Tommy spends two weeks with Wilbur without the company of their other family or the distraction of Wilbur's studies and Tommy's friendships. Wilbur has been given leave from his schooling for the short period of the Summer Hunt. Tubbo, despite being a little older than Tommy, was allowed to attend with his father, Duke Schlatt. Tommy does feel a little lonely without the presence of his friend, but Wilbur makes for an entertaining companion. Despite the fate awaiting both of them, Tommy believes they had fun. They read stories together in the library, and Wilbur even attempts to teach Tommy the alphabet of the empire. Tommy knows that this isn't the language he spoke in the other world, but memories lift into his mind of these letters. He pretends not to understand because he's a child right now, but he decides to look into the unfamiliar memories that now belong to him at a later date.

They also play outside. Tommy particularly likes the garden, so they have a picnic every afternoon with delicious foods that Tommy never would have been able to imagine. On the fairer days, Wilbur will bring out his guitar. Even without his tutor breathing down his neck, Wilbur practices daily. He is steadfast in his pursuit of becoming a musical master. Tommy does not have anything he wishes to achieve as much, except living a fulfilling life, but he does not begrudge Wilbur for his ambitions. He will lay his head on Wilbur's outstretched legs, falling asleep to Wilbur's songs more often than not.

When the two weeks are up, Wilbur and Tommy stand on the staircase of the palace, mirroring how they looked when their family left for the Summer Hunt. Tommy holds Wilbur's hand, waiting for the carriages to arrive. He rocks on the heels of his feet. He is curious what sort of monster heads Techno will bring home for him and Wilbur. In the Ender Prince, the author explains how the world is dominated by races other than humans and hybrids. Although there are sentient races, there is one race entirely made up of monsters. There are subraces, of course, but they are collectively referred to as Mobs. Ranboo and his allies fight a lot of them on their journey through the continent, and Tommy thinks the existence of monsters fascinates him almost as much as elementals and magic does.

"Here they are!" Wilbur cheers, squeezing Tommy's hands affectionately. Tommy looks up at his brother's smiling face. Since that first day being alone together, they have really fallen into the rhythm of brotherhood. Tommy hasn't been able to say 'I love you' since, but Wilbur never asks him to. Wilbur continues to whisper it in his goodnight messages, no hesitation or conditions to his love. Tommy envies Wilbur's peaceful childhood, unaware of the dangers waiting in the wings for their time centerstage.

The carriage swings around the large fountain sparkling in the sunlight in the palace's courtyard. Tommy's smile slowly slips off his face when he notices how recklessly the coachman is driving. The horses seem terrified, antsy even as they pull into an uneasy stop. The coachman throws himself from the carriage as soon as it is safe, darting into the line of servants waiting to greet their masters after their return. He grabs the shoulders of the head butler, and Tommy notices that the coachman is soaked to the bone despite the day being sunny and dry. The horses, too, are creating a puddle under their hooves, shaking their sopping manes.

The carriage door slams open. Kristin shoots out of the carriage, ignoring the simple fact that there is no footman waiting to take her hand. She holds the skirt of her dress, climbing up the stairs as quickly as Raven flies up them. Kristin reaches Wilbur and Tommy without delay. She wraps her arms around both of them, pulling them to the side of the staircase. Tommy, frozen in confusion and rising fear, stumbles with her to the far wall. Wilbur does not go as willing, but he fumbles over, staring at his mother's wet glove... no, not wet, Tommy realizes. Kristin is wearing clothing that has been frozen. Her clothing got wet at some point, and now it's completely frosted over. Tommy knows the empire is cold, but why is Kristin's clothing frozen when the coachman is only wet?

Tommy's knees give out, letting his entire weight rest against his mother's forearm. He looks at the carriage with widening eyes. The breath in his lungs is stolen from him. He feels a rush of panic spiral up from the tips of his fingers to his spine, making it shiver like a babe placed in the snow. Wilbur makes a horrid noise, and Kristin winces, a sob barely held in.

Philza is thrown out the carriage door. He lands roughly on the ground, his wings useless in their attempt to keep him upright. Techno comes out next, holding the edges of the carriage's door frame with enough force that the wood fractures. Sneeg wraps his arms around Techno's neck and shoulders, holding the pink-haired prince back as he plants a foot on the ground, shattering the stone path beneath him. His eyes are wild as they look around the palace, and his very gaze has servants fleeing for their lives or passing out. Techno growls at them, reaching a clawed hand towards them. His hand is taken by Philza, who attempts to keep both of his son's arms pinned to his sides. Techno doesn't like this, glaring harshly at Philza, completely unaware of their connection. Techno fights against his restraints, and the wind starts to pick up. Hundreds of air elementals respond to Sneeg's call. They assist their king in holding Techno down. Techno doesn't like this, and he tilts his head back to release an angry yell.

Tommy falls over, coughing up water. Kristin makes a pained noise, and Tommy is shoved up against her chest as Tommy attempts to fill his lungs back up with air. Wilbur stares at Tommy, completely horrified. He turns his attention away for a moment to look at Techno and the hundreds of frenzied water elementals that now circulate the air. Each of them were twisted expressions, some more inhuman than others. An ice elemental that resembles a skeleton turns its misty eyes towards Kristin, Wilbur, and Tommy. Kristin narrows her eyes at it, and Raven swoops in to knock the skeleton's skull off the vertebrae. The ice elemental dissipates into thin smoke, but once victory does not make the other elementals disappear.

"Attack the water elementals!" A voice calls from the top of the staircase. Tommy heaves as he looks up. Captain Jordan Sparklez, head of the Imperial Guard and the empire's current General, stands with his gloved hands pointing out different places for the rest of the guard to attack. When his orders are given, he rushes to Kristin, Wilbur, and Tommy. He leans down on one knee at their side. "Your imperial majesty, are you three okay?"

"We are fine. Please, help the rest of the guard with the elementals. I will protect my children until you can return to us," Kristin commands him, her voice shrill with the cold temperature but otherwise steady. Tommy wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, feeling a tingly sensation throughout his body. He wonders where the water came from. Was there a water elemental inside of him? Was this an effect of being close to Techno or any of the other elementals right now? Is Tommy's lack of affinity for elementals the reason Techno's scream affected him more than the others?

"As you wish," Jordan says, standing up. He pulls a bow from his back. He pulls the bowstring back, and an arrow made from swirling purple and black energy forms in the empty space. Jordan launches the arrow, and it strikes through the heart of a water elemental resembling a crane. Jordan continues firing arrows as he joins his men on the frontlines. Any elementals he misses are swiftly dealt with by Raven's agile flying maneuvers and Kristin's shadow manipulation. In the midst of the battle, Tommy turns his eyes to Philza, Sneeg, and especially Techno.

With the help of the air elementals, Philza and Sneeg have managed to drag Techno up the steps of the palace. Techno thrashes in their hold, more of a wild animal than a noble prince. He froths from the mouth, and his red eyes glance over at the three figures huddled in the corner. Tommy can no longer breathe when those eyes meet his. He feels like he's drowning in a frozen river. There is no chance for escape. Even if he could get rid of the weights pulling him down or the current pushing him forward, there is a thick layer of ice that he will not be able to break. And there is something in the water with him. A large predatory, ancient and deadly, waits for him to succumb to the panic, to become one with the sinking waves, before it will devour him like the weak prey he is. Tommy has never felt a fear like this in his life, this one or the last.

"Techno!" Wilbur cries out, attempting to leave his mother's arms to reach his twin. Kristin tightens her grip, keeping him close to her chest even as Wilbur sobs and screams. His reckless actions are enough to pull Tommy away from his terror. The fear lessens without eye contact, but it does not go away. Tommy trembles, looking down at his hands. Frost is starting to climb up his fingertips.

Kristin places her chin on Wilbur's hair, keeping him sated for a moment. Wilbur deflates in his mother's arms, watching as Techno is dragged into the palace. The doors shut behind him, and the residual sound makes all of the elementals disappear. The Imperial Guard lowers their weapons hesitantly, waiting for another attack. When none come, they scramble to help the servants and check the damages. Jordan climbs up the stairs, but he hesitates when he sees the broken family in front of him. His expression is grim as he awaits new orders. Kristin hardly gives him a glance as she lowers her arms. Wilbur stumbles out of her grasp, taking a few steps before he crumbles to his knees. Tommy remains seated in his mother's lap, leaning his head against her chest. He realizes now that he's crying, and the frost is beginning to retreat, allowing feeling the return to the skin underneath.

"What happened?" Tommy whispers, knowing that he is not the only person who wants to know. Techno has always been the model of composure and apathy. He is strong, yes, but he keeps his emotions in check and he is a lot more methodical in a fight. This wild temperament and animalistic behavior is not common to him. Philza and Sneeg's actions make it clear that Techno is no longer rational. He would even hurt his father, and Tommy knows for a fact that Techno holds no one in higher regard than Philza. Whatever that was, it wasn't Techno. It couldn't have been... unless...

"Something happened during the Summer Hunt. Your brother is just a little lost right now. I promise that we will guide him home. Everything will turn out alright," Kristin whispers, reaching a hand up to wipe the curls off of Tommy's forehead. She reaches her hand out to Wilbur. He looks at her with trembling lips and tears streaming down his face. With a sob, he launches himself at her, burying his face in her chest. Tommy watches helplessly as the two of them hold each other tightly.

Tommy knows about this event. It was talked about in the book even if it wasn't explicitly shown. Techno confided in Ranboo about some events in his past that he was never able to get clarity or closure about. It deepened their bond, and it eventually got so personal that Techno told Ranboo one particular story about his childhood. The Blood God- one of the two gods the people of the empire devoutly worship- saw potential in Techno when he was a young boy. In order to cultivate this potential, the Blood God forcibly contracted Techno with the Water Elemental King. Because of this, Techno went mad. He spent many years in a position like this- wild and uncontrollable. It took awhile for Techno to regain control over his mind.

Tommy looks around one last time. Kristin's sorrowful expression as she tries to comfort her sons. Wilbur's sobbing face as he attempts to understand the pain his twin is going through without being able to help. Jordan's uneasiness as he reconciles the fact that someone in the imperial family could be a danger to the entire clan. The servants and guardsmen as they try to figure out what happened and move past the terror they felt.

Tommy shudders to think what Philza and Sneeg are going through right now, and his heart absolutely burns when he realizes what Techno could be feeling. Never before has he felt so helpless.

—

"Well, I don't know about that. Have you met the Blood God?" Ranboo asks, looking up from the writing.

Techno hums, turning the page of the book. "Once."

Ranboo startles. He did not expect an answer, and he certainly didn't think he would get that as an answer. Ranboo places the book he was reading back on the table. He leans on the edge of his seat. He waits for Techno to explain further, but he is met with the sound of pages continuing to turn. Ranboo frowns. "Will you tell me about it?"

Techno sighs. He lowers the book into his lap. He looks out the window. Ranboo glances through the glass, but he doesn't see much more than the sky and a few snowflakes dancing in the wind. He turns his attention back to Techno. The pink haired prince speaks slowly, a little more softly than normal. "When I was younger, I went to the Summer Hunt with my family. This was when Theseus was very little."

Ranboo's nose scrunches up. He cannot imagine Theseus being any younger than he is now. Ranboo still has a hard time believing Theseus is a teenager, so it is even stranger to imagine a small child with blonde hair, purple eyes, and a cruel disposition. Well, Theseus was probably just a brat back then, not a monster like he is now. Or maybe he wasn't a monster since Kristin would have been alive during this time. Ranboo shakes his head. He's getting distracted.

"Does the Blood God usually appear at the Summer Hunt?" Ranboo asks, prompting Techno for more information.

"No, he does not. We praise him during the hunt. We invoke his name before we march into the hunting grounds, and we burn a portion of what we killed in his honor. The gods do not usually pay us a personal visit, however," Techno says. Ranboo blinks. He had no idea that was why Theseus told Ranboo to cut off the best parts of the animals and Mobs he killed and put them in the fire. Ranboo thought it was a punishment, not a holy observation. Ranboo huffs, realizing this is exactly why he's been doing so much research lately.

"So, he paid you a special visit?" Ranboo asks. He cannot imagine a god visiting him. He doesn't remember the End having gods, but he thinks they had something like it. Or maybe that didn't and Ranboo is completely out of his depth when thinking about his homeland.

"I was deep in the woods on one of the last days. I was searching for an intermediate Mob to face to test my skills. A voice told me that I should not waste my time with unworthy opponents. I would have argued had I not seen the face the voice was wearing. A boar skull with darkness filling the inside. It spoke to me from the shadows, and it sent me to a very dangerous creature that someone of my age and skill level should not have vanquished," Techno explains, a fuzziness in his eyes as he recalls the details of that day. Ranboo sits back in his seat, intently listening like he does every time Techno gets that look. Ranboo wouldn't have asked if he had known this was a painful memory for Techno.

"After the monster's defeat, the Blood God promised me a gift. I could not refuse the offer of my god, though I wish I would have. He contracted me with the Water Elemental King. Perhaps because of the lack of consent between either party, our contract was unstable. This had an adverse effect on both of our minds. The Blood God did nothing to save either of us from falling into corruption," Techno explains. Ranboo's eyes widen at the implications. "I was able to regain sanity with time. I have since forged a peaceful relationship with the Water Elemental King. I even gave him a proper name as per the minimum standards of a contract."

"Steve," Ranboo whispers. He knows Techno's elemental. He never imagined the dark history that lingered between Steve and Techno. He wouldn't be able to guess considering how close the two are, how well they work together.

"Steve, yes," Techno confirms, lifting his book up to go back to reading now that their conversation is over.

Ranboo frowns, "Are you okay?"

—

Tommy lies awake in the bed. Wilbur is on one side of him, snoring softly as he curls up into a ball around one of the smaller pillows. Kristin is on his other side, lying flat on her back with her hands crossed over her stomach. Despite being sound asleep with even breathing, her brow is knit together with worry lines. Wilbur shivers despite being underneath a thick blanket. The two of them seem in the throes of their concern even as sleep holds them down in a vice grip. Tommy is left out of its clutches. No matter how long he keeps his eyes closed, sleep will not come for him. He continues to search the ceiling for answers, his mind raving and rolling like a hungry animal prowling for food.

Tommy sits up slowly. He doesn't know what he's doing. Tommy starts to crawl to the foot of the bed. He shouldn't be doing anything right now. He slips off the end of the bed, landing on the cold tile of the floor. Kristin and Wilbur could wake up any moment. Tommy takes cautious but quick steps to the door. The plan he has is half-baked and going to fail. Tommy places his tiny hands on the doorknob, twisting slowly. The guards outside will drag him back to his mother's bed. There are no guards outside when Tommy peeks his head out. There will be guards headed this way any moment. Tommy needs to get out of here now.

Tommy races down the hallway with bare feet. He tries to keep all noise to a minimum, but there is little he can do to muffle his footsteps. He only slows down when he begins to approach the wing of the palace where Techno should be. It is close enough to the imperial family's wing that Philza can travel between both quickly, but it isn't in the wing proper. It is separate for everyone's protection, but Tommy despises it. He feels like they're telling Techno he isn't part of the family even though that isn't true in the slightest. Tommy frowns, wrapping his arms around himself. He shouldn't be here.

"I'm sorry." Tommy darts behind a pillar when he hears his father's voice. One of the doors in the hall is wide open. Philza's shadow falls across the opposite wall, framed by a warm orange light from candles. Tommy watches the silhouette move on the wall with some fascination.

A growl echoes through the hall like the ferocious call of a bear. Tommy covers his mouth with both of his hands. He feels tears rise to his eyes, but he blinks them away when he hears Philza start speaking again, "I am sorry for this. I really didn't want to do this, but I... I don't know what else to do. If you can understand me, Techno, please know that I love you no matter what. You are my son, not an animal, no matter what it looks like right now. This is as much for your safety as everyone else's. Please... please understand this."

He is answered by another growl, far more hostile than the first. Philza sighs, and his shadow starts to move up the wall as he steps out of the bedroom. Tommy peeks around the pillar. Philza stands by the large windows, placing a hand against the glass. He stares up at the moon, and the silver light reveals the exhausted and depressed expression etched onto his face like a stone carving. Philza lowers his head, pressing his forehead to the glass. He looks like he's praying, and Tommy wants to demand that he stop. The goddess of death might help them, but the Blood God is the reason they're in this situation. Of course, no one will stop praising the Blood God just for this, but Tommy doesn't have to be as religious as everyone else.

Philza walks away from the window. He passes the pillar Tommy is hiding behind. He rubs a hand over his face, probably too tired and emotionally charged to realize that he is being watched. Even if he did realize, Tommy doesn't have a large enough aura to be considered a threat. Philza would probably assume Tommy was an air elemental. Tommy thinks that is likely since he has avian genes inside of him right now, waiting to present themselves in the form of wings and talons.

When Philza's footsteps fade away, Tommy scrambles around the pillar. He darts into Techno's prison. He stops when he enters the first chamber. Unlike the rooms of the imperial wing, there is no antechamber. Tommy is directly in the main room, and he takes a moment to get his bearings. The windows in this room are high up, out of reach for anyone unless they could fly or had a ladder. There was a small chandelier, more metal pieces than glass. The features of the room have been shoved against the walls, leaving a wide open space. A chain is affixed to the wall with the other end wrapping around Techno's torso, wrists, and ankles. Tommy frowns, realizing what Philza meant with all his apologies. Techno is chained to the wall like some animal.

He growls at Tommy like one, too. He strains against his chain, gnashing his teeth in Tommy's direction. His red eyes have trouble focusing, but they seem to remain locked in Tommy's general vicinity, following Tommy as he slowly approaches Techno. Tommy stands in front of the kneeling form of his brother. He stands at arm's length, as close as he can get. He puts his hands up in a form of surrender.

"Get... out..." Techno orders Tommy through gritted teeth. His pupils contract, making him look like a human struggling under an intense weight. Techno tries to pull himself away from Tommy, putting distance between them even when his face is starting to turn red from effort. Despite how much he's trembling from fear, Tommy has never felt more loved. He thinks that if he wasn't currently risking his life, he would be able to say those three words to Techno. "I'm not in control."

"Tech won't hurt me," Tommy assures Techno, chasing away any fear that might linger in his voice.

"I will," Techno whispers. He sounds like he's swearing it, but Tommy can see it in Techno's eyes. Even as his pupils start dilating and his voice gets scratchier, Tommy knows that Techno is not going to hurt him. Not in this situation, anyway.

"What's wrong?" Tommy asks, even though he already knows.

"The voices," Techno says, defeated. He looks despondent, and Tommy knows why. No one else knows what Techno is going through. No one but Tommy. Techno could hear the whispers of all the water elementals in his ears. Like their king and patron god, they are fond of bloodshed and war. They consider it a cleansing. Techno is lost in their constant screaming for blood and victory, demanding that he kill everything in the name of their king and their god.

Back in the original world, Tommy read this book without really worrying about the characters. He never got into books the way his classmates did. He barely even liked the Ender Prince, only reading it to connect with his classmates and show his appreciation for the author, so why would Tommy care about the characters? They were fictional beings. Their emotions and lives were fake.

Now, Tommy wonders how authors can do this. Techno is suffering in front of him, consumed by thousands of voices and fighting the urge to hurt the people he loves. Tommy wonders how the Ender Prince's author was able to do this. They wrote such a devastating story filled with pain and bloodshed. No one in the book gets a happy ending. Most characters die, usually suffering a lot before their final breath. Tommy thought nothing of it as a reader. As Theseus, watching the happiness of his family and knowing it will disappear, knowing the futures of so many people in this world, he can't understand how the author could be so cruel. He wonders if they knew someone would reincarnate in their book. Did they think it was as fake as Tommy used to?

Tommy cannot dwell on this. The author is beyond his reach. What is in his reach is right in front of him.

Tommy takes a step into Techno's personal space, knowing that Techno can snap at any moment. Tommy feels no fear as he places his hands on Techno's cheeks. The prince looks up sharply. His mouth parts and his body stops thrashing when he feels Tommy's touch. His pupils slowly contract. The red glow intensifies, and Techno howls in pain. Tommy winces, sharing in his brother's pain. Tommy lifts Techno's head up, staring at Techno's pained expression. Tommy makes certain Techno's eyes are on him before he turns around. He throws his arms down at his sides, glaring at the empty air around him that he knows is full of invisible elementals. "Shut up! All of you, shut up!"

"Thes- no-" Techno tries, but he can barely move. The air around Tommy grows humid like a storm rolling over a swamp. The humidity crawls into Tommy's mouth like thousands of bugs trying to find a place to stay. They buzz like lightning all the way down his gullet, landing heavily in his lungs and stomach. Tommy feels woozy and lightheaded, but he refuses to give up. The water elementals want him to admit defeat. Tommy knows that doing so will only hurt Techno in the long run. Since his brother is incapacitated, Tommy will have to fight for him, long enough for Techno to garner the strength he's always had.

"Tech is in pain because of you! You want a master? Stop trying to kill him! Shut up! Leave him alone!" Tommy demands. He keeps himself from cussing since Techno might be able to hear him, but he doesn't cut his words up to fit someone of his age. Tommy doesn't have time to worry about being seen as a genius, not when Techno's sanity is at stake.

The humidity grows worse. Water drips in rivulets down the walls. Sweat falls down his body along with the tears running down his cheeks. He feels warm blood slip down his nostrils, an iron taste on his tongue. Tommy feels like he's drowning again. The water burns worse than fire in his lungs, and he scrambles to find a breath. He folds his arms around his stomach, attempting to force himself to puke up the water. The only thing Tommy does not do is fall down. He remains upright, standing as tall as he can. He reaches a hand up to wipe the blood from his nose on his hand. He lets the sweat and the tears fall, not inhibiting them in any way. He waits, remaining strong and patient.

In small waves, the humidity dissipates. Tommy's nose stops bleeding, and his tears soon stop, too. He wipes the sweat off his brow with the hand not covered in blood. The air grows warmer and drier, and Tommy can no longer hear metal crashing against metal. He looks over his shoulder at Techno. His brother is staring up at Tommy with eyes that belong to him. He does not gnash his teeth or attempt to claw at Tommy. He sits compliantly with worry in his eyes as he takes in Tommy's appearance. With the threat of being killed gone, Tommy throws his arms around Techno's shoulders. His brother startles, but he quickly returns the hug.

"I love you," Tommy whispers, realizing only after the words slip out that his love for Techno is the entire reason why he did all of this. This wasn't about getting good karma- this was about helping his family. This was because he hated seeing Wilbur sob so brokenly. He hated seeing Kristin holding two of her sons and being unable to even touch the third. He hated seeing Philza torn apart and broken. He hated seeing Techno lost in pain without anyone knowing how to help him. Tommy, for better or for worse, loves this family so much, and he couldn't bear knowing that Techno was hurting. It was a gamble doing this, but for Tommy, this love is a gamble, too. He will risk it all just to be held like this because he loves Techno. He wants Techno to be alive and healthy and happy.

"I love you," Techno replies, smooth like ice. Tommy closes his eyes. He feels so happy hearing that even though it isn't the first time Techno has said it to him. It just feels like the first time he was telling the truth. It is the first time those words settle in Tommy's head as they are meant to, carrying every scrap of adoration Techno holds for him with them.

"Techno! Theseus!" Philza yells, rushing into the room. He stops a few feet from them. His eyes widen when he notices the position they're in. He takes in their appearances, noting every detail before making the decision to wrap his arms around both of them. He holds them against his chest, similar to how Krisitn held Wilbur and Tommy earlier. Philza whispers praises to the heavens, his grip growing tighter with each forsaken breath.

"The air is uncharacteristically absent of water elementals," Sneeg notes, hovering over his contractor and his family. Tommy looks up at Sneeg. The Air Elemental King is staring at something near the group, his cloak flaring out in a way similar to Philza's wings when the tsar is worried about something. "All except the king."

Bubbles appear in the air with an iridescent sheen. They all freeze into crystals. The crystals shoot to a middle area, exploding when they all meet into a sparkly silver-white mist. The fog condenses into a material form. A polar bear with pure white fur stands on all fours beside the family, wearing a ceremonial collar made from gold metal and ruby gemstones. The polar bear's eyes are as black as obsidian and filled with intelligence. The polar bear bows its head at Sneeg Snag, speaking in a low voice that sounds exactly like what Tommy imagines the depths of the ocean would sound like if it could speak. "Greetings, King Sneeg Snag of the Air Elementals."

The polar bear looks away from Sneeg. It turns its entire body when it looks at the imperial family. It bows its head low again. "Greetings, imperial family of the Antarctic Empire. I must admit that it surprises me how many strong individuals are in your family. You have great courage, little one, to stand up against many unseen foes for the sake of your brother. You have my respect."

The polar bear presses his nuzzle against the space between Tommy's eyes. Tommy suddenly feels refreshed, and the lingering pain from almost drowning and his nose bleeding disappears. Tommy blinks, looking up at the polar bear. He stares into the creature's eyes as the polar bear turns towards his contractor. "I am eager to see how far you go, master."

The polar bear disappears in a reverse process of how it appeared. One of the bubbles pops against Tommy's forehead, and he suddenly leans back against his father's chest, feeling exhausted. As Tommy closes his eyes, he thinks that he isn't too sure about having an elemental of his own.

—

Her dream lingers in her mind as she rouses from her bed. She raises a hand to wipe the tears from her eyes. She sits down at her computer, pulling up the website she uses to write. She breathes out slowly, staring at the blinking line that marks an empty page. She places her hands on the keyboard. She begins typing, not thinking too much about the sentences she makes. She lets the feeling wash over her, and the words simply come to her. Unlike the other stories she writes, it is always incredibly easy to write about her dreams, even when they are ruining her emotionally. She sighs as she types the last word. She wipes the last of her tears away before titling the newest chapter of the Ender Prince, her most popular. She wonders how the audience will like this chapter. She wonders if Inniter will comment today. She smiles, hoping they do.