't it?"

Abbii walked towards him, trying not to laugh. "If I get caught this time, you're going down with me!" For a brief moment, Jake fell silent, but as a smile crept across Abbii's face, his eyes glistened.

"Race you!" He turned and ran.

Taking a brief moment to look into the trees behind them, Abbii got a strange feeling that someone was watching her. She stepped forward and focused. Did something just move?

"Come on Abbii!" Jake shouted.

Looking ahead, she saw Jake waving over his head for her to join him. Abbii glanced back at the trees to see that the shape she thought she had seen was no longer there. She smiled and forgot about the trees, running down to the water's edge where Jake had sat down.

This was their favourite spot—a large lake, surrounded by willows. The moon reflected beautifully on the water's surface; small ripples created a blurry edge which surrounded its shape.

Abbii had used to go to the lake when she couldn't sleep, sitting and listening to the hum of the road nearby. Owls had used to fly overhead, searching for mice or rodents that they could have eaten, but it was too cold for them now; November had grown unbelievably cold. She had taken Jake to see her favourite spot a few months after they had met, and they had returned every night since, watching the seasons change around them.

Jake fidgeted. "Do you think you'll ever sit here with someone else, watching over this lake?"

She looked at him, confused. "Why would I do that?"

"Things change, Abbii," he stated matter-of-factly, turning his head so that she couldn't see his face.

"Jake, what's wrong?" Abbii leant forwards to try to make him meet her gaze.

He breathed in. "I'm just tired of living here. It's like a prison, trying to show us the Light, trying to force it onto us." Turning his head, Jake met her gaze. "I was fine before I came here."

She understood what Jake meant; all the remaining family members that he had had before coming to The Everglades had died in the last four years, and he had always blamed the police and the College for taking them away from him. He had grieved so long that it had changed him. He wasn't the same person that Abbii had met on their first day.

"Anyway, I have something to give you." He must have seen the worry in her eyes. "Don't worry about me." He smiled.

"But..."

He raised his hand to reveal a plain box that sat on his palm. "Happy birthday," he whispered.

Reaching forward, she took the box from him, not knowing what to say. She hated it when Jake kept something from her, and it was obvious that he had something on his mind.

"Smile, Abbii. Please?" He grinned, causing his eyes to glisten.

A smile crept across her face. "I didn't think you'd remember," she replied, blushing.

"Of course, I would! It was your birthday the day we met."

Stroking her fingers over the black box, she smiled. A piece of ribbon was tied around it which sparkled under the moonlight. Pulling it gently, she loosened the knot and the ribbon fell into Abbii's lap. She lifted the lid slowly to see a silver angel pendant with a silver chain. A crystal of some kind was encrusted into a circular orb, which the angel's feet rested against.

"It's beautiful," she whispered.

Abbii lifted the angel delicately from the box, watching as the moonlight highlighted the detail of its feathered wings. Holding it by its chain, she looked past it to Jake's face. He smiled.

"You like it, then?"

"I love it!"

"Do you want me to put it on for you?"

Nodding, she turned her back to him so that it was easier for him to fasten the clasp. He adjusted his position and then took hold of the chain over Abbii's shoulder. The angel fell against her skin as he rested it into place, sending a shiver along her body. Once Jake had fastened it, she turned and smiled.

"Do I get a hug?" he asked.

Moving onto her knees, Abbii wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you," she whispered. It was strange; it felt like they were saying goodbye. A tear built in her eye which she quickly wiped away before sitting down again.

"I'm glad you like it," Jake smiled. "Look, I got this for me." He raised his hand to reveal a solid ring which sat on his middle finger. The same crystal that shone from her angel glistened from the centre of his ring. "I'll always be with you, Abbii."

They both turned and looked out over the lake. Abbii wanted to say something in reply, but she knew if she did, she would cry. She swallowed. "You wouldn't leave...without me, right Jake?" Abbii met his gaze as a tear rolled across her cheek.

He wiped it away with his finger and then smiled. "Like I said, a part of me will always be with you...no matter what happens."

She accepted his answer, but Abbii still felt as if something was wrong. Something was going to happen.

They talked for hours, watching as the moon glided across the sky until it disappeared behind the horizon. The stars faded one by one, and the sun began to rise.

Jake stretched. "Bed time," he joked.

Abbii laughed. "Lucky you, I have English first class."

He met her gaze. "Well then, we better get going. We don't want you being late for Daniel's class." Standing to his feet, he helped her stand and they made their way back to the College.

As they passed the large tree trunk, Abbii got a feeling that something was moving among the trees, following her every movement. She glanced to her right, scanning the trees and surrounding bushes, before shaking the thought away as she reached for the glass door.

It opened before she could grab the handle, and Daniel stepped out. He sighed as he saw the two of them together. "You should be on your way to class, Abbii; I believe you need to be in the northern part of the College." He held her gaze for a moment and then looked at Jake. "And Mr Christian, I believe that you have a free class? Perhaps you could catch up on some lost sleep."

Holding back a smile, Jake stepped through the door. "Yes, sir." He winked as Abbii met his gaze and then disappeared into the corridor, letting the door close behind him.

Daniel then concentrated onto Abbii. "I see you have forgotten your class books. I presume you can make your way to your room to collect them by yourself?"

"Yeah, I can do that." Abbii reached for the door.

"I'll be waiting here for you. You can tell me all about your good night's sleep on the way to class." His eyes glistened slightly as he held the door open for her.

"Thanks," she muttered quietly, before heading down the corridor.

He watched her all the way to her door, but there was only one thing on her mind—what punishment was she going to get this time?

Two

Abbii had been Daniel's assistant all week. She'd had to help him do presentations in his classes, carry his books to and from his car, and even clean his classrooms when everyone had left. Because of her not being able leave Daniel's side, she fell behind in Art and Psychology.

It was Friday evening, the fifth day in a row of cleaning Daniel's classroom. Abbii was on her hands and knees, scrubbing the marks off the wooden floor that had been made from the students' chairs; black lines marked every tile of the floor. She had a bucket of soapy water, a cloth and a duster, but she no longer had the energy that the task required. Abbii discarded the cloth into the bucket and leant against the wall with her head.

"How is it going, Abbii?"

Looking ahead, meeting Daniel's gaze, Abbii could see that a smile was spread across his face. She tried not to roll her eyes at his sense of humour.

"I see you're enjoying the productivity," he laughed.

"I've learnt my lesson, Daniel."

He stroked his chin with his hand. "You're a brilliant cleaner; the College would benefit from your skills."

She stood up quickly. "This is the fifth day in a row!"

Making his way towards her, Daniel placed his hand against Abbii's shoulder. "Today is your last day."

A sigh of relief left her lips as she closed her eyes briefly. "Thank you!"

"But..."

Abbii opened her eyes and met his gaze. His face was stern. "The curfew is there for your own protection, Abbii. I suggest you stick by it from now on."

Not really understanding his seriousness, she nodded. She just wanted to get to her room, fall into bed, and sleep. This week she'd barely slept at all.

Lowering his arm, Daniel smiled. "Be sure to take the bucket and cloth back to the janitor's room, alright?" He made his way to the door, picking up some papers from his desk before leaving, but as he reached the corridor, he stopped and leant back into the doorway. "By the way, have you spoken to Jake this week?"

"I saw him in art on Monday afternoon," she replied. "Why?"

"Hmm. None of the teachers have seen him since Monday. Could you check on him for me, once you've rested?"

Abbii nodded. "Sure."

With a final smile, Daniel left the room. She listened to his shoes tap all the way to the next corridor as she picked up the bucket of dirty water. Pushing the duster into her hoodie, Abbii then made her way to F block. She started to think about Jake, hoping he was alright. Four days had passed since Abbii had seen him last—it had been the longest time that they had not seen each other since they had met. She planned to text him when she got back to her room.

Making her way down F block, Abbii headed for the janitor's 'office' which was actually a small cupboard where the mop and cleaning products were kept. It was locked.

"Great."

She looked up and down the corridor, searching for the janitor, Mr Hudson. Not seeing him in either direction, Abbii sighed. If only she could just leave her bucket outside of the door! Unfortunately, Daniel found out everything that went on in the College, so if she did that, he would know. Frustrated, Abbii knew she had to find the janitor. Thinking about where he'd be, she saw a couple of girls heading towards her. They snickered when they saw her bucket, but Abbii just ignored them.

"Have you seen Mr Hudson?" she asked them.

The girl on the left, Colleen Middleton, turned and stared at her. "Why, do you need another duster?" she joked, cackling like a witch. Her friend joined in and the two of them walked off.

Rolling her eyes, deciding to leave the bucket in the corridor, Abbii breathed in. It would have been too much hassle to find Mr Hudson so late in the day; it would be easier for her to just leave it, even if Daniel were to find out. As she leant down to put it on the floor, Abbii glanced to the right. She saw someone heading for the door at the far end, rushing past the row of locked classroom doors. It looked like Jake.

"Jake!" she shouted. He pushed on the door and disappeared outside. How could he not hear me?

She ran after him, pushing on the door as she reached it. It was dark, but she looked around for Jake anyway. Abbii couldn't see him. The strange thing was she couldn't see anyone. There were at least two hours until the curfew—where was everyone?

Abbii looked out towards the lake, but still couldn't see anyone. She frowned. I could have sworn that it was Jake...

*

Her room was dark, just as always, but she was glad that there would be no more cleaning. The water had made her nails chip and the skin on her hands had wrinkled, covering them with dry skin.

Abbii walked to her bed and sat down, kicking her boots off so that they landed in odd places across her floor. Lying against her pillow, she reached for her phone and opened it. No texts. No missed calls. She was disappointed; she had hoped that Jake would have contacted her. A few days ago she had text him but had heard nothing in reply, and now that Daniel had told her that no one else had heard from Jake in the week, Abbii was worried.

Hi Jake, it's me. You ok? Text me back, A x

She sent the message and then closed her phone, pushing it back underneath her pillow. Shuffling over, Abbii pulled the duvet over her shoulders and got comfy. It was strange; she'd never felt the need to sleep so badly. She usually avoided sleeping for as long as possible.

Closing her eyes, she breathed in and wished for a peaceful sleep.

It didn't take her long to drift off, but it also didn't take long for the dreams to enter her head. She tried to avoid concentrating onto them, but when a strange colour flashed in front of her, Abbii focused onto a particular image that she saw—silver water, surrounded by trees that seemed to move with the breeze. The sky was strange, grey with clouds but well lit at the same time, casting a light over the ground below.

She soared over the ground like an eagle, searching for something, feeling the breeze against her face. The angel pendant around her neck swayed with her movement. A strange sense of calm filled her.

This dream...was it different than the others?

Lowering to the ground below, Abbii focused. Shadows surrounded her, causing her to step back, wanting to run away. One grabbed at her ankle tightly. She wanted to scream and run, never looking back, but something caught her gaze. She saw someone. She saw Jake.

Dark shapes surrounded him, the Shadows pulling at his skin and clothes. Her stomach dropped as she met his gaze. He smiled, and then a flash of light consumed him. Abbii waited for it to clear, running towards him, wanting to save him from the Shadows, but as she neared him, she could see that it was already too late. Blood ran from his mouth. A sharp edge cut through his chest, and his eyes lost their glow.

"Jake!"

She sat up, trying to catch her breath.

Looking around, she could see that she was still in her room, wrapped warmly in her duvet. The blind was closed and she could see the grey sky through the gaps between the wall and the material. A pain throbbed through Abbii's head as she tried to push the dream out of mind.

How long had she been asleep?

She reached for her phone and opened it, seeing that it was nearly four hours since she had text Jake, and there was still no reply.

The light of the phone was bright, making her squint her eyes. As she blinked, she noticed a small dark smudge in the centre of her screen. Wiping it with her thumb, Abbii spread it messily across the front of her phone. Another appeared, and then another.

Raising her hand, she wiped her nose and discovered a layer of blood against her skin. A nose bleed. She sighed. Turning to lie on her back, Abbii held her nose and calmed her breathing as she had used to do when she was younger; nose bleeds came and went when her dreams frightened her. She had never understood why.

Abbii lowered her hand and leaned forward, lifting her blind to allow a shallow glow into her room. Using the light to examine her fingertips, she could see that the blood had dried. She wiped it onto her hoodie and moved to the edge of her bed, as the dream started to come back into her thoughts. It had felt so real...it had scared her. Abbii couldn't imagine living at The Everglades without Jake.

"Jake..."

Standing up, realising that she was fully dressed, Abbii took a moment to gather her bearings before heading for the door. She pushed her boots on quickly. It was well past the ten o'clock curfew, but she needed to find Jake. She needed to find out what was wrong with him, why he wasn't talking to her. What was he hiding?

She rushed through the double doors that split her corridor into two sections, and then headed for the white glass door which led to the outside; the door banged loudly behind her, but she didn't care if Daniel caught her this time. She ran past the overhanging branches and carried on past the large tree trunk, stopping when she realised that that same feeling of someone watching her had returned. Looking around, Abbii realised it was much lighter than she'd thought. The sky was grey, but also well lit...

"Jake!" she shouted, "Jake, where are you?"

Turning around as she called for him, something caught her eye. She saw a strange shadow cast across the ground directly ahead of her. It seemed to move as Abbii watched it, spreading thinner as if it reached for her legs. Her breathing became shallow and her heartbeat quickened; it had been so long since she had seen the Shadows so vividly, so close, and she found that her memories flooded back to her. She moved back, watching as Shadows appeared all around her, coming from somewhere near the lake.

The Shadows...they've found me again...

Abbii stepped back, holding her breath as tears began to run down her cheeks.

She wanted to run, far away, as far as she could go. The memories began to fill her head more and more, and the pain returned. Her arm throbbed and her body began to shake, but she didn't run; she had to find Jake, no matter what. Moving her fear aside, Abbii rushed towards the trees and stopped when she could see Jake. She was still afraid, but Jake was more important.

A large black portal had surrounded him, causing his hair to move with the breeze. Shadows wrapped around his legs and thighs, but he didn't move. It was just like Abbii's dream. The sky, the water, and the breeze that spiralled around her were all exactly the same as her dream.

"Jake!" she ran forwards, stopping several metres from him. He turned silently and met her gaze.

"Abbii..."

"What are you doing?" she shouted, "The Shadows will kill you!"

"The Darkness...is so beautiful." Jake smiled as a strange colouring consumed his irises. "Its power is everything."

A sudden shape escaped from the portal, piercing Jake's chest.

"No!"

Abbii watched him fall to his knees as blood dripped from his body. He didn't move or say anything. All colour drained from his face and he fell forwards.

"Jake! No!" Abbii went to dash towards him, but a hand grasped her arm tightly, pulling her back. Daniel stood in front of her, grabbing her by the shoulders. Tears ran from her eyes as he held her gaze. "Daniel...its Jake," she sobbed.

"You have to go now, Abbii!" Daniel shouted, "Go to my room and stay there!"

"But, I..."

"Now!"

Not giving her a chance to look back, Daniel pushed her towards the College. She was so frightened; frightened of the Shadows, frightened that she'd lost the only friend that she had at The Everglades. The overhanging branches, sharp to the touch, cut her cheek and shoulders as she ran through them. Rain that had perched onto leaves since its fall dotted across her hair and ran down her face, mixing with her tears.

She didn't stop until she reached Daniel's office. She closed the door and burst into tears. Her hands started to shake and she started to feel sick. Rushing to the far side of the room, keeping her back to the door, Abbii slouched to her knees, leaning forward so that her head was against the wall. Tears flooded her face. Images flashed through her head—a shadow and a dark room, with a light in the far corner.

Abbii closed her eyes briefly as she heard a scream echo through her thoughts. Her arm throbbed. She remembered the blood that had run across her skin four years ago, staining her bed sheets crimson. She remembered the fear that had taken hold of her that night, as the Shadows had surrounded her.

Jake flashed across her eyes as a sob escaped her lips.

She slowly moved so that her back was against the wall, hugging her knees tightly. Her hair lay at awkward angles across her face, but she didn't care. Abbii's heart continued to beat fast, and she tried to catch her breath. A strange tingling spread throughout her body, and she closed her eyes to ignore it. Silence surrounded her, and she could almost feel the Shadow's breath in her ear. Abbii's eyes opened and she stared blankly ahead, aware that there were no Shadows near her, but she stayed alert nonetheless, expecting their misty forms to creep under the door towards her.

Looking down, Abbii focused onto her right hand which still shook. Her fingers twitched regularly, and her skin had grown pale. Moving her jumper's sleeve ever so slightly, she caught sight of the scar that dominated her wrist. It was pale, but it stood out clearly from the surrounding skin due to the tainted edge that surrounded it. Abbii stroked her finger over the tip of the scar, remembering the pain of the sharp edge that had sliced through her skin. She cringed and covered her wrist with her sleeve.

She closed her eyes in a hope that the pain would fade. Abbii hoped that her memories would disappear again, being lost in her head; she didn't want to relive the night that the Shadows had come for her four years beforehand. She hoped that she would wake up to find out that nothing had happened to Jake; that it had all been a nightmare...

*

Abbii didn't know how long she had been sitting in the same position when Daniel entered his office. She could tell it was daytime because of the students rushing past the door to class, but she had no idea what time in the day it was. A few students tried to look into the room to see her, but Daniel soon closed the door and made his way across the room.

He knelt in front of her, meeting her gaze.

"...Did it really happen?" Abbii whispered. As she spoke, she noticed a thin cut across Daniel's arm which was surrounded by dry blood.

"Yes," he replied.

"Jake..." Holding back her tears, she swallowed a lump that had built in the back of her throat. "What happened? Why have the Shadows come back?"

Daniel reached forwards and laid his hand against her knee. "I want you to rest, Abbii. You look pale. We will have plenty of time to discuss what has happened. You're safe. You don't need to worry."

She wanted to argue; she wanted to shout and demand to know everything, but she didn't have the energy. Abbii felt unwell. She needed to sleep.

"I'll help you to your room," Daniel stated, pulling her to her feet. The two of them stepped towards the door, but she hesitated. Daniel reassured her, "Don't worry. No one knows what's happened. It was well past curfew, and any students that may have seen something won't remember. Trust me."

Abbii nodded. Daniel led her through the door and down the hallway as she started to feel sick. Her body began to shake again as she watched the last few students heading for class, looking at her as if she didn't belong there. She ran for her room, leaving Daniel behind. Dashing in, she collapsed into her bed, bursting into tears.

Daniel spoke through the door. "Take as long as you need, Abbii. Just don't go outside." A few moments later, she heard Daniel walk down the corridor.

She closed off from the world and cried herself to sleep.

Three

For the first time in four years, Abbii didn't dream.

No nightmares invaded her mind.

No figure of Light needed to save her from the Darkness.

She had cried for hours before she had fallen to sleep. The evening's events had sapped all of her energy so that sleep had been the only solution that her body could have taken. She thought that she would have dreamt of Jake and what she had seen, but she didn't. Even when Abbii awoke, staring up at her ceiling, she didn't think of anything that had happened. Not even the event that had scarred her entered her head.

Her mind was so focused on the present moment that nothing else mattered. She was consumed with grief and sadness, and she was so angry that Jake hadn't told her what had been bothering him; she hated the fact that Jake could never tell her now. It didn't matter what had happened; all she knew was that Jake would not be by her side.

For some reason, Darkness had come for him.

For some reason, he had accepted it willingly.

Abbii sat up and took in a breath. She didn't know how long she had been in her room, but she needed to move. She needed to eat and drink something before her headache worsened.

Kicking her boots off, she pulled her hoodie off over her head and stood in front of her full-length mirror, dropping her jumper to the floor at her feet. She stared at her reflection in silence, taking in the paleness of her face and the red rings that circled her eyes. Her lips had grown pale and her hands still shook slightly. Abbii caught sight of something on her leg as she looked down; something had cut her skin and the wound began to throb. The small cut across her cheek and shoulder also began to sting.

Ignoring the pain, she concentrated onto the mirror again, gathering her greasy brown hair into a ponytail with a band that had been around her wrist. She swapped her clothes for a pair of old jeans and a baggy jumper which she then slipped over her body. Pushing her boots back on, Abbii walked to the door.

She stopped.

Taking in a breath, she opened the door and walked down the corridor quickly. Students watched her, commenting to their friends, but she kept moving, keeping her gaze low to the ground. She could hear them whispering and laughing at how she looked, but they didn't know what had happened; they knew nothing about the Shadows or about Jake. A girl nudged into her shoulder just as she reached Daniel's office, but Abbii let her carry on walking without making a fuss.

Abbii knocked gently on the door.

"Come in," he called.

She opened the door and walked in, closing the door behind her. Daniel was busy on his computer and it took him several moments to look up.

"Abbii!" He stood and walked towards her hurriedly. "I'm glad to see that you're alright. Have a seat." He motioned to a black leather chair in the corner of his office, pulling a wooden chair to sit adjacent to her. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Better, but hungry."

He smiled and leaned across his desk, taking hold of a white tissue parcel. "Here," he said, handing it to her.

Abbii took hold of it and realised that it was a piece of baguette. She tore open part of the tissue and took a bite. Cheese filled her mouth, and her stomach growled with appreciation. She tried not to eat it too quickly, taking small pauses before each mouthful. Daniel also handed her a drink of water from his desk, which she finished in several mouthfuls. Placing the empty glass on the floor, she then wrapped up the last section of the baguette and placed it onto her lap.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome," he replied.

They sat in silence for several moments, as if neither of them knew what to say.

"Daniel," she whispered, "Why did Jake not run? Why did he stay?"

Lowering his gaze for a moment, Daniel met Abbii's gaze. "He was drawn to the Darkness, Abbii, and when it came for him, he embraced it."

"But...he wasn't a bad person....Was he?"

Daniel's face softened. "I fear that he has grown unstable over the recent days of being here. He stopped attending all of his classes. He slept all day so that no one would see him. Goodness was within him, but he was not willing to live by it. You were the only thing that kept him in the Light."

She exhaled quietly. There was so much she didn't know. Not once had Jake told her that he had started missing his classes. Not once did he ever ask for her help.

"It's not your fault, Abbii. His fate was expected."

Abbii frowned and held Daniel's gaze. "Expected?"

"You will find out everything that you wish to know in due time, but for now, please trust me."

Closing her eyes, she took in a breath. She tried to form a sentence in her head. There were so many questions that she had, but her mind could not formulate something to say.

"We need to go to the infirmary," Daniel stated. "Your leg needs tending to."

Opening her eyes again, she glanced down at her leg to see that the gash across her calf had started to seep. Her recent movement had caused the skin to pull tort. She took hold of Daniel's extended hand and the two of them made their way to the infirmary, block B of the College.

The corridors of the College meant that they didn't have to go outside, and Abbii didn't see any other students in the corridor as they walked. She looked out to her left to see the lake through one of the stained glass windows. The trees' leaves had seemed to change colour due to the thin layer of snow covering them. There hadn't been snow when Abbii had been there last.

"How long did I sleep for, Daniel?" she asked quietly.

Meeting her gaze, he smiled. "You slept until you no longer needed to."

She tried not to scowl, but she held his gaze nonetheless.

"Three days, Abbii, but we will discuss the times and everything that we need to do when you are fit and ready."

Three days...it's been three whole days since the Shadows attacked Jake. I've never slept so long. She was surprised that her leg had not bled out over the time that she had slept. It puzzled her.

They reached the infirmary after a few moments of passing block B's main corridor. Abbii started limping when they reached the entrance as the pain seemed to double.

Once they were inside, she sat down on one of the white beds as the nurse approached them. Her name was Sophie, and she smiled as she met Abbii's gaze. "What do we have here?" she asked.

Abbii looked at Daniel.

"She's slept since that night," he explained. "Her leg has been cut."

Taking in a breath as Sophie met her gaze, Abbii realised then that both Daniel and Sophie knew about what had happened.

"Okay," Sophie said, "I'll just need you to take off your shoes and sit back while I go and get some water and bandages." She smiled at Abbii and walked off towards the sink at the far end of the room.

Daniel smiled as Abbii sat back against the wall. "I'll come back later. Let your leg rest. Sophie will take good care of you."

"Okay..." she watched him leave and then sighed loudly. The pain that rushed through her caused tears to build in her eyes. She wanted to ask why her leg had not bled out more in the time that had passed, but Daniel had turned to leave already.

It was quiet in the infirmary; perfect in fact. Abbii had always preferred her own company; being away from people who could judge her was exactly what she liked. By the way that Daniel had explained, no student would remember what had happened, but the uncertainty that someone could have seen, made her feel insecure. She had no idea what people knew, but by the state of her hair and skin, she knew that the other students who saw her today probably thought the worst of her.

Breathing in, she looked at the ceiling above her, following a crack that marked several of the white panels. She could hear Sophie moving around behind a pale-coloured curtain of material, rustling with paper or some kind of packaging. Abbii found it strange how secretive Daniel and Sophie had been; they obviously knew something or everything about what had happened, but they had told her nothing.

One thing that Daniel had said still played on her mind...His fate had been expected?

Had Daniel known what was going to happen? Could he have saved Jake? She wanted answers, but she was weak, barely able to focus.

The Shadows had affected her some how. She remembered the way that she had felt when they had attacked her four years ago, the night that had changed her life forever. Their aura had made her skin flare up and her head had throbbed. It had been the same this time, but she felt worse, as if their strength had increased since their first attack.

Her leg throbbed, causing her to shuffle in her place. Leaning forward, she pressed her hand against it. A small amount of blood had stained her skin, but the wound itself seemed small now, irrelevant almost.

How could my skin heal itself so quickly?

"Well then, Abbii, let's get you sorted." Sophie pulled the curtain aside and walked through the small gap, before closing it quickly behind her.

Abbii looked past her to see another bed, but she didn't have the chance to see who was in it before Sophie has passed through. Moving her gaze to her face, Abbii smiled as Sophie reached her bedside.

"How is your leg?" she asked, examining her wound.

"It stings," Abbii replied truthfully.

Sophie straightened her posture and smiled. "It will do, but it is healing nicely. Only a faint mark should remain in the morning."

Abbii's face must have shown her confusion, causing Sophie to move her hand onto hers. She met her gaze, holding it for several moments. "You must have questions." She moved a wooden chair from the corner of the room and sat by Abbii's bedside, returning her hand to her lap.

Abbii nodded.

Sophie sighed quietly. "Unfortunately, many of your questions will remain unanswered for a long time. Jake's fate was not expected yet."

"But...Daniel said it was expected. Why? What did he mean?" Abbii fidgeted, moving so that she could lean against the metal head board.

"Jake's fate was expected, just not so quickly. We had hoped that we would have had at least another year to prepare..."

Abbii's jaw tensed. "How could you have known that this was going to happen, without warning him?"

"There will be many things that you will not understand, Abbii, but we need you to trust us. We're here to protect you."

"What about Jake? Were you meant to protect him too?" Her eyes narrowed. She was angry that everyone was keeping things from her. Abbii's breathing grew shallow as Sophie looked away. "Why didn't you warn him?" she asked, as a tear built in her eye.

Sophie looked to the floor. "We were not permitted to warn him. Our task was to keep the Shadows and all knowledge of them from him, until we no longer could, until our task became to protect you from them," she sighed, eventually meeting Abbii's gaze.

"Who are you?" A second tear rolled across Abbii's cheek but her face remained tense.

"We have no title. We are simply civilians given special information about the elements around us. Our leaders place us where they deem it important, whether it is to watch the elements' movement and report back, or whether it is to watch over those that can influence the balance, and protect them at all costs." Sophie held Abbii's gaze even when she had stopped speaking.

Abbii held her breath as she took in what Sophie had said. Her breathing hastened. "You were watching over Jake?"

Lowering her gaze briefly, Sophie took in a breath. "Not exactly..."

"Then who?" Abbii shouted, frustrated with Sophie's responses.

She raised her gaze to meet Abbii's dark brown irises, filled with pain. "Daniel and I have been watching over you."

"Me?" Abbii's shoulders slouched and she held her breath. She lay down and placed her head against the pillow.

Pulling her arms up to her chest, Abbii curled up. Her mind was filled with so many questions and images that she found it hard to focus on Sophie's face.

"Who am I?"

Sophie moved forward and stroked Abbii's hand. "You, Abbii, are the Lasting Star- Our hope of returning the Light. You have powers which will brighten our horizon."

Closing her eyes, Abbii allowed Sophie's words to spiral through her mind. She let go of the tension and the frustration about everything that had happened. Her body fell still and her eyes remained closed.

Standing up, Sophie watched over her closely. "Rest, Abbii. You will need it." And with nothing more to say, she left the infirmary in silence, with the sun washing through the large windows.

Once Sophie had left, Abbii turned onto her back, opening her eyes to look at the ceiling above her. She followed the same lined pattern across the white panels, noting the change in light which made larger areas seem much smaller. Abbii didn't want to sleep; that's all she had done since Jake had been taken from her. She sat up quietly and leant against the wall, thinking through what Sophie had said.

"The Lasting Star? Why would they watch over me?" she whispered.

Falling silent, as if awaiting a reply, Abbii sighed and moved to the edge of the bed. She kept her boots off and walked to the window directly ahead of her. The pain from her leg had faded slightly, but she was still aware of the constant throbbing that surged through her skin, proving that it had not yet fully repaired itself. She reached the window and leant against the wooden sill, looking out over The Everglades.

She could see the whole stretch of the main building and the large gardens that surrounded it. Different colours radiated from the plant life, but most of the area was dominated by the autumnal fall of the trees' leaves, glistening with amber and burnt crimson. The faint layer of snow had almost faded, merging in with the blanket of rain that fell from the sky. It reminded Abbii of her garden back home.

Closing her eyes, she stopped her mind from visualising her old life and concentrated on the smell around her. She opened her eyes and looked around the infirmary. It was a large space, with several white beds alongside the far wall. Smaller beds were situated across the right wall, leading to the small doors which led back into the block B corridor. Abbii had never needed to visit the infirmary before; she found it a strange, empty, almost unused space. White cabinets and wooden chairs were at each bedside, but Abbii could see that the beds had barely been used. Their white shapes and the floor, too, seemed in perfect condition.

The white tiled floor had no marks and the windows had no dust or dirt sitting against their wooden frames. Abbii could see that the lights fitted into the ceiling were also brilliantly clean. She wondered if Mr Hudson had really cleaned the infirmary; she had only ever known him to take his role as the cleaner seriously in real 'emergencies', like when a student had been sick after a secret party in one of the rooms, or when the rain and snow had created such a mess at the door that people were constantly sliding down the corridor. Come to think of it, Abbii had only ever spoken to the janitor once or twice in the whole four years that she had been at The Everglades. She wondered if he lived somewhere outside of the College, somewhere in the outside world.

Abbii's feet began to feel cold as the tiled floor leached the warmth from her skin. She thought about what to do. She knew that she would have to stay at the infirmary until Daniel or Sophie had given her permission to leave, but that simply meant sitting on her bed, staring at the word outside until they came. She sighed.

Glancing to her right, she noticed the thin veil of material that split the main section of the infirmary into two. It was the space where Sophie had stayed for several minutes out of Abbii's sight. Abbii remembered seeing a bed when Sophie had pulled the curtain across, and her curiosity got the better of her. She shuffled across the room towards the curtain, aware that she could hear faint breathing coming from the other side. A sudden sense of anxiety caused her to pause as she reached the curtain; she could sense a presence, a person the other side of the material, but it was the strange feeling that entered her chest which kept her in her place. It felt like the person that she could sense was almost calling to her in some way. She extended her hand and moved the material enough to see through to the other side.

A young man was lying in one of the infirmary's white beds, sleeping peacefully. He lay still on his back, breathing in a slow rhythm. Abbii stepped through the curtain, letting it close behind her as she moved to his bedside. She stood, taking in the details of his face. He had light hair which was darker at the roots, and his skin was tanned. His build was well proportioned. Looking down, Abbii realised that a white bandage was wrapped around one of his wrists, covering the skin up to his elbow. Blood had seeped through the material but it had dried, giving Abbii the impression that he had been in the infirmary for a few days.

Abbii had never seen him at the College before. He wasn't one of the students, nor was he a teacher. Abbii guessed he was a similar age to her, around eighteen or slightly older, but she wondered how he had arrived at The Everglades; no new pupils were admitted through the year, only in the first week of September.

She moved closer, watching how the sunlight washed over his face. She lowered her gaze to his chest, rising and falling at a steady pace. She noticed a chain which lay over his skin. A subtle glow warmed his neck and chest. Guessing that the pendant, the source of the glow, was hidden beneath his sheets, Abbii held her breath and extended her hand.

"Abbii..."

His eyes remained closed, despite the fact that he had just whispered her name.

Gasping, Abbii darted backwards, breathing hastily. She moved against the wall and focused onto his face. His eyes remained closed. Letting a sigh of relief leave her lips, Abbii took a moment to gather her breath, looking to the floor. Her gaze however, did not remain low for long, as her eyes were drawn back to the young man's face. Abbii did not know him, but she felt drawn to him in some strange way; the shape of his face felt familiar to her.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor.

Rushing through the curtain, Abbii dashed to her bed, diving onto to it as the footsteps drew closer. She straightened her back against the bed rest and tried to slow her breathing, exaggerating her exhalation. Licking her lips, she quickly lay on her side and closed her eyes. The doors opened a moment later and two people walked into the room, stopping at the side of Abbii's bed.

It was Daniel and Sophie.

"What are we going to do?" Sophie asked, keeping her voice low.

Daniel breathed out. He remained quiet for a moment before replying, "I'm not sure. All that matters is that she is safe. We will give her a few more days, and then we will have to decide."

"But what if the Shadows return before then?"

"Then our decision has been finalised," Daniel replied clearly, "If the Shadows come, Abbii will have no other choice."

Keeping her breathing steady, Abbii wondered what it was that they spoke of. They made it sound like that she would have to do something, something important. She listened to the two of them walk away from her, pulling the material aside so that they could see the young man.

Sophie breathed in. "If it turns out that Abbii has to leave, Nate will follow her..."

"Hopefully, their trust would have built by then. We must hope that that will be the case."

"But what if she doesn't change? What if she doesn't accept him?"

Abbii found it strange, hearing someone talking about her as if she wasn't there.

"If Abbii doesn't learn to trust the people around her, then her future will be full of hardships that only she will face. Her fate will end in Shadow."

Sophie sighed as she pulled the curtain across to divide the room again. She seemed on edge, and her breathing had grown shallow. She walked towards the door and stopped, with Daniel at her side. They both looked towards Abbii's back, unaware that she had her eyes wide open, listening.

"Four years the Shadows have searched for them," Daniel stated quietly, looking over Abbii, "and now that they have taken Jake, they will increase their efforts to reach her. They will take both Nate and Abbii if nothing changes. We must help them until we no longer can."

Sophie nodded and left the infirmary, followed closely by Daniel. Before leaving, he glanced briefly at the young man whom Abbii presumed was Nate, before entering the corridor quietly.

Abbii had no idea what Daniel meant—what needed to change? What did he mean about the Shadows 'taking' her? Surprisingly, despite Abbii's confusion, her thoughts weren't focused on getting answers. Instead, they were focused onto Nate.
Four

Given permission to leave the infirmary the next day, Abbii made her way through the corridors of the College, heading for her room. She felt much better than in the days that had passed, and for once she didn't feel as if she needed to sleep through the day.

Daniel had told her that she did not need to attend any of her classes, but she hadn't decided if that was what she wanted to do yet; sitting in her room waiting for the Shadows to come back was not something that would distract her. She reached her room, opening the door.

She sighed quietly, letting the door close behind her. Her room hadn't changed—the blind was still lowered across the window, and the clothes that she had discarded in the middle of her floor still lay crumpled into a pile. It was strange; her room looked the same, but Abbii felt different in it, like she had missed it. Shaking her thoughts aside, she made her way to the window.

With little effort, she pulled on the blind and released it, watching as it rose to the top of her window. There was a thin layer of condensation on the glass, but she looked past it to the lake on the outskirts of the College grounds. She raised her hand and stroked the window, leaving shapes in the moisture.

There would be no funeral for Jake, as Daniel had made an announcement to say that he had left The Everglades College unexpectedly. At the time of the announcement, Abbii had hated the idea of letting Jake just disappear, without no one knowing what had happened, but she quickly realised the less people knew, the better.

Daniel and Sophie had told her no more about what had happened. She knew nothing about the Shadows and why they were coming after her. All she knew was that she had to stay inside; Shadows apparently couldn't pass into the College. Abbii didn't understand why, as the Shadows had passed into her home before she had arrived at The Everglades, but she just presumed a barrier of some kind kept them from entering the building.

Taking in a breath, she turned to face her room, picking up the clothes that lay on her floor. She placed them on the end of her bed, making a mental note to take them to the washing room later on in the day. First, she needed a shower.

Choosing a pair of old jeans and a plain t-shirt, Abbii collected her clothes and underwear, placing them into a black rucksack. She placed her deodorant and hairbrush in the front of her bag and then made her way to the shower room. Each block had its own separate bathroom at the end of the corridor, split into two main shower areas by a solid tiled wall where the towels were neatly kept.

It didn't take long for Abbii to get there, and she saw no one on her way. Everyone was in class. It was the perfect time for a shower. After collecting a towel, she walked into one of the cubicles and shut the door behind her. A hook on the back of the door was where she placed her bag. Taking off her old clothes, she stuffed them into the corner of her cubicle and turned the water on.

The warm water washed over her skin gently. Her hair absorbed the moisture, laying flat against her shoulders and neck. Abbii had always had short hair before arriving at The Everglades where her mother had abandoned her, but in the last year or so she had decided to let it grow. She had cut a fringe herself which lay over one of her eyes perfectly.

Grabbing the shampoo from the shelf at her side, she squeezed a small amount onto her palm before massaging it into her hair. It smelled like apples, Abbii's favourite fragrance. She let it soak into her hair for a few moments whilst she washed her body with her shower gel. Her fingers stroked over the scar which dominated her wrist, making her pause as she watched the water glide over the damaged skin.

When the Shadow had grabbed for her four years ago, its claws had sliced into her skin painfully. The nerves in her hand were luckily left unharmed, but her skin had never fully repaired; a darkened silhouette still surrounded its ugly shape. Abbii had been luckier this time, only obtaining a small scratch on her calf. Jake hadn't been so lucky. She sighed and pushed her head under the water, feeling her hair fall over her shoulders as the shampoo washed out.

Taking a final moment to simply stand, letting the water wash over her, Abbii then turned the water off and grabbed her black towel. Giving her skin a quick rub, she wrapped the towel around her hair as she got dressed. The water that was still on her back and lower legs was absorbed by her clothes; she had a habit of not drying herself fully.

A set of voices disrupted the silence.

"Did you hear about Abbii Cross?"

Abbii didn't need to look to know that Colleen Middleton and her sidekicks had entered the shower room. She kept quiet.

"Daniel's given her permission to leave all of her classes for a week!"

Colleen's friend, Susan, interrupted. "Why does she get the special treatment?"

"Perhaps she's failing so badly, they don't know what to do with her?" Colleen guessed with a shrill laugh.

Abbii moved to the side of her cubicle and looked through a small space where the door's hinges were. She could see the three girls, Colleen, Susan and May standing in front of the large mirror which covered half of the wall. They were all applying makeup and messing with their hair. Abbii rolled her eyes.

"She's so weird," May stated matter-of-factly.

The other two girls nodded in agreement.

Not willing to listen to the girls' gossip for much longer, Abbii picked up her backpack and headed for the window which was always open in the far side of her cubicle. She pushed her bag through and went to lift herself up.

"What about Jake Christian?"

Abbii fell still, keeping hold of the window sill.

"Yeah," Susan piped in, "he's left, hasn't he? Shame, he was cute."

Laughing girlishly, Colleen took out her lipstick. "If you ask me, it's Abbii's fault! She followed him everywhere like a puppy. He probably got tired of it!"

"Yeah!" The two girls chimed.

Abbii clenched her teeth as her anger began to build. She'd had a fight with Colleen once before, when the 'popular' girl had hit Abbii across the leg with a hockey stick. She'd learnt her lesson for a while, avoiding her P.E. lessons until she no longer could. Abbii thought it was a shame that she'd gone back to her old, annoying self. They were all the same age, but Colleen often acted like a child.

"What about that new guy?" Susan asked the other girls.

"He is hot!" The excitement in May's voice showed her obvious attraction.

Colleen walked away from the mirror and turned as the two girls followed her movement. "He'll be my tenth." The three girls laughed as they left the room.

Abbii could almost imagine the look of pride over Colleen's face about the fact that she'd slept with ten different people. A shiver stroked Abbii's skin. At least they were gone.

Just in case they were still in the corridor outside, Abbii pushed herself through the window and picked up her bag as she landed to her feet. She followed the building around until she reached the large sports field that led off from the gym. It hadn't been used much since it had grown cold, so leaves dotted across its surface. A P.E. lesson was taking place with most of the guys playing rugby, tackling each other to the ground. Abbii didn't understand the sport, but she found the idea of pushing people to the ground quite amusing—if only she were playing with Colleen.

Although she had been warned not to go outside of the College building, Abbii couldn't sense any Shadows lurking in the trees; the strange chill that filled the air when the Shadows were near wasn't there. She sat down, leaning against the wall and thoughts of Jake entered her head which made her smile. Abbii no longer felt as if she needed to grieve for Jake. She had missed him and his sense of humour, but she no longer felt as if her whole world had fallen apart. It was almost as if a part of him was inside of her, as if he was still close.

Looking to her side, Abbii saw some students sitting around a bench, with Colleen and Susan in the centre, gossiping with one another. It was 1.30 by Abbii's watch, lunchtime, and even when it was cold, many of the students preferred to sit outside rather than in the canteen. Abbii stood to her feet, lifting her bag onto her shoulders, and walked towards the College's main entrance. She met Colleen's gaze briefly before entering the building, betting that that the girls would now start talking about her.

Oblivious to the fact that the corridors were almost empty, Abbii made her way to the canteen. It was quieter than she had expected it to be, but then she realised only five minutes remained of lunchtime, so many of the students were already on their way to class. She looked through the selection of sandwiches that remained—cheese, tuna and sweet corn, chicken and ham. Finding it hard to choose which one, she closed her eyes and played eenie-meenie.

"Is the decision that difficult?"

Opening her eyes quickly, she looked to the right of where she stood, seeing that the young man from the infirmary was queuing behind her. She returned her focus to the sandwiches, embarrassed. Without saying anything, Abbii reached for the cheese and followed a girl in front of her to the checkout, aware that the young man was behind her. She paid the woman for her sandwich and a fizzy drink, and then moved towards the exit. Not looking back, Abbii entered the corridor and made her way to Daniel's class.

Reaching room 36, Abbii peered in to see that all the students had arrived, sitting at their individual desks. She hesitated in the doorway, but as someone shouted for her from the corridor, she walked in, stopping in front of the desk that Daniel was seated at.

"Abbii!" He seemed shocked that she was stood in front of him. "Is everything alright?"

"I can't just sit in my room and wait, Daniel. If you won't tell me anything, I'm acting as if nothing happened, like I have done since the last time." Abbii was careful about what she said due to the many ears that filled the room. She could hear the other students whispering and talking about her.

Daniel seemed to hesitate before replying. "Here," he said, handing her a textbook. "We're studying poetry today." His gaze was suddenly drawn to the side, and when Abbii turned, she realised why.

The young man from the infirmary was stood in front of her.

"Are you following me?" Abbii's eyes narrowed.

Daniel laughed. "Abbii, take a seat. I need to introduce our new student."

Embarrassed yet again, Abbii made her way to the back of the class, taking a seat in the centre. She lowered her head until it rested against the table, though when the classroom fell silent as everyone, including Abbii, looked ahead.

Standing up, Daniel smiled. "Good afternoon, everyone. Today we have a new student joining us. He is only temporary, but nonetheless, I expect you all to be nice." He smiled. "Everyone, this is Nate Edwards."

Unsurprisingly, Colleen was the first to speak. "Hi, Nate!"

Everyone followed her example as Nate looked over the faces that watched him. Abbii was the only one who didn't speak; she was too busy taking in the details of his body. He was tall and well built, dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a plain t-shirt. His hair was short and spiky, with longer sections lying across his forehead and crown. His hair was lighter than Abbii had realised, darker at the roots, contrasting well against his tanned skin. Nate's gaze met Abbii's.

She could see that his hazel eyes glistened in the light of the room. His eyelashes bordered them perfectly, dark like his roots. A strange feeling seeped into Abbii as she held his gaze; a familiarity of some kind which she guessed was because she had seen him in the infirmary. Her heartbeat hastened.

Glad that no one questioned why a new student was starting so late into the year, Daniel placed his hand onto Nate's shoulder, drawing his gaze. "You can sit anywhere you like."

Without hesitation, Colleen moved her bags from the spare chair next to her and smiled. "Sit by me, Nate."

Glancing briefly at the empty chair next to Abbii, Nate seemed to sigh before sitting next to Colleen. Abbii, almost shocked by his decision, leaned on her elbow as Daniel started to speak.

"Well then, class, now that we've all calmed down, let's start on poetry, shall we? We are reading a collection called The Mirror on Edge, which is written by an unknown author, who reportedly lived in the central area of Rome. Has anyone here ever been?"

"I have!" Colleen shouted.

Abbii rolled her eyes as Daniel forced a smile. "Anyone else?" he asked.

Another student raised his hand, but quickly lowered it again as the class looked at him. Abbii remembered that his name was Max; he occupied the room which had been opposite to Jake's. She began to wonder what had happened to Jake's room, whether his things would still be there. Using her pen, she wrote Jake's name onto her palm so that she would remember to stop by his old room later after class.

*

Daniel's lesson only lasted an hour, as Abbii had entered the class two hours in. He stood up from his desk, happy with the students' progress of the day. "Well then, homework time."

The whole class groaned. Some of the students even started making excuses why they couldn't do the work. Abbii didn't mind, but she hated the way that the teachers still called it homework; they weren't in school anymore.

"I want each of you to write a poem about something in your life. It could be an event, a person or anything that's important to you," Daniel explained, "and you will read them to the other students this afternoon. Everyone understood?"

The class groaned again. Not only did they have homework, but they now only had break to do it. Two days of the week, students had English for the entire study schedule. Abbii knew that some of the students wouldn't write it until minutes before the second half of the class; the thought made her smile slightly.

"Well then, if that's it, you can all go."

Two rows of the class had gone in less than a few moments; they had seemed to run out of the door, as if they wanted to gain as much space from the class as possible in case Daniel called them back. Colleen and her friends left soon after, and the few students that remained packed up their things and started to leave. Pushing her textbook into her bag, Abbii pulled it onto her shoulder and pushed her chair in. She turned and walked into someone.

Looking up, she realised it was Nate. Her cheeks went red.

"Sorry..."

"It's Abbii, right?"

Raising her gaze, she marvelled at the colour of his irises again. She nodded in reply as if her ability to speak had suddenly disappeared. It was strange; Abbii was usually so tough with her words, saying exactly what she thought, but when Nate was near her, it was like she lost all sense of anger.

He smiled. "I'm Nate." Moving his bag so that he could reach into it, he pulled something out and offered it to Abbii. "Here."

Looking down, she saw her purse in his hands. She frowned, tensing her body. "Why do you—"

"You left it in the canteen when you paid. I called for you, but you mustn't have heard me."

Abbii could feel her cheeks reddening again. She took hold of her purse and stuffed it into her bag. "Thanks," she muttered.

"Well then, see you later?" Turning his back, Nate walked across the classroom. He smiled at Daniel as he passed his desk, and then when he reached the door, he took a final look at Abbii before leaving.

She stood still. Why was she acting such an idiot every time Nate was around? It wasn't like her.

"Everything alright, Abbii?" Daniel asked.

"Fine!" she replied.

He smiled. "Did you want me to leave the door open for you?"

Having a habit of studying in the canteen, Abbii wanted to leave the class, but a thought of Colleen and her friends filled her head. She imagined them sitting around their table, laughing and whispering about her. She expected to see Nate sat with Colleen, her arm securely wrapped around his shoulders. Abbii only had an hour to write her poem and then there would be three hours of English afterwards. Deciding she would rather sit by herself than have the other students talk about her, she dropped her bag and returned to her chair.

Daniel smiled again. "I'll leave the door unlocked for you."

The day was panning out like the many others that had passed. It was almost as if everything to do with the Shadows had all been a dream. Abbii knew it wasn't, though, due to the essence of them that she could always sense. She wondered if she would ever live normally again, without constantly looking over her shoulder.

"Thanks," she replied, pulling out her writing pad.

Daniel looked to the floor briefly. "Don't give up, Abbii." He picked up a folder from his desk, looking out over the empty classroom before heading for the door. There was a strange aura in the air that he could feel. Daniel knew that the Shadows would return, but the only question was, when? With a simple sigh, he left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

Sighing loudly, Abbii felt strangely alone. She had always liked her own company, preferring to study by herself, but today she felt empty. A cool touch edged the air, filling her lungs with its cool energy. She pulled her sleeves down over her hands and picked up her pen. If all she had was a poem to focus on, then that would have to do.

She played with her pen, twirling it between her fingers, whilst she stared at the plain piece of paper in front of her, trying to think of something to write. Abbii usually found writing easy to do, but whenever she was given a specific task to complete, her ability to write seemed to disappear as if it had never existed to begin with. A thought of Nate entered her head.

His hazel eyes shone like beams of light through her mind. She pictured him smiling, causing his whole face to lift. Somehow, Abbii felt as if she knew him, but not knowing where from annoyed her; her whole attitude about him annoyed her.

Only a week ago, she had lost her only friend to the Shadows that wanted her life, but all that she could think of now was the new guy at College. She scolded herself; acting tough was her only defence, and if her defensive barrier seemed to fall whenever she was near Nate, she had to stay away from him. At least using him as her inspiration wouldn't change anything.

Abbii smiled as she soon filled several lines with ideas. She made a list of words connected to the connotations of Light and Darkness, thinking of angels soaring through the sky. Her pen moved fluently, allowing Abbii's sudden imaginative streak to transfer onto paper easily. Flashes of light burst into her mind as she thought about magical powers; she wondered how powerful she would be in the future, what abilities would be under her control.

A knock came at the door.

Breaking her thoughts, Abbii looked up to see that Nate was stood waiting. He did not open the door, but rather waited for her permission to enter. Suddenly feeling flushed, Abbii laid her pen on the table, fidgeting in her place. Certain words began to jump out from her notes as she glanced over the paper. Hazel. Angel. Powers. The moon. Abbii breathed in and met Nate's gaze.

"You can come in," she called, surprising herself by not telling him to leave.

Pushing on the door, he moved into the room quietly, closing the door behind him. An awkward silence followed as he turned and made his way to one of the chairs. Abbii watched him as he moved, seeing the way the muscles in his torso adjusted when he reached out for the chair, the way his hair flicked out across his face.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked, looking directly at her.

Realising that she had probably been staring at him for several moments, she coughed awkwardly and sat up in her chair. "Studying," she replied.

Expecting to have received a more detailed answer, Nate smiled, pulling his textbooks and pad from his bag. He placed them on the table in front of him and then sat down. Again Abbii noticed the way the muscles in his back arched as he moved to sit, watching how his t-shirt pulled taught against his skin. Without warning, he turned around to face Abbii directly.

"Have you managed to write anything yet?" He actually seemed interested in what she had done so far.

"Ermm, only a few lines...I couldn't really concentrate." She tried so hard to think of something intelligent to say. "How about you?"

He smiled, causing his eyes to glisten. "I think I've finished." His smile grew into a widening grin.

"Already?"

"Sure. Do you want me to read it to you?"

Not expecting the offer, Abbii's words stalled in her throat. "Well...ermm, why not?" She forced herself to smile, feeling like a total idiot.

Nate picked up his books and placed them on the table behind him, turning to use its top as his desk. This way he was facing towards Abbii and could take in her expressions. She fidgeted in her place again, trying everything not to meet his gaze. He leaned on the table casually and started to read, pronouncing each word perfectly.

"When the Wind does blow

In the Night or that of Day,

Whether the Sun may shine

Or fine Clouds form clear,

Time moves swiftly on

Aging those that are lost,

With Memories so vivid

Coloured from Edge to Edge—"

Abbii seemed drawn in by his words, the way his voice soothed her. He was soft spoken, yet perfectly clear at the same time. She watched his lips move to pronounce each sound. The way his body seemed to sway slightly when he was concentrating made her smile.

He looked up.

She smiled. "Keep going."

Holding her gaze for a moment, Nate continued to read aloud.

"Some may wonder to and fro

Keeping pace with fate no one knows,

Yet alas, Light is blooming

Straying from Shadows so Dark,

The smile of the one you Love

Or a Star warmed with Light,

Love may fall here and there

Wounded with pain unwavering,

But the Future is all too clear

Waiting for the wind to blow,

Pushing you to face Destiny..."

Once Nate had fallen silent, Abbii gasped for a breath, as if she had been unable to breathe whilst listening to the magic of his words. She had felt such power from each syllable that it saddened her when it ended.

"What do you think?"

She turned her head slightly to see that Nate was looking directly at her. His eyes seemed alight as he watched her, causing her cheeks to redden. "It was good," she stammered.

A smile spread across his face. "Was it that bad?"

"No!" she replied quickly, "It was good, I really enjoyed it. I—"

He started to laugh, watching Abbii begin to panic. "I was joking!"

Allowing her face to fall blank, Abbii glared at him, and in response he lifted his hands up as if to surrender. The grin remained across his face but his eyes seemed to fall slightly, as if trying to work out if he had angered Abbii with his sense of humour. She remained silent for a moment before giggling quietly. He seemed to sigh in relief, lowering his hands.

"Sorry," he mused.

Abbii smiled. She enjoyed Nate's company and hoped that they would become friends. A strange feeling suddenly seeped into her. She looked down at her chest, noticing that her heartbeat had hastened.

"Abbii?" Nate's expression tensed.

She clenched her one hand into a fist to try to contain the pain which began to surge through her skin. Holding her breath, she stood to her feet as best she could and ran for the door, concealing the glow which emitted from her wrist.

"Abbii, where are you going?"

Racing through the corridor, Abbii held her arm against her chest as she moved. She avoided as many students as she could, hearing faint shouts echo after her. When she reached her room, she barged through the door before slamming it closed. A bright explosion of light filled the space as she moved her arm, causing shapes and colours to bounce off the walls. All she could do was hope that it would fade soon.

Abbii had never given up hope, even when she had been alone; a stranger thrust from society by her mother, who had lost all faith in her. Hope was Abbii's light, the faith that proved that things wouldn't always be difficult—the possibility that her nightmares would fade, and her reality would be filled with everything that she had ever wanted. The same pain that she had felt four years ago now stabbed in her chest.

It spread throughout her body as she clutched her head. She began to sway, feeling sick. Trying to steady her breathing so that she could get more oxygen into her lungs, she fell to her knees. Bright lights shot past her eyes and her mind seemed to expand, taking in the presence of students in the corridor outside. She could see their smiling faces in her head and the way they pushed each other as they followed the corridor. A flash of light consumed Abbii's view.

Images then poured into her mind. She could see the same students that she had sensed beforehand, but they were dead, covered in blood, pain slashed across their faces. Shadows surrounded them, spreading along the floor towards The Everglades which was directly behind them. The shrubbery of the gardens had grown black, and their leaves had fallen prey to the mist of the Shadows, stealing their life. She sobbed as the bodies' lifeless eyes seemed to target her.

Black filled her vision and she fell to the floor, pulling her legs up to her chest. A shiver of cold washed over her, reminding her of the Shadows and how they had ripped at her skin. She closed her eyes tightly, hugging her knees as best as she could. Her head felt like it was going to break, as if the pressure had increased to an amount that her body could not withstand. The colours of light still darted through her mind as tears rolled across her cheeks.

Abbii began to hyperventilate, close to losing consciousness. Her body couldn't cope with the pain that the visions had created. She lost all tension as a single light formed in her mind.

It created a human form, extending its hand towards her.

The pain subsided, and Abbii fell unconscious.
Five

A clinical smell caused Abbii to wake.

Her head still throbbed and her whole body seemed to ache. She kept her eyes closed as she stirred, allowing her senses to awaken fully. Abbii could hear voices to her side, identifying them as Daniel's and Sophie's. Slowly, she opened her eyes to focus onto the ceiling, already knowing where she was. The smell around her proved it.

Silently, she lay still, staring at the white ceiling of the infirmary. Before this week, she had never needed to visit the place, and the fact that this was now her second time in a few days caused her to sigh. She sat up and looked towards the large window in front of her bed; it was night, with the spherical moon shining in through the glass.

Sophie walked to the end of her bed. "Abbii..."

She didn't respond to her voice, and instead focused onto the hasty footsteps that neared the infirmary doors, echoing throughout the hallway. Somehow, Abbii knew that they belonged to Nate. There was movement at her side, causing her to move her head so that she could see the commotion at the white glass doors. Daniel and Nate seemed to be arguing about something on the other side of the glass; Abbii's head teacher was stopping Nate from entering.

Aware that Abbii's senses would soon recover to fully hear what it was that they were discussing, Sophie rushed to the doors. "Enough!"

As the two men fell silent, they followed the direction that Sophie looked, seeing that Abbii was now awake. Daniel straightened his blazer before entering, smiling as he neared Abbii's bedside. Abbii thought that Nate was going to follow; she hoped that he would, but he seemed to sadden slightly, meeting her gaze before turning. He walked down the corridor and didn't return. It was strange, but Abbii felt Nate's need to see her, to hear her voice, and yet he had left...she didn't understand. What had Daniel said to him?

Why did she care so much about how Nate felt?

A glow had escaped Nate's irises as he had met her gaze, reminding Abbii of the silhouette of light from her dream.

"Abbii."

Moving her gaze, she turned to look at Daniel.

"How are you feeling?" he asked with a smile.

Abbii did not return the gesture. She felt agitated. "What happened, Daniel?"

He sighed. "You fell unconscious in your room. We found you and then brought you here."

Narrowing her eyes, Abbii caught sight of several blood drops which had dyed her t-shirt. She hazily remembered having had a nose bleed. Raising her gaze again, she watched Daniel closely. "The images that I saw...Why did I see them? It was just like my dreams, but I was awake." She took in a breath. "Tell me what's happening!"

Lowering his gaze briefly, Daniel glanced at Sophie. She seemed tense, but after a long moment, she relaxed, moving to Abbii's side. "Your nightmares have never been dreams, Abbii. They are visions."

"Visions?"

Daniel nodded. "Yes, you have the ability of seeing the future before it happens."

Losing her breath, Abbii thought of the dream that she had seen of Jake's death. "I saw Jake die...and then it happened..."

Sophie reached forwards and took hold of her hand tightly. "It wasn't your fault. You were not to know. Jake was lucky that you searched for him regardless of the vision that you had seen."

Abbii elongated her blink. "Everything I see...will happen?"

Allowing all evidence of his smile to fade, Daniel moved ahead of Sophie, making her release Abbii's hand to step back. "What did you see? Do we need to prepare?"

She didn't know what to say. The truth was that she was afraid if she admitted what she had seen, then the images would become reality. She didn't want more people to die because of the Shadows. They were after her, and she began to realise that they always would be.

Daniel took hold of Abbii's shoulder, startling her. "Do we need to prepare?"

She nodded, holding back a sob.

Without delay, Daniel looked at Sophie and nodded, turning to face the door. He extended his hand to push on the glass, pausing to glance back at Abbii. "Your visions are a gift, Abbii, never fight them. Accept them with open arms." He left then, letting the door close behind him.

Sophie met Abbii's gaze as she moved. "Don't worry. Things will be fine in the end," she smiled, but watched as Abbii's expression remained sombre.

She fidgeted. "Am I cursed?"

Allowing her face to soften, Sophie took hold of Abbii's hand. "No, of course you're not. You are no different from us, except your visions. Your powers are a gift."

"But why do I see them then? Visions aren't normal."

"Don't worry Abbii; everything will be clear one day. Keep faith in yourself." A movement at the door drew Sophie's gaze.

Abbii didn't need to ask who was at the door. She already knew. Nate had only left the corridor briefly, and then when he had returned, he had paced from side to side, waiting. A strange feeling made Abbii's heart beat faster and she was aware that Nate was looking in through the glass.

"Abbii?" Sophie turned to meet her gaze. "Do you want to see him?"

Not long ago, Abbii would have told him to leave, but as a cool shiver ran the length of her skin, she realised that that was not what she wanted. She wanted to see him.

Sophie smiled. "I will leave you to it. You're free to leave whenever you're ready, but don't go outside until day." She walked towards the door slowly, and as she reached it, opening the one side for Nate to step through, she left quietly.

Nate stood by the door, keeping his gaze lowered.

Abbii, aware that he had now entered the room, kept her focus on the glass window ahead of her. She wanted to turn and look at him, but something was stopping her. Was it fear? She wondered what he had seen and why he hadn't approached her. Was he afraid of her? She sighed as he moved across the space.

He stopped as she turned to meet his gaze. A smile soon spread across his face that Abbii found contagious, allowing it to take over her expression. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, this place must like me. I've woken up here twice this week." She paused and then continued, glancing towards Nate. "And both times, you've been here with me."

He lowered his gaze briefly, fiddling with something in his hand. Abbii thought he didn't seem as confident as earlier. She prepared herself to lose Nate's company.

"What's that?" Abbii asked.

Almost in embarrassment, Nate laughed. "Well, I didn't know how long you'd be here, so I brought you something to pass the time."

Abbii smiled as she watched Nate fidget in his place. Perhaps he was going to stay, after all.

"Here." He handed her the white box.

She took hold of it carefully, turning it around so that she could read what was on the box. 'Snakes and Ladders' was handwritten across it in black pen. The shapes of the letters curled evenly throughout the wording, reminding Abbii of Jake's handwriting. It looked almost exactly the same.

"We don't have to play it if you don't want to."

Remembering that Nate was still there, Abbii let the thoughts of Jake fade as she looked over the box. "Sorry," she laughed. "It's just, I haven't played Snakes and Ladders since I was little. Plus, we haven't got a table."

"How about this?"

Abbii turned around to see that Nate had crossed over to the bed opposite her. He had grabbed hold of a trolley on wheels, pushing it towards Abbii's bed. She smiled.

"I thought they were meant to be for meal times," she laughed, "not to play board games on."

"It'll be fine," he replied, "I just need to push it over you."

She smiled, watching how his face lit up. It was almost as if he had wanted to check that Abbii was still the same person before approaching her. Abbii wondered what Daniel had told him.

Without warning, Nate pushed the trolley over her legs, so that the stand was at her bedside and the tray was facing her. She set the box on the tray, testing to see how much weight it could take. Finding that it was exactly what they needed, Abbii opened the box and started to set the pieces up. Once they were set, she glanced over to see that Nate was stood awkwardly at the end of her bed, leaning over to choose his coloured peg.

"What are you doing?" she asked, trying not to smile.

"We can't play it sideways Abbii. If I sit on one of the chairs, I can't reach."

"Oh. Well, why don't you just sit on the end of the bed?" Once the words had left her lips, Abbii froze in her place. She couldn't believe what she was saying. Usually she kept people at a distance at all times, but here she was offering Nate the end of her bed.

He hesitated as he noticed her flushed cheeks. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah."

Smiling, he sat on the end of her bed, crossing his legs as he moved closer to the board. He chose the blue peg and then watched as Abbii chose the white. They both placed them on the start square and looked at the dice.

"Your turn first," Nate said, almost childishly.

"Thanks!"

Abbii reached forwards and took hold of the black dice with white spots. She couldn't remember the last time that she had played a board game. Glancing up as she rolled the dice, Abbii caught sight of Nate's irises, glistening in the light of the room. The colour was beautiful, lilac like petals of a flower. She found that the longer she held his gaze, the calmer she felt, as if they had known each other for years. The shape of his eyes and the curve of his eyelids seemed so familiar.

"You rolled five, Abbii."

Startled by Nate's voice, Abbii realised that he was staring back at her. A red colouring spread across her cheeks and she immediately moved her white peg. Hesitating as she placed it on the fifth square, she picked at her fingernails.

Nate rolled next and got a six, moving ahead of Abbii to sit on a blue square. As he moved, the right sleeve of his jumper pulled up, revealing a scar that marked his skin. It spread from his right wrist up to the inside of his elbow. Abbii realised that it must have been the same wound that had been bandaged when she had first seen him. How had it healed so quickly?

"It's like we're a pair."

Pulled out of her thoughts again by his voice, Abbii looked at him, her brow arched in confusion. He smiled in reply and raised his right arm forwards, turning it so that it lay next to Abbii's. She looked down, seeing the similarities between the scar that dominated her wrist and the wound that had healed almost perfectly on Nate's arm. The only difference was that a faint black outline surrounded Abbii's, preventing it from fully fading.

She pulled her arm away slowly and picked up the dice. Nate, noticing a change in her body language, moved his arm to his lap and focused onto the board. Abbii rolled a two, placing her white peg on the pale square ahead of him. The two of them sat in silence for several moments, simply moving to adjust the position of their pegs. Abbii's throw amounted to a four, causing her peg to slide down the longest snake of the board.

"What did Daniel tell you?" Keeping her gaze on the board, Abbii elongated her blink.

Closing his fingers around the dice in his hand, Nate sighed as he looked at her. "Does it matter?" He made it sound as if he didn't care what had happened, but Abbii couldn't believe it.

She looked up and met his gaze directly. "What did he say?"

Nate sighed. "You're more complicated than you appear."

"And?" A shiver of cold air followed her spine.

"He asked me to keep an eye on you..." He fidgeted in his place, as if nervous under Abbii's gaze. "He said that you see things. You're able to do things that others can't."

Abbii watched him as he spoke, noticing how he paused between each sentence, as if he was trying to word it perfectly before saying it. She wondered why he didn't ask her questions about what had happened; how it was that she had magic under her control. It didn't matter; she had to stay away from him.

She lay down without a word.

"I'm sorry," he replied. His gaze lowered briefly, as if he had done something wrong, when in fact it had been Daniel at fault, for telling him about Abbii's powers. She couldn't believe that he had explained everything to him—it was too dangerous. Abbii rolled her sleeve down to cover her scar. She couldn't let him get close to her.

"Nate, you have to go."

His face filled with shock. "I didn't mean anything by it, I—"

The hairs along her skin stood up. "Please, just go."

"But—"

"Please," she whispered.

Moving from the bed to stand to his feet, Nate met Abbii's gaze. She quickly looked away, afraid that she would cry if she held his gaze for too long. He walked towards the exit without saying anything and left. Abbii hoped that he would forgive her; she was only thinking of his safety. Nate was starting to mean something to her, and she would never forgive herself if anything happened to him. She had already lost Jake to the Shadows, and she was not willing to let Nate share his fate.

She lay down and let sleep take her, determined that tomorrow she would find out as much as she could about the Shadows. Her eyes closed and she drifted to sleep, unaware that Nate still stood the other side of the glass doors.

He watched her lie down, knowing exactly what she was trying to do by telling him to leave. "I won't let the Shadows take you, Abbii."

As Nate thought of her, his eyes began to emit a glow of light. He smiled and made his way down the corridor.
Six

After sleeping for several hours, Nate dressed himself, choosing to wear a pair of light jeans and a blue hoodie, and then made his way to the canteen. He hoped it would be quiet; he needed to think.

He was tense, thinking of the way that Abbii had told him to leave. She was scared, and he could sense it. He wished that he could take her away somewhere, some place that the Shadows couldn't sense her. Abbii had never let anyone get close to her—Nate needed to be, but he didn't know how Abbii's fear would get in the way; she had already told him to leave out of fear when she had wanted him to stay.

Arriving at the canteen, he bought a bottle of water and sat down at the table nearest the window, staring out into the gardens. The air was cold and rain fell at a steady pace. Autumn had approached much quicker than most years and few understood why.

Nate knew that the cold was proof that the Shadows were drawing in. They were getting closer, being drawn in by Abbii's sense of power. The Light within her was the only thing that they feared, and they would do anything to destroy it; neither could they survive heat nor sunlight, making them venture out at night. Closing his eyes briefly, he sighed due to the thoughts that had entered his head.

Now that he had met Abbii and got to know her through his own eyes, Nate felt different. Abbii's safety was all that mattered to him. He had learnt of the Shadows' existence when he had asked Daniel why she had collapsed in her room. Daniel had explained everything about the Shadows and their search for power, explaining how magic flowed through Abbii's veins. Nate was told how hard Abbii's future would be; she would struggle whilst her powers strengthened.

How could he keep the Shadows from her when she was confined to a single building that the Shadows would eventually learn to consume? How could he protect her when fear overcame her so often, making her every decision?

"Nate."

Broken from his thoughts, he looked ahead to see that Daniel had taken a seat opposite him. He remained silent, pushing Daniel to speak.

"I thought you would have been with Abbii. Sophie said you visited her last night?"

He sighed. "I was there, but she told me to leave."

Surprise covered Daniel's face. "You're meant to be keeping an eye on her!"

"I'm not spying on her for you."

Daniel's eyes narrowed. "We need you to keep her from wanting answers. She's not ready! If she finds out about the Elders or the Forgotten, the information could push her into Darkness!"

"Don't you think it's her choice what she does? The war between Light and Darkness has got nothing to do with her!" Nate had been told about the Elders and the Forgotten, learning that they were the two forces that constantly fought for power.

Clenching his teeth, Daniel leaned over the table with his hand and grabbed hold of Nate's shoulder tightly. "If you jeopardize everything that we've planned, she will die!"

Some students passing their table stopped and stared at Daniel. He met their gaze and watched as they walked off hurriedly. Releasing Nate, he returned to his seat.

"She'll die if she stays here!" Nate's tone showed his emotion.

Daniel lowered his gaze briefly, allowing his anger to fade. "We will protect her as long as we can. The barrier is still intact."

"Eventually, the Shadows will enter this building. She's waiting for her death." He stood up and looked at Daniel firmly. "When I found her unconscious in her room, her skin started to glow. Her powers are growing and the Shadows are surrounding us. Give it a few days, maybe a week more and everyone here will die."

"I'm well aware of our fate," Daniel whispered, "but Abbii has to survive. She can't go outside at night."

Since waking up in the Everglades infirmary, Nate had learnt many things regarding Abbii and her life. He had learnt of her past and the way that she had arrived at the College; he was told how she kept away from people and he learnt of Jake's death. Nate realised how much pain Abbii had suffered. He wished that he could help her.

He watched Daniel's face fill with regret. Nate sat down and sighed. "Why not take her and the others to the Elders? When she was friends with Jake, you should have sent them both there without hesitation!"

"To do what, Nate? The Elders want her to step forward, to become the Lasting Star. She is not ready! At least she has a life here." He raised his head slightly. "If we had sent her to the Elders with Jake, things would not have happened the same way!"

"What do you mean?"

"There are people who shouldn't exist that do...but that doesn't matter. As I said, at least she has a life here."

Nate wanted to ask what Daniel was referring to, but something stopped him. "She has a remnant of a life here," he replied. "Since the day her skin was marked by the Shadows, she has lost everything. Surely you are just prolonging her pain by keeping everything from her?"

Daniel turned his gaze to the window. "Perhaps you're right, but there is nothing that I can do. Sophie and I have no powers. You are the only one with the strength that she needs. Abbii does not yet understand the world in which she lives. Do you expect her to fight alone? You know best of all how the Darkness would corrupt her!"

Daniel spoke as if Nate himself had been affected by Darkness at one point in his life, but he did not remember. Nate's memories before The Everglades had been lost somehow—Sophie had called it temporary amnesia. Not wanting to push for answers, Nate breathed in.

"Abbii won't need to fight." He stood up again and moved to the end of the table.

"What are you going to do?" Daniel asked clearly.

Meeting his gaze, Nate breathed in. "When the Shadows come, you will only need to distract them." He turned to walk away.

"Wait!"

Stopping in his place, Nate continued to listen.

"There is a magical barrier in the old part of the College, which protects this building and all those inside. It is weakening. It needs more energy. If you were to approach it and offer it that energy, your senses would change; from then on you would sense every living being which crossed through its protection, foe or ally." Daniel trailed off before he gave away too much information.

He watched as Nate made his way outside without saying anything in response. He followed the shape of the building, passing several students on the way. He saw Max, who acknowledged him with a nod. They hadn't spoken much, but Nate had occupied the room opposite Max's since arriving at The Everglades, and they had met each other several times in the corridor.

Watching as a red leaf spiralled past him, Nate continued walking, making his way to the oldest part of the College. Students were not permitted access, and Nate presumed it was because of the fact that its structure upheld the transparent barrier, preventing the Shadows from entering the grounds. He pushed his hands into his pockets and paused as he looked up.

There was a small brick building, surrounded by thick clumps of bushes and ferns. Vines had grown up along the walls, stretching out like hands, reaching for the high precipice. It had used to act as a small chapel, proven by the stained window above the wooden door. Nate could sense the energy that radiated out from within the building, as if it called to him. Making his way forwards, he pushed on the door and entered into the cool space, stopping to take in the old features of the chapel.

A thin walkway led from the entrance to the worn pulpit at the far end. Two rows of chairs had once sat in matching rows at either side, but they now lay scattered across the length of the room as if a large wave had washed them aside, discarding them in awkward places. One glass window remained intact in the far wall which drew Nate's entire focus.

Reds and yellows depicted an image of the sun high in the sky. An angel was suspended beneath it, white wings spread wide from its sides. Nate found the image calming somewhat, reminding him of Abbii. He breathed in and focused on the energy that he could sense in the aura of the unused building. It seemed to be coming from the stage at the far end of the room. Nate didn't know what he was looking for, but he kept his senses focused at all times.

Once he had reached the pulpit, Nate paused slightly, glancing back to the entrance. He smiled as he noticed a small door in the corner, hidden by red roots which had burst through part of the brick wall. Vibrant energy brushed against Nate's senses, drawing him towards the door. He pushed on the door with some force, causing it to moan as the roots tried to keep their hold on the wood. As Nate ripped at the plants, freeing the hinges, a slender root came free in his grasp. A strange longing filled him, pushing him to walk through the door.

He entered a long, dark corridor, overgrown with leaves and vines, and he didn't waste much time before heading towards the small light source at the end. Small creatures scuttled across the ground, reminding Nate of old films that he had seen. He smiled as a shallow glow warmed his face, calling him to raise his gaze.

A large orb of light hovered in a wide alcove at the end of the corridor. It was surrounded by wisps of coloured air which spiralled around its shape, creating a steady breeze to fill the area. Nate could see that a spark of blue energy levitated in the centre, casting its colour over his face. This power source was what kept the Shadows from entering the College building, and Nate was glad that its strength still remained. He did not understand what it was made of, but he sensed a magical essence from within it like a consciousness.

"I don't know if you are a spirit or a power source, but I need to see all who approaches your barrier, ally or foe. I know that you're weakening, and so I offer you my energy in times of dire need."

The orb flashed in response.

Taking that as permission, Nate extended his hand, watching as the cool energy caressed his skin. He took in a breath and closed his eyes, allowing the blue magic to cover parts of his skin. It seemed to gather at his chest and was absorbed by the pendant around his neck once his eyes had opened again. Allowing his hand to fall back to his side, Nate focused onto his senses which had altered because of the magic.

He was now aware of every student who was near the barrier, surrounding the College gardens. Every time that one passed through its energy, Nate felt a sliver of cool air stroke his skin, and he could picture the student's face in his mind. A smile spread across his face, happy that he now had some control over the situation; at least now, he could sense when the Shadows were in the vicinity of the building.

Looking over the orb of coloured mist again, Nate turned his back and made his way towards the open space of the church. He knew that he would have to return in the future, as, if the Shadows consumed the building, they would be drawn to the essence of light that the sphere emitted. Nate would have to absorb its energy before the Shadows could destroy it.

Once he had reached the main wooden door to the chapel, Nate hesitated, as he saw that the sun was now on its decent to the horizon. He realised that the sphere of light must have altered time in its close surroundings. Nate thought that he had only been within the small building for minutes, but the truth was, he had been there for hours—most of the day, in fact.

A thought of Abbii entered his mind as he made his way towards the College. He wondered what she had been doing with her day. Taking in a breath, he allowed his mind to expand so that he could sense where she was, but someone distracted him.

"Hi, Nate!"

Colleen was rushing towards him, waving over her head.

He tried not to roll his eyes in response.

Once she had reached him, she paused a moment to gather her breath, before straightening her back with a smile. "I've been looking for you all day!"

"Sorry..."

"I'm having a party tomorrow night, my room at seven. You'll be there, right?"

Nate tried not to show his lack of enthusiasm as he watched Colleen desperately waiting for his answer.

"Most of the students are invited; it'll be fun!"

He sighed. "I'll think about it."

Without warning, Colleen hugged him tightly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Great!"

Not really knowing what to do, Nate tapped her back lightly. She seemed to exaggerate her hold on him, until he coughed, causing her to step back. A large grin spread across her face.

As Nate smiled in return, a strange feeling entered his body, making him look up towards the College, focusing onto one of its large glass windows. He saw Abbii, watching him. She disappeared as soon as he looked up.

Colleen, following his gaze, shrugged her shoulders. "See you at seven tomorrow, then?" And with nothing more to say, she ran off in the opposite direction, surprising another guy a moment later.

Keeping focused on the window, Nate sighed. I hope you'll be there, Abbii.

It was strange; the lives of all the students at The Everglades were in danger, as the Shadows continued to draw closer, but they were acting like their days were the same as all the others. Nate knew so much more, but he could not warn any of them. He had to continue acting as if nothing had changed. He had to act as if he had been accepted into the College because he was just another student, even if he wasn't.
Seven

Abbii left the infirmary as soon as she was up.

It was almost midday when she awoke. She couldn't believe that she'd slept so long, with no dreams or nightmares keeping her awake. Her body felt refreshed, ready for the day ahead. A smile spread across her face.

After returning to her room so that she could change her clothes, Abbii then made her way to the library. She was meant to have Art for the first two hours of studying on a Tuesday, but she made sure to avoid her class. Usually, Art was her favourite, and the fact that she did not want to attend caused her to feel confused. A strange thought entered her head and she wondered if she was skipping class so that she wouldn't have to see Nate. Why was she thinking of him so much?

Reaching the library's large open-space study area, Abbii seated herself at the far computer which was cornered from the rest. She straightened her back and got comfy, hovering her fingertips over the keyboard. She hesitated.

When she had told Nate to leave her the day before, she had decided that she was going to find out as much as she could about the Shadows and the elements that Sophie had spoken of. Daniel wasn't going to tell her anything, so researching was the next best thing, but what could she type into the computer for it to search for?

Shadows attacking people?

Light and Darkness?

Bringing up the College's main search engine, Abbii decided to start simple. She started to type, pressing 'enter' when she had finished. Her first point of research was The Everglades College.

Pages and pages of different documents popped up onto the screen, but Abbii found it strange that of all of the pictures that had appeared, none of them were of The Everglades College that she knew. There were images of large areas of subtropical wetlands in America, and information about a national park with the same name. She found maps of universities in a city called Everglades, and large paragraphs of text which spoke of a restoration project under the same name, but she still could not find any link to a College for troubled young adults.

She pulled out a pad and a pen from her bag, and set them next to her computer. A list of points had been written down the left hand side of the page, with The Everglades being the first. Taking hold of her pen, Abbii crossed it off and moved to the second.

Daniel Hampton.

Abbii had thought that she had known her head teacher pretty well after being a student at the College for over four years, but when Daniel had found her on the eve of Jake's death, showing that he knew about the Shadows and the way that they had ruined Abbii's life, she had realised that she barely knew the man he really was. She had believed that he was a quiet, cautious man who liked things to be followed in a precise pattern, but since the Shadows had appeared, he had become on edge, fierce and determined. She typed his name into the computer and waited for the results.

Links that led to websites about football and sports popped up onto the screen after a moment. Information about a travelling company, whose manager had the same name as Daniel, also appeared. No evidence of a head teacher at a College was shown. Not even an image of Daniel's face was found by the computer, shattering Abbii's hopes of finding out where Daniel had come from before The Everglades.

She reached for her pen again and crossed off his name. The task was proving more difficult than Abbii had thought it would. Only two names remained—Jake Christian and Nate Edwards. For a moment, Abbii just looked at their names, remembering their facial expressions and the ability that they had both shared of being able to make her smile no matter what. Her hands hovered above the keyboard as she thought about which name to research first. Jake was the next in the list, but Abbii's mind felt compelled towards Nate's.

Almost reluctantly, Abbii typed in Jake's name and waited for the computer to show her the results. It didn't take long. Links to websites and social networking sites popped up, causing Abbii to sigh, seeing that none of them were linked to Jake. How was she supposed to find out as much information as she could, about the people and events around her, when they didn't seem to exist?

Using the mouse, she scrolled through a few pages before leaning back in her chair. She breathed in and stared at the screen—another dead end. Moving to pick up her pen so that she could cross out Jake's name, Abbii paused as something caught her eye. She straightened up and moved closer to what had drawn her attention.

There was a coloured photograph of a boy which appeared to be a section of a newspaper report. Abbii couldn't see it clearly, but she knew that it was Jake because of the eyes. Moving the mouse, she clicked on the picture and watched as a second internet page stretched across the screen, showing Abbii the complete news report. She stayed still, transfixed onto the title, written in large black lettering above Jake's picture: "Shadows Took My Son."

Abbii read the title over and over, feeling a cool shiver run across her skin. She moved her focus onto Jake's picture and saw that he was no older than ten or eleven. The photograph was old, and, from the title, Abbii presumed that it must have belonged to Jake's parents. Jake had never spoken of his family, except the anger that he had felt for being at The Everglades when the remaining members had passed away.

Taking in a breath, Abbii began to read, whispering it aloud. "On Thursday 15th of June 2007, Jake Christian was reported missing from his coastal home in the outskirts of Pennyworth. His mother, Tricia Christian, revealed that she had not seen her son for over 24 hours, assuming that he had run away from their family home, due to the grief of losing his father, James Christian, to the unexplained garden accident that had claimed his life."

Pausing to look at the photograph of Jake, Abbii realised how much he had never told her. She had always thought that they had been close, but even she had not known who he was. Disappointed with herself for being so naïve, Abbii continued reading.

"Police and forensics searched the local area and the Christian's home for evidence of Jake, but four days later, declared that the search was over. Mrs Christian, so devastated with the news, broke down into tears, shouting that her son had been missing for much longer than she had reported. The police questioned her, but she replied by saying 'The Shadows took my son.'"

Abbii leant back in her chair. His family knew about the Shadows? Did Jake...?

Focusing again, Abbii read the last paragraph of the report. "After several days of questioning, Mrs Christian broke down into an unstable state, causing her to be admitted into the local psychiatric ward. No more evidence of Jake's disappearance was found by the local police force, and the case was closed."

She couldn't believe how things had turned out for Jake and his family; so much had happened to them. Looking again at Jake's image, Abbii noticed that several of the words in the news report were highlighted. She hovered over Mrs Christian's name and clicked the mouse, resulting in a third internet page to pop up.

A quiet sigh left Abbii's lips as she read the title: "Mother of Lost Son Takes Her Own Life." The hairs along her arms and neck stood up as she scrolled down to see several images. She could see a family portrait of the Christians, glowing with happiness together. Jake was in the centre, with his parents on his left and his grandparents on the right; he looked about ten or eleven. Abbii realised that his parents must not have had any recent photos of him at the time of the news reports.

Did Jake never go back? Not once?

Moving down the page, Abbii then saw a portrait of Tricia Christian. She was smiling, and there seemed to be a source of light within each of her irises. Abbii saddened at the thought of what had happened to her; she was almost glad that this second report was only made up of images, rather than a detailed description of what had happened. She hesitated as the last image drew her entire attention.

A large photograph of a white, empty room was the final image of the report. Abbii could see that black markings had been sprawled messily across the walls and floor. She read the caption that was beneath the image: 'Room of Tricia Christian admitted into psychiatric care after the loss of her son.' Once she had read the words, Abbii felt drawn to look back at the photograph. She moved the mouse over it and double clicked, making the image larger.

The black shapes revealed small symbols. Abbii could see several varying circles, crosses and words, as if there had once been a list of names on the wall that Mrs Christian had had to keep an eye on. Following the spacing of each new line, Abbii focused onto the last two, realising that the words were Tricia and Jake's names. She moved back from the screen, realising that Tricia Christian must have known much more about the Shadows than she had said. Abbii had a strange thought.

What if Tricia had wanted to be taken into psychiatric care for her own protection? Not from herself, but rather from the Shadows that she knew wanted her dead? The Shadows were after their family, but why? What connection did they have to me?

Filled with so many unanswerable questions, Abbii placed her head into her hands and sighed. What was she supposed to do? The Shadows were after her, just as they had been after Jake's family, but they had not been able to escape; they had all been killed by the Shadows. Abbii didn't want people to die because of her. Though she didn't know every person at The Everglades, she felt connected to many of them; she was not willing to let them die because of her. There was a reason why the Shadows had taken Jake, and there was a reason why they wanted Abbii, but the students at the College deserved to be safe in the one place that they had.

Taking hold of her mouse, Abbii clicked the print button and then closed down the internet before shutting down her computer. She stuffed her pad and pen back into her bag and walked over to the printer, grabbing the reports which she also put into her bag. Taking in a breath as she looked up, Abbii caught sight of the clock, realising that it was evening. She had been at the library all afternoon, having nothing to eat or drink. It was strange, but she felt as if she had no sense of time about her.

Making her way towards the wooden door, Abbii realised how much she ached from sitting in the same position for so long. She stretched her legs as she reached the top of the stairs which led down from the library into the main College corridor. Happy that she was not too stiff to walk down the stairs, Abbii made her way down the first set, pausing as she reached the landing. Feeling the last of the sunlight catch her face, she looked down from the window.

She immediately saw Nate, talking with Colleen. A look of disgust took her face as she watched Colleen wrap her arms around Nate's neck. Her whole face tensed as she saw that Nate did not push her away. He simply stood there until she released him with a large grin and ran off.

Abbii felt as if she wanted to hit something or scream into a pillow. There was no way that she was going to let Colleen take Nate away from her. Realising how pathetic she would have sounded if she had confronted them both, Abbii blushed as Nate met her gaze, looking up towards the window. A strange tingling entered her head as she hurriedly moved out of Nate's view.

I hope you'll be there, Abbii...

She stopped in her place, thinking that she had heard Nate's voice in her mind. Shaking her head, annoyed with herself for reacting like she had, Abbii rushed down the stairs, suddenly feeling anger boil inside of her. She started to think of Daniel, frightened at what he had told Nate about her. Rushing through the corridor, Abbii knew that Daniel would be teaching in E block, the last room of the hall. She reached the door in little time, bursting into his class.

"Why did you tell him?"

Daniel lowered the board pen in his hand and turned to look at her. He glanced briefly at the students in his class, noticing how they had fallen silent. "Abbii, perhaps you'd like to wait in my office?" There was no malice in his voice, but Abbii could see that he was serious.

Huffing loudly, she turned and left the room, slamming the door behind her. She knew without a doubt that the students would now be talking about her, but she didn't care. She wanted to know why Daniel had felt the need to talk to Nate about her visions.

Instead of heading for his office, Abbii moved up the corridor slightly, pacing from side to side. A long moment passed before Daniel approached her.

"You should be careful what you say in front of the other students, Abbii."

She stopped in her place and glared at him. "Why did you tell him?"

He lowered his gaze with a sigh. "I expected you to have asked sooner."

"I've been busy!" she replied sharply, "Researching everything that I can that's in my life: You, this College, even Jake, and you know what I found? Nothing! Nothing, except a report about Jake's family being attacked by Shadows, and now after everything that's happened, you felt the need to tell Nate about me!"

Daniel looked up to see that Abbii's face was consumed by anger. "I felt that he needed to know something. He needed to know about your visions."

"Why? He didn't need to know anything!"

"I told him so that he wouldn't leave your side. It makes things easier for the two of you if he knows!"

Her brow arched inwards. "We're just friends Daniel, barely that, and now you've put him in danger because of me! I was keeping him safe, but now the Shadows will kill him!"

Understanding Abbii's fear, Daniel sighed. "Nate can take care of himself."

Angered by Daniel's calmness, Abbii clenched her hands into fists, causing a glow to erupt across her skin. She moved forwards, breathing hastily.

"Abbii, don't!" He looked around quickly to make sure that no students were present. He saw no one.

She sighed reluctantly and released her hands. Turning her back in silence, she started to walk as her magic began to fade.

"Where are you going?" Daniel called.

Abbii whispered her reply. "I'm going to find out as much as I can about Jake...and why he was killed."

She turned right once she was in the corridor, passing two girls on the way to their room, and then turned left as she reached the main central area of the College, moving into corridor C. The colour of the walls changed as she continued down the long pathway of lockers, noticing that the blue of the paint was much darker than that of a cloudless sky. Many of the lockers were open due to the time, as many of the students would have left their final class, finishing anything that they may have left to do before heading back to their room for the curfew.

Daniel had decreased the curfew from ten o'clock to eight, much to everyone's disappointment. He had not told the students why, which had made some of them question him, but after a few days, everyone began to follow the timings. Abbii didn't mind the change in time, as she had been in her room and the infirmary a lot lately, so had little reason to break the curfew. She avoided going outside as often as she could, and she no longer needed to sneak out to meet Jake so the curfew made her life that one bit easier, whilst the Shadows continued to approach.

Abbii's senses had altered since her departure from the infirmary, and she wondered if it was due to the fact that the wild autumnal breeze now carried the essence of the Shadows, proving that they continued their pursuit towards the building. No one knew how long it would take them to reach the College, but Abbii could sense that no more than two to three full days remained. Once she had finished everything that needed to be seen to at The Everglades, Abbii had to think of something that she could do to keep everyone out of harm's way.

Letting her thoughts pass, Abbii stopped in front of a natural-coloured wooden door. She breathed in almost in hesitation, allowing her senses to prove that the room in front of her had been Jake's. It was funny, through all the years that Jake and Abbii had been friends, neither of them had been in each other's room; they had never discussed it, but neither of them had minded. Reaching out, feeling strange that she knew which room had belonged to Jake without anyone telling her, Abbii went to push on the door.

"Abbii?"

Startled by the voice, Abbii turned around quickly. She sighed as she saw Max stood in his doorway ahead. "Hi."

"I've never seen you down here before. What are you doing?" he asked.

She lowered her gaze briefly. "This is Jake's room, right?"

Taking a moment to look Abbii over, seeing that she had saddened, Max smiled. "It was. Well, it still is."

"It can't be both," she said, allowing herself to smile.

"I see Nate coming and going sometimes. I think he sleeps in there."

Abbii held Max's gaze. "In here?"

Max nodded. "Some nights I'm sure of it, but then other times I hear nothing. I don't know where he goes on those nights."

Not allowing her thoughts to be sidetracked onto Nate, Abbii remembered why she had come. "Are Jake's things still in there?"

"Yeah, they haven't been moved. Sometimes when I see Nate leaving, I see the room exactly the way it was. He mustn't stay in there for long."

"Thanks," Abbii turned and faced the door.

Max shuffled uncomfortably. "I'll leave you to it. But I'm here if you need me." He closed his door quietly, leaving Abbii silent in the corridor.

She pushed on the door and watched as it swung open. Looking over the room, she took in its details. The room itself was built with the same layout as hers, with the window straight head. Compared to Abbii's though, the layout was used differently, as the bed was propped against the left wall, with piles of papers and boxes surrounding it. If not for a small gap in the boxes, the bed would have been concealed completely from view.

Abbii shuffled in to look around. She saw several posters decorating the wall, showing scenes of violence. It caused her to shudder as she looked at one specifically, as it reminded her of Jake's death, the way that the sharpened edge had pierced his torso. Moving her gaze quickly, she noticed that a black blind covered the window, allowing small slices of light to shine through the wooden slats. A rug, similarly coloured, lay across the floor at Abbii's feet. She found the room dark and cramped, fully understanding why Nate would prefer not to sleep there.

With a quiet sigh, she moved into the room, feeling the door close behind her. A fragrance of aftershave seemed to surround her which reminded her of Nate. Shaking her head, Abbii followed the one wall with her gaze until she stopped, drawn to something that seemed out of place.

The painting that she had made in her first year at the College, portraying a shooting star falling through the darkness, hung securely in place above the bed. It seemed to glow with Abbii's gaze upon it, making her smile. She had given the painting to Jake on his first birthday at The Everglades, but she had never realised that he had kept it so close. Her smile remained as she turned, focusing onto a tall mirror that hung on the opposing wall.

She walked towards it, taking in the detail of its wooden frame. Extending her hand to stroke the glass, Abbii felt the coolness of its surface spread along her fingertips as she took in her reflection. She realised that her appearance had improved greatly since the last time that she had clearly looked at herself; the rings under her eyes were gone, and her skin had seemed to recover its natural colour. Her gaze lowered briefly.

If only the Shadows weren't coming...

For once in her life, she wished that things could stay the same. She had grown to enjoy living at The Everglades, and she hated the idea of the Shadows consuming it. Although she would have preferred Jake to still be by her side, Abbii realised that he had suffered endlessly, holding onto every anger and pain that he had ever felt. He had grown tired and grief had changed him. At least now, he was free to rest by his family's side.

A sudden ache consumed Abbii's head as an image flashed in front of her eyes. She staggered back slightly, but used the mirror for support as several visions flooded her mind. Hyperventilating, she leant forward and closed her eyes, deciding that ignoring her visions would make no difference; it would only pain her deeper than if she allowed them to complete their course. A subtle glow escaped from her angel pendant.

Grey clouds filled the horizon, and rain fell from the sky. Dark shapes spread along the ground as Shadows. They consumed a small part of the College within moments, which caused a strange blue shockwave to emit outwards. The Shadows, sensing that they could now pass as they pleased, sped towards The Everglades, killing several students on the way. Windows shattered and screams echoed outwards. Abbii clenched her fist and the image faded from sight.

Trying to catch her breath, Abbii leaned too heavily onto the mirror, causing it to fall onto the floor. A corner of it smashed as it lay in an awkward position alongside the wall and a small piece of furniture. Abbii straightened her back and rushed to the door. Feeling bile rise from her stomach, she ran into the corridor. Max immediately opened his door to check on her, shouting her name, but she kept moving, heading straight for the nearest bathroom.

As soon as she arrived, she stopped at the sink and splashed cold water across her face. She swallowed the bile in her throat and focused onto the mirror ahead. I can't let them die. I can't let the Darkness come here. I have to change the Shadows' focus.
Eight

Nate hadn't slept since joining with the magic that protected the College with its power, though he didn't feel tired. He had sat on the stone steps all night, leading to the main entrance of the building. His mind had felt pressurised, as he had simply stared into the horizon, focusing entirely on the dark hue that seeped out into the grey sky of the morning.

He knew that the Shadows were close. Their power was growing day by day, and soon they would consume the College. Nate knew that the barrier of magic would only keep them back for a small amount of time. He sighed as he stood up.

The day went by quickly and Nate didn't have much to show for it. He had walked around the College several times, stopping briefly only when an image of Abbii entered his mind. At lunch, he had simply sat in the canteen, looking out towards the horizon in the far distance. He didn't know what to do, but he knew he had to protect Abbii no matter what.

Wednesday was taken by Art, but Nate had had no desire to attend the hours of class whilst the Shadows continued their pursuit. Walking through the corridor, he stopped at the entrance to the Art Hall, leaning in to observe over the class. The teacher turned, almost sensing his presence, and met his gaze. Nate took a moment to take in the details of Alice's features, distracting him briefly from thinking about Abbii.

She had long blond hair that ended just below her shoulder blades, flicking out in even layers around her face. Her skin was pale, but the dark makeup around her eyes and the coloured powder across her cheeks gave her face definition. Alice wore black leggings, a long white top, and knee-high boots strapped up her calves. Coloured bangles decorated each of her wrists and small stud earrings decorated her ears and nose. He did not know what had happened to her in the past, but he sensed that it had been hard for her, making her learn to stand up in life and keep going. She was not much older than her students, but Nate could sense that she was wise beyond her years.

Alice smiled. She didn't say anything, choosing rather to turn and face her easel, taking hold of a graphite pencil that lay at its side. The other students continued with their portraits; many of them had chosen to sketch landscapes and simple outlines of people, but Max and Alice had both designed complex compositions, which Nate noticed as he looked over them. He knew if he had attended class that his composition would have focused entirely onto Abbii; every time he blinked, he saw her gentle face.

Leaning down to choose some paint, Max met Nate's gaze. He smiled and extended his hands towards his painting.

"What do you think?" he mused.

Nate returned the smile but remained quiet, not understanding why the students had not questioned him about attending class. He wondered if Daniel had made an announcement to say that Nate also had permission to skip classes, similarly to Abbii; if that were the case, Nate wished that Daniel's behaviour would stabilise again, as the more he changed, the more questions people would start to ask.

Nate then looked at Colleen who sat directly in front of him. She had painted very little, choosing to spend most of her time looking over all the guys of the class. A thought entered Nate's head which made him smile. If only Abbii were here. He pictured her rolling her eyes at Colleen, secretly angered by her ability to catch any guy's attention, treating them like animals that would do anything for her.

"What do you think, Nate?"

Colleen turned to face him, tactically moving her skirt at an angle across her thighs. He sighed and averted his gaze briefly. Almost in disappointment, she scowled before softening her expression as he looked up. "You still coming to the party tonight?" she asked. "Everything's ready."

"I don't know."

"You didn't forget, did you?" The outrage in her tone made some of the students turn around.

Max looked at her, smiling. "Not everyone is interested in your parties Colleen."

She narrowed her eyes. "What do you know, geek?"

Laughing aloud, Max winked at Nate before focusing again onto his painting.

"Anyway, as I was saying, me and the girls are going to be ready at six. You'll be over for the party around seven, right Nate?"

He moved his gaze to the large clock at the side, seeing that it was now 5.50. Ten minutes until class finished.

"Abbii's coming too."

Surprised by the mention of Abbii's name, Nate met Colleen's gaze, holding it for several moments. "You invited her?"

Susan turned around to glare at her friend. "But Colleen, I thought..."

She coughed loudly, kicking Susan's chair. "I invited her yesterday, remember?" The emphasis on her last word made Susan fall silent as Max turned around again.

"No one cares. Just shut up about it!"

"You're only jealous!" May taunted.

Max rolled his eyes and turned his back.

Colleen held Nate's gaze. "I'll see you at seven?"

A sigh left Nate's lips. If there's a chance of talking to Abbii.... "Sure, seven."

After a moment or two, all of them had settled down again, focusing onto their pictures. The class fell silent as they all concentrated. Max had used vibrant colours around the edges of his canvas, whereas Alice had used very little colour, choosing rather to use graphite and fine liner to highlight the details that she felt were the most important. Colleen gave up easily, and when the bell rang to show that the class was over, she and Susan were the first to leave the room.

The other students filed out in small groups, leaving Alice finishing her art. She shaded in the last section before straightening her back. Turning around, she had not expected Nate to have stayed. A smile spread across her face and she left the room without saying anything, brushing past him gently.

Their eyes had only met briefly, but Nate's skin had warmed. A strange feeling had seeped into him, causing him to wonder if it had been because of Alice or something else; he soon realised that it wasn't just something else. It was Abbii. His head started to throb and an image materialised in his head. He saw the library, with Abbii sat at a computer, reading through large sections of text. A shiver stroked his arm. As his breath quickened, he turned and made his way down the corridor, allowing the images to fade.

Reaching Jake's old room, Nate opened the door slightly and reached in, grabbing hold of a bag which sat by the inside of the door. He briefly looked inside of it to check that everything he needed was inside, and then pulled his door closed before making his way towards the shower room at the end of the corridor. Because it was late in the day, he hoped that the showers would be empty.

Once he had reached the room, he walked across the tiled floor, stopping at the large mirror which panelled along the left wall. Sighing as he met his own gaze, he turned his back and entered into one of the cubicles, dropping his bag in the corner once he had closed the door. He kicked his shoes off, dumping them on top of his bag, before he started to undress. His skin was tanned and several lined scars marked his torso; the one across his wrist was the largest, but it had faded recently, allowing a silver colouring to surround it. Small freckles were dotted across his skin. As the water washed over him, Nate closed his eyes and listened.

It didn't take long for images of Abbii to enter his head; even when he opened his shower gel and massaged it into his skin, Nate could still see her. Before Abbii, Nate had not been himself; he had cared very little about the people around him and the events of the world, but now he was starting to see things differently. He now cared about Abbii's safety and thought of her often.

Opening his eyes, Nate suddenly felt light-headed, extending his arm to steady himself on the wall. His breathing became shallow as if the water had lost all of its warmth. It was the same feeling that he had felt when stood outside of the Art class, and more images of Abbii appeared in his head; this time, he saw her running past buildings, cars rushing by. She was scared, her heartbeat had quickened.

The images disappeared.

Regaining full control of his breath, Nate turned off the water, noticing that his skin remained hot. The hairs along his neck had stood up. This time the feeling did not fade completely; the images disappeared, but the fear that Nate could sense from Abbii still remained. Something was wrong.

Abbii...

Dressing himself quickly, Nate stuffed his old clothes into his bag and rushed back into the corridor. The moisture which remained on his skin was soaked in by his clothes and his hair lay sodden against his forehead. He moved into a run as Max came into view, reaching out to push on his door.

Trying to catch his breath, Nate drew Max's attention.

"Are you that eager to get to Colleen's party?" His light-hearted tone caused a smile to spread across his face.

"Have you seen Abbii?"

"Not since yesterday. Why, what's up?"

Nate clenched his fist in frustration. "I need to find her!"

"Come on, it's obvious she likes you too. You don't need to try so hard."

Frustrated with Max's lack of seriousness, Nate grabbed him by the shoulder, causing a strange surge of energy to dart through him. Images flashed across his eyes, showing Max talking to Abbii before she had entered Jake's old room. He saw broken glass and a flash of light. He felt a strong power essence from Max's touch.

"Hey!" Max pulled out of his grasp and stepped back.

Nate watched him closely, seeing that a sliver of light had consumed his irises.

Shuffling in his place, Max narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter, I need to find Abbii!"

"But—"

"She's in danger!"

Straightening his posture, Max breathed out. "She said that she wanted to look through Jake's things. Something smashed and she ran off." His eye remained entirely focused onto Nate's face. "The Shadows are after her too, aren't they?"

Ignoring Max's question, Nate pushed into Jake's old room. The light turned on automatically, revealing that glass had sprayed across most of the floor. He glanced around quickly to see if there was any evidence of blood, but when he didn't see any, he closed his eyes. He saw Abbii's reflection and the horror that had consumed her face. He saw the vision that she had seen; the faces of the bodies that haunted her. Gasping for a breath, he turned to face Max who seemed taken aback, looking around the room. Nate did not know why his mind was able to create such images, but he pushed the thoughts aside.

"Did she take anything?"

Startled by his sudden question, Max met his gaze. "I don't think so."

Nate started to pace.

"Has she left the College?" A hint of worry seemed to affect Max's voice.

Gasping at the thought, Nate left the room and started to run down the corridor.

"Hey, wait! What am I supposed to do?" Max shouted after him, but received no reply.

Nate continued to run through C corridor, increasing his speed as he neared Abbii's room. Reaching the door, he seemed to hesitate, drawing in a long steady breath. He breathed out and pushed on her door, being met with her sweet fragrance which seemed to wash over him. Dismissing the fact that he had never been in her room before, Nate rushed to her bed, seeing several sheets of paper lain out over her duvet.

He looked over them all to see that they were the reports that she had been reading in the library. Pictures of Jake and his family caused Nate to shiver. He read the titles of the articles before focusing onto Abbii's writing pad which lay in the centre. He could see the list that she had worked through on the left hand side of the page; all of them were crossed out. A small diagram had been sprawled across the opposite page, which Nate immediately recognised as an aerial view of Pennyworth.

"Don't go there, Abbii..."

Noticing a piece of paper partly hidden beneath her pad, Nate leant forward and pulled it free, seeing that Abbii's handwriting covered its one side. He closed his eyes briefly before concentrating onto the words.

'I've felt so helpless lately.

I'm the girl who always needs help, troubled by simple things that she doesn't understand, and now my life has got so much more complicated. I don't know what's going to happen.

I tried to convince myself that I could believe in my own decisions and keep everyone safe, but I don't think I'll ever be able to, so leaving is the next best thing. It's the only way I can keep people safe. No one deserves to be killed because of me.

The things I have seen, the people I have met, I will not allow their lives to end because of me. Max, Daniel, Sophie, even Colleen and her friends deserve to live. I could never hurt them...or you, Nate.

I don't know why you came into my life, but I'm glad that you did. I'm sorry that I could not be who you wanted me to be. I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you.

Keep them safe for me.

A.'

Nate increased his grip on the piece of paper, holding back his emotions. His hand began to glow and his eyes emitted a shallow light.

Daniel and Max appeared at the doorway. "Has she gone?" Daniel asked hastily.

Lowering his gaze, Nate replied, "Yes...she's trying to save them. She doesn't realise that I know everything."

"No, it's over...She wasn't meant to leave alone! That's not what we planned for her!" Despair consumed Daniel's face.

"You have to go after her!" Max shouted.

Startled by his sudden outburst, Nate turned and faced him, watching Max's brow arch inwards as if something in Nate's eyes drew his entire focus. His gaze did not falter, however.

Max breathed in. "If she's gone, you have to find her."

"Out of the question," Daniel interrupted. "I am not losing both of you!"

"We haven't lost her!" Nate shouted.

Daniel fell silent as Max nodded.

Nate straightened his posture. "She can't fight by herself."

"But you don't know where she is—she could lead you into a trap!"

"She's going to Pennyworth."

Daniel inhaled a shallow breath. "Both the Forgotten and the Elders will follow your every move. How are you going to outrun them both? Pennyworth will draw you both in, until there is no other option than to choose a side! What good will that do, Nate?"

He sighed. "I will follow Abbii in every decision she makes."

Falling silent, Daniel looked to the floor.

Making his way past him into the corridor, Nate looked towards the white glass doors which lead to the outside. He smiled at the thought of Abbii, rushing through them.

"Here." Daniel handed him a set of keys. "I can see that your mind is made up. Be careful."

Nate accepted them quickly and nodded. He glanced at Max. "This College will need all the help it can get if the Shadows come."

Nodding in understanding, Max moved back, watching as Nate made his way for the door. With his bag on his back and Abbii's note in his grasp, he started to run, heading for Daniel's car.
Nine

Stopping to lean against a tree, Abbii took in a breath, feeling the cool air swirl into her lungs. She raised her gaze ahead to see a busy road filled with rows of heavy traffic. Since leaving The Everglades, she had already passed several long stretches of road, crossing them easily to continue in the direction that she needed to head for, but here there was too much traffic so she knew that she would have to follow it until she was able to get to the other side easily. Moving her bag onto her opposite shoulder, she started to walk again, keeping an equal distance between the road and the trees to her right.

It was growing dark, but Abbii was determined as ever to reach Pennyworth; she didn't know what she would find there or what information she might uncover, but a strong sense of gravity seemed to draw her towards the coastal town. She hoped that by staying near the brightly lit street lamps that she would be kept safe, but somewhere deep within her, she knew she would have to get out of the dark. Not knowing how many miles there were until the next town, or if there even was another before Pennyworth, Abbii kept walking.

Since leaving the College where she had studied for four steady years, she had headed south along the road which circled away from the building. She had passed a small lay-by on her way where she had stopped briefly, fighting the urge to return. The truth was that she was afraid that the Shadows would come for her as soon as the night arrived; she was aware that some were hiding amongst the trees as the twilight progressed, but once the last of the sun's light had faded, many more would come. Abbii's thoughts focused onto the people that she was trying to save.

To begin with, when she had first arrived at The Everglades, Abbii had been alone; her mother, the only family that she had remaining, had thrown her out. Abbii despised her and she vowed that she would never forgive what she had done, but one thing that she had appreciated was the fact that she had met Daniel and the rest of the students because of her mother's actions. She had issues with some of them, like Colleen and her friends, but Abbii had grown accustomed to having them in her life; she knew it would be hard to leave them behind.

She hated the fact that her visions had ruined everything; at least when they had been simple nightmares, Abbii could push them to the back of her mind so that she could get through the day, but now that she was seeing images of pain and misery whilst she was awake, it was much harder for her to continue on. The visions, added to the return of the Shadows which were chasing after her for the second time in her life, were making Abbii's days more and more unpredictable. She despised the Shadows and what they had done.

Jake had been her best friend, offering her a shoulder to lean on whenever it was needed, but even he had been taken by the Shadows. Four years of friendship had been destroyed by a single night. Abbii wondered what would have happened if she had learnt about her visions beforehand; she hoped that she could have saved him. Although it was a night that Abbii would never forget, its events had led to her discovering more about her life.

Abbii had discovered that her head teacher Daniel had a much higher purpose than to simply watch over the studying of his students. She had learnt that he and others like Sophie had protected her since her arrival at the College, because she was someone called The Lasting Star. Even so, Abbii did not know what they fought for. She had heard them refer to her being The Lasting Star several times, but she did not know what it meant. Was it something to do with her visions? Did she have other abilities that she didn't know about?

So much had changed in such a short amount of time. She had gained very little information to help her, but she had met people that she could never forget. She had met Nate.

It was strange for her to admit, but she cared for Nate as if they had always known each other. In reality, they had only been in each other's lives for over a week, but Abbii wanted to keep him safe no matter what it entailed. Somewhere within her, she sensed that Nate would be a big part of her future and the many events that she would have to fight through. She hoped that he would find her.

She smiled as an image of his face appeared in her mind. His eyes glistened and he looked at her as if nothing else mattered to him, as if Abbii was the only thing that he cared for. Her gaze followed the shape of his jaw, taking in the detail of his skin, reminding her of Jake. There were several similarities that Nate shared with Jake, but Abbii let the thought fade. She wondered...no, she hoped that Nate would fight for her like she wanted him to.

A loud screech echoed through her, causing her to stumble as her thoughts were broken. She gasped for a breath as a set of lights beamed over her, revealing that she had stepped into the road. Moving back hastily, she slipped down the grassy verge at the side of the road, blinking rapidly. Her heart hammered against her chest and a strange tingling sensation spread through her arm. She raised her gaze to be met with the dark silhouettes of trees, creating a shiver to wash over her skin. Ignoring the feeling in her arm, she moved to her feet and continued on, breathing through her nose.

From the research that she had done on the route to Pennyworth, Abbii knew it would take several days by car to reach the coastal town, stopping to rest at night. Originally, she had planned to hitch a ride into Pennyworth, but something had deterred her, a strange urge to keep walking; without a car, the journey time would double, but Abbii's determination remained.

The darkness began to deepen as the sun was swallowed by the horizon. The lack of light made it increasingly difficult for Abbii to read the road signs, frustrating her; it hadn't helped that she had left her phone at the College- its light would have helped. Picturing the rough outline of the map within her bag, Abbii remembered several long stretches of road that all lead to the south. She hoped that the road that she was following didn't split or sway in direction whilst her vision was restricted.

Adjusting her bag again, Abbii started to feel the darkness pricking at her skin. She pushed her hands into her deep front pocket to warm her skin. Without warning, a large surge of energy travelled through her, pushing her to her knees. Her consciousness expanded and a bright image flashed in front of her. She could see an old bed and breakfast set back from the road, with a well lit sign saying 'Welcome' at its entrance. The image disappeared as Abbii raised her gaze, focusing on the shape of a small building in the near distance. She smiled.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Abbii spun around to see that a car had pulled up alongside her. The window was down and a shadowed face was peering out at her.

"Are you alright?" he asked again.

Forcing a smile, Abbii stood up, picking her bag up from the grass. "I'm fine, I just slipped."

"Where you headed?"

Abbii hesitated as a strange feeling caused her to shudder. She pushed the feeling aside as she pointed ahead. "Just the B&B."

The driver followed the direction she pointed, but seemed to fidget in his place as he returned his gaze back to her face. "Right...you need a lift anywhere?"

Confused with the wording of his question, Abbii shook her head. "I can walk; it's not far, but thanks." She started to walk, lifting her bag onto her shoulder.

Watching her closely, the driver seemed to hesitate as if a strange dilemma perplexed him. "Take care," he called after her.

Abbii paused and looked back, seeing that the car had returned to the road and the window had been wound up. Watching as the driver stared at her as he drove past, Abbii continued on, keeping the bed and breakfast as her constant focus. She had not expected to have reached a place to stay so close to the College, but she was thankful nonetheless. If the B&B hadn't been there, Abbii would have given up because of the fear which was close to overwhelming her.

She clasped her hands together whilst keeping them in her pocket, counting her fingers repetitively. Her fingertips were cold, but Abbii focused onto her counting, tapping her fingernail against her thumb for every number. She realised how long her nails had grown since studying at The Everglades, compared to the short stumps that they had once been.

Focusing ahead, she saw that only one streetlight remained before reaching the B&B. She smiled briefly as she continued to walk, glancing down to the floor. Mud had built up around the edges of her grey boots, masking the flat soles. Abbii wanted to wipe them on the grass, but she kept moving, continuing with her counting.

She stopped abruptly, as the light of the last streetlight beamed over her. She pulled her hands free from her pocket and took hold of the metal streetlight at her side. The chill of its surface pricked against her skin, but it did not distract her—something else had grabbed her entire focus.

The small B&B was across the road, several car lengths back from the pavement. Its porch was well lit, but the distance for Abbii to cover until then was not. She scanned her eyes across the road, holding back a gasp as she noticed a thin, black shape which was spreading towards her feet. She shuffled backwards as her scar began to throb uncontrollably, noticing that the Shadow followed her movement. Feeling her chest start to hammer with her hasty heartbeat, Abbii glanced to her side to see that several more Shadows were oozing out from the trees. She sobbed under her breath, closing her eyes in the hope that what she was seeing would disappear.

Tightening her grip against the metal of the streetlight, Abbii opened her eyes to see that the Shadows had grown closer to her. Their shapes elongated across the grassy verge, rising up the gradual decline slowly. Others seemed to appear, but Abbii's gaze was drawn upwards.

The yellow glow of the light above her began to flicker strangely, decreasing its brightness.

"No!"

A sudden spark of light ignited at her palm, sending a surge of electricity through the metal. The light smashed, raining glass over Abbii's body, and she fell into darkness.

Feeling a sharp edge brush against her thigh, causing pain to shoot through her, Abbii ran. As she crossed the road hastily, a car sped past, beeping in protest. She staggered back slightly but continued onwards, as another set of headlights blared across her angrily. A driver shouted something vile out of his window, but Abbii jumped down the grassy slope and sped across the grey gravel which led up to the B&B.

Her worn lace whipped from side to side, coming undone as Abbii moved. She clenched her fists, aware that the Shadows were gaining on her. Their dark forms sped through the gravel like gusts of fierce air, picking up small shards of the stone with their energy; some were thrown forwards cutting through Abbii's sleeve, drawing small droplets of blood.

Lunging with her foot, Abbii leapt up a set of wooden steps, racing across the porch which lead to the glass door of the B&B. The wood creaked as a Shadow followed Abbii's movement, seeping through the grain towards her feet. It extended its sharpened claws to grab at her skin.

A bright glow erupted from Abbii's hand as she pushed on the door, falling to the floor with an awkward twist of her side. She turned and glared at the door, watching as it closed behind her with a gust of air. Hyperventilating, her gaze remained still, causing her eyes to water.

A hand fell onto her shoulder, making her gasp.

"Are you alright, dear?" An old woman was knelt at her side, with a caring look across her face. Her eyes were the brightest blue that Abbii had ever seen.

"I'm fine," Abbii replied quietly.

With a smile, the woman stood to her feet, helping Abbii to stand a moment later. She glanced back at the door as she sensed that the Shadows remained close.

"Many have passed through my door, but none have looked so worse for wear."

Abbii faced the woman, flinching as a pain shot through her side. She brought her hand to her skin, seeing that small tears had cut through her clothes. Very little blood marked the material, but Abbii could see several shades of bruising.

"My name is Evelyn."

Meeting her gaze, Abbii smiled, sensing no evil from within Evelyn's body. "Would it be alright to stay here?" Abbii asked quietly.

A glisten of colour sparkled in Evelyn's eyes as she smiled, due to the bright chandelier which hung above her. "Of course," she replied. "Come, I'll show you to your room."

Adjusting her bag, Abbii followed Evelyn up a set of wooden steps which led to an open landing, with five separate doors leading off from it; each was numbered differently. Evelyn stopped at the far right door which had a golden number five suspended in the centre. She turned to face Abbii, handing her a key. Abbii took it slowly as Evelyn smiled, stepping to the side. She motioned for Abbii to open the door, which she did, twisting the key. The door swung open, revealing a small room lit by a set of candles.

"We are having problems with the lights. If you need any more candles, please ask." Evelyn turned then and descended the stairs.

Abbii turned quickly. "Thank you!" she shouted after her. Although she received no indication that Evelyn had heard, Abbii could sense that she had. She smiled, turning to focus on the small room in front of her.

With a quiet sigh, she walked in and closed the door. She leant against the old wood of the door, as silence filled the room. Her room was small but warm. A bed sat against the wall on the right, with a small wooden piece of furniture next to it. No light escaped the small lamp which sat upon the bedside table, which explained the need for the lit candles on the windowsill.

Abbii released a heavy sigh and slouched to the floor, leaning her head against her knees. She was holding back tears that rimmed her eyes, but her fists were clenched. The fear that ran through her veins had almost caused her to give up, making her doubt in everything that she knew, but at the same time, Abbii was angry that the Shadows were constantly chasing her; she was tired of being kept in the dark. All she wanted to know was why the Shadows were after her.

Taking in a breath, Abbii moved to her feet and walked across the room. The wooden floor creaked with her movement as she sat on the edge of the freshly made bed. She doubted whether Evelyn had frequent visitors due to the crisp bedding; the bed looked unused. It was quiet, but Abbii felt safe for the first time since leaving The Everglades. She glanced at the candle in the window before focusing onto the lamp at her side.

Its coloured shade looked dusty, and the golden metal which mounted its edges were dull. Abbii wished that the light would work; she may have felt safe, but the dark still frightened her. Moving her hand, she ran her fingertips over the painted glass, growing still as a small glow built across her hand.

In shock, she pulled back, watching as the glow disappeared from her hand. Her brow arched inwards, but her curiosity began to build. This was the second time that her hand had glowed with a subtle light, and she wondered what it meant. Shuffling forwards, Abbii extended her hand again, placing a single fingertip against the glass.

She waited a moment, watching as the glow returned. It illuminated the shape of her nail as a torch would do if placed beneath it. Wanting to test what would happen, Abbii then placed her palm flat against the lampshade, shocked as a bright surge of energy consumed the lamp.

Moving back again as bright sparks of light shot outwards, Abbii watched as the energy seemed to disappear, being absorbed into the lamp. The bulb flickered slightly before being consumed with an incandescent glow. It remained lit, even as Abbii moved closer to investigate. Small sections of colour spiralled across her face as the light penetrated the coloured glass of the shade.

She smiled, raising her hand to her face. No colour or light now marked her skin, but a strange tingling surrounded her fingertips. Noticing that the candle in the windowsill had blown out, Abbii laid her head against the pillow, thankful that the light had returned. For a short while, she simply watched it stretch across the room, but as her eyes began to feel heavy, she relaxed and let them close. The feeling in her fingertips soon faded.

Abbii fell asleep quickly, being blessed with several long hours of sleep that her body needed. She had seen no visions or images beneath her eyelids, and no Shadows had created nightmares to haunt her. It was not until day had arrived that Abbii began to dream, as if it was her body telling her that something had changed.

Images of scattered colour filled her mind as faceless silhouettes appeared, reaching out with glowing hands. She turned away from them to be met by Shadows, which screeched in annoyance as she shuffled back from them. Glancing between each gathering of shapes, Abbii edged backwards, watching as they surrounded her. They started to rip at her clothes, as a shallow light escaped from her skin. She sobbed, feeling the pain course through her. She wanted it to end, she wanted to be free.

Don't give up, Abbii...

Drawn to raise her gaze, Abbii saw a shape of light directly ahead of her. She had recognised the voice, but was in too much pain to work out who it belonged to. The silhouette moved forwards as Abbii cried out from the continuing pain.

The Light is yours to command, as all elements will soon be.

Dropping her gaze to her hands, she clenched her fists, causing her powers to eject outwards. A bright shockwave spread, destroying the faceless shapes around her. She fell to her knees, gasping for a breath, but raised her gaze as she remembered the source of the voice.

The white silhouette remained, standing only several strides in front of her. Its features had cleared ever so slightly, but Abbii could still not recognise them, as if the shape wanted her to approach it to see who it was. Raising its arm, it stepped forwards.

With little hesitation, Abbii reached up and took hold of their hand tightly, moving to her feet as a tingling sensation spread throughout her hand. She gasped as a bright glow surrounded her body, fading to reveal that all of her injuries had healed.

Keep fighting, Abbii...

Her grip tightened as she raised her gaze, being met with a pair of glistening hazel eyes.

Nate?

He smiled.

Abbii's eyes opened slowly, focusing on the pale ceiling above her. Her breathing was normal, and her body felt refreshed. She smiled, thinking about Nate's hazel eyes. They had glistened beautifully as she had met his gaze, and the feeling of his skin against her own soothed her somewhat. She wondered if the images had been a dream or a vision, struggling to understand why all of the silhouettes had been made up of light, even when they had symbolised different beings.

A gentle knock at the door caused Abbii to sit up. Evelyn's aura brushed against her consciousness as her senses focused.

"Come in," Abbii called, moving to sit on the edge of the bed.

Evelyn opened the door quietly and stepped inside. She was carrying a tray of food and water, which Abbii presumed was for breakfast even though she did not know the time of day. The old woman smiled as she met Abbii's gaze, before turning to focus on the lit lampshade. She seemed to frown in misunderstanding, turning to meet Abbii's gaze again. Noticing that Abbii shuffled in her place, she blinked and smiled.

"I see you are feeling much better." Her eye scanned across Abbii's skin, seeing that no discolouration was present. A strange movement danced across her eyes as she moved towards the bed.

Abbii returned the smile, watching as Evelyn set the tray of food onto the end of her bed.

"I see that you slept in your clothes?"

Glancing down, Abbii smirked. "I fell asleep straight away."

Evelyn's eyes glistened, proving that her eyes were in fact much brighter than Abbii had remembered. Silence fell as they wandered into each other's eyes. Abbii was the first to move as she noticed that Evelyn wasn't blinking.

Leaning forwards, Abbii extended her hand. "Evelyn?"

With little warning, the B&B owner moved back, straightening her posture as Abbii returned her hand to her lap.

"There is warm water available in the next room if you need it." With nothing else to say, Evelyn turned and made her way towards the door, pausing to look back into the room. She focused onto the light before leaving.

"Thank you!" Abbii called after her.

She was perplexed by Evelyn's actions. What had she been looking at so intently that had made her enter into such a dazed state? Was it the light from the lamp which had caused her to act so unnatural? Shaking the thought away, Abbii moved to her feet, stretching her arms above her head.

Focusing onto the window across the room, Abbii walked over to it, glancing briefly at the dark material which acted as a curtain. The candle remained in the centre of the windowsill, but Abbii could see that none of its wax remained and the wick had fallen to the side. She had thought that over half of its length had remained when it had blown out the night before, but she wondered if she had remembered incorrectly. The Shadows entered her thoughts.

Almost in fear, Abbii peered through the glass to the gravel below. No shapes or clear paths disrupted the layer of gravel and Abbii could sense no essence of the Shadows. Only one night had passed since she had left The Everglades, and even that had proved difficult; Abbii wondered how many more nights she would have to run for her life. She turned, seeing her reflection in an old mirror at her side.

Her hair was spread out messily, bordering the edges of her face. She had small patches of colour across her cheeks making her smile—she only had such marks when she had slept all night without moving position. Straightening the hood of her jumper, Abbii paused as something caught her eye.

There were no scratches on her arms and no bruising on her skin. She lifted up her jumper to reveal her stomach, seeing that the bruising which had covered her side had also faded, just as her dream had shown. Had it in fact been a vision? Had Nate healed her somehow?

"Nate..."

Letting her hoodie cover her skin, Abbii looked over the room, hoping that she wouldn't have to spend another night alone. She hoped that someone was looking for her; she wished Nate to be safe, but she also hoped that he would search for her.

She walked over to the bed, pulling her bag up onto her shoulder. Reaching for a piece of toast which Evelyn had left, Abbii made her way to the door, locking it as she closed it behind her. A strange feeling affected her hand but it faded almost immediately.

Glancing over the landing, Abbii headed for the stairs, hearing the wood creak under her weight. Once she had reached the last step, she took in the details of the entrance hall that she failed to see the night before. The walls were pale with a single picture hung at the far end of the room. A small stone desk was in front of it, and a small book and pen lay on its surface. No other furniture was in the room and Abbii could see that the floor was also bare, with no carpet or rug present; not even a welcome mat was inside of the room.

Abbii realised how uninviting the room looked; she doubted she would choose to stay at the B&B again if ever the Shadows stopped their pursuit. There was no feeling or emotion put into the decoration. The air felt cold and empty, causing a shiver to run across her skin.

Focusing onto the glass door, Abbii replayed the events of her arrival at the B&B, seeing the images clearly as if the memory was playing in front of her. She thought about the fear which had consumed her and the lack of strength that she had had. What chance did she ever have of destroying the Shadows when she couldn't fight them?

She watched as the image of herself pushed into the room, falling to the ground as she tried to gain as much distance from the door as possible. Abbii realised that Evelyn had seen the panic in her eyes and the faint glow which had leaked out from her irises. Even Abbii was surprised to see that the light had escaped her eyes, but she found that Evelyn's expression had remained blank; no shock or surprise affected her.

Why had Evelyn not questioned it? Why had she not been surprised or frightened at what she was seeing?

"I see that you are fully prepared."

Stunned by the sudden voice, Abbii glanced over to see that Evelyn was sat at the stone desk to her side. She hadn't heard her come in. Abbii moved from the last step, forcing a smile.

"Are you alright, my child?" Evelyn seemed anxious as she stood to her feet. Abbii shivered as the old woman's choice of words spiralled through her.

She nodded. "Yes, I'm fine." Moving towards the door, Abbii was filled with a strong sense of longing to be outside.

"I'm glad you have recovered," Evelyn stated quietly. "You will take care, dear, won't you?"

Turning back to see that Evelyn's eyes looked even brighter than before, Abbii raised her hand and pushed on the door. "Thank you for letting me stay." With nothing more to say, Abbii made her way across the porch, speeding up as she reached the gravel.

Evelyn watched her until she was out of sight, sitting down as a wide smile consumed her face. "Keep going, Abbii. Your powers are growing well."
Ten

Although Nate had the advantage of a car, he kept his speed steady, constantly looking for evidence of Abbii. Every now and again he would see a shimmer of colour in the air, which proved that Abbii had passed by in the same direction, keeping his confidence high that he would find her before the Shadows did.

He hadn't driven many times before, but he found it simple to keep going, regularly shifting his gears when needed, giving him the chance to keep his eyes open for Abbii. Even without the light, which represented fragments of Abbii's aura, Nate knew that she would follow the road whenever possible; she needed the light.

Nate was already aware that one night had passed by where Abbii had been alone. He was worried about her. He had learnt from Daniel that her body could heal much quicker than that of mortals, but he did not know whether it would be different if Shadows challenged her.

Moving to the side of the road hastily, Nate braked to stop. He could see a gathering of light, proving that Abbii had been there. This time however, they seemed different, brighter than what Nate had previously seen.

Abbii's strength... The light that Nate could see proved that Abbii's strength had been sapped out of her by something.

He pushed open the car door and focused onto the gathering of light which seemed attracted to a lamppost ahead. Bright sparks of colour surrounded the metal, and Nate raised his gaze to see that the bulb had smashed. Taking in a breath, he looked to the road to see that the colours of Abbii's aura spread to the other side, stopping abruptly.

A shiver of cool air stroked Nate's skin, as he set his gaze onto the abandoned house set back from the road. It looked decrepit, as if the householders had left many years beforehand, but that was not what Nate concentrated onto. Not only did he see that Abbii's aura headed towards the building, he also saw several other trails of energy, which he immediately recognised as Shadows. Crossing the road, Nate made his way across the gravel, seeing further evidence of the Shadow's energy.

His breathing hastened but as he walked beneath the porch, pushing the old door to pass through, he calmed as he saw Abbii's light continue on into the building. Shadows could not pass over the threshold of a complete building without clear permission, so Nate was positive that she would have been safe.

Following the light up the set of wooden stairs, Nate began to hope that Abbii was just beyond the door of the fifth room. He hoped that she had waited for him, even as he realised that the door was locked. Glancing around quickly as he sensed something in the air, Nate narrowed his eyes as the door swung open. He moved cautiously, not understanding how the door could have opened.

The room was empty; Abbii had gone. Nate sighed and entered into the room, following Abbii's coloured energy towards the lamp at the side of the bed. He saw that the colour surrounded the entire shade like that of the lamppost outside. Extending his hand, Nate placed his fingertip against the glass surface of the shade, which created an image that appeared inside of his mind.

He watched Abbii enter into the room, also placing her hand against the lamp. A bright light had flashed outwards as the lamp had repaired itself to remain lit. Abbii lay down then, drifting off to sleep soon after. Nate saw that the light of the lamp, lit from energy from Abbii's powers, had brightened as she slept. An incandescent glow had enveloped her body which showed Nate the healing of her injuries; he wondered what she had seen in her mind to create such powerful magic. As well as the glow of her body and that of the lamp, Nate also witnessed the candle in the windowsill relighting, reaching high with its flame. He was beginning to see that Abbii's powers were growing.

Removing his hand, stunned to see that the lamp was now lit, he took in a breath and sat on the edge of the bed. He knew that Abbii would have left only hours beforehand, and he was glad to know that she was at her full strength. Pennyworth was not as far as she realised.

Nate stood to his feet and returned to the landing, hearing the wooden floor adjust with his weight. The door closed quietly behind him as he descended the stairs. Although he had not found Abbii, he knew that she had rested safely. He had also realised where her next destination would be—the only other building on the straight road that she followed.

Reaching the entrance of the old building, Nate turned to focus onto the glass door but stopped in his place. He took in a wary breath and faced the far side of the room, seeing a flicker of light which he had previously not noticed. It only coloured the air ever so slightly, but Nate could see it nevertheless. As he blinked, the light changed.

He saw a figure of energy stood behind the stone. Its features were blurred, so Nate did not recognise the figure. He turned quickly to see if the shimmering light had followed in Abbii's direction outside, surprised when he found that it did not. Evidence of the silhouette's energy was now visible across the entrance hall, the stairs and the landing above.

Nate dashed from the building, feeling a heat envelop his irises. Reaching his car, he jumped in and turned the key as his thoughts strengthened.

Stay safe Abbii. Just a little longer...
Eleven

Abbii kept her pace steady, following the road without straying. The grassy verge gave her a clear path to follow without her needing to walk on the road, which gave her a sense of clear determination. If the road hadn't have headed in the direction that she needed to go, Abbii wouldn't have known what to do.

Since leaving the B&B, Abbii had felt an increase in energy running through her body, causing her fingertips to continuously tingle as if a heat gathered across her skin. She was aware that the Shadows still followed her closely, keeping hidden in the dark shapes of the trees, but she continued on without stopping.

Her surroundings remained the same for hours.

The weather was the only thing that altered the farther she travelled. Rain began to fall at a steady pace, hitting the ground with layers of mist that rode on the wind. Abbii pulled the hood of her jumper over her head, but she didn't care if the rain soaked her; she had always loved the rain, watching its small diamonds fall from the sky. When she had been young, she had often sat outside, letting the rain soak into her skin and clothes; it had always made her feel free, as if the elements had been a part of her.

Abbii raised her gaze, allowing the rain to caress her face. It ran across her cheeks before sliding down her neck, disappearing into the collar of her hood. It was then that she noticed that the sky had grown strangely darker, as if it was, in fact, reaching the time of night. She turned to look back from where she had come, noticing the clear difference between the blue sky in the distance and the grey blanket of cloud which now hovered above her. The road had also changed, descending in altitude.

The air in the distance was well lit and the sky was radiant with scatterings of white clouds, but when Abbii focused ahead of her, she could see that things were very different. The shapes of trees ahead of her had multiplied in number, merging together to form a large wall of darkness. She could see that the road veered suddenly off to the right, almost being repelled by the dark aura that escaped the trees ahead. Abbii stepped back.

She knew that she had to keep going south, but unfortunately, the road could no longer be her guide. There was no choice for her other than to make her way through the trees, hoping that Pennyworth would be on the opposite side. She was well aware that the coastal town was still days away on foot, but the thought of reaching it allowed her to push on. Her gaze focused briefly on the road at her side.

Only a few cars had passed her by since leaving the B&B, compared to the vast amount from the night before. It was almost as if everything was changing the closer she drew to Pennyworth. She breathed in before focusing onto the trees ahead of her, frowning as she saw several small flickers of light from within the shade. She wiped the rain from her face and looked again, but the lights had faded; she presumed the rain water had fallen into her eyes.

Hesitating no longer, she secured her bag onto her shoulder and pushed into the tress, leaving the road behind. Her breathing became shallow as she moved, but she ignored the feeling of breathlessness and concentrated again onto her counting.

Ever since she had been attacked by the Shadows for the first time, Abbii had counted with her fingertips whenever she was anxious or worried about something. It helped her to relax. She often started from the little finger on her left hand, counting her fingertips individually until reaching the last finger on her opposite hand, where she would then start again.

It was harder than she expected, walking through the trees. Her concentration wavered and she struggled to remain focused onto her counting, due to the noises that surrounded her. The rain dropped to the ground, splashing against the leaves of the trees. Birds rustled in the canopy above, causing debris to fall as they moved. A twig broke from behind, making Abbii increase her speed.

She wrapped her arms around her body, pulling her hood around her face. A horrible draft was gushing through the gaps in her clothing, chilling parts of her skin. Her hands remained inside of her pockets even as the tingling in her fingertips increased. Presuming her fear was causing her to shake, Abbii breathed in, taking a moment to look back to where she had come from.

Abbii could no longer see the road; the ground was on a gradual decline. A brief thought entered her mind, making her imagine what Pennyworth would be like, if it was worth all of Abbii's fear to get there. A vision consumed her mind. She could see a busy town, bustling with varying groups of people, beaming with happiness. Shops and homes lined the roads, ranging in size as they neared the sea. A sense of calm filled Abbii's body as she watched the ocean, moving therapeutically back and forth across the sand. Two silhouettes stood close to the water's edge, standing slightly apart.

The image disappeared, and the feeling of calm faded. She sighed, taking a seat against the nearest tree. Moving her bag from her shoulder, Abbii pulled out a sandwich and bottle of water, which she made her way through hastily due to the feeling that she was being watched. She raised her gaze frequently, scanning the woods for any sense of movement. A sigh escaped her lips each time she saw nothing, as she sensed that the Shadows were always nearby. They were waiting for Abbii to enter further into the depth of the trees, she was certain of it, but she wished that she could see them no matter how far they were from her.

Standing to her feet, Abbii started to walk again, being drawn to the sound of water. She made her way through the trees, attracted to a glisten of light which she could see through the darkness. It caused her to stop in her place as she realised its full beauty.

Cutting straight through Abbii's path, she saw a steady flow of water, rushing through a small ravine which had been cut into the forest floor. A faint glow of light escaped it which warmed Abbii's legs. She could see that the aura of light stretched up high, disappearing as it penetrated the thick canopy above. Abbii raised her hand hesitantly, holding it in front of the light. Her breathing still remained shallow, but she was not out of breath. The tingling in her arm dramatically increased as she saw an image begin to form in the veil of light. Abbii lowered her arm and watched.

Flashes of fire burned through buildings and family homes, killing people who tried to flee. Water rose up from the sea and stretched over the land with one large movement, washing people away from their loved ones as trees and buildings fell victim to its power. Bursts of fierce air spiralled, causing the fire to whip in all directions, as far as the eye could see. The energised air smashed through vast forests and busy cities as the earth shook beneath them. Cracks split the ground into pieces and nothing was left standing. People were burnt alive, screaming for mercy, falling still as silent bodies, looking in one direction. All their eyes were drawn to a woman's silhouette, hovering in the centre of the elemental chaos, a smile across her face.

Abbii pulled away and fell back, landing on the forest's dirt floor awkwardly. Tears ran at a steady pace across her face as she felt the pain of the people who had lost their lives. The tingling along her arm intensified, causing a spark of light to emit from her scar which began to spread. Her irises were overcome with colour.

A branch broke behind her.

She turned hastily to see a bright silhouette among the trees, glowing vibrantly. Abbii's eyesight had changed, causing everything she saw to appear as vibrant and overwhelming light. She wiped her eyes but it made no difference. Her tears continued to fall as she began to feel sick.

The silhouette moved forwards, hesitating as if it could see that Abbii's gaze was focused onto it.

Moving to her feet, Abbii's balance caused her to feel dizzy. She saw that the veil of light had faded from ahead of her, leaving the path open. Starting to run, she pushed through the thick branches of the trees, seeing each leaf as a shape of bright light; every branch and trunk was displayed as a panel of raw light, passing by as Abbii rushed past. The phenomenon was causing Abbii's heart to beat faster as nausea consumed her.

Suddenly losing her footing, Abbii stumbled and fell forwards, rolling as she landed. She turned quickly to see that a second shape of light had appeared, grabbing at her leg. Kicking its extended hand away, Abbii pushed herself to keep going, noticing several Shadows which were represented by areas of vibrant colour, approaching from all sides.

Fear bubbled inside of her as the nausea continued to grow. Her head was beginning to struggle with the migraine-like symptoms of sensitivity to light and hasty movement. She wanted her eyes to return to normal so that she could stop herself from crying, but no amount of blinking or rubbing made her eyesight return.

A bright flash of light consumed her, throwing her off balance slightly, as a Shadow's face appeared in front of her. For the first time, Abbii could see its features clearly: small stretched eyes, large mouth bordered by rows of jagged teeth, and a tongue slithering from side to side. Abbii could feel heat escaping from its surface.

Dodging a swipe of the creature's claws, Abbii shoved its body, turning to run left as it was distracted. She felt its claws pierce her shoulder as she moved, but she ran as fast as she was able. Glancing to her side, she saw several bursts of colour heading straight towards her, as well as the brightly energised silhouette which emanated powerful magic. Abbii swallowed the bile in her throat before looking ahead to notice something that she had not seen.

A large abandoned factory was partially visible from the trees that surrounded it. Light emanated from its smashed windows, which showed that Abbii could not only see living beings as energy, but also inanimate objects as well. Its structure was intact, but part of the rook had caved in—not that it deterred Abbii in any way, as entering the factory was Abbii's only choice.

The ground ahead of her suddenly began to glow and a shape began to rise from within it. A Shadow's head formed, growling as it focused onto Abbii's approach. She leapt over the creature before it could fully form, and dashed across the concrete yard, which lead to the factory's entrance. Reaching it, she pushed through the door, cutting her leg on a piece of broken glass as she passed. A foul smell of decay consumed her as she focused onto the stairs; she ran towards them, grabbing hold of the metal handrail to pull her up. She took two steps at a time and pushed through a set of double doors as she reached the top, forcing them closed with a metal pole that lay near the wall.

Several rows of machinery lay across the width of the room, sitting at awkward angles as if the elements had blown them aside. Most of the room was covered with blankets of thick plant life, which had crept in through the damaged ceiling above. Hearing footsteps behind her, Abbii shrieked as she noticed that a Shadow had started to ooze through the roof. She ran past the piles of machinery, dodging the creature's claws as it fell from above, and pushed through another set of doors.

Immediately blocking it with a heavy piece of metal that Abbii managed to shove into place, she scanned for a place to hide after realising that there was no exit. Running towards a high stack of metal and debris, she collapsed to the floor behind it, overwhelmed by the light that radiated out from the tiles of the far wall. Abbii leaned against the metal, covering her face with her hands.

Banging echoed outwards as the door was pushed against forcefully. A high-pitched squeal followed, which Abbii presumed was out of frustration from one of the Shadows. One of the creatures slashed repetitively at the door, creating a horrible sound of metal clashing against metal. Abbii moved her head against her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs. Tears covered her face in little time.

"Please...go away!"

The door burst open, and the sounds abruptly stopped. No movement could be heard, as if the Shadows had simply disappeared. She kept silent, moving so that she could see the door between gaps in the debris. A tall silhouette peered in, meeting Abbii's gaze directly. She gasped and pulled away from the gap.

The light across her skin brightened as her powers began to materialise.

Warmth spread throughout her skin and energy sparked from her fingertips.

"Abbii?"

She inhaled quickly and held her breath as the magic from her skin faded. Lifting her head from her knees, Abbii kept her eyes closed, but was fully aware of who knelt in front of her. His hand moved onto hers.

"Nate," she sobbed.

"You're safe. There's no need to run any longer."

Abbii continued to cry. "But the light...I can't see...There's someone with magic after me..."

His tone softened. "The light that you can see proves that your magic has reached a temporary peak in its power. We will discuss it further when you are ready."

"The Shadows..."

"They're gone for now, but we have to go."

She inhaled a breath. "But how? Where did they go?"

"Come on." Taking hold of Abbii's hand tightly, Nate helped her to stand. She was weak, however, and she lost consciousness as he lifted her into his arms. He smiled as he looked over her. "I'm here, Abbii. I'm not leaving you."

Carrying her down the stairs and back through the entrance of the abandoned factory, Nate sighed as he knew that it would not be long before the Shadows returned. Luckily for them both, Nate knew every detail of the land around him; he knew where every inn stood and everywhere that they would be safe. Allowing Abbii her rest was his first priority.

*

Abbii was surrounded by silence and for a long moment, she considered the possibility that she had died. Once her senses strengthened though, she knew that she was alive and not alone.

Opening her eyes slowly, she was met with a gentle glow of light which emanated from a tall glass lamp that stood to the side of her. She looked past it, noticing that the room was well lit, as another lamp was switched on in the opposite corner of the large room. The space was unfamiliar to her, but she sensed no danger. There was a large window opposite her bed, but the dark curtains were drawn; Abbii guessed it was early morning, due to the lack of light from beneath the curtains and the need for the lamps. She sat up, realising that her vision had returned to normal.

No overwhelming light or Shadow corrupted what she was seeing, and the tingling in her hand had disappeared. The light that had leaked out over her skin had also faded. Abbii felt rested but not yet ready to continue on. Moving to sit up, she winced in discomfort as a pain shot through her shoulder.

"You should be resting."

Abbii turned to face the door, seeing that Nate had entered quietly. She smiled briefly, but the pain from her shoulder returned. Turning her body awkwardly, she tried to see what was causing so much pain, but the angle at which her injury sat prevented her from seeing.

Making his way across the room as Abbii started to feel for the claw marks through her skin, Nate knelt in front of her. "It hasn't had time to heal yet," he explained.

With a sigh, she lowered her arm, holding Nate's gaze. "I want to see it."

Knowing that she would find a way to see it by herself, Nate extended his hand as he stood. She hesitated before standing without his help. He sighed quietly and led her towards a mirror that hung near the window, picking up a smaller one that was leaning against the wall. Lifting it, he targeted her shoulder so that she could see.

She gasped. Across her right shoulder blade, she could see three ragged tears through her skin. They were equal in size and surrounded by a strange black colouring. Abbii swallowed, raising her gaze to meet Nate's, sensing that he was keeping something from her.

"It won't heal...will it?"

Nate held her gaze without faltering. "If I can stitch it whilst it's still fresh, then it'll minimise the amount of scarring left in its place. But there will be a scar, marked with black."

Elongating her blink, Abbii looked down to her wrist, focusing onto her original scar. She had already been marked by the Shadows once, and now she would have another. "Soon I will look like a walking Shadow."

Shuffling in his place, Nate inhaled a breath as Abbii raised her gaze. "Your skin will only scar with an outline of black if the injury is sustained whilst your magic is being used."

"My magic? That was the light?"

He nodded. "Yes, but it was out of control. In time, you will learn to wield it; you must, for the sake of others and yourself. You must learn to call upon your powers only when it is necessary."

Exhaling loudly, Abbii walked away from the mirror and made her way towards her bed. Her bag and hoodie were placed near the bedside unit which separated the two beds; only now did Abbii notice that there was a second in the room. Shrugging the thought aside, she reached down and took hold of her hoodie.

"It needs stitching, Abbii!"

Keeping her back to him, Abbii straightened her back. "You shouldn't have come. You were safe at The Everglades...they wouldn't have come."

Nate sighed, leaning the mirror against the wall for a second time. "The Shadows are stronger than you think."

Surprised by his answer, Abbii turned. "You know about them?"

Hesitating for a moment, Nate faced the window, moving the curtains slightly ajar to look outside. "I'm a victim, just like you. The Shadows took my life away from me, as they have done to you."

Abbii lowered her gaze to focus onto the scar which dominated Nate's exposed wrist. A shiver of cool air stroked against her skin as she continued to listen.

"Whether you were at The Everglades or not, the Shadows could have easily entered the building. All they needed to do was wait for a member of the Forgotten."

"The Forgotten?" Abbii flinched in pain, suddenly losing her breath.

Nate turned and looked over her quickly, with worry in his eyes. "I need to stitch them. Your powers won't be able to heal them fully." He made his way towards her slowly.

Abbii held his gaze, allowing the expression of pain to fade from her face. "The Shadows...my powers...You know too much. Who are you?"

"I'm nobody."

Her fists clenched. "You can't just appear, knowing everything that you do!" Feeling dizzy, she began to sway, taking hold of Nate's extended arm to steady her balance. Warmth spread from his skin.

"The injury is absorbing your strength. Please, let me stitch it."

Registering the heat which continued to emanate from Nate's skin, Abbii breathed in. "If they're stitched, my body will start to heal them, right?"

He nodded. "Yes, the energy in your powers will begin to heal it straight away."

Turning around, Abbii let Nate lead her towards the bed, giving her a moment to remove her boots. He helped her sit on the edge, smiling as she met his gaze. "I need some warm water and a needle and thread. Will you be alright for a minute?"

She nodded in reply, watching as he left the room, almost reluctantly. Abbii found it strange that Nate had entered her life twice in times that he had been needed; she wondered why he hadn't always been there for her, although, deep inside of her, she felt as if she had always known him. That couldn't have been possible though, could it?

It was true that she knew nothing about him, but she could sense no danger or threat from his presence; the warmth that filled his aura made Abbii feel safe. She sighed as she realised her thoughts, hearing Nate's footsteps draw closer. Shuffling in her place, she sat back against the bed rest for a moment, feeling flustered. Deciding then to sit in the centre of the bed, she moved quickly, raising her gaze as Nate entered into the room holding a bowl of warm water and a bottle of alcohol.

He smiled, making his way towards the bedside table where he placed the bowl and bottle. Reaching into his pocket, he then pulled out a needle and thread which he also placed onto the piece of furniture.

Abbii lowered her gaze. "It's going to hurt, isn't it?"

With a sigh, Nate raised her head gently. "At first it will, but as soon as the skin is stitched, your body will begin its repairs. It shouldn't take many hours for it to heal."

Nodding in understanding, she turned her back so that the light highlighted her shoulder. Nate then sat behind her, crossing his legs slightly. He moved to take hold of the bowl of water, watching as Abbii tensed.

"Are you ready?"

She nodded.

"I'll tell you every step that I'm going to do, okay?"

Elongating her blink, Abbii swallowed. "Maybe we could talk instead?"

"Of course," he replied. He shuffled in his place, looking over Abbii's shoulder. "I'm going to have to tear your t-shirt to clean it."

Again Abbii nodded, aware that Nate had raised his hands. Startling her slightly, he tore part of her t-shirt away, taking hold of the material so that he could use it to bathe her skin.

"Do you have any family?" she asked quietly.

Raising the material which he had partially soaked with water, Nate cleaned Abbii's shoulder gently, seeing that her skin shivered in response to the contact. "That's not a good question," he mused. "Let's start with small questions and work up. Deal?"

Abbii smiled. "Sorry. So what's your favourite colour?"

He wiped the final area of her shoulder clean, before moving the bowl of water back to the bedside table, taking hold of the bottle of alcohol instead. Abbii held her breath. Nate hated the fact of hurting her, but it had to be done. He raised the bottle, tipping it upside down so that the material absorbed the alcohol, and then placed the bottle in his lap as he raised the small section of fabric.

"Silver, with flecks of lilac," he replied clearly. "What's yours?"

Taking in his reply, Abbii frowned at the amount of detail that he had given. It had sounded as if he had actually been referring to something specifically made from those colours, though she couldn't think of anything that matched silver and lilac. Remembering that she hadn't given her own reply yet, she took in a breath.

"My favourite colour is—"

She gasped as Nate pushed the alcohol-soaked material against her skin, causing her eyes to water. As he pulled it away, he laid his hand against her lower arm, reminding her that he was there. A tear rolled across her cheek and she swallowed.

"It's red."

"Why red?" Nate asked.

Abbii clenched her fists in preparation for the second wash of alcohol over her skin. "Red is the colour of autumn. The leaves when they fall are shades of red... it reminds me of the College. It reminds me of—"

Again, she gasped for a breath, feeling her skin sting in protest. She sobbed under her breath as Nate massaged the alcohol into her wound, hoping that it would kill all the bacteria that had been pushed into her skin.

Pulling his hand away, Nate sighed. "No season compares to autumn."

"Why?" Abbii asked, trying to steady her breathing.

Nate returned the bottle of liquor to the bedside table, picking up the needle and thread. He could see that Abbii was shaking, making him feel guilty. "The sunsets in autumn are unique in every way."

Abbii was pleasantly surprised by Nate's answer, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "I love to watch the sun in the day, but I'm always drawn to watch the moon."

Knowing that he had already sterilized the needle under a flame, Nate thought about Abbii's question. "Day is blessed with light, guiding you on your way, and night is shrouded with shadow, allowing you a time of rest. They are both empty without someone to share them with."

Inhaling a breath, Abbii listened to the sincerity of Nate's tone. She realised that there was much more to him than she had previously thought. Keeping still as the needle pierced her shoulder, Abbii worded her reply.

"I agree. Company is always needed at some point." She felt Nate repeat the stitching several times before thinking of Jake.

They had spent so much time together, and yet after his death, Abbii had come to realise that she had known very little about the person he had been, and in turn, Jake had known very little about her. She wondered if Nate would become someone important to her; she wondered if he would learn everything about her life. Abbii tensed as she realised her thoughts; she wanted him to get close to her.

"Abbii, are you alright?"

She shuffled in her place. "I'm fine."

Leaning forwards to try and see her face, Nate eyed her suspiciously. "If it's hurting, we can—"

"Just finish the stitching Nate." Her statement was blunt, almost emotionless.

Noticing that her tone had changed, Nate leaned back and continued his stitching in silence. He saw that she had grown tense and her skin reacted badly to every movement of the needle. Neither of them spoke and the silence soon became awkward. Nate knew that whatever Abbii had thought of, was the one thing she couldn't let go of, something she couldn't tell him. Raising the needle for the last time, he tied the ends of the cotton, biting the remainder off before sitting back to examine Abbii's shoulder.

"Is it done?"

Nate sighed quietly. "Yeah."

Moving to the edge of the bed, Abbii stood up, holding her t-shirt together so that none of her skin was revealed. She headed towards the door without saying anything, looking back only when Nate stood to his feet.

"Where are you going?"

Abbii breathed in. "I'm finding a room with a shower." Pulling on the door, Abbii moved onto the landing. The door closed just as she turned to look back.

She remained still, closing her eyes briefly as she took in a deep breath. She knew that her behaviour had been unneeded, but Abbii always felt tense when thinking of Jake and how little she had known him; her mother was also a topic that made her mind close off from everything, always creating anger inside of her that Abbii could never explain. At some point in her future, Abbii hoped that she would learn to trust people more easily.

Pushing her thoughts aside, she looked to her right, focusing onto a door that was partially open, with light escaping out onto the landing. She sensed almost immediately that the room contained a shower, drawing her towards it. The carpet beneath her feet felt thick against her skin and the landing was much larger than Abbii had anticipated. She wondered where Nate had brought her.

Reaching the door, she pushed it open and entered into the room, letting it close behind her quietly. Her gaze was drawn to the well lit lamp in the far corner, causing a slight smile to spread across her face; it was almost as if Nate had expected Abbii to have used the room. There were towels neatly folded on a shelf that sat between the toilet and shower, and the window was open which would allow the condensation to escape. Abbii undressed and then made her way into the shower, pressing the on button once the glass door was closed.

The water was perfect, not too cold and not too hot. It warmed Abbii's skin through to her core and she stood still for a moment, feeling her body appreciate the water's movement. A slight stinging consumed her shoulder, but even that died down after several moments. She reached over her shoulder and ran her fingertips across her skin, feeling rows of neat stitching which kept her wound sealed.

Thank you, Nate.

Once she had lathered some shampoo into her hair, Abbii washed her skin, pausing again at her scar, as if she thought that it would somehow split open if she moved over it too quickly. Since the light had overwhelmed her eyesight, her scar had felt strange, almost numb. She wondered why her powers had only materialised recently. She wondered why her scar always leaked with light and why she couldn't control it.

She sighed, moving under the flow of water so that the shampoo was washed out of her long hair. The soap from her skin was also washed away, and Abbii watched the frothy clouds of bubbles race towards the plug hole. Raising her hand, she pressed the power switch, causing the water to stop. Abbii remained still, leaning her hand against the tiled wall at her side. A cool shiver met her fingertips but she did not move. Her gaze focused onto her leg.

When the Shadows had attacked her outside of the abandoned factory in the forest, Abbii had been scratched several times. Her thighs and her calves had been marked by claws, but little blood had escaped her skin. A thought of doubt entered her mind, as she thought about how hard it had been running from the Shadows; their approach had been continual. Even when they had stopped and Nate had found her, her breath had been hard to keep steady and her whole body had ached.

How am I supposed to beat them?

A knock startled her at the door.

"Nate?" She immediately sensed his aura.

"Your bag's outside the door. I've given you one of my t-shirts to wear for now."

Abbii could detect the hurt inside of Nate's tone, causing regret to bubble inside of her. "Thank you."

A moment later, footsteps moved away from the door, proving that Nate had entered back into their room. Abbii sighed. Moving forwards, she approached the door, hesitating a moment before opening it to grab her bag. She pulled it inside quickly and closed the door, feeling a strange warmth wash over her as the air sped past. Abbii smiled, as she saw that Nate had placed his t-shirt on the top of her bag rather than opening it; he had respected her privacy.

Taking a moment to dress herself, Abbii draped the towel that she had used over the shower door, before making her way out onto the landing. She glanced briefly over the large space, seeing only one other door other than the two that Abbii had already used. A shiver of cool air stroked her skin, making her dash into the room, shivering with cold.

"It fits you well."

Abbii turned to see that Nate was leant against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. His expression seemed shadowed, causing Abbii's regret to rise further. She placed her bag onto her bed and breathed out.

"I'm sorry about earlier." Her eyes fell to the floor.

Nate watched her closely. "Don't apologise until you mean it."

She looked up with a glare. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're too shielded to let anyone help you. Don't you understand that there are people who only want what's best for you?"

Her whole body tensed as her glare remained. "You don't know me!"

Breathing in, Nate stood up straight and walked to the window, keeping his back to Abbii for several moments before turning to face her. "I know you better than yourself, but what I don't understand is why you're being so careless. Pennyworth is a death sentence."

"You didn't need to come! I left to save you!"

Nate huffed, turning his back to her again. "I don't believe you. I think you left out of fear."

Dropping her gaze, Abbii closed her eyes briefly before speaking. "I left because I had nothing to stay for. You shouldn't be here, Nate. You should go."

Taking hold of the windowsill as he looked out over the ground below, Nate breathed in. "I'll stay until you no longer need me."

"I don't need you! I'm fine by myself!"

"We'll soon see now that the sun is up."

Abbii shuffled in her place. "What are you talking about?"

"Do you know how to get to Pennyworth?" He turned and faced her, moving forwards. "Do you know which direction to take, Abbii?"

She held his gaze. "The map said head south until the coast. Pennyworth is on the coast."

"Wrong. Pennyworth ends at the coast. It began from the forest."

"What? We're already in Pennyworth?"

"Yes."

Her face was taken by confusion. "But, it's so close to The Everglades. On the map-"

"The map is wrong."

She narrowed her eyes into a scowl. "If I'm already here, what does it matter?"

"You really don't know where you're going, do you? The veil in the forest obviously failed to show you!"

Abbii gasped. "The Veil?"

Images of people dying swarmed inside of Abbii's mind, making her relive the pain of the fire. She watched as a family was thrust into the uncontrollable ocean by a gust of fierce air which seemed to radiate with colour. A cool shiver stroked Abbii's skin as she met the eyes of the woman hovering in the centre of the chaos. Bright sparks of energy radiated from her skin and an evil red glow consumed her irises. Abbii felt strange, drawn to her to by something, a sense of familiarity.

"Abbii."

Gasping for a breath, she met Nate's gaze, realising that he had taken hold of her shoulders. For a moment, she thought that she could see a glint of light escaping his eyes, but as a tear rolled across her cheek, it faded.

"What happened?" he asked quietly.

"P-people..." she stuttered. "They all died..."

Leading Abbii to the edge of her bed, Nate knelt in front of her as she sat down. "Was that the image that the veil showed you?"

She nodded, blinking to try and clear the tears in her eyes. A look of thought covered Nate's face. "But it was different this time."

"How?" Nate's brow arched inwards.

"The perspective; the way I saw it was like I was stood directly in the centre, but when I touched the veil, I saw the chaos from a distance."

Lowering his gaze for a moment, Nate worked through his thoughts. "The second time was in a different perspective..." Standing to his feet, he began to pace.

"The woman—"

Nate stopped and raised his hand. "The image was meant for you."

"But why did I see it?" Abbii moved to her feet, trying to persuade Nate to turn.

He sighed. "As your powers grow, you will start to see many things, and most of them will be of the future. Soon you will not only see other's futures but your own as well. Your visions are for you and you alone. The people in your visions cannot know what you have seen—don't tell them. Out of fear, people will try and change their fate, but ultimately, it is their destiny and it cannot be changed." Breathing in, he turned and faced her directly. "Do you understand?"

Abbii swallowed. She knew what Nate had said was true, but still didn't understand why she had seen so much chaos. She didn't recognise any of the people in her visions, so why had she witnessed their fate? Was the vision somehow connected to her own life?

"Abbii?"

She let the thoughts fade, holding Nate's gaze. "I understand, but I'm not going back."

Lowering his gaze briefly, he smiled, as if he had known that that was going to be Abbii's reply. "I won't make you, but we're not going forward either."

"Why?"

Extending his hand, his smile grew. "There's something I want to show you."

Abbii hesitated, narrowing her eyes. "How did you know about the veil?" She watched as Nate lowered his arm, shuffling in his place. "You know too much and you can't explain how you do, and now after finding me, you have decided to let me continue on, when I know that your task was returning me to The Everglades! How am I supposed to trust in you, when I know nothing about who you are?"

Nate moved towards the door, stopping as Abbii followed him with her gaze. He opened the door and faced her. "This is not about whom I am Abbii. It is about you and who you are."

"Do you know why they're chasing me?" Her voice had grown quiet, almost to a whisper.

"In simple terms, they need your power."

She absorbed his answer. "Why?"

He walked out onto the landing, turning again to meet Abbii's gaze. "Give it time, Abbii."

"Why, Nate?"

A moment of silence followed as Nate inhaled a deep breath. "They're weakening. All elements of this world are losing their power." He noticed the look of doubt which consumed Abbii's expression. "I won't ask you to trust me..."

She met his gaze.

"Just trust in the fact that I'm here with you now. I will tell you everything you need to know in time, but only when you are strong enough to accept it." With nothing more to say, he moved out of Abbii's eye line, making his way towards the large staircase against the far wall of the landing.

Abbii remained still, looking at the place where Nate had stood. She listened to him descend the staircase; his footsteps grew quieter until silence followed. She looked around her room before returning her gaze to the empty doorway, trying to decide what she wanted to do. Somewhere inside of her, she knew that Nate was only doing what was best for her; perhaps he was right, perhaps she wouldn't cope if she found out who she really was. A stroke of cool air brushed against her skin, pushing her onto the landing.

Hearing the door close behind her, Abbii took in the details of the landing; the rich coloured carpet that lay in the centre of each wooden pathway; the walls were pale as if the weather had worn away their brightness; the ceiling was plain and the chandelier which hung from the centre seemed dull, covered with a blanket of thick dust. Abbii didn't know where Nate had taken her, but it was old.

She moved across the landing, running her fingertips along the wall as she moved. A layer of dirt and dust built under each nail, but Abbii didn't mind. She loved the feel of history. Brushing her hands together as she reached the top of the staircase, Abbii extended her hand to take hold of the wooden handrail. It was dark in colour like ebony, and it was smooth to the touch. She noticed that the coloured carpet also followed the movement of the stairs, cutting down the centre of each individual step. Abbii smiled briefly before continuing on.

The steps adjusted slightly under her weight but did not moan in discomfort. Abbii followed the shape of the handrail with her gaze until she reached the ground level, seeing that the floor was also made from wood. Some of the panels seemed worn and others had knots and cracks adding to their design. Abbii found that the building reminded her of the community hall that her parents had used to take her to. They had watched many pantomimes and shows there when Abbii was growing up, but she could only remember the building itself.

A strange sound came from Abbii's left, causing her to move from the last step to investigate. Leaning slightly to see around the corner, Abbii saw that Nate was pulling a piece of furniture across the floor, pushing it against the far wall before concentrating onto another. There were a handful of pieces of wood and broken furniture spread messily across the floor, proving Abbii's theory that the building had been abandoned.

Abbii guessed that the room in front of her was the biggest, due to the large amount of bay windows which spread along the three sides of the room. Dark pieces of fabric hung across them like curtains, but even they had fallen victim to time, hanging awkwardly with tears disrupting their shaping. The air was stale and it took Abbii several moments to get used to it.

"What is this place?" she asked.

Nate pulled the last piece of furniture against the far wall, before looking up to answer Abbii's question. "It's an old hall. Local school children were sent here. It was like a boarding school."

Realising that the room in fact looked like a school gymnasium proved Nate's reply. "But there are so few rooms."

"Most of the building was destroyed by a fire."

Nate turned towards one of the windows, taking hold of the curtain remnants with both hands. He tugged at them, hearing them tear and come loose before dropping to the floor with a gentle thud. A cloud of dust spread outwards, making Nate cough. It made Abbii smile as she saw sunlight beam in through the dirty glass.

She made her way across the room, drawn in by the light, and as she reached the window, she saw what Nate spoke of. There was a silhouette of a building surrounding the hall, burnt black with char. Many of the walls had caved in and no doors or windows remained. Even the nearby trees and greenery had suffered, standing as brittle matchsticks. Vines and small plants had wormed themselves through the damaged structure, surrounding it with a thick layer of brambles.

"What happened?"

Nate moved to the next window, removing the dark material to allow more light into the room. He repeated the process twice more before gazing briefly at Abbii. "It was said that a cursed child was taught here. One night, he disappeared inside of the building. No one could find him. No one knew of the Shadows which chased after him. The school was shut down when his body was discovered...several days later, four of the other children were also found dead here, burned under remnants of the building. No one knows what happened."

Abbii gasped. "That's horrible." She lowered her gaze briefly. "The Shadows even chase after small children..." Her jaw grew tense.

A loud crash startled her, causing her to turn quickly. She saw that Nate had picked up a piece of old wood, throwing it against the wall where it had landed. He kicked several other stray bits of wood against the wall, before removing the last curtain which fell to his feet.

"What are you doing?" Abbii asked.

"Making use of the space," he replied, without turning.

"Why?"

He stopped and turned to face her. "Somebody's got to train you." His lip lifted into a smirk.

"Train me?" Abbii's heart began to beat faster. "What do you mean 'train me'?"

Holding her gaze as he worded a reply, Nate made sure to use the right words. "You can't keep running from the Shadows, Abbii. Running only gets you so far."

"You expect me to fight?" The look of horror across her face would have easily made Nate laugh, but he held his expression serious.

"Not fight exactly. I just need to teach you a few things."

Abbii edged backwards, stopping as her back met the windowsill. "But how are you supposed to teach me anything? You only know what Daniel has told you!"

As Nate had already presumed that Abbii would argue against his decision, he sighed loudly. "Come on Abbii, I know more than you think," he smiled.

She scowled at Nate's lack of seriousness. "I don't even know how to use my powers, so how are you supposed to? I'm not doing it!" Turning her back, she folded her arms over her chest like a child.

Nate looked down, raising his hand to his forehead. "Either you accept it and let me train you, or we're going back to The Everglades." He hated the idea of giving Abbii an ultimatum, but he knew that that would be the only way.

Turning quickly with a gasp, she narrowed her eyes at him. "Fine, but I'm not using my powers."

Thinking it best not to argue, Nate nodded. "We'll start with your senses. That'll help the most."

They each stood there for a long moment, neither one speaking. Abbii knew that Nate would not budge in his decision, and in turn, he knew that neither would she. Abbii started to feel awkward as the silence continued.

"What do you want me to do, then?"

Nate signalled for her to move forward, watching as she did after a brief hesitation. She stopped several strides in front of him and waited for him to speak. "How many windows are there?"

Not really understanding the relevance of counting windows, Abbii turned to count them.

"No!"

Startled by Nate's outburst, she glared at him, more out of shock than malice.

"Without turning." He watched as confusion took over her face. "Close your eyes and focus on the energy of the sunlight beaming through the glass."

Abbii shuffled in her place, not really understanding, but when Nate smiled, she did as she was asked. She closed her eyes, immediately feeling self conscious that Nate's gaze was focused onto her.

"Clear your mind of everything else. Think of somewhere you feel calm."

Keeping her eyes closed, Abbii took in Nate's statement. She felt her heartbeat increase and her breath seemed shallow, but as she relaxed her shoulders, the rest of her body seemed to follow. She listened to the faint breeze that circled through the large space, hearing leaves pitter-pattering against the wooden floor.

"Anywhere you feel calm."

Although her mind was full of questions and worries and a fear that she would lose herself, Abbii found that an image began to form in her head. Bursts of blue and silver light soothed her, and once the image had focused, she realised why. She could see the lake at The Everglades, with the moon reflected clearly upon its surface. The stars were shining brightly, and the air was still. The feeling of calm which enveloped her felt uplifting.

"Now keep that feeling inside of you and focus onto the light of the sun."

Not at all distracted by Nate's words, Abbii kept hold of the calmness inside of her and expanded her mind in some way, feeling the energy of the sunlight. She could feel its warmth and the way it passed through the glass of the bay windows. The years of dirt and dust made no difference; the power of the sunlight beamed through it without faltering.

"How many are there, Abbii?"

Realising that she could sense several different areas of the sunlight's energy, Abbii realised that each one represented one of the windows.

There are eight.

Suddenly overcome with warmth that enveloped her, Abbii lost her calmness, focusing entirely on the new feeling which consumed her. Sparks of blue and silver flashed inside of her mind and her heart began to beat faster. She could feel a strong sense of emotion, escaping from the colours, but she did not know its origin.

"Focus..."

She opened her eyes and met Nate's gaze, noticing that his cheeks seemed flushed slightly. Pushing the thought aside, she smiled. "There are eight."

"Have a look."

Turning quickly to count the windows in the room, Abbii saw that there were eight. The smile across her face widened, and she turned towards Nate. "I did it!"

He smiled in reply, as the last of the colour faded from his cheeks.

"But I don't see how counting windows will help..."

Nate realised that all of the happiness across Abbii's face had faded, being replaced with uncertainty. "You can sense all types of objects with that ability, living or not. For now, you can only concentrate onto smaller objects or small bursts of energy, but in time, you will be able to sense people as well as Shadows."

She smiled.

"Next, I want you to focus on the sunlight itself. The way it moves through the air."

Without hesitation this time, Abbii closed her eyes and fell silent. She inhaled a deep breath as her consciousness expanded again. Something like a leaf brushed past her ankle but the movement did not distract her from focusing on the light. Its warmth and energy seemed to call to her, as if they shared some type of connection. She could feel it beaming through the room, caressing her skin as it reached her. Tiny sparks of energy danced across its surface, which in turn Abbii could feel against her skin.

"It's so beautiful," she whispered.

Nate smiled, and although Abbii could not see it, a glint of light danced across his eyes as he watched her. "What can you feel?"

"Its heat. It's shielding me from the breeze."

Moving to the side quietly, Nate leant down to take hold of a piece of the blue material which had used to hang at the windows. He lifted it silently and faced Abbii, raising it level with his face. Remaining still for a moment, he suddenly threw it into the air, launching it towards Abbii's body.

A cool shiver suddenly stroked her skin as its shadow loomed over her, but as a spark of light ignited outwards causing her eyelids to flicker, Abbii opened her eyes. She saw that Nate was now stood closer to one of the windows and that part of its curtains lay at her feet. Looking between that and Nate's gaze, Abbii didn't understand why he seemed so pleased.

"What?"

Being careful to word his reply in a way that wouldn't overemphasize what had happened, Nate lowered his gaze. "I threw the material through the air. It should have landed over you, but it didn't."

"You mustn't throw as hard as you think," she smiled in reply.

Realising that she did not quite understand what he was saying, he moved forwards and tried to explain again. "You said the sunlight felt as if it was shielding you from the breeze. It was not only that that it was shielding you from, Abbii."

She shuffled in her place, looking again at the material by her feet. Taking in a breath, Abbii realised that she had been right about the sunlight shielding her—it had literally formed around where she stood, and that's what had caused Nate to smile.

Her eyes narrowed. "I said I didn't want to use my powers!"

All evidence of the light within her irises faded and her jaw tightened.

Nate sighed loudly. "You're going to have to use them eventually, Abbii."

"I don't have to do anything!"

She turned around and walked several strides before stopping in her place. She felt strange, almost unrecognizable as herself. The last of the sun's energy faded from around her body, making the air seem bitterly cold.

"I can't make you fight, but I don't understand why you won't try." Seeing that Abbii didn't turn as he spoke, Nate reached into his pocket. "I've taught you the basics of keeping yourself safe. You just need to practise them."

Abbii sighed, keeping her back turned. A tear built in her eye, but she wiped it away before it could fall. She felt as if her body didn't have the strength to remain standing, but she soon realised that it was her mind which was telling her she should feel weak; it had grown to have little faith. She was pained with having little self confidence and a lack of self belief, but one day, she hoped to overcome them and reach the highest point that she could.

"I have to go now."

She spun around quickly. "What? You're leaving?"

He nodded. "Only for an hour or so, I'll be back later."

"You're going to Pennyworth, aren't you?"

"You have to stay here, Abbii; Pennyworth will be a dangerous place for you to go whilst your powers are still growing. I won't be long." Pulling his hand from his pocket, he extended it forwards, with a small square shape in his grasp. "Here. I found it in the College before I left."

Without asking what it was that Nate was holding, Abbii recognised it as her mobile phone. She had gone so long without it that it didn't seem important to her; that is until she thought of the texts that Jake had sent which were saved in its memory. She rushed across the room and held it tightly, elongating her blink as her skin sensed the small amount of energy which escaped from within it.

"I won't be long."

Abbii looked up briefly. "Fine, just leave."

Watching Abbii's expression as she moved her gaze back to the phone in her grasp, Nate was glad to see that she seemed happy, as the memories connected to her phone returned. He breathed in and turned his back, walking through the hallway quietly, grabbing a black jacket that hung over the staircase banister. Abbii had not noticed it on her descent, and even as Nate took hold of it, pulling it slowly over his arms, she still did not notice it or Nate's movement.

Her grip on the phone strengthened as the thoughts of Jake multiplied. She thought that she could sense him as she stood, holding her breath, and a sudden thought entered her head. Raising her hand swiftly, Abbii's fingertips met the cool metal of her angel pendant; only now had she remembered it. She felt as if she had repressed Jake's memory, forgotten everything that they had shared.

"Jake..." A tear fell from her eye.

A bang echoed through the wooden hall, breaking through Abbii's thoughts. She raised her gaze, seeing that Nate was no longer stood in front of her. He had left, and the noise that had startled her had been the door closing. Her body shivered as she dashed towards the large door, pulling it open just in time to see Nate driving away.

Abbii wished she had said more before he had left, instead of focusing onto her phone. The way that she had told him to leave had been unneeded, and she hoped that he didn't feel hurt. She sighed loudly, slumping to her knees as the wind whistled past. She realised that the car Nate had been driving had actually been Daniel's, making her feel regret at how she had spoken to her head teacher over and over, as it was clear that everyone was trying to do what was best for her. The way she confronted them, cutting through them with her harsh words, was not something that they deserved from her.

Her cheeks absorbed the cold as she remained knelt. She glanced between the phone in her hand and the trees ahead of her which Nate had driven through. It felt strange to her, like part of her wanted to look through the phone so that she could relive the memories that she had shared with Jake, but then another part of her just wanted to sit and wait until Nate returned.

Standing quickly, huffing in irritation, she shoved her phone into the pocket of her jeans and made her way back into the hall, closing the door behind her forcefully. She paced through the open space of the hallway, frustrated at how she was feeling, how confusing her thoughts were becoming. Minutes easily passed by before she took in her surroundings.

The silence that surrounded her was eerie, and as she came to standstill at the base of the staircase, she decided to head straight for her room. She felt lost in such a large space. When Nate had been in her company, she had not noticed the uncomfortable silence and high-pitched whistling of the wind, but since he had left, everything had grown cold and unwelcoming.

Making her way upstairs, Abbii rushed across the landing, closing the door behind her swiftly when she had pushed into her room. She was thankful that the air seemed warmer upstairs, but she still felt terribly alone. Even the sunlight which beamed in through the small window had changed, as if its power had decreased. She turned and made her way towards the chair which sat in the corner opposite her bed. Sitting down so that she could pull her legs up close to her body, Abbii opened her phone.

The light of the screen had a blue hue, and the rainbow striped screensaver seemed brighter than Abbii remembered. The buttons of her phone felt foreign to her fingertips, but after several moments, she felt used to its shape again. For a brief moment, she thought that she could sense Nate through her phone, but pushing the thought aside, Abbii touched her screen gently, brushing her fingertip left which caused the screen to change.

A green box appeared in the top right corner, and Jake's name was displayed beneath it in simple black text. Abbii read his name several times in her mind, letting the sounds of the letters fill her. She moved her finger towards it and pushed slightly, watching as the icon lit up before disappearing. Various boxes scattered across the screen, with the odd smiley face and love heart, standing out from the surrounding lines of text. Abbii could see several of the texts that Jake had sent her, smiling as she remembered the many random conversations that they had shared.

Using her fingertip to scroll the screen down, she realised that all of the messages in her phone's memory were from Jake. There were none from her family or friends, as if they had never existed. The thought made Abbii tense, but she was glad that she had known Jake and glad that he had become a big part of her life; he had been all that had mattered in the end. No one from her past had bothered with her; they'd moved on and erased her from their life.

She focused onto the last message that he had sent.

B right there

Abbii sighed, leaning her head against the wall. If only you were here Jake...I wish you were. I wish I could have said goodbye...

As she thought through her memories, Abbii realised that they had shared a goodbye—that evening when she and Jake had sat by the water's edge. They had not said the words, but Abbii had felt it at the time; she had realised that would be the last time that they would see each other.

Adjusting her grip on her phone, Abbii accidentally pressed Jake's name, causing her to dial Jake's number. She searched for the cancel button, but as Jake's voice escaped from the speakers, Abbii found that she instinctively raised the phone to her ear, listening as Jake spoke.

You've reached Jake, but I'm either busy or not by my phone. Phone back or leave a message, and if it's you Abbii, keep trying, don't give up.

Abbii's breath caught in her throat. She had never realised that she had been mentioned in Jake's message; he had obviously known her better than she had thought. The beep rang out to signal it was time to leave a message.

"Jake...things aren't the same since you left. I feel scared, like things are out of my control. I've left the College...heading for Pennyworth to see everything I never knew about you."

She grew quiet for a second, as if waiting for Jake's reply. Abbii pictured his face in her mind, outraged in regards to her visiting Pennyworth. Something strange happened then: Jake's envisioned face grew calm as an image of Nate disrupted Abbii's thoughts. Shuffling in her place, she took in a breath.

"There's a guy who came when you left. His name is Nate. I don't know who he is, but I think I can trust him...I know nothing about him, but he reminds me of you." She held in her sobs. "I'm sorry about the Shadows, about not telling you. It was always me and you, but now, I don't know...now it's just me. Me and..." A stream of air adjusted the curtains, drawing Abbii's focus. She moved the phone from her ear and cancelled the call as she started to move.

Standing up slowly, focusing onto the window, Abbii made her way towards it, pushing her phone into her pocket. She leant against the windowsill carefully and peered outside, taking in the large gathering of trees ahead of her and the stone pathway that cut through them; Abbii followed it until it was no longer in her sight, then focused her gaze onto a corner of the burnt ruins that bordered the edge of her view.

A thin tower of brick remained standing, but like the rest of the building's silhouette, it was black and surrounded by various pieces of debris. Plants vines had slithered up along the brick which had lost its colour, due to the winter month which had consumed everything so suddenly. Abbii saw that one side of its structure was more fragile than the other, as small cracks and spread through the layers of brick, but it had remained standing, leaving an impression of how the complete building would have looked.

Decorative patterns of bricks led up to the top chamber of the tower, where Abbii could see a large golden bell hung suspended from the pointed roof. Abbii seemed drawn to it as it shone under the small amount of sunlight, and she wondered how the weight of it had not collapsed.

A sudden flash of light consumed her view, pushing her eyes to close as images began to swirl through her thoughts. Bursts of colour began to form as a skyline, and Abbii could see that the tower and bell had appeared, ringing loudly. Snow was falling rapidly from the sky, covering the land with a thick white blanket of cold. The air stung Abbii's throat as she saw an image of herself, stood in front of the tower. The ringing of the bell spread throughout her body like a heartbeat, and energy filled her. Abbii's breathing hastened as the sound abruptly stopped. A black figure appeared ahead of her.

It stood in front of the bell tower as Abbii's mirror-image approached it. The aura that surrounded its body pulsed warmth through her, causing her to gasp for a breath. Both sets of her gaze focused onto the unmoving stranger.

"Who are you?" she asked quietly.

The figure reacted to Abbii's voice by moving towards her, extending its hand. She hesitated slightly, but felt drawn to reciprocate its action. Light shone over a section of the stranger's face, revealing two hazel eyes.

"Jake?" Abbii gasped.

She willed the vision to remain as it began to degrade a moment later, but the image started to disintegrate. A flash of light shone out, and just before the vision disappeared entirely, Abbii saw that Nate was approaching the shadowed figure from behind, grasping a dagger tightly. She gasped as Nate ran towards them. His knife met fresh skin and the black silhouette faded into dust.

Abbii's eyes opened. She fell back as she pushed against the windowsill. Tears rimmed her eyes and she clutched her chest, feeling a surge of pain flow through her, as if her vision had been real, as if Nate had pierced her body with his dagger.

Was it real? Could Jake be alive?

"Jake..." Abbii's breath faltered as she thought of Nate, running at her with a knife.

Why would he do that? Why would that happen? He wouldn't...

A cool stream of air wrapped around her as her body began to shake. Her skin started to heat as she tried to fight what she had seen. A light leaked out from her scar, and her fingers twitched as she began to count involuntarily. She tried to inhale a deep enough breath, but failed, leaning back to lie on the floor instead. Her vision blurred and Abbii soon lost consciousness, as the energy of her vision overwhelmed her. As her body fell still, an invisible shockwave burst outwards, smashing the lamp and part of her window.

Silence followed as the winter air seeped into the room, but Abbii's mind remained active. She continued to see bursts of colour beneath her eyelids, no longer forming as images but rather ejections of energy. An essence of magic still filled her as if her body was set for continuation, but the truth was that she couldn't move, she had been forced into a sleep that she didn't want.

Fighting the strange hold over her body, Abbii tried to move her arms. She remained still however, even as day turned into night; even when she held her breath in an attempt to force her body to comply, she still couldn't move.

She began to lose herself, being consumed by the vastness of her inner consciousness. It felt like life itself was draining from within her, but something kept her connected to her life. Her breath began to even out. The memories of Jake willed her to keep fighting, and the smile of Nate's face made her realise that she did not want to leave his side.

Her body warmed and she opened her eyes, as all evidence of her magic faded.
Twelve

"Why, Abbii?" Nate's frustration showed in his tone as he watched her sit, staring blankly across the room. "You collapsed because you had a vision, that's the only explanation. Why won't you admit it?"

Inhaling a breath, Abbii looked across at him, noticing how his hands had tensed. She saw the worry across his face; an essence of panic often sparked in his irises whenever Abbii was concerned.

"Why won't you tell me what you saw?" His voice quieted as he took in the detail of the dark rings that circled her eyes. She was tired, drained from her magic. He sighed, sitting on the edge of his bed, lowering his head into his hands. "Do you trust me that little?"

Abbii's eyes softened due to the hurt that she could hear through Nate's voice. It was true that she didn't trust him entirely, but he had proved many times that he only did what was best for her. He had rescued her from the Shadows, keeping her safe by taking her to the old hall; he had offered to train her in order for her to be able to protect herself when he couldn't be there, and he had even waited by her side when he had found her unconscious, allowing her to visit the shower room before approaching her with his questions. A part of Nate called out to Abbii's senses. He deserved to know something.

"You told me not to say," she replied quietly.

Very slowly, he looked up to meet her gaze. His brow arched inwards, but when he reeled through his thoughts, he realised what Abbii had meant. "I was in your vision."

She nodded, even though the gesture wasn't needed. Nate had already realised that she had seen him inside of her mind. He held her gaze before sighing, almost in relief. Taking a moment to gather his breath, he noticed the look of thought which had spread across Abbii's face.

"Abbii?"

She looked to the floor, trying to forget the pain of her vision. It was not just the suggestion of seeing Jake again which filled her with emotion, but also the fact that Nate had attacked him with his dagger. Nate was starting to mean something to her, the longer she journeyed alongside him.

"What I see won't always come true...right?" The way she looked at Nate filled him with an urge to hold her.

He shook his head slowly. "Sometimes what you see can actually be several different events at one time, like images overlapping. It's just something that you will have to learn to identify for yourself."

Abbii smiled as she listened to him speak, happy at the prospect of her vision being false. She didn't know what scared her the most—the fact that Jake may be alive or that Nate would betray her.

"I know it's hard. You should get some rest."

"Not yet," she replied. "I want to talk."

He smiled as Abbii met his gaze. She felt strange; not once had she ever chosen to speak about her life and personal stories, but here with Nate, she found herself wanting to. Beginning to count her fingers slowly, Abbii breathed in.

"Where did you come from Nate, before The Everglades?"

Moving back to sit against the bed rest, he took a moment to word his reply. "I don't really remember. My family was broken...I moved from house to house. The weeks before I woke up in The Everglades aren't in my memory."

For the first time, Abbii could see that Nate felt uncomfortable. She fidgeted in her place, wishing that she had not asked such a question of him. "A broken family," she whispered. "I know how that feels."

"My mother was gentle and caring—one of the lights of my life. My father was the complete opposite, and he paid for his corrupt ways with his life."

"He died?" Abbii asked quietly.

With a quiet nod, Nate extended his blink. "He lost his way into Shadow until it swallowed him whole. My mother suffered, crawling into the arms of strange men for comfort."

The sadness that consumed Nate's irises was almost unbearable for Abbii to watch. She had never seen such emotion across Nate's face before, and she began to regret ever choosing to talk. Moving to her feet, she made her way towards her bed, sitting on the edge so that she could cross her legs a moment later. "I'm sorry I asked."

He smiled. "I don't mind telling you."

Keeping the movement of her hands out of view, Abbii sighed, "My parents weren't all that different." She lowered her head, picking at the hem of her jeans instead of counting. "My father left when I was born, and my mother never wanted me."

Nate sat up, edging forwards. "They didn't know what they had."

Abbii raised her gaze, feeling her face lift into a smile. She watched Nate lean back, his cheeks coloured slightly. A strange feeling entered her mind then, revealing an urge to lay her head against Nate's chest. Shuffling along the bed awkwardly, she moved to lie on her side instead, leaning her head against her hand.

She looked around the room, taking in the detail of the subtle furnishings. Dark shapes spread out from them due to the light of the lamp. Abbii noticed that the window had been taped over so that the cool air could not seep in through the glass. Her mind vaguely remembered that glass had smashed, but she had not known its origins, understanding now that it must have been the window. Not knowing how the glass had broken, Abbii moved her attention to the lamp at her bed side.

Again her mind seemed to remember a distinct sound of glass breaking, but she could see that the lamp was intact and in perfect working order. She realised that her mind was playing tricks on her, as she noticed that a blue light was escaping from the entire shape of the lamp; the stand and the shade seemed to radiate with colour. For a moment, Abbii thought that she could see the colour across Nate's hand, but as she blinked, it faded from his skin.

"Why did you go to The Everglades?"

Her gaze was pulled from the light to focus onto Nate, who was now lain on his back, looking at the ceiling. Although she had not heard what Nate had said, she found that she did not need to ask him to repeat it, as her mind already seemed to know what it was that he had said. Ignoring her thoughts, she focused onto Nate's chest, lowering and rising with each breath.

"I didn't really have a choice," she replied quietly.

Nate remained silent, hoping that Abbii would continue with what she was saying. After a moment, she did, adjusting the position of her hand against her head.

"The way my parents were, the way that they got on with their lives without really caring for the other, proved that they weren't happy. When I was little, I remember my mum crying herself to sleep every night, hoping that he would come back." She breathed out, moving to lie onto her back. "I never understood why, but I didn't want to. I'd already lost my dad and I didn't want to lose my mum as well, so I grew up. I took care of myself, and I let my mum do whatever she wanted. When a stranger came to my house, I knew by the look on her face she wanted me to leave, so I did, every time. I saw the colour of her eyes fade after each one that came to our house..."

Abbii breathed out, wiping a tear from her face. She didn't know why she was telling Nate about her past, but she wanted to continue. She just wanted someone to know what had happened. Jake had never understood, as Abbii had never explained it to him; she was not going to make the same mistake with Nate now that he had started to help her.

"One night," she began, "I came home earlier than usual. I don't know why, but I did, and when I walked into my house and I saw my mum arguing with someone, I ran straight to my room. I think...I think she called after me, but her tears had changed her voice." Abbii closed her eyes as she continued. "I sat in my room with the light on...I hated the dark. I waited until the shouting stopped, until my mum went into her room and cried to herself. I got into bed...I hoped that the light would let me sleep..."

Nate looked over as Abbii seemed to hesitate. "What happened?"

"The Shadows came for the first time."

The look of thought across Nate's face deepened as Abbii spoke. He focused onto her face, noticing that her eyes had opened again. Tears escaped the corner of one, running across her skin. Nate felt saddened that he could not comfort her.

Abbii breathed in as a cool shiver brushed over her skin. "They seeped into my room as I watched them. Their arms stretched towards me." She kept her tears from falling by wiping her face every time she paused for a breath. "I wanted to scream, but it was like the air from my lungs was stolen. I collapsed to the floor...they all ripped at my skin...my arm was torn open. The pain was..." A sudden sob escaped her lips as she relived the memory of that night.

With little hesitation, Nate sat up and reached for Abbii's arm, as she, too, moved to sit on the edge of her bed. "You don't have to carry on. Calm down."

"Let me finish!" The tone of her voice showed the pain that coursed through her, but it was obvious that she wished to continue. The truth was that if she stopped there and fell silent, Abbii feared that she would never tell her tale again.

As Nate watched her try and catch her breath, he realised then that Abbii had obviously never told anyone before about the night that she spoke of. She had kept it locked up inside of her for so long, that the weight of it had become almost unbearable. Nate kept his hand on Abbii's arm as she continued, surprised that she did not pull away from his touch.

"When they surrounded me, the dark covered my room. All light faded...I lost my way, lying on the floor, feeling my arm run with blood." She closed her eyes briefly. "If the image in my head hadn't appeared, I think I would have given up..."

"Image?"

"I think..." Abbii glanced at Nate's hand, watching his thumb stroke against her skin. She continued to speak, keeping her gaze lowered. "I think I had my first vision that night. I saw that I was stood on an island, surrounded by water. Shadows were kept back by it...I was safe. I watched their eyes be drawn to something at my side, and I realised that I was holding someone's hand."

Listening carefully, Nate tried to picture what it was that Abbii was describing. He met her gaze as she looked up, seeing that her tears had stopped, being replaced with a subtle glow which coloured her irises.

"I looked up to see who it was that stood beside me, but all I saw was light. No features of any kind, only light." Abbii's face seemed to brighten as she thought of the warmth that had filled her when she had had the vision. Her face darkened, but she continued with what she was saying. "A scream broke through my thoughts and the image faded."

Being careful not to touch Abbii's scar, Nate moved his hand to hers, taking hold of it gently. "What happened?" he asked.

Abbii swallowed the lump that had built in the back of her throat. "My mum found me. She saw the blood, and she thought that..." Breathing in, she held her breath steady. "I tried to tell her what happened. I told her about the Shadows and the vision I'd seen, but she shouted at me, calling me a liar."

"To your mother, it must have seemed obvious what had happened." Nate lowered his gaze, moving Abbii's arm slowly to reveal her scar. She stared at it, narrowing her eyes. "She did what she thought was right for you. The Everglades was somewhere you'd be safe."

Arching her brow inwards, Abbii pushed Nate's arm away as she stood to her feet. "But she didn't give me a chance! She believed nothing that I told her. She took me to The Everglades and left me there!" Her hands clenched into fists as she remembered the way her mum had looked at her; the way that she accused Abbii of lying. She closed her eyes tightly. "She left, and she never came back." Her voice grew to a whisper as she finished what she was saying.

Nate stood up quietly, looking over Abbii's face covered with remnants of her tears. He realised that she had lost her belief on that night; lost the will to fight, thinking that it would have made no difference to the events that had happened. Raising his arms slowly, he took hold of Abbii's shoulders, feeling her skin shiver in reaction to his own. He waited for her to push him away, but when he found that she didn't, he pulled her forwards and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

She cried into his chest, focusing on the rhythm of Nate's heart. Her tears stopped moments later and they both stood, enjoying the silence around them, neither one knowing what to say to the other.

Abbii shuffled in her place, moving back as Nate lowered his arms. She met his gaze, trying to understand why he was there for her when no one else had been. "Nate?"

"Yes?" He asked.

"Will you train me? Teach me to fight?"

Allowing his face to be consumed with a smile, he nodded as his eyes glistened.

*

They spent most of the night talking about Abbii's powers and abilities. She found it hard to believe that she was capable of so much without even knowing.

Nate had explained how her powers relied on sources of energy. Sunlight was the biggest factor; it seemed to be the highest source of Abbii's power, which Nate had proven when he had thrown the blanket of material towards her, watching as it was deflected with energy from the sunlight. In time, Nate believed that Abbii would have control over many more of the elements around her, but only time would tell which ones.

He told her how to calm her mind easily, thinking of a place that she had been where nothing had changed, where she had been happy. Every time that she practised forming such a place in her head, Abbii's mind created the pool of water on the outskirts of The Everglades campus. She didn't know why, but it was the only place that she could remember being truly free, with no worries or fears clouding her judgement. The more she practised forming an essence of calm, the quicker she was able to summon upon her powers.

At first, only a faint blanket of light seeped out from her skin when she was thinking calmly, but after several hours, the glow brightened and spread, warming Abbii through to her core. She smiled every time she achieved something small, happy to see that Nate was pleased with her progress as well. Without Nate at her side, Abbii believed that she would have given up her strength again and forced her powers further and further into the back of her consciousness.

She learned how to see things around her that her eyes could not detect; the small rays of light which beamed outwards from the lamp's complete shape; the way the particles in the air moved with the slight breeze; even Nate's heartbeat was something that she could feel and hear, as if her ear were pressed against his chest. Abbii could sense the progress of the night and how long it would be until the sun would rise up from the horizon. She could feel the cold air of night dissipate ever so slightly, as the moon lowered for the sun to take its place. Knowing that she could always sense the sun gave her a reason to smile.

Abbii had been afraid of the dark for so many years, but now that she was capable of sensing how long it would be until day arrived, her fear of the dark lessened. That was her greatest achievement, feeling her fear fade after each time her confidence was boosted. Her aura brightened throughout the night, and the smile across her face grew. She used the light of the lamp to restore her energy several times throughout the hours that passed.

Bright surges of energy radiated from her skin whenever she absorbed the energy of the light. She realised that her powers had materialised when she had broken the lamppost outside of the B&B, and again when she had lit the broken lamp in her room; she had given the energy of light a vessel to hold it until its power was required. Abbii tried to imagine how much energy she could hold at one time, but Nate advised against thinking too far into it.

He told her how her powers were still progressing and growing through each day, and how dangerous it would be to try to push them too far too quickly. Nate always interrupted her whenever he thought she was pushing too far. At first it irritated her as she believed he was trying to stunt her growth, but once the night had faded, she began to realise that he was only thinking of what was best for her, again.

That's all he ever seemed to do, and the thought of it caused Abbii to grow warm. She loved Nate's company and could not imagine sharing her time with someone else. An energy surged from his skin regularly as Abbii experimented with her powers, and at some point in the morning, she found that she couldn't resist it any longer.

Nate was asleep, lay on his side, breathing steadily. He had sat up most of the night watching Abbii's progress, but at some point he had drifted off to sleep. Abbii had not been unaware of it until she had stopped still for a moment. She smiled, watching Nate's face closely. Sitting quietly for several moments, she was happy that Nate was asleep. Abbii sat crossed-legged on her bed and focused onto the energy that she could sense surrounding Nate's body.

She closed her eyes briefly, concentrating her senses onto Nate. A small glow of light began to seep out from her skin, and when she opened her eyes, she saw that a similar energy was also escaping from Nate's. Raising her hand slightly, Abbii extended her palm, watching as the light from her hand merged to form a small orb of lit energy above it. She watched as Nate's energy brightened in response, and it began to radiate with flecks of blue.

The colour created images inside of Abbii's mind, revealing times when the same coloured energy had escaped his skin, in times when Abbii could not have detected it. It warmed her almost immediately, but her concentration began to waver as her body started to shake. The glow from her skin brightened beyond compare, gathering at her chest in silence. Her angel pendant rose up to her face as tears formed across her cheeks.

"Nate..." she whispered.

She could not gather enough breath to shout his name. Her throat felt like it was closing and the light from her chest began to surge outwards, absorbing the colour of Nate's aura. Abbii clenched her hands into fists, grasping at her temples as a pain began to stab against her mind. She collapsed sideways as dizziness overpowered her. The room began to spin as Abbii gathered the last of her energy.

Nate!

Without warning, Nate's eyes opened and he sat up quickly. He rushed to Abbii's side, noticing that his aura was visible. He gasped, realising what Abbii had done.

"The pain..." she sobbed.

He reached forwards and took hold of her lower arm tightly, covering her scar with his hand. The energy blasted against his skin in retaliation, but he did not let go.

"Let it go, Abbii!"

She brought her knees to her chest as her head continued to throb. An image of a body filled her mind, shining with a bright glow.

"Abbii!"

Startled by Nate's outburst, she met his gaze directly and saw that his eyes were glowing. She wished that she could understand what was happening, but that wasn't important. The only thing that mattered was regaining control of her breath.

"Imagine your powers are fading," Nate soothed. "Imagine there is no light, no energy in my aura."

"But, I—"

"Do it, Abbii!"

Closing her eyes tightly, Abbii held her breath, picturing the light from her skin fading. She felt the strength of Nate's aura lessen until it disappeared completely. Her hands moved from her temples and clasped above her chest. She realised that the same pain which had knocked her unconscious during past visions was the same pain consuming her now. The light from her skin weakened until it died, and Abbii opened her eyes slowly.

Nate still held her wrist tightly. "Are you ok?"

She nodded, sitting up with his help. "What was that?"

Taking hold of her shoulder gently, he allowed her to lean against him, feeling that her heartbeat had lost its rhythm. "Not all energies can be absorbed. Some bring too much pain, too much hurt for the bearer to withstand. I'm sorry, I should have warned you."

Wiping her face as she leant against Nate's chest, Abbii swallowed, feeling that the angel pendant above her chest was warm to the touch. She wondered why its metal had reacted to Nate's energy, but she pushed the thought aside and straightened her back.

"There are also energies that you should not absorb. Those with darkly coloured auras must not combine with your powers."

Abbii nodded to say that she understood. Her breathing had returned to normal, and all evidence of the pain had gone. She looked up to meet Nate's gaze. "I won't do it again. I'm sorry."

He smiled in reply. "It doesn't matter. Just be aware that there are good and bad energies around you. Some have the ability of possessing people, and others can call you towards the Darkness without you realising it. In the future, you will come across enemies that use their dark energy against you; it protects their mind with a tough mental barrier, as well as filling you with the pain and hurt that they have absorbed from their victims. If ever you are in such a situation, you must protect your mind at all costs."

"But how? If they use energy against me, how am I supposed to fight it?"

"Use your own energy. Its power will continue to grow. Even when your magical strength has reached its highest potential, your energy will still follow your every command. If you are approached by a member of the Forgotten, always remember that even if you cannot see their magical energy, you must protect your mind above all else."

The look across Abbii's face caused Nate to smile. It was clear that she understood what he was saying, but the confusion that filled her was also obvious. "Don't worry," he stated. "I will teach you how. I'll explain everything about the Forgotten soon."

Abbii thought that Nate's breath had grown shallow, but as she moved back to focus on to his face, she found that he seemed fine again.

"Unfortunately, protecting your mind is something I won't be able to teach you without an enemy presence..." He lowered his gaze for a moment, but Abbii did not understand why. "So, for now, we will concentrate on using your magic as an advantage. Come on." Standing up, he motioned for Abbii to follow as he left the room.

She remained seated for a moment, listening to Nate's footsteps descend the stairs. As she breathed in, looking around the room, Abbii was glad of her progress. So much had happened in the last few days that she had struggled to remain positive, but now that she had some control over her abilities, she found that she could believe slightly more than she was used to. Nate had given her hope to try, and that was something she would always thank him for.

A loud grumble echoed through her stomach. It had been hours since she had last eaten, and because she hadn't slept, her body needed food to keep going. She shuffled to the end of the bed, reaching down for her hoodie which was folded up on top of her bag. Her shoulder had now healed and there was no restriction in Abbii's movement. Taking hold of the hoodie, pulling it over her body quickly, Abbii pushed her boots on and made her way after Nate.

The floor creaked under her weight but she ignored it, looking around the hall once she had reached the main level. Nate wasn't there. She looked towards the large entranceway and saw that his coat was still hung.

"Nate?"

Sounds began to leak out from a doorway that Abbii had never noticed before. It was straight in front of the stairs, but the door itself seemed apart of the wall. Abbii heard metal clanging and cupboards opening and closing. She edged forwards, pushing on the door until it had opened fully. Strong smells of food met her as she breathed in. Her pace increased until she reached a large open space, fitted with kitchen worktops and several cookers. Nate was stirring something on one of the hobs, and a kettle was boiling to his left.

"What are you making?" she asked playfully as she made her way to his side.

Turning to meet her gaze briefly, he smiled. "Pancakes. They're your favourite, right?"

Abbii's smile grew. "How did you know that?"

"It was just a guess," he replied with a large grin.

The kettle clicked off as the steam from the water bellowed out of its spout. Abbii walked over to it, seeing that two mugs were already set. Hot chocolate was in both and a bag of marshmallows was sat next to them. Abbii remained still for a moment, glancing briefly back at Nate. Not only was he making her favourite food, but he had also prepared hot chocolate for her; her favourite drink in wintertime.

Smiling, she lifted the kettle and filled the two mugs, carefully putting it down once they were full. Using a spoon that was laid on the wooden worktop, she stirred them both fluently before adding a pile of marshmallows to one of the mugs. She moved the bag over the second, but stopped as Nate spoke.

"Not for me, thanks. They're for you."

Abbii's cheeks coloured slightly as she placed the bag of marshmallows back onto the work surface. Taking hold of the two mugs as Nate plated up their food, Abbii made her way towards the wooden island that sat in the centre of the kitchen. She placed the mugs down and sat, smiling as Nate placed her plate in front of her. The smell of pancakes made her smile as she remembered all the times that she had eaten them whilst growing up. She looked up and watched Nate place the frying pan into the sink. He turned slightly and met her gaze.

"They'll go cold if you don't eat them."

"I'm waiting for you," she replied childishly.

A smile spread across Nate's face. "Alright." He abandoned the washing up and made his way towards the wooden island, sitting opposite Abbii.

They both started to eat, often looking to the other when taking a sip of their hot chocolate. Abbii loved the taste of marshmallows as they melted. Her whole body seemed appreciative of the food and drink. Taking in a breath, she looked over at Nate.

"Where did you get all of this?"

He seemed to hesitate slightly before looking up to meet her gaze. "Why do you think I went to Pennyworth?" His tone was light and playful.

Thinking about it, Abbii had never asked why Nate had gone to Pennyworth. She had presumed that it was for something important, not for food.

"You are important."

Abbii held Nate's gaze, arching her brow inwards. He seemed to tense all of a sudden, playing with his knife and fork. "What did you say?"

"The look across your face...I can tell that you're trying to work out why I went to Pennyworth...We wouldn't have lasted long without food..." His gaze strayed from hers, choosing rather to look around the room.

Looking at her hot chocolate, Abbii fidgeted in her place. Did he...know what I was thinking?

Nate took hold of Abbii's empty plate and placed it on top of his own, before taking them over to the sink where he dropped them into the water. He took hold of the worktop, looking out of the window ahead of him. Neither he nor Abbii spoke for several moments.

"I'll teach you as much as I know today. Tomorrow we rest. Then I'll take you to Pennyworth."

Shuffling in her place, Abbii found that Nate's reply was abrupt. She had not thought about Pennyworth since he had left to go there, and she found that her desire to go was not as high as it once was. She wondered if she would actually find anything about Jake there, or whether it would be a wasted journey. Nate had said himself that it was a dangerous place...

Without warning, Nate dashed across the room and pushed through a second hidden doorway, leading outside.

"Nate, where are you going?"

"Stay there!" he shouted, without turning.

Again Abbii found that his voice had grown sharp, almost aggressive. She stood up quickly and rushed towards the window where Nate had been standing. Looking out, she saw that a heavy blanket of snow was now falling from the sky, but she could still make out Nate's silhouette, running towards the bell tower. It was not only Nate that Abbii saw however, as she noticed a second dark silhouette contrasting against the snow.

Her mind suddenly tensed as it filled with the visions she'd had a few days earlier. Her vision returned all at once. The ringing of the bell pierced her ears, and the chill of the snow that fell around the stranger caused her to shiver. She pushed the image away before it could show Nate's attack and ran outside after him.

The snow was thick, and it took great effort for Abbii to run through its layers. She could barely see where she was running, but she kept her focus on Nate's silhouette at all times. Using her hands, she clasped the sides of her hood together to prevent the cool air from spiralling along her neck. The winter had seemed to appear all of a sudden, as if it focused entirely onto Abbii's location.

A loud ringing echoed outwards.

Abbii stopped in her place and narrowed her eyes to see. She realised that Nate was no longer ahead of her. Looking from side to side to find him, she couldn't see through the snow, but when she followed the sound of the piercing bell, she could see the stranger in black. It was stood, waiting.

Abbii...

She gasped as the voice entered her head. There was not enough time to identify who it belonged to, but Abbii made her way forwards. Her skin pricked up, proving her anxiety, but she ignored the feeling that filled her and pushed on. She stopped when only several strides separated her from the hooded stranger. It surprised her to notice that the bell had rung only once and the snow had seemed to thin.

"Who are you?" Abbii shouted.

The stranger did not respond.

"Why are you here?"

Again, it remained still, simply watching. After several moments, it stepped forwards, raising its head slightly.

Abbii could immediately see that the figure was male and a shallow glow covered his skin. She felt a strange longing to move towards him, but she stayed in her place.

It can't be him...it can't be Jake...

You know who I am, Abbii.

She closed her eyes briefly as she absorbed his words. It didn't sound like Jake, but how else would the stranger have known her name, known where to find her? When she looked up, she could see that the silhouette had extended his hand towards her. Shuffling in her place, she edged forwards ever so slightly.

You're growing stronger each day; you have surpassed everyone's expectations.

It was strange. Abbii knew that Jake wouldn't say things so seriously, but she still felt as if it had to be him. She looked at his extended hand and moved forwards again.

Imagine, Abbii, the world that could be created with your power. We'd be free...

A tear welled in the inside of Abbii's eye as she thought of how much she had missed Jake. The grief seemed to return all at once. Her heart longed to see Jake one more time, even if he could not return to her life. She couldn't give up an opportunity of seeing him again. Moving forwards slowly, she extended her hand and waited for the silhouette to take hold of it.

She watched a smile consume his face as he stepped forwards, taking hold of her hand.

"Jake?"

His grip suddenly increased, crushing her fingers. He laughed aloud as Abbii tried to pull her hand free.

"Let go!"

Images of pain and chaos stabbed at her mind. She closed her eyes to stop her tears from falling. Her whole body began to shake, and her arm started to feel numb.

The hooded stranger raised his arm which began to glow. He laughed, watching Abbii struggle as he moved his hand towards her face.

"No!" Abbii shrieked.

Without warning, a dagger thrust through his chest, making him release his grasp on Abbii's arm. She fell back, trying to catch her breath, as his face contorted in pain. Abbii could see that Nate was stood behind him, holding the dagger steady. With one swift movement, he removed it. The stranger staggered backwards as Nate moved in front of him.

Abbii clutched her chest as the pain of the dagger consumed her body. If she had not witnessed what had happened, she would have presumed that it had been her body that had been stabbed, due to the pain which surged through her. She looked up shakily and watched as Nate approached the stranger.

"Please, Nate, don't!"

He ignored her and continued his movement, watching as the hooded man leant against the bell tower for support. Blood stained the snow around his feet, and his gaze had lowered. Nate tightened his grip on the dagger as he moved.

"You shouldn't have come here," Nate worded clearly.

Struggling to straighten his posture, the stranger smirked. "It's a wasted effort to protect her. She will have to give everything up for one or the other...that is her fate..."

"Shut up!" Nate shouted.

Abbii moved to her feet, holding her wrist which throbbed painfully. She watched Nate raise his dagger, ready to kill. "Nate, no!"

Without warning, a surge of energy blasted outwards from Abbii's skin which collided with Nate's body. He was thrown sideways as if he was no more than a leaf in the breeze, and the dagger fell to the ground. Abbii collapsed to the snow, losing her breath. She raised her gaze to see that the injured man had picked the dagger from the snow, approaching her slowly.

"Jake, why? Why are you doing this?"

Remaining silent, he threw the dagger towards her, disappearing as a large gust of air spiralled around him. She gasped but did not move, strangely sensing that the dagger was going to miss her.

Something moved and the dagger pierced fresh skin.

Nate moved in front of her, facing the bell tower. She could see that the dagger was protruding from his left side. "Nate!"

Without responding, he stood to his feet, huffing loudly. He took hold of the dagger once he had straightened his back and slowly pulled it free from his side, dropping it to the ground once it had been removed. Pressing his hand against his skin, he turned to leave.

"Nate, I'm so sorry!" Abbii stood up and dashed in front of him. "I didn't mean to...I...I thought he was Jake!"

Startling her, Nate took hold of her shoulder harshly. "Jake's dead, Abbii, and he's never coming back! When will you understand that?" Removing his hand briskly, Nate walked past her and made his way towards the hall. He did not understand where his anger had come from, but it seemed to fuel him.

Abbii stood still, a single tear rolling across her skin. Nate's words cut through her hurtfully. She wiped her face with the back of her hand and turned to face the old hall. Her hands clenched into fists and her eyes narrowed, as she dashed towards the building. Reaching the open doorway, she grasped hold of the doorframe tightly and pushed herself into the kitchen, slamming the door behind her.

"What do you know about Jake? You didn't know him!"

Nate was sat on one of the kitchen chairs, tending to his wound. He had removed his t-shirt to see more clearly, revealing several different scars that dominated his back. Abbii felt saddened then, but she did not allow her anger to fade.

"I'm talking to you!"

Sighing loudly, turning to face her, Nate pressed his hand against his wound. "What do you want me to say, Abbii?"

She scowled at him. "How do you know Jake?"

"Daniel told me what happened. He said that you ran from Jake's side," Nate replied truthfully.

Abbii remained quiet for a moment, taking in Nate's reply. "Don't tell me what happened! I was there and you weren't!"

"So what does it matter then, if you already know that he's dead?"

"But..." she inhaled a deep breath, keeping her anger evident. "I've sensed him every day. You don't know he died for certain! That could have been Jake outside, and you stabbed him!"

Nate tensed his jaw. "Unlike you, Daniel saw Jake's death. He did not run and leave him."

Remembering the fear that had consumed her that night, Abbii held back her tears. It was true that she had run and never looked back, but that's what Daniel had told her to do. She wondered what would have happened if she hadn't left.

Seeing that Abbii was trying to keep herself from crying, Nate breathed out. "If you had used your powers as I have told you to, you would have sensed that he was not Jake."

"But—"

Nate moaned in pain as he stood to his feet. Leaning against the wooden island, he tried to catch his breath. "Whether you accept it or not, Jake died that day. That was where Daniel found me, hours later."

Abbii looked to the floor. She sighed before making her way towards Nate, seeing that he was struggling to remain standing. Reaching him, she placed her hand against his shoulder and made him sit. The warmth that spread through her hand made her emotions seem to stabilise.

"I know why you want to go Pennyworth, Abbii..."

She met his gaze silently.

"You knew Jake for so many years, but you did not know the person he was. You hope that you can find out everything about him in Pennyworth. The research you did, about his family and home...He lived in Pennyworth."

Holding her breath, she looked at Nate's wound, dripping with blood. She extended her hand to touch it, but as Nate moved, she returned her gaze to his. He stroked her cheek gently.

"You don't need to feel guilty. Everything will be fine. Smile, please?"

Remembering when Jake had asked her the same thing, she smiled.

"I'll need your help to stitch my side..."

Without delay, she nodded and helped him to stand. Together they made their way through the hallway and up the stairs, closing the door to the bedroom once they had entered. Nate sat on the edge of his bed, keeping his hand pressed against his side. The amount of blood had not slowed, continuing to run down his skin. Abbii didn't know what to do. She stood there, watching him for a moment, trying to figure out what she should do. It wasn't until Nate raised his gaze to her that she moved, making her way to his side.

"Lie back," she said clearly.

Paining his body as little as he could, Nate moved to lie down, leaning on his opposite side. He moved his hand away from his wound, revealing how deep the dagger had pierced. Abbii wanted to cry out; she was frightened that she would lose him.

"All you can do," Nate stuttered, "is stitch it, and hope that the tissue will recover."

Pushing all fear aside, Abbii dashed into the hall and into the shower room, grabbing hold of two towels that hung from the rail. She returned to their room quickly and pushed the smaller of the two against Nate's side.

"Hold this," she instructed.

Nate followed her instruction, pushing against the towel which now covered his wound. Spreading the second towel outwards, Abbii pushed it underneath Nate's uninjured side and across the bed, so that his blood was absorbed by it rather than the bed sheets. She glanced around the room and saw that the needle and thread remained on the bed side unit.

"I need some water," she whispered.

Nate took in a breath. "Forget the water, it isn't needed. Just get the bottle...it's over by the window..."

Looking up, Abbii saw that the bottle of alcohol was sat on the windowsill. She made her way across the room to grab it before returning to Nate's side. She wondered why Nate had used water when stitching her wound, but would not allow her to use it on his.

As if he knew what she was thinking, Nate spoke aloud. "The water was only to clean your skin; it wasn't really needed," he explained. "I thought the blood would upset you...with mine, just pour the liquor into it and stitch it."

Abbii took in Nate's words, feeling a warmth build up inside of her. She would have smiled and thanked Nate for doing all he could for her, but she had more important things to do. He grabbed hold of the towel which covered his side and removed it, allowing Abbii to see the extent of his injury. She held her breath.

"Pour it in, Abbii..."

"But, when you sealed mine, you used material. You soaked it and then bathed my skin...I can't just pour it in—"

"Just do it."

Fully understanding that the alcohol would fill Nate with masses of pain, Abbii increased her grip on the bottle. She raised it slowly, seeing that her hand was shaking. Her breath had grown shallow. She was scared.

"I have faith in you, Abbii..."

Inhaling a breath, she allowed her fear to subside as she concentrated. She laid her empty hand by the side of Nate's wound, feeling the warmth of skin spark against her own, and then poured the bottle with no further delay.

Nate's body tensed and he clenched his hands into fists. No sound left his lips, but it was obvious that the pain was overwhelming. Abbii watched the alcohol mix with his blood, allowing it to grow thin until little blood actually remained. Taking hold of the towel from Nate's grasp, she wiped his wound to clean the surrounding skin, and then repeated the wash with liquor. She placed the bottle on the floor and then wiped the wound clean for a second time, moving closer to examine it.

Pleased that it had been cleaned, Abbii took hold of the needle and thread, biting off as much as she needed. Threading the needle, she extended her hand, hovering it over Nate's side. He had grown quiet, but Abbii could see that he was still awake; she could sense that he would lose consciousness soon if his wound was not sealed correctly.

She lowered her hand but stopped as something caught her attention. Ignoring the fact that her hand was shaking, Abbii could see a glisten of light at the tip of each of her fingers. Placing the needle and thread next to Nate, Abbii focused onto her hand, realising that she could sense her powers.

I wonder...

She glanced at the window to see that little light was visible due to the layer of snow which fell from the sky. The lamp at her side was also giving little light, as only its aura was lit and not the actual light itself. Abbii wondered how her powers had appeared without a specific source of energy fuelling them, but it took her only a moment to let the thought pass. Placing her one hand flat against Nate's skin, so that his wound was between her thumb and index finger, she then moved her opposite directly above Nate's injury.

"What are you doing?" Nate stirred, trying to see Abbii's movements.

She ignored him and kept her hand against his skin. "Let me try," she whispered.

Nate lay back down, proving that he had heard Abbii's reply. The warmth from his body seemed to increase all of a sudden, but Abbii presumed it was due to the fact that her own skin had increased in temperature, and not Nate's. As she moved towards his side, the light at her fingertips brightened until her whole hand shone like a star. She watched as the light seemed to fill Nate's wound, soothing it with small shockwaves of energy.

Her fingertips lay against his skin which brightened her magic further. An image of Nate's face appeared in her mind as she watched his wound start to heal ever so slightly, but she took no notice of it, and instead focused her concentration. Nate's skin started to move, regenerating its wounded layers at a steady pace. Abbii started to feel light-headed, but she ignored the feeling and kept her magic bright. The deepest parts of Nate's injury had been healed, but the top layers of his skin were still torn.

"You can stop now." Nate tried to sit up, but Abbii would not allow him.

"I can do this," she whispered.

Giving her no choice this time, Nate pushed himself to sit upright, grabbing hold of Abbii's glowing hand tightly. As soon as his skin came into contact with her hand, she lost her balance and leaned against his shoulder. She found it hard to catch her breath and fatigue seemed to consume her; it had been a whole day since Abbii had slept.

"Rest, Abbii," Nate soothed, stroking her hair away from her face.

She wanted to speak in reply, but her body felt too weakened. Her eyes constantly closed, but she opened them over and over, trying to focus. Nate leaned back slowly, and as his head met the bed rest, Abbii lay against him leaning on his shoulder.

He looked over her, watching the last of the light from her hand fade as she slept. Wrapping his arm around her, he closed his eyes. Thank you. Thank you for not giving up on me...but you need to rest now, for the battles tomorrow. I have not had the time with you that I would have hoped, but the future has yet to come...
Thirteen

Holding his chest tightly, the hooded man moved as quickly as he could through the many layers of mist. Blood had stained much of his clothing, and his energy was almost depleted. He dashed up a large set of stairs which appeared ahead of him, entering into a dark room, lit by only a single lamp.

"Have you found them?" the voice echoed around the room.

Without delay, the man knelt to his knees and bowed his head, aware that the holder of the voice was moving towards him. Even when the speaker had reached his side, his head remained bowed, more out of fear than respect.

"Where?" Her voice was clear and dominant, filling the room.

"The...the old hall."

A wicked laugh surrounded the man as a tight grip took hold of his shoulder, pulling him to his feet. He remained looking at the floor, not daring to raise his gaze out of place.

"You have sustained an injury, Sythe. I was not aware that her powers had grown to such a level."

"My Lady...my wound was not inflicted by the Star, but rather the other—"

She tightened the grip on his shoulder, clearly displaying her anger. "We must watch him closely. He can stay by her side for now, as long as her powers continue to grow. Time will tell how big his part in her fate will become."

Nodding in agreement, Sythe tried to step back, but the grip on his shoulder did not allow him to move. A sudden light leaked out from his skin then, spreading from the hand on his shoulder. Pain filled him, pushing him to his knees, but it faded almost as quickly as it had appeared. He looked over his body to see what had changed, noticing that his wound had healed into a messy scar.

He smiled. "Thank you, Maria." Gasping, the man suddenly stood, backing away from the woman in front of him. "I'm sorry, forgive me!"

Maria narrowed her eyes, baring her teeth to show her disgust. "Leave this place and watch them closely. Continue to challenge her. Nothing else matters as long as she keeps travelling towards Pennyworth. She will give us their location."

"Yes, My Lady!" Without delay, Sythe turned his back and ran towards the entrance.

"And Sythe?"

Stopping in his place, he remained still for a moment.

"If my name departs from your lips again, you will lose the ability to speak it." Turning her back, she walked into the shadows of the room, smiling.

Sythe left the room quickly, hyperventilating as he realised how close he had come to enduring Maria's anger. He descended the stairs, glancing to his side to see another member of the Forgotten, entering into a portal of Darkness. Clicking his fingers, he watched as Shadows rose up from the surface of the mist at his feet, surrounding him with more than a dozen individuals. They all looked at him with their dead hollow eyes.

"Find them. Destroy all who get in your way, but do not kill her."

Accepting their command, the Shadows faded.

Sythe sighed loudly, understanding so little. He could not see Abbii as their enemy, but Maria's orders for final.
Fourteen

Startled by the sudden movement of her bed rest, Abbii opened her eyes to see that Nate had sat up and moved to the edge of the bed. He reached for his t-shirt which was laid on the floor and dressed himself hurriedly.

Not understanding his sudden urgency, Abbii tried to focus. "Nate?"

He seemed to tense his shoulders as she spoke, standing to his feet. Making his way towards the window, he peered outside to see that the sun was almost at its highest point. "Damn." Turning quickly, he faced the door.

"Nate!" Abbii sat upright, keeping her gaze fixed onto him. "What's wrong?"

"We have to go," he worded quietly, failing to meet Abbii's gaze. "We've slept too long."

Rubbing the side of her face with her hand, Abbii breathed in, confused. "Can't we stay a little longer?" She stretched, yawning loudly. "I need a shower. I need to find some new clothes."

Turning to glare at her, Nate's eyes narrowed. "The Shadows will be on their way here because of you!"

Abbii sighed, feeling guilt bubble up inside of her. If only I had not interfered...The Shadows know where we are now...

The look of pain that spread across Abbii's face caused Nate to regret what he had said. He looked to the floor briefly, before facing Abbii again. "Once we reach Pennyworth, you will have all the time that you need, but not now. Get your stuff and meet me outside."

She looked up slowly to meet his gaze. "You're still taking me to Pennyworth?"

Nate turned his back and left the room quietly, rushing across the landing and down the stairs. He had smiled briefly before leaving, but Abbii had noticed the fear in his eyes. Rather than thinking too deeply about Nate's response, she stood up and pushed on her boots, looking around the room frantically to search for anything they would need. Grabbing her bag, she dumped it onto her bed, opening it to push the needle and thread and bottle of alcohol into its mouth. Reaching then for her hoodie, Abbii rushed into the bathroom, taking hold of two clean towels and some soap, which she also threw into her bag. Zipping it up, she hoisted it onto her shoulder and rushed downstairs.

A gust of chilled air surrounded her, moving her hair wildly. She glanced into the large hall to see that the remnants of curtains were moving across the floor, riding on the breeze like figure skaters. Turning then to focus in the opposite direction, Abbii saw that the entrance doorway was wide open, and leaves were blowing in from the outside. She could see that Nate's jacket was missing from its hook, so she quickly rushed through the hallway and headed outside.

The cool air seemed to strengthen as she moved into the doorway, but she pushed her thoughts aside as she glanced to the small area of ruins that she could see to her side. It was almost as if something inside of them was wishing her well, calling to her senses. She wondered if the strange feeling was being caused by the hooded stranger, or rather something else that was connected to the building.

A sudden shout from the car's horn startled her, drawing her gaze to Nate. He was sat in the driver's seat, and the engine was roaring loudly. Abbii had expected to see him waving frantically for her to get in the car, but she found that he was still, simply waiting. She breathed in and rushed to the car, jumping into the passenger's seat.

As soon as she was inside the warmth of the Land Rover, Nate pushed the car into gear and accelerated away from the old hall. He moved into third gear as he reached the main road, turning right quickly before pushing into fourth. Abbii had not realised that Nate was able to drive. She had never learnt; she had never had the desire to gain the ability. One day in the future, she wanted to be able to drive, to go places without relying on someone else...she hoped that future still existed.

Watching the land around her pass by, Abbii took in the details of the scenery. The land was bare with few buildings in sight; even those looked old and abandoned. She found that of all that she had seen of Pennyworth so far made it appear as if the people had just given up their land and moved on hurriedly. Like the old hall, Abbii guessed that the buildings and decayed houses would still be furnished and filled with everyday things, which would have been taken if the householders would have left willingly. It was not only what she had witnessed herself that made her feel this way, but she found a strange feeling of pressure build inside of her the closer she got to Pennyworth. Her powers seemed to remain focused at all times, as if they waited for her to need them suddenly; as if Abbii knowingly allowed them to remain at high levels at all times, like an invisible defence.

Several times Abbii saw evidence of fires and violence across the land stretched out around her. She saw burnt areas of trees and char-marks shading various shrubs that had survived. An image appeared in her mind often, causing the scene that she had witnessed across the veil of the forest to stretch across her senses. The heat of the fire warmed her skin as if she stood directly ahead of the flames; the sound of screaming families being torn apart caused her skin to shiver; even the gleeful expression on the face of the witch, the one that had created so much pain, caused her mind to tense strangely. At least now, Abbii had some control over the endurance and strength of her visions, so she could easily allow them to fade each time they returned.

She wanted to ask Nate why it was that her mind felt so pressurised, but as she glanced to him, she found that his expression was difficult to read and the same sense of fear inside of his irises shone brightly. Abbii understood, as she, too, felt frightened of what lay ahead. As her gaze lowered, she could see that Nate's knuckles had grown white with tension, grasping hold of the gear stick tightly. She moved her hand slightly, wishing to feel Nate's skin against her own, but something deterred her.

The fact that Abbii was slowly letting Nate get closer to her suddenly consumed her with intensity. She had not realised how things had changed. At the beginning, when the two of them had met, Abbii had been harsh and strict with the time that she had shared with him, but now she wanted to be in his company. Abbii didn't know what she would have done if Nate had not searched for her after leaving The Everglades, but she began to worry that she was relying on him too much.

Over the time that they had stayed at the old hall, Abbii had only been in her own company once, and that had been when Nate had journeyed into Pennyworth for food and supplies. She remembered the feeling of wanting him back, and then the mass of regret that had filled her when thinking of Jake. It was strange, but Abbii found that Nate was reminding her more and more of Jake the longer they spent together. Sometimes in her thoughts, she would often think of them both as the same person. That was something that had to change.

Abbii had spent her whole life fighting to live in her own way. Even when she had met Jake and they had spent every night sitting by the pool of The Everglades, Abbii had kept him at a distance, as he had done with her. She was finding, however, that although Jake and Nate were very similar, there was one clear difference—Nate had no intention of keeping Abbii at a distance. The realisation caused warmth to envelop Abbii's chest, but anxiety soon followed.

Her mind expanded, and several images began to appear. She saw Nate stitching her shoulder, feeling a spark of energy flare up each time his skin came in contact with her own. She remembered that she was wearing his t-shirt, due to the fact that he had ripped hers to tend to her injury; an essence of his aura still seemed to fill the material, washing over her skin regularly. Abbii's mind expanded further, brushing against Nate's aura in reality. It welcomed her with flashes of light and an image of herself sleeping against Nate's body.

"Once we reach Pennyworth, we'll find you some new clothes." Nate's voice caused Abbii's vision to fade, and his aura lost its colour.

Breathing in to try to steady her thoughts, she looked at Nate. "Thanks." She smiled as he met her gaze.

A long moment passed as they seemed to melt into each other's irises.

Nate's smile grew, consuming his face. "Abbii?"

"Yes?"

He cleared his throat, wording his reply carefully. "Your...eyes are glowing."

"What!" Abbii raised her hands quickly to cover her face. Her cheeks flushed almost immediately and she slouched in her seat. Turning to look out of her window, she caught sight of her reflection in the side mirror, seeing that a yellow glow was escaping from her irises. She scowled at herself, watching as the light faded.

Nate laughed aloud.

Narrowing her eyes, Abbii glared at him, trying to remain serious. "You could have told me!"

"I did," he replied, trying not to laugh.

Abbii tried to keep a straight face, but after a moment, she allowed a smile to consume her, laughing aloud. The two of them laughed in sync and the silent atmosphere which had filled the air disappeared. Again, Abbii thought of how Nate reminded her of Jake.

"Abbii?"

Keeping her smile, she turned to meet Nate's gaze, seeing that his face had fallen serious.

"Jake meant a lot to you, didn't he?"

Surprised by Nate's statement, Abbii quickly looked out of her window so that the sudden sadness that consumed her was hidden as much as possible. She expected Nate to apologise for asking about Jake, but she found that he didn't, creating an awkward silence again.

She breathed in. "Why are you asking?" Her voice quietened.

"You were saying his name in your sleep."

Abbii inhaled a quick breath, feeling a shiver of cold air wash over her.

"You must have been dreaming about him," Nate stated clearly.

Several days ago, Abbii would have cried at the thought of Jake, but ever since she had said her goodbye on his answer machine message, she had found that her emotions did not build as quickly. It was as if she had said her goodbye and was now trying to move on. She doubted it would last.

"I dream about a lot of things," Abbii replied bluntly.

Nate sighed. "Your visions come to you through your dreams. I wonder—"

She turned quickly and glared at him. "Well obviously, my dreams of Jake aren't visions, are they? He's dead!"

Silence fell.

Abbii returned her focus onto the land around her, seeing that the sky had grown considerably darker. She hated the idea of arguing with Nate, so she remained silent, hoping that the awkwardness would soon fade. Once again, she found that her thoughts began to expand, showing scenes of brutality and murder. The sorceress that she had seen in her mind reappeared, meeting directly with her gaze. A surge of energy caused Abbii to hold her breath, but it soon faded with the image.

She sighed. "What happened to this place?"

Nate kept his focus on the road ahead, not needing to look to his side to see what it was that Abbii spoke of. He had passed through the outskirts of Pennyworth many times in his teens; he knew the land well. "A battle was fought here," he replied clearly.

"A battle for what?" Abbii shifted her position, leaning against the car door with her back so that she could focus onto Nate.

Not at all feeling on edge under Abbii's unwavering gaze, he took in a breath and tried to word his reply as best as he could. Abbii needed to understand what had happened in Pennyworth, so that the chances of it happening again would not rise.

"Light and Shadow fought over several long days. The land has never fully recovered."

"What were they fighting over?"

Nate changed into a higher gear as he continued to explain. "No one knows for sure. It is said that they fought for superiority."

She absorbed the information well. "But how long ago was it? The ground still looks dead."

"About a hundred years. Before Pennyworth was built, this plain of land was empty. The Light had expanded as far as it could before reaching the sea, and Shadow had polluted the entire coast. They fought here. Light was defeated..."

"Defeated? How can an element so big be defeated?"

Glancing briefly towards Abbii, Nate was happy to see that she was listening intently. "The leaders of Light, the Elders, saved as many lives as they could before retreating. Once they had left this land, they created a veil of energy to separate the tainted land of Pennyworth from the rest. Only those without magic could pass through the veil. Those with magic were often met with such magical force that they were not seen again."

"The veil..." Abbii thought of the images that she had seen. Concentrating onto the dark sorceress that she kept seeing, she inhaled a breath. "Who were the Elders fighting against?"

"No one knows. All that is certain is that on the day of the battle, the first of the Forgotten were created." Looking over to see that Abbii's face was taken with a look of thought, he continued to explain. "The Forgotten are lost souls, taken by the Shadows. They all have magical capability, and they follow their leader under any circumstances."

"The Forgotten..."

Nate sighed quietly. "They were once men and women gifted with powers of magic."

"But they lost their way and fell into Darkness?"

Surprised to hear that Abbii had said what it was that he was going to say himself, Nate nodded. "Yes. Members of the Forgotten can be anyone. They accept the Dark without faltering, and in turn are given tasks to do that taint the Light."

"That man, the one that fought us...you said he was a member of the Forgotten, right?"

He nodded.

"Why was he there? If the Forgotten are given tasks that decrease the power of the Light, then why was he there, challenging us?"

As if he had lost his train of thought, Nate lowered his gaze briefly, before concentrating on the road. There were no other cars, following or passing.

"Nate?"

"I think it was because of you."

Abbii's shoulders slouched. She had expected Nate's reply. "The Forgotten are going to kill me."

Turning quickly, Nate met Abbii's gaze. "No, I won't let them!"

Lowering her head, Abbii focused onto her hand and realised that she was subconsciously counting her fingertips. She tried to keep her breathing steady, but thoughts of the Forgotten and their want of killing her spread throughout her mind. Closing her eyes briefly, she pushed her hands into her pockets and took in a breath.

"Why are you taking me to Pennyworth, Nate?"

Without questioning her statement, he knew what she had meant. Abbii wanted to go to Pennyworth to find out all the information about Jake that she had never known, but she knew that it was too dangerous and that Nate didn't want her to go. There was another reason why Nate would allow her to go to Pennyworth; there had to be.

Nate breathed in. "I need to buy you more time...There are Elders hidden throughout the masses of Shadows and Forgotten. There must be one in Pennyworth; she has to know what to do."

"This is all about me being the Star...isn't it?"

His grip on the steering wheel increased and he sighed, almost in defeat. "There has always been a battle between Light and Darkness, Abbii—"

"But there has obviously only been one of me, and the Shadows are trying to kill me! Why? That's all I want to know."

Meeting her gaze, Nate gave his reply. "Let's hope that it's because you are the only one that can destroy them."

"Tell me you don't know why they want to kill me."

"I don't know, Abbii."

She swallowed. "Promise."

Nate smiled briefly, as he extended his hand to take hold of Abbii's. "I promise that I'll help you find out."

She smiled.
Fifteen

Sythe stood in the open doorway, feeling the fierce breeze rush past him. The old hall was empty, except for the dozen Shadows which were absorbing the remnants of Abbii's aura.

They had hoped to trap her before she had left, but a shift in the air had caused the Forgotten to delay their movements. A second hooded stranger had followed Sythe to the old building, but they had not entered, instead choosing to focus on the burnt remnants of the bell tower.

As the stranger stood, admiring the small pattern of cracks which had spread throughout the many layers of brick, they stepped back and raised their hand. Clicking their fingers, they watched as a surge of electrical energy burst out from their body, colliding with the silhouette of the decrepit hall. Small explosions immediately spread outwards, causing flames to dance along the coloured brick. The bell was engulfed with fierce heat, and with little delay, it fell from its resting place, causing the small tower beneath it to crumble under its weight.

A loud ringing echoed across the land as the metal bell plummeted to the ground, drawn in by gravity's strong sense of will. It rolled across the remnants of snow, drawing to a standstill as the stranger raised their hand again. Without warning, the main building of the hall was set alight, as bursts of electrical energy blasted through the brick and glass. A smile spread across the caster's face as their magical energy danced around them, stroking their skin with warmth.

Sythe suddenly appeared, running through the open entranceway, just as its structure fell to pieces. He stood panting as he watched the last of the magic destroy any remaining brick. Narrowing his eyes as he caught sight of the figure, he ran towards them.

"What are you doing, Taro?"

Taro's pale eyes targeted Sythe precisely. Raising both hands, he removed his hood, revealing his long crimson hair which lay over his shoulders. His lip lifted into a smile. "They have no place to rest now if their journey unravels."

"You could have warned me!"

Taro huffed loudly. "What difference would it have made? If my magic had caused your death, you would still have been more than you are now."

Sythe clenched his hands into fists as a spark of light ignited in each of his palms.

"Do not be a fool, boy. There are those who have magic that should not have been given such a gift—you are such! Do not humour me with an attempt to overpower my magic. You are weak. I am here to watch you closely. Lady Maria knows all."

On hearing his Mistress's name, Sythe released the tension in his hands and turned his back to Taro. "They've left, gone to Pennyworth."

"Yes, and we shall follow them in due time. First, you will gather the remnants of the Star, which has leaked out from its aura."

"She's a person Taro, not an object." Gasping quietly as the words left his lips, Sythe quickly turned to see disgust spread across Taro's face.

Moving towards him, Taro allowed his magic to consume his arm. His power spread into each of his irises. Stopping, as only one stride remained between them, Taro took hold of Sythe's arm tightly. "The Star is power, magic kept from us against our will!" As his voice grew louder, the magic across his skin brightened, burning Sythe's body. "We will find it and use it as our own! No mere human body will keep our brightest power from us!"

Pulling his arm free, Sythe staggered back, covering his arm with his hand. Blood oozed steadily across his skin as he moved back.

Allowing all evidence of his magic to fade, Taro straightened his posture as he looked over Sythe with disgust. "You will learn to keep quiet in future. Do not tempt me. My magic would enjoy ripping the tongue from your lips." Falling silent, a surge of coloured air consumed Taro's body, and he disappeared from sight.

Sythe released his arm and shouted into the sky. He lost his breath quickly, as his arm began to sting. "You won't always be Maria's favourite." Straightening his back, Sythe focused onto his wound, laying his hand against it.

A subtle green light stroked across his shoulder, which was absorbed by his wound. The skin stung to begin with, but after a long moment, it stopped and his skin began to repair itself. Removing his hand, he watched the last drop of blood fade as his arm fully recovered. No scar or mark was left in its place.

Turning quickly to check that no one had seen his healing ability, Sythe inhaled a breath. He saw that all twelve of the Shadows were waiting ahead of him. Some were shining brightly, and he knew without a doubt that it was because of the energy that some of them had found, which had leaked out from Abbii's skin. He sighed quietly.

"Those with the aura can return; those without, follow their trail into Pennyworth."

As soon as he had spoken, all of the Shadows disappeared into surges of dark energy. Sythe knew he would need to follow them, but a type of regret seemed to hold him in his place for a moment. He turned slowly and faced in the direction that the bell tower had once stood. A hazy image appeared in front of him, showing when he had taken hold of Abbii's hand.

Forgive me...

He allowed his magic to envelop him and he faded from sight.
Sixteen

Feeling a set of claws cut at her skin, Abbii continued to run, keeping close to the streetlights of Pennyworth. The Shadows were following her closely, with several of them staying close to her at all times.

Turning a corner quickly, Abbii continued to follow the lights, ducking in and out of people that were strolling casually down the pavement. She didn't understand the lack of shock and fear that they had. She wondered if something stopped them from seeing the Shadows, some type of energy that blinded them from all magic.

Gasping as her lower thigh was cut, Abbii tried to steady her breathing as her arm began to glow. She clenched her fist immediately and turned, blasting a surge of coloured magic into the Shadow closest to her. Its body disintegrated under the heat, but another appeared in its place. Abbii started to move again, trying to ignore the stinging which consumed her leg.

Running out of energy, she tried to keep running, always keeping the church as her main focus. That was the only place that she would be safe. It was the only place that was always well lit. She had been told that the church was the last building before reaching the coast, but Abbii could not see its spires over the houses of Pennyworth. She began to wonder how big the town actually was, how far she had to run.

She turned another corner but had to stop abruptly, due to the presence of several Shadows which were waiting for her. A blast of energy surged out from her body subconsciously, destroying the Shadows with its light. Abbii lost the breath in her lungs but she pushed herself to keep going. Even when her eyesight was overcome with light, proving that her powers had reached another peak in their strength, she always kept moving.

One of the Shadows behind her screeched fiercely, and she had to shield her ears from the sound. The creature wanted her aura; its frustration was evident. Its tongue slithered along its lips as it extended its limbs towards Abbii's skin, and a piercing sound echoed out from its throat.

Clenching her fists as her skin glowed with light, Abbii turned hastily and raised her hands. She stopped, not understanding what she was seeing; perplexed at the fact that the Shadows were no longer chasing her. They had disappeared and no evidence of them remained, except the scratch marks that had clawed Abbii's thigh and back. Her magic remained as she narrowed her eyes, waiting for her enemies to surprise her, but none came.

A loud bell suddenly rang out, drawing Abbii's gaze left. She smiled as she saw a golden shape swinging in rhythm high above the row of houses ahead of her. Taking in a breath, she continued on towards the church, pleased that she had found it by herself.

She wished that Nate could be by her side, but she doubted whether that could ever be reality again. He had been taken from her, and the Elders had prevented her from saving him with her magic.

Abbii's eyesight suddenly returned to normal, and her magic faded as she reached the set of large metal gates that marked the edge of the church ground. No streetlights were visible ahead of her, but she found that the air seemed brighter somewhat, as if a small amount of light always surrounded the building. Looking closer, Abbii realised that she could see small sparks of energy hovering in the air between the gates and church entranceway. She realised that it was the aura of the dead that she was seeing.

A high-pitched squeal caused her to gasp, grasping for her ears quickly. She turned, out of breath, to see that the Shadows had surrounded her again. Some were glowing brightly, as if they had absorbed some remnants of light, whilst the others did not; they were the ones that seemed to approach Abbii the quickest.

She edged backwards, watching as the Shadows stretched towards her, their fingers poised ready to rip at her skin. Her magic tried to gather, but the fear that consumed her was overwhelming, causing her powers to stunt their growth. She continued to move until her back met with the metal gate.

"Please..."

One of the Shadows approached her quicker than the rest. Its eyes seemed to sparkle as they watched Abbii plead for mercy. A mist seeped out from its skin as it moved, oozing across the ground towards Abbii's feet. She responded by creating a veil of energy to surround her, an invisible shield that only those with magic could see.

The Shadow hesitated slightly, but as the other creatures also moved, attacking the shield of energy with their extended limbs, it started to darken the air around where Abbii stood. She kept her shield intact, feeding it with a constant supply of energy, but she began to weaken. Her head started to feel light and her breath was becoming harder and harder to keep.

This can't be it...I have to keep going, I have to save them.

Her magic began to falter as a tear rolled across her cheek. The shield started to flicker as the colour from Abbii's skin drained.

Sensing her weakening, the Shadows moved in all at once and consumed her with their dark essence.

I'm sorry, everyone...

Gasping for a breath, Abbii opened her eyes, having to lean against the mirror in front of her to keep her balance. A tingling sensation coursed through her body as the vision faded. The pain that she had sustained within the images remained, but her breathing soon recovered its steady rhythm. She moved back from the wall and sat on the small seat behind her, meeting her own gaze through the mirror's reflection.

She could see that a glowing light had consumed both of her irises, leaking out across her cheekbones. The colour from her face started to return, but her body still shook.

"Abbii, are you okay?"

Startled by Nate's voice, Abbii turned to her right, looking at the changing room door, Nate was stood directly behind it; Abbii could sense his aura. She swallowed the lump that had built in her throat and then took in a steady breath as her heartbeat slowed its pace. "I'm fine," she replied quietly.

She could sense that Nate was unconvinced by her answer, but she felt his essence leave nonetheless. Returning to look at herself in the mirror, Abbii thought about what she had seen. Although the Shadows had frightened her and Darkness had seemed to surround her so easily, there was only one thing that had caused her to feel frightened. Nate had not been by her side; she had been alone. There had been no one to help her, only herself and the powers under her control, and even then that had not been enough.

Standing up, Abbii pushed the vision out of mind and concentrated on the task at hand. A small pile of clothes was on the floor next to her feet, all with the labels sticking out at random angles. As soon as the two of them had arrived into Pennyworth, Nate had offered Abbii some money to buy some new clothes whilst he had parked the car, and almost too quickly, she had accepted his offer.

Too long she had worn Nate's t-shirt, due to the fact that he had ripped hers to tend to her shoulder, and she was excited to be able to feel something new against her skin. Removing Nate's top, Abbii leant over and grabbed a white short-sleeve t-shirt, decorated with lines of colour across its chest, but as she moved something else caught her attention.

Rolling her shoulder to the side slightly so that she could see her back, Abbii focused onto the scratches which marked her skin. The deep tears had healed and only faint lines were left in their place, but Abbii found it distressing that small black veins had spread out from the epicentre of each scratch, dyeing areas of her shoulder permanently black. She had forgotten all about her injury and the task of removing the stitching, but she found that her skin had healed as best as it could have.

Pulling the new t-shirt over her skin, Abbii felt her hair come loose from her clip, falling around her face. She raised her gaze to meet that of her reflection, watching as her brown hair seemed to sit awkwardly against her shoulders. It had grown quickly since her last cut; her fringe was always in her eyes, and the rest of her hair seemed to gather in awkward places. Scraping it back, Abbii tied it up, watching as the same piece of frustrating hair fell across her face. Sighing loudly as she pushed it aside, Abbii decided to let it sit how it wanted, leaning down to grab hold of the pile of clothes instead. As they were all the same size, Abbii did not need to try all of the items on individually.

As the door opened, Abbii was met with Nate's worried expression. He took hold of the pile of clothes that Abbii had chosen, watching as she pulled her old hoodie over her head. She hoped that when the jumper had passed over her face that Nate's expression would have changed or he had moved towards the till to pay, but she found that neither of the choices had happened. Nate eyed her suspiciously.

"I'm fine, Nate!"

Holding her gaze for a moment, Nate allowed the worry to fade. Abbii went to make her way towards the till, but she stopped as Nate started to speak. "Remember what I said."

Abbii sighed. "Stay in the light as much as you can and trust no one. I know, don't worry."

"This is important, Abbii!" Although it was evident that Nate felt frustrated with Abbii's lack of seriousness, he kept his voice lowered. "It's rarely light here. If things go wrong—"

"If things go wrong, I have to go to the church, right?" She smiled, watching Nate's face soften. "I know what you said, I know what to do, but remember why I'm here. I'm here to find out about Jake...he wouldn't have gone towards the Dark, unless there was a reason."

Nate inhaled a breath. "We won't have long. Maybe a day or two before the Shadows come."

With a smile, Abbii motioned for them to move towards the till. Nate placed the items onto the counter, before meeting Abbii's gaze. They both then looked towards the woman stood the other side of the till.

"Evening. Haven't seen you around here before. Are you new?" Abbii thought that she spoke as if she was a teenager, but she must have been in her early thirties. Her brown eyes looked between Abbii and Nate, waiting for their reply.

"Yes," Abbii replied, meeting the woman's curiosity. She could see that her name badge said 'Barbara.' "An old friend of mine used to live here. I'm looking for his house."

"What was his name?" Barbara asked, looking at Nate for several moments.

"Jake Christian."

On hearing Jake's name, Barbara turned quickly to look at Abbii. A sense of fear seemed to spread across her face. "He doesn't live here anymore. Their house is empty." Her reply was blunt, almost emotionless.

"Can you tell me where it is?" Abbii ignored the strange change in Barbara's behaviour.

She seemed to speed up the till process all of a sudden, scanning each label quickly, before pushing them into a bag. Barbara didn't speak again until all of the clothes were inside. "That's £54.46."

Abbii frowned. "Can you tell me where their house is?"

"It's near the abandoned school." It almost looked as if Barbara was shaking.

"Thanks." Handing over the money, Abbii took hold of the bag as Nate took the change. She smiled as they both turned towards the entrance.

"Be careful! Things are not as calm as they appear," Barbara called.

Abbii turned back to meet her gaze. She did not know what Barbara knew of the situation or what evil was within Pennyworth, but she nodded in gratitude. The two of them left the small clothes shop, pausing on the pavement. A streetlight was directly head of them.

"The light isn't needed for now," Nate explained, "We can walk in the dark here until the Shadows come. You will feel their essence when they're here. That is when you need the light."

Showing that she had understood, Abbii nodded. She went to step forwards but stopped in her place as Nate started to speak again.

"When the Shadows arrive, there will be members of the Forgotten with them."

Abbii turned to meet Nate's gaze.

He lowered it for a moment before continuing. "The light will make no difference if the Forgotten challenge us. If one finds you, keep running, that's all you can do."

"To the church?"

"To anywhere you can," Nate replied quietly. His tone seemed saddened all of a sudden, almost defeated.

"But I thought you said that if there's trouble, we would be safe at the church?"

Moving forwards, Nate lay his hand on Abbii's shoulder. "Only the Shadows will not enter the church because of the aura that surrounds it. The Forgotten will follow you no matter what...no matter where you go."

At first, Abbii was angered by Nate's sense of defeat, but she softened her reply, as she realised that he feared what would happen to her if they were found. Nothing else mattered to him. "If we only have two days, then we have to use them well. I can't do this by myself."

Holding Abbii's gaze, Nate smiled. "You won't have to. Come on, the abandoned school is in the eastern part of Pennyworth." And with nothing more said, they started to walk, with Nate leading the way.

Abbii wondered how he knew where to go. Maybe he's been here before? Pushing the thought aside, she hurried after Nate, who seemed to be in a hurry to leave as quickly as possible

They turned into a narrow street, which was lined with broken streetlights. Only two worked on each side of the road, causing the atmosphere to seem strangely cold, making Abbii shiver. She looked to her right to see a woman passing by quickly. Her gaze was focused onto the floor and she did not raise it to register Abbii's movements. Abbii thought it strange that the only people she saw seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere; she wondered if they had somewhere to be, or whether it was the dark that pushed them to move hurriedly, wanting to escape its shadowy clutches. She thought back to Barbara's reaction.

When she had learnt that Abbii was headed for the Christian's home, Barbara had seemed to grow cold all of a sudden, almost unwelcoming. A shadow had cast across her face, as if it had pained her to even think of Jake and his family. Abbii wanted to know what had frightened her, what kept the people of Pennyworth so subdued and quiet. She had imagined the streets of the coastal town would be bustling with people and nightlife, but she found that in reality, things were very different.

Abbii sighed loudly and looked ahead, stopping as she saw that Nate had gone. Her breath stalled in her throat. Glancing quickly from side to side, hoping that Nate had stopped whilst she had been distracted by her thoughts, Abbii began to feel the cold envelop her. "Nate?"

Standing perfectly still so that she could hear his response, she began to hyperventilate when no reply came. She started to walk hastily, breaking into a run as she reached the first working streetlight. "Nate!" she shouted.

Thoughts of the Shadows crept into her mind, causing her to hold her breath even as she ran. The cold air pricked at her skin and she could feel her cheeks flare up. She passed a turning that lead into a second narrow street, glancing down its long structure briefly, before passing it by.

Abbii...

She stopped abruptly as Nate's voice entered her head. Turning to focus onto the street entrance that she had just passed, Abbii moved hastily towards it, narrowing her eyes to search for Nate. She couldn't see him.

You know what to do.

Days ago, Abbii would have told herself that she was imagining Nate's voice that it wasn't real, but the strange warmth that filled her body when he spoke proved somehow that it was. She doubted that anyone would believe her, but what did it matter when she was alone in the dark narrow streets of Pennyworth? She wondered if Nate knew that she could hear him, that he was able to enter her thoughts...

Don't be stupid! Abbii scolded herself for believing in such childish thoughts. Magical powers were not normal; they were not part of everyone's lives, only Abbii's, but she found that she wanted to believe Nate could hear her thoughts. She took in a breath and forgot about the darkness that surrounded her, expanding her mind. Nate?

"Come on, Abbii, we haven't got time to stop."

Surprised by his sudden statement, Abbii raised her gaze to see that Nate was stood several strides in front of her. His face seemed flushed, but other than that, everything seemed normal. She tried to calm the panic that filled her throat. "Where did you go?"

"I went to scout ahead. We haven't got far to go." Nate glanced down the narrow street before meeting Abbii's gaze again. "Come on."

She scowled at him, marching past where he stood. "Don't do that again!"

A quite sigh left his lips. "You could have easily found me. That's what your powers are for!"

Not feeling generous enough to give him a response, Abbii continued marching on, folding her arms across her chest. She followed the street until it ended at a large building, which had seemed to suffer under the weight of the recent weather. Without needing to ask, she could see that the building had used to be a school because of the remnants of park swings and benches. She could also see several pieces of decayed artwork hanging in the windows.

Allowing her arms to fall back to her sides, Abbii saddened. "What happened to this place?"

"Everything that's left of this town is the remains which the war left behind. The people manage as best as they can."

"But I thought you said the war happened before Pennyworth was built?"

Abbii did not receive an answer. She wanted to ask why the people had not tried to leave, but Nate had continued on so she focused onto the school building ahead of her.

It was larger than she had anticipated it to be, larger than the small town of Pennyworth needed, she thought. Parts of the main structure had collapsed inwards, causing the roof to sit at an awkward angle. Vines had crawled through spaces in the brick, creating thick blankets of thistles which surrounded each window. Some were smashed through, by the weather or vandalism Abbii couldn't quite tell. Whatever had happened to leave the building in such a state must have been the cause of the constant shadow which seemed to smother the town.

Not only did the sky fail to show any stars now that night had fallen, but Abbii could not see the moon either. She remembered that it had been a half crescent when they had slept at the old hall, so the moon should have been visible. The lack of light added to Abbii's assumptions that something terrible had happened on the land of Pennyworth. Nate had told her the tale of the fighting which had taken place, but Abbii could not understand why, after a hundred years, evidence of the magical battle still remained.

Pulling back from such puzzling thoughts, Abbii followed the path left, watching Nate keep a steady pace. Occasionally he would glance back to check on her, but other than that, he kept his focus ahead, tensing with anxiety when a member of the town walked past. Abbii understood his reaction, however.

They had only passed four members of the town since arriving and none of them had seemed welcoming—they had not even looked up from the pavement as Abbii and Nate had passed by. A strange aura had radiated out from their bodies which had made Abbii's skin feel horribly feverish, but that was not what drew her attention. It was the fact that every building, every small structure, car or tree, all had the same aura as the people, like a blanket of shadow constantly enveloped the air.

Abbii glanced left, stopping briefly in her place. She narrowed her eyes, as a subtle glow seemed to penetrate the shadow of a long alley at her side; trying to decide what it was, Abbii focused her gaze. It was so small that she blinked to prove that it was not imagined. Her heartbeat increased as she realised that it was a human figure which was glowing.

A strange surge of energy seeped out from the darkness, warming Abbii's skin. She watched as the figure extended its hand. The desire to take a step towards it fought against Abbii's persistence in remaining still.

I'm tired.

Abbii looked around cautiously as the voice entered her mind, but when she focused onto the figure which had now moved towards her slightly, she could see that it was a young girl. She nodded, meeting Abbii's gaze, confirming that the voice had belonged to her.

Without turning, Abbii felt Nate's hand move onto her shoulder. Her aura brushed against his skin briefly before it seemed to fade. She turned and met his gaze. "Can you see her?" Abbii did not wait for his response before looking ahead.

"Yes," he replied. Keeping his hand on Abbii's shoulder as he sensed her sadden, Nate continued to speak. "She is a lost soul."

Abbii's brow arched inwards. "She died here, didn't she?"

"She must have been one of the victims of the Great Battle. There are many trapped here."

Lowering her gaze, Abbii sighed. She had had enough of watching the people around her suffer. She could feel the pain that filled the glowing figure ahead of her, and an image appeared inside of her head of magic burning the young girl's skin. A tear rolled across Abbii's cheek as she met its gaze.

Will you help free us from this prison?

Abbii straightened her back as she wiped her tear away.

"Don't make a promise that you cannot keep Abbii. It will only add to your troubles." Nate's tone was flat, showing that he knew her intentions. She did not turn to face him, rather focusing on the spirit ahead.

She took in a breath. I will try.

The spirit nodded in acknowledgement, fading from sight as it smiled. We have waited a hundred years for you. Time is of no importance to us, those that are trapped between Darkness and Light. All that we ask is that you try.

Nate removed his hand from Abbii's shoulder and continued to walk past the abandoned school. He knew without a doubt that Abbii had vowed to set the spirits free. A tension consumed his body which made his hands clench into fists, but with a quiet sigh, he released it and continued on before Abbii could question his reaction.

She felt reluctant to leave the alley where the spirit had appeared, but she sensed that Nate would no longer wait for her. It was strange—Abbii had been the one who had wanted to enter into Pennyworth, she had wanted nothing more than to find out everything she could about Jake, but something had changed in her.

Her desire to push onwards without delay was fading. Not knowing whether it was because of Nate or because of everything that had happened since leaving The Everglades was the only thing that pushed her to continue. The uncertainty that filled her, the fear of what was to come was all that drove her forwards. She could not stop, as it would never take long for the Shadows to find her.

Even now, she did not fully understand why she was being hunted by them. Nate had explained briefly that the Shadows needed her powers because of losing their own, but Abbii did not know what powers she held to begin with. The Shadows had chased her for four long years, but Abbii did not know whether it was because her powers were special in some way, or rather that the Shadows needed any power that they could find and Abbii just happened to be their next target. Strangely, the only place that she had been safe the longest was at The Everglades.

Since leaving the College and resting at the old hall, Abbii had felt an increase in her powers. Her senses had heightened without a doubt, as she could now hear the faint beating of Nate's heart, even when he was far ahead of her. The strength of her vision had also improved, allowing her to see the way his hair moved, the way his collar adjusted against his skin as he walked. She wondered if Nate knew that her powers were growing.

For so long, Abbii had focused onto her day to day life, with no thoughts or concerns of those around her, but Nate had changed that. She found that her thoughts always involved him in some way, even when they shouldn't have. It was like he was filling a hole that she had never noticed in her life before. His face appeared in her dreams, his voice was carried on the wind when she wasn't by his side; he was even affecting Abbii's memories and visions about Jake. Nate was starting to mean something to her, which was proven by the warmth that constantly filled her when he was near. The truth was, however, that Abbii wouldn't have survived without him; he was useful and the fear of the Shadows was the only thing that kept her in his company...

Or was it?

Letting the thought fade, Abbii realised that they were now following a long narrow road. No small alleys branched out from it like the previous paths, and she wondered if it was because of the building at the far end of the street. It seemed different somehow from the surrounding buildings. Vines had grown along its brick walls, but its structure seemed intact and none of the windows were smashed. A small garden led up to the door which had been consumed by plants and the wooden gate of the garden was closed. Abbii thought the building looked habitable, as if someone had been visiting it regularly.

As they reached it, Abbii looked around to see that very few houses were visible, and even those were old and decrepit. They were skeletons of homes that once existed. Abbii wondered why someone would choose to live in such an empty part of the town, with no easy access to its centre.

"This is it," Nate stated.

Abbii wasn't surprised that the house in front of her was the one that they had been looking for, but she had trouble imagining Jake living in such a place. Thinking back, she remembered one of the photos that had made up part of the news report on Jake's disappearance. The Christian family had stood in front of a small house, surrounded by a beautiful garden. It was proof that they had, in fact, found Jake's house.

A slight breeze stroked against Abbii's skin, causing her to shiver.

The longer that Abbii looked over the small dwelling, the more she warmed to the idea of finding out about Jake's life. She would never have imagined reaching his home, but then again, if Jake had not been killed, Abbii doubted whether she would have ever entered into Pennyworth. Times had changed.

A loud sound broke through Abbii's thoughts, drawing her gaze to the side of the house. She saw a figure pulling at something.

"Nate?"

Watching as he continued with his persistence, she quickly made her way to him, to see that he was pulling at a loose wooden plank in the floor. There were several of them alongside each other, marking some kind of doorway. Once Nate had ripped two of them free, the rest fell out of place, revealing a small stairway that lead into darkness.

Without delay, Nate made his way inside, ducking his head in preparation for the wooden overhead frame. He reached the last step and then turned to see that Abbii had not followed.

"Come on," he insisted.

Her face seemed strangely pale as if she had seen a ghost, but before Nate could question her, she met his gaze. "Where are you going?"

"This is the basement under the house. There are stairs the other side that lead to the kitchen." And with nothing more said, Nate disappeared into the darkness.

"Hey, wait!" She waited a moment to see if Nate would return, but realising that he wouldn't, she sighed loudly.

A strong gust of air moved Abbii's hair from her shoulders, causing her to feel as if someone was watching her from a distance. She glanced to her left, narrowing her eyes to see through the darkness. Something moved as she watched, seeming to edge ever closer to where Abbii stood. Her heartbeat increased involuntarily and she dashed down the staircase, not wanting to see what was outside.

Rushing down the stone steps, she inhaled a quick breath as she noticed a dim light ahead of her. She saw Nate's figure briefly before he ascended the second set of steps that apparently lead to the kitchen. Abbii remained still, suddenly feeling claustrophobic, as if the darkness around her was feeding on her energy. Not sure if she was losing her breath because her heartbeat had increased, or whether it was the fact that the darkness really was affecting her, Abbii moved across the dark space quickly.

The aura of the house seemed unusual when Abbii focused onto it for the first time. Its energy was radiating with power, as if a source of magic was at the heart of the building. Abbii's uneasy feeling began to fade as she neared the second set of stairs. She imagined Jake standing beside her, smiling with such a grin, knowing that Abbii had finally reached his home. She reached up and took hold of the angel pendant around her neck, wrapping her fingers around it tightly.

I'm here Jake, I've finally found it. Please don't be mad at me, I have to know why you didn't fight...why you accepted the Darkness so easily...

Hearing something move on the floor above her, Abbii let her thoughts fade as she followed the light into the kitchen. It was dim, but she could still see clearly around the room. The kitchen units were wooden and thick layers of dust covered everything that Abbii could see. A table was pushed up against the wall at an awkward angle, and two chairs stood by its side. Abbii could see that a thick blanket of some kind covered the window, with the only source of light being a small candle that flickered from the centre of the table.

Abbii seemed drawn in by the flame as she faced it directly. A candle?

She couldn't understand why a single candle would be lit in an abandoned house. Who would need the light when there was no one to be welcomed by it?

"It's called an Aurora flame."

Turning briefly, Abbii met Nate's gaze as he stood in the doorway across the room. It didn't take her long, however, to focus onto the flame again. "Why do I feel like it's...calling to me?"

"Because it is," he replied, leaning against the door frame. "The flame never goes out. The wax is never used; it is simply an object that the flame sits upon. Once it is lit, it can only be extinguished with magic. That's what's calling to you. It is a source of magic."

Moving to examine it closer, Abbii could see that an aura of colour danced within the small flame. She sensed that the magic which fuelled it was strong, proven by the patterns which had been inscribed into the body of wax. Abbii didn't know how she knew it, but the runes gave the flame its eternal energy. With a sigh, she realised that she could sense other Aurora flames within the small house. She turned to see that Nate had moved from the doorway, disappearing into another room.

Abbii followed him quietly, leaving the kitchen to enter into the small hallway. The house smelt musty, and she presumed it was due to the fact that all of the windows had been covered. No fresh air had been allowed to circulate the space. She stopped in her place, an open doorway either side of her.

To her left was a small living room. A cushioned chair sat in the far corner, with a wooden side table next to it. Abbii could see a second Aurora flame upon the wooden surface, but this one was not lit. The other pieces of furniture were covered with white sheets and blankets, proving that it had been many years since the house had been used. Material also smothered the windows.

Moving to look into the opposite room, Abbii focused onto Nate who was stood with his back to the door. The room was empty, and there was no evidence to show what it had once been used as. Nate seemed deep in thought, unmoving. She decided to leave him, continuing down the closed in hall. Once she had reached the wooden stairs, she stopped.

A darkly coloured handrail spiralled down from the top step, circling into a complex shape at the base. Abbii caressed its shape, feeling its smooth surface with her fingertips. She looked up to the floor above, sensing a strange shift in energy. Her senses immediately heightened, being drawn to a specific source of energy somewhere ahead.

She lost her breath as she ascended the stairway, creating a creak of detest from each step as her weight caused the wood to shift. Her mind focused entirely onto the aura that she could sense, causing her to forget the presence which had watched her outside the house; she forgot that Nate was not following her, but it did not deter her from moving on. Nothing else mattered, except finding what was calling to her senses.

Only one door kept her gaze focused as she moved swiftly across the landing. She passed two open doorways whilst moving, but her gaze did not stray, not even to register what rooms that she had passed. It was like a power source was calling to her, like a piece of energy that she had been missing had finally found her.

Her breath became shallow as she neared the door way, but it was not until her fingertips met with the smooth wood that Abbii noticed a change in her body. The temperature of her skin had risen making her feel clammy, and her heartbeat drummed inside of her chest, like the feeling of butterflies had been replaced with a circling energy, banging repetitively. The breath in her lungs became sharp and a quiet sob was waiting just beyond her throat, waiting to be set free so that tears could brim her eyes. She held her breath for a moment before pushing on the door, watching as it swung open to reveal the room that she had been searching for.

Even in the dark, Abbii could sense Jake. She could feel his aura in the air, surrounding the silhouettes of furniture that she could see. Its energy called to her, drawing her into the essence of her memories. The tears brimming her eyes reacted to the familiar smell of Jake's aftershave, resulting in them to fall across her cheeks at a steady pace. Closing her eyes ever so briefly, Abbii moved her hand to the light switch, hoping that when the room was lit, Jake would be waiting for her. She wanted to see him, to say her final goodbye, to hear him tell her that everything will be alright.

The light flickered on.

No one stood waiting.

Abbii was disappointed in herself for believing that Jake could be there. She wiped her face dry and looked around, taking in the details of everything that she could see. The room itself was well proportioned, with several pieces of small furniture pushed against the far wall. A single bed was to her left and posters decorated several sections of the opposing wall. Colours marked the empty spaces which showed examples of Jake's artistic skills.

Abbii remembered watching him in their art class at The Everglades, smiling at the movement of his paintbrush. He had been skilled with many mediums in his art, but Abbii remembered his painting the clearest. Over a year ago, he had painted a beautiful horizon, overwhelmed with light from the setting sun; that had been one of his largest pictures. The examples in his room were much smaller.

There were paintings of faces and creatures, melding together like unnatural beings. Others depicted scenes of nature, long fields of flowers and the sun and moon, surrounded by layers of coloured clouds. Abbii could see that eyes pierced through every image that he had painted, with red fluorescent irises. They reminded her of the Shadows and the way their eyes shone in the light. A cool shiver washed over her skin, causing her to move her gaze onto something else.

Several items lay scattered across the top of Jake's desk. Abbii could see piles of papers and images, news reports with large black titles. She ran her fingertips over the surface of one, reading it aloud.

"The Shadows returned without delay."

An image flickered inside of Abbii's head then, showing Jake sitting at his desk, typing madly on the keyboard to his computer which seemed to be missing. She watched as varying images moved across its monitor, showing people surrounded by light, but her vision faded before Abbii could interpret what it was that she was seeing. She paused a moment as her thoughts unravelled.

My visions are meant to be of the future...why am I seeing the past?

A tingling feeling enveloped her fingertips as she moved her hand across the desk. An object beneath a pile of paper had caused the pieces of text to sit at a strange angle. Gently searching for it, Abbii uncovered something that she had not expected to find.

She would have recognised the ring in her hand anywhere. Its dark colouring was close to black, contrasting perfectly against the clear cut stone in the centre. Closing her eyes, she wrapped her fingers around it tightly, remembering the last night that she had shared with Jake.

The two of them had sat upon the bank of The Everglades's pool, talking about whatever they had felt like at the time. It had been the last time that Abbii had seen Jake before the horrific scenes of the Shadows' attack. He had given her the angel pendant that she had worn every day since, but he had also bought a second piece of jewellery for himself—the ring that was now in her hand. Abbii remembered what Jake had said.

A part of me will always be with you...no matter what happens.

Abbii felt as if the angel pendant had been more than just her birthday present. She wondered if Jake had known that something was going to happen, and giving her the necklace and keeping the ring for himself had been his way of telling her that everything would be alright, that they'd always be connected. Although, Abbii did not understand how the ring could have gotten to Pennyworth. When Jake had died, it had been in his possession...

A sudden rush of energy warmed her hand, as the regret of not being able to say goodbye to Jake filled her. He had been taken by the Shadows and Abbii would never see him again. She opened her hand as the warmth engulfed her palm, causing her to drop the ring which was now glowing brightly. The angel pendant that lay against her skin was also shining, radiating with soft rays of light.

The skin had burnt where the ring had sat, causing a stinging sensation to stab through Abbii's hand. She gasped for a breath as the same heat consumed her pendant. A bright light leaked out from her skin, pushing her to her knees as she lost the strength to remain standing. An unfamiliar voice entered her mind.

Two pieces of the same will always react when brought together, whether blessed with Light or cursed with Shadow.

Abbii was certain that she had not heard the voice before, but it seemed to calm her as the words echoed through her thoughts. She would have recited the words to try to understand them, but her powers began to fluctuate, drawing her entire focus. Her irises were overcome with a powerful light stealing the air from her lungs, and her hands began to shine. As a consequence, her body started to shake. A tear fell across her face as she looked up.

Nate was stood in the doorway. His whole focus was channelled onto Abbii. She wanted him to run to her so that her powers would calm, but he remained still, watching as a blue light leaked out from the corner of her eye.

Gasping for a breath, she reached out to him. "Please..."

He closed his eyes in response, as if stopping himself from running to her. A heavy breath escaped his lips, filling Abbii's ears like a hurricane had passed. Her senses had heightened beyond compare.

"Get your breath back," he worded clearly.

Abbii held his gaze as he looked at her, straightening her back. Inhaling a slow breath, she exhaled a moment later, feeling as if the heat in her skin was subsiding. She continued to breathe steadily until the light from her body had faded entirely.

"See? Control is all you need."

Moving to sit comfortably, Abbii looked up as she breathed in, seeing that strange shapes now covered each wall of the room. Glowing shapes were scattered across the ceiling and walls, line upon line of illegible runes. Abbii was certain that they had not been visible before, coming to the conclusion that her powers must have reacted to her surroundings in some way, which had uncovered the strange coloured markings. They glowed with static energy. Abbii could feel the magic flowing through them.

"I'm going into town."

Meeting Nate's gaze, Abbii's eyes lost their light. "What?" She wondered why Nate would need to go into Pennyworth. They had little time before the Shadows would find them.

"I won't be long."

"But we haven't got long until they find us. What's so important that you have to leave for now?" Abbii's reality began to set in as she realised that they were running out of time.

"It'll give you some privacy," he replied quietly.

Abbii watched him fidget in his place, before he turned and faced into the hallway. She moved to her feet. "Privacy for what?"

Nate replied without turning. "You will have to let go of this place and all those connected to it for us to stand a chance against the Shadows." He started to walk then, descending the stairs once he had reached them.

Abbii kept her gaze on the stairs, waiting for him to return, but he didn't. She listened to him walk through the house; each footstep echoed through the floor, growing silent as he entered the basement. A quiet sigh left her lips. She knew what Nate had meant. To him, Abbii's thoughts of Jake were distracting her. She didn't need to ask him to prove her suspicions.

Looking down to the ring at her feet, Abbii realised that this would be the last chance that she would have to find out as much as she could about Jake and the reason why he had accepted the Darkness so openly. Picking the ring up from the floor, she pushed it into her pocket so it would no longer distract her from the task at hand. She took hold of the paper sprawled across Jake's desk and then moved to the bed to look through them. She laid them out in several piles, sitting against the wall as she crossed her legs.

The first thing that her eyes were drawn to was a photograph of a small group of children. They were all stood in a line, some standing closer than others. Strange markings edged the image but Abbii's attention was drawn to the fact that thick lines of pen had cut through the children's faces. It was as if someone had crossed them off a list of some sort. Abbii sensed pain and fear from the time that the photograph had been taken, guessing that many of the children had died. There were only two faces that were unmarked.

A young girl with long blonde hair stood at the far right of the line. She had wide blue eyes and a rounded face. Abbii guessed that she had been in her late teens as the other children looked younger than her. She had worn a dress that had ended at her thighs, a pair of sandals worn at her feet. A smile was spread across her face, but Abbii could tell that it was not because a photograph was being taken, but rather due to the person that was standing next to her.

The boy that stood to her right seemed much closer to her than the child on her opposite side. He was a similar age to the blue-eyed girl but a stronger sense of attitude was apparent in the way he was standing. His arms were folded protectively across his chest. Abbii wondered why he had been the only child to stand so safeguarded. Had he known something that the others had not?

Moving her fingers over the photograph, a heat warmed Abbii's skin and her scar emitted a light. She concentrated onto the small section of text beneath the image, reading it aloud. "Those blessed with magic were often hunted by the Shadows, killed for their powers. The children above were the first special few given refuge at The Everglades." Abbii realised that the children in the photograph had all had magical capability. There had been others before her. She flipped the image to find a date sprawled messily across the back. "May 1983, the College for the 'Gifted' was opened."

It's been open thirty years...it was a place for those with magic to hide. Have all of the students since then had powers?

Thoughts of The Everglades and its students entered Abbii's mind, but she pushed them aside as she took hold of several sides of black text from the bed. Though no titles marked the documents, Abbii sensed that she should read them.

The writing described the building of the College and how the environment and people had reacted to its presence. It explained that there had been several infiltrations of the building, resulting in the death of several students. No dates were included in the detailed account of what had happened, but Abbii knew that the Shadows had killed them. Somewhere inside of her, she knew it without a doubt.

A tear built in her eye as she continued to read. Images of bodies and fire, burning through part of The Everglades, appeared in her mind. There was no evidence of the Shadows in what Abbii was seeing, but they had been the enemy, they still were. A list of names was at the bottom of the document which Abbii took her time to read, allowing each syllable to be processed by her thoughts individually.

May Williams, Alex Stride, Elizabeth James, Sarah Mathews, Henry Stone, Tricia and Blane Christian...Could that be Jake's dad...his parents?

Abbii moved her gaze to the photograph and focused on the face of the young man. His eyes and the way he was standing reminded her of Jake. He had to be Jake's father, and as no pen marked his face, she wondered if he had survived whilst studying at The Everglades, only to lose his life years later. If the young man had been Jake's father, then Abbii wondered who the girl had been, standing next to him. They had both had magic, but Abbii did not know why.

A cool shiver stroked against her skin as she looked over the faces of the children. They had all lost their lives due to the powers of magic that had rushed through their bodies. Abbii hated the fact that magic chose its holder. Those that were chosen had no choice in the matter, and as a result, many of them had died due to the Shadows that had hunted them. She wished that the Shadows did not exist. She wished that magic and sorcery had stayed in the pages of the books that she had read as a child.

Narrowing her eyes, Abbii saw something that she had not noticed before. On the right shoulder of the blue-eyed girl, who she recognised as Tricia Christian, she saw a round scar. It looked old, and a faint black line surrounded the skin. Abbii's mind tried to create images in regards to the girl, but something strange prevented it from doing so.

She raised her gaze as a large gust of cold air spiralled through the room, scattering the pieces of paper like leaves at autumn. Her hair danced wildly as she moved to her feet, focusing ahead; the papers no longer mattered now that a dark shape filled the doorway. A painful throb consumed Abbii's wrist as she remained still, being surrounded by light which emitted from the runes marking the walls.

The figure moved forwards.

Abbii edged back, feeling the wall meet with her skin. Panic rose in her throat. Her gaze remained focused but her thoughts circled frantically. She was trying to figure out what the dark shape was, but her senses had lost their strength. The light upon her wrist remained, but Abbii could no longer feel the warmth of her powers flowing through her.

No sound left its lips, but the dark figure stepped forward, raising its arm.

"Don't move!" Abbii shouted. The panic in her voice was obvious. She was shaking.

Her heart was beating fast, ringing in her ears, and her breath was hard to keep. Abbii looked towards the window above Jake's bed, looking for a way to escape, struggling to think of what to do. She wished Nate were with her. She wished he hadn't left.

"Why are you in my house?" the hooded figure asked.

Abbii glared at it. "This house doesn't belong to you!" Her words came out much sharper than she had intended, but she seemed to calm as she realised that the figure was human. "Who are you?"

"It matters not who I am, but rather who you are. Why are you here?" There was no threat in the female's voice. Abbii began to calm, gathering her breath steadily.

Her eyes adjusted as she breathed in, allowing her powers to build. Colours began to circulate around the figure ahead of her, flickering before remaining golden. Abbii could sense little threat from the figure now that she had calmed, and so she kept her powers muted, seeing that in turn the stranger did the same. The magic that ran through their body was minimal, almost weak, but there nonetheless.

Speaking honestly, Abbii breathed in. "I'm here to find information."

The female figure seemed to scan her gaze across the floor, noticing the scattered paper which surrounded Abbii's feet.

"Why do you have powers?" The words left Abbii's lips before her brain could stop them. She held her breath as the stranger glared at her. She felt claustrophobic under their glare, but it was not until the glyphs that covered the room began to emit rays of light that she lost her breath.

"Only those with magic can sense their own kind." Again the stranger's voice was firm but soft at the same time. Abbii felt as if she recognised them but she did not know where from. "Why are you here?" the woman asked aloud.

The coloured runes began to pulse light through the room, creating tremors that shot through the floor. Abbii lost her footing and stumbled, using the wall to gather her balance. She guessed that the magical symbols were reacting to the stranger's presence.

Turning to face into the hallway, the woman remained silent. A slice of light highlighted her eyes as she moved, and Abbii recognised them.

"You have until the runes begin to move to leave here," the woman worded clearly.

Abbii's thoughts strengthened. The eyes...could it be her?

A second tremor pulsed through the room as the hooded woman moved from the doorway, keeping her back to the room. It was evident that magical powers were under her control, but it was also clear that she had no intention of using them against Abbii.

"I came here about Jake."

The woman stopped in her place.

Abbii, sensing a change in the room's aura, kept her balance as she made it to the doorway carefully. Her powers felt restricted by the magical symbols, causing them to feel stifled beneath her skin. She inhaled a breath.

"He died."

Abbii hated talking about Jake's death, but to accept it she would have to be willing to say it. She watched as the hooded woman turned to face her, lifting her hand as if to wave. The restriction on Abbii's powers immediately faded, filling her body with power. She straightened her back, creating a mental barrier around her mind, remembering what Nate had said about the Forgotten and their ability of infiltrating the mind.

Raising both hands silently, the stranger removed her hood, revealing her lined face. She was pale, but her features were dark, with an essence of light glowing from the centre of each of her irises.

"Mrs Christian...?"

With a quiet sigh, she raised her gaze from the floor and looked at Abbii. "Please, call me Tricia."
Seventeen

Nate hated the fact that Pennyworth was so dark. There was never more light than the subtle glow which emitted from the streetlights lining the quiet roads. He wondered if the people of the town knew about the magical veil, or whether they had simply grown accustomed to the atmosphere and now called it home.

Although Nate felt uncomfortable walking towards the centre of Pennyworth, he also felt strangely aware of the land, as if it recognised him, and he in turn recognised it, though he couldn't remember ever being there; it was taking a long time for his memories to return. He wondered if they ever would. Since spending time with Abbii, he had remembered a lot about his parents and the way that they had used to live, but that was it. He had forgotten everything else from his teenage years, even forgetting how he had found The Everglades, how he had made his way there.

Focusing ahead as his thoughts faded, passing yet another silent citizen, Nate took in the details of the buildings around him. They stood erected like stone statues, with little colour evident. There were rows and rows of them, though Nate doubted that they were all inhabited. He noticed the church in the near distance, brightly lit like a fallen star, penetrating the darkness which threatened to engulf it. Nate had never known of the church before entering into Pennyworth, but as soon as he had crossed into the small town, his mind had strangely revealed an image of the building. Somehow sensing that it was safe within, Nate had then told Abbii to go there if the Shadows found them.

He hoped that the creatures wouldn't follow them into the small town, but he knew that they would. They had found Abbii after years of searching for her, and there would be no chance of them letting her go. Nate had been pleased that Abbii had told him about the night that the Shadows had first attacked her, resulting in her being sent to The Everglades, but the truth was that he had already known what had happened. Daniel had told him.

The head teacher of The Everglades had told Nate everything regarding Abbii, as well as information regarding the Elders, the Forgotten and the Great Battle which had taken place over a hundred years ago. He had not known why at the time, but Nate now believed it was so that he could help Abbii understand the situation she was in. He still did not know everything, however, for he knew nothing of Abbii's status of being the Star.

Since finding himself bandaged in The Everglades's infirmary, Nate had only thought of Abbii. All the information that he had asked for or had been given was also about her. His memories did not matter to him; he could wait for them, as long as Abbii was safe. He felt connected to her in some way, as if they had known each other before he had lost his memory. Information about her was important to him, but he wished he knew who he was.

He made sure not to mention his amnesia to Abbii whilst travelling with her, as he believed it would cause her further stress. There were so many things that she was already trying to deal with, and his loss of memory would just add to her problems. As long as he always stood by his word, Nate believed it made no difference about who he had been before waking at The Everglades.

Reaching the decorative church, Nate's senses heightened as he noticed a change in the air. His surroundings seemed to brighten and he could see a colourful aura surrounding the church and its grounds. Pushing on the gate, he glanced to his side to see a shape dart out of sight. He narrowed his eyes but continued on, focusing onto the church door which was made from dark wood, interlaced with decorative metal pieces of fauna.

Extending his hand to touch the wood, the large door seemed to open, as if it welcomed him in. He kept his senses alerted as he made his way inside, looking back to see the gate close behind him. Walking down the centre aisle, Nate was surprised to see that the entire space was lit by candles of all shapes and sizes. They decorated the large windowsills and stone altar, as well as the many rows of wooden benches, leading up to the raised platform at the front. Taking a closer look at one to his side, Nate realised that they were all Aurora flames.

Nate couldn't imagine how much magical power would be needed to keep all of the flames alight, but he realised then that that was what he could sense in the air. Pure magic circled the space like a cool breeze. His skin felt warmed and the breath that filled his lungs seemed full of energy.

"So, you have returned."

Turning quickly, Nate was met by the gaze of an older woman. He could immediately see the glow which escaped her skin, knowing without a doubt that she was powerful. "You're an Elder."

She smiled, walking towards the altar at the front of the church. The glow that escaped her body seemed to linger in the air from where she had stood, glittering like angelic dust. Reaching the raised platform on which the stone altar was sat, she stepped up onto it and turned to face Nate.

"My name is Evelyn."

Nate narrowed his eyes. "You were at the B&B with Abbii. I sensed your essence there, the glow which remained belonged to you."

"Yes, I wished to see how well the Star had progressed."

He could sense that her reply was truthful, but the strength of her magical presence kept him on edge as she spoke.

"Her powers are growing slowly. It is a shame that they are not willing to hasten."

"She's doing the best that she can!"

Evelyn leaned back slightly as she watched Nate's fists clench. "In the end, her best may not be enough." Seeing that Nate was not going to reply, she continued to speak, explaining what she had meant. "In time, the girl's energy will be needed. She lives only to increase its strength."

In response to her statement, Nate narrowed his eyes, creating a glow to warm his irises. "What does being the Star mean?"

"You return here, missing many of your life's memories, and yet that is all you ask?"

"I asked you a question."

Sighing loudly, Evelyn walked across the heightened platform, focusing on the large decorative window above her. "She is gifted with magical capability beyond any being that now lives. She is power itself."

"But why her?"

She turned and met Nate's gaze directly. "It is not a choice. She was born to be the Star, and she will take her place. No one can choose the blood which flows through their veins."

Her blood?

"It is the same for every living creature. Once you are born, the blood that flows through your veins is eternally yours, whether it is Light or Darkness." She seemed to emphasize the word 'Darkness,' pushing Nate to question her.

"What do you want from her?"

Evelyn moved forwards, stepping down from the platform. Only several strides now separated her from Nate. "Her power is what we need to fully vanquish the Darkness. She should be with us."

Nate raised his hand, feeling a strange energy warm his skin.

"But she may stay by your side for a little while longer." She smiled at Nate, watching as he stepped back. "You are learning to care for the girl, after everything that has happened. Funny, don't you think?"

It was obvious that Evelyn knew something about Nate's past, but he was not interested in discussing it with her. He turned to leave.

"The Shadows have found her. They are here," Evelyn stated clearly.

Making his way towards the large church doors, Nate thought only of Abbii.

"If the Shadows reach her, we will intervene. Her powers must come to us when they are fully grown; death awaits her if they do not. Our hand will strike her down!"

The words caused the hairs along Nate's arms to stand up. Not only were the Shadows after her, but now the Elders too. Did the Light and Darkness want her for the same purpose? He pushed out of the building and ran hastily to reach Abbii.

Evelyn closed the doors with her powers, smiling as a glow warmed her skin. "We shall see what the future holds. Abbii's powers have grown far beyond that which we had expected. Even you may become that which we need. Fight well."
Eighteen

"The Shadows came for him," Abbii replied quietly. She was sat the kitchen table, watching as the Aurora flame danced and flickered. Tricia was stood opposite her, leaning against the wooden top.

Since she had heard of Jake's death, she had remained silent. Abbii had followed her from the bedroom, respecting the silence that she wanted. It was almost a shock to Abbii when Mrs Christian spoke.

"Was it painful?" she asked, meeting Abbii's gaze as she looked up.

Being sure not to hesitate for too long, Abbii gathered her words. She wanted to reply honestly, but not in too much detail. "I don't think so. He went outside when it was dark...the Shadows must have sensed him. They were drawn to him, grabbing at his skin. A portal appeared and the Shadows tried to pull him in—"

"And he embraced it," Tricia finished. Her statement had been clear, as if she had known for certain what had happened.

Abbii nodded. "Yes," she replied, dropping her gaze briefly. "That's why I'm here. I want to know why."

Mrs Christian elongated her blink, holding in a breath tightly. "He could not have fought against them, even with the powers that he had." As she grew silent, she gazed towards Abbii, expecting to see confusion spread across her face. She did not, however, rather seeing reassurance across her features.

"Somehow I knew," Abbii whispered. "When he was killed and everything changed, all I knew was that Jake had been a part of it. My powers are still growing, but I can see Jake's aura in you, in your power."

Moving to the second chair at the kitchen table, Tricia took a seat, being clear with her words as she spoke. "It is true that his aura is detectable in everything here, but his powers are gone. You are not the same as my son."

"What do you mean?" Abbii's brow arched inwards, proving that she had not understood.

"You have powers that represent the Light, but my son was drawn to the Darkness, as his powers represented the Dark itself."

"But Jake was good!"

Tricia smiled. "Because of you, Abbii. Without you, Jake would have fallen into Darkness many years ago. You only prolonged the years that he stayed in the Light."

"But..." This was the second time that Abbii had heard of Jake's acceptance of the Darkness, and still she did not understand why things had happened as they had. "Why? That's all I want to know. Why did Jake accept the Darkness?" She breathed in. "There was so much that I didn't know about him...his powers, his home, the way he lived, but one thing I do know is that Jake wouldn't have given up that easily. Not without a reason! What are you keeping from me?"

Tricia watched a tear roll across Abbii's cheek. She realised then that Jake had made an eternal friend when he had met Abbii. Breathing in, she replied quietly, "Jake's father was a member of the Forgotten."

Abbii gasped. "But why would you choose one of them? Out of everyone, why would you choose a member of the enemy to be his dad?"

"You cannot always choose who it is that you fall in love with, Abbii."

"Surely you would have known that your children would have been in danger!"

Glancing briefly at the candle to her side, Tricia sighed. "Blane did not start out evil. He was good."

Thinking back to the papers that she had read through in Jake's room, Abbii remembered one of the names that she had read. Blane Christian—the young man that had seemed on edge in the image, guarded somewhat. She remembered his emotionless face and the way his arms had been folded across his chest. His hair had been close to black, and his eyes matched almost perfectly. "The photograph...you were the girl who stood next to him?"

Tricia nodded, closing her eyes briefly.

"You were part of the first group of students protected at The Everglades...you and Blane Christian. But why would they allow a member of the Forgotten to study there?" The confusion was evident in Abbii's words.

"Let me explain." Moving to her feet, Tricia made her towards the kitchen side. "It was not until 1982 that the Shadows began to hunt for those with magic. No one knows where they had hidden since the Great Battle that was fought here, but nevertheless, their strength remained intact. The Elders of Light, members of the magical hierarchy, decided that a place had to be built to give those with magic a chance of surviving. Too many children blessed with magic, were dying before they could learn to wield their powers."

"But why choose to build it on the outskirts of such tainted land?"

"The Elders had hoped that the land of Pennyworth would have recovered from the Great Battle. It did not, and as a result, they knew that the Darkness would eventually try to break through the veil that separated Pennyworth from the surrounding land. By building The Everglades College where they did, they hoped that by the time it came for the Darkness to fight for its freedom, the students at The Everglades would be strong enough to act as their first defence."

Abbii leaned back in her seat. "So they expected the children there to fight in their place?"

"Yes, that is why only students with magic were taken there." Gathering her thoughts, Tricia continued to tell her story. "My parents had been killed by a horde of Shadows, and because I had nowhere else to go, an Elder found me and gave me refuge at The Everglades."

"They found you, just like that? How?"

A quiet sigh left her lips as she turned. "The Elders can sense every being with magic. They watch them and follow them wherever they go. When they need them, they can use them, but in present day those with magic are limited in number."

Trying to understand everything that she was being told, Abbii looked to the floor for a moment. She could sense that Tricia was telling the truth, but she did not understand why things had happened the way they had. At the moment, all that mattered to her was finding out about Jake and his family. "So when you were taken to the College, you met Blane?"

"Yes, the seven of us that were given a place at The Everglades either had no family or had been told to leave by them. Mortals are scared of that which they do not understand. Blane's family had been killed, like mine, by a horde of Shadows searching for his power. It was strange, but out of the seven of us, only Blane and I had lost our families. The others had simply been told to leave by their loved ones, again out of fear."

"But he was good?"

Moving back to her chair, Tricia took a seat as she continued. "To begin with, Blane had difficulty trusting in those around him—his powers were a curse to him; they had brought only pain and suffering to his life. But when the two of us were introduced, something changed. He tried harder to interact with people; every time he saw me, he tried to make me smile or laugh."

As Abbii watched Mrs Christian, she could see a strong sense of love glow around her. It was obvious that she had loved Blane from the very beginning, and still did to this day. Abbii continued to listen, feeling relaxed.

"We spent all our time with each other, comparing our magic and the way that we saw things around us. Many a night, we would simply sit outside of the College, watching the stars light up the sky."

Thoughts of Jake entered Abbii's head then, causing a sadness to envelop her. The way Tricia was explaining her time with Blane reminded Abbii of every night that she had spent with Jake, sitting on The Everglades's grassland as the moon moved across the sky. She wished that things were different.

"Three years went by. We had grown stronger in ourselves and our powers had reached their limit. I turned eighteen..."

Abbii noticed a change in Mrs Christian aura, the colours seemed to fade slightly and a hint of pain washed over her face. Without asking, Abbii sensed that terrible things had happened to her, but she needed to hear what had happened. Abbii's life had been thrown into chaos around the same time, at age seventeen.

Breathing in, filling her lungs to their full capacity, Tricia looked at her hands as she continued, twisting a ring around her finger. "The Shadows came. We were unprepared to say the least. Even with our powers, many of the students were killed, drained of all available energy. Blane and I were the only two to survive, but not without injuries."

"What happened?" Abbii asked quietly, feeling sorrow well up inside of her.

"We escaped and made our way into Pennyworth. We changed our appearances, and we locked away our powers with strong mental barriers. We did all that we could...to protect our child."

"That's when you had Jake?"

Lifting her sleeve, Tricia allowed Abbii to see several scars which overlapped across her skin. "Yes, Jake was born days later. We hadn't known. The unity of our magic had caused rapid growth of the baby inside of me. Blane and I couldn't believe it, but we were happy...I was not aware, however, how Blane was crumbling on the inside." She sighed quietly. "He blamed the Light for the students who lost their lives. His belief in following the Light began to sway. Jake and I were all that kept him good."

"I read a report about Jake's disappearance and Blane's death...it said it was an accident and that you were admitted into a ward." Abbii hated the fact that she was bringing up Tricia's most painful memories, but they were things that she had to know.

Continuing to twist the ring around her index finger, Tricia continued to speak. "We lasted ten years moving from house to house, without the Shadows ever finding us, but when they did, things were never the same again. We defended Jake with everything that we had, but we did not know the damage it caused until it was too late." Moving in her seat, Tricia breathed in. "Blane accepted the Darkness and attacked us. I did what I had to, for Jake."

Abbii swallowed the lump that had built in the back of her throat. "It wasn't an accident."

"No. I used my powers against Blane. He died in my arms."

"I'm sorry."

Tricia looked up to see that sorrow had consumed Abbii's face. "Don't worry yourself over events that have passed."

Meeting her gaze directly, Abbii nodded. "Jake was never the same again, was he?"

"My son did not know about the magic that flowed through our family, neither did he know about The Everglades. I appealed to enter into a ward for my own protection several days after the incident with Blane, as I had exhausted most of my power during the fight with him. I don't know where Jake lived between that time and his arrival at the Everglades. I will always regret leaving him."

"So how did Jake reach the College, if he didn't know about his powers?"

Tricia seemed to hesitate a moment before replying, as if she did not know the answer herself. "I presume that an Elder found him and showed him the way."

Abbii felt as if she had barely known Jake; she had not realised how much pain that he had lived through before studying at The Everglades. "I met him the following year..."

"So in answer to your question Abbii—Jake accepted the Darkness because it flowed through his blood. Jake's grandfather had been a Forgotten as well as Blane himself. When Jake learnt of what we had kept from him days before his death, he lost all will to fight and he accepted the Dark."

Abbii remained quiet for several moments, absorbing everything that she had been told. She had found the answer that she had been looking for. Jake had been on the run his entire life, from something that he had never known of. She imagined his parents making excuses as to the reason why they had constantly moved; she imagined Jake just going along with it, laid back as always.

If only he had known...

He had lost his father to the Shadows and now Jake himself had been taken by them, though there was one thing that Abbii still did not understand.

"If Jake didn't know about his powers, how did he find out? You said it was days before his death, but he was at The Everglades...I don't understand."

Expecting the question, Tricia replied truthfully. "At the beginning of last year, Jake had searched for evidence of his family. He came here and found someone that he did not expect."

"You."

"Yes, my son was surprised to see me here. He asked me a question...and then he came to realise everything that had happened in his life. His hatred against me grew, pushing him to research more and more. The grief of losing his father boiled inside of him."

Looking to the floor briefly, Abbii looked at her hands. "That's why Jake was skipping classes...he was coming here. But how?"

"Once Jake had learnt of his powers, he accepted them openly. With a simple thought, he could teleport here and back to The Everglades in moments. I tried to help him, but it was too late; Jake was falling into Darkness."

Abbii moved from her chair at the table and walked towards the doorway. She touched the wooden frame, trying to imagine Jake with powers. She hated the fact that he had gone through so much turmoil without ever telling her.

"When he first came to you, what question did he ask?"

No reply came.

Turning quietly, Abbii straightened her back as she watched Tricia fidget in her place. "What did he ask of you?" The emotion in her tone began to grow.

Mrs Christian sighed. "He had a dream that showed him that he had powers...it showed him the future battles between Darkness and Light..."

"Answer the question!"

She sighed. "His dream showed your death. He wanted to know how he could take your place."

Seeming to lose all strength in her legs, Abbii fell to her knees, using the doorframe for support. Tears flowed across her face and her breath lost all rhythm. Somewhere inside of her, she had known that there had had to be a specific reason why Jake would have changed so suddenly, and now she knew what it had been. Jake had been afraid of losing the only person that he cared for. He had seen her death in his dreams, in his visions, and he had been willing to do anything he could to save her, even if Darkness would consume him.

Tricia moved from her seat and crouched next to Abbii, pushing a piece of her hair behind her ear gently. "Not all visions come true. You know this, as you see them often in your dreams."

Tears still rapidly fell across Abbii's cheeks. She grasped hold of her angel pendant, wishing that things could be different. Jake had died by the Shadows that had been searching for Abbii. "Why did they take Jake instead of me?"

"Either of you could have been taken; magical powers are needed by the Shadows to survive. Don't blame yourself for his death." Tricia helped Abbii to her feet, meeting her tear-filled gaze. "Only time will tell what your future holds."

A sudden, high-pitched sound pierced the air. Abbii and Tricia had to cover their ears to protect them. The tears that had fallen across her cheeks disappeared quickly as the windows smashed through, ripping the dark material into pieces. The cool air quickly rushed through the space, pricking Abbii's skin as her scar began to glow. Both of the women looked at each other.

"The Shadows!" Abbii shouted.

Tricia straightened her back as the sound faded from the air. "Run!"

She shoved Abbii into the hallway and followed her closely, racing up the stairs as a loud explosion consumed the empty room at their side. Blasts of energy smashed into the handrail as Abbii ducked to avoid them. Several others pierced the wall as she continued to run, causing rays of heated light to rain outwards. Abbii's skin burned as small droplets landed on her arm, but Tricia Christian pushed her onwards, shutting the door to Jake's room once they were both inside.

Hyperventilating, Abbii ran to the window, seeing movement from below. "What are we going to do?" She turned, panic slashed across her face. "How did they find us?"

"They must have known you'd come here." Tricia glanced around frantically, searching for a way to escape.

The floor shook as Shadows began to fill the hallway. Abbii could sense their grotesque manner, the way they moved like parasites, drawn in by the heat of their victims. Her senses were overwhelmed and she could picture the hallway being consumed by Darkness in her mind. She looked at Tricia, and within that single moment, Jake's mother knew what she had seen. Lining up against the wall, Tricia pulled Abbii to her side and flicked the light switch.

Both of them were plunged into Darkness, with Abbii's wrist the only glimpse of light. Shockwaves of colour warmed her skin and she could sense that her powers were building ever so slowly. Her body was shaking, but Abbii could not quite tell whether it was due to the fact that Shadows had surrounded her, or rather the fact that she knew her powers would soon peak again.

"They're growing," she whispered.

Tricia looked at Abbii's wrist. "You haven't got long before your senses will be consumed by your powers. When the door opens, run, run to the church as fast as you can."

"But—"

"There's no other choice!" Moving her arm in a certain way, Tricia revealed that a long dagger was within her grasp. "They're here for you, Abbii, so you have to go!"

Lowering her gaze, Abbii looked at the dagger. Tricia was going to fight the Shadows in order to distract them. Abbii needed to get out any way that she could, but then what? What would she do if the Shadows found her?

A Shadow clawed at the door loudly.

"I could use my powers," Abbii urged.

"No," Mrs Christian replied, "you are not strong to use them and run at the same time." Moving from the wall to stand directly in front of the door, she raised her weapon. "Are you ready?"

"Why me?"

Tricia sighed. "You are the Star—an unlimited power source."

"That's what the Star is?"

"Are you ready?"

Standing up straight, Abbii tried to see Tricia's face through the Darkness, but she could not make out her eyes. She inhaled a breath and faced the door. "Ready!"

The door burst open without warning and a flash of light burst into the room, as the Shadows latched onto the sides of the doorway. They wormed their way inside, being drawn to Tricia. Abbii ran for the door, jumping over a creature which had partly formed, racing down the hallway. Her arm had become completely consumed with light but she forced the thought out of mind to continue on.

Part of the staircase had fallen in on itself, causing Abbii to stop abruptly. She could see several Shadows merging together into one, which growled as it sensed her aura. With a quiet gasp, she leapt over it and continued to run, looking back briefly to see that the creature had oozed across the floor. Abbii looked ahead, immediately jumping to dodge a swipe of another creature's claws. The floor looked infected with a kind of disease, as if it was dying beneath Abbii's feet.

A blast of magic consumed the wall at her side as she moved, barely missing her shoulder. Her skin grazed from its power, but she knew it would heal quickly and without leaving a scar, due to the fact that her powers were not in use. She glanced to the side to try and see the identity of the caster, but she saw only smoke.

The floor began to fall away as Abbii raced to the kitchen, hearing the shards of glass beneath her feet crumble because of her weight. Her senses began to heighten, and her breath was becoming harder to catch. The power that was flowing through her started to develop, stealing the energy that she had left. She wished that they had grown to their full capacity already, so that she could use them to defend herself.

Feeling a splinter of wood pierce her leg, she quickly crossed the room and entered the basement. An explosion followed, throwing large pieces of debris onto the stairs. It caused the roof to cave in, and the pathway was blocked. Abbii's only way was now to go forward. The Dark surrounded her; it felt like a creature that was present, but unmoving.

Something moved then, a shape in the Darkness. Abbii cried out as the light from her skin began to pulse with energy. It felt as if rocks were being pushed against her skin. She looked up as she saw the shape move again, recognising it as the figure which had watched her when entering into the Christian's home.

"Who are you?" Abbii's breath was shallow and tears began to build at her eyes. Soon they would be overcome with light and Abbii would have difficulty escaping.

The shape moved forwards but remained in the shadows, as if anxious or frightened from moving closer. "I'm here to capture you."

Abbii gasped and edged backwards, until her foot was met with the heated debris which blocked the basement stairs. She started to shake as the light of her powers caused her hair to glow. Its colour started to brighten. If she could have, Abbii would have protected her mind from the stranger, but she did not have the strength needed.

The figure moved forwards, seeming to focus on the light which escaped from Abbii's body. As they approached, Abbii raised her arm so that the glow from her skin acted as a light. She narrowed her eyes to try to see her enemy's face. A sudden heat engulfed her temples as she sensed a member of the Forgotten enter the house. The Shadows were multiplying, waiting for their orders.

Overcome with pain, Abbii collapsed forwards.

She did not meet with the floor however, as the figure had moved swiftly to catch her. Their black hood fell as they moved and Abbii could see their features because of the light escaping her skin. He was not much older than her, and she could sense a strange conflict of thoughts within his mind—he was there to capture her, but believed that he should let her go.

"You should leave," he worded clearly.

"My powers...the pain...I can't make it to the church by myself," she stuttered.

"Where is your companion, Nate?" The young man looked around him, as if to check that they were still alone. "I can teleport you to the edge of its grounds, but I cannot enter."

She met his gaze directly. "You would do that? But you're a Forgotten, aren't you?"

"That is as far as I can take you. I won't let Taro make you suffer whilst you are already. I thought you were something that you're not."

Abbii could hear the sincerity in his voice, the way that his hold on her tightened ever so slightly proved that he meant it. She nodded as if to accept his word. The light from her skin burned, and her eyes were consumed as the young man's powers enveloped her. Her mind was overcome with powerful emotions and she watched parts of his life play out in front of her eyes.

She watched him as a little boy, running after his mother who was being pushed into a car. There were stains across her front and side, scarlet blood across her skin. Police pushed her into their car and drove away before the boy could reach the road. He stopped and cried. Flashes of light disrupted Abbii's image, and as it cleared again, she could see a body, oozing with fresh blood.

An adult male was on his back, thick slashes cut through his skin. There were droplets of blood leading to the kitchen, where a long knife had been discarded in the sink. Blood had stained almost everything. Small shouts filled Abbii's head. The young boy was screaming for his dad. No one came.

"We're here."

Abbii's mind cleared, as she saw that the church gates stood slightly ahead of her. Her vision blared with light, causing the building to glow with such brightness that she had to narrow her eyes. Her body was shaking, but she noticed that the young man kept his hand on her shoulder at all times, as if to steady her.

"You have to go. You only need to pass through the gate. The lost souls will keep you safe."

His voice filled her ears like he was shouting. Her powers had magnified all of her senses. She stepped forward, feeling dizzy, but then turned and faced him. "Come with me."

Lowering his gaze for a moment, he shook his head and stepped back.

"They'll kill you if they know that you helped me!" Tears started to form at her eyes as the pain across her skin started to flare.

"I can't leave...I can't leave her." Abbii watched him move back further, holding her gaze. "It will not be long now until your powers stabilise. This is the last peak that they will reach before their maximum strength is achieved. You have to learn to wield them now. As the Star, you have the eternal energy that we need."

Abbii stumbled back, using the gate to keep her balance. She knew that she had to go, but something kept her in her place. "Who are you? What's your name?"

He turned and smiled. "My name is Sythe." A coloured light then consumed him and he faded from sight, allowing Abbii's eyesight to focus ahead.

She could see that Pennyworth was glowing. The sky was radiating with some type of energy. Abbii guessed that it was the magical veil, keeping the small town cut off from the outside world. She could feel its power and wondered if it could ever be challenged.

"Abbii!"

Nate was running towards her. She could see a golden layer of light mapping out his skin. She smiled, happy that he had found her. Her body gave in to the pain, and she collapsed just as he reached her side.
Nineteen

Silence was all that she could hear when she woke.

The smell of burning wood filled the air. Abbii lay still, breathing slowly. The pain had faded from her body, but her senses still remained heightened somewhat; not as strong as before, but tuned nevertheless. She thought about the young man that had helped her, remembering his name.

Sythe...

She remembered the images that she seen, guessing that they had been Sythe's past. His mother had killed her husband and been taken away by the police, and Sythe had been left on his own. Abbii wondered if anyone had ever gone back for him, whether he had been taken somewhere to live or rather just left, forgotten. His past explained why his emotions had seemed so complex to Abbii.

When he had approached her in the basement of Jake's home, she had sensed immediately his longing to help her, but it was tainted with his duty of capturing the Star. Abbii had sensed the good within him, so she wondered why Sythe had chosen to return to the Forgotten. She remembered what he had said.

I can't leave...I can't leave her.

Other than his mother, Abbii had not seen a female presence in the memories of Sythe's past, but there was obviously someone that he cared about, someone that he would not abandon. She wished that she could have found out who it was. Perhaps she could have helped them.

Remembering Nate running towards her, Abbii smiled. She knew what he would have said if he had known what she was thinking. They're our enemy, Abbii. You shouldn't have trusted him!

She wondered how long it had been since the Shadows had fought to capture her. Her powers had stabilised, just as Sythe had said, but Abbii had known that it would have taken many hours for them to do so. She could sense that she was back at the Christians' home. Tricia Christian was downstairs with Nate. They were discussing something. Both their auras seemed flared.

Pushing her eyes to open, seeing that she was in Jake's old room, Abbii moved to the edge of her bed. She raised her hands to wipe at her eyes, noticing how her hair moved to fall across her chest. Parts of it had changed colour from brown to scarlet, proving that her powers had reached their highest potential. Abbii could feel the energy rushing through her. Her fingertips felt alive.

With a quiet sigh, she stood to her feet and moved into the hallway, being careful to stay as quiet as she could. The door to Jake's room had been ripped from its hinges and now lay at an awkward angle on the floor. Abbii could see char marks throughout the landing. The pictures had fallen from the walls and the carpet was stained. She noticed that her feet were bare, but it did not matter.

Reaching the top of the stairs, Abbii took hold of the handrail, feeling that it was rough beneath her fingertips. Half of it had been blown apart due to the large Shadow which had occupied the hole in the centre of the stairway. Abbii could see that several wooden boards now lay over the dark space, making it safe to walk over. She took the first step but stopped as voices escaped the kitchen.

"It doesn't matter what she knows," Tricia Christian shouted. "If the Elders and Forgotten are both chasing her, she has no chance of surviving!"

"Abbii's memories are the key to her powers! I have to protect her!" Nate's tone seemed strange—emotional, almost.

Abbii listened to Tricia pace across the kitchen. "What difference will it make? At least if you tell her, she will have something to fight for!"

Moving to sit on the top step, Abbii wondered what it was that they were talking about. They were speaking as if they'd known each other for years, but how was that possible?

"She doesn't need to know. All that matters is that she is trained enough to use her powers." Nate moved from the kitchen then, walking into the living room. Abbii could see that several Aurora flames were lit.

Tricia followed him closely. "And what if she refuses to wield them?"

"Then they will die," Nate replied quietly. It was strange, but he almost sounded defeated.

A cool shiver stroked across Abbii's skin. She hated the way that they were speaking about her.

"You want that? Don't you see that once her friends are gone, the Shadows will return for Abbii?" Tricia challenged.

Nate spun around quickly. "They're just trying to bait her. I won't let them get to her!"

"And you think keeping the truth from her will protect her?" Moving towards the set of candles in the windowsill, Tricia watched as Nate closed his eyes briefly. "You care for Abbii like no other, but how far will you go to keep the truth from her?"

"As far as it takes."

Tricia sighed, placing her hand onto Nate's shoulder. "What difference does it make whether she knows or not? She will resent you if the truth comes out. The full moon is tomorrow. Their process could have already begun!"

"It doesn't matter."

"So then your mind is made up?"

He nodded. "First, we train her. We have one day."

Abbii suddenly felt as if the people she trusted weren't entirely what they seemed. She wanted to know what it was that they were discussing, but something inside of her told her that she would know when the time was right. Nate and Tricia moved into the hallway, causing Abbii to panic, kicking the stair rail as she moved. Inhaling a quick breath, Abbii's powers consumed her and she disappeared from sight, just before she was seen.

She reformed in Jake's room, hearing Nate move up the stairs. Jumping onto the bed, she wrapped herself in the blanket and closed her eyes, drastically trying to slow her breathing. She started to count her fingertips which calmed her just in time. Nate leant against the doorframe, watching her 'sleep'.

Turning slowly, she opened her eyes and met his gaze. "Hi."

He smiled and moved into the room. "How are you feeling?"

Abbii sat up and moved to the edge of the bed, watching as Nate knelt in front of her. "I'm okay. How long did I sleep?"

"About twelve hours."

"That long?" Abbii hadn't realised so much time had passed. "What about the Shadows?"

"They're gone. They only came to scare you."

Abbii sighed. "They left, just like that?"

"You don't need to worry about them; they're gone for now."

Dropping her gaze, Abbii focused onto the colour of her hair. It had also grown in length, evident by the thick bangs which hovered above her one eye, and the fact that the tips now ended above her chest. She lifted her hand and ran her fingers through it, feeling its smooth surface. Not long ago, it had felt greasy and overgrown, but that had changed.

"It suits you."

Abbii looked up to meet Nate's gaze. "Really? It's not too bright?"

He laughed. "It's perfect. It proves your inner Light."

Feeling her cheeks redden, Abbii shuffled in her place. "So what now?" The truth was, Abbii already knew what Nate had planned, but she wanted to still ask.

"We need to train you."

She sighed.

"Now that your powers have reached their potential, you have to learn to use them."

"But—"

Reaching forwards, Nate placed his hand gently on Abbii's knee. Warmth spread from his fingertips. "I have faith in you."

Concentrating onto Nate's hand, Abbii longed to reach forwards and touch his skin, but something stopped her. "You won't ever leave...right, Nate?"

"No, I won't."

She looked up and met his gaze, as a tear formed in her eye. The way they were and the things that they were saying reminded her of Jake. "Promise?"

Nate sighed. "I won't leave...until I have to." With nothing more said, Nate stood. It was not the answer that she had wanted to hear, but Abbii accepted it. At least she would have Nate's company for a little while longer. He extended his hand. "Ready?"

A moment passed by. She remained still, watching how Nate's hand waited expectantly. Her fingers twitched, wanting to entwine themselves with his. She looked up to meet his gaze as he smiled, dropping his arm. Leaning forward, he grabbed her shoulder playfully and pulled her to her feet.

"Come on," he stated, with a smile.

She followed him closely, trying to work out in her head how it was that they were going to train her. "Nate, can I ask you something?" she asked.

"Sure." They descended the stairs slowly.

"Why now? Four years passed since the Shadows came for the first time, so why have they come back now?"

Pausing at the bottom of the stairs, Nate waited for Abbii to reach him before leading her towards the kitchen. "You turned eighteen. If those with magic are not yet aware of their circumstances, then their body automatically starts to develop their powers."

"That makes sense," she replied quietly. "It was my birthday...the last night that I sat with Jake." Looking up as she reached the kitchen, she met Nate's gaze directly. Forcing a smile, she stopped in her place. "Where's Tricia?"

"She's gone into town to do some research. The library in the church can hopefully tell us more about you being the Star."

Abbii's face saddened slightly as her reality began to sink in. She pushed her thoughts aside quickly. "Anyway, where are we going?"

Eyeing Abbii closely, Nate stepped towards her. "You're going to the basement."

Her brow arched inwards as she looked to the side. The entrance to the basement had been cleared; no heated debris blocked the path. She faced it and stepped forward, but was startled as Nate reached out and stopped her.

"You should have the ability to teleport now."

Abbii's eyes widened as she feared that Nate had found out that she had been sat on the stairs. How could he...? She made herself smile, she was always worrying. Straightening her back, she breathed in.

A subtle glow warmed her skin almost immediately. Her powers materialised so much quicker than before. She kept her gaze targeted on the small stairway as her body warmed; sparks of light ignited across her skin as she disappeared. It was almost as if she had moved within a blink of an eye, as she formed again in the centre of the basement. She turned and smiled, seeing that Nate was leaning against the wall.

"Well done. It's almost as if you've done it before."

Abbii's heart skipped a beat, but she smiled as Nate moved from his standing position. He leaned forwards and flicked a switch, filling the room with light. The space was much bigger than Abbii had anticipated, now that strong rays of fluorescent light filled the room.

"It's not ideal, but it'll do for now." Nate walked up to Abbii, stopping so that several strides separated them. "Where should we start?"

She frowned in confusion. "Shouldn't you tell me?"

He laughed, looking down at his feet briefly. "Your body has the power it needs for any ability to be used. If you think it, your powers will do it."

"Like at the old hall, when I imagined the light was surrounding me..."

"Yes, exactly. So what do you have in mind this time?"

Letting her gaze fall slightly, Abbii focused onto Nate's chest, watching how it rose and fell with each breath. She could see that his t-shirt fitted perfectly, not too tight, but not too big either. His muscles had grown since they had first met, though Abbii wondered how. He hadn't exercised—if anything, he had only been on the run with Abbii. Her hand wanted to stroke his skin.

"Abbii?" She looked up quickly and met his gaze. A large grin was spread across his face. "Your eyes are glowing again."

Gasping, she covered her face with her hands and turned her back. Warmth spread across her cheeks.

Nate coughed, obviously trying to contain his laughter. "How about we start on your senses, like at the old hall? Your sharpened eyesight has obviously improved."

Not knowing what to say in reply, Abbii nodded. She fidgeted in her place, watching as Nate moved back to sit on a chair that was in the corner. Once he was still, he watched her closely.

"Start with your hearing. What can you hear?"

Usually she would have closed her eyes to concentrate, but she found that she didn't need to anymore. She simply inhaled a breath and listened to the faint dripping of water from the kitchen tap. Its rhythm was slow and steady, sometimes pausing for a short while before falling to splash against the metal sink below. Abbii could then hear the small trickles of water making their way through the pipes in the brick. She could hear them gurgling and splashing loudly, as if they were large monsters hiding in the walls.

She then concentrated onto the faint humming of the lights above her. It sounded as if a horde of bees were flying overhead, buzzing with energy. Abbii could feel the warmth of the light against her skin, soothing the many bruises that she had sustained. Something crawled past her feet then, drawing her focus. She could sense that it was a spider, but the sound of its legs stroking against each other caused her to shiver. It sounded like the individual hairs were made of metal. Her hearing had definitely heightened—almost too much.

"Well?"

Abbii remembered Nate's presence. "I can hear the water dripping from the tap. The lights above me, the energy hums like insects wings. I can hear everything."

"Good. Now what can you smell?"

She smiled. "The dampness in the air. The burn marks scattered throughout the house. The burning of the candles."

Nate seemed to lean back in his chair. "You've focused on your sense of smell before?"

"Yes, when I was in Jake's room. I could smell his aftershave, even though it had faded. And then after the attack, I could smell the damage that the house had sustained..."

Noticing how Abbii seemed to slouch, Nate stood up and met her gaze. "Your senses are strong enough. Now I need to see if you can use them. Something is hidden inside of this room—"

Before he could stop speaking, Abbii had turned to face the wall, narrowing her eyes. She could sense something beyond it, as if the wall itself was not real. It was a door. Moving forwards slowly, she extended her hand.

"Before you enter, what can you sense?" Nate moved to her side.

Abbii faced the wall directly, expanding her mind to see what was behind it. It did not take her long to hear a heartbeat in her ears, as loud as a drum beating. She could smell the perspiration on their skin; the fever that was burning inside of them continuously rose. An image appeared in her mind, clearing after a moment or two.

"There's a Shadow in there!" She stepped back.

"Well done," he replied calmly. "Follow me."

Suddenly feeling claustrophobic, Abbii fidgeted in her place, wanting to turn her back and run. As Nate pushed the secret door open, however, Abbii could see something that she had not expected. There was a man tied to a wooden chair, his feet and hands were bound and a piece of material covered his eyes. Abbii's heart began to race as she shuffled forwards, drawn in by the essence which escaped from the stranger's skin.

A throb filled Abbii's head. She raised her hand to her forehead to feel that her skin had warmed. Her brow became heavy and her breath was hard to keep. Turning her back, she leant against the wall for support, feeling the man's consciousness merge with her own. The feeling that filled her was proof that the man was, indeed, a Shadow.

Without warning, a pain shot through her. Nate had punched the man in his chest, causing him to gasp for a breath. Abbii felt the pain course through her as if it had been her own. She turned and looked at the man, seeing that he was leaning forwards slightly. Nate punched him again.

"Stop it!" she shouted.

Nate lowered his fist and looked at her. "He's trying to get into your head. You can feel it, can't you?"

She lowered her gaze, trying to think. It was true that she felt his consciousness trying to enter her mind, but he was a man. He looked nothing like a Shadow.

"He is weak. Soon he will become a complete Shadow."

Abbii looked at Nate to see that he had focused entirely onto her face. "There's Darkness inside of him," she worded clearly. "I can feel it...but—"

"I can feel your power."

The man's voice was strangely deep, coarse even. He turned his head to look in Abbii's direction, as if he could see through his blindfold. A smile crept across his bruised face.

"I can feel the magic rushing through your veins. Soon it'll be ours."

Without warning, Nate punched him again, cutting the man's lip harshly. Blood oozed across his chin, but he still looked in Abbii's direction. She shivered, uncomfortable with the heavy silence that surrounded her. She stepped back, meeting Nate's gaze, seeing an essence of anger in him that she had never noticed before.

"He's here so I can teach you how to protect yourself."

She swallowed the lump in her throat. "How?"

Nate walked over to her slowly, blocking Abbii's view of their captive. He lowered his voice so that only she could hear. "When his blindfold is removed, he will try to mentally drain you. I need you to protect your mind."

"But—"

"Think it, and your powers will do it." He straightened his back then and moved towards the man. Once he had reached him, he stood behind the chair and raised his hands. "Are you ready?"

The truth was, Abbii was afraid. She wanted to run and never look back, but something inside of her kept her in her place. Some time she would have to fight, as her visions had previously shown her. What good would it do the people around her if she never learnt to use her powers?

Meeting Nate's gaze, she remembered what he had said when talking to Tricia Christian. When she had asked him what would happen if Abbii was to refuse to wield her powers, he had replied by saying that they would all die. Abbii knew that he was talking about the people around her, maybe even himself. She met his gaze and nodded.

He removed their enemy's blindfold.

Without a pause, a sharp pain erupted inside of Abbii's head as his eyes targeted her. A rapid heat began to grow beneath her skin. She gasped for a breath, a tear rolling across her cheek. Images of murder and brutality flashed across her eyes, and she realised that she was seeing every victim that the weakened Shadow had killed. Her fists clenched as she remembered what Nate had once told her.

He had explained that the Shadows and Forgotten had the ability of transferring negative energy into their victims to paralyse them. Nate had told Abbii that she could prevent them from doing so by using her energy against them, like a mental barrier around her mind. She did not know how, but she believed in her powers for the first time.

Elongating her blink, Abbii looked at the man, seeing the way his eyes danced with a Dark essence. He was smiling, enjoying the pain that he was causing Abbii to feel. The bruises across his skin and the cut to his lip no longer seemed relevant to him. Nothing else mattered except Abbii. She held her breath to try to calm her breathing. She started to count her fingers, allowing the pain to fade slightly. A shallow light crept across her irises as she concentrated onto her breathing. The heat across her skin began to lessen, and the pressure throughout her mind lifted.

Nate stepped forward, marvelling at the coloured light which began to envelop her skin.

Abbii could no longer feel the essence of pain within her, but she felt uncomfortable. The man still had an entrance of some kind, allowing him to enter her mind. She tried to ignore it, focusing only on keeping him out, but part of her seemed to withdraw from her consciousness. An area of her mind created images to flash across her eyes.

She saw the College burning. People were running for their lives, and many were cut down as the Shadows surrounded them. Abbii started to hyperventilate. Her mental energy began to flicker and her eyes lost their glow. Feeling weak, she fell to her knees, breaking eye contact with the man.

Nate, seeing that she was vulnerable, covered their enemy's eyes immediately. He moved across the room, approaching Abbii slowly.

She kept her head down, facing the floor. The glow from her skin had faded entirely, and her hair was the only essence of colour. Her mind took a moment to recover, but as she gathered her breath, the image of The Everglades returned, burning brightly. She watched it play like an old film, seeing how the civilians ran in all directions to try to save themselves. The ground was colourless like a hand of death had caressed its surface. Dark rain fell from the sky, but the flames did not die, instead continuing to ravage the building; they seemed to feed on the magical power source in the air.

Abbii looked down, materialising in the time that she was watching. She looked down to see a body at her feet, recognising them as one of the many students that she had passed in the corridor. Pain was evident across her face, and her hair had dyed with blood. A cool shiver ran the length of Abbii's spine as her anger began to build. Not only were the Shadows after her, but they were chasing every individual with magic, and even if there was someone who was safe, who wasn't running for their lives, Abbii knew that they would have to in the future. That's what it meant to have magic.

Returning to the basement, Abbii inhaled a breath and sat up. Nate knelt in front of her and extended his hand. She moved before he could touch her, standing to her feet. Following her movement, Nate took in the details of Abbii's face, noticing that her eyes were glowing. He had expected her to be crying, overcome by fear, but this light—was it power?

"Again." The word was clear as it left Abbii's lips. Determination consumed her expression.

Nate nodded and moved across the room, leaving no hesitation. He removed the man's blindfold and watched.

Abbii straightened her back and met their enemy's gaze directly. A smile had spread across his face and a Dark essence leaked out from his irises. He narrowed his eyes, causing pain to erupt inside of Abbii's mind. Again, she could feel the pain flowing through her. She felt the fear return, buzzing unstably inside of her. Her breath grew shallow and she witnessed the death of a woman as another image flashed across her eyes. The beating of her heart filled Abbii's ears as she took in her last breath. Abbii did not focus onto the image, however, instead choosing to count.

She tapped each fingertip against her thumb, moving from her index to her little finger, and then back again in the slow, steady rhythm of her heartbeat. Her chest filled with a single breath as an opaque shield of energy materialised around her. She watched as the man fidgeted in his place, narrowing his eyes further.

You cannot win against us!

The words were clear in her mind, but she paid them no attention as she stepped forward. Energy coursed through her body and she could feel her magic in every area of her skin. It fuelled her every breath, every heartbeat. She imagined light spilling out of her body, surrounding her. Her shield began to spread outwards, nearing the man's chair.

Nate stepped forwards. "That's enough, Abbii."

The weakened Shadow spoke to her through the mind. You cannot stop the Forgotten. They will take the building and kill all of them.

Abbii narrowed her eyes, taking a moment to stunt her powers' growth. Why?

Even with all of your power, you know nothing!

No longer needing to count to keep her breath steady, Abbii stepped forward, causing the light of her shield to burn his legs. He tried to break free from his restraints.

Why?

He gasped for a breath. To draw you in. They need your power.

Nate watched as the light from Abbii's skin began to pulse with energy. "Don't listen to him!"

She ignored Nate completely and allowed her powers to consume the whole of the man's chest. What's special about my powers?

The man's complete mental barrier broke down as the pain continued to grow. You can live...over and over...

Without warning, a dagger's edge protruded from the weakened Shadow's chest. The essence of his eyes dispersed as he lost his breath.

Abbii ran to him as her powers faded. "Tell me, what do you mean?"

It was too late. He was dead.

Removing the dagger from his chest, Nate returned it to his belt. Abbii had not noticed the weapon before. She stood up and met his gaze. "Why did you do that?" She shouted, "He could have told me who I am!"

"You shouldn't have spoken to him through the mind. Who knows what you would have found!"

Her brow arched inwards. "How did you know that I was...?"

Nate made his way past her, heading for the door without a word.

She turned to glare into his back. "What's so wrong with me finding out who I am, Jake?" She gasped, confused at why she had said Jake's name.

Hesitating in the doorway, Nate sighed, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to call you Jake...I..." Abbii stepped forward, extending her hand.

"You honestly can't see past him, can you?" Nate did not turn as he spoke, keeping his back to Abbii. "He's the reason you are afraid, why you won't fight, why you won't let anyone close to you."

"Nate...I..."

Straightening his back, he looked over his shoulder. "It's not always good what you find out about yourself, Abbii." He left the room then, leaving Abbii alone.

She slouched to the floor a moment later, sighing loudly. She didn't understand why Nate was acting like he was. It was true that Jake was all that Abbii could think of, but why did it make a difference to Nate?

Pushing her thoughts aside, Abbii sighed quietly. She had progressed well with her powers, being able to call upon them when she had needed, but she wondered why only certain feelings triggered them. It had been anger and pain which had fuelled her powers in every situation that they had appeared. Her unstable emotions were making her powers unpredictable.

Since discovering that she had powers, Abbii had come to learn that she had the ability of seeing the future through premonitions. She could see how people were going to die, how the land would look when the final battle between Light and Darkness was fought. She saw only bad things in her premonitions; she wondered whether she would ever see happy times in the future.

Nate...

She hated the fact that Jake had left her life, but she would never regret meeting Nate. He had taught her things that she would never forget. She only wished that she could understand him. She wished that she knew who he was, and where he had come from. Though that was not what was important in reality, she needed to learn more about her powers—the type that they were, how they worked, what different abilities she had.

Heading for Jake's room, she set her mind for research. The research papers that he had found would have to tell her something useful.
Twenty

When Abbii walked through the hallway towards the stairs, Nate used all of his energy not to turn and look at her. He wanted to apologise to her and tell her that everything was going to be okay, but he didn't know if that was true anymore.

The two of them had grown closer since spending time at the old hall, but there was still some distance between them. Nate wished that there wasn't. He wanted to be able to hold Abbii whenever she was upset, or fight by her side whenever she needed him, but Jake's death was constantly on her mind. It was even restricting her powers and the way they formed. He did not know how things were going to play out in the future, but he needed to keep Abbii safe no matter what.

And Abbii was not the only one that he wanted to protect. Tricia Christian had only met him days beforehand, but almost immediately, Nate had felt as if he knew her and, she in turn, knew him. He did not know where from, but it didn't matter to him. What was important was the why. Why would he know Jake's mother, when the truth was, he had never known Jake, only that which Daniel and Abbii had told him? Even with the head teacher of The Everglades, Nate had felt familiar with him but, again, he had not known him before being found at the College.

Daniel Hampton—the Head teacher of The Everglades College, a place for those with magic to rest and remain safe. He had no powers, no abilities of any kind, and yet he had become the head teacher of a magical society, protecting Abbii at all costs.

Jake Christian—a student at The Everglades College for four years, blessed with magical powers that led him to his death; Abbii's closest friend who had lost his father, though Nate did not understand how he knew such information, when only Abbii had been told about his family's past.

Tricia Christian—Jake's only surviving parent after losing her husband to the Dark. She disappeared for several years for her own protection, and yet, she came back to the world...why?

There was one connection between the three of them, one similarity—Abbii.

Nate knew his feelings of familiarity had to do with Abbii, though he did not know why. He wished that he had all of his memories. He wished that his amnesia would disappear.

Moving from the window, he turned to look across the living room, taking in the details of the furniture. It felt like he had been there before, but again, he did not know how or when. Had he known Jake? Had they been friends? Was that why he hated the fact that Abbii's every thought was of Jake?

He sighed, focusing onto the lit fire. It crackled every so often, spitting small pieces of coal and wood into the metal guard in front of it. Nate loved an open fire. It reminded him of warm winter nights, wrapped up away from the cold. He wished that Abbii were by his side so that he could wrap his arms around her. No matter what memories returned, Nate knew that Abbii would always mean something to him—the problem was that Abbii's heart apparently belonged to Jake. He doubted that she would ever let go of his memory, unless something drastic was to change.

A strange throbbing began to beat against Nate's temples as the warmth of the fire surrounded him. He moved away from it, thinking that his body was too hot, and made his way to the sofa across the room. Sitting, he breathed out, raising his hand to his forehead. His skin remained warm but it began to build like a rapid fever. Nate leant back and closed his eyes. He started to feel dizzy and extremely tired.

It only took him a moment to lose consciousness, being pulled into the hazy memories of his mind. Images flashed with colour. He saw various people move in and out of his memories, talking or remaining silent. Words spiralled around them, but Nate could not hear what was being said. Willing his mind to focus, he watched an image clear.

Shapes of trees appeared in the horizon, bordering a large area of grassland. Nate could see that there were three people within the field. The sun was out and the wind was still. A man was lying on a blanket, watching his wife bending down to pick some flowers from the grass. Nate felt drawn to them, causing his view to zoom in. At first, he focused onto the man, taking in his features.

His hair was dark, almost black, but there was a sense of good within his grey aura. He also had dark eyes which contrasted perfectly against his pale skin. The clothes that he wore were plain, and a pair of black boots sat at his side. Nate could sense an essence of magic running through his veins, proven by the regular spark of colour which pulsed through his irises. The man, seeming to be drawn to face in the opposite direction, watched as a young boy ran after a butterfly playfully.

Nate guessed that he was no older than seven or eight, due to the immaturity of his features. His hair was also dark. The way he moved, following the butterfly's movements closely, caused a sense of warmth to flow through Nate's senses. Although he was chasing the insect, the young boy made no attempt to catch it, as if he simply longed to fly by its side. He stopped abruptly, as the butterfly went out of sight.

It was almost as if the young boy could sense that Nate was watching, as he turned to meet his gaze directly. Nate wandered into the boy's dark eyes, seeing that they resembled those of the man sat in the centre of the field. A strange warmth enveloped Nate as he simply held the boy's gaze. Images of a tree house flashed across his eyes.

He saw flashes of green and violet as he watched a house form in his memory. It was surrounded by flowers, shining under the sunlight. A willow tree was in the garden, blowing peacefully. Nate sensed that it was the young boy's home from many years ago. The image faded, allowing him to focus again on the young boy.

Something inside of him awakened then, as the boy smiled. His mind was filled with images and memories that were unknown to him. They all had the same boy in them. Nate remembered a day when he had found a moth in his room. He had cupped his hands around it carefully, watching it move through the gaps of his fingers. He had liked to watch animals fly, just as the young boy had done.

His thoughts were broken as the woman from the image called out to the boy. Nate watched as he ran to her. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, sitting down next to her husband. Her words echoed through Nate's mind. He realised that her face was familiar to him. It was Tricia Christian.

"What did you find, Jake?"

Nate was not surprised to learn that the little boy had been Jake, but he did not understand why he was watching his memories and not his own.

"A butterfly!" Jake shouted.

His father smiled. "Did you catch it?"

"No!" Jake seemed to scowl at the idea of catching the butterfly. "They're free...you should leave them to fly!" His face darkened.

Tricia moved Jake around then so that she could meet his gaze. "Excuse me?"

"They should stay free..." he whispered.

"Apologise to your father."

Jake scowled again, huffing childishly.

"Jake!"

Standing up, he ran off in the direction that the butterfly had flown. He did not look back, even as his mother shouted after him. She sighed loudly as she sat down. "He gets his anger from you."

His father laughed, taking Tricia by the hand. "He'll be fine. Give him time."

She smiled, meeting his gaze. "I don't know where I'd be without you, Blane Christian."

He smiled, stroking his hand against her cheek. "And I don't know where I'd be without you, Tricia Edwards."

The image exploded into colour then and Nate's thoughts multiplied. Edwards? No! She can't have the same name...they're not my family...they're Jake's...they can't be mine...

How could Jake's mother have the same surname as Nate?

Was he her son?

Was Jake his brother?
Twenty-One

Abbii leant against the wall, spreading the piles of paper around her position. Some were made up of coloured images and others were simple sides of black text. She tried to divide them into categories by reading their titles.

Those that spoke of magic and the varying abilities that the holder could possess were put on Abbii's left. On her right, she placed the pieces of text that she had already looked through, including the photo of the first Everglades students, as well as the news reports on Jake's disappearance and Tricia Christian's admittance into hospital. The pile that was directly in front of her was made up of maps and information regarding the town of Pennyworth. Abbii hoped that she could find out about the elemental war, and how the small town was originally surrounded by the magical veil and how it continued to exist today. Several pieces of paper were discarded at her side—some that had no titles and others that seemed irrelevant. She didn't really know what she was looking for, but she started to read, picking up the pile on her left first.

The title read 'The Tale of Magic,' drawing in Abbii's gaze immediately. She positioned herself comfortably and then started to read. "Magic was once referred to as a myth. People laughed at the prospect at having the capability of manipulating the world around them. There were tales of witches and demons, but the people lived out their lives with little fear that the elements would ever harm them."

Abbii didn't know whether the information that she was reading was pulled directly from an information source, or whether Jake had typed up the summary of what he had found in his own research, but it didn't matter to her as long as she found out as much as she could. It distracted her from thinking of Nate. She continued to read, adjusting her position slightly.

"When rumours of a group of witches spread throughout the people, however, they began to fear that which they did not understand. They did not realise that the Elders, the first to be granted with magical power, had once been mortal men and women who had powers simply thrown upon them by the selection of nature. When they approached the small towns of the coast, they explained that they existed to protect men, but the people were distrusting."

Trying to imagine how the people would have reacted, Abbii realised it would have been difficult for them to believe that magic did exist. She hoped that she would find out more about the Elders and what had happened to cause the war.

"Sensing that the people were not willing to accept them, the Elders isolated themselves—close enough to protect the people if ever needed, but far enough away for them to live out their daily lives. There were seven of them, each granted with unique abilities. One was a Warrior, gifted with increased strength and speed; they had the ability to learn any movement in battle by simply seeing it used. Another had control over the elements such as fire and water; they were known as an Elemental. A female Elder was able to enter the minds of others, hearing their thoughts and memories as if they were their own; many people called her a Mystic. The fourth was an Empath, having the ability to use the emotions of others as an advantage, whether that meant transferring their emotions to another or using them as a weapon against the original host. Their sibling was able to fade from sight, moving about as he pleased without another being able to see them; no one knew if he simply disappeared from existence, or whether they manipulated the witness with their powers."

Abbii could not believe the wide range of powers that the Elders had had under their control. She could never imagine them being defeated by the Darkness, but hoping she would find out more, she continued to read.

"The leader of those with powers was known as a Seer. She had the ability of seeing the future with a simple touch of her fingertip. Whether it was an item or person that was touched, it did not matter, she could see their future. She was the strongest, though her apprentice had strength that she had never seen before. Younger than the other Elders, the apprentice had the ability to manipulate others with a simple smile. She could possess them and make them do as she pleased."

A cool stream of air washed through the room, causing Abbii to shiver. Something about the final two Elders caused her senses to focus. Things had changed because of them, but Abbii did not know why. She breathed in and began to read the next chapter. "The Seer trained her apprentice well, and for many years the seven of them protected the people of the coastal towns from the silent creatures that escaped the Darkfields."

Moving her fingertips over the final word that she read, Abbii wondered what the Darkfields were. Images appeared in her mind of a vast stretch of land, tainted with Shadow, though Abbii did not where it was. She picked up the pen from her side and circled the word, as well as the small chapter about the Seer and her apprentice. Jake had researched well.

"Everything changed. The elements of the world gave in. Many people lost their lives due to the fact that one of the Elders had grown out of control."

Without a doubt, Abbii knew that the text spoke of the apprentice. She did not know how she knew it, but she was certain. The images that the veil had showed her flashed across her eyes. She saw the female witch destroying everything with her power. Abbii's fists clenched, but she pushed the images aside and continued on.

"As the people hunted those with magic, out of fear and grief of losing their loved ones, they unknowingly unlocked their hearts to Darkness, and the Darkfields spread onto the land. It tainted everything it touched. The Elders were defeated."

All the pain and carnage that I saw was all because of one person...

Abbii elongated her blink for a moment, gathering her breath to continue. She knew what happened next without reading on. The Elders fled the last coastal town and created a seal, the veil, to surround the land so that the Darkness could not spread any further.

She sighed, turning the page over. An illustration had been loosely drawn at the top, showing a strange shaped mark on someone's chest. It was a perfect circle with a jagged line cutting through the centre. Another smaller drawing was beneath it, showing a similar mark on someone's leg. Abbii realised that they were scars, like the one that marked her wrist. She concentrated onto the small section of text beneath the images, reading aloud.

"Magic began to appear much more often. If a human was scratched by a Shadow, magical powers would manifest in their body, no matter their age."

For a moment, Abbii thought that her powers had materialised because of the Shadows, they had ruined her life, but something caused her to change her thoughts. She sensed somewhere inside of her that she would have had magic with or without the encounter with the Shadow. A quiet sigh left her lips as she read through some hand written notes. Jake had scrawled his thoughts alongside the text.

The scar acts as a seal...Our powers channel through it and spread.

Abbii knew that already. Every time her powers materialised, her scar glowed like a firework. She began to wonder if there was a way to seal it forever.

Jake must have known that she would have read through his notes. You're different, Abbii. I could sense it. She smiled, imagining Jake saying the words aloud. I think you've had powers since birth...your blood is different. Your parents, did they have powers?

My blood is different? She didn't understand. Abbii's parents didn't have powers; they couldn't have.

Scanning over the remains of that page, Abbii could see no other notes from Jake. She wished that she knew what he had meant. Dropping her gaze to the scar across her wrist, Abbii ran her fingertips over it. She wanted to blame the Shadows so much for giving her powers, but her mind simply wouldn't allow it. Somewhere she knew that Jake had to be right—her powers were too strong to have simply been transferred by a Shadow. She sighed loudly and continued to read, turning the page in her hand.

On the opposite side, she could see a list of varying types of magic. Each paragraph started with a bold word, highlighting the specific abilities that the following text explained. The first section, titled 'Elemental' was where Abbii started to read aloud.

"The Elemental is a caster who has control of the four elements—fire, water, wind and earth. Those that are considered the strongest can also manipulate the power essence of Light and Darkness." Abbii couldn't imagine one person being able to control so many varying elements, but she realised that she, herself, could bend the powers of Light to her will. She wondered if she could control other elements. Was that why the flame of the Aurora candles had constantly drawn her attention?

She moved her gaze to the next paragraph, describing the abilities of a Warrior. At first, she thought that the text referred to a soldier in battle, fighting against their enemies, but when 'magic' was the first word that she read aloud, she was brought back to reality.

"Magic thrives within the Warrior's body, though their powers only materialise from within them when their soul calls them forth. The powers remain bound to the holder's heart, beating the necessary strength and stamina through the blood of their veins. Having the ability of being able to heal any wound quicker than that of a mortal, the Warrior can fight the longest in battle."

Abbii's brow arched inwards. Warriors have the ability to heal...but I can't have the same powers as a Warrior and an Elemental...

Taking a moment to lean back so that her gaze moved from the text in front of her, Abbii thought about the powers that she had used so far. To begin with, she had used the power of Light to create a shield around her. It had been a simple task, but Abbii realised that she had more control over the elements than she had originally thought. By the descriptions that Abbii had read so far, her powers were linked to both the Warrior and the Elemental. She couldn't be both, could she?

Thinking back to the section of text that had described the Elders in detail, Abbii realised that she didn't just have similar abilities to a Warrior and an Elemental, but more. She scanned through the page of text, focusing only on words that she felt drawn to. A Mystic can hear others thoughts as if they were their own. An Empath has the ability to absorb emotions of the living and the dead. The caster with undeniable strength can destroy their body, only to materialise two steps in front. A Seer can see the future...

Swallowing a lump that had built in the back of her throat, Abbii couldn't believe that she didn't only have one set of magical skills, but rather all of them. Her powers were much stronger than she realised. The only skill that was not within her was the ability to possess those around her. Every power of the Elders was inside of her body.

Why me?

She released the paper, watching as it glided softly to the floor. Her breathing remained steady, but she found it hard to keep her thoughts focused. She wondered how long it would take for her to accept how much power she had.

Leaning forwards, Abbii moved on to the maps of Pennyworth, spreading them out into a wide fan. She needed to settle her thoughts, and moving on to the images of the town seemed the best solution. Two larger images showed the aerial view of Pennyworth—one taken before the town had been built, and the other several years after its completion. Abbii could see a distinct change in the natural landscape. The land had darkened, and the small town looked eerily like an abandoned rock, simply standing where it was left.

Why choose to build a town on scarred land? Why did Light and Darkness fight there to begin with...of all the places...

Another image caught Abbii's attention then, showing the town of Pennyworth lit by a strange source of light. Abbii guessed that it was caused by the magical veil surrounding the town. It was strange, but she could almost feel the energy of it through the image. She sensed that a strong magical force would have to be keeping the veil in existence; an Elder had to be continually restoring the veil's energy. Abbii guessed that one inhabited Pennyworth, though she could not detect them even with her heightened senses.

Abbii began to feel lethargic. She had barely eaten or drunk since arriving at Pennyworth. Her body started to feel weak. It was only when she stopped to reel through her thoughts that she noticed how tired she had become. An image of the dead weakened Shadow entered her mind. She hated the fact that Nate had killed it when its appearance had still been that of a man. Her fists clenched. Lifting her legs up to her face, she rested her forehead against them.

She had wanted to read through Jake's notes to try and work out who she was and what was happening, but even now Abbii knew nothing more. The text had only reinforced her knowledge. She had known what powers she had, now she had simply found individual titles which they were classed under. She had already known about the battle between Light and Darkness, only gaining an extra insight into the town, due to the birds-eye view of its buildings and the veil that surrounded it. Reading through Jake's notes hadn't helped at all.

Moving her gaze at an awkward angle, something caught her attention then. A piece of paper was sticking out oddly from the pile. Its title drew her gaze. 'The Star.' She reached for it and pulled it separate from the others, lifting it level with her face.

She saw a photocopied image of an old drawing of some kind. It looked old, centuries old. Two figures, exactly the same, stood in a line with their arms at their sides. Below them were a letter and a number. Abbii could barely see what they said, but she could work out that the letter was the same, but the numbers were different. She guessed that it said 'A1' beneath the first figure and 'A2' under the second.

Abbii could see that a wavy line followed the shape of each figure, mapping out their skin perfectly. She guessed that it was a depiction of magic. She raised her hand to try to sense something from the image, but her powers did not form. There was nothing for them to gain from the picture. Abbii noticed a line of text beneath it, worn but still legible.

It read, 'Over and over they may live, but they fragment after each soul. Completion is never gained again.'

Over and over...

Abbii remembered when the weakened Shadow had said the exact same thing. Something about being the Star meant that she could live over and over, but what did that mean?

A consciousness entered her mind then, causing her look up. Nate was walking up the stairs, intent on talking with her. She stood up quickly and prepared herself to confront him, but for the first time she realised something. Nate's mind felt broken. There was a type of shield protecting it, and Abbii could not enter into his thoughts. She didn't know what he was trying to hide from her, but she realised that he was suffering from a type of amnesia. He didn't know who he was. He had kept it from her since the beginning. Nate knew nothing about what being the Star meant—he barely knew himself. Warmth spread throughout Abbii's mind as he met her gaze. He stopped in the door way.

"I'm leaving soon."

Allowing the words to sink in, Abbii forgot about trying to enter Nate's thoughts and instead focused onto his face. "What?"

He looked down briefly. "You'll be safe here. You don't need me anymore."

"Why are you leaving? What if the Shadows come back?"

A slight smile caused his lips to curve. He had expected Abbii's reply. "Your magic is at full strength now. If the Shadows return, you can fight back."

Abbii knew that Nate spoke the truth, but she still could not understand why he wanted to go. "Is this about earlier? I didn't mean to—"

"You came here for Jake. I helped you get here. There's nothing for me to stay for, no reason to be here."

A tear built in Abbii's eye but she quickly wiped it away. "You're leaving, just like that? I thought that—"

"You'll never let go of him, Abbii. He'll always have your heart."

She started to sob then as the cool air stroked against her skin. Closing her eyes, she stepped back, allowing her hands to meet with the wall.

Nate sighed. He hated to see her cry. "Tell me it'll be different, and I'll stay."

Her eyes remained closed and her heart began to race. She felt as if part of her was falling away and she didn't know what to do, she didn't know how to save it.

A hand met her shoulder and she opened her eyes to meet with Nate's. He, too, looked as if he was struggling.

"Tell me things will be different. Tell me your heart can belong to another, and I'll stay."

"I don't want you to go," she stuttered, heavy tears falling across her cheeks.

Nate lowered his gaze. "You can't say it, can you? Jake will always be the one." Removing his hand from her shoulder, he turned and walked across the room.

"Jake gave his life to save me."

He turned slowly and watched as Abbii wiped the tears from her face. "Do you love him, Abbii?"

"He was my friend. I watched him die..."

"Do you love him?" Nate's tone was full of tension.

She moved from the wall, standing straight. "He was all that I had, for four years!"

Turning again, Nate moved into the hallway. He reached the staircase before Abbii ran after him. It took all of his strength not to turn and meet her gaze. Even when she took hold of his arm, he did not turn.

"I can't help the way I am, Nate. You must know that. I didn't just come here to find Jake, I came here to find out who I am and I still don't know! Like you and your amnesia—it's no different."

Nate had expected Abbii to realise that his mind was broken with amnesia, so he was not surprised at her response. He turned slowly and looked at her hand, grasping his wrist tightly. Raising his arm, he traced the line of her knuckles with his fingertip. She tensed and allowed her arm to fall back to her side. The feeling of warmth that spread through Nate's skin proved too much for her senses.

"I have to go, Abbii. I've found out who I am."

An image of Jake and his parents appeared in Nate's mind, reiterating the fact that he must have been part of their family due to his surname. He moved towards the stairs silently.

Without warning, Abbii reached out and grabbed his hand, allowing her magic to form at her fingertips. She gasped as Nate's memory formed in her head. She saw it play like a film, hearing the words spiral through her mind. She looked up to meet Nate's gaze. "You think you're Jake's brother?"

"I have to be," he replied. "It's the only solution that explains why everything is so familiar to me. The College, Pennyworth, even you..."

"But you hadn't met me before Jake died!" Abbii stepped back as a light began to seep out from Nate's irises. She stopped herself from blinking, as if she was trying to confirm what it was that she was seeing. "You have powers..." She stepped back, feeling as if everything she knew had turned upside down.

Everything that had happened since meeting Nate flashed across her eyes. All the times that he had spoken to her as if hearing her thoughts; the way that he had always known what to say to help Abbii control her powers—it was all evidence that Nate had had magic since they met.

Nate raised his hand, glowing with a blue aura. He moved towards Abbii quickly and created a spark of energy to pulse through her body. She lost her breath and collapsed into Nate's arms, as he laid her on the ground carefully.

"You have powers..." she whispered, "Why...why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm sorry, Abbii. I'm not who I thought I was. Please, rest and remember me the way I used to be, when we first met. I don't want you to see me like this...You need to stay here, you need to stay safe."

Abbii tried to remain awake, but her eyelids gave in, closing slowly. The light of Nate's powers was the last thing she saw, before being thrown into a dream of colour.

Twenty-Two

It felt as if he had left a part of himself behind, something important that he couldn't lose, but Nate had to keep going. He hoped that by going to The Everglades, he could make a difference—whether that meant helping the students caught there, giving himself up in Abbii's place, or both. He had to do what he could. It didn't matter whether his mind was broken and his identity had slipped from his grasp, now that his powers had strengthened, there was nothing to hold him back.

He hoped that Abbii would learn to live with her powers without feeling cast out from society. He also hoped that she would remain at Pennyworth and not follow him, though that was harder for him to imagine. The funny thing was, he could have used his powers to his advantage; he could have made Abbii stay by holding her with his magic, but he hadn't. Perhaps part of him wanted her to come, to face up to those challenging her, to choose to fight alongside him.

Materialising right at the front gates of the College, Nate was welcomed by scenes of such brutality. His breath caught in his throat. He could see several students being chased by Shadows. Running towards an abandoned car, he focused onto the teenage girl stood on the roof, two Shadows oozed along the metal towards her.

Nate called upon his powers, creating a shallow glow to warm his skin. It felt good not to hide them any longer. He created a blast of fire which surged ahead of him, setting one of the creatures alight. It screamed in agony, falling to pieces, as the second creature focused onto Nate, baring its teeth. Avoiding a swipe of its claws, Nate kicked its legs from beneath it and smashed his fist into its chest, creating an electric surge to pulse through it. Blood oozed outwards as its veins burst.

Looking up to see that the girl had climbed down, Nate saw confusion and fear across her face. It was obvious that she was unaware of the true purpose of the College. She was unmarked by the Shadows, so her powers had not yet formed. Nate moved forwards slowly as not to startle her.

"Where are the rest of the students?" he asked.

"What are you?"

He smirked. "You should run. Heading for the road is the best bet. There's an abandoned B&B about a mile up. I'll send the others to you, alright?"

Seeing that Nate was there to help, she nodded and ran towards the road. The Shadows wouldn't be interested in the empty land between The Everglades and Pennyworth, so the old B&B was their best place to gather. Nate watched the girl until she was out of sight, turning to focus on a small gathering of Shadows which surrounded a tall tree.

Using his heightened senses to look through the thick branches, Nate could see that several students were hiding. One of them was dangling precariously from a branch whilst the others tried to pull her up. One of the Shadows ripped at her ankle, causing her to lose her grip and fall to the ground below.

Nate, taking that as his signal, transported into the centre of the gathering and created a shockwave to surge out from his skin. The Shadows backed away slowly, hissing violently with their sharpened tongues. Some of them were injured by Nate's energy, but they all ran at him once he was exposed. He kicked at one, knocking it into another which disrupted the swipe of its claws. The girl at his feet scrambled towards the tree trunk, jumping up for her friends to grasp her hands.

A Shadow grabbed at Nate's wrist as he was distracted briefly, cutting through parts of his skin. He retaliated by smashing his elbow into its face, causing the creature's teeth to slice through its own tongue. It dropped to the floor silently. Pushing the injured creature into the one behind it, Nate thrust his hand upwards which created several spikes of energised air to slice at his enemies. Several limbs were detached as their masters fell to the ground.

The mist blocked Nate's view, and it was not until he was knocked from his feet that he realised that the last remaining Shadow had moved towards him. Its teeth pierced his shoulder, pinning him down. Fighting to move his arm, Nate watched as the students from the tree jumped down and dragged the creature off him. They started kicking at it, twisting its arms as far as they could. The girl that had fallen picked up a sharpened stick and stabbed the Shadow's chest, causing it to fall to the ground, dead.

A young man helped Nate to his feet. "Thanks for the help!"

Nate brushed himself off. "You should go."

"We could help," the feisty girl urged.

"No, all the survivors are gathering at the abandoned B&B up the road. Go there."

After a moment of the students eyeing up the subtle glow which escaped Nate's skin, they turned towards the road and ran. Again, Nate watched them until they were out of sight. He had hoped to have met more students with magical capability, after learning The Everglades's true purpose from Abbii's thoughts, but it seemed there were not as many with magic studying at the College as he had assumed.

Pushing the thought aside, Nate ran towards the building, jumping over the small wall which separated the gardens. He glanced to the side briefly to see two male students killing a Shadow; they were both members of the sports team, they could take care of themselves. Continuing on, Nate killed a stray creature with his magic before racing up the stone steps that led directly to the entrance.

A pain coursed through his leg, making him stumble. He turned just in time to avoid a swipe of the Shadow's claws. It slashed its tongue against his face as it raised its claws for a second time. Nate kicked its chest, pushing himself to stand before it could regain its balance. He reached and grabbed hold of its head, twisting until bones were broken. The body fell to the floor silently. Nate looked around him for a brief moment.

He could see that many of the students that had been trapped on the front ground of the College had escaped, following the others that ran towards the road. Nate could see that a handful of well-built teenagers were guarding the exit, killing any Shadow which caught sight of their movement. A teacher was with them, helping them in any way he could. At least some of them were safe.

He also noticed how the oldest part of the College had collapsed in on itself, and a strange blue aura was blowing in the wind. The protective barrier of the College- the one which Nate had joined his consciousness with- had fallen, allowing the Shadows to enter. He wondered why he hadn't sensed its weakness and then reeling through his thoughts, he realised that when he had lay down closing is eyes, feeling suddenly drained of all of his energy that that had been the protective barrier falling.

"Nate!"

Turning in response, Nate narrowed his eyes to see who had called him. He noticed Max running towards the steps. Several scratches marked his chest, but other than that, he seemed at full strength.

"Where's Abbii?" As he reached Nate's side, Max looked around as if to search for her.

"She's safe."

Meeting Nate's gaze, Max nodded in acknowledgement. "I thought the Shadows would have reached her for sure!" Glancing behind Nate briefly, Max raised his arm and created a blast of cool air to consume an approaching Shadow. Nate turned in response, causing the creature to shatter into pieces when fire escaped his skin. The two men met each other's gaze.

"Glad to see you're finally using them," Nate smirked. He had sensed Max's magical capability on the evening that he had left to search for Abbii.

Max pulled at his collar childishly. "Well, couldn't really hide them when there are people to save, could I?" A large grin spread across his face. "Your powers are strong. You here to help?"

He nodded. "Where are the Forgotten gathering?"

"The mages were fighting, right? They're in the main building. It's like they're searching for something."

Nate looked to the side.

"They're searching for Abbii, aren't they? I thought you said she was safe?"

"She is, but we need to kill as many as we can before she comes."

Max's brow arched inwards. "Surely she's not coming here?"

"Let's hope that she doesn't."

Running up the steps, Nate was followed closely by Max as they entered the large building. They avoided a piece of falling debris as they ran, killing a second stray Shadow that seemed to be hunting for its next target. Reaching the first classroom door, the guys met each other's gaze, nodding in agreement. The two of them prepared their magic and dove into the room.

A Shadow immediately lurched at Max, knocking him against the wall. He fought against it, wrestling it to the floor, as Nate himself was distracted by two more. Nate killed the first instantly with bursts of heated magic, whilst Max consumed his enemy with an energised shockwave which caused the second Shadow's face to cave in. The final Shadow seemed to pause in its place, creating a blackened energy to surge across the floor.

Max, realising that he had to move, quickly jumped onto the teacher's abandoned desk, calling his magic to materialise. Nate was not so lucky, however, being caught by the Shadow's extended reach. He struggled against it as it spread along his legs, raising his hand to attack. A glowing piece of air split the creature's head into two, causing its entire body to fall into dust. Max jumped down from the desk and smiled, meeting Nate's gaze.

"I can't be there to protect you all the time, you know." His large grin returned.

Nate glanced to the side to see two girls huddled in the corner. They were Colleen's friends, May and Susan. Standing up, they remained tight against the wall, frozen in their place by the subtle glow which escaped Nate and Max's skin. Rolling his eyes, Max sighed.

"Where are the rest of the students?" Nate asked.

Shuffling ever so slightly, May licked her lips. "They're in the canteen...but some of them were taken to the Hall."

Susan nodded in agreement. "Colleen and Alice were taken by people with hoods."

"Alice?" Max clenched his fists, turning towards Nate. "I was helping her earlier. I lost sight of her."

Nate breathed in. "It's alright, she'll be fine. We need to help as many as we can." He turned and looked at the two girls. "Do either of you have powers?"

Struggling to contain himself, Max laughed aloud. "As if! They're just Colleen's sidekicks."

Susan stepped forwards. "I'm an Empath."

Only Max seemed shocked. His mouth hung open for a moment. "You know about magic? But—"

"Great. Do you think you can help?" Nate met Susan's gaze directly.

She nodded and moved forwards again, allowing the moonlight to reveal her eyes, glowing like opal.

"I'm sending all the survivors to the abandoned B&B. Do you think you could reach it? Protect them if the Shadows decide to follow?"

Again, Susan nodded. She grabbed hold of May's wrist and then moved across the room, pulling her to follow. Reaching the door, she paused briefly and met Max's gaze, inhaling a breath to speak. His mouth had still not closed fully. "I'm sorry about everything that's happened." And with nothing more said, she ran into the corridor, with May following her closely.

"I can't believe it." Max found it so difficult to imagine that one of the girls who had constantly challenged everyone else was actually the same as them. "Do you think Colleen's like Susan?"

Nate sighed loudly. "Definitely. I expected most of the students here to have powers."

"But I thought you had to be marked by a Shadow? They—"

"Not always. Once you reach eighteen, your powers manifest anyway. If you're meant to have powers, you will." Moving into the corridor again, Nate looked to the right. The long corridor in front of them was empty. "Where are Daniel and Sophie?"

Max's gaze seemed to lower. "Daniel was on the front line..."

Nate clenched his fists. "And Sophie?"

"I haven't seen her."

Moving into a run, Nate made his way up the corridor with Max following closely. They briefly peered into each classroom as they passed, killing any stray Shadow that they could find. A large wall of a strange blackened substance split the corridor into the two. Nate and Max had to stop as it blocked their way.

"What is that?" Max looked at the wall like it was a bug, disgust across his face.

Nate examined its surface, realising that a stream of magic was flowing through it regularly. "It's magic."

"Magic? But it looks like a Shadow." As the words left his lips, a strange tremor coursed through the floor, emanating from the room at their side. Both men turned to face its entrance.

The door was closed, welded shut with a thick black moisture of some kind. A strange aura pulsed out from its surface like heat residue. Max raised his hand, glowing with yellow light.

"Do you feel that?" He glanced briefly at Nate who nodded in reply.

Inside the room, Nate could sense a presence fuelled with magic. It was not strong, but neither was it weak. Due to the substance that blocked the corridor as well as the doorway to the classroom, Nate knew that a Shadow was also inside. He, too, raised his hand, preparing his magic. With Max slightly ahead, the two of them burst into the room with a blast of light.

A Shadow latched onto Nate's shoulders as they entered, piercing the back of his neck with its teeth. He grabbed at its head to try and pull it from his skin, but was only successful when Max joined his struggle, tossing the creature across the room once it was free. Nate created a surge of fire to engulf it, but watched as the Shadow nimbly avoided his magic and jumped towards him again. Its pointed tail slashed across Max's face, knocking him to the floor.

Feeling the creature's extended arms wrap around his neck, Nate pushed against its chest with all of his strength. The light from the moon illuminated its face, and Nate saw that the creature was no ordinary Shadow. Its eyes and teeth were human, but its skin had transformed into a scaly surface, black as night. Nate engulfed both of his fists with magic and pushed them into the creature's chest, throwing it backwards.

As it landed, blood oozed from its chest, but it ran at the two men again. Max moved forwards avoiding a swipe of the creature's claws. Encaging it with ice-cold energy, he watched as it squirmed, screeching loudly. Its tail wrapped around his neck, crushing his veins. He gasped for a breath as Nate moved.

He grabbed a broken chair which lay on the floor, using his foot to break off one of its metal legs. Once it was free, he lunged forwards and stabbed the creature's heart, feeling a strange surge of energy reverberate through the metal. The sensation caused his hand to spasm, but the creature fell to the ground, dead.

Max leaned against his thighs, trying to catch his breath. "What was that?"

Allowing the warmth of his magic to envelop his hand, Nate felt the vibrations from the metal stop. He glanced around the room to see something he had not expected. "It was human."

Looking up in response to his statement, Max followed his gaze, concentrating on the far wall of the room. The black substance from outside had consumed its whole surface and a body was in the centre, a human body. Though its features had changed slightly, the two men could sense that magic pulsed through the victim's skin.

"Is that how they make a Shadow?"

Nate elongated his blink. "No, that's how they make a Forgotten. A magic user accepts the Darkness and undergoes their transformation." As he spoke, a strange image formed in his mind. He saw a figure being consumed by the black substance of the Shadows, a young man with powers. Nate felt drawn to him.

Moving closer to examine the surface of the wall, Max was surprised when the body opened its eyes and glared at him. He raised his hand to summon his magic, but paused in his place as he saw that the creature could not move. Using the glow of his skin as a light, he focused onto its eyes, black vortexes of nothingness. Turning, he watched Nate approach.

"What do we do?

"They'll just continue to suffer." He closed his eyes then, as a small, but bright light, erupted out from his skin. The creature screamed as it came into contact with his magic, but silence followed.

Max watched the creature fall to the floor as the black substance faded. It was gone after a mere moment, and the room returned to normal. He hated the fact that they could not have saved the victim, but at least she had been freed. A quiet sigh left his lips as he met Nate's gaze. For the first time, he could see that Nate's powers were much stronger than his own.

"The canteen's just up from this room." He made his way to the corridor, checking to see if their path was open. It was—all evidence of the black substance had disappeared.

Nate moved into the corridor. He could see the entrance to the canteen from where he was standing. Without needing to use his powers, Nate could sense that there were Shadows as well as students within the large space. A strange vibrating energy covered the walls, leading to the entrance. He shuffled in his place, narrowing his eyes.

"Alice is in there!" Max had obviously sensed her presence.

"Wait!" Nate shouted after him, but it was too late.

Moving into a run, Max was startled by a large explosion of energy which pulsed out from either wall. The force lifted him from his feet, holding him for a short moment. He tried to fight it. He tried to free himself. Without warning, the lockers from either side of him were pulled into the epicentre of the trap. Max, too, was engulfed by the central energy, as it sucked in all debris within its circumference.

"Max!"

Nate lost sight of him as the debris smashed together. He created a flash of light to try to protect Max's body, but the magical interference prevented him from helping. An invisible shockwave surged outwards from the epicentre, allowing the lockers and pieces of rubble to fall to the floor. The energy faded soon after.

Protecting his face with his hands, Nate felt the power pulse through him. A strong Forgotten had used their magic to create the trap. Running forwards now that he could sense that the magical field had faded, Nate searched for Max's body. He used his strength to pull the debris to the side, but he could not see his comrade. A movement up ahead stopped him in his tracks.

Four Shadows entered into the corridor, seeming to be drawn out from the canteen. Nate could sense that the hostages were still huddled in the corner, Alice being one of them. He immediately contacted her with his thoughts as the Shadows ran towards him.

Alice, I need your help!

A sudden pain coursed through Nate's shoulder as one of the creatures approaching elongated its arm to pierce through his skin. He grabbed at its limb tightly and created a surge of electricity to consume it. It burnt along the creature's arm, severing it from its body. The Shadow screeched aloud, jumping into the air.

Nate moved to avoid its collision with the floor, kicking the creature over before it could stand. He jumped to avoid one of the creature's tongues and then a blast of heated energy coursed out from his hands, burning one of the Shadows into dust. His previous victim latched onto his foot with its misty form and pierced his thigh with his teeth. Nate was pulled to his knees, crashing his fist into the creature's face. He consumed its head with electrical energy and watched as it died painfully.

Looking up, he inhaled a sharp breath as the two remaining Shadows raised their claws. A flash of light appeared in front of him, moving in a circular motion. The Shadow on the left swiped with its claws, screeching in agony as its arm was detached from its body. The light then appeared behind it, thrusting a sharpened piece of metal through its chest.

Having moved to his feet, Nate stretched his palm taut and created a surge of cool air to engulf the final creature. It tried to avoid it by moving to the side, unknowingly placing its existence in danger. The flash of light pulsed outwards and the Shadow's body was disintegrated. Nate lowered his arm and tried to steady his breathing.

Now that the presence of Shadows had faded, the light began to dull, revealing a young woman in its place. She had elegant features, dark lines of makeup surrounding her grey eyes. Her clothes hugged her body tightly, revealing her beautiful curves. She turned to meet Nate's gaze.

He nodded. "Thanks."

Alice did not return the gesture, though her eyes seemed to glisten in response. "You should be more careful. Taking on more Shadows than you can handle is dangerous."

Nate remembered Max. He scanned his eye along the floor to search for him, but there was no evidence of his body. "Max!"

Turning her back, Alice made her way towards the canteen. "He's in here. I moved him whilst you were preoccupied."

A quiet sigh left Nate's lips as he followed. They made their way into the canteen. As he entered, he could see that several students were huddled in the corner. Many of them were female, but two young men moved in front of them as they watched Nate approach.

"Are any of you hurt?" he asked.

The students seemed to shuffle in their place, not wanting to answer. Nate expanded his mind and washed his essence over each of their bodies. Many of them were injured, some worse than others.

"They won't make it to the B&B by themselves," Alice explained, moving towards Max who was lain on one of the tables. A girl was pressing a piece of material against his side.

Nate followed her, seeing the extent of Max's injuries once the girl had moved from his side. There was a large tear cutting through his abdomen. He was unconscious. "We can't move him."

Alice leaned in to examine Max's wound. Thankfully, the canteen was well lit due to the fluorescent lights across the ceiling. She straightened her back a moment later. "His body will heal in hours, but only if he rests."

Seeming distracted by the large force of energy that he could sense from the College hall, Nate moved towards the doorway. Alice followed him, leaning against the abandoned till register as he stopped. His gaze was firmly focused ahead. The hall entrance was only just up the corridor.

"The Forgotten here are strong. I cannot see any of us challenging them and surviving."

Nate knew that Alice spoke the truth. Anyone with magic could sense the strength of their opponents. He sighed, dropping his gaze for a moment. "I have to try."

Moving forwards, Alice grasped his shoulder tightly. He flinched in pain. "If you challenge them wounded, you will die!"

The students grew quiet, watching Alice with unwavering eyes. They were shaking, fear wrapped tightly around them. Breathing in, Alice spoke through the mind. Our enemies are the strongest I have ever known. Their leader is here.

Nate turned as she removed her hand from his shoulder. If I don't try, they will continue to hunt Abbii down.

But she is safe for now, isn't she? Her brow arched inwards, as she sensed Abbii's intentions. Although Alice's powers were dominantly those of a Teleporter, she could sense others with magic within a certain range. Why would she come here? There is no reason. I—

She'll follow me wherever I go. She won't let the Forgotten kill all she knows.

Alice stepped back. Neither of you knows who you are, but there is a strong connection between the two of you. Maybe that is our only hope.

Not understanding Alice's reference, Nate waited for her to explain.

I feel this strange unknown emotion inside the two of you. If your true identities are revealed, you may have the power to challenge our enemy.

Nate clenched his fists. I'm not here to let Abbii fight!

She lowered her gaze for a moment, sighing loudly. No, you're here to take her place. They need her for something, but you won't let them take her. You won't have a choice in the end. When she comes, she will have no choice but to fight—to fight for you.

Suddenly feeling angered, Nate moved into the corridor, focusing only on the College hall entrance. He raised his hands and called upon his powers.

"What if there was someone who knew who you were?" Alice shouted after him, "What if they truly saw what happened to Jake?"

Wanting to turn in response, Nate was overwhelmed with foreign magic as the wooden doors to the hall blasted open. The corridor was filled with darkness and Nate's mind was consumed with black; he tried to fight it, he tried to sense his friends.

But even when he fell unconscious, being dragged to the floor, all that he saw in his mind was Abbii.
Twenty-Three

Images of fields appeared in her thoughts as her eyes closed. She saw children playing happily with their friends, running in circles as they tried to catch each other. Abbii could see the brightness of their auras. Bright flashes of light warmed their skin. She did not understand why she kept seeing children, but then a thought came to her.

Since arriving at Pennyworth, Abbii had seen no children in the town, except the silhouette of the young girl who had asked for her help in freeing the lost souls. She had never thought about it before, but nearly all of her visions, including those of the Great Battle, showed children losing their lives.

It can't be that they all died in that battle...that was a hundred years ago...

It made sense for that to be the answer. Abbii remembered the images that the veil had shown her and those that followed. She had watched families being torn apart by strong magic. She had heard screams of parents, looking for their babies. All the children of Pennyworth had died in the Great Battle. The lost souls of the coastal town were mostly children's souls.

Abbii remembered the tale that Nate had told her about the old hall in the outskirts of Pennyworth. The children of the school had died in a fire under suspicious circumstances. He had told her that no one knew what had happened; there had been rumours of Shadows playing a part in their fate, but no one knew for certain. Abbii believed that the Forgotten had commanded the Shadows to kill them, though she could not work out why.

She watched the image of the children fade from view, being replaced by a fire, burning everything into blackened char. Even the trees in the distance seemed to wither and fall in on themselves. The grass turned into dust and the air became thick with smoke. Abbii did not know for certain what she was seeing—whether it was a dream or the reality that was to come. She felt so much pain in the air, proving how many had lost their lives. The sun had faded beyond the horizon and the stars had been erased. No light disrupted the landscape, allowing the Shadows to form. Their clawed talons were ready to kill, as they emerged from the charred ground and approached the outer wall of a large building.

Abbii had not noticed it before, but she recognised it immediately—the places where the trees were gathered, the way the wall split into two to allow a space for the students to walk. Even in the dark, she raised her gaze to The Everglades.

Unlike previous visions that Abbii had seen, this time the building was not on fire. There were still a handful of bodies that she could see, with Shadows oozing out from their skin, but Abbii could sense that something was different. The building had been infiltrated, but the Shadows had been made to wait outside. Abbii sensed that the Forgotten were inside. She could sense their leader, a middle-aged man with crimson hair, as well as Sythe, though they were rooms apart.

Allowing her consciousness to expand, Abbii entered the building. She walked through the entrance corridor, seeing that the walls had scratch marks across them. Dark smudges were evident on the floor, proving that Shadows had entered at some point; only their vile existence would create such marks. Abbii reached the open door of the canteen and peered in. She saw several students huddled in the corner. She wished that she could help them, but sighed reluctantly before continuing on.

Stopping in her place once she had reached the first joining of corridors, she felt the warmth of Nate's aura fill her mind. Glancing from side to side, she could not see him. Her mind searched her surroundings until her senses focused ahead. Without too much thought, Abbii knew that the College hall was directly in front of her. She scanned its space, sensing Nate, as well as others that Abbii felt drawn to.

Who else was there?

Her heart started to drum as she thought of the students that she had seen in the canteen. None of them had been close to her. Max, Sophie, Daniel, even Colleen had not been there, and now Abbii knew why. She could sense that they were chained within the hall. They were suffering.

Remembering what Nate had said when speaking to Tricia, Abbii lost her breath. He said that they would use bait to lure me in...

Those that she knew, her friends, were the bait. Nate had kept the fact from her so she could concentrate on building her powers. The truth was that the battle at The Everglades had never been that far in the future.

It was close.

It was today.

Everything that Abbii had overhead him saying to Tricia filled her mind. She remembered the way Tricia had tried to convince Nate to tell her that the battle at The Everglades was close. Nate had been adamant in not telling her, and Abbii could sense that he had not hidden it from her out of malice, but rather affection. He had known that she would have headed straight to The Everglades to protect her friends. He had protected her by not telling her what he had known.

Abbii realised that at some point, perhaps during the meeting with Sythe, the caster that had attacked her had spoken to Nate, perhaps Tricia as well. That's why the Forgotten left without taking me...they knew I'd come to them...

An image formed in Abbii's head, replacing that of The Everglades. She could see that the crimson-haired man, whose name she could sense was Taro, was talking to Nate in the hallway of Tricia's home. Abbii would have sensed their meeting at the time if not for her weakened state due to the influx of her powers. She was annoyed that Nate had not told her about the Forgotten taking the College. She was angered that he had kept so much from her, but even still, she knew that he had only tried to protect her.

Trying to will herself to wake up, Abbii focused onto a single flash of light which blinked inside of her head. The darkness of her mind was lit by its aura. She did not know what the light symbolised, but she embraced it nevertheless, feeling its warmth wrap around her. It formed a silhouette which Abbii recognised as the first vision that she had ever seen. For a moment, she wondered whether it was Nate.

Four years had passed since Abbii had seen her first vision. She had stood on the bank of a beach, holding the hand of a light that had taken the form of a person. The Shadows were held back by the water, slowing disappearing into the horizon. She had always thought that the figure had represented Jake, but the feeling that Abbii could now sense from within the figure was different. It had an essence of Jake inside of it, but its features and the way its body curved in the light were different.

Nate?

She had had enough of questioning everything around her. Now that the full moon was up and the Forgotten were guaranteed to be in one place, Abbii wanted to confront them. She wanted to know once and for all why everything had happened the way it had; why she had powers, and why Nate had entered her life and caused such an impact.

Relaxing her body, Abbii opened her eyes, returning to the inside of Jake's room. Tricia was sat on the edge of the bed, turning to face her as she moved. Abbii stood up quickly and went to call upon her powers, but as Tricia spoke, she turned and listened.

"I won't stop you from going, but you must be prepared to learn things that will upset you."

Abbii sighed. She could see that Jake's old notes were in Tricia's hands.

"Nate should have told you about The Everglades, but he..."

"Is Nate your son?"

Laying the papers in her grasp onto the bed, Tricia looked to her lap. "No, he is not my son. I gave birth to only one."

"Could Blane have had another child?"

Tricia looked up, shaking her head gently. "I was by his side from the beginning to the end."

Abbii clenched her fists. "Then who is he? Nate has powers, magic that can challenge mine!"

Moving to her feet, Tricia walked to the window. The moon was high in the sky, creating a silver glow to wash over the town of Pennyworth. It was then that Abbii realised that Tricia had already known that Nate had powers.

"You already knew..." Trying to remain calm, Abbii worded her response clearly. "The way the two of you speak is like you've known each other your entire lives. How is that possible if he is not your son? He has memories of your family. He remembers things that Jake did as a child. Tell me how that's possible! Tell me why the only memories that he remembers belong to Jake?"

Jake's mother remained silent for a moment, inhaling a deep breath. She took hold of the windowsill with her hands. "I don't know how to explain."

"Try."

She sighed before speaking aloud. "When I first met Nate, when you had collapsed due to the increase in your power, it was as if my heart stopped beating. His aura is the brightest I have ever seen. He reminds me of Jake, so much so that I mistook him for my own son when I first met him."

Abbii was surprised to hear Tricia's reply. She had presumed that only she could see similarities between Nate and Jake, but she had been wrong. Daniel must have sensed Jake from Nate as well, that's why he told him everything...

"How can Nate feel so much like Jake when he isn't him?"

Tricia turned slowly to meet Abbii's gaze. She held it for a moment before returning to the bed. "I found an image in the church library, depicting the Star and its power." Leaning forwards, she took hold of an old piece of parchment, handing it to Abbii.

She recognised it as the image that Jake had found in his research. The two figures were stood side by side, with waves of magic surrounding each one. It was clearer than the copy she had looked at before, revealing a second paragraph of text beneath the image.

"I think this is the explanation that you've been looking for," Tricia worded clearly.

Increasing the grip on the parchment in her hand, Abbii read the second line of text aloud. "The Star, a rare child blessed with two magical parents, has the power to use any magical capability that they see fit. They are guided by their hearts, sometimes allowing the heart itself to decide their course of action. Even death can be avoided by this individual when brought about by violence. Their souls are immortal."

It was not a surprise to Abbii; she had suspected her immortality several times since arriving at Pennyworth. In every battle, she had sustained an injury of some kind, and yet there was little scarring, only those left behind from when her powers had been used. It made sense that she was immortal. Though, she did not believe that her parents had had magic. They couldn't have. Her father had abandoned them both years beforehand, and her mother...

Due to the crispness of the image compared to Jake's copy, Abbii saw that each figure had a noticeable heart. A faint wavy line joined the two. She stroked her fingertips against the image, feeling a slight tingling in her skin.

"The text says that in times of violence your powers can go against death," Tricia stated. "I imagine that you are only immortal if your body is killed, rather than dying of age."

Abbii's brow arched inwards. "So I can die normally, but if I'm attacked—"

"Your powers must undergo a transformation in order to save yourself."

She breathed in. "What does that have to with Nate?"

Without a word, Tricia leaned forwards and placed her fingertip against the heart of the left figure. Abbii met her gaze, not understanding, but as Tricia urged her to look back at the parchment, her mind started to expand.

"Your heart is full of love, Abbii. Only you can decide what that love means. What if your powers reacted to Jake's death without your knowledge?"

Allowing the parchment to fall from her hands, Abbii met with Tricia's gaze as she called upon her magic. A bright flash of light consumed her skin and she faded from sight. She cleared her mind of questions and focused, as she materialised at the waters edge of The Everglades's pool. She kept her back to it at all times and quietly made her way towards the white glass door, leading into the building.

Without delay, she could sense masses of Shadows across The Everglades's land, but like she had seen in her vision, there was no presence of them inside of the College. She wondered why that was. She wondered whether her vision would show other similarities in what was to come. Stopping as she reached the glass door, Abbii peered in stealthily. Nothing was in the corridor.

Taking a moment to glance around her position, she found it strange that there were no Shadows around her. Surely they would have sensed her arrival. With a little nudge of her foot, Abbii pushed the door open and stepped into the corridor, being met with silence. The College had never sounded so quiet. Abbii could even hear the dull ticking of the classroom clocks echoing throughout the corridor. She could see studying books scattered across the floor and pieces of debris which had fallen from the ceiling.

As she continued on, Abbii saw no one around. She was met by no Shadows or students trying to escape. It was quiet, too quiet. There was no fire, just as her vision had shown, but there were varying char marks slashed across the College's walls and floor. The rows of lockers had fallen inwards, like dominoes that had lost their balance. Even the doors to the many classrooms had fallen to the floor, being ripped from their hinges. Abbii couldn't imagine the Shadows making so much damage; they were only drawn to those with magic. She guessed that the Forgotten had entered into the building violently, causing the debris that she regularly passed.

Thankfully, she saw no bodies. Her vision had shown many but there were none, and no marks to indicate that they had been moved. Something had altered the future. She wondered if it was Nate.

She had not physically seen him within her vision, only sensed his aura through her surroundings. In present day, Abbii was keeping her mind sealed off with magic, just in case there were members of the Forgotten wishing to enter into her thoughts. If she relaxed her mental barrier ever so slightly, she may have been able to sense those that she was looking for, but they were not the only victims.

Reaching the main corridor, Abbii pushed herself against the wall and peered towards the College entrance to her left. She could see a member of the Forgotten giving instructions to a large horde of Shadows in front of them. They seemed to pause in their place and glance over their shoulder.

Abbii pulled herself back and held her breath. She listened to the man finish giving his instructions. Once the Shadows moved, fading from sight, he closed the large entrance door. Remaining still, Abbii listened carefully, expecting to hear footsteps moving towards her. A moment passed and no footsteps came. She peered around the corner cautiously to see that the corridor was empty. She sighed and moved from the wall.

"You shouldn't be here Abbii."

Surprised by the voice, she turned quickly and called upon her powers. She stopped in her place. "Sythe."

He inhaled a deep breath and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Abbii watched as he stopped in his place, though he did not turn. "Thank you for helping me."

Without warning, his skin started to glow. He turned and grasped Abbii's shoulders tightly, pushing her against the wall before she could act. He held her gaze, watching as her eyes did not falter. Her heartbeat had increased, but no fear formed across her face. Removing his grip, he looked away.

"I am not your ally, Abbii. I am your enemy."

She inhaled a breath. "Then why did you help me?"

Sythe looked at her, slouching his shoulders. "I wasn't going to let Taro hurt you just for your powers."

"Then you are my ally." Abbii moved forwards, placing her hand on Sythe's arm.

An impulse of energy entered Abbii's mind, causing her to gasp. She watched his memories play again in her mind, showing that his mother had killed his father. The image morphed into colour, as the small boy that he was, sat on the pavement with tears on his cheeks. Abbii could still feel his pain. She watched as a figure approached him, smiling as their eyes met. The sun seemed to shine when Sythe looked at her. Her amethyst eyes glistened lovingly. She must have been several years older than him, maybe more, but her features had been simple and elegant. Sythe had taken hold of her hand, smiling.

"Stop it!"

Pulled back to reality, Abbii was pushed back as Sythe shoved her away. He clenched his fists, creating a glow to warm his skin. She refrained from counting, as she often did when she grew anxious, and instead moved back.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Sythe's emotion was evident. The way his fists remained clenched, the colour which spread across his irises—his feelings were unpredictable, and Abbii believed that it was due to the fact that he couldn't move on.

Being sure that her tone remained calm, Abbii breathed in. "Who is it that you can't leave behind?"

He moved in response, raising his hands which glowed brightly. "She's suffering because of me!" Tears built around his eyes. "She's at the Darkfields because of me!"

The Darkfields? Abbii had heard the name several times since starting her research. She did not know what it was, but sensed it was a type of Dark realm. It didn't matter right now; she had to calm Sythe.

"What's her name?"

Sythe exhaled loudly. "Layla."

Abbii smiled. "She's beautiful." She shuffled forwards slightly. "Is she your friend?"

"She's my sister!" He narrowed his eyes sharply but then seemed to calm. His magic still remained visible, but his breathing slowed.

Moving to within a step from him, Abbii extended her hand. Sythe flinched in response, causing her to stop in her place. She raised both arms to show that she meant him no harm, and she laid her fingers over his. His magic burnt her skin but she made no attempt to protect herself with her own.

"What are you doing?"

Lowering her arms slowly, therefore lowering Sythe's as well, Abbii met his gaze. "Proving a point." Seeing that she did not call upon her magic, he called his powers to disappear. She smiled. "See?"

His brow arched inwards.

"You could have used your powers against me, but you didn't."

He looked away, removing his hands from Abbii's grasp. "That doesn't mean anything."

"There is no bad in you, Sythe. Even when you appeared at the old hall, the dagger was never going to cut me. When you threw it through the air, it wouldn't have reached me. Do you honestly think that you will become like your mother? I will help you free your sister."

Holding her gaze briefly, Sythe allowed his powers to take him. He faded from sight, causing Abbii to sigh. She hoped that he would learn to understand. Looking down at her hands, she winced.

"You'd better heal quickly," she whispered.

A sudden movement from her side caught her attention. She inhaled a quick breath, seeing that a Shadow had found her. Perhaps some of them were allowed access to the College after all. It snarled, baring its teeth, as Abbii remained still.

Choosing to engage first, she surrounded herself with Light, protecting her skin from a swipe of the creature's claws. It screeched in annoyance, slashing its tongue against the bright energy of Abbii's magic. She raised her hands which created the shield to pulse outwards, burning parts of the Shadow's skin raw. She engulfed her fist with heated energy before it could retaliate, and then punched forwards, creating a razor sharp edge to her fist. It severed the creature's throat, and its body fell to the floor.

Abbii sighed. Proud of her first real engagement in battle, she remembered that time was not necessarily something that she had. She started to run, turning right to head for the canteen. There were still students in there, she could sense them.

Jumping over a small pile of metal debris, Abbii was suddenly met by a cool swirl of energised air. She stopped in her place, sensing Nate's powers had once filled the corridor. Glancing to the side, Abbii looked at the door to her right, seeing that remnants of a strange black substance marked its surface. She watched how Nate had entered into the room, seeing that Max had been by his side. He, too, had used magical powers to proceed onwards.

Max has powers too...I wonder who else has?

Feeling as if a large weight had fallen onto her shoulders, she pushed her thoughts aside and ran towards the canteen entrance, bursting in when she had reached it. She had hoped that one of her friends would be inside, but Abbii only saw a handful of students, huddled in the corner. The fear across their faces was enough to prove what chaos they had seen.

Abbii clenched her teeth, annoyed with herself that she had not reached her friends in time. She could sense that they had been there, being drawn to a pool of blood which marked one of the table tops. Without using too much of her magic, she watched how Max was injured, as bright images entered her mind. She saw a third magical presence but she did not see their face, though she did sense a familiarity from them.

"They were taken."

Turning to meet the gaze of one of the students, Abbii held her breath as she continued to listen.

"There were three of them...they had magic, but they weren't strong enough." The girl was shaking as she spoke. Abbii guessed that she was in her late teens.

"Did the Shadows catch them?"

Lowering her gaze for a moment, the girl shook her head.

"Then what?" Abbii tried to keep her tone calm, understanding the student's fear.

"There was a woman and a man with red hair. They came and took them with their magic. Your friends they had no time to react."

An image of Taro appeared in Abbii's mind, causing her hands to move into fists. She tried to envision the woman that the young girl spoke of, but it was as if her magic could not detect her. Turning to face the door, Abbii did not need to ask where her friends had been taken. Her vision had told her that they would be in the hall, but even in reality, she could sense that that was the truth.

Looking down at her hands to see that her skin had started its repairs, Abbii wondered why Taro had left some of the students alone. Perhaps he was only searching for those with magic. She glanced to the girl that had spoken and forced a smile.

"When you can, try to get to the road. If you don't think you can make it, stay here." Several of the students nodded in response. Abbii sighed loudly and moved across the room.

"Good luck!" the girl shouted.

Abbii did not stop, moving into the corridor. The students had always avoided her whenever she had passed them, but now they believed in her. She wondered whether they would have made any effort with her if their lives had not been uprooted.

The corridor felt strange. Abbii glanced towards the College's entrance far to her right, checking that no Shadows would surprise her. Seeing no creatures, she faced ahead, focusing on the large wooden doors which lead to the College hall. She could sense strong magic escaping from inside, which caused her senses to tense. She could also sense her friends and a few others, imprisoned with some type of watery energy.

Ever since Jake's death, Abbii's life had lead to this point. She still did not know why or what the Forgotten wanted from her, but she knew that she had to keep going. She had to fight for as long as she could. Shaking all thoughts aside, Abbii began her slow approach.

She followed the corridor silently, keeping her breathing steady. Her senses heightened, ready for any sudden movements that she might need to make. Abbii wished that Nate was by her side, but she knew he was held up ahead, being kept from her by strong magic. Reaching the hall entrance, Abbii inhaled a deep breath and raised her hand.

Her skin flickered brightly as the doors swung open.

Ignoring all urges to raise her gaze, Abbii began to walk, entering the large, silent space. The air was cold against her skin and her breath escaped her lips as small billows of clouds. She felt the doors close behind her. There was no going back.

Keeping her gaze lowered, she followed the pattern engraved into the floor. It was made from large wooden panels, but the way in which the grain had split caused a cracked surface to spread, like a dry desert floor. Abbii's senses were consumed with large amounts of energy, proving that strong magical power was evident. She continued to walk, hearing the way the wind whistled past her.

Out of the corners of her eyes, Abbii could see that large pieces of the walls had been smashed through, allowing the cold winter's touch to seep in. She swallowed the lump that had built in the back of her throat and stopped in her place. Allowing several long breaths to enter and then leave her lips, she raised her gaze for the first time.

It felt like a knife piercing her heart.

She could see five bodies, each tied to an individual stone pillar which supported the weight of the ceiling. Their bodies were tied with worms of magic— streams of water that glistened in the light. Above the raised platform at the front, Abbii could see that Max, Nate and Alice, whom she recognised as her young art tutor, were slouched to the floor in silence. Sophie and Daniel were tied far to one side. They were also silent.

Abbii would have run towards her friends, but she could see a faint magical barrier several strides in front of them. She knew that if she approached, she would harm them by causing the barrier to emit shockwaves of energy. Scanning them individually, Abbii could sense that Max and Daniel were injured, though Max's side would heal quickly due to the power flowing through him.

She had never noticed the hum of magic which radiated out from Max's skin. She wondered whether he had known about his powers at the time, or whether he had simply learnt how to hide them from detection. Abbii could also sense a strong magical essence from Alice. Not once had Abbii ever thought of Alice having powers. Lastly, she focused onto Nate, feeling her heart ache.

He had stronger magic binding his body compared to the others, but she realised that that was due to the fact that the others were much weaker than Nate. Abbii realised that Nate's powers were stronger than she had realised; they were similar to her own. She held her breath.

Nate...

No reply came.

Nate!

"He cannot hear your voice."

Turning quickly, Abbii saw that Taro was leaning against the hall door. He had a smile sculptured across his face. She tensed her jaw, feeling angered. "What do you want from them?"

Moving from his position, Taro inhaled a deep breath, exaggerating his inhalation. "It is not your comrades that my Mistress wants."

"Then why are they here?" she shouted.

He laughed aloud, walking in a wide arc from Abbii's position. "We had to be sure that you would come. There is little time left."

Abbii scowled. "I'm here now, so let them go!"

Continuing to move, watching how Abbii turned to keep him in her sights, Taro raised his arms above his head, focusing on the bright moon which shone through the glass ceiling. "Once the moon is at its highest, my Mistress will finally feel herself again."

"I said, let them go!"

Narrowing his eyes, Taro glared at her. "Why would we let such creatures slip through our grasp, when their magical power is clearly evident?" As he spoke, a flicker of red light washed over his irises.

Abbii could feel his magical strength. It fuelled his entire body, flickering at his fingertips. She watched him move until he had stopped in front of the raised platform. In silence, she stepped forwards.

"I do not think it wise for you to approach me whilst your friends are under my fist."

Lowering her gaze as Taro eyed her closely, Abbii tried to think of something that she could do. She smiled, raising her hand. "Are you afraid that I'll win?"

He circled his hands into fists, causing a tremor to surge through the ground. In response, the magical barrier protecting her friends began to emit rays of light. Max moaned in pain.

"Stop it!" Abbii shouted.

Allowing his face to be taken by pleasure, Taro smiled, releasing the tension of his hands. "Don't test me."

"Let me take their place."

Taro's smile remained. "You have already fallen into our grasp—what difference would it make whether you were to take their place or not?"

Abbii's heart drummed in her ears. How was she supposed to fight such a strong opponent, when his powers were linked to her friends' lives? She glanced towards Sophie and Daniel, seeing that both of them remained unconsciousness. Daniel was weakening.

"I challenge you to a fight," Abbii declared clearly. She hoped that his desire to inflict pain on others was enough to overpower his decisions.

Keeping his gaze focused onto her, Taro watched as she continued to speak.

"If I win, Daniel and Sophie go free, and—"

"If you lose, they will remain where they sit." Taro's statement was clear.

Abbii nodded in response, shuffling in her place. She didn't know if this was a good idea, but she had to try something.

Without warning, a large surge of fire collided into Abbii's body, knocking her from her feet. She lost her breath, having to gasp for oxygen once she had landed. Raising her gaze, she could see that Taro was stood, waiting for her retaliation. She quickly stood to her feet and ran towards him, summoning upon her powers.

Dodging to avoid a second surge of flames, Abbii created a shockwave of energy to pulse outwards, darting towards Taro like several shooting stars. He destroyed them by simply raising his hand, causing Abbii to falter. She felt a slice of solidified magic cut through her arm, before teleporting to avoid a second. As she materialised, she called upon the air of the room, watching as it gathered around Taro's body, circling ferociously.

Moving into a run whilst he was distracted, Abbii gasped for a sharp breath as the air transformed into shards of ice which shot out in every direction. A veil of Light quickly surrounded her, destroying most of them; two cut her thigh as her magic faded. She did not let her injury distract her though, teleporting behind where Taro stood.

Raising her hands to consume him with Light, Abbii was surprised to see him staring straight at her. A sudden spark of electricity pulsed through her skin, causing her to close her eyes tightly. She wrapped her arms around her body and then faded from sight, forming a moment later at the entrance door. Her legs could not hold her weight, causing her to fall to her knees.

Taro stepped forwards as she raised her gaze. He lifted his hands, forming a large sphere of water in front of him which beamed ahead. It stretched unnaturally and darted towards Abbii. She called upon her powers to surround her, but with little time to strengthen them, Taro's magic blasted into her chest.

"Enough." A hand fell onto Taro's shoulder, causing his magic to fade. He turned quickly and bowed.

Abbii looked up as she gathered her breath. She leaned against the wall for support as she met the gaze of the woman that had appeared. Images formed in her mind, showing the time that the magical veil had connected with Abbii's mind. The woman that had caused everyone's pain and suffering in the Great Battle was the woman in front of her, but she looked different, weak. Abbii wondered how she could still be alive after a hundred years had passed.

"My name is Maria."

Returning to reality, Abbii moved to her feet. "You were the one that caused the Great Battle a hundred years ago!"

Maria nodded silently.

"You killed all those people!"

Taro suddenly consumed Abbii's body with electricity. "Hold your tongue!"

Gasping for a breath once the magic had faded, Abbii took a moment to look to the floor. She realised something. "You were the first Forgotten...weren't you?" She looked up, awaiting Maria's reply. "The first to accept the Dark!"

Moving forwards, Maria allowed the light of the moon to shine over her. "You do not understand. The Light bathed men with its power. It warmed their bodies and helped their land grow with life. They did not deserve it!"

A flicker of energy sparked in each of Maria's eyes. Abbii's breath faltered for a moment, as she tried to sense what Maria had referred to. Something felt strange to her: Maria's aura and the way it hummed with magic reminded Abbii of herself.

"Let me explain to you how my life came to be, whilst you gather your breath."

Taro's brow arched inwards. "We are running out of time, Maria. She does not need to hear the truth. It is inside of her heart!"

With a simple glance, Maria caused Taro to fall silent. He huffed loudly and moved back. Maria began to speak. "This world was not always blessed with magic, but when evolution stepped in and created such magical force, the world began to change. People began to fear that which they did not understand and lives were taken needlessly. Those with magic were condemned by those without."

The way that Maria spoke made it sound like she was fighting for the innocent people that had lost their lives, but how could that be when she had killed so many?

"I was one blessed with magic. I used my power to help people, keeping them happy. I was the daughter of two of the original Elders. They had tried many years to explain to men that our powers were a blessing from nature, but due to the differentiating speed of our aging, the people pushed us aside."

Abbii looked up slowly. "What is it that you want, Maria?"

Seeming to gasp for a breath, she stepped forwards, using Taro as support. "I have not enough energy to finish my tale. It is time."

Abbii felt uncomfortable at the way Maria looked over her body. "I asked you a question."

Taro narrowed his eyes, glowing with light. "Lady Maria needs your power so that she will be reborn."

"What?" Shuffling in her place, Abbii watched as Maria and Taro stepped forwards; she suddenly felt alone and vulnerable.

Moving her gaze to the side, Abbii could see that all of her friends remained unconscious. She wished that they would wake, even if that meant she could only hear their voices. She focused onto Nate, remembering all the times that they had shared. He had never given up on her, even when he had chosen to leave Pennyworth. He had only left to protect her. She wanted to have him by her side, hear his voice around her.

Nate!

Her magical powers fought against the barrier surrounding him. She clenched her fists, increasing their strength.

I need to hear your voice!

The barrier began to flicker, but Abbii did not have enough time to remain focused. She gasped as Taro's magic engulfed her, wrapping strands of electricity around her torso. Her magic faltered, being repelled by the opposing powers. Abbii had not focused enough; she had made no difference, and now she was going to die anyway.

Maria edged towards her, raising her arm. Abbii realised how weak and frail her enemy looked. The lines across Maria's face seemed complex and deep, like a thousand years had played out around her. Taro's magic power increased, raising Abbii from the ground. She tried to break free, calling upon her magic, but it fizzled out against the electricity consuming her.

Closing her eyes, Abbii realised how quickly her life had changed. It had only been several weeks since she and Jake had sat by The Everglades's pool, but in that time so much had happened. She had met Sophie, the nurse at the College. Abbii didn't know much about her, but she sensed that Sophie had lived a fulfilled life. No powers flowed through her, but a different power caused her to fight on—her optimism in those around her.

Abbii had also learnt that Daniel had known much more about her than she had originally known. He had been protecting her all the years that she had stayed at The Everglades. Again, no powers flowed through him, but he was strong. Abbii knew that he would not give up easily.

An image formed in her mind of Nate. He and Abbii had grown close since meeting, but they had shared many fights and disagreements. She wished that he would have trusted her to fight alongside him whilst protecting the College, instead of using his powers against her.

Abbii thought of Alice and Max. She would never have thought that they would have magic under their control, but she felt as if they were whole now, as if something had been missing before. She could sense that Max was a Warrior and that Alice was a Teleporter. Nate was different.

It felt like many skills pulsed through his veins. Abbii could sense that he had control over the elements, but he could also teleport, proven by how quickly he had arrived at The Everglades. She had witnessed that he had the abilities of an Empath, able to enter into people's minds and hear their thoughts and feelings. Somehow, Abbii knew that he also had the powers of a Warrior...maybe even a Seer, like Abbii herself.

A sharp pain surged through her, pushing her to open her eyes. Maria had thrust a dagger into Abbii's side, and a steady flow of blood began to run from her skin. Abbii wanted to cry out, but the electricity around her stole her breath. She looked at Maria, seeing that a smile had spread across her face. Raising her arm, she clicked her fingers, resulting in the force field that surrounded Abbii's friends to disappear. Nate fell to the floor, but the others remained held.

"Call him."

Not knowing who Maria was referring to, Abbii shook her head slowly.

Maria clenched her fists. "Call him!"

Gathering as much breath as she could, Abbii looked across the room. "Nate..." she whispered.

Frustrated by Abbii's attempt, Maria thrust the dagger into her opposite side, causing her to scream out. The pain was unbearable. Abbii wanted to close her eyes, however a strange light began to consume Nate, causing her to remain focused.

Maria smiled as she turned to look at his body. The colours brightened as Abbii's skin continued to bleed. Bursts of colour emitted from his skin and his eyes opened slowly. He stood to his feet, gathering his balance, and then raised his gaze.

He gasped, "Abbii!"

She tried to call out to him, but the pain from her side overwhelmed her.

Nate started to run, raising his glowing hands. Quickly raising her dagger towards Abbii's throat, Maria watched as he stopped in his place. She smiled. "I'm glad to see that you have returned to us. I do not wish Abbii further harm; I have only done what is necessary."

"Let her go!" His hands clenched into fists. "You don't need her!"

Maria laughed aloud. "That is where you are wrong. She is the only one who holds the power of rebirth within her grasp."

Abbii moved her head slightly, meeting Nate's gaze. A tear rolled across her cheek. "Nate..."

Wanting to run to her, Nate had to look away for a brief moment in order for him to catch his breath. He stepped forwards, meeting Maria's gaze. "She doesn't believe in her powers. She doesn't have the magical capability that you need from her."

"It doesn't matter. Her blood stains this blade. Any blood fused with magic, which covers this blade, will grant its powers to me."

Nate...

Glancing to Abbii, he held her gaze. Keep fighting, okay?

She blinked, causing a tear to roll across her cheek. What do they want?

"Enough!" Taro, sensing that the two of them were communicating telepathically, increased the power of electricity pulsing through Abbii's skin. She screamed in agony.

Nate rushed forwards, again stopping in his place when Maria looked at him. "If you only want magical blood, then take mine."

Abbii gasped for a breath. "No!"

"But," he added, "she goes free."

Maria looked at Abbii and then returned her gaze to Nate. "Very well." She walked forwards slowly, watching as Nate moved to his knees.

Abbii tried to break through her restraints but she was losing energy. Nate, what are you doing?

He did not meet her gaze.

Reaching him, allowing her shadow to cast across his face, Maria raised her arm, thrusting her dagger into Nate's body. Abbii closed her eyes tightly, shouting his name aloud. She started to sob, losing all will to fight.

Maria looked at Taro and nodded. She turned her back then and walked towards the raised platform at the front. Taro immediately let his powers fade, though he held Abbii in suspension. Using his abilities to open the hall doors, he pushed her out violently.

The last thing that Abbii saw was Nate's body falling to the ground.
Twenty-Four

Crashing into the wall violently, Abbii glanced ahead to see that the hall entrance was closed tight. She clambered to her feet, seeing that a smeared red line led to her body. Both her sides were still bleeding, though she pushed the thoughts aside and staggered forwards.

A hand pulled her backwards and she turned to see Sythe.

"You need to stay here, Abbii."

She collapsed to the floor, twisting her body awkwardly. "I can't leave him, Sythe." Tears rapidly fell across her cheeks. She grasped hold of Sythe's arm tightly as he knelt by her side.

"Your body needs time to heal." Helping Abbii move to sit against the wall, Sythe seemed to lower his gaze. "I'm sorry I didn't go with you. I thought you were only going to use me when you needed me...like Maria..."

Abbii looked up at him, her brown eyes seemed faded. "Please help me...help me save him."

"I will."

Trying to move her legs so that she could stand, Abbii struggled to move to her knees. Sythe quickly stopped her and pushed her back gently. "There is something that you need to know."

"I'm not leaving him!"

He sighed quietly and placed his hand onto hers. "Please. You need to know what I have to tell you. Taro won't leave the hall. You're safe here."

She relaxed and held his gaze, waiting for him to speak. At least now she could rest briefly and allow her body time to heal. The image of Nate's body falling remained in her mind however, making it hard for her to relax fully.

"I'm going to tell you about Maria. You need to know." Nodding to say that she understood, Abbii did not move her gaze from Sythe's face as he spoke. "Her parents and the other Elders lived in isolation from society. Those without powers despised them and pushed them out of their cities. The places in which they had to live were like barren wastelands."

Abbii breathed out quietly. "People are afraid of difference...Even now, people don't accept those that are different." A shiver of cool air stroked against her skin as Sythe continued.

"The Elders did not fight back against those that lacked magic. They accepted men's decision and left them to the lives that they wanted, though they couldn't stay away. They came like demons in the night."

Abbii's mind expanded involuntarily. Images flashed across her eyes, showing men attacking a group of women. They were beating them, ripping the clothes from their bodies. She wanted to cry out, as if she had been there at the time, watching defencelessly. She watched how the women tried to fight back against their tormenters, crying out and screaming for help. One fell to the floor, grasping hold of her torn dress so that it did not fall from her skin. The men seemed to focus onto her, like an eagle watching its prey suffer. The woman raised her gaze briefly, to see the last of her friends run to safety.

A quiet gasp escaped her lips as one of the men sat on her, forcing her to lie straight. Tears fell from her eyes as she saw the pleasure consume her attacker's expression, pushing his hand along her skin. Saliva built across his lips. She closed her eyes, pushing her hands into fists as she felt the man on top of her move against her body vulgarly. Her nails pierced her palms, though she continued to push her fingertips against the inside of her hands. The pain that coursed through her body was unbearable. It felt like an alien matter was trying to push itself onto her.

Gasping loudly, Abbii's mind returned to reality. She had to lean her head against the wall to catch her breath. Tears rolled across her cheeks as the scenes of violence circled her mind.

"Men corrupted her," Sythe explained.

Abbii realised that she saw a type of familiarity in the eyes of the girl that had been attacked—the way they angled downwards at the sides; the colour of her aged irises. The young woman that had been attacked, suffering so painfully against her attackers, was Maria.

"They had no right," Abbii whispered.

Sythe shuffled in his place. "They paid for their sins with their lives."

Lowering her gaze, Abbii's mind was filled with images. Flashes of coloured light darted across her vision. She watched the young Maria crawl into the corner of the barn that had become her prison. She wrapped her arms around her shaking legs, gasping for a breath. The men stood in a line ahead of her, smiling with a sense of achievement, glowing in each of their irises. Dark shadows cast across their faces as they arranged their clothing.

Again, Abbii felt as if she was there, watching it happen. The cool air caused her breath to sharpen. She could feel the pain that surged through Maria's body. Something changed though, as a shallow light emitted from the corner of Maria's eyes. The men backed away from her as she stood, a smile spreading across her face as she raised her arms. A surge of magical energy pulsed forwards, consuming the three men.

They screamed in pain as their skin stretched, splitting painfully. Heat spread across them, causing two of the men to fall to the floor silently. Maria focused onto her attacker, raising her hand for a second time. He tried to speak in response, shaking his head as best as he could, but his body disintegrated as Maria's magic engulfed him. Not even his bones survived.

The powers across Maria's skin faded. Her smile disappeared as she looked ahead. Her parents, as well as the other Elders, were stood watching her. The look across their faces showed their disappointment. Her parents looked away as several men approached their daughter, seizing her by the arms.

Abbii gasped for a breath as she returned to reality. "They thought that she had attacked them without cause, didn't they?" She looked up to meet Sythe's gaze, allowing the memories to form again. She watched how Maria tried to protest her innocence to the men that dragged her away. The Elders led the group but not once did they look back, not even her parents. Using their own magic to subdue Maria's, they prevented her from retaliating against them.

Time moved on and the sky turned to light. Abbii could see that Maria had been tied to a wooden post with magical restraints. She could not break through them. Groups of men surrounded her, with the Elders stood at the front. A flash of light materialised and fire consumed Maria's body.

Again, Abbii gasped for a breath, feeling the pain as if it were her own. She returned to reality, sobbing aloud. Now she understood why Maria hated everyone. Not only did men attack her and think that she was worthless, but those with magic had condemned her death. They had believed that she had attacked the men with pure malice...maybe she had, but Abbii knew the truth. She had only returned the pain that they had caused her to feel.

"But..." Narrowing her eyes, questions circled her mind. "She died?"

"Yes, though it did not take long for her to be resurrected."

Moving to look at Sythe directly, Abbii's brow arched inwards. "Someone brought her back? They had the power to do that?"

He shook his head. "Maria was the Star."

"What?"

Sythe continued to explain before Abbii could interrupt. "You have heard that the Star is an eternal power source, right?"

Abbii nodded.

"Well it is not eternal. It has a limit."

"I don't understand!" The frustration was evident in Abbii's voice.

"If the Star is killed, violently murdered, then their soul fragments. It removes itself from the body and creates a new vessel. They have a new appearance and new name; their memories are often their own as well, though they may share several key pastimes. The strongest element of the original host, whether it is Light or Darkness, revives the fallen body, and the weaker of the two elements possesses the new vessel."

Taking a moment to absorb what Sythe had said, Abbii inhaled a deep breath. "So we are immortal?"

"No," Sythe replied, shaking his head. "The soul only fragments if the person is killed. If they live out their lives at a natural pace, then they die. They do not return. Maria was the first Star. When she was killed, the hatred of men fuelled the Darkness within her and her soul fragmented. The little amount of Light that remained within her created a new body. Her name was Anna; she disappeared and was never seen again. It was rumoured that she had children and lived out a normal life, though she remained Maria's Mirage."

"Mirage?"

"Yes. That is what they are called. The new body that is created is called a Mirage, and the body that is revived is called the Void."

"The fallen body was revived by the Darkness. Maria's a Void," Abbii worded clearly.

Sythe nodded. "Yes."

"How are we going to defeat her then? She can't be killed!"

"The soul fragmentation only occurs once. The ability itself should not have come to be, but Maria's hatred for men allowed it to exist. Now it has passed onto you, as you are the final Star that will ever be. You are the final being with two Elder parents."

Standing to her feet, Abbii's fists clenched. "My parents couldn't have been... they left me!"

"They knew you would not be safe if they remained by your side. They left to protect you. Their unnatural aging would have caused too many questions."

She turned and glared at Sythe. "You're lying!" Seeing the way that Sythe did not falter or move in anyway, Abbii slouched to her knees, realising that it was the truth.

"Maria believes that by taking your powers, she will have the ability of resurrection, though it will not work."

"So she...Nate...there was no reason to take his blood?"

He shook his head slowly. "Maria may gain a small amount of magical energy through your blood, but it will make no difference. She will still remain mortal."

Abbii moved slowly, as not to cause her body too much pain. She moved to her feet, facing towards the entrance hall. A light mapped out her skin which began to increase the speed at which her skin was healing.

Sythe grabbed her wrist tightly, preventing her from moving ahead. "There is something else I need to tell you."

"We need to kill her!" She tried to pull against his grasp.

"Abbii, wait—"

"I have to save my friends!"

He increased his grip. "There is something else!"

She turned and glared at him, creating a large gust of energy to push him across the corridor. Abbii gasped and ran to his side, allowing her energy to fade. "I'm sorry! Are you okay?"

Meeting her gaze, he smiled. It only remained for a brief moment though, as Sythe sighed loudly. "Maria cannot take your powers of resurrection, no matter how hard she tries."

"Why?"

"You no longer have the ability."

She leaned back slightly. "What do you mean?"

"You have given it to another." Moving back, she watched as Sythe stood leaning against the wall. He made no attempt to approach her. "Jake was blessed to have you as his friend, Abbii... It's time that you remembered what really happened."

Her mind was overcome with images, the memories that she had locked away. Abbii didn't fight against her memories which began to swirl ferociously around her mind. She allowed them to grow in colour, showing some of the times that she had lived through since leaving The Everglades. It was as if her mind was unravelling, going through her life backwards.

Her consciousness soared back to when she had arrived at The Everglades, overrun by Shadows. She returned to the dark basement where Sythe had found her. A flash of light burst outwards as she met Tricia, learning of Jake's past. Abbii returned to the old hall, practicing her magic with Nate. Shadows filled her vision as she ran through the dark forest. The magical veil showed her the Great Battle. She remembered meeting Evelyn, the old B&B offering her a night of safety. An image of her mirrored reflection formed, showing her when she had chosen to leave The Everglades to protect her friends. She met Nate for the first time. Her memories showed the infirmary, white and clinical. The night of Jake's death dawned and her mind stopped.

She formed in the corridor outside her room, raising her hand to open the door. It opened without her, however, as her past self ran along the corridor. Abbii remembered that she had not cared if Daniel had heard her at the time, running towards the white glass doors. Following her past form, she dashed outside. Her heart began to beat, drumming loudly in her ears. She had tried so hard to forget that night, but now she had no choice but to return to it.

The grass was wet beneath her feet and she saw how the Shadows had tainted the ground black. Abbii watched herself kick a Shadow away from her, running as she saw Jake. It was strange, seeing everything from a different perspective. At the time, she had only been thinking about Jake, but now that she could see that night from another angle, Abbii realised that things were different than she remembered.

A blast of cool air circled the space as the Darkness seemed to gather where Jake stood. Abbii had not realised at the time that the Dark essence had formed from his skin, spreading out from his feet. She watched her past self talk to him, asking what he was doing. The portal of darkness appeared behind him then and the sharpened edge pierced his chest.

Abbii reached out as if she could save him somehow, but she stopped, seeing that a strange flash of light had enveloped her body. She had never noticed it at the time. Daniel came, pushing her towards The Everglades, and she remembered running into the building, never looking back, though if she had, she would have seen something unexpected.

Jake fell to his knees, lowering his gaze. A bright light was spreading across his skin. Abbii could feel its power, and she watched as Jake simply disappeared from sight. Her brow arched inwards as she saw that the light from his body had remained in his place. It was made up of dark flashes of blue energy, continuing to grow brighter as it spread outwards.

Covering her face as Daniel reciprocated the action, Abbii inhaled a deep breath. She lowered her arm slowly, looking ahead. Daniel had moved forwards, kneeling next to a still body. Abbii could not see their face but her breath began to grow shallow, feeling sharp against her lungs. She edged forwards, noticing the way that Daniel looked over the person in front of him.

Nothing else mattered to Abbii as she moved. The wind seemed to die and the cool air lost its icy touch. She paused in her place as she watched Daniel lift the body into his arms. He turned then and made his way towards the College. The way in which the body was laid allowed Abbii to see their face.

She gasped, stepping back.

The body that had fallen to the floor, consumed by the light which had escaped both Abbii and Jake's skin—the stranger that Abbii had felt drawn to from the first time her eyes had settled onto his hazel irises—was Nate.

The memory faded and she returned to The Everglades's corridor. Everything seemed to fall into its place; all the many thoughts and misunderstandings that Abbii had held onto seemed to ease. From the first time that she had met Nate, Abbii had felt drawn to him, and it was because he was part of Jake.

Abbii thought about the light which had escaped from her skin when Jake had been killed. My powers must have reacted...I gave the Light to try to save him.

All along there was evidence of Nate's true identity: the way he made Abbii feel, the colouring of his aura matching perfectly to Jake's, the fact that he always knew what to say to cheer her up. He always spoke as if he had known what she was thinking—the truth was that he had.

"Subconsciously, you gave Jake your powers to try to save him, and as a result, a Mirage was created." Sythe waited for Abbii to look at him before continuing. "Nate is the good from within Jake's soul. They do not share the same blood or emotions; they're two different people but some of their memories will be identical."

Moving to her feet, Abbii felt ready. She needed to save her friends more than ever now. She wanted Nate by her side. There was nothing else that she could learn that would help her in any way. It was up to her to make a difference.

She looked at Sythe. "Will you help?"

"Of course," he replied, with a smile. "There will be too many tasks for one person." His eyes glistened.

Also moving to his feet, he and Abbii stood side by side. They held each other's gaze for a moment and then started to walk.

It felt like the corridor was never-ending.

The seconds it took them to reach the entrance door seemed like hours.

They raised their hands and watched as their path opened.

Twenty-Five

The air had grown strangely warmer in the large space of the hall. Abbii guessed it was due to the high amount of magical presence inside. She glanced over her friends before moving.

Since Nate had fallen free from the barrier created by Taro's magic, the rest of its form had faded, allowing the others to fall to the floor as well. Their restraints must have also been magical, as they, too, had dispersed. Max and Alice were still unconscious, but Daniel and Sophie were awake. They sat next to each other, with Daniel leaning heavily against Sophie's shoulder. He was weak.

Abbii could sense that Daniel's injury was absorbing most of his strength. When it was time for them to go, she had to make sure that Daniel was the first to leave. Max, on the other hand, had grown stronger since Abbii had last been inside of the hall. His powers had obviously healed him whilst he had been held. She could see that Maria and Taro were stood with their backs to the entrance.

Glancing to Sythe, Abbii lowered her voice. "Daniel is priority."

He nodded in response, and the two of them started to move forwards slowly. Abbii's gaze focused onto Nate. He was still lay on his front, though Abbii could sense that part of his wound had begun its repairs. She tried to enter into his mind but something stopped her.

"So, you have returned."

Abbii and Sythe stopped in their place as Maria turned. Taro followed her movements closely, narrowing his eyes.

"I did not think you would, but it seems that you have pushed your fear aside at last. Your powers have healed you quickly. I can feel their strength running through my veins."

Glancing again at Sythe, Abbii remembered his explanation—that only a small amount of her magical energy would have transferred into Maria's body. They just had to wait for it to disperse.

"I believe you are standing on the wrong side, Sythe." Maria looked at him, her eyes narrowed in disappointment. "After everything I have done for you."

Taro moved his arm, glowing with magic, but when Maria looked at him, he lowered it again and remained still.

Sythe inhaled a breath. "Innocent people are suffering because of you, Maria; not only the living, but the dead as well."

Although she did not fully understand what Sythe was referring to, Abbii agreed. "I know what happened to you, Maria. They had no right what they did to you, but why make everyone suffer, just because of three men's mistakes?"

"How dare you! All creatures that call themselves men deserve to die!" A sudden burst of magic erupted from Maria's skin, soaring towards Abbii at a heightened pace. She simply raised her arm, calling upon a barrier of Light to protect her. Maria's magic exploded against it and then faded. Huffing loudly, Maria narrowed her eyes. "I see that your powers have reached their limit."

Shuffling in her place, Abbii watched as Maria's gaze settled onto Nate's body. He was lying close to Maria's feet. Abbii wished that she could run to him, but she knew that her enemy would reach him first.

"All you want is revenge."

Maria glared at Abbii. "Men will pay for tainting this land. If all beings were the same, discrimination would not cause violence."

"But how will that change what happened to you, Maria? It won't. Nothing you do will change your past!"

"Once the hearts of men are consumed by the Darkness which has remained hidden within for so long, all those tainted by mortality will die."

Sythe gasped quietly. "We won't allow you to do that!"

Abbii moved forwards, calling upon her magic. "We will protect this land from you, no matter what it takes."

"I accept your challenge," Taro replied clearly. He moved from the raised platform, allowing his magic to gather across his skin.

Abbii glanced between him and Maria, sensing that they were communicating telepathically. She looked at Nate and then returned her gaze ahead. It was impossible for her to fight against Taro and Maria whilst protecting her friends at the same time.

Maria walked towards Nate's body. Pausing for a moment to meet Abbii's gaze, she looked to the floor almost in regret. She called upon her powers as she knelt, causing the two of them to disappear from sight. A burst of coloured energy was all that remained, which faded a moment later.

"No!" Abbii shouted. She wanted to use her magic to go after them, but she knew that she couldn't leave her friends. Calming her breath, Abbii looked at Sophie.

She was stroking her hand against Daniel's forehead. A high fever was spreading across his skin. Looking up, Sophie met Abbii's gaze, moving her lips as if to speak. Abbii smiled, realising what she had said.

We believe in you.

Focusing ahead, she and Sythe prepared themselves as Taro ran towards them. She knew that Taro was a strong Elemental, but she did not know how to challenge his strength.

A large blast of heated energy soared towards them. Sythe quickly rolled to avoid it, but Abbii did not have the chance, calling upon her powers instead. Teleporting to the side, she created a shockwave of energy to spread outwards as she materialised. Taro destroyed it easily, pulsing electricity through the air. Abbii reflected most of its power with a shield of Light, but remnants of its energy cut through her skin. Sythe quickly dodged a falling piece of debris, as parts of the ceiling caved in due to the electrical bursts across its surface.

Snow drifted through the space silently.

Running at Taro as he clenched his fists, Sythe jumped towards him, knocking him from his feet. He tried to grab at his body to stop his magic from forming, but it pulsed outwards, throwing Sythe violently into the wall. Abbii quickly surrounded herself with magic, which seemed to absorb Taro's attack with ease. She glanced to Sythe to see that he had returned to his feet. His strength was too weak to challenge Taro.

Sythe.

He met her gaze as she entered his mind with her thoughts.

Help Daniel and Sophie to the infirmary. I'll keep Taro busy.

With slight hesitation, he nodded and moved towards them. Taro, seeing his movement, quickly raised his arm to stop him in his tracks. A sharp edge of ice pierced his side, however, causing his magic to falter. He turned and glared at Abbii as she formed a wave of ice to surge towards him.

Surrounding himself with fire, Taro destroyed most of the ice, though several shards pierced his skin. He growled in annoyance, throwing orbs of fire in Abbii's direction. Many of them were deflected into the wall behind her, but one of them seemed to expand, crashing into Abbii's chest.

She gasped for a breath as the air from her lungs was pushed out. Another part of the ceiling fell to the floor, causing the structure to become unstable. The floor started to shake. Glancing to the side as Taro approached her, Abbii could see that Sythe was helping Daniel to stand, with Sophie taking his opposite arm. At least they would soon be safe.

A slice of solidified air crashed into Abbii's body, slamming her back against the brick. She cried out, falling to her knees. The strength in her veins was more than enough to defeat Taro, but she didn't know what she could do. She didn't know what type of magic was under her control. A thought came to mind then, and she remembered what Nate had once told her.

Think it and your powers will do it.

She couldn't imagine it being that simple, but it was worth a try. Raising her arms above her head, the centre of the cracked floor rose up and engulfed Taro's body violently. He thrashed against its movement with fire and electricity, but the magic bounded back and pierced his own skin. Abbii focused onto the snow, watching as it swirled around Taro's prison hastily. The arch of flooring soon froze, consuming the wood, as well as Taro's body within.

Abbii had to use this opportunity well. She teleported onto the raised platform and checked on her friends. Max was leaning against the wall, catching his breath. Alice hadn't moved. He smiled as he met Abbii's gaze.

"Took you long enough," he mused.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded. "I'm fine; it's just bloody freezing in here!"

She realised then that the air had grown considerably colder since parts of the roof had fallen in. Her skin shivered. Moving to Alice's side, she reached out, glancing over her body to see if she had sustained any injuries. A spark of light ignited between their skin, and Alice's eyes opened. Max, confused at what had happened, stood to his feet and walked over.

"What was that?"

Alice sighed. "Maria tried to enter my thoughts. It took a lot of energy to keep her out." Moving to sit up, she glanced at Max and then at Abbii. "Thanks for the jumpstart." She smiled then, allowing her face to glow. Her beauty was evident.

Max butted in, "Why can't that happen between us?" He winked childishly, causing Alice to roll her eyes.

A loud blast of energy erupted across the room then, drawing their gaze. The flooring that had imprisoned Taro's body was obliterated, throwing shards across the large space. Several pieces of ceiling fell to the ground as Taro glared towards Abbii and her friends. His side and his shoulder were bleeding heavily.

Abbii looked at Max and Alice quickly. "I need you to do something for me."

"Anything," Alice replied.

"I need you to see if Daniel and Sophie made it to the infirmary. Then see if you can find Nate."

"Where is he?" Max asked quickly. "He was here with us before."

Standing to her feet, Abbii breathed in. "He's with Maria. Don't approach them, just find him, okay?" She jumped from the raised platform and held Taro's gaze.

Max's brow arched inwards. "You're joking, right?"

"Please."

"You're gonna fight this guy by yourself? No way!" Max went to follow Abbii's movements, but Alice grabbed his wrist tightly.

"Keep it up." As her voice faded, she called upon her teleportation which absorbed her body and then Max's. He tried to fight against it, but it was no good.

Abbii smiled, glad that everyone was safe. She allowed it to fade then, meeting Taro's gaze. He growled, baring his teeth.

Without warning, Abbii was thrown from her feet as a rush of energized air collided with her body. Mid-fall, she teleported into a standing position and then ran at Taro. Swirls of light engulfed her fists which she pushed into his chest forcefully, allowing ripples of magic to course through him. He grabbed at one of her outstretched arms, twisting it awkwardly so that she lost her breath. A bright flash consumed his aura which rubbed violently against her skin, causing her to cry out. Taro tossed her body to the side effortlessly.

As she landed, skidding across the uneven floor, splinters of wood pushed into her skin. She crashed into the wall, causing part of it to fall towards her. Inhaling a quick breath, her magic consumed her skin and she disappeared. Due to the lack of her focus though, she materialised at Taro's feet.

Glaring down at her, pushing his foot against her chest, Taro watched her eyelids move slowly, heavy with fatigue. "You have such power. It is a shame that you cannot use it correctly." His expression widened into a smile as he raised his arm.

Abbii didn't know what else she could do. She had vowed to save her friends, and that was what she had done. Taro had too much magical experience for her to overcome. Why waste more of her energy if she was going to die anyway?

A sudden surge of yellow light collided into Taro's body, throwing him off balance. It then appeared to his right, cutting his chest, before it created a blast of energy which pushed him from his feet. Abbii was consumed by the light, forming a moment later by the wall. The yellow aura belonged to Alice.

"You came back," Abbii whispered. "Are they all safe?"

Alice nodded. "Sophie's tending to Daniel now."

"And Nate?"

"Maria's taken him to the water," Max replied, stood to Abbii's side. "You just gonna give up?"

Abbii didn't want to give up, but what could she do against Taro?

Keep fighting, Abbii.

Nate's voice circled her mind. She could sense that he was in pain; his wound wasn't healing properly. She wasn't going to lose him.

Taro raised both of his arms, creating a large wave of water in front of himself. The sound of its movement reverberated throughout the hall, and as it was commanded forwards, Abbii could feel its power. She stood, feeling as if time had slowed. A light warmed her skin, spreading out from her chest. She started to run, seeing that her friends followed her movement. The light around her body brightened and stretched forwards like a ray of sunlight. She stopped in her place, shouting loudly.

Her powers beamed towards the water, splitting it into two smaller bodies which seemed to disperse. The light blasted into Taro's body, causing a shockwave to surge outwards on impact. His skin ripped as his limbs were pushed on with the force. He struggled to inhale a breath as he met Abbii's gaze. Max lifted his foot, crashing it into Taro's chest before he could recover. Falling to his knees, a bright spark of energy materialized at Taro's side, forming Alice. With a large splinter of wood in her hand, she impaled his neck, watching as he fell forwards. He lay still, dead.

Abbii sighed, trying to steady her breathing. Her friends looked at her and nodded. They had done all that they could for Abbii. She had to rescue Nate herself.

"Thank you."

Max raised his hand to his forehead and saluted childishly. It made Abbii laugh as Alice rolled her eyes. She wished that she had known them longer.

"See you when you get back." Alice smiled, pushing Max towards the entrance.

"Hey, where are we going?" Max tried to turn to ask Abbii, but Alice kicked him out. She looked back briefly before entering into the corridor.

Abbii had one last thing to do.

She breathed in, knowing that she had done all that she could for her friends. Now it was Nate that she had to protect; he had spent long enough keeping her safe. Looking ahead, Abbii could see that most of the far wall had been obliterated. The snow was gushing in, covering the splintered floor with a white frosting. She could see the silhouettes of the trees outside. The Everglades's pool was directly ahead.

Starting to move slowly, Abbii tried to work out what to do. At first she wanted to attack Maria with everything that she had, but she understood what her opponent was trying to do. The events of her past had made Maria angry, filling her heart with raw emotion, and throwing that against all of mankind in revenge had been the only thing that Maria could have done to feel better.

Abbii stepped onto the raised platform, feeling the cool wind circle her skin. She allowed her powers to form, offering her a shield against the cold. Bright sparks of coloured light danced at her fingertips. As she stepped outside, seeing that only a thin blanket of snow had built, Abbii looked towards the pool, noticing Maria's silhouette. She was stood, waiting.

Moving an overhanging branch with her arm, Abbii began to descend the small decline which led to the water's edge. She remembered the last time that she had been there, running to meet Jake. Even then she had felt that something was wrong, due to the feeling that something had watched her from the trees. From that evening, everything in Abbii's life had changed.

She stopped as she reached the bank. Nate was lying at the side. He was weak but conscious. Abbii made her way towards him, being sure that Maria's focus remained on the water's surface.

Kneeling by his side, Abbii reached out and touched his shoulder. His skin was deathly cold. "Nate."

In response to her voice, he moved his head to meet her gaze. "You came."

She smiled. "I wasn't going to leave you."

"You should have." Looking away, Nate closed his eyes.

Abbii's brow arched in confusion and she held her breath. "You're giving up that easily?" She was angry at the fact that Nate had given up.

Keeping his eyes closed, Nate sighed quietly. "You don't know me, Abbii."

"What are you talking about?" She lowered her head for a moment, inhaling a deep breath. She knew exactly what Nate was referring to. Calming herself, she laid her hand against his. "Just because you're part of Jake, you thought I wouldn't come?"

His eyes opened and she met his gaze. He had thought that she didn't know the truth. "You still came?"

"You are who you are, no matter whom your family are or what soul created you." A tear rolled across her cheek.

Nate held her gaze, raising his hand to her face. He stroked her cheek gently, causing a flicker of light to dance across his irises. "I'm sorry I lost my faith in you."

Raising her arm, Abbii took hold of Nate's hand tightly, as he removed it from her skin. "Why aren't you healing?" Abbii shuffled in her place, feeling on edge. "Will it heal?"

"It will take time for me to grow strong again. Taro's magic had grown out of control. It controlled him, possessing his body."

Seeing that his skin was pale, Abbii focused onto his wound. Raising her right hand to lie above it, whilst taking hold of Nate's with the other, she breathed in. A bright spark of light ignited between the two of them which caused Nate to gasp for a breath. Both of their bodies glowed fluorescently, and it took little time for Nate's side to heal completely. Warmth spread throughout his body and he sat up a moment later.

Smiling, Abbii wrapped her arms around him, feeling him do the same. His blue aura buzzed against hers. For once, Abbii could focus on Nate entirely, without feeling uncomfortable or overcome with strange emotions. She allowed her consciousness to swim through his mind, hearing his thoughts envelop her. It had been a long time since Abbii had let someone close to her, but Nate was different.

She smiled seeing the way her aura accepted his. Her aura had never fully been visible before, but now Abbii could see its true beauty. It was made up of silver and lilac flecks—Nate's favourite colour, and now she knew why.

"Your powers truly have no limits." Maria turned and focused onto Abbii.

Pulling away from Nate's chest, Abbii stood and faced her directly. She could sense that Maria had weakened again; she had no energy left to fight with. "What do you want Maria? You're weak. You have no power!"

She smiled. "I started my hunt for you many years ago, wanting nothing more than to feel your powers flow through my veins. I wanted a new beginning, new strength in life, but it seems your powers have been given to another already." Turning to look over the water, she breathed in, raising her gaze to the full moon. "He fooled me into giving him the Darkfields. He deceived me."

"Who's 'he'? And what are the Darkfields?"

"It's where the Shadows live," Nate replied, standing to his feet.

Maria nodded. "Yes, and now he will open the portal that separates that realm from this one. The Dark creatures of the Darkfields will consume this land; even those with magic will not survive it. The magical veil of Pennyworth will only hold them back for a short amount of time."

"The Veil?" Abbii queried.

Dropping her gaze to the water again, Maria replied clearly. "It was made to separate the tainted land from the areas blossoming with life. I wanted to destroy it... to watch how the Elders, and all those who deserved death, suffered. I wanted to watch them die—"

"But there were people with magic suffering, and that wasn't what you wanted," Nate added. "The Veil keeps the Light and Darkness separated, but those that die beneath it cannot move on, even those with magic."

"Yes. Things have changed," Maria worded quietly.

"The spirits." Abbii remembered her promise to set them free. "So to set the spirits free, we need to stop the Darkfields from opening, then we don't need the Veil anymore?"

Maria turned and met Abbii's gaze directly. "The Darkfields should not be connected to this realm. It was created to keep the Dark creatures from the living. You will have to destroy the connection."

Abbii nodded in understanding. "Thank you."

Looking away, Maria remained silent.

Taking hold of Abbii's hand, Nate faced towards the College. "Come on." He started to walk then, with Abbii following him. She felt reluctant to leave Maria, though.

Stopping in her place, she released Nate's hand and turned. "Help us, Maria."

"I am your enemy, child. It will not serve you well to have me by your side. If my power would allow it, I would still cause suffering to men. My revenge is still not satisfied...though I wish those with magic hope for the future. His betrayal has caused me to alter my perceptions. I leave the safety of those gifted with magic to you." Moving her arm to the side, the moonlight revealed Maria's dagger, held tightly in her grasp. She raised it fluently and thrust it into her chest.

"No!" Abbii went to run towards her but Nate grabbed her tightly, wrapping his arms around her body. She did not resist, though she felt guilty that Maria had felt that there was no other way.

Falling to her knees, Maria looked up to the moon. She smiled, allowing her cheeks to glow.

A tear rolled across Abbii's cheek. She gasped for a breath, realising that she needed one more question answering. "Who is 'he', Maria? Who's going to open the Darkfields?"

Lowering her gaze to meet Abbii's, Maria inhaled a shallow breath. "The Forgotten he has become."

"Who?" Abbii shouted.

Maria's body was overcome with light and she faded from sight, as her last words left her lips. "Christian...Jake."

A quiet gasp escaped Abbii's lips.

Nate's hold tightened and he laid his head against her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Abbii."

She simply stared ahead at the place where Maria had stood. Even without using her powers, she sensed that Maria had spoken the truth. Jake was alive. He had never died that day, and if Abbii had focused closer to the vision that she had seen of Jake's attack, she would have known the truth—she would have noticed that his body had never fallen to the ground. It had disappeared into Darkness to be revived.

After everything that had happened, things had become even harder.

Time had changed nothing.

Jake was still beyond Abbii's grasp, though it wasn't death that separated them now, but rather Darkness. He had chosen to accept the Dark.

"Jake."

A tear, glowing with light, fell from Abbii's cheek, disappearing silently into the white snow at her feet. Her hair fell loose from its grip. Its scarlet colouring surrounded her face, blowing beautifully with the wind. She looked out over the water, inhaling a breath that stung her lungs.

She didn't know whether she should fall to her knees and cry out, as if the pain that coursed through her was physical, or whether she should just turn her back to the water and move on. The decision didn't really matter. Nate's tight embrace was all that was certain.

He would never let her go.
