As the three girls left, the room fell into a tense silence. Each of them glanced around, trying to gauge each other's reactions to the information. Malakai waited for the first person to snap, he knew it was coming. However, he didn't know who it would be. He tried to figure out what was going on inside each person's head, thinking of many ways to get out of a fight should one arise.

Meanwhile, Maximus thought he had narrowed it down to who would cause the inevitable chaos. He had expected Eira or Aidan to be the one to blow up. He had never expected it to be his usually level-headed boyfriend to be the one to explode. Channing marched up to Malakai, shoving him roughly. "What the Maloid was that about, huh?"

"Down, boy!" Malakai commented wildly, amusement flickering in his eyes. But anyone could see the worry etched on his face, the wolf in front of him looking more animal than he had ever seen him.

"You worked for them?" Channing snarled angrily with a wolfish growl before turning to the warlock behind him who was watching the chaos unfold in front of him. "And you! Did you know about this? Freyr, I knew we couldn't trust you! You slimy, greasy, scum-"

"Channing! That's not helping!" Maximus shouted, placing a hand on the wolf's chest to calm him down. He took in a couple of quick, deep breaths in an attempt to relax, but the thoughts running through his head weren't helping. The warrior turned back to the others, keeping his hand on Channing. "But, he makes a good point. You didn't think that was important information to tell us? How can we even trust you now?"

"Now? How can you trust me... now?" Malakai repeated incredulously with a laugh of disbelief. "You couldn't trust me at all, actually. And the feeling is mutual, considering you all tried to kill me less than a week ago!"

"Can you blame us? You've wanted us dead for years, Valford. You had some childish goal to redeem your father by killing us! Which truly makes zero sense, by the way," Aidan chuckled bitterly, holding his hand out to the fuming boy in front of him, "the only reason we let you come with us was that we thought that somewhere in that vile heart of yours, there was a part of you that cared for Aurora. We thought that you would get out of your own way long enough to get her back, but no! No, that's just not who you are, is it?"

Malakai glared at him dangerously, trying to contain his fury. "Shut your mouth, Lucina. You don't know anything about me."

"No, you're right, I don't. But I thought Aurora did, guess we were wrong. If she's still even alive, I'll let you be the one to tell her!" Aidan spat out, shaking his head as he walked away to calm down. "Maloid, if she isn't alive, then that's on you! Do you hear me? You!"

"Can you all shut it?" Eira snapped coldly, her eyes locked on the place where Rory once stood. "There's nothing we can do about Malakai now, and we just have to deal with the fact that he's here. Fighting doesn't do anything. All we can do is wait for Rory."

"To do what? Save the day? She can hardly control her powers..." Malakai trailed off before correcting himself. "Well, actually, she doesn't even have any energy from the stars to control at the moment."

"That's why she didn't fight," Eira realized grimly, thinking back to that final fight in the village when they got arrested.

"We were on our way back to the house for her stars," he explained, nodding at Saffire in reference to where Rory left her stars.

Saffire rubbed her face tiredly. "So, we're doomed."

"Oh, please, do you really think Caeler didn't do his research? He knows all about her powers, and I can almost guarantee he has stars waiting for her," Eliphas told them pointedly from the corner of the cell.

"You'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" Saffire bitterly commented.

"I'd be careful if I were you. Just because you're useless down here, doesn't mean I am." He subtly whispered a spell into his balled-up hands, eyes locked with Saffire. He spread his hands, and a light appeared in his hands. Grinning, he abruptly chucked the light into her stomach, throwing her backward. She slammed against the wall with a grunt. Aidan blinked once in shock before seeming to come back himself. He jumped to help her off the ground, checking her for any lasting injuries from the spell.

"I'm fine," she assured him harshly, embarrassed that he took her down. "How can you still do spells?"

"This cell isn't meant to contain anyone in the coven. They weren't designed to hold a warlock or witch. Which means I can do magic in here."

"How do you know all of this? Won't the coven realize you can still do magic?"

"They have no idea, I made these cells myself long ago, and they're hardly ever used enough. But I can't do any magic until we're ready, Rory needs time," Eliphas explained to them slowly.

"Time for what?"

"Time to find a way to destroy Caeler."

Rory hardly paid attention to the castle as the two girls led her to an unknown location. Her palms began to get sweaty, her throat drying out. She tried to keep her calm composure, not wanting to let them see how scared she indeed was. She could hear them talking in the background, but it got drowned out by her own scattered thoughts. Rory made sure to focus on how she was presenting herself. She kept her head up proudly, never letting it lower down. She kept her walk firm yet elegant, never allowing herself trip. She kept a small smirk on her face, never letting the dangerous glints of mischief leave.

"Now, Rory. We want to introduce you to a dear friend of ours. He's one of the leaders here. All he wants is to let us reach our full potential," Tempest told her with a simple shrug. If that was supposed to reassure her, it did the opposite. All Rory wanted was to hide in a corner and forget about this whole plan, but she knew she couldn't.

She was led into a bedroom. Although she had expected it to be grand and beautiful, it felt like more than that- it felt royal. Emerald green and silver decorations covered the room. Black snakes were splattered in random places across the room. The excessive snake decorations nearly made Rory roll her eyes. They had snake decor all over the castle. She had always been fascinated by the animal. Her mind wandered off slightly, thinking about how the snake became a symbol of evil and temptation. She was snapped out of her thoughts when a hand was placed on her shoulder.

"His name is Caeler- I think you two will really get along," Valery assured her, dragging her hand softly across Rory's back, which sent shivers down her spine.

You don't really believe that, but it's okay, Rory thought bitterly to herself, smiling excitedly but staying silent. Tempest eyed her warily, her eyes narrowing to slits as she tried to figure Rory out. Instead of giving a warm smile, Rory decided to stop being so sweet, thinking that it wouldn't sit too well with Tempest. Rory flicked up her eyebrows once, allowing a sly grin to slither onto her face.

The doors opened dramatically, a gust of wind blowing in at the girls. Two witches stood side by side in front of someone. Rory went on her tip-toes and saw two warlocks behind them. They stepped aside in synch, revealing a man. Rory's breath hitched as his steel-blue eyes lock with hers. Her mask fell, not able to conceal her emotions. She shuddered as he stared at her. It was the man from her dream last night. He watched her deliberately. The man in front of her towered over her, his eyes piercing into her. His presence radiated power and control.

"My little star," his voice cut the air like a sword, and it sliced through her, causing her to swallow thickly, "it is a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Rory said smoothly, but despite herself, tore her eyes away from him nervously.

Caeler paused before turning to the two warlocks behind him. "You two... off to the cellar. Make sure none of those pathetic prisoners are up to anything."

Rory wanted nothing more than to punch that smug look off of Caeler's face. If everyone's lives weren't at stake, she would get revenge. She would get revenge for Aurora, for Saffire and other villages that were usurped, and lastly, for herself. This man was supposedly the reason she was ripped from Earth and brought here. He was the reason for all of it, and he was standing right in front of her- staring at her like he was meeting with an old friend.

"Little star, I imagine you have a million questions for me. I think it's time we've talked," Caeler offered, raising an eyebrow at her, his hands clasped behind his back formally.

"I just so happen to agree," Rory agreed smoothly, her eyes darting to the rest of the people in the room, "but, I'll only talk to you alone. I don't see any reason that anyone else should be here. Do you?"

"No, I happen to agree with you. Everyone... leave us," he demanded in a low tone before strutting into the room slowly. Rory tilted her head up boldly, not letting herself back down. His guards were the first to leave, clearly programmed to obey his every word. Tempest was the last to walk through the doors, dipping her head slightly in submission to Caeler, flashing Rory a warning look.

Silence filled the room, allowing Rory to hear it, finally. The low sound of snakes hissing in the background seemed to get louder as they fell deeper and deeper into a tense silence. Glancing at the walls, her lip twitched into a grin as she noticed the snakes moving slightly along the walls. Their tongues jerked out every few seconds, causing Rory to roll her eyes,

"A bit cliche, isn't it? The snakes... the hissing?" Rory scrunched her nose mockingly, an acidic laugh escaping her twitching lips. She couldn't help herself when snide comments come to mind, figuring that saying a few out loud couldn't hurt. "You'd think with so much power and with an arrogance like yours... you'd go with a design a bit more original. Honestly, I mean, I figured you'd want to show that you're different and better than everyone else. Because that's what you believe, don't you? Well, I'm shocked that I was wrong."

"Now, now. No need for such hostility. I want to be friends, Rory," Caeler offered with a small tilt of his head.

"Do you now? Because last I checked, I was killed on Earth and brought here," Rory paused, letting out a sour breath. She shook her head bitterly as she pieced it all together. "It was you."

"You'll have to be a bit more specific than that."

"You arranged to have me killed on Earth. It wasn't an accident. You wouldn't just wait for me to die to bring me here, that could've been ages. You got me in that car crash. You were the one that killed me," she spat, any trace of friendliness gone. Rory wanted to add that he might have killed her sister as well, but she figured that he wouldn't even know who she was talking about.

"I thought that bit was obvious, no? I wanted you here, and I get what I want. Did you notice that you call them witches and warlocks on Earth too? Well, let's just say I have some pull there. They were just desperate to get in my good graces!" Caeler laughed, whipping his hand into a fist in front of his face, shaking it wildly with amusement.

"How did you talk to them?" Rory demanded, eyes wide at the information that speaking to different universes was possible.

"We have our ways," Caeler told her vaguely, clearly not looking to give away that information, his laugh dying out but his smirk remaining. He strutted over to the bed in the middle of the room, his hand just gracing the green comforter. Rory eyed him blankly, trying to hide her rage. He might have killed her sister. "Come on, that can't be the end of your questions! Where, oh where, shall we begin?" Caeler breathed out, shaking his head as he strolled behind Rory.

"I want to know your history," she decided, swallowing her pride and her fury to get the necessary information, "the history of the covens, your history here, and... how you gave everyone else in Thera their powers."

"Oh, excellent, little star! Very good, indeed," he complimented excitedly, seeming to be impressed with how she got to that conclusion with little information. He paused as he collected himself. "Well, you asked... so, you shall know."

"God, you're dramatic," Rory breathed out in exasperation, blinking hard once.

At first, the only thing magical about Thera was the covens. Only the witches and warlocks who possessed powers. Ordinary people would walk the streets, aware of the magic around them, but never having the opportunity to have it for themselves. They all lived in peace, not a worry in the world. That is until a different planet had threatened the safety of Thera. This planet was powerful- they had the weaponry to wipe out Thera and all of its inhabitants. The covens were desperate, and they needed to protect themselves. They needed an army.

They decided that all of the citizens of Thera needed to be powerful- to be strong. They decided to take a portion of their powers and divide it into the masses. What they didn't know was that this took an enormous amount of their own power away from them. While the citizens of Thera grew stronger, the members of the coven grew weaker. The witches and warlocks realized that they were more powerful when they cast spells together. Meanwhile, the other citizens didn't need groups of people to be powerful- they were fine on their own.

The covens began to resent the other citizens of Thera. They wanted their power back, but they had no way to attain it. Instead, they decided to use them. They took control of villages, deciding that anyone with unique powers would now work for them. They would build an army that would do anything they asked. Taking control over the villages in Valsaire was relatively easy; this realm didn't have much leadership. However, in Fantamia, the Lucina's had stood their ground against the coven. The other two realms had been relatively successful as well, and they were only unable to save a few villages.

"What about me? Why did you bring me here?" Rory asked him, still not understanding her role in this.

"Well, that's a bit more complicated. You're powerful, being an oracle means that we can see into the lives of our enemies. You can blast them with your star energy, you're quite a force to be reckoned with. Our leader-"

"Metus," Rory interrupted smoothly. It caused him to pause, observing her carefully.

"Yes, Metus... he wanted your powers to himself."

"Aurora was right there, why not just use her?" Rory asked.

"Well, I'm afraid I cannot tell you all of that just yet. Loopholes, loopholes... very difficult to explain, and so little time. Long story short is that half of the coven wanted to kill her while the other half wanted her alive. We came to a compromise, get rid of her and bring you here," Caeler explained, clearly choosing his words very carefully. Rory's eyes widened slightly at his confession of the coven's plan to kill Aurora. "Don't worry- Aurora is still alive."

Rory couldn't decide if she believed him or not, but she knew he wouldn't tell her the truth if she asked again anyway. "I don't understand... if you need her, then why kill her?"

"Because both benefit Metus," Caeler told her simply, but this only brought more thoughts to Rory's mind. She knew there was more and she wanted answers. Both options supposedly benefited Metus, but he still hadn't explained how Aurora dying helped anyone.

"Why does Metus want me?" Rory asked in a demanding tone, standing up taller.

"Because you're powerful."

"I got that part, why else does he want me?" Caeler raised an impressed eyebrow at her, seeming surprised that she knew there was more. "He has plenty of powerful people in the little army he's guarded himself with. There's more than just my power that he's interested."

"Now that I cannot tell you yet. But I must say, you're smarter than I thought you were, my little star," he complimented with a nod of approval which made Rory want to gag in disgust. She despised the name he had given her. "Besides, this isn't about Metus at the moment. This is about my great plan for you."

"And what role, dare I ask, do I play in your great plan?" Rory spat out.

"Well, that's up to you, little star. We can either achieve greatness beyond your wildest dreams; make you strong, powerful. You will be the most powerful person in Thera," Caeler told her shortly as if that choice was the obvious option to pick.

Tilting her head to the side, she eyed him warily. "And what's behind the not-so-glamorous door number two?"

"You'll be nothing but another trophy in my collection. I will show my victory off through you- the little star girl. All of Thera will watch as you kneel in front of me. That's when they'll realize that there is no victory for them. Their only option will be to stop fighting, to accept what will be and not what could've been had they fought. There is no salvation. There is only submitting to those with power."

"You have to understand how blindly foolish that plan is."

"Oh? Do tell."

"Peace is like a scale. These two competing sides are fighting. Who will rise and who will fall? Who's the stronger side that'll end up winning the battle? Who's going to be the one to ruin this flimsy balance?" Rory asked rhetorically, using her hands to show him what she meant. Her palms faced the ceiling, moving slightly as she illustrated them tipping. "When one changes, even just slightly, they can go crashing down while the other rises. Life is hardly ever perfectly balanced; nothing in life truly is. People will always fight. No matter how many people you knockdown, there will always be one person to stand against you. And as long as that one person is alive..." Rory took her hand and brought it down, letting her other hand soar up, "you don't stand a chance."

"You have a point, but you fail to truly see your role here. You will be the one to make them submit. When they see that the great Lucina family has fallen, they'll realize that there is no other option but to stand with us," Caeler finished with his arms held out.

Rory smiled saccharinely at him before strolling over to the window. She crossed her arms over her chest, staring at Valsaire. She couldn't deny that his plan would likely work. People seemed to look up to her family and the peace they had established. If even the Lucina's couldn't defeat such a great evil, then who could? She could admire his ability to make a plan if nothing else. Then she realized something, remembering what happened in the village with the worlds. "I couldn't help but notice... Thera looks perfect. Nothing is a hair out of place, it seems."

"Why thank you," Caeler nodded smugly, clearly proud.

"It wasn't a compliment- it was an observation," Rory corrected plainly, her voice rising slightly, "not even three hours ago, it was flickering back and forth between Earth and Thera, then it just stopped."

Caeler froze, faltering slightly at her question. "We found a solution."

"How resourceful of you."

"I'm glad you approve."

"Oh, I never said I approved... Caeler," she said carefully, shaking her head gently. She waited a few moments, not breaking eye contact. "I want to see Aurora."

"That is simply not an option, I'm afraid. She isn't here," Caeler told her in a smooth tone, and Rory hadn't had her vision, she might have believed him. She turned away from him, pacing slightly as she took a few moments to gather her thoughts.

"I think you forget that I'm an oracle. I had a vision of her with your coven's symbol behind her; I know she's here. I want to see her," Rory demanded sternly as she faced him, not backing down under his cold expression.

"Perhaps later, should you comply, of course," he shrugged coyly, and Rory let out a small chuckle.

"There it is- the ultimatum," Rory breathed out softly, "tell me then, what do you want from me?"

"We want you to join our army. We want to make you the strongest person Thera has ever seen. We want to use your visions against our enemies," Caeler admitted, making his way towards her, "should you agree, you'll have power beyond your wildest dreams."

"And if I refuse?" Rory quipped in a low tone. She couldn't deny her allure for power, there was a part of her that wanted what he was offering, but she knew that would come with a price. She was reminded of what Eliphas told her, the coven training her wasn't necessarily a bad thing. She needed to learn how to control her powers, and they might be the only ones who could help her do so.

"Then we kill everyone you love. We're generous right now, but if you don't comply, we won't be so friendly," he warned her shortly. "So, what do you say? Will you let us show you your full potential?"

"One more question... why are you doing all of this?"

Caeler gaped at her for a few moments, scoffing. "Has it not been made clear? I want power, and you can give it to me, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get what I want, I don't care who I have to hurt. It's all perspective, little star. Without the ugly, you would not be able to truly appreciate the beauty of the universe."

"And the world thanks you for your sacrifice," Rory snapped harshly before she could stop herself. She froze immediately after saying it, staring at him nervously. However, he surprised her with a dark chuckle.

"There's the spark that I need from you! Don't hold back on me... no, none of that. If we're going to make you powerful, we will need all of that fire that's burning inside of you," Caeler's voice boomed throughout the room, rattling Rory to her core. "Now, why don't we see if we can do something about your powers. I believe we have a few spare stars somewhere lying around..."

"And then?"

"We train you, little star."