I sat by Cole's bedside. I hadn't moved in weeks, just waiting for him to wake up.

He was lucky. The sword missed his heart and spine, but he had lost a lot of blood. Zane was surprised that he was still alive when the team found us.

"Hope," Sensai Wu said from behind me. I didn't even jump or move.

"What?" I snapped at him. I wasn't in the mood for riddles or advice. All I wanted was for Cole to wake up and hold my hand and tell me he loved me.

"You must go home,"

I jumped up, knocking the chair to the floor. How could he say something like that to me, at this moment?

"I'm not going anywhere!"

"You feel it too. You are no longer needed here and you must return home,"

I looked at Cole. He needed me here when he woke up, but deep down, I knew what Sensai was saying was true. My brothers needed me. I was torn in two.

My family in New York, or my family here? I could only choice one.

I made my choice.

I only have one life and I can't spend it all here. No, I had to go home, back to New York. But I couldn't leave Cole without telling him why I wasn't there for him.

Sensai left the room and I stood the chair back up. I got paper and a pen. I wrote down a letter for Cole.

I knew the rest would read it. I counted on them to do so, to help Cole get through this mess I caused.

I just could only hope that he would understand why I did this.

It came time for me to leave. I said my goodbyes and walked through the purple portal that was my way home.

I looked back only once, hopping against all odds I would see Cole standing there, so I could tell him in person who I was. But he wasn't there, and I kept moving forward.