"Sean! Amy! Signe! Ethan!" Mark called out their names as he ran into the forest with Paul and Thomas struggling to catch up.

"What if they lied and they're not in the forest?" Paul panted as he managed to catch up to Mark with Thomas limping by his side.

"There's not enough time to doubt them. I certainly don't trust them, but right now the only thing I'm worried about is finding my friends before the shadows do." Mark grimaced.

As they continued their search, Mark felt a pang of sadness when they came across his old camp, most of the ashes scattered by the wind.

Mark shook his head to force himself to move on and not dwell in his grief. There would be time for that later.

"Mark...did one of your friends have tan skin like you?" Paul spoke up, spying a figure calmly sitting in a ring of ashes.

"Nate!" Mark cried as he ran towards his friend.

Only he wasn't Nate.

"Close but not quite." Nate's shadow smirked as he turned to face Mark, his black eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Natemare, pleasure to beat you." Nate's shadow gave the group a dramatic bow.

"Your friend Nate however, he's with the rest of your merry band of misfits." Natemare continued.

"Where?" Mark demanded, eager to make sure they were safe.

"Not so fast, I need something from you." Natemare shook his head.

"What do you need?" Mark frowned in suspicion.

"Don't let Dark, Anti, and Infelix win. If Nate dies, I die with him." Natemare pleaded.

"Nate's alive?!?" Mark exclaimed in shock.

"Yes, but not for long if you keep standing here." Natemare pointed out.

Mark took the hint and left with Paul and Thomas, his exhaustion replaced with a sense of hope and determination.

Nate was alive, meaning that Bryan, Gunner, and Kevin could be as well. He just had to find them and the others, which was proving to be harder than he expected.

"Can we...take a break?" Paul gasped for air, doubling over in pain with an arm wrapped around his bandaged ribs.

"You and Thomas need to go somewhere and wait for me, I can't rest while the shadows hunt down my friends." Mark rested a reassuring hand on Paul's shoulder. Neither of the injured men looked good from following Mark during his frantic run.

"Mark-"

"I'll be careful." Mark promised his older brother, giving him a quick hug before darting off.

"Looking for something?"

Mark froze when he heard a familiar deep baritone voice.

Dark.

Mark looked around to find the shadow pressing a knife against Amy's neck. Amy bit her lip to try to seem brave and keep the tears at bay.

"Let her go!" Mark demanded, balling his fists at his side to keep from lunging at Dark to punch his cocky egotistical face in.

"Only if you give up the search for the pitiful wastes of space you consider friends. Not everyone has to die today...unless you want everyone to." Dark sneered.

"Don't worry about me...just save Ethan, Sean, Signe, and your friends." Amy bowed her head slightly in defeat, a single tear trailing down her cheek as she closed her eyes, waiting for Dark to slit her throat and end her life.

He never did.

Amy's eyes snapped open just in time to see Mark with Dark's knife sticking out of his chest.